Fic: Roses and their thorns (3/4)
Title: Roses and their thorns
Author: Liv
Pairing: VM/OB, OB/SB (implied)
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: AU, angst, evil Sean
Summary: While visiting an old friend, Viggo meets a young man who needs a knight in shining armour..
Feedback: would be most welcome, no flames please.
Beta-ed by Myr (thank you, dear!). All remaining mistakes are mine.
Disclaimer: This is just a product of my imagination.
Note: The story is set sometime in the 1800’.
Chapter 3
After the disturbing events of the evening, Viggo locked himself in his room, seeking to avoid any accidental meeting with some of his host’s more boisterous guests. His thoughts kept straying to the fragile young man he felt he had callously treated, without forethought about what he might want or feel.
Viggo shouldn’t have assumed that there was not much beyond the obvious purpose of the boy’s presence in his room and should have made an effort to find out more about him. He couldn’t shake the feeling that, despite the boy’s reassuring words, he had hurt him, perhaps more so than his employer seemed to be keen on doing, probably on a regular basis.
Viggo’s gaze turned to the lovely blooms in the garden, for the care of which Orlando was responsible, as he had recently found out, and he wondered at the twist of fate which had made an obviously talented gardener become bound to a man who delighted in demeaning him, with no apparent concern for who might see. It was now obvious to him that Sean’s proclivities were in fact the main reason for the boy’s presence at the estate, and the garden was an added benefit for Sean and something which probably helped keep the boy sane.
Too affected to be able to enjoy what he had initially considered a distraction from his responsibilities, Viggo planned to shorten his stay, but he dreaded leaving Orlando a prisoner of his torturous routine. Perhaps he could persuade him to leave his current employment and come with him. Anything was better than remaining here and Viggo promised himself that he would treat the boy well, hoping that one day his wounds would heal and Orlando would willingly approach him with genuine affection. At least, one could always hope.
Early the next morning, Viggo left his rooms to search for the reluctant object of his growing affection, aware that the situation would not resolve itself and that he would have to make his intentions known if he was to have any success. He headed for the stable area, hoping that one of the annexes there also housed the tools Orlando undoubtedly used to tend the garden. As luck would have it, Viggo had no trouble finding the young man, who was setting fresh straw in one of the stalls meant for the guests’ horses.
“Orlando?” Viggo asked tentatively.
Orlando was startled by the voice he heard coming seemingly out of nowhere, calling his name, but then he saw Viggo’s form outlined in the light that flooded the stable doorway. He set the pitchfork he was using against one of the walls of the stall and warily watched the older man approach him.
“Is there anything you need, sir?” he asked, his face blank.
Viggo did not know exactly how to phrase his proposition, so he opted for a more roundabout approach.
“I will be returning home tomorrow”, he finally said, picking up a straw and playing with it.
“I see,” Orlando answered. “Will you be requiring my presence again tonight?” he asked, voice void of any emotions.
Looking at him, Viggo frowned at the neutral tone and felt a little hurt by the boy’s assumption that he only wanted to use him. Then again, he hadn’t exactly given him much reason to think otherwise.
“That’s not what I wanted to talk to you about, besides, I should think that you would wish to spend the night alone, judging by what I saw this morning,” Viggo blurted out, regretting the words as soon as he had said them.
Orlando turned away then, saying quietly: “My master never fails to remind me that what I wish is of little import.”
Viggo couldn’t stop himself then from taking the boy in his arms, chin resting on Orlando’s shoulder: “I would like for you to come with me,” he said, feeling the lithe body in his arms tense as he spoke. “Would you consider it?”
Orlando was quiet for a minute, mind spinning furiously, wondering what this meant and if he could allow himself a shred of hope that things could be marginally better. Further questions were useless, he thought, the other man could answer one thing and then do whatever he wished, once he had Orlando in his power.
“I am not free to go as I please,” Orlando finally said.
Turning him sideways to look at him, Viggo asked: “If I were to convince Sean to let come with me, would you want to? I will not speak to him of it without your leave, lest it would cause you trouble.”
Orlando’s eyes were guarded as he spoke: “I would go with you, if you will have me.”
Viggo felt his heart lighten at the answer, however half hearted: “Alright then, I will go speak to him now.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Viggo’s steps were lighter as he joined his host, who was entertaining in one of the small sitting rooms. He discreetly asked Sean to join him in a curtained recess, so that he could present his request without fear of interruption.
“What is it, my friend? Your mood seems much improved since last I’ve seen you,” Sean asked, obviously in a good mood himself.
Not having given much thought to how he would broach the subject, Viggo forged ahead nonetheless.
“I’ve decided to cut my stay short, since I cannot leave things at home unattended for too long”, he began.
