Sir James patiently waited while the other knights left the throne room until it was only him and Lord Argynvost remaining.
He went to kneel before Lord Argynvost, remaining on his knee with his hands clasping his sword until his lord addressed him. Despite the fact that they have known each other for a century and were close friends, he made a point of regarding Argynvost as the Lord of the Order while busy with official business.
After a while he peaked up and noticed that Argynvost was deep in thought, eyes closed.
James couldn't help admiring the man before him, with his long silvery blonde hair hanging in loose waves over his shoulders, his elegantly pointed ears peaking out.
Sir James cleared his throat and Lord Argynvost's eyes snapped open.
"Sir James, why have you not yet gone?"
"My Lord, I have received news that I wanted to bring to your attention," he motioned to the papers and maps in his hand.
Lord Argynvost motioned for him to rise and walked over to his adjoining study, a massive wooden desk in the centre of the cosy room. He took his seat at the desk. "Tell me your news."
James sat down on the seat warmed by the lit fireplace and started spreading open the map he brought. "My men caught wind that one of the vestiges of the Amber Temple have escaped. We found evidence that it escaped from here," he leaned forward to point to a location on the map. Lord Argynvost leaned closer to get a good look, their heads nearly touching, their long hair loosely entwined where it pooled on the map.
Sir James' breath hitched when he looked up to see the beautiful man just inches from his face. Lord Argynvost looked up to say something only to meet the deep eyes of the dusk elf across from him. Over the last century there had been many strangely intimate moments between them but neither had taken it further out of deference for their friendship.
James was suddenly glad his complexion was a deep purple so his blush wouldn't show, but with the close proximity he was afraid Argynvost would hear his heart hammering in his chest. The man was well known for being very wise and perceptive and James didn't want to make a fool of himself. After all, how would the Lord of Argynvostholt, the master of the Order of the Silver Dragon feel if he knew his knight and close friend had a crush on him?
After a moment of silence, Lord Argynvost stood up. "Walk with me, I have to take my turn at the watch post."
This was one of the many reasons why Lord Argynvost had such loyal men, and was so beloved by all. He was the Lord of the castle, the mightiest force of good in all the lands of Barovia and yet he still took up watch, ate and trained with the knights.
Sir James felt his heart lurch, being invited to walk with Lord Argynvost and had to remind himself that it was only for practical reasons that they were walking together. And yet it felt very intimate to walk beside his beloved, both figures bathed in the moonlight as they made their way through the gardens. If it weren't for the icy wind whipping their hair and cloaks, it would have been serene.
The two elves walked next to each other, one pale blonde with a slender figure in shining silver armour, the other elf's dark purple skin and black hair contrasting perfectly. As they walked and discussed the problem at hand, their hands brushed together a few times. Each time James would quietly lecture himself on proper conduct but when he caught himself again, they were right next to each other again. Fortunately it seemed Lord Argynvost either didn't notice or didn't mind.
Despite the gravity of their conversation, the proximity and light touches made his cock stir in his tight britches and he was glad for his loose tunic and cloak covering his crotch.
They arrived at the guard post, high above the snow capped mountain and relived the guards coming off duty.
After a long discussion they had formed a plan regarding the escaped vestige, and agreed that it would probably form an alliance with the vampire Strahd. Eventually the discussion moved on from business to personal matters.
"We've known each other for many years now but I've never asked why you've joined the Order."
James sighed. "The devil Strahd killed my sister along with all the other female shadow elves. She was my only family, and with her gone there was nothing to keep me tethered. Eventually I became aware that you had taken up residence here to fight the many evils of this land. I wanted to do something with my life, something good."
After a silence, James bravely asked. "Why did my Lord settle here? Do you have family somewhere?"
"I came here for pretty much the same reason you did - I have no family remaining and I want my life to mean something, to wipe out as much darkness as I can. I have lived for a very long time by now and felt like it had served no purpose prior to deciding to fight to bring light to these forsaken lands."
Just then a flurry of light snow started falling again, dusting James in white. A strong, slender hand grabbed his muscular bicep and pulled him under the roof of the tower. The pale man before him gently dusted the snowflakes from his shoulders. James was somewhat surprised to see that he was at least half a head taller than Lord Argynvost who had to reach up to run his hands through his inky locks to free it from the snow. The feel of Argynvost's hands on his scalp and skin sent shivers down his spine and blood pumping to his groin, his cock rapidly growing to full erection.
The gesture was so intimate, their faces right next to each other. James couldn't resist the temptation any longer, he has had this pale beauty in his heart for so long now that he threw caution to the wind. It was now or never.
He leaned down and closed the distance between them. His lips were gentle as he brushed his against Lord Argynvost's in an almost tentative kiss. To his utmost shock, the lips responded and kissed him back. His lips were soft and moved lightly against his own, as if Lord Argynvost was holding back.
After a minute they separated to catch their breaths, James's forehead resting against Argynvost's unturned face. Their eyes met, and the desire that burned in him was reflected in Argynvost's eyes in equal measure.
James was about to say something to try to get a grip on the situation when two hands cupped his face and pulled him closer. Argynvost captured his lips in another kiss, this time letting passion overtake gentleness. James's tongue probed between his lips, and was granted entry where is duelled with Argynvost's. His hands wound around the slender waist of the man in his arms, enjoying the feel of their strong bodies pushed together. He just hoped that Argynvost wouldn't feel his erection that was straining against his pants as it started leaking precum from the tip.
The sound of the alarm bell broke them out of their little world.
For a moment they both remained lost in the kiss before stepping apart. Then Lord Argynvost's brain started working again, his natural leadership kicked into action.
"Go to the barracks and wake the men!" He ordered the shadow elf that he had been kissing moments before.
Sir James nodded, his training overriding his desire. He was just about to leave when a hand grasped his own. Lord Argynvost gently squeezed his, his eyes bright as they met.
