Practice Makes Perfect

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Note: Short paragraph
of light nsfw at the very end
so I didn't mark the whole chapter
but still wanted to give a warning
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     The following day marked a new start to his ventures and as he walked onwards following the path of azaleas he practiced and practiced what little magic he had. From focusing his hands together he was able to get little shards of ice to form, and if he touched something the area would freeze. But he knew he had to do better than that. Freezing entire ponds–no lakes–with ease. Make ice shards the size of stalagmites. Things more of a feat than what he was doing currently, but it was a start and he was grateful enough for that.

It was a little straining on his body to be trying so hard to multitask between the two things but he was afraid that if he wasn’t working on improving his magic that what slight ability he gained would altogether disappear. Or that if he stopped for breaks too frequently that Linias would just get further and further away. For all he knew, the Seronites could’ve taken him as far as the Ivory Shore–or arguably worse: his aforementioned theory on Linias making himself scarce and he didn’t want to be found, which he also had no way of knowing for certain.

Yet throughout the hours of the day, he couldn’t do anything better than he had started out with. Even once he’d found another pond by the evening, even smaller than the last, he still couldn’t get a fire going. No matter how much he drove the branches against each other and no matter how much he collided the stones. At this rate he’d sooner have his first illness from the same ‘meal’ every day than from drinking unclean water. He’d hoped that since the weather was finally light enough for the sun to break through that he’d be able to have more progress in that regard, but still no luck.

Aggravated beyond belief Haetia tossed the stone at the pond, causing even more cracks and shatters of the already melting ice.

“...You know what? Maybe I fucking hate you instead! If you didn’t have the brilliant idea of sending me to the middle of where all on my own then I wouldn’t have to be chasing after you right now! And I wouldn’t be eating berries every day for the last who-knows-how-fucking-long! And I wouldn’t have to worry about protecting myself because that’s your job! You’re the worst servant I’ve ever fucking had and it’s not even close!–....”

He paused.

“...Not that I’ve had any other servants – personal ones. No wait…I think when I was younger I did? Nursing maids I think…then handmaids or whatever then they just all kind of were gone now that I think about it, and it was just you after that, so I guess you don’t even have any competition then. Why..-?” Then he remembered. It was around the time that Linias had lost his eye that the maids were secluded to matters like keeping the house tidy. In that case, it could only be because of what happened with the manticore. Before then the maids were the ones overly submissive towards him and Linias was reprimanding him all the time, then afterwards he was just as submissive as the rest of them and just as overly obedient.

Haetia smiled pathetically. “And there I go making your life hard again, and another reason why I probably shouldn’t even bother but I’d rather you tell me to my face at this point than for me to just continue torturing myself about it. The more I think about it though I can’t even see you yelling at me but I really wish you would–will.”

As small as his abilities were, he focused his palms together and tried to form a sculpture, picturing it over and over again in his mind as if to conjure it into life. Instead though, it came out as two tiny balls of ice glued together with little nubs on the sides. Somehow both better and worse than he expected, almost making him laugh.

The prince held the miniature figure and tilted it about, imitating it speaking.

“Master I am sick and tired of your shit!” “No wait, not like that he doesn’t talk like that. Ahem.” “Master, I would appreciate it if you would take better care of yourself, just…away from me.” “Oh yeah no, that’s cool. I get it. Yeah I one hundred percent get it. Totally within your right….Except I kind of want to at least TRY and fix things. This whole you and everyone else getting captured and me getting lost in the middle of nowhere is kind of my fault anyways–maybe a bit of Revi’s too. But my fault! My fault. Yeah. And all of your scars probably have something to do with me somehow, at least your eye and as far as I know that’s the worst one I think…”

His memory of Linias’s scars and tattoos were undoubtedly more fresh given how recently he’d seen them, but being covered by tattoos he couldn’t really make out how severe the rest of his scars were. There were some on his arms and hands, near his shoulders, above his…pecs, by his...abs…and on his…chest…Those floral tattoos really complimented his body.

A scarlet flush started to seep into his cheeks.

“No-Nope! I’m not thinking about it-I am not…getting in heat oh my fucking shit please get out of my head!!!” He slapped his face then instantly panicked, fervently checking the sculpture he’d made. “Whew you’re alright Linias–I mean fuck! UGH!! I need a break I can’t do this anymore!”

Laying his back against the nearest tree, Haetia fiercely exhaled and swallowed deeply. All that flooded his mind was more and more thoughts of his retainer’s shirtless body, the few times he’d run his fingers through his loose curly hair, or the smirks he’d throw in while fucking him–

“NO!” He yelped yet definitely felt his heat taking over now with how much he couldn’t cease his salivation and increasing oral respirations.

“...Maybe just a bit? Just not to him, definitely not to him.”

Haetia set aside the ice figure, still reluctant to do so even as he undid the buttons to and lowered his hand into his shorts. His impure thoughts of his retainer had already gotten him half of the way and he tried his best to leave them behind him as he finished the task. Yet if anything, they seemed to just rush back to him in droves the instant he grazed his dick.

“Fuck it I can’t–I’m sorry in advance alright? I just want to finish this A.S.A.P!!”

His slow strokes lasted mere seconds before he frantically slid his hand across, letting his imagination take over if only to end it all the quicker. In no time precum streamed down and slickened his ministrations, closing his eyes and picturing his retainer caressing him in his stead. The soft words he’d whisper into his ear…which he hadn’t pictured to be as lewd as he usually spoke in bed. He knew those words were just because he’d told him to act more obscene, that the real Linias was much more tender than that.

“Do you like it, Master?” He would say, more to make sure he felt comfortable than anything else.

Haetia felt his heart stick to his throat and his chest tighten.

“Y-Yeah…” He replied to the illusion of his own making.

His warm hands would slither under his shirt, lightly playing with his peaks just enough to get him to plead with his eyes for less teasing and more direct intimacy. So, he’d oblige with a deep, thorough exchange of sighs, giving a few to his neck as well.

The caresses would continue all the while, outlining his ring with a doting gaze.

“Master, do you want it here too?”

“Please…”

He’d be gentle once his fingers penetrated, gradually moving them to not overwhelm his senses too much. But when he’d see how desperate he was to orgasm he’d pick up the pace. After all, he always prioritized his needs and desires.

Then, when he was right at his limit, he’d plant a delicate kiss onto his lips, watching closely the exact moment when he’d climax and he’d be right there through it all.

With rapid pants, Haetia frantically wiped the semen away on the snow then his clothes as soon as he came back to his senses. He glanced at the small ice sculpture and immediately looked away, swallowing his shame.

Burrowing his face into his hands, he suppressed a boiling self-groan. “Something please kill me…”

To not waste any more time than he had already, Haetia begrudgingly gathered the pieces of himself up from the snow, picking the figure up at the same time.

“...I’ll just stick to practicing for now. It’s what you would’ve done–used to do–anyway.”

He tucked the sculpture into his cardigan, continuing along the path of azaleas as he tried to forget about his obscene display.