googleoliver:

emptynarration:

Markus didn’t know who took his necklace. He just had to live without it, no matter how much it pained him. He nodded lightly in reply, hesitantly letting go of his shirt.

“I can try.”, he replied softly, carefully pushing himself up to stand. He was a bit wobbly at first, but he felt alright enough. Still weak, very much so, but what else was he supposed to do? Oliver did have more things to carry than him.

Oliver watched him carefully, ready to steady Markus if that was what he needed. “If you need anything from me, don’t hesitate to ask.”, he told him, humming a soft tune to himself. He couldn’t quite remember where it was from.

He took himself outside. The sun was shining on the water, which was calm for once. It was a good day to travel. “Come with me, I’ll take you to dry land again.”, he said, offering a hand to him.

Markus took a few uncertain steps, before following Oliver. He felt okay for now, and he’d tell Oliver if he felt like he needed help. He blinked against the harsh light when they stepped outside, before he got used to it again. He hadn’t seen sunlight for days.

“Thank you.”, Markus mumbled, taking Oliver’s hand with a small smile. It was still cold and sweaty, and he really needed to get properly washed, but he knew he wouldn’t get to for some time.

Markus didn’t know who took his necklace. He just had to live without it, no matter how much it pained him. He nodded lightly in reply, hesitantly letting go of his shirt.

“I can try.”, he replied softly, carefully pushing himself up to stand. He was a bit wobbly at first, but he felt alright enough. Still weak, very much so, but what else was he supposed to do? Oliver did have more things to carry than him.

googleoliver:

emptynarration:

“I don’t think so?..”, Markus mumbled. He didn’t have any other clothes than what he wore right now, he didn’t feel like eating, and by now he was used to neither food nor drink available for him. He wasn’t sure if he could walk, but he’d try. He didn’t want to be a burden for Oliver, not more than he already must be.

“Where are we?..”, he asked, rubbing his eyes again. He wondered how far away they were from Elysium. He knew a lot of kingdoms, but he didn’t even know where he had been supposed to be brought.

Oliver didn’t particularly care if Markus was a burden. He was some kind of company, which made up for whatever inconveniences he caused. If Markus couldn’t walk, then he would have to carry him again. There wasn’t anything wrong with that.

“… we’ll find out once we’re on land. I could probably buy a map, just so we know where we’re going.”, he answered. He wasn’t a geographical expert, unfortunately, but he would find a way to get him back.

Markus hummed lightly. They didn’t really need to know where they were going, if they just wanted to travel for a while, before going back to Elysium. They only needed to find a doctor first.

Markus reached to his neck, feeling around some. “We.. we can’t go.”, he looked towards Oliver, holding onto his collar. “They took my necklace… they’re… not.. not really part of the crown jewels, but… it’s very important to me..”.
It was very valuable, but it also had a huge emotional value for Markus. He didn’t want to leave without it, though he was aware he might have to.

“I don’t think so?..”, Markus mumbled. He didn’t have any other clothes than what he wore right now, he didn’t feel like eating, and by now he was used to neither food nor drink available for him. He wasn’t sure if he could walk, but he’d try. He didn’t want to be a burden for Oliver, not more than he already must be.

“Where are we?..”, he asked, rubbing his eyes again. He wondered how far away they were from Elysium. He knew a lot of kingdoms, but he didn’t even know where he had been supposed to be brought.

googleoliver:

emptynarration:

Markus’ grip was loose enough that Oliver had no problem getting up, his hands searching just for a moment for the lost source of warmth and comfort, before he was given the pillow. He held onto it, cuddling into it, glad for the lingering warmth from Oliver.

He did wake up a while later, before Oliver had the chance to wake him. He tiredly rubbed his eyes, before blinking them open. He could tell it was day now, and that Oliver wasn’t next to him anymore.

When Markus woke up, Oliver was packing what few belongings he owned and could carry. There was a spare change of clothes for both himself and Markus as well as some fresh water. Any food would be collected at the town near the harbour; it was too perishable to carry.

“Morning. I hope you slept well enough.”, he said with a small smile aimed at Markus. It was a shame that he had to have left him while he had been sleeping, but Markus seemed to have been fine without him.

“Thank you for staying with me.”, Markus mumbled. He weakly pushed himself up, feeling a lot better than when he had been trapped in that barrel. He wasn’t sure if he could walk, but he would tried his very hardest.

Markus looked over to Oliver, blinking at him curiously. He couldn’t make him out all that well, from the low lightning still, but he could tell where he was, and that he was.

Markus’ grip was loose enough that Oliver had no problem getting up, his hands searching just for a moment for the lost source of warmth and comfort, before he was given the pillow. He held onto it, cuddling into it, glad for the lingering warmth from Oliver.

He did wake up a while later, before Oliver had the chance to wake him. He tiredly rubbed his eyes, before blinking them open. He could tell it was day now, and that Oliver wasn’t next to him anymore.

googleoliver:

emptynarration:

Markus sniffed and nodded. He would love to go to more places while they weren’t close to his kingdom. He had never traveled too much, and he didn’t know how well other royals knew him and his family. They were known for their pigment disorder after all, but he was sure if he was further away from his kingdom, and away from any nobles and royals, no one would know who he was.

“I…”, he wasn’t sure. He felt like he had to apologize for being weak. And most emotions were just weaknesses. He wasn’t used to anything else.
“Sorry…”, he mumbled again. He felt a bit better now. Still sick, but he didn’t think about the ocean anymore.

