A Twist of Fate

[Verona]

Mallin found himself dizzier than he'd expected, stopping just outside the door with a hand braced on the wall to work through it, and at first didn't notice when Cryon took his arm. When he could, he let the other man take his weight and let himself be guided to a chair and even helped to sit in it once he was there. At first he felt too ill to answer, leaning an elbow on the table and on his own knee, pressing the back of a hand to his mouth to fight back the urge to gag. It was a foul business sometimes, healing someone so ill, and he worried he was scaring everyone when he could only close his eyes and shake his head to try and dismiss the questions.

The nausea passed, after a minute or so, and he took a careful breath and tried to sit up a little straighter, assess himself before looking at his friend again. "I . . . I did too much, I think," he managed, trying to smile just a little so no one would worry, even though it did nothing for the visible exhaustion. "Just . . . need to rest a moment, get my energy back."

Mallin made himself sit back in the chair, still resting an arm on the table, and rubbed tiredly at his forehead, wincing a little at the headache still beating on the space behind his eyes. "Will you bring me some water?" It felt like being a child again, so exhausted from conjuring water all day that he couldn't do it anymore. He hadn't been unable to expend that energy in a long time.

 

[Resonance]

Cryon hovered around Mallin with wide eyes, his heart rushing in fear at how sick the mage seemed. He couldn't help but place a hand on Mallin's back, rubbing gently in the hope of at least being a comfort to his friend. He felt so useless, and that made his chest sting just a little more.

"Maybe we should wait on going anywhere else today." Cryon suggested softly, his voice full of concern when the mage sat up. He moved his hand away, but he always kept it close just in case. "I don't want you pushing yourself too far."

Sylvia brought over the water when the mage asked for it, her face pale at the sight of the mage. "I'm sorry I asked you to do this." She mumbled as she set the glass in front of him before taking a step back, keeping her gaze cast down low. She took several steps back, the guilt in her eyes clear as she turned, moving the soup away from the hot stove and setting it on some cloth on the counter for it to cool. One of the guards stood, assisting her when her hands wobbled.

 

[Verona]

The warmth from Cryon's hand had been comforting, despite hardly seeping through Mallin's clothes before the king pulled it away again. When he was handed the cup of water he could only nod his thanks, and for a moment focused only on that. His hands trembled, sore and weak as the rest of him, and after a few long drinks he set it carefully in the table where he hopefully wouldn't knock it over.

"Do we still have time?" He asked a bit dizzily, shifting carefully to rest both elbows on the table for support, a hand rubbing at his head. "I just . . . need to drink, eat, rest a little. I can do it. . ." There were still things that needed to be done, and he didn't want to hold everyone back. He just hadn't expected the illness to be so terrible, so advanced.

"Don't feel responsible, Sylvia." The Mage looked at the poor woman as she backed away, giving a small, tired smile. "Magic is not always free of cost. . . It has consequences. . . I know them. I chose to push too far." There were just things he'd needed to fix, to reinforce, before he could let himself stop, to ensure that her mother would be well enough to hold on until he could come again and more carefully keep working. But no matter what she had asked him to do, his state now wasn't Sylvia's fault. He would recover eventually.

 

[Resonance]

"Our plans can wait as long as you need them too, Mal." Cryon said, shaking his head with worry as he took a seat beside the mage, watching him carefully for any change. He couldn't remember his hands ever feeling this sweaty, or the way his heart was racing with panic. It seized his muscles, it made him tense, and he struggled to look as in control as he did, wanting nothing more than to do anything to get that sick look off his friend's face.

"Would you like to eat something now, or do you just want to stick with water at the moment?" Cryon asked, the tiredness in the mage's eyes making his heart race so fast, he thought it was going to beat out of his chest. Even if Mallin said he was going to be okay, he could have pushed too far couldn't he? Was there a chance that he was going to lose his dearest friend so soon? The very thought of it made Cryon's eyes grow wide and the iris' darkened.

