Another day, another tiresome training session.
Same old, same old. The kings haven't waged war anywhere, and his post is the castle. He is the leader of the troops, after all. Training the soldiers was just part of his duties.
Still, the routine made his days quite gray. Wake up, don the armor, start the training, eat, check with the rangers, repeat training, take off the armor, eat and sleep. It's all so... monotonous and repetitive...
The sudden and unwelcome jingle of bells stops him in his tracks. He knows this jingle...
"Axel.", he simply says, to no one in particular.
"Aww, you heard me!", Axel's happy voice betrayed the supposed hurt his comment likely intended to inflict. He promptly appeared from behind the knight, placing himself in front of Mark. "So, how's the greatest knight of the kingdom doing on this fine day?"
"Is there something you need?", he asks instead, ignoring the jester's question.
"Well, someone to pass the time would be nice."
"I take it James is busy then.". James Jesse, their other jester, older; Axel's father, or so he claims. Basically inseparable - where one is, so is the other. Mark will never understand why the kings keep two jesters in the castle, but it's not in his place to ask.
"Yeah... Let's just say he is a little busy with our dear bard.", he laughs, adding a wink to further make the context clear.
Ugh, figures. James and Hartley were another inseparable duo, for a different reason. Their relationship is the worst kept secret of the kingdom, yet they still play as if that's not the case.
But returning to the young man in front of him, Mark can just imagine today will be a less dull day thanks to him. After all, Mark was Axel's favorite person to bother, God knows why. He decided to ignore the jester and pick up his pace; he doesn't want to be late.
"You're off to practice, yes? Of course you are. Your schedule never changes.", Axel blabbered, walking beside him, bells jingling softly.
"What do you want, Axel?". He would soon be at his wits end, if this persisted.
"Can't I spend time with my favorite person in the universe now?". His favorite person. Yeah, right... as if...
"Just don't get in my way."
.-.-.-.-.-.-.
Mark doesn't know it, but Axel always watches the training sessions. Every single one of them, no skips. He just watches from afar, in the dark corners of the high balconies. And usually not in his usual jester garments too. The moment he hears the bells,, Mark immediately knows it's him after all.
And he can't have his love knowing he's there.
Today was an exception, of course. There's always a few of those. Mostly he just showed himself because he happened to have the perfect excuse, and Axel is nothing if not an opportunist.
The training went as it always does. The clash of swords was a soothing sound to him now, he knew each and every of Mark's steps and swings. He surprisingly did almost always the exact same thing every session. Even watching directly from the ground instead of up above, the movements were so obvious and identifiable. He can't help but wonder if even the soldiers have noticed that.
Now he moves to the left, rises his sword to block, turns to the side to make way, strikes low, the other evades and Mark goes to hit him with his fist.
It's like this every time. As much as he loves it, it also becomes a little boring after so many years. At this point, even he could keep up with Mark, even if he isn't a soldier. Wait...
"Hey, can I try?", Axel asks, exuding both a joking and a genuine aura to his question.
The fight that had been happening momentarily stops per Mark's command. The courtyard falls into an uncharacteristic silence as the knight ponders Axel's words. All the other soldiers exchange looks between themselves. The jester? Fighting? Their leader can't possibly be actually considering it.
"Very well.", his short response echoed through the yard.
Every soldier held a flabbergasted face, while Axel merely shot from happiness and walked towards Mark wasting no time.
Axel received the sword Mark's opponent had been using and each got in position. Admittedly, the young jester would prefer to fight with other clothes than his jester outfit, but for a first time he can excuse it.
As he positioned himself and pointed his sword to his adversary, he met Mark's piercing gaze, assessing him, studying his undoubtedly faulty technique. But oh, how captivating those eyes are... Axel could lose himself in their sky blue greatness all day. All day except now, because he intends to beat Mark's expectations. In a way, this is training for him too.
He took an examining look at his opponent, trying to decipher when he'll strike, but unfortunately he isn't trained to predict that yet. Mark doesn't seem too keen on being the first to attack anyway, meaning Axel has extra time to study his stance. The silence between them covers the whole yard, the only sound his bells jingling gently with the small breeze.
"Attack me first.", he ends up demanding, tired of waiting, but knowing going for the first strike is instant loss. He isn't as dumb as they all think.
