If you're still accepting prompts, another slice of the knight/Lord SpideyNova au plz? If not it's chill and you need to know o think about that au at least once a day rip(affectionate)
I am so sorry that this took so long! Thank you for the prompt, and I hope you like it! 😊
Continuation of this post (but can be read alone), and I once again used Game of Thrones/ASOIAF as inspiration for the society.
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The harvest feast is well underway, and all the vassals of House Alexander are in attendance. Ser Peter takes in the opulence of the decorations and the abundance of boar and lobster as he stands behind Lord Samuel. It’s his post for the evening, and he is always glad to be assigned to guard Sam.
Sam cannot be seen interacting with Peter too much tonight though, as it would appear strange for a lord to waste his time conversing with a household knight while he is surrounded by so many other highborn guests. That is why Peter is not surprised when Sam only spares him the quickest of glances, and Peter plays his part well too, silently and diligently assessing the room for any potential threats.
It hurts to be ignored by the one he loves, but he knows that these are the roles they must play. He has come to hate these feasts, for they only serve to remind him of why Sam should not be with him. This is Sam’s world – one of extravagance and nobility that looks down on those of lower class. Peter will never fit in here.
He watches as Sam dances with lady after lady, all clearly hoping to secure his hand in marriage, and the knight cannot help but wonder when Sam will finally choose one of them, discarding Peter out of necessity. There are plenty of good matches to be found here, and all the women are more attractive, richer, and of higher social standing than Peter.
His stomach churns painfully, but he says nothing and keeps his face carefully blank. This is his duty. He will have to get used to feeling this way when Sam inevitably marries and ends this dangerous affair. He will forever be cursed to protect and watch over the man he loves as that man builds a life with another.
By the time Lord Samuel bids everyone a good night and retires to his chambers (with Peter being expected to follow him as his guard), the knight feels like melancholy has sunk into his bones, his darkest thoughts swirling in his mind like an impending storm.
Sam pulls him inside his chambers, closing the door quickly, and then he practically collapses into Peter's arms in exhaustion as he nuzzles the knight’s neck. Peter’s body instinctively relaxes as he firmly wraps his arm around the lord.
"Finally! I hate these feasts. If I have to listen to one more lord trying to gain my favor or one more lady boasting about how fertile she is, I might cut off my own ears. Let us see how desirable of a match I am then!" Sam complains loudly, and Peter chuckles softly.
The lord’s words make all the thoughts in Peter’s head silent. The fact that Sam is comfortable enough around Peter to let his mask fall and be his true self makes all the risk and insecurity worth it.
"I think you would still make a good match, but perhaps you could give away some of your land, and then you may find you have less offers,” Peter responds, half-teasing and half-sincere, and Sam groans.
"Being a lord is awful sometimes. All night I have been subjected to torture” – Peter tries not to laugh at his dramatic account – “when all I wanted to do was dance with you," Sam admits, and Peter's heart flutters, his expression softening. He pulls back from their embrace, Sam eyeing him in confusion, and then holds his hand out.
"I can still hear the music from the hall. Would you honor me with a dance, my lord?" Sam rolls his eyes, but his lips quirk up in a smile and his expression is fond.
“Of course, good knight," he replies formally, and Peter bites back a laugh. The lord places his hand in Peter's, and they begin to dance around the solar, bodies moving gracefully in tandem. Sam sighs in relief, stress and tension seeping out of his posture as he leans into Peter's touch.
"I have half a mind to run away and leave it all behind,” he says softly. Peter is not sure if he is more upset by the thought that Sam does not mean those words or worried by the idea that he does. Either way, he does not know what to say, so his only response is to connect their lips in a soft kiss. Sam responds immediately, slipping his tongue into Peter's mouth as they pull each other impossibly closer.
And this is why Peter stays, no matter how badly this is going to end for him; because this feels right in a way that nothing else does. He lives for moments like these where he can distract Sam from his burdens and make him happy, if only for the night. Peter does not belong in Sam’s public life (where he is nothing more than a loyal knight to his lord), but he does belong here, and that is enough for him.