"Siefer, please go on ahead and tell Nima that we can't meet today." The king ordered, his voice clear and resonating despite the haunted look in his eyes. He wasn't going to push Mallin anymore than what the mage has already done today, especially not with traveling around all day under the sun. Even if the wind was cool, the sun was still hot and that could seriously harm an already weak human. "We'll be returning home when Mallin is okay to travel."

 

[Verona]

Mallin wanted to say he didn't need to wait too long, but the headache made it feel like his skull might crack open from the inside and he had to concede that point. Even if he had grown used to being the center of attention occasionally, the Mage hated worrying everyone, hated being the cause of such expressions as the ones he saw. The fear in Cryon's voice had him feeling guilty, which didn't help the sick feeling in his gut.

"I'll try to eat a little. . ." He said quietly, doing his best not to catch too many gazes, not wanting to make himself or anyone else feel worse. He knew he must be a real sight, dizzy and exhausted as he was. It was probably easy for them to say he was delusional for thinking he could go on, and perhaps he would have thought the same if he could see himself. "I can still go . . ." The protest was weak, and the guard was already leaving almost before he'd gotten the words out.

He must have pouted, he thought, when the man was gone and Mallin's chance of seeing their old friend gone with him. Sylvia was kind enough to put a bowl of soup in front of him, and he did his best to smile for her. "Such grim faces. . ." He said when he looked at Cryon again, as much humor in his voice as he could manage. "I'm just fine." Tired, surely. And feeling as if there were black sickness filling up the empty spaces inside him - but it would pass. No one seemed reassured, so he just made the laborious effort of turning in his chair to better face the table, and steadied himself with his elbows against the table as he took the first spoonful of soup. At the very least, it started to sooth some of the chill he had taken from Sylvia's mother.

 

[Resonance]

"No, we can go tomorrow, Mallin. It'll be alright for Nima to wait one more day." Cryon urged, taking the seat close to Mallin and resting his arms carefully on the table, though he remained tense in case Mallin were to faint. He knew that this wasn't proper King behavior, sitting like he was and watching a man like he was doing at the moment, but he didn't care. After all, the mage was his best friend, and he would give up the world for him.

"When you get strong enough, we'll go home for the day and let you rest. A nice hot bath would feel good, wouldn't it?" Cryon asked, attempting to smile at Mallin's struggles to lighten the mood. Sylvia was quiet, a conflicted look on her face as she glanced from the room to Mallin then back to the room. Cryon dipped his head to her and she gave a bow before disappearing into the hallway. The king glanced at the remaining guard, who watched him with hesitating eyes.

"You can eat something if you wish." Cryon mentioned, motioning his head to the bowls that rested on the counter that Sylvia had left out. The guard nodded, turning to the counter to the get the food and Cryon took the opportunity to watch the mage with his completely worried eyes, dropping what little of a kingly mask he had. He chewed on his lip, unsure what to say to Mallin. "Are you sure you'll be alright? You look like you might drop any second."

 

[Verona]

Having such intense personal scrutiny on him might have made Mallin's hands unsteady if they hadn't already been shaking. He felt guilty atop the weak, ill feelings inside of him already, felt almost like he were being scolded for wanting to go still even though Cryon's voice held only gentle worry. Everything was so muddled in Mallin's head that the man in front of him and the food he was supposed to be eating were just about the only things he could focus on, though he did notice when the guards moved away and Sylvia left, presumably to see her mother.

The mention of a hot bath prompted him to smile slightly. "So much easier here," the Mage said, focusing more on his food again so as to coordinate getting a spoonful with shaking fingers holding the utensil. "I don't have to heat the water myself." That was a convenient part of returning home, though in Arcturus hot baths were never something a person desired, not unless they'd been caught out at night. Maybe it would help soothe the soreness in his bones.

