The Naked Emperor Pittsu

The bottle was empty before the marshal had finished rummaging through his memory for an answer to the question... What else was there?

When he and Chris had turned seventeen, his friend's parents had thrown a big party in the backyard of their house. The trees were ornately decorated with lanterns and ribbons. Enjoying music and treats, friends had fun.

Someone desperate secretly brought liquor, and everyone took turns trying it and getting a little intoxicated. In the middle of the party, when they got a little tipsy, Chris called Pittsu over to talk in confidence.

They went under the shade of the old trees and laughed for a long time over some nonsense. Barely out of breath, they caught their breath, and then the friend suddenly pressed him against the tree and, blowing hot breath with the fumes of liquor, dug into his lips.

Pittsu's hands pushed Chris away by themselves, and the friend grinned bitterly, wiping his wet lips with the back of his palm. Taking a few steps to the side, he turned and ran away without any explanation.

Pittsu stood under the tree for a while, realizing what had just happened and what it all meant, and then, without saying goodbye, returned home.

Summer vacation came and they never saw each other again, and Chris was no longer there for the new school year. It would have been all right if the word hadn't gotten on his tail that Chris had thrown himself off a bridge in the middle of summer.

He was saved, thankfully, but he demanded a transfer to another school and so guilt settled in Pittsu's heart.

He wanted to meet his friend and have things be like they used to be when they played carefree at outlaws or skipped classes. But the memory of that kiss kept him from crossing the threshold of Chris's house.

He had no answer for his friend, Pittsu had no idea what to do about their strange relationship. Much later, the marshal realized that he wasn't interested in women, and his taste could hardly be called traditional.

The marshal got up and opened the window: the fresh night air began to slowly flow into the room.

He stared into the distance and remembered how his father had introduced him to a strange man who had touched his wrists and told him he had great power. His father's joy was boundless.

This is how Pittsu's fate was determined. He bypassed the stage of study at the Academy thanks to the connections of his parents and immediately went to serve in the army.

Having a great gift of a defender, he nevertheless preferred to be creative. However, reality did not give him such a luxury, and he had only to bend over backward to get to his first rank.

Once he got it, he also gained a little freedom. Quickly realizing that his rank directly determined his standard of living, he devoted himself entirely to career advancement.

Over several decades, Pittsu, through outstanding intellectual ability and courage, finally came to the position of marshal. Despite his military successes, however, he cherished very different dreams at heart.

People said all sorts of things about him, but he ignored their opinion and continued to fill his pockets with gold at every opportunity.

One day he wanted a planet of his own, and through negotiation, bargaining, and manipulation he got his hands on a beautiful green world.

Marshall wished he could tell his story to someone, but when you think about it, there's nothing special about it.

In time, he decided he had too impeccable an image in society, and he deliberately began to behave like a libertine.

Having securely hidden his true identity behind a multitude of masks, he felt safe for the first time. And then, unexpectedly, he encountered a frightened "beast."

He had recently been caught in his native element and taken to an unfamiliar place. He was suspicious and mistrustful, unwilling to make contact. Fear and persuasion did not affect the beast, only care and kindness.

Marshal began to tame him and settled down with him. Every day he studied him, watching from the side and not interfering. And then he began to leave small pleasant little things for him, which did not scare the little beast and excited his interest.

Gradually he began to let the marshal get closer and closer. And then, finally courageous, allowed him to become a friend. The marshal fell in love with the prickly wild animal and gave it a place in his heart, but he could not expect reciprocity.

To get close to it and to pet it, the marshal turned into an impudent and rude man. The beast forgave him and tolerated his antics. And then one day he had a friend, and the marshal felt very lonely.

Now this same friend was sleeping in his workshop, and the marshal thought he was very handsome, so he let him live in his house.

Of course, that frightened little beast was Liam, who had been torn away from his natural life on earth and thrown into the meat grinder of elite life in Aether. Marshall had met him by chance and taken him under his wing.

Even though Liam thought he was shallow and lecherous, he somehow let him into his life and bonded with him. It seemed that previously Liam had dealt with someone similar to Pittsu, and now the marshal realized with whom.

Except that Cal was beginning to interest him far more than Liam had once done. By a strange coincidence, the marshal was always picking hopeless options for himself, dead ends from which there was no way out.

Right now he wished he could give Cal the world, grant his every wish, and even be the third extra in his and Liam's relationship, but that was not an option.

Many people thought the marshal was not entirely adequate, and these people were not wrong; it was just that he usually carefully concealed his madness.

In his heart of hearts, Pittsu had a plan to fundamentally change his life. As it turned out, he had no attachments to anything in his life, apart from a few people.