To his shock and relief, Mark does - with a small smile on his face too, the bastard! He has had to have been waiting for Axel to succumb to the first strike, there's no way he wasn't. But maybe, just maybe, he's a little proud that Axel of all people cracked his battle winning strategy. Or part of it, that is. Because as he went for the strike, Axel clumsily evaded and tried to maintain some distance, but Mark kept his assault nonstop, barely leaving room for breathing.
If he doesn't find the rhythm soon, the training is over.
Mark moves to the left, makes to strike, Axel evades by ducking and rolling out of the way, the bells jingling wildly with the movement, clothes dirty by the sand of the yard. Left plus strike... he knows this combination. Next up is... From above!
As he predicted, Mark raised his sword high to then bring it back down in a swift strike, but Axel blocked it, still crouched down. Despite his disadvantageous position, the young man couldn't help but smile. His knight was so predictable when he wanted.
He didn't show it, but Mark was caught off guard by the jester's good block. Not perfect, it needed some refining, but just the fact he did managed to block so swiftly was more than what others had achieved. Still, that's nothing in the grand scheme of things. He goes to strike again, this time he moves to the right first, creates some distance, before rushing with a strike from the right.
To his bigger surprise, Axel evaded it too, playing limbo with the blade so dangerously that had he not contorted himself enough, it would've cut his nose.
Mark was so stunned by the acrobatic that he got caught off guard when the jester knocked his leg down, causing him to fall. He never falls. More shocking was feeling a weight on his back followed by a blade by his neck.
"Looks like I win!", Axel celebrated, not letting his enemy free for a second. Mark, to the best of his judgement, decides to give up and give the young man his victory.
"How did you do it?", he finds himself asking. Because, truly, how did a mere jester, not a soldier, not someone with an ounce of fight in them, beat him, the best knight of the kingdom?!
Axel didn't answer him. Simply got up and helped his love get up too, handed him the sword and walked away, bells jingling all the while.
How... How did he do the impossible?
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
Mark tried to find the young jester again during the free times he had to walk around the castle, but unfortunately came empty-handed. No one seemed have seen him since their training session this morning.
"Sorry, Mark, neither of us have seen him today.", King Len answered. His desperation and curiosity was such, he dare even ask the kings for the young man. Alas, it proved as fruitless as everyone else. "We can let you know if we see him, though."
"No, it's... It's fine, your Majesty. I didn't mean to bother."
Idiot. Why would you bother your kings, your superiors, with such a foolish question? Ignoring how you're at a friendly level with them, this is not something they need to deal with, they already have enough to do.
He tried to forget it, tried to continue his day without thinking much about it. But he couldn't. Try as he might, he can't forget the fall, the weight on top of him, that insufferable jingle he hasn't heard throughout the day much to his dismay. For once, those bells would be a welcoming sound in his life.
"Heard what happened today during ya morning session, mate.", Owen said during the rounds with the rangers. "'s it true?"
Mark only huffed in response. So rumors were already spreading... He can only imagine how this will tether his reputation.
The afternoon training session was uneventful compared to its morning counterpart, returning to the usual routine. Mark couldn't help but feel like something was off, missing. But what... Everyone was here, he's certain there's no one skipping practice.
So why does it feel like there's a presence that's not here...
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
The end of the day draws ever nearer. The knight sheds his armor and prepares himself to sleep.
"You know, James isn't actually my father.", a voice speaks from... somewhere. A familiar voice, in fact.
"Can I help you?", he asks the wind, for he does not see his companion anywhere.
"I heard you've been looking for me. I'm flattered! Well...". A thud came from behind him, and when he turned, there he was, the owner of his not so mysterious voice, dusting his common clothes off after his fall. "Here I am, at your service.", Axel added with a bow.
"How did you do it?", Mark wasted no time cutting straight to the point. It's not his style to dwell on things anyway.
"What? Enter here unnoticed? Ah, that was simple! I've been here the whole day!", Axel contently responded, feigning ignorance to what the question was actually directed at, but still answering a question that sooner or later would cross Mark's mind. "You didn't lock the door, so I just made myself comfortable."
"You've been here... All day?!"