". . . It will pass." He said a little more softly once he'd had a few spoonfuls sitting warmly in his stomach. "Consequences. . . Where I give someone light, I take in darkness. I used too much energy, that's all. . . It's harder to recover." The aching bones and joints and the heavy feeling in his lungs were from her, only will power and knowledge keeping him from thinking he was having trouble breathing. The headache and the exhaustion were from using too much energy, expending too much at one time and pressing his concentration too far. Magic was a tricky business. He'd just pushed himself too hard. Once he rested and refueled, he would get better.

 

[Resonance]

Cryon let out a soft chuckle, easing his hand onto the back of his friend's neck and rubbing his thumb in comfort. "Yes, we are lucky to be so privileged with having warm water." Cryon commented, removing his hand when the guard began to turn. The king, even if he abandoned most of his kingly mannerisms for Mallin, knew when to pull back, and having a guard with rumors was not a good thing for him, especially as stressful as this time was.

"Then don't push yourself too hard again." Cryon replied, his voice full of worry and dropping into a softer tone so the guard wouldn't hear as the scrape of the chair signaled that he was sitting back down. "I can't lose you now..." His voice trailed off and he focused on the mage's shaky hands, not sure what else to do with himself. What else could he do but wait? It's not as if he could turn time forward and see if the mage will really be okay or not. All he could have was faith.

"She's resting." He heard Sylvia say and glanced back at her, giving her a small nod and a smile as she moved back into the kitchen, taking the shape bread knife and cutting out some warm pieces. She laid them on a plate and set it on the table, sitting down before looking at Cryon. "Would you like some broth, your Majesty?"

"No. Thank you." Cryon replied, waving his hand as he turned his gaze back to Mallin. He didn't think he could eat anyways, with his stomach twisting as it was.

 

[Verona]

Cryon's hand was warm where it rested against Mallin's skin, the mage's eyes dropping closed as he relaxed under the soothing touch. Had he not still hung on to some idea of Cryon's reputation, Mallin may even have asked for it to stay when the man drew the touch away so soon. People were much more physical in their affection in Arcturus, and he had a feeling he would begin to miss that eventually, being slapped on the back or patted on the shoulder, or simply having a hand rest on his arm as someone spoke with him. There were so many adjustments to this place that he had never thought about, but he wouldn't want to leave for anything. This was home.

"Sorry. . ." The mage murmured softly, like a child caught in bad behavior, and kept his eyes on the bowl in front of him. "I'm not going anywhere." He wasn't sure he could promise that he would never push too hard again, not if someone needed him, but he wouldn't get himself killed over it. He felt sick knowing he'd caused his friend such fear, but that could have just been the illness pulling at him again. He was sure to eat a bit of bread to soothe his stomach, and stopped when he knew he'd had enough, not wanting to eat too much and make things worse.

"Excuse my manners," He said when he was done, tiredly, and scooted his dishes aside to rest his head on the table, one arm beneath it and the other covering his eyes. It was only long teachings from living with Eide that kept him from making any noise at the sound or the pain or illness, and only years of living in such a different place that he was able to ignore the idea that he may look like a fool or a child. Reputation and status weren't so important to him as they were to others, especially not when he felt as he did.

It was a full ten minutes later before Mallin finally moved again, shifting back in his chair and picking his head up from the table with less shaking but about as much fatigue. "I don't . . . want to keep you. . ." He said finally, giving his head a slow, careful shake to try and clear it. "Let's go back." The idea of traveling back to the castle felt monumental, but he couldn't stay here and continue making Sylvia uncomfortable with his presence. All he knew was that he was going to need a lot of help getting onto the horse.

 

[Resonance]

"Alright, but stay close to me." Cryon said, not trusting the way Cryon looked as he motioned for the guard to go get the horses. He stood, turning to Sylvia and dipping his head in a soft farewell. "We'll be going back now. Sorry to have kept you so long. You should go be with your mother." He said, his hands twitching as Sylvia bowed in response. Although he wanted to be polite, he just wanted to hold onto Mallin, to help him get home and get some much needed rest.