“I see,” Sean answered, amused. “I always did say you are too soft on your servants. Now if you leave them unsupervised for too long, you risk no longer finding your house where you’ve left it. This brings me to the second thing I’ve always said…”
“What is that?” Viggo asked, the familiar banter relieving some of his tension.
“That you need a wife to run your household. But I do think you’re hopeless on that,” Sean concluded. “So, what else did you want to tell me, which simply could not wait until dinner time?”
“I wished to ask you if you would consider allowing Orlando to go with me,” he said, trying to keep his voice unaffected by the tender feelings that were developing for the young man.
Sean’s eyebrows rose, as he heard his old friends’ request. “And here I thought I had forever lost your respect, because of how I choose to use him, yet now you ask to have him for yourself. Was he that good, to have changed your mind about his usefulness after all?”
As he realized what Sean was implying, Viggo felt his stomach turn, but considered it more likely to succeed in convincing his friend if he played along. “Surely the novelty will have worn off for you by now, though you cannot begrudge me the interest,” he smiled at Sean suggestively.
“I suppose not,” Sean conceded. “However, friends or not, he’s not here simply because it pleases me,” he added slyly. “Orlando’s family does owe me a handsome sum. If I allow him to go with you, there will be no one to reimburse that debt. Unfortunately for me, he does not have a sibling as fair as he nor as talented, to take his place.”
“Surely that cannot be a problem between us,” Viggo interjected, “this is a matter which can be settled without difficulty and I am more than willing to make it worth your trouble.”
“Very well, then,” Sean concluded. “I believe we have a deal. I shall have my carriage ready for you and keep yours until it is repaired and your horses will be prepared on the morrow. Do you wish me to send Orlando to help keep you warm you tonight?” he smirked.
“No, let him rest,” Viggo answered evenly, “I shall have more than enough time to enjoy him when we arrive home”. With that, the two friends parted for the evening and Viggo noticed Orlando outside the open ground floor window, where they had been speaking. He did not know how much the boy had heard, but his face did not reveal anything.
“Everything is arranged,” he told the boy, “we are leaving in the morning, so gather your things for it will be an early start.”
Orlando simply nodded and retreated, presumably to pack his meager belongings and Viggo did not see him for the rest of the day.
Midnight found Viggo tossing and turning in his bed, unable to find any rest. He found he missed the warmth of Orlando’s body and the sound of his breath as the boy slept. Viggo’s emotions were conflicting. On one hand, he knew he had made the right decision to spend the night alone, not wanting to impose on Orlando further; on the other hand, he was concerned that Sean would take advantage of the situation to arrange a last encounter for himself.
Sleep finally claimed Viggo and he awoke again just before dawn, when he rose to prepare himself for the trip home. A knock sounded on his door and he called out for the person to enter. Orlando then came in, setting a small travelling bag at the side of the door.
“Are those all your things?” Viggo asked.
“Yes,” came the answer. “There wasn’t much to pack,” he continued.
Viggo smiled, “I think I packed more for the short trip here,” he joked. “It’s alright, it’s better to travel light and we will get you more garments when we arrive home.”
Orlando did not answer, but he opened a drawer and assisted Viggo in packing away his belongings, stealing a furtive glance at his new master when he could. Between the two of them, everything was soon ready and loaded onto Viggo’s carriage.
With a cursory farewell to the other guests and his host, Viggo joined Orlando in the carriage and they were on their way. Despite Sean’s offer of assigning a driver, since the weather was expected to worsen, Viggo insisted on driving the carriage himself.
Orlando mostly kept his eyes on the scenery, as they passed through fields and cops of trees, meeting few other travelers, whom the darkening sky seemed to discourage. Viggo pressed on, hoping to reach his estate by nightfall. They stopped briefly at midday to share some of the provisions that Orlando had packed for them, but they ate in a hurry, for it seemed likely that it would soon start to rain and their open carriage would provide little cover.
Although there should have been at least an hour of daylight left, it soon became very dark, the thickening clouds obscuring all remaining light. They found themselves driving through dense woods, the horses neighing and pulling at the reins, making the carriage shake. Unconsciously, Orlando drew closer to Viggo, wide eyes darting frightened to the dark shadows of the surrounding forest. As worried as he was about the way his life would be with his new master, he could not shake the feeling that something more ominous loomed ahead in the hours to come.
Orlando squeezed Viggo’s arm tightly and the other man turned to him to reassure him, loosening the reins on the horses. At that moment, thunder cracked loudly above their heads, deafening them and the horses neighed loudly, rising on their hind legs and overturning the carriage. The reins broke under the pressure and the frightened animals disappeared into the darkness.