"Yup! To think we could've chatter sooner had you just come back to your quarters for a second throughout the day.", he melodically spoke, jumping on the bed and laying down on it, not caring what the other might think about it.
"Still, that doesn't answer my question.", Mark composed himself, returning his usual stoic expression, see if it would force Axel to explain himself. "And don't play dumb, you know exactly what I'm talking about."
"Do I now...", Axel softly laughed. "But fine, I'll indulge you. It should help you get better anyway."
What could he possible mean by that-...
"I've been watching your training sessions ever since James brought me to the castle.", he started, looking at the ceiling. The event he speaks of was quite some years ago... "I haven't missed a single one. Even when I was sick, I would leave my quarters to go watch. The thing with watching every sessions for years is that you start noticing things."
"What things?"
"How you do the exact same movements every time, for once.". What?! "You start in the same stance, always wait for your opponent to strike first, quickly block and move aside, leaving them to recuperate their footing. Move left, block, move aside, strike low, fist. Move right, strike from the right, then strike from above, wait until your opponent rises to knock them down again. Every time, the same sequences, the same movements. You become predictable.". He never noticed... Or well, he did, he repeated the sequences to see if the soldiers would finally find how to stop him and improve, but none ever did. "So when I fought you, I just had to follow that rhythm you have. Took me a while to get there, but as soon as I found where the music was, I could finally accompany it with my own melody."
"Hmph, impressive. You've done in one fight what I've been expecting the other soldiers to do for years."
"Just like you said: I'm not as dumb as I look.", Axel laughed. Not the usual mocking jester laugh, but a lighthearted one. "But don't make my victory hurt you too much, ok? We wouldn't want you to start losing your edge.", he added, finally locking eyes with Mark, a smirk plastered on his lips. "It would be really bad if the best knight in the kingdom started getting rusty."
"Very funny.", Mark commented with the most blank expression he could muster.
"I know I am! That's my job after all!"
A silence embraces them as they don't move. Axel remains on the bed, Mark continues standing. There has to be something else to be said here... no...?
"So...", Mark began, or tried to. "James isn't your father?"
"Nope. I stole from him while he walked through the streets one day. He caught me, started to bring me here so I could be judged, but we kept talking and he said I had potential, so instead he brought me to become a jester like him, basically adopting me in the process. Crazy day, that one."
"Does that mean Hartley is basically your father too?", the knight inquired, lightheartedly, joining Axel on the bed, laying beside him, so unlike his usual self. No, just unlike the armor he dons himself with every morning. Because this is his real self.
"Uh... I guess...". If Mark had to guess, this is the first time his companion ever thinks about this detail. "I wonder if that makes the rats be like siblings to me... Rat King basically treats them like they're his children anyway."
"You? Brother to rats? Seems accurate to me, considering how you just go snooping around on the daily."
"Hey, not true!"
"Yes true. You literally admitted to watching every training session of mine for years, while I never noticed you were even doing it. You don the jester garments when you wish, but otherwise, you're basically a rat walking through the shadows, watching everything and everyone.", he finished, embracing the young man, preventing him from leaving - not that he wanted to, but Mark doesn't know that.
"Ah, fine, you got me!", Axel laughed, enjoying the embrace he never thought he would ever get.
"You could start participating in practice, you know.", Mark randomly let out, face hidden on the back of his companion's neck. "Surely the others could use your advice."
"Bold of you to assume they'd take it."
"After the show of today? I believe they would."
"Hm... Maybe you're right... Or are you saying that because you want me to best you again?", he smirked.
"I will definitely win next time we fight!"
"Nah, I'll win! You may think you're as unpredictable as the weather, but even the weather can be predicted to an extent, so I'll always be one step ahead of you! A wildcard is a wildcard for a reason, love.", Axel said, patting Mark's cheek both affectionately and mockingly. "Well, good night!"
Without even asking if he could, Axel covered himself with the warm blankets he'd been laying above previously, soon falling into a deep sleep.
At this point, Mark couldn't even be mad. Jesters will do whatever they want, after all. Best to just leave them be. So that's what he did, joining the young man under the covers and embracing him once more, waiting for sleep to claim him too.
And the feelings they had towards what happened at the end of their training session, well... They can unpack that another night.