"Thank you, your Majesty." Sylvia whispered before disappearing back into the hallway with quick and light steps. Cryon turned to his friend and helped him to his feet, supporting him as they walked out of the house. The horses were already there, swiftly gotten by the guard who stood beside the king's horse and waiting patiently for them.

"Get Mallin on first." Cryon ordered, sliding his arms around the mage's waist as the guard cupped his hand, helping the mage hike up onto the back of the horse. Cryon scaled onto the white steed after him, not even needing the guard's help as he climbed behind Mallin and wrapping his arm back around his waist, holding his back to his chest so he couldn't grow weak and fall off. He reached around the mage and took the reins with the other hand, waiting for the guard to get on his own horse before clicking his heels, holding to the mage like his life depended on it as the horse began trotting back towards the castle.

 

[Verona]

Mallin only nodded a little and let Cryon help him to his feet. It was easy enough just letting Cryon take a bit of his weight as they went so as not to fall over. His balance was all right, at least, even though his legs shook, so he had that saving grace in that he didn't trip on the way out. The horse was still daunting when they stood next to it, and Mallin had to put a hand on it and on the guard's shoulder as he was helped up, and even then nearly fell over before the man caught his leg and helped him settle again. When the world stopped tilting he remembered to move his feet away from the stirrups for Cryon.

The mage put a hand on the horn of the saddle as Cryon got up, clumsily pulling the hood of his cloak over his head and tugging it down as far as it went. He would have preferred being behind his friend, probably, leaning against Cryon's back and hiding his face, but this would do. Coordinating keeping himself out of the way so Cryon could have the reigns was more difficult than it should have been, distracted as he was, but Mallin put his hands on the saddle and leaned forward slightly to let Cryon see better, and because his head was still pounding mercilessly.

The heat of Cryon's skin took minutes to seep through the few layers of clothing between them, the solid hold and the warmth of it a steadying weight against his stomach. It was something else to focus on besides the relatively short ride back to the castle, and he couldn't help missing it when it was gone, which he tried not to think about for long. Cryon got down first, and Mallin waited for assistance before attempting the same, not wanting to fall to the ground in the process. He would be glad when they were inside, and maybe his dearest friend would be able to stop worrying about prying eyes and touch him freely again.

 

[Resonance]

Cryon rested his chin just on the side of Mallin's shoulder, so he could overlook and see where the guard was and watch for anyone in their path. He knew that citizens were staring, but he knew that no matter who he was, holding onto a sick man was something that no one could mistake. After all, care for each other was something only a few of them had in the world, and the king knew that in his position, they would do the same.

Getting off the horse was difficult as he tried not to let Mallin fall when he slid down, patting his horse gently in thanks as it remained so still as the guard helped the mage down. The servants took the horses as Cryon relieved the guard of his duty before leading Mallin inside, making it up those few, terrible steps before asking a servant to run the bath in the one of the guest bedrooms on the first floor. As soon as the servant left, he pulled Mallin just a little closer, supporting his weight just a little better as they followed after the servant.

"I'm sorry I asked so much of you today." Cryon said, his voice barely above a whisper as they made it down the hallway. It was very far, thankfully, and the guest bedroom had a plush bed perfect for laying in as he eased Mallin over and helped him to sit down. "When they get the bath ready, I'll let you just soak and relax, okay?" He brushed Mallin's hair back from his face, making sure the mage didn't have a fever as he laid him down on the soft bed. It felt strange to be able to touch someone so openly and brazenly, but it was a nice strange.

 

[Verona]

Stairs were the worst. Mallin was thinking about that on the few steps up to get to the doors, and felt like simply flopping onto the ground when he considered the idea of trying to make it up the stairs all the way to his quarters. The relief was palpable when Cryon asked someone to ready a room on the ground floor, and the mage did his best to put a bit more energy into his steps because they were almost there, he could almost rest.