TBC.
Author: Liv
Pairing: VM/OB, OB/SB (implied)
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: AU, angst, evil Sean
Summary: While visiting an old friend, Viggo meets a young man who needs a knight in shining armour..
Feedback: would be most welcome, no flames please.
Beta-ed by Myr (thank you, dear!). All remaining mistakes are mine.
Disclaimer: This is just a product of my imagination.
Note: The story is set sometime in the 1800’.
Chapter 3
After the disturbing events of the evening, Viggo locked himself in his room, seeking to avoid any accidental meeting with some of his host’s more boisterous guests. His thoughts kept straying to the fragile young man he felt he had callously treated, without forethought about what he might want or feel.
Viggo shouldn’t have assumed that there was not much beyond the obvious purpose of the boy’s presence in his room and should have made an effort to find out more about him. He couldn’t shake the feeling that, despite the boy’s reassuring words, he had hurt him, perhaps more so than his employer seemed to be keen on doing, probably on a regular basis.
Viggo’s gaze turned to the lovely blooms in the garden, for the care of which Orlando was responsible, as he had recently found out, and he wondered at the twist of fate which had made an obviously talented gardener become bound to a man who delighted in demeaning him, with no apparent concern for who might see. It was now obvious to him that Sean’s proclivities were in fact the main reason for the boy’s presence at the estate, and the garden was an added benefit for Sean and something which probably helped keep the boy sane.
Too affected to be able to enjoy what he had initially considered a distraction from his responsibilities, Viggo planned to shorten his stay, but he dreaded leaving Orlando a prisoner of his torturous routine. Perhaps he could persuade him to leave his current employment and come with him. Anything was better than remaining here and Viggo promised himself that he would treat the boy well, hoping that one day his wounds would heal and Orlando would willingly approach him with genuine affection. At least, one could always hope.
Early the next morning, Viggo left his rooms to search for the reluctant object of his growing affection, aware that the situation would not resolve itself and that he would have to make his intentions known if he was to have any success. He headed for the stable area, hoping that one of the annexes there also housed the tools Orlando undoubtedly used to tend the garden. As luck would have it, Viggo had no trouble finding the young man, who was setting fresh straw in one of the stalls meant for the guests’ horses.
“Orlando?” Viggo asked tentatively.
Orlando was startled by the voice he heard coming seemingly out of nowhere, calling his name, but then he saw Viggo’s form outlined in the light that flooded the stable doorway. He set the pitchfork he was using against one of the walls of the stall and warily watched the older man approach him.
“Is there anything you need, sir?” he asked, his face blank.
Viggo did not know exactly how to phrase his proposition, so he opted for a more roundabout approach.
“I will be returning home tomorrow”, he finally said, picking up a straw and playing with it.
“I see,” Orlando answered. “Will you be requiring my presence again tonight?” he asked, voice void of any emotions.
Looking at him, Viggo frowned at the neutral tone and felt a little hurt by the boy’s assumption that he only wanted to use him. Then again, he hadn’t exactly given him much reason to think otherwise.
“That’s not what I wanted to talk to you about, besides, I should think that you would wish to spend the night alone, judging by what I saw this morning,” Viggo blurted out, regretting the words as soon as he had said them.
Orlando turned away then, saying quietly: “My master never fails to remind me that what I wish is of little import.”
Viggo couldn’t stop himself then from taking the boy in his arms, chin resting on Orlando’s shoulder: “I would like for you to come with me,” he said, feeling the lithe body in his arms tense as he spoke. “Would you consider it?”
Orlando was quiet for a minute, mind spinning furiously, wondering what this meant and if he could allow himself a shred of hope that things could be marginally better. Further questions were useless, he thought, the other man could answer one thing and then do whatever he wished, once he had Orlando in his power.
“I am not free to go as I please,” Orlando finally said.
Turning him sideways to look at him, Viggo asked: “If I were to convince Sean to let come with me, would you want to? I will not speak to him of it without your leave, lest it would cause you trouble.”
Orlando’s eyes were guarded as he spoke: “I would go with you, if you will have me.”
Viggo felt his heart lighten at the answer, however half hearted: “Alright then, I will go speak to him now.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Viggo’s steps were lighter as he joined his host, who was entertaining in one of the small sitting rooms. He discreetly asked Sean to join him in a curtained recess, so that he could present his request without fear of interruption.
“What is it, my friend? Your mood seems much improved since last I’ve seen you,” Sean asked, obviously in a good mood himself.
Not having given much thought to how he would broach the subject, Viggo forged ahead nonetheless.
“I’ve decided to cut my stay short, since I cannot leave things at home unattended for too long”, he began.
