#the only thing better than found family is found family committing regicide

[floatingfacedownintheocean]

Threw this silly thing on the discord and forgot to post it here!

[worstloki]

Wait, why do we hate Frigga again?

real quick summary because I also got another ask about this but:

- in Thor 1 she gaslit Loki and gave him the throne while invalidating literally any feelings he could’ve had about his identity, while there was a war going on with Jotunheim. She didn’t even bring up the fact that he was Jotun or adopted, only tried to excuse her own and Odin’s lies, and also, the war was being waged against Laufey, who Loki literally just found out is his father??? There is no scenario where Loki comes out on top here even if he wasn’t told to “make [his] father proud”????? Just generally Odin may have initiated the idea of lying about Loki’s race and parentage but Frigga went along with it and wasn’t a passive bystander. She would’ve had to lie about it too and contributed to the lie and trying to weasel herself out of blame to appear better... doesn’t add any appeal... not to mention Loki is going through this intense struggle and just killed his biological father so he just commit patricide/regicide and Frigga goes up to him like “Loki! You saved him!” and gives him a 0.2 second hug which is the first and last Loki receives on-screen

- I know it’s a prelude tie-in comic and those are dodgy but basically Frigga looks for Loki after a year and sees Loki alive and he doesn’t want to talk to her and she reports back “Loki is alive! And he’s scheming! Evilly!” and then Thor and Odin and everyone assumes Loki is evil and Frigga doesn’t even question it??? I can excuse her for this because no one else questions it but everyone buying Thor’s explanation of “He’s jealous and getting revenge on me!” is husdbgcadgbjs

- Thor 2 is literally manipulation central and she straight-up tries to gaslight him into accepting the toxic abusive family environment on the basis of hanging her conditional love as a bribe over his head??? She tells him he doesn’t know himself?? That is prime abuser behaviour?? I know she acts nice and gives him books and soup and shared her magic but I can’t read her defending Odin or trying to make Loki feel at fault for things she hasn’t tried to get his story about as anything other than psychological/emotional abuse. 

[tibby]

definitive ranking of all of the trr gang’s parents:

godfrey: sucks for a lot of reasons but he committed the worst crime imaginable: being from england. 0/10.

king kyle maclachlan: yeah yeah his name is constantine but looking like kyle maclachlan is his only redeeming quality so. lame, royal, didn’t care about his kids, slutshamed mc, died the cringe and fail death of being crushed by falling rubble. 0.5/10.

regina: is this old bat still alive? genuine question. 1/10.

lorelai lee: fuck you for how you treat(ed) hana. 1.5/10.

mc’s mystery parents: either dead or just don’t care that their daughter moved to a foreign country, got married, had several attempts made on her life, had a kid, became a duchess and possibly a queen, had a movie made about her, and obtained several fancy hats. if it’s the latter then they have the potential to be the funniest characters of all time but if it’s the former that’s just boring. 2/10.

barthelemy beaumont: as a person with morals and a bertrand stannie, i give him a 0/10. however, as a lover of chaos and comedy, i have to give credit where credit is due and award a full 10/10. he committed regicide, pretended to be in a coma for two decades so he could do evil schemes instead of raising his kids, bankrupted his family on said schemes and then claimed it was because he kept trying miracle cures, decided to come back onto the scene by crashing his son’s rehearsal dinner and announcing that he was cured, blackmailed and kidnapped various royals so he could obtain custody of mc’s child, and his weakness is crows. say what you will about the guy but he’s committed to the bit. overall i think that’s like, a 2.5 or something.

emmeline ebrim: was fun until it turned out she was part of the evil cult and therefore everything she did in the past few books made her fake as hell. still a milf though. 3/10.

lionel nevrakis: shitty dad and can’t even do a successful coup, but i respect the feminism of taking his wife’s name. also i really like his scar. 3.5/10.

milf adelaide: objectively too high in this ranking given that she gave madeleine about fifty complexes and betrayed you several times, but she was the first milf in the series and she’ll always have a special place in my heart for that. nothing like an older woman who just wants to party. 3.8/10.

camellia nevrakis: shitty mother but sexy as hell and hated king kyle maclachlan. credit where credit is due. 4/10.

xinghai lee: the whole “unconditionally supporting his wife” thing would be nice if it was for anything other than allowing her to mistreat hana. 4.2/10.

landon ebrim: absolutely useless in every situation and kind of two faced but he doesn’t seem to be actively evil. mostly he’s just dumber than a sack of bricks. a solid 5/10.

annabelle beaumont: dead and hasn’t appeared in any flashback scenes so it’s hard to know, but maxwell used to be a mama’s boy which is good enough for me. 5.5/10.

bianca walker: much like her daughter, she’s really fucking boring, but she seems nice enough and apparently makes good coffee. also i know that she had “”fallen out of favour”” and it was their choice to stay in cordonia but ditching her children in a foreign country not long after their dad died is kind of a low blow. however it’s also pretty funny. 6/10.

hakim theron: loses points for being friends with king kyle maclachlan for years and not supporting ezekiel’s vet dreams, but overall a nice man who cares about his kids. also one of the few parents in this series who hasn’t tried to ruin mc’s life. 7/10.

