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Post by Behax on Dec 26, 2023 19:46:42 GMT
If he’d been a weaker man, Kaylin might have thought he was going to be sick. Instead he could just feel a migraine forming at what a mess the whole situation had become. Perhaps he should simply stop trying to save these people from themselves? Valanthe wasn’t entirely wrong, his loyalty was much more than who was holding his leash, and he indeed owed the former Queen much. However, his loyalty didn’t blind him from how destructive she had been and was still being.
If she had bothered to look at him at all, she would have seen the disappointment clear on his face. She was falling into traps of her own making and he couldn’t save her from that, all he had been doing was trying to run damage control and he could tell even Rossia was doing the same to some extent, though to what end Kaylin didn’t know.
At her assertion however that two lives had been sacrificed Rossia cut in before the King had her sent away. “Are you so certain of that, your Highness?” A statement meant to sow doubt, had one sacrificed life truly been for her? Had two lives even been enough in the eyes of a chaotic evil goddess like Lolth? Had the sacrifices been in exchange for lives at all? How could she be certain it hadn’t been for something else? How could she be so certain of Drada’s loyalty? How could she be sure the Drow hadn’t been serving her own ends from the very beginning?
Rossia seemed to perk up at the King’s acknowledgment. He gave a dutiful bow. “Think nothing of it your Majesty, I was raised to fight such darkness after all.”
Kaylin simply gave a bow of his head at his King’s acknowledgment. He didn’t have much room in his thoughts right now to pay Lucius the usual lip service. He was caught in a tide of anger, grief and disappointment, and it was taking much for him to remain composed.
Kyle dutifully obeyed and walked over to where Lucius sat, allowing himself to be pulled into the King’s lap. His eyes went wide at Lucius’ whispered declaration. Turmoil flooded his heart, thrilled at the prospect of no longer being a slave, while also knowing that it wouldn’t really change anything. He wouldn’t suddenly be allowed to leave, he would still be kept at Lucius’ side, expected to acquiesce to his every whim and demand. What it might give him however was some authority.
“I’m just glad you’re safe,” he replied, wrapping his own arms tightly around Lucius. For a moment he had been genuinely afraid someone was about to take Lucius from him, and that feeling scared him as much as anything else. He was changing and he could no longer deny that, and he wasn’t sure he liked who he was changing into.
“Well…I shant impose on you any further,” Rossia announced, giving Lucius another bow before excusing himself. “I’ll join the patrols around the castle just in case…And then turn in for the night,” he added before leaving the room.
Kayling meanwhile looked around, even if the King did have a mind to sleep, it wouldn’t be here. While the guards had since removed the bodies of the fallen and the injured, working around them while the King had been confronting his mother, the room was still in chaos. Ruined furniture and blood stains all around. He took out a smoking pipe and lit it, ruminating even more on what a mess everything had become.
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Post by Grimm on Jan 13, 2024 4:36:10 GMT
Lucius inhaled Kyle’s scent deeply, letting it wash over him in a calming sensation. How he wished he could stay within his lovers wake for all eternity. He felt safe. And more importantly he felt loved. Kyle’s declaration of love, devotion and then the act of sacrifice to him it had moved Lucius to tears. His tear ridden face hidden in Kyle’s hair, holding him tightly in the moment; forever if he could. Lucius mind was swimming with so many emotions he had repressed for so long though out his life, he barely heard Rossia announcement and departure. When he had though he had gathered himself enough to speak, he did so from that same safe place nuzzled into the sandy blond curls. “Kaylin, have a room prepared for us to retire too. We need a distraction from the weight of that vile…thing.” Lucius didn’t clarify if he was talking about the assassin, his mother or the unborn baby. In truth all three things had come to mind when he said it. “Let me hold you until then.” He whispered to Kyle, the gravity of the assassination attempt and possible betrayal of his mother sinking in.
— — Valanthe turned to watch her guard shut the door to the tower room, he had given her a curt but respectful nod before closing and locking it. She was alone again, not that it had bothered her. Being locked in the tower bothered her. Her son thinking she sent an assassin bothered her. If anything she should have that little pleasure slave killed. It was that thought that started to burn in her mind.
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Post by Behax on Apr 18, 2024 22:53:40 GMT
“Kaylin, have a room prepared for us to retire to.”
Kaylin took a long drag on his pipe, before exhaling. “It is already in process, your Majesty.”
Lucius wasn’t the only one who found themselves in need of a distraction, though for Kaylin…For once it wasn’t a sexual one. For the most part the half-demon was quiet, turning over his thoughts and trying not to give in to his grief and anger.