“I see,” Sean answered, amused. “I always did say you are too soft on your servants. Now if you leave them unsupervised for too long, you risk no longer finding your house where you’ve left it. This brings me to the second thing I’ve always said…”
“What is that?” Viggo asked, the familiar banter relieving some of his tension.
“That you need a wife to run your household. But I do think you’re hopeless on that,” Sean concluded. “So, what else did you want to tell me, which simply could not wait until dinner time?”
“I wished to ask you if you would consider allowing Orlando to go with me,” he said, trying to keep his voice unaffected by the tender feelings that were developing for the young man.
Sean’s eyebrows rose, as he heard his old friends’ request. “And here I thought I had forever lost your respect, because of how I choose to use him, yet now you ask to have him for yourself. Was he that good, to have changed your mind about his usefulness after all?”
As he realized what Sean was implying, Viggo felt his stomach turn, but considered it more likely to succeed in convincing his friend if he played along. “Surely the novelty will have worn off for you by now, though you cannot begrudge me the interest,” he smiled at Sean suggestively.
“I suppose not,” Sean conceded. “However, friends or not, he’s not here simply because it pleases me,” he added slyly. “Orlando’s family does owe me a handsome sum. If I allow him to go with you, there will be no one to reimburse that debt. Unfortunately for me, he does not have a sibling as fair as he nor as talented, to take his place.”
“Surely that cannot be a problem between us,” Viggo interjected, “this is a matter which can be settled without difficulty and I am more than willing to make it worth your trouble.”
“Very well, then,” Sean concluded. “I believe we have a deal. I shall have my carriage ready for you and keep yours until it is repaired and your horses will be prepared on the morrow. Do you wish me to send Orlando to help keep you warm you tonight?” he smirked.
“No, let him rest,” Viggo answered evenly, “I shall have more than enough time to enjoy him when we arrive home”. With that, the two friends parted for the evening and Viggo noticed Orlando outside the open ground floor window, where they had been speaking. He did not know how much the boy had heard, but his face did not reveal anything.
“Everything is arranged,” he told the boy, “we are leaving in the morning, so gather your things for it will be an early start.”
Orlando simply nodded and retreated, presumably to pack his meager belongings and Viggo did not see him for the rest of the day.
Midnight found Viggo tossing and turning in his bed, unable to find any rest. He found he missed the warmth of Orlando’s body and the sound of his breath as the boy slept. Viggo’s emotions were conflicting. On one hand, he knew he had made the right decision to spend the night alone, not wanting to impose on Orlando further; on the other hand, he was concerned that Sean would take advantage of the situation to arrange a last encounter for himself.
Sleep finally claimed Viggo and he awoke again just before dawn, when he rose to prepare himself for the trip home. A knock sounded on his door and he called out for the person to enter. Orlando then came in, setting a small travelling bag at the side of the door.
“Are those all your things?” Viggo asked.
“Yes,” came the answer. “There wasn’t much to pack,” he continued.
Viggo smiled, “I think I packed more for the short trip here,” he joked. “It’s alright, it’s better to travel light and we will get you more garments when we arrive home.”
Orlando did not answer, but he opened a drawer and assisted Viggo in packing away his belongings, stealing a furtive glance at his new master when he could. Between the two of them, everything was soon ready and loaded onto Viggo’s carriage.
With a cursory farewell to the other guests and his host, Viggo joined Orlando in the carriage and they were on their way. Despite Sean’s offer of assigning a driver, since the weather was expected to worsen, Viggo insisted on driving the carriage himself.
Orlando mostly kept his eyes on the scenery, as they passed through fields and cops of trees, meeting few other travelers, whom the darkening sky seemed to discourage. Viggo pressed on, hoping to reach his estate by nightfall. They stopped briefly at midday to share some of the provisions that Orlando had packed for them, but they ate in a hurry, for it seemed likely that it would soon start to rain and their open carriage would provide little cover.
Although there should have been at least an hour of daylight left, it soon became very dark, the thickening clouds obscuring all remaining light. They found themselves driving through dense woods, the horses neighing and pulling at the reins, making the carriage shake. Unconsciously, Orlando drew closer to Viggo, wide eyes darting frightened to the dark shadows of the surrounding forest. As worried as he was about the way his life would be with his new master, he could not shake the feeling that something more ominous loomed ahead in the hours to come.
Orlando squeezed Viggo’s arm tightly and the other man turned to him to reassure him, loosening the reins on the horses. At that moment, thunder cracked loudly above their heads, deafening them and the horses neighed loudly, rising on their hind legs and overturning the carriage. The reins broke under the pressure and the frightened animals disappeared into the darkness.
TBC.