He could easily start his journey from the beginning without regretting the time and effort previously lost. Just a little longer and his plan would come to fruition, and judging from what his scouts whispered, soon not only his life but the entire universe would change.

He would like to take Cal with him into his new life if he agreed. He could have used the forbidden techniques and stolen the angel's heart, but he wasn't used to doing that. He would wait for that crystal heart to fall into his hands on its own.

"I am patient enough to wait for you."

Cal suddenly flinched and woke up. Seeing that he was still in the workshop, yet lying comfortably, he regretted making himself look so helpless.

He lowered his numb legs off the pouf and looked back at the marshal. He felt his voice return and asked hoarsely:

"How long did I sleep?"

"Not long," replied the slightly tipsy marshal, "I only had a bottle of wine.

"I'd like that, too," Cal said, clearing his throat.

"When you've finished your treatment, please, my wine cellar is at your service."

The man nodded and followed Pittsu downstairs. He wanted something to eat, but it was late. He stopped at the door of his room and turned to Pittsu.

"Say, is there any food?"

"Follow me," the marshal turned and led him with a slightly uncertain gait into the kitchen.

It was evident that he often raided the place at odd hours. He made a confident gesture as he took out the supplies and laid them out in front of him.

"That's enough," Cal protested as he watched the food pile up before him.

"Whatever you say," the marshal ceased his hunt and retrieved another bottle of wine. As he uncorked it, he tipped the contents inside, and Cal barely had time to stop him from slipping into a deranged state.

Throwing a few pieces of meat into his empty stomach, washing it all down with water, Cal picked up the sleepy marshal on the move and led him to his room.

The drunken body unceremoniously cuddled and hung around Cal's neck, but luckily he was hardened against this kind of manipulation and safely accomplished his mission, hoisting the marshal onto the huge bed.

"What a size," thought Cal, and walked out, closing the door behind him. A boot flew in the next, as the marshal kicked off and tossed off his shoes and clothes, turning into a naked lunatic as usual.

No sooner had Cal closed himself in his room than Pittsu, wrapped in a sheet, began walking around the palace. The only article of clothing he kept on was his crystal. It was he who saved Cal from the sight of the naked beauty who stubbornly walked to his room to show herself.

Halfway through, Liam contacted the marshal.

"You promised to get in touch twice a day," the Head spoke in a tired voice.

"Liam, is it really you? I've had a few too many drinks, and I was on my way to my room."

"Tell me, are you dressed, or... the usual?" Liam was a little nervous.

"It's nothing like that..."

"Who are you treating, Pittsu, I've seen you wander around drunk and naked a dozen times."

"I don't like anything to hold me back!" The marshal bellowed to the whole floor.

"You're forcing me to sleep at your place tonight," sighed Liam.

"Oh, shall I send horses to meet you?" The marshal was delighted.

"Send them,» said Liam dolefully, and headed for the platform.

When he came down from the platform at the waterfall, a carriage with ornate lanterns was already waiting nearby, and inside sat a drunken marshal who looked like an emperor, wearing a toga of sheets.

"Pittsu, I don't know how you got to be a marshal with such quirks."

"I would have been commander - in chief if I had wanted to be," he answered, "I am not interested..."

"Walking around in a sheet is much better, who argues," Liam seated himself comfortably and grabbed the handle at the side. The horses made a sharp turn and raced toward the shining palace.

The first thing Liam did was to get the marshal to eat and at the same time clean up the kitchen, learning that Cal had been in here recently.

The Head was in a hurry to get rid of Pittsu and see the other man as soon as possible. But the marshal, like an annoying monkey, waddled after him, clinging to his sleeve.

After knocking on the door to Cal's room, Liam pulled his sleeve from the marshal's grasp, corrected his skewed clothes, stepped resolutely into the room, and slammed the door in Pittsu's face.

For a long time, there was an annoying and irregular knock on the door. Then Pittsu got tired and just grumbled:

"This is my, my house. You're here… a guest! Open up! Come on… open up!!!"

Liam, in front of an astonished Cal, held the door defensively until the marshal fell behind. He didn't want to go to his room and lay down right in the hallway, where they later found him.

After putting the marshal to bed again and making sure he was starting to doze off and didn't jump up, they went back to Cal's room.

"How are you, how are you doing?" Liam asked, collapsing on the bed with exhaustion.

"Now that I see you, I feel like I'm very happy."

Liam smiled wryly.

"What did you do at the Academy? You look lousy," Cal lay down beside him and brushed his hair away from Liam's face.