drake’s dead dad: all the flashback scenes suggest that jackson was a cool guy, even if i don’t support his choice in career. bonus points for his untimely death kicking off the comedy of errors that is drake’s life. nice ass, sorry you died protecting nobility. 8/10.

queen eleanor: we only get her in flashbacks but she has yet to disappoint. cared for her son but also his ragtag group of besties, something her cringefail husband couldn’t do. will be heartbroken if we find out that she was up to evil shenanigans in the royal finale. kind of shitty that it took a bunch of idiots stumbling onto things for someone to solve her murder but cordonia isn’t known for being competent. the secret daughter thing was kind of wild and i sort of hope we never get any context for it. hope she found a better spouse in the afterlife. 9/10.

joelle theron: loves her children equally, loyal to mc and everyone in the cordonian crew, doesn’t appear to be part of any secret groups and didn’t play a role in any fail coups, cares more about art than she does boring royal stuff, total milf. would hang up one of her paintings on my wall. 10/10.

[thebluelemontree]

I know GRRM has previously stated that ADwD!Tyrion is at his lowest point, but I find it very hard to see how he will ever redeem himself given what he has done and what he has participated in. Do you believe readers gloss over the tragedies he faces i.e. slavery, the Tysha revelation, and do you see path for redemption?

I think with the fandom in general there does seem to be a proportional relationship to the amount of careful consideration people give their problematic favs versus how little they give to a character that is decidedly not their fav. Full disclosure: Tyrion is not one of my favs. There are moments I don’t like him and I don’t personally connect with him. He’s deliberately written to be someone most readers will wrestle with. Out of all the POVs, he’s probably the most psychologically complex and fraught with a minefield of trauma-induced hot buttons. As we know, profound trauma and horrific family dynamics rarely produce saintly victims who suffer beautifully, quietly, and always behave magnanimously. I am by no means an expert on Tyrion; however, I do know he definitely started out as a good person. Early AGOT Tyrion is a pretty decent fellow who validated Jon’s feelings of anger and resentment and designed a saddle to accommodate Bran’s disability for no other reason than he just empathized with them both. Even later on, he does stand up for Sansa against Joffrey’s cruelty, even though their marriage was a miserable farce and act of war against her family. Sansa seems to bear no personal ill-will toward him despite it. I think we should leave room for the possibility the impression he made with small kindnesses in the beginning could come back around to foster peace and mutual forgiveness between the Starks and Lannisters toward the end. 

But before that he was a sweet, loving kid until he was brutally disabused of the notion that anyone could possibly love him. I can’t imagine anything worse than your own father violently raping by proxy two innocent kids for the crime of his son being happy and believing for one single second that he was loved for himself. He’s experienced a lifetime of continuous physical, sexual, mental, and verbal abuse on top of ableist bigotry and repeated scapegoating that nearly cost him his life more than once. For all his dark gray, unlikable moments, it’s actually kind of a miracle that Tyrion still retains what goodness he does have when he could have been totally fucked up beyond repair, without any pity or compassion left in him, and hating all of humanity with every fiber of his being.   

GRRM does a good job of delivering blow after intensifying blow leading up to the moment he snaps and murders Tywin and Shae.There’s the overwhelming stress of the trial for the regicide he was framed for, one where his guilt and conviction is a foregone conclusion. The public humiliation and betrayal of Shae’s false testimony where his sexuality is served up for mockery. The people of KL are literally bloodthirsty and cheering for his death. There’s the momentary hope and crushing defeat of Oberyn Martell championing him in the trial by combat. Then finally Jaime drops the Tysha bomb. I mean, wow... it’s a lot. It’s totally understandable why he goes to the Hand’s tower to confront his father instead of escaping immediately. Personally, I don’t think he has to be sorry about killing Tywin at all. That pile of excrement had it coming and deserved a painful, ignoble death on the shitter at minimum. Shae is the only one there that has enough mitigating factors to say she definitely didn’t deserve to be strangled to death, though I get how it happened in the heat of the moment under intense mental duress. I think he needs to atone for that one, and I say that as someone who thinks Shae is a callous, conniving, greedy, low-level bloodsucker without any redeeming qualities. Yet, killing either of them, especially Tywin, didn’t bring Tyrion any peace or satisfaction whatsoever. Kinslaying is still up there with the most cursed of transgressions. It’s major part of his spiral into the tormented abyss we see in ADWD.  

It’s been a long time since I read ADWD as it’s not my favorite part of the series, so my memory of all the details is not the best. And like I said, I am not an expert on Tyrion. The general impression I get is that Tyrion thinks that he thinks he hates humanity and he’s finally become the monster everyone believed him to be. So he rages against practically everything and everyone. He certainly harbors a hatred for the people of KL and the sister sitting on the throne. There is a high probability he acts upon those feelings and helps usher in a catastrophic tragedy out of vengeance. Just as an example, he is aware of the wildfire cache sitting under KL and that knowledge can be used in a really bad way. Might be that crossing a point of no return, which may feel glorious in the moment, is ironically the thing that causes him to recoil in horror and regret after the dust settles. Consider Tyrion’s dream about the duality of himself: 

That night Tyrion Lannister dreamed of a battle that turned the hills of Westeros as red as blood. He was in the midst of it, dealing death with an axe as big as he was, fighting side by side with Barristan the Bold and Bittersteel as dragons wheeled across the sky above them. In the dream he had two heads, both noseless. His father led the enemy, so he slew him once again. Then he killed his brother, Jaime, hacking at his face until it was a red ruin, laughing every time he struck a blow. Only when the fight was finished did he realize that his second head was weeping.