He slept in relative peace, occasionally moving away from Markus or closer to him in his sleep. It was odd to sleep in the same bed as another person again, with someone in his arms. In fact, he wasn’t sure if he had ever slept like that with someone else. Perhaps with his brothers, but it seemed different with Markus. Markus wasn’t family – he was practically a stranger.

When he woke up, it was later than he usually did. He glanced at Markus, who was still in his arms, unsure whether he was still awake or if he would have to wake the young king up himself.

Markus was still asleep when Oliver woke up. He was holding onto him, only having let go whenever Oliver moved away from him. But he grabbed onto him again whenever he was close, needing him and his comfort. He hadn’t shared a bed with anyone like this since he had been a small child, but he very much needed the comfort of someone being close to him.

He looked rather peaceful as he slept, even with his fever. Being close to Oliver was soothing his frazzled nerves.

googleoliver:

emptynarration:

Markus sniffed and nodded. He would love to go to more places while they weren’t close to his kingdom. He had never traveled too much, and he didn’t know how well other royals knew him and his family. They were known for their pigment disorder after all, but he was sure if he was further away from his kingdom, and away from any nobles and royals, no one would know who he was.

“I…”, he wasn’t sure. He felt like he had to apologize for being weak. And most emotions were just weaknesses. He wasn’t used to anything else.
“Sorry…”, he mumbled again. He felt a bit better now. Still sick, but he didn’t think about the ocean anymore.

Oliver felt some kind of sympathy for him, although it was difficult to understand being so… restrictive. He was naturally inclined to not care about most things, to leave whenever he wished because there was nothing that prevented him from doing so. Markus seemed to be the opposite.

“There’s still a few hours left until this ship docks. We can rest for a bit longer.”, he informed him, diverting himself from thinking about what would happen once they returned to Markus’s kingdom. “I spoke with the crew. They stay at the harbour for the entire day, so it doesn’t matter if we oversleep.”

He rested his head against one of the pillows on Markus’s bed. If he didn’t get any sleep, it would be difficult to travel. After a few moments, he was struggling to stay awake.

Markus nodded lightly. He was slow to relax against Oliver again, gaining his breath back slowly. He could barely sleep because of his fever, trembling in Oliver’s arms. But at least his thoughts had calmed, and he could look forward to traveling with Oliver for a while. Once he was healthy again at the very least.

He did fall asleep again after a while after Oliver did, clinging to him in his sleep. He never slept too well, though considering he was having a high fever right now, it wasn’t that big of a surprise that he didn’t sleep that great tonight either.

Markus sniffed and nodded. He would love to go to more places while they weren’t close to his kingdom. He had never traveled too much, and he didn’t know how well other royals knew him and his family. They were known for their pigment disorder after all, but he was sure if he was further away from his kingdom, and away from any nobles and royals, no one would know who he was.

“I…”, he wasn’t sure. He felt like he had to apologize for being weak. And most emotions were just weaknesses. He wasn’t used to anything else.
“Sorry…”, he mumbled again. He felt a bit better now. Still sick, but he didn’t think about the ocean anymore.

googleoliver:

emptynarration:

“I-… I..”, Markus pressed his face against Oliver, trying to take deep breaths through his mouth, though they were shaky. It was hard to not cry or even sob.
“I don’t… I don’t want to be king..”, Markus admitted quietly, voice breaking as tears escaped him. Why shouldn’t he just tell him? It wasn’t like Oliver would judge him or anything, he was pretty sure.

Being a child, he had grown up with the belief he was able to do whatever he wanted. Free to love whoever he wanted, to leave the kingdom if he’d like. His parents had never expected him to marry some other royal for benefit.
But then they were murdered, and his older brother left the kingdom out of selfish reasons, and Markus was forced to become king.

Oliver hadn’t interacted with many members of royalty. He had seen them, though, when his brothers had died. He had killed nobles, although he didn’t intend to tell Markus about his occupation. However likely it was that he wouldn’t go back to it.

“You don’t…?”, he repeated, holding him closer and wiping away any tears that he felt dampen his skin. If he had been royalty, then he wouldn’t be running. He would be safe, somewhere, probably happier. “How come? Would you prefer to go somewhere else then, instead of your castle?”

If Markus didn’t want to go to Elysium, then he wouldn’t be able to go anywhere that was allied with the country. It had happened after his brothers were persecuted there. The adviser, or the man that had worked for him, had told him that he would be free if Markus was returned.

Markus shook his head a little. He didn’t. He really didn’t want to be king, he wanted to be the prince he had been supposed to be.
“N-no.. I.. I can’t just.. leave..”, he mumbled. He couldn’t just ditch being king. He couldn’t leave his kingdom without any ruler. He was the last of their family, with his brother gone, unwilling to become king. Markus couldn’t just.. leave.

He didn’t know about Oliver, or his occupation, or his family. He couldn’t take care of all of the kingdom, and he had to trust his guards and alike to do as he wanted. Markus was like his parents, kind, open-minded, and accepting. He didn’t like punishing people. He even helped thieves to stop steal and become a proper working citizen. Even though sometimes he had to be strict, and punishing. If he knew of Oliver and what he had done, he wouldn’t have allowed anyone to persecute him.

“I’m sorry…”, he whispered, sniffing.