Meanwhile Kyle was content to remain in his King’s grasp, wrapping his own arms around Lucius. One of his hands found it;s way into Lucius’ hair, and he ran his fingers through his dark locks gently - soothingly.
It took a while, but eventually a couple of guards returned. They bowed to Lucius before reporting to Kaylin, there was a brief conversation. The guards seemed to hesitate afterwards, without Chamberlain they were a little lost and uncertain about taking orders from Kaylin...But he was also the only person giving them. Somewhat hesitantly they both saluted him the way they would have previously done to Chamberlain, and interestingly Kaylin seemed just as much at a loss when they did. It felt unnatural to him. He naturally had leadership qualities, but as a slave it was authority he was never meant to wield.
Finally he turned to Lucius.
“While I understand it might seem somewhat of a step backwards your Majesty, yourprevious quarters have been made ready.” The room Lucius had occupied as a Prince wasn’t anywhere near as large as the room they currently occupied, but it would serve...It also had far fewer points of entry which actually made it more secure and easier to guard.
“I, and a retinue of guards are ready to escort you there once you are ready, your Majesty.”
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Post by Grimm on Apr 29, 2024 15:09:08 GMT
Lucius stayed in his personal sanctuary, clutching Kyle tightly yet gently. There was a trembling of his courage that wouldn’t go away. Usually when he was scared like this he would lash out violently at those around him until he felt powerful enough to retain his courage. But this time, it was enough to have Kyle in his arms.
Even after Kaylin informed him, he stayed for awhile longer soaking up the gentle soothing in which Kyle was playing with his hair. He didn’t need the love of his mother. Kyle loved him. Kaylin loved him. And the people would love him.
“I’m ready.” Lucius guided Kyle gently up before standing himself and immediately took him by the hand. His nerves were a bit tattered as the traversed the hallway, although the guards made him feel a bit better.
When they entered his old room the King felt the flood of memories came trickling back. The brutality he committed here, the loneliness he experienced, an old betrayal; his grasp of Kyle’s hand tightened. These things would not happen with Kyle. Kyle loved him. The notion swam in circles in his mind, wrapping him in a warm comfort he had only dreamt about.
The king guided his love to the bed, pulling him along the soft bedding until Lucius was able to lay his head on Kyle’s lap. “You’ll be staying the night, Kaylin.” It had been posed as both a statement and question. Even with the guards, his confidence in Kaylin’s skills put him more at easy than if he had one hundred me a round him.
——
Sleep didn’t come to Liam, instead he had settle for the silence of the room. Eventually he tired of it and got up, going to clean himself up in the bathroom.
At some point as he was cleaning the blood and the grime from his body the tears began to flood from his eyes, but the painful ache in his heart was largely absent. Liam let the water wash away the remaining grief, not allowing himself to mourn the consequences of his fatal action. There would be more casualties to come in this war and Liam walled off part of his heart that was still beating, the part that still bled for his friends and family. Not that he had any of them any longer.
There was a mirror leaned up against the wall, a gift from one of Jurno’s clients no doubt. It was first time he had looked at himself since his ‘death’ and Liam took a long and hard look at the man he was becoming. He was barely on the rails that had been laid out for him to follow, the boyish naive hope gone. None of that fit him now. Everything he was, had been was gone. The Liam that he was had died, he murdered his past self when he slit Chamberlin’s throat.
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Post by Behax on May 9, 2024 21:55:26 GMT
Kaylin didn’t push Lucius, content to wait for the King to be ready in his own time.
Kyle easily slid from Lucius’ lap to stand next to him. When Lucius took his hand, he would have found the gesture returned. Kyle giving his hand a gentle but reassuring squeeze, he was now more actually following the King, rather than being dragged long in his wake. As they left the room the guards kept a tight group around Lucius and Kyle. Enough for them both to be able to walk freely, but close enough that they would be quick to close ranks around them. Kaylin brought up the rear, if they were attacked from behind it would be best if he was at the back, he would be much quicker to react than the other guards.
Kaylin was silent as they entered Lucius’ old room. He didn’t exactly want to be back here...No matter how good he was at compartmentalising his feelings and memories. It left a foul taste in his mouth, especially after the night he’d just had.
Kyle let himself be led to the bed, and his hands soon found their way back into Lucius’ hair.
Kaylin on the other hand had to fight his want to leave. “Of course your majesty.” What else was he going to say? Defying Lucius now would be a catastrophic move. He ordered two of the guards that escorted them to stand guard right outside the door, two more he ordered to patrol the corridor outside from opposite ends. A further 4 were posted on each side of the main entrances and exits. He gave further orders for the guard to change every 4 hours so they could get ample rest. Tired guards would be a detriment to them now.