If the two heads are both noseless, then they are both present day Tyrion. There are two sides of him right now that are equally capable of reveling in bloody vengeance and weeping for someone he still loves even though they wounded him deeply. 

Then what? Well, the thing about hitting your lowest point is that you can either dwell there until you fatally self-destruct or you can find your way back up. Granted, ADWD Tyrion is in a dark place, but there’s still space to get even darker for at least a little while in TWOW. It is possible Tyrion spends the rest of his life atoning for his worst actions during this period, using his intellectual gifts (even the parts that are Tywin writ small) to serve the needs of the people he has harmed. And it does make good story sense for someone who grew to hate humanity for very understandable reasons still found it in himself to care about it enough to save it. Even sacrifice himself for it if necessary since there’s a strong possibility he is a dragon rider. Since all signs seem to point to him ultimately playing a heroic role against the Others, we can rule out the idea that he just says good riddance to bad rubbish and laughs while the world ends. That has to mean something, right? 

There is always a path for redemption for anyone who sees the wrong of what they’ve done, has heartfelt remorse, and commits themselves to meaningful and lasting change. It’s not really about forgiveness at all, although that sometimes happens alongside redemption and it’s certainly easier for people to forgive once they see change. Redemption is work the character must do themselves for the right reasons. It’s not a status granted to them by other people. In fact, it’s probably more sincere when someone decides to do right anyway even if no one ever thinks better of them. If Tyrion (or any other character) is unforgivable to you, then the best worst thing that could happen is that they have to live a long life and spend all of it repaying their karmic debt. Even if he’s not my fav or your fav, a lot of people out there still do relate to him and the things he’s been through. A lot of people are not okay and not good victims from the trauma they’ve suffered. Fiction with redemption that is possible for anyone gives people hope that they could be better too, and there’s no other instance in the books that makes me think GRRM is cynical about redemption. The only way redemption isn’t happening for Tyrion is if he choses not pursue it. 

[one-leaf-grimoire]

Chapter 11

knight au ➼ chapter 11

warnings ➼ no warnings for the tumblr version, the ao3 version has a spicy scene

summary ➼ an unforseen complications forces julius to make a quick plan and possibly reveal his relationship with lisa.

AO3 LINK

Fortunately, life seemed to return to normal in the two weeks following the whole kidnapping fiasco. Sei and Lisa went home in one piece, although Lisa was upset to learn that she would still be strictly grounded until her health was better. Unfortunately, Owen’s predictions were right, and she would be feeling the blood loss she suffered from for quite some time. However, over the next two weeks, her strength was slowly returning, and the simple tasks she struggled with before were becoming easier. She didn’t get dizzy as often, and even managed to sneak in some sword practice when Fuegoleon wasn’t looking.

As for Julius, though…

“I’ve told you a million times, Marx, I am not just going to break up with her!”

Marx sucked in a breath, sweat pouring down his forehead as his irritation at Julius grew. This was probably the 10th time this week he had pulled Julius aside and brought the subject up, and the burden of this secret was starting to weigh too heavily on the advisor’s shoulders. So, once again, he found himself practically begging Julius to do something about this… unfortunate situation. “What else can you do?” he whispered, his eyes darting around the empty corridor. “Julius, I have no idea how you became… involved with this woman, but you can’t keep this up forever! I understand if you feel the need to be- be rebellious or whatever-” he cringed a little, his anger building. “-but if you’ve had your fun, you have to end things!”

Julius grit his teeth, his fist clenching. He just doesn’t understand, does he? “I’m not just having fun with her, Marx. I told you, I LOVE-”

“SHHH!!! Don’t-” Marx jolted forward, looking like he was about to pop a vein from anxiety. “I understand that you care about her, but Julius…” Marx sighed, stepping back. “But she’s a commoner… maybe an exceptional commoner, but if your family or Kira’s family finds out-”

“I know the risks,” Julius replied, his voice icy. Marx gulped; he could tell that Julius was deadly serious about this, and that’s what worried him the most. Marx was the only person outside of Sei who knew about the relationship, and Sei had already been a problem for Julius… albeit in a different way.

“I’ll let you off the hook this time, since part of the problem was Lisa’s own foolishness… but if I get ONE whiff of funny business from you, or get the impression that Lisa isn’t comfortable... I’m not afraid to commit regicide. Understood?”

Julius paled a little at the memory, but quickly kept talking. “I understand that she’s a commoner… but at the end of the day, I am the King. And I will use the full extent of that title to protect her, when the time comes.”

Marx’s shoulders slumped, sensing that Julius was just about ready to end this conversation. “... Julius… I just don’t want this to blow up in your face. I trust that you’ve considered every outcome.” He shook his head a little, avoiding Julius’s eyes. “Please… please… just be careful.”

