For Sinric

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan's room is almost pathologically neat, the bed made and everything in its place.

He stands aside to let Sinric in, the bathroom door standing open to reveal the huge sunken bath inside.

Comments

[athelstanthescribe]

"What can we do for him?" Athelstan asks. "To make sure he can leave Constantinople? When his emperor dies, he'll be in the gravest danger."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"Make sure he can get away," Ragnar says, "and encourage him -- give him a moment's peace whenever he wants, accept him, give him space his pride and his skill can grow into. Give him the room to trust his own pleasure. The Sinric I met was self-assured and knew many things; he was utterly unafraid and utterly himself himself both in a tavern full of Vikings, and in bed. He knew what he wanted, and that he could demand it."

[athelstanthescribe]

"Then let's hope his door presents itself many times before Constantine dies", Athelstan says quietly. "And perhaps get something for him that he could use to escape, something small he can conceal."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"The key to a posters gate out of the palace," Ragnar muses, "might be had by simply asking the bar; or if not, by copying it in wax and getting King Teja to make another. A long slim dagger to pierce light armour, also from the Goth. And his possessions, he can start stashing here."

Pause.

"But being kind to him and pleasing him in all possible ways, and encouraging to think more of himself, that's harder and will take longer, but is far more important. But I would say it is nothing if not a labour of love."

[athelstanthescribe]

"Most certainly", Athelstan agrees. "I hope we may have plenty of time to work on it."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"Not just because he is important for us, and if he is here now, fate needs us to do this," Ragnar says, "but also because he is lovely and sweet, and we may never have the chance to thank him properly in our own world."

For all he can tell, Sinric may be dead.

[athelstanthescribe]

"Do you have any idea where he might be, in our time and place?"

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"Anywhere between the bed of the bishop of Rome, and dry bones by the roadside," Ragnar says. "He is a wanderer; they come and go as they please, and he roams much further than most of them. Or he might have found some pleasant niche for himself after all. I never heard of him again, after that one fate-given time."

[athelstanthescribe]

"Perhaps you should put out word", Athelstan suggests lightly. "At least to know if he's alive and well."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"It must be a very quiet word," Ragnar says, "or he might just bolt and hide. As a rule, wanderers don't like to be looked for; it is bad news for them. But I can do it; and probably should, yes."

[athelstanthescribe]

He nods.

"It would be good to know. But we can take care of him now."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"We can," Ragnar agrees, "and I fully intend to lavish the best care on him that we can possibly give him."

Pause.

"Always making sure that is what he wants, too. He's far too used to bending to men's wills, so even more than care he needs the space to unbend."

[athelstanthescribe]

"That will take time, I think. He's so unused to anyone taking time over him."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"Time is something that this place gives us in abundance," Ragnar says. "We can take the time out of our lives to just give it to him."

[athelstanthescribe]

"But being careful not to overwhelm him to the point he runs away."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"Absolutely," Ragnar says. "That is part of giving him space and time."

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan nods.

"And perhaps even if we have to go back, he won't. It puts him in no danger of being missed to stay here, and there's so much to stay for."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"We can just let him stay, maybe ask for a third room to be added if he wants to where he can be safe and by himself?" Ragnar suggests.

[athelstanthescribe]

"That would be good. A place of his own, I shouldn't think he's ever had that in his life."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"Then let us get out of this bath and offer it to him," Ragnar says. "Complete with the door in the middle with a lock to close at any time, no questions asked."

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan nods.

"Privacy and security, and if it's too much, he can come through to us."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"I love you like nobody else," Ragnar says, quietly. "Nobody that I may have now. You, I love. But yes, that said, I would like to make room for Sinric in our lives and rooms and hearts, for the sake of fate, of gratitude, and simply who he is."

[athelstanthescribe]

"There can be room for him", Athelstan agrees. "Him and perhaps others, provided no other except your wife comes before one another for us."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"In my heart, she doesn't come before you," Ragnar declares, simply.

He moves in the water, which is cooling now.

"Let's get out and rejoin him."

[athelstanthescribe]

"Yes." Athelstan reaches over to pull out the plug, then kisses Ragnar one more time.