"I volunteered. . ." Mallin protested meekly when they made it to the room, stumbling a bit before being sat down on the bed. His mind still rebelled against the idea of lying down with his shoes still on but didn't have the energy to make any arguments and only sighed softly when he could finally lie down. The mage's eyes closed as Cryon's fingers brushed his skin and pressed there, and he knew what the man was doing in checking the heat of his skin but still turned his head a bit the touch, unconsciously. It was warmer inside, and if his head wasn't hurting so terribly he might have fallen asleep immediately after lying down.

His vision was a bit bleary from the headache, but after a moment Mallin opened his eyes enough to look up at his friend, groggy and ill. "Will you stay with me?" He asked, voice small and soft. It had been a long time since he'd been knocked down so hard, and he didn't like the idea being alone, even though he worried that Cryon had more important things to be doing. Somewhere it occurred to him that the man night want to be near him while he soaked, but it couldn't hurt to ask, could it? He just wanted to be able to feel someone else in the room. They didn't even have to speak.

 

[Resonance]

"Of course I'll stay with you. Can't have you drowning now can we?" Cryon said, giving a small, hesitant smile as he let his hand just stay there, even when he finished checking Mallin for a fever. He couldn't help it when he felt the mage move into his touch. Minutes slowly passed by like that as they waited for the bath to fill, and after ten minutes or so, the servant came out, claiming that the bath was ready.

"Does Sir Mallin need any assistance, your Majesty?" The servant asked, dipping his graying and balding head to the King. He had been one of the older servants of the family, having watched Cryon grow up when he came to work after the king turned fourteen, and although it was after Mallin had left, there was clear recognition in his eyes from all the times that Cryon had drone on and on about when he found Mallin, what he would do to make it up to him.

"No, I'll take it from here. Thank you." Cryon said, his voice giving an obvious dismissal as he helped Mallin back up out of the bed and into the bath that was built further into the room behind a door. It was smaller than the baths higher up in the castle, but still big enough for several people at once with high ceilings and delicate and gentle stone underneath their feet.

"Come on, let's get you out of those clothes." The king said, smiling over at Mallin as he sat him at the first step that began to lead into the water. He started with the cloak, gently unbuttoning it and folding it into a neatish looking square, laying it in the corner of the room.

 

[Verona]

Mallin gave a little smile and just closed his eyes while they waited, unable to sleep yet but comfortable in the warm room, with his soft bed and Cryon's weight dipping it slightly next to him, the man's hand soothing some of the ache resting there on his head. The voice of a servant roused him from a relaxed state that wasn't truly dozing, and he finally made a disgruntled sort of sound at the idea of having to make his way back to his feet again. Sitting up seemed like enough effort on its own - but he still held onto most of his mental faculties, and life and training reinforced the idea in him that sometimes one just had to do difficult things and he shouldn't complain.

The walk was short, and Cryon kept him from stumbling and falling, until they were to the bathroom finally. Mallin watched the man's hands as Cryon undid the cloak and took it away, and afterwards leaned against the sink counter to balance himself as he worked his boots off first. Buttons were much too complicated for him then, hands a bit shaky and fumbling still, and pulling the shirt off over his head threw off his balance so he was glad at least that he'd found a good place to rest or he might have actually fallen over in the brief moment his friend's back was turned.

It was only after he'd set the shirt aside that he realized the next problem, being that in order to get in the tub he would need to undo the bandages wrapped around his forearms and hands. Even if he were to keep them, he didn't have the strength in him for his water tricks and would have to take them off after the bath, so it made no difference. After hesitating for too long of a pause, looking at where his own hand rested on his arm, the mage finally started to carefully unwrap one. Mallin had scars on his body, surely, from training, from accidents, and from fights he'd been in, but the few on his hands and arms were the only ones that made shame burn at his throat. There were four in total, one on each palm and one on each arm, the next rune up from there. He had tattooed over them, just as he had drawn on the other two on each arm, but some of the damage was still visible if one looked hard enough. He didn't like seeing the evidence of how low and desperate he had once been, and he liked even less the idea of showing it to someone, but if it were anyone it would have to be Cryon. Mallin couldn't think of anyone else who might bear through his shame and still accept him.