The man looked up as Julius’s hand landed on his shoulder. Julius gave him a comforting smile. “Marx, don’t worry… I appreciate your concern, but-”

“JULIUS! Is that you?”

Both of them snapped to attention as a group of people rounded a corner, attendants and advisors, and in the center of their cluster was an unmistakable man.

“King Augustus!”

Marx broke into a deep bow, and Julius dipped his head briefly in respect. “Is there something you need, Augustus?”

Augustus smacked his lips for a moment, thinking, then nodded. “I do, I do.” He turned to his attendants. “Scurry off, now.”

They nodded and made their exit. Julius gave Marx a long look, and the blue-bowled man begrudgingly obeyed.

“Now that we’re alone-” Augustus grabbed Julius’s sleeve for a moment, lowering his voice. “There’s a matter I wish to discuss with you. Of great personal importance to me.”

Julius gulped, instinctively getting a little nervous, as he was hiding a secret that he really, really did not need Augustus to figure out. “Oh, of- of course. What can I do for you?”

“You see… I just got engaged.”

Julius’s eyes widened. Oh god… that poor woman, he thought before forcing a smile. “Splendid! I was wondering when you were going to get around to that~” It may have been hard to believe, but Augustus was a little younger than Julius, so it would be expected for him to choose a queen at this point.

“Don’t tease me,” Augustus grumbled. “There’s a problem, though… the woman that was presented to me, she is, well… she’s beautiful. The most beautiful of the candidates my family chose for me. However, after being with her for a few months…” He groaned and shook his head. “She is simply too tall! I can’t be looking up at a woman, can I?”

Julius wasn’t exactly sure what to say to that. “Well… what does that matter? If you love her-”

“I don’t.” Augustus was quick to cut him off. “Love comes after marriage… but I can’t see myself ever getting to that point with this woman. HOWEVER-” the last word came out as a short screech as he gained excitement. “This woman, she comes from a prestigious noble family… I would not settle for anything less. I’m sure I can find someone better than her if I wait a little longer, but I can’t just throw her away. So!” He smirked, pointing at Julius. “Why don’t you marry her?”

“W-What?!” Julius winced, shocked at the proposal. “Oh, Augustus, I appreciate-”

“Julius, you’re not getting any younger!” Augustus pointed out. “Your family is constantly talking about your inability, or unwillingness, to find a partner!” They are? Julius thought before the King continued. “This is the perfect fix for both of us!”

Oh god… Julius gulped before letting out a nervous laugh. “Augustus, you really are thoughtful! But-” His mind was racing, and before he could come up with a better excuse, he spoke again. “-you see… I’m already seeing someone.”

Augustus’s eyes and mouth blew wide open. “WHAT?! Why didn’t you say anything?” He blinked a few times, the shock wearing off. “Well… that’s that then… HOWEVER-” He smirked again, pointing at Julius, a glint in his eyes that told Julius that he was scheming. “-This mystery woman… if you’re really serious about her, you better introduce us! You want my approval, don’t you?”

Not really.... Julius’s heart was pounding. “Well, she’s from the outer lands, her family oversees much of the far reaches of the forsaken realm-”

“Oh…. hmm.” Augustus’s eyes narrowed. “She’s not one of those new money nobles, is she?”

Julius quickly shook his head, but Augustus was already suspicious. “Well, now I have to meet her! Lust can cloud the mind when evaluating these things, you may not be pursuing an appropriate match.” Julius clenched his fist, his head starting to spin with the beginnings of rage. Appropriate? Lust? Augustus has no idea how love is supposed to work, is he? She’s not just some object for me to collect! However, he held his tongue. Many in the inner circles of royalty did not value their female counterparts as much as they should, and his opinion was definitely in the minority. “There will be a ball next weekend… only the finest nobles will be invited. Please bring your lady to the ball, so I can meet her and decide if she’s worthy!”

“Oh, that’s very kind of you!” Julius laughed nervously, trying not to seem too anxious. Lisa? At a ball? I don’t even like going to balls! “But not necessary, I assure you-”

“Nonsense. She will come. End of discussion.” Augustus turned away, not allowing Julius to get another word in. “I will continue this discussion next weekend at the ball!”

Julius stood there in silence, slowly realizing what a tough situation this was going to be.

But… I’m sure it’ll work out.

He turned and walked off to his chambers, hands clasped behind his back as he started to think up a plan.

I’ll visit Lisa and let her know…

……..

The next evening, Lisa hummed to herself happily as she walked back to her room from the bathroom. Her hair was wet, tousled up after an attempt to dry it, the skirt of her bathrobe flouncing around her knees. The CLK didn’t have many female knights, so she was alone in the hallway in the female part of the dorms. But she didn’t think much of it, opening her door and shutting it behind her.

Ah, it’ll be nice to relax after all the chores I had to do-

Someone cleared their throat.

“AHH!”

Lisa immediately dropped her towel and raised her fists, eyes widening at the sight of a person sitting at her desk. However, the adrenaline wore off the moment she realized who it was.

“Julius?!”

Julius smiled, waving for a moment before standing up. “Sorry! Should I have knocked?”

Lisa’s brow furrowed into a playful frown. “No… sorry, I was just taking a bath.”

