Ella - [COMPLETE]

Chapter 57

What a horrid day, what a horrid secret to keep. Cecil felt vile, laying in his bed, staring at the designs on the ceiling of his bedroom. He almost wanted to cry, but he was too angry for that. He regretted ever letting Arthur into his home, he regretted ever trusting Ella about him. The world was a dark storm cloud cast over his head, and he would use it to get pity from everyone.

When he tired from hiding in his room, after asking the servants to bring him cake and strawberries to drown his sorrows, he decided to take a walk in the garden. He made a few loops around the roses and hedges, looking particularly gloomy, waiting for anyone to ask why he looked so down. Then, as he turned a corner, he stumbled upon the very man of his ire, Arthur Elmsworth, fencing in the grass. At first, Cecil felt rage, but as he watched Arthur sparring, a sort of empathy came over him.

Arthur turned, noticed him, and took off his helmet. Sweat stuck to his forehead as he said, "My lord. I've been reflecting on our conversation, if you'll allow me to say something."

Cecil was surprised, he would give him that. "Is this an apology," Cecil asked tersely.

Arthur shrugged. "I don't know," he said. "I only wanted to recognize that, well, when Ella told me about the kind of relationship you two had, I was surprised. When I found out she was married, I thought I'd have to give her up. But I'm lucky to have spent so much time with her. She's an amazing woman, I think we can both agree on that. And I don't want you to think I have ill-intentions. I just like spending time with the woman, I ain't trying to whisk her away, or nothing like that."

Cecil stood perfectly still, hands on his hips. "I understand that," he said. "I'm not the jealous type."

"Aren't you," Arthur said quietly.

"Excuse me," Cecil said, almost gasping. "Did you really just imply that my anger at you is over Ella? And not the fact that you are a wanted criminal living in my home?"

Arthur flung his fencing sword around, looking confident. "Why don't we settle this like men," he said. "And spar."

Cecil laughed. "If you think, firstly, that I'm going to spar against you," he said. "And secondly that I'm going to spar against you when I have every right to just kick you out of my house instead, you'd be very wrong."

Arthur whipped his sword through the air, making a cutting noise. "Coward," he said. "I don't know what Ella sees in you. She wants a real man."

Cecil looked down between Arthur's legs with a smirk. "From what I've seen, I'm more of a real man than you," he said.

That was it. Arthur charged at Cecil, pushing him back into the grass. Cecil yelped and kicked. They tumbled around in the grass, quite a sight for the groundskeeper and the few servants within view. Arthur never threw a punch, but he did rough Cecil up a bit, pulling at his hair, and keeping him pinned down and powerless. Their brief confrontation ended with Arthur straddled on top of Cecil, pinning him down with his forearm over his chest.

"Do not," Arthur grunted. "Insult me. Again."

With Arthur looking down at him, his body helplessly pinned to the grass, Cecil knew what was bound to happen and he could feel it starting already. He had to get Arthur off of him, or he would never live down this embarrassment. He tossed and turned under Arthur's force, but he couldn't break free.

"So weak," Arthur laughed triumphantly. "I could keep you down here as long as I wanted."

"How dare you do this to a nobleman," Cecil cried.

"I'm a nobleman too," Arthur said. "We're equally matched in title, but not in strength."

He could feel it starting to lengthen down his thigh. He could feel it starting to long for touch.

"Please," Cecil breathed. "Let me go."

"You don't deserve me giving up so easy," Arthur smirked. "Why, if Ella were here--oh. Shit."

Arthur's face quickly turned red, as he must have felt the stubborn erection that rose up to press against his body. Cecil's breathing had quickened immensely, his face pale with embarrassment, his body refusing to obey his commands. Arthur remained there in shock for a moment, straddled over the nobleman, and then quickly hopped off in disgust. He didn't even look at Cecil, who scrambled to hide his embarrassment. Arthur faced the other way entirely, while Cecil presumably adjusted himself, and tried to get over his own humiliation.

"I wasn't expecting that," Arthur said, still facing the the other way.

Cecil wouldn't apologize, not for a second time in the same day. "Well, don't take it personally," he said. "I haven't been with my own wife in days."

"You can have her tonight, then," Arthur said. He slowly turned around, but refused to look Cecil in the eye.

"I most certainly will," Cecil said. "I have quite a few answers I'd like to get out of her."

He began to walk gingerly back towards the rose gardens. He remained in that precarious, delicate state until he walked back inside and up the stairs to his bedroom. He laid back on his bed, still throbbing, and told himself he couldn't touch it, not while thinking about that horrid man. So he simply lay there for an hour, not giving in, waiting for his desires to calm down, when Ella swung open the door.