 

[Resonance]

When Cryon turned back around, he found that Mallin already had his shoes and shirt off. What was strange is that he was staring at bandages that wrapped all the way up his arms. Cryon tried to think back. Did Mallin have them the entire time? Was he just that terrible of a friend that he didn't even notice?

He felt his own sort of shame build in his chest as he walked over to the mage, resting the back of Mallin's hand in his palm and taking the bandage from the mage's hand. "Let me." He whispered, not really sure why he felt the need to do this. With careful fingers, he unwrapped the bandage, making sure not to tug too harshly or move too quickly, incase the movement threw the mage off balance, and as the scar began to show itself on Mallin's palm, his movement stuttered, slowing for just a moment before he continued.

The bandage finally fell away from Mallin's arm, and he took the moment to run his fingers over the scars, ghosting over the skin more than anything. It felt intimate, like something he could never do with anyone else, and that made him look at Mallin with a conflicted look in his eyes as he fought the urge to hug his dear friend to death. Instead, he let that arm rest to Mallin's side, taking the other one and beginning to do the same, chewing on his lower lip as he did so. It wasn't long until that one was gone too, and he ran his fingers over them just the same as the last.

 

[Verona]

It struck Mallin as Cryon stepped back over to him that the man had never asked questions. Perhaps he had been respecting Mallin's privacy, or perhaps he hadn't noticed the bandages on the Mage's hands as his sleeves always hid the rest. No matter the reason, Cryon was quiet when he came closer and stopped Mallin's hands, and the only response the Mage could manage was a soft, short intake of breath in surprise. Cryon's touch was so careful, so gentle, like Mallin might break under his fingertips if he made a wrong move.

Despite the overwhelming, panicked need to hide, Mallin kept his hand open, let Cryon touch the faint, jagged lines still visible beneath the ink permanently left on his skin. He only moved it away when Cryon took the next arm, balancing with a hand on the counter again as if it would give him more mental purchase along with the physical.

"Old stories." Mallin said faintly after managing to swallow around the lump in his throat. "Meant . . . Meant for some time when I don't feel as if I've run into a wall headfirst." He managed a little smile at that, a nervous one, and just tried to make himself rely on the idea that Cryon wouldn't press him for answers yet. Some other day, perhaps, when the Mage wasn't so weak or tired, when they had a moment together to simply sit and talk. Mallin had to wonder if he would ever be able to get the words out, but if he could ever tell anyone it would be this man standing right before him.

((I'm on my way out. Should be back in like three hours or less if you'll still be on :) if not, have a good night))

 

[Resonance]

(I'll probably head to bed before then, so this will be the last post for the night :) Night)

Cryon let his fingers probe along the jagged scars and gently on the mage's arm, focusing on each and every line, trying to imagine every nick and discoloration that it brought. These were all of Mallin's pain from the past, and the King couldn't help but wish he could heal those scars, to make them disappear so the mage would never have to remember the grotesqueness of what happened that day. But, he couldn't do that, and he was resigned to being there for him as much as he possibly could to at least make the pain a little easier.

Cryon only nodded to the mage and his words, letting his hand hold onto the mage's just a bit longer than necessary as he looked up at Mallin, giving a small smile and letting his hand rest on his shoulder. "Till a better time then. Right now, rest is what you need, not an interrogation." Cryon replied back in response, giving him a reassuring pat before finally letting go of the mage's hand, staring at the last bit of clothing that was let on Mallin's body.