Julius nodded, clearing his throat and averting his eyes from the deep neck of her bathrobe. “I see… well, sorry for intruding-”

“You’re not!”

Lisa didn’t hesitate, throwing herself right into his chest and wrapping her arms around his middle. Julius stumbled a bit, not expecting the sudden lunge, but quickly steadied himself. “Well, well, I guess you’re forgiving me,” he chuckled, reciprocating the embrace. “I’ve missed you.”

“Me too… I’m always so happy to see you,” Lisa mumbled into his shirt, smiling to herself as she felt his hand come up, the familiar feeling of him petting her hair following the movement. After a long moment, she pulled back and looked up at him. “What do you need?”

“Oh, I need to tell you about something that’s about to happen.” Julius reluctantly stepped back, holding her hands in his. “Something that involves both of us… well…” He cleared his throat, and Lisa narrowed her eyes a little. “It’s a long story, but I let slip to Augustus that I was seeing someone… that would be you…”

“Augustus? You mean KING Augustus?” Lisa’s eyes widened. “H-he knows about me-”

“No, no- I didn’t reveal who you were,” Julius quickly told her. “I told him you were a noblewoman from the outer lands of the kingdom… but he basically ordered the two of us to come meet him at a ball this weekend.”

“...ordered?” Lisa paled. “Uh oh… so, I’m going to have to pretend to be a noble for a night?”

“Yes, but don’t worry-” Julius smiled comfortingly, squeezing her shoulders. “My advisor, Marx, will help sneak you in… and I’ll have clothes ready for you so you’ll look the part.” Lisa blinked slowly, obviously not convinced yet. “I’m sorry this happened… but it might be a good way for you to see how I live… and how you might live one day.” He smiled, leaning down a little to look her in the eyes. “Do you trust me?”

Slowly, Lisa nodded, sucking in a breath. “Yes… I just don’t trust myself to not mess up… I don’t want to get you into trouble-”

“Neither do I!” Julius let out a little laugh at his joke, and was relieved to see Lisa smile, too. “I’ll be right there beside you the whole time.”

Lisa nodded. “That’s true…” Her gaze flickered away from him, a little blush appearing on her cheeks. “It’ll be nice to actually act like a couple in front of them.”

Julius’s heart did a little backflip in his chest. He didn’t say anything; he couldn’t say anything, he just stared at her until she noticed her silence. “What?” she asked, meeting his gaze again.

“...you’re so cute.”

Lisa blinked slowly as his hands came up to cradle her face, her cheeks reddening further. “...what made you say that?”

Julius shrugged, a pleasant shiver moving over his skin as he felt her arms find their way around his waist again. “Who knows… it’s just an observation.” His eyes narrowed a little, studying every detail of her eyes, her cheeks, the way her jaw felt as his thumbs brushed it, and… her soft, soft lips.

“Can I kiss you?”

Lisa nodded without hesitation, a small yet unmistakable movement. Julius gave her a little nod of his own before leaning down, pressing a tender kiss to her lips. He felt her exhale through her nose, before her whole body relaxed, leaning against him and melting away.

...

...

...

I love you…

Julius wanted to tell her those words as they curled up together on her bed, but he held his tongue. Right now, he didn’t want to overwhelm her. They had time. Instead, he just leaned down and kissed her forehead, right over her mysterious mark.

“You’re amazing, you know? An amazing knight, and amazing woman…” he smirked a little. “And amazing kisser~”

Lisa flushed. “I-I am NOT!”

“You are!” Julius sat up a little, grinning cheekily. “Don’t tell me I was your first kiss?”

“No, you weren’t.” Lisa rubbed her face sheepishly. “You really think I’m good?”

“Of course? I could kiss those lips of yours all day.” Julius gave her a wink, and was overjoyed to see said lips twitch into a smile.

“Oh? That sounds like a promise.”

“It is. Get over here-”

Lisa quickly obeyed, crawling into his arms once again. Their lips quickly met, in a sweet, chaste kiss, the tension between them dissolving the rest of the way. Julius smiled into the kiss, pulling back just to press a few lighter ones against the side of her face. Lisa giggled, squirming a bit. “Julius… will you stay here tonight?”

Julius raised an eyebrow, but quickly nodded. “If you want me too… I’ll have to leave early so I can make it back to the castle, though.”

“That’s okay.”

Julius turned around to let her change into pajamas, then gladly crawled under the sheets with her. Lisa’s bed was a full size bed, luckily, but the two still settled in right up against each other.

“Julius… thank you.”

Lisa let her eyes close, his warmth lulling her to sleep already. “You know how to make everything better... “

Julius blushed a little, kissing the side of her head one last time before laying his head down on the pillow.

“So do you… you’ve changed my life, Lisa.”

The two fell asleep, limbs entwined, and left their worldly problems behind as they entered their own, perfect dream.

[pavys-originals]

Fandoms I will be writing for + the original characters within

Including a brief summary of each. 

Birds of Prey Valerie Steward - Crime boss, rival of Roman Sionis, has Renfield Syndrome, usually likes the most expensive and lush possessions. Has very large circles beneath her (In a social/hierarchical sense).  Can be incredibly eccentric, and very passionate.