Until told to do otherwise he stood next to the door, smoking the last embers of his pipe. He did not feel like himself, and he felt like he was losing both sight and grip of his purpose. Should he have just let Liam kill Lucius back there? Should he have accepted Kyle as collateral? Why was he so determined to save him…To make sure he didn’t end up like him or Liam...Or maybe that was it? He looked up from his thoughts, looking at Kyle on the bed running his hands through Lucius’ hair....Was the poor boy already lost?
—---
Perhaps thankfully for Liam, Journo wasn’t there when he returned. They were off somewhere else, steeling themselves for the choices to make. Indecision would be their enemy going forward, and the growing rebellion didn’t have the luxury of time for Jurno to hesitate any longer on Liam’s suitability. Either he was or he wasn’t....he was all they had either way now.
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Post by Grimm on May 12, 2024 3:37:54 GMT
Lucius rested comfortable with his head in Kyle’s lap, the King’s fingers grasping at an edge of Kyle’s robe fiddling with it as he decompressed from the assassination attempt. He let the quiet settle into his old chambers, although his eyes would at times dark to the shadows of the rooms thinking he saw movement from them. Kyle may have been able to sense his apprehension as he would relax and tense before relaxing again.
“Kaylin, what did you think of the assassin? Do you think that it was the same person who’s been murdering the house nobles? Or do you think my mother has some blame to this?” Lucius posed the question. The intruder certainly bared the same grotesque mask that had been reported at some of the more recent crimes.
—— Liam had retrieved one of his knives from his belts and returned to the mirror. Methodically he shaved the sides of his head leaving the longer strands in the middle as a kind of gauge. He had noticed the more he used of Lolth’s power, the faster his hair had seemed to grow. No doubt from the unspoken bargain of his renewed life. He was sure this latest escapade had burned up a few months. Even his facial hair that took forever to grow out was now a fine stubble. It left like sandpaper against his hands and Liam for the first time in his life decided to leave it. He took a step back to look at himself satisfied with the change he saw, he certainly looked the part of a rebel, although the dark circles under his eyes and numerous scars perhaps villain was a better choice.
He left the bathroom and pulled out a detailed map of the city, letting it unroll over Jurno’s bed. With Chamberlin dead the King’s Guard and the City Guard would be in a precious state of chaos until someone stepped in to fill his boots. He could only figure that Kaylin may have temporarily stepped in and if that was the case the would-be king would give him no rest. With that thought in mind, Liam began to plan his next several moves.
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Post by Behax on May 18, 2024 21:37:19 GMT
Kaylin was content to sit in silence, stewing in his thoughts as his pipe burned out. He shifted in his seat when Lucious pulled him out of his thoughts.
“I think that our assassin being the same as the one behind these recent serial murders is pretty much certain.” Kaylin had tried to warn him this might be the case. When the nobility starts dropping dead around you, it’s not exactly a great sign. “No, I don’t think your mother has a hand in this.” Kaylin’s tone suggested this was not his usual lip service. He genuinely believed Valanthe wasn’t involved, if anything because it didn’t actually serve her in any way. In fact Lucius’ death could make things even worse for her. She couldn’t prove the child she currently carried was anything but a bastard, and Lucius had no heirs. Not to mention as his mother she would be one of the prime suspects...along with Kyle and Kaylin himself unfortunately.
If Lucius died suddenly, the whole country would be plunged into chaos and civil war. The crown followed his father’s line so...Valanthe actually stood to lose more than gain as the crown would default to the next in line on Lucius’ father’s side....And even Kaylin wasn’t even sure where that would land them at this point.
“I think Prince Rossia is right, your mother has been played for a fool. Whatever she has done to get this new child of hers....Is ultimately going to be her own undoing. I think someone else took advantage of your mother’s weaknesses, but no, this assassin isn’t her doing.” He reached up with one hand and began to massage his temple.
It was such a mess. Years of planning, years of waiting.....and it was all falling apart. He was now having to try and hold together the very rule he had been slowly tearing apart for years. Kaylin hated Lucius, he’d done horrible things to others with the justification that it was all to tear Lucius down. He never thought he’d see the day where he genuinely considered Lucius the better option.
What did you do when your King was a monster but there was something worse growing in the shadows? And you had put it there....Not that he could have foreseen Liam being possessed by a dark goddess....
He let out a heavy sigh.
“You should try and sleep Lucius, I’m not going anywhere and we have some...gruelling days ahead of us.” Kaylin wasn’t just talking about the assassin. They had to formally announce Chamberlain’s death, and then hold a state funeral as was expected for a man of his rank and years of service. On top of that there was legally emancipating Kyle and making him a free citizen once again...and following that, Lucius’ plans to marry him.
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