Chapter 332: Out In The Open.

Chapter 332: Chapter 332: Out In The Open.

It’s in the job description but Gandy really hates early guard duty, especially during winter.

He’s not a morning person at the best of times, but winter mornings like this are seriously gross and he’s already been on shift since long before the moon started tracking its descent.

He yawns, leaning heavily on the ramparts.

His arms leave indents in the fresh snow but he’s so tired and he’s wearing enough layers that he doesn’t care.

​At least the snow’s stopped. For now, at least. The sky’s cleared up some, but at this time of year that means nothing. Storms can come blowing in out of nowhere in these parts.

​"Look alive, Gandy," Yacka reminds him reproachfully, even though he’s just as relieved as Gandy to see light starting to peek up over the edge of the horizon. It’s fucking cold out. "Captain won’t be happy if he catches you slacking."

​"I’m not slacking, I’m just resting my eyes."

​"...Weird, coz that sounds a lot like slacking," Yacka points out, and Gandy biffs a handful of powdery snow at him.

He gets that this is the kingdom’s seat of power and everything, but it’s not like they’re at war or anything so sometimes it feels like standing vigil at the castle gates is a real waste of time.

Especially at this time of day. Most of the world isn’t even up this early –he certainly wishes he wasn’t –and even in the morning gloom the pristine white of the snow makes it obvious whenever anyone approaches the castle.

How Yacka doesn’t look like death warmed over this side of dawn is quite beyond him.

​Maybe there’ll be stew for breakfast.

There’s nothing quite like a hot meal to warm your stomach and your hands after morning watch.

​Gandy yawns again. Louder, this time. And Yacka can’t be quite as unaffected by the hour as he’s pretending to be because he yawns as well, finally giving in and slouching against the wall.

​Hypocrite , he snorts, and is just about to call him out for it when movement from the streets below catches his eye.

​"Ah, someone’s coming," he mutters, giving him a meaningful nudge and straightening up himself.

Yacka hurriedly shakes off some of the lethargy in his shoulders and peers curiously down into the gloom.

​"Oh, it’s just Rogard."

​"Rogard?" Gandy echoes with a small frown, craning his neck over ramparts to get a better look, "...What’s he doing back so soon?" Rogard likes to harp on about what a dedicated soldier he is, but after how bad he looked yesterday no one would begrudge him a couple of days off. In fact, he’ll be lucky if Drogger doesn’t chew him out for showing up injured; he loves working them to within an inch of their lives but he’s definitely at his scariest when his men don’t take proper care of themselves.

​"...Shit, that was some nasty business what went down," Yacka says, shaking his head in disbelief, "My ma told me what happened with his old man. Is it true the guy tried to kill Montrel?"

​"Saw it with my own eyes," Gandy assures him, dusting off some of the snow from his elbows.

Looks like the sun’s finally starting to show it’s face. About damn time, too. "...Lucky the First was there or Her Highness would already be lookin’ for a new suitor."

​"The First?" Yacka echoes in confusion.

​" –You know," Gandy snorts, with a light roll of his eyes, because so far that’s been everyone’s reaction, " Loac ."

​" Oh right ," Yacka says hurriedly, "...First Captain." It comes out sounding almost like it’s the first time he’s ever said it, which Gandy gets.

​"...And I gotta ask," Yacka continues, giving him an incredulous look, "...Not that he’s not a nice guy and all, but how did Montrel wind up courting the princess?"

​Yeah, he doesn’t have an answer to that one. None of them know. Not even Montrel.

​" Beats me ," he snorts, leaning up over the ramparts ready to yell at Rogard to turn around and go back to his secret lover’s bed, idiot , when he realizes that he’s not alone.

And it’s a good thing that he didn’t start ribbing him while on duty because the person he’s with is the Second and that would’ve gotten him chewed out about maintaining professionality for sure.

​Catching sight of the pair of them, Rogard raises a hand in greeting. And it’s not against the rules to wave back, so Gandy does.

​And then he sees just what Rogard’s doing with his other arm and his eyes fall out of his head.

​No fucking way .

...

​"Oh look, I think Gandy just passed out~" Rogard hums conversationally, and in hindsight Drogger should’ve probably been suspicious of the spring in his step the moment they stepped out onto the street together this morning.

But seeing Rogard happy –really, honestly happy –has a way of completely disarming him.

​(He just hopes he hasn’t figured that out just yet. As a kid, Rogard had always had a bad habit of taking a hundred miles every time he’s given an inch, and it’s a habit that’s evidently endured.)

​"...That was a bit much, don’t you think?" Drogger comments dryly, looking down to where their hands are laced together.

When he’d said that he didn’t want to keep their relationship a secret any more, he hadn’t exactly intended to immediately parade it or anything.

​But this is Rogard after all.

He’s a fool for expecting anything less.

​"You think?" Rogard remarks, smile far too wide and far too bright to be as innocent as he’s pretending.

He gives his hand a small squeeze, and Drogger feels it in his chest too, "I think it was just right~"

​Despite himself, a small chuckle escapes Drogger’s lips, and he makes sure to squeeze back so that Rogard knows it’s fine.

​He knew what he was getting into, after all.

And he was prepered for whatever is to come in the future.