One/Omni- The first of the Blackcoats, a large group of highly trained marshal-like operatives. Omni himself usually does not get involved in combat, and pays close attention to details. 

Two/Hyinth- The second in the first thirteen/High Council of the Blackcoats. Isn’t quick to rush to violence, though they will do what they must to get things done. 

Three/Cettie- The financial backer of the council. Doesn’t usually get involved with the violent sectors of the organisation, she finds it a waste of time. 

Four/Aven- Pure bodyguard material. That’s it, that’s Aven. Not himbo- he’s to smart and sharp for that- just muscly man who will protect at all costs.

Five/Aretha- Now when I tell you that this woman knows how to kill someone and get away with it, I mean it. She trained to be Valerie’s understudy in a sense, and has perfected her own technique in disposing of people when asked.

Six/Giga- The techie. Honestly, they know so much about random stuff they will RAM it down your throat. They’re also kind of jokey, hence the pun. 

Seven- Seven gave up his name when he was fairly young, and is now one of the most powerful and down-to-earth of the Blackcoat high council, as he is the one who oversees the training regimens.

Eight/Axel- A total wild card of the group. Rarely follows orders, and lashes out with violence fairly frequently. He’s honestly a big softie though. 

Nine/Jerra- Usually the one that gets sent in when they need an undercover job done, or a mole of some description. He’s a phenomenal actor. 

Ten/Rocsas- One of the youngest. He’s very ‘in’ with the word on the streets of Gotham,and often informs the council of riots/coups that are being planned by the gangs of the city of crime.  

Eleven/Ixi- Iris/Thirteen’s twin. They are very detached, and don’t often show emotion in the work place. It is suspected that they show lots of affection in a domestic setting though. 

Twelve/Brutus- As his name suggests, he is the strongest of the group, naturally born this way and has honed his skills in since starting training. He is very protective, and follows orders. Not always the brightest spark though, but occasionally he will get a good idea. 

Thirteen/Iris- Sometimes referred to as the ‘softest’ of the High Council, as she is much more compassionate than the majority of her peers. She doesn’t mind it all that much, and often interjects in debates with the more emotional side of the story. 

Twenty-Six/Kalmiya- Almost an entirely blank slate, she is seen as the perfect soldier. Little room for emotions, much room for logic. However, she does seem to learn social cues and expressions very quickly off of other people. 

CATS  A note- about the cats ocs; Just because they are stated to have mated with another Tom/Queen does not mean I won’t write for them. If I write for the children, the bond between parents is not usually mentioned.  

Ariadne-A witch’s cat. She is quite mysterious, but once she warms up to you she’ll adore you like there’s no tomorrow. She is able to teleport over a short distance, has slight telepathy, and sometimes has visions of the future. 

Graciette- The pub cat. Daughter of Skimbleshanks and Jennyanydots, younger sister to the mischievous twins Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, and older sister to the young kitten Electra. She is always on  time, and is very enthusiastic about overseeing the games in the pub. 

Leviticus- The oldest triplet, son of Ariande and the Rum Tum Tugger. He is very close with his grandfather, Old Deuteronomy, and very wise. 

Squiggletigs-The middle triplet, second son of Ariande and the Rum Tum Tugger. He is usually found with Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, he is much more playful than his older brother. He’s like the middle ground between Leviticus and Pixietrick.

Pixietrick- The youngest child of Ariande and the Rum Tum Tugger, and their only daughter. She’s very much like her father, both in appearance and in personality. 

Fantasma- The inventor’s cat, and daughter of Graciette and Alonzo. A lot of her time in the junkyard is spent finding random little trinkets and other doo-dads to use for her inventions, or just random collections she has. She’s very shy, and very sweet. 

Zilke- The blind cat, mother of Quaxo/Mistoffelees and Victoria. She tried to stick by Macavity when he was kicked from the tribe, her love blinding her to the near regicide that was committed. Eventually, she became actually blind. 

Seattine- One of the two pirate cats, rumoured to be descendants of Growltiger himself. They rarely come ashore, but when they do, they play many a shanty for old Gus. Seattine favours the concertina as her instrument, and is usually very upbeat.

Hurdeon- One of the two pirate cats, rumoured to be descendants of Growltiger himself. They rarely come ashore, but when they do, they play many a shanty for old Gus. Hurdeon favours the hurdy gurdy, and is a lot calmer than his twin sister. 

Doctor Sleep  Elva Warren- The owner of a sweet little antique shop in New Hampshire. She is always welcoming to new faces, and she knows just what cheers them up when she meets them, what to say to make them smile, all because of her Shine. 

IANOWT  Marilyn Higgins - An uncool kid like Stan and Sid, though a lot of people consider her to be less cool then them. Mostly because of all the morbid facts she spouts, especially during Science class. Probably also doesn’t help that she knows a fair few ways that the world could end that make some people uneasy.

IT  Melissa Farley- A British exchange student from a small village in Norfolk. She is very kind to those around her, even willing to take them in and introduce them to her family’s traditions and interests. She has even offered to tutor some of the Losers, should they ever need it.  Tiffany Crandall- A farming gal from Ludlow, Maine. She moved to Derry with her grandmother and grandfather after her parents were hit by a speeding Orinco truck. She is neughbour’s with Mike Hanlon, and has very little fear when it comes to brawls. It’s traffic and roads she doesn’t like. 