"Ah, do you need help with your pants?" Cryon asked, turning a light shade of pink across his cheeks and ears and even down in the nape of his neck. He hoped that the steam from the bath had hid the blush from his friend. After all, it was just undressing. It's not like they were doing anything they shouldn't be, yet, he felt the same way that he did when he often was sneaking around, doing something he wasn't supposed to as a kid. Maybe the nostalgia was catching up to him?

 

[Verona]

I carved them myself. The words danced on his tongue, flittered through his head, a vindictive echo begging to come out at the same time that he pleaded for it to stay in. Something about Cryon's soft touch and the tender, searching look in his eyes as he looked over the damage made Mallin want to speak, to say things that he had just implied he shouldn't. Now was not the time for that. He didn't have the energy, the mental fortitude, or the proper words to put to the experiences that he'd had. Some other time.

"Thank you. . ." The mage murmured softly, feeling almost in a trance in the quiet, intimate atmosphere of the room, the temperature of the bath water given the room a faint heat. It was more than he could have ever asked, to have his friend understand and know that he didn't want to be pressed for answers just yet. The respect there was more than he could have dreamed of having.

When Cryon spoke again, a shy sort of tone to his voice, Mallin only gave his head a careful shake and pushed away from the sink to move closer to the tub. "Keep me from toppling?" He requested, without any sort of embarrassment or awkwardness about him. It wasn't the first time he had ever been naked in front of someone, and he supposed he should have been more nervous, but it all seemed meaningless compared to the relief of hot water to soak tired bones in, of having Cryon close to him in this quiet, intimate space.

Mallin had Cryon's hand holding carefully to his arm for support and got his pants off on his own, hooking both them and his undergarments at once and sliding them off. He kept Cryon's support after that in order to step into the tub and used the side of it to lower himself down. It was hot, almost scaldingly so, but once he settled in and stopped moving it was a relief. Mallin was used to being too tall for tubs, and the novelty of being able to stretch out his legs if he felt like it wasn't lost on him even now. He kept his knees slightly bent so as not to sink under the water, and leaned his head back against the side of the tub, closing his eyes and sighing softly.

"Thank you, Cryon," Mallin said quietly once he'd settled, the soft sounds of the water a soothing echo in the room. ". . . Will you sit near me?" He didn't want to impose on his friend, or make him feel more nervous about who knew what, but it would be nice hearing Cryon close to him, even if they didn't say much. Perhaps he was trying to get as much attention as possible for being ill. Just this once, he would let himself do so.

 

[Resonance]

"Yes, I can." Cryon mumbled, letting his hand hold onto Mallin's arm, standing beside him if he were to begin to fall. The king looked away from the mage though, to give him some sort of privacy as he took off his clothes. Of course, Cryon had been naked in front of others before, but mainly in front of the dressing servants or when he and Mallin had took baths together after getting dirty outside, nothing more than that.

As Mallin got into the tub, he couldn't help but smile at the noise his friend made, glad that the hot water was actually soothing him. When Mallin asked him to sit close, he nodded and slid down into a sitting position beside his friend's head, his legs crossed over each other and his hand resting in his lap. The heat from the water alone was making him calmer about how sick Mallin looked, and he allowed himself to lean on his elbows in a more relaxed position, watching his friend.

"Remember when we hated baths?" Cryon asked, his voice soft, as if not to break the mood of this room, this intimate, almost quiet feeling that surrounded them. For once, he could be a friend without having to be a king as well and he was going to take full advantage of it as he looked around the room, his fingers dancing across the stone in front of his leg. "Now look at us. We must be getting old, Mal." Cryon let out a soft smile at the thought as he ran one of his hand through his hair before returning it back to its normal position.

"Is the bath working at all?" Cryon asked after another minute or so, staring at the profile of Mallin's face. He seemed relaxed enough, and he didn't look as ill as he used to. Then again, it could just be the heat flushing his skin and making it more lively.