Moulin Rouge  Celine Bisset- A dancer in the Moulin Rouge. She is usually quite gentle, unless her client asks for her to be rougher and more assertive. She ended up becoming a dancer there because her fiance left her stranded when he ran off with another woman. 

Overwatch Asteria Murphy- After surviving an omnic siege where Blackwatch was sent to free the inhabitants of an apartment block, Asteria joined Overwatch to try and make sure nothing like that happened again. 

Mars Virgil- Son of Asteria Murphy, and Jesse McCree. Grew up in Deadlock Grange with his mother, and Robert Virgil- the man he assumed was his father. He joined Overwatch after  an attack on his mother’s diner, and found out his true family soon after.

Resident Evil Village Ihrin Moreau- Sister of Salvatore Moreau. Unlike her brother, her experience with the Cadou did not mutate her into a fish at first glance. It is when she comes into contact with water that her first stage mutation reveals itself, and her true mutated form shows when she is critically injured. She is vain and practically unfeeling unless something catches her eye.

Aeolus Aetos- Self proclaimed “Lord of the Wing”. Aeolus is a man who’s mutation made him think so highly of himself that he only concerns himself with his own problems. He is vain, and keeps himself the most pristine he can. Being mutated to appear part eagle gives him both his pride and his expert hunting skills

Mori Russell- One of the village hunters, who survived the lycan attacks by fleeing into the forests, and hiding out of sight. 

Lena Vaughn- Daughter of the local brewer. Also survived the lycan attacks, but because of her skill with a shotgun rather than running away. 

Shallow Grave Deirdre Sullivan- A failing artist who moved from her family home in Ireland to chase her dreams. She’s partway there, she’s just lacking in the money.Money that she has a hand in keeping away from David. 

Star Wars  Alaana Rohiikshuul- A Jedi consular/seer. She is very down to earth, and tries her best to have the mysteries of the Force reveal themselves to her so that she may write of them. It is this constant search for knowledge that has her meditating for days on end, lost in her own thoughts. Alessandro  Rohiikshuul - Alaana’s twin brother, and the slightly more impulsive of the two. This is not to say he is outwardly violent. Like Alaana, he makes sure to exhaust all other options beforehand. He is much more openly passionate.  Othkiir Rohiikshuul- A young, feline force sensitive from Alaana and Alessandro’s home planet, Tmryn. He can be a little all over the place sometimes, but he tries to do everything he  can for the greater good. 

Daesha’Tiatkin- A Twi’lek force sensitive who deserted the Jedi Order in her late teens- opting to live a scoundrel’s life. She does what betters her, and usually her alone, though you should not mistake this for having no moral compass. She is impulsive, and almost always optimistic. 

Kyden Kenobi- Son of Sith!Obi-Wan and Sith!Alaana. Captain/Commander of the Night Witches squadron in the Empire’s fleet. Usually incredibly goofy and sweet. 

Trainspotting Ava Byrne- (First film)- A philosophy student who got stuck in Edinburgh when she left her home. She got stuck in the same apartment building as Renton and the other boys, but refuses to divulge in their illegal activities.  (Second film)- Ava didn’t end up leaving Edinburgh, the best thing she managed to do was write “The Ethics of Drug Use”, which was of course inspired by the boys’ old lives. She hasn't properly seen the boys since Mark left, though she will occasionally pass Simon or Daniel in the street, and give them a semi-respectful nod.

Misc  (Special Ingredients- my original story in the works) Tex Hudson-  The eldest brother of the trio of brothers, and he was the one to change his name when he got married the first time, as if it would help him in his family’s “business”. He has quite a temper, and is usually rather gruff. There are occasions where he can be sweet, they’re just growing exceedingly rare. Sloane Sawyer- The middle brother, and arguably the most elegant of the three. Always in a suit, he acts like the perfect gentleman in front of others, however when there’s no one else around, he tends to gloat about how many kills he has under his belt.  James ‘JJ’ Sawyer- The youngest brother, but also the tallest. Standing at a whopping six foot nine, Jamie may seem like a beast of a man, but he actually quite gentle. He’s a little slower than the others when it comes to figuring some things out, but he doesn’t let that slow him down anywhere else. He is incredibly sweet, quite passionate, and not afraid to show his vulnerable side when his brother’s aren’t around. 

Victoria/Victor Farley- A pirate captain who sails within the Devil’s Ring (more on that in their first piece), and acts however they so please within the pirate code. Born as Victoria Farley on mainland England, they followed their father through to the centre of the Devil’s Ring- becoming one of his crew in the process. From there they fought on and on, till they became a ship’s captain themselves. 

Scenarios/genres I will write -Fluff -Angst -Smut* -Horror -A combination of those stated above *This will only be written when I am in the mood. Bear in mind these may take longer than usual because I have to be in the correct mindset. I will edit this when necessary

Character Q&A is currently open! 

I will include trigger warnings and such at the beginning of each Oneshot/imagine/headcanon list.

[fanesavin]

The Inquisitor and newly made King of the Forty Isles discuss a plan that tests the Inquisitor’s mettle and his morals. In the interim, Lord Balcaster has some choice words for one particular member of the Quiver council.

[ Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 (x) | (x) Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 (x) (x) | Part 7 | Part 8  (x) | Part 9 (x) | Part 10 | Part 11 (x) (x) | Part 12 (x) | Part 13 (x) (x) | Part 14 (x) (x) | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 ]

@thisbrutalbelle @ianncardero @faye-andrews @mayaparker @ephrampettaline @bumblingbrujo @rydenbolt

The King of the Forty Isles was dead. Or one could say, the King of the Forty Isles was here, right now, standing at the window of the Quiver Chambers. He was early, but it wasn’t a political statement, it was merely his impatience. The Capitol - really, the mainland - couldn’t concern him right now, not until he was recognized by his own people as a King. And then - only then could Iann start to reforge things he’d already lost, thanks to the machinations of his little brother. Until then, he would be impatient. Politely so, because he was bred to be this way. But all he could look at, was the ocean.

Fane made his way into the council chamber, the space a worrisome reminder of all that had happened in the last week and yet to come. He’d been hoping to see Iann earlier in the week, to speak with him on certain matters. The man was one of his oldest friends and Fane was admittedly concerned for his well-being. “Iann,” formalities hardly mattered anymore in his own concern given present circumstances, he may be King now but he was Fane’s friend first he walked into the chamber his eyes tight with evident concern, “I heard the news about your father… I’m sorry to hear of his passing,” of course he knew Iann was impatient to take the throne for himself but it didn’t change the fact it was still his father that had passed.

“Do you consider me capable of regicide? Based on your evidence,” Iann asked, turning to see Savin. Glad to see Savin here in fact. Grateful for a space of moment for them to talk, possibly for the last time alone. Hopefully it would happen again months or years after today, but right now Iann was not so sure. “I only ask, because it is the only reason that’s keeping me here, my dear Inquisitor.” Iann spoke quietly, giving a nod at Savin’s sympathy but not lingering on it. “I want justice as much as anyone else, but my own people and their justice - their lives in the hands of their rightful King - concerns me more.” He smiled though, despite all of his stress. “I’m glad to see you’ve survived under this ordeal. It couldn’t have been easy.” And Iann did not envy Savin his Inquisitorial job; yet there was indeed no one better here who could accomplish it.

“You’re capable of many things my friend but that isn’t one of them.” Fane answered plainly, but still he sighed rubbing his eye tiredly, “unfortunately, I’m not so sure other people in this castle wish for it to be seen that way…” Despite the evidence that mounted up Fane had known Iann for longer and had a good measure of the man. He was innocent of this crime yet Fane had no evidence to prove it. “I wouldn’t wish it on anyone else’s shoulders, but for our friendship I’ll speak plainly. I’m worried Iann, the evidence that has come to light casts a damning shadow on the Summerset and the Isles… Which leads me to pose a question to you. You may not be guilty of regicide, but do you think your brother or the Grand Lady capable of the act? Do you have any reason to suspect them?” The sands of time were slipping away faster than he cared for and with each moment that passed left him feeling more apprehensive about the future, “we both know well enough your brother envies your position… Casting blame at your feet would open the way for him to try and take the Isles and I am aware Cassandra used my name to play some hand in the murder of Lord Kesley before he could be questioned…”

“Did she…” Iann murmured thoughtfully. Still, due to his affection for the young Princess Adeline - and even to an extent to his brothers formidable Queen-wife - Iann’s assessment was clouded. Particularly when it came to the alternate choice of his brother. “The commonfolk love the Grand Lady. The nobles love Prince Miguel–” He almost mentioned Lovel, but decided for now to hold his tongue. “I’m a pirate and an separatist islander to the commonfolk on the mainland. And other than the Queen of the Dark Woods - the likes of whom we might never see again, after today - you are the only person in this Castle that I know who would see me innocent.” He smiled then, a tight smile. “I’m not well liked, it seems. So it stands to reason that I have little allies here. At this point, the High Raj’s death has become more political than justice…and I know how much you love political.” He turned to look at Fane, first looking around to make sure they were alone. “I have a proposal. And honest one, but perhaps not a moral one, depending on how you feel about morals in the Capital. Perhaps morals are better left in the noble North.”

Unlike Iann Fane held no such clouding of judgement, there were certain dealings and trade contracts he held with Summerset no such bond of family that shackled him to their whims. Perhaps it was fateful, that he had no heirs to tie up in contracts of marriage that left him restricted in his ability to move. Idly he thought of Iann’s boy, an inquisitive mind that one that Fane was fond of. “It’s one thing to act like you care, but how much of it is simply to save face?” Iann’s surmising of the situation only made Fane grimace, “wasn’t it always political? A desperate attempt to snatch power and control.” Though Iann’s mention of morals caused Fane to huff softly, displeased by the notion, “of late I’ve been considering morals to be more hindrance than service.” He made a small gesture indicating Iann should carry on while they were blessedly along for the time being.

“They are, my friend,” Iann said, but his smile was one of sympathy. Iann considered his own father a strict, highly moralistic man - in his heyday. And Stefan Savin reminded Iann strongly of his father. A pity that only moralistic Princely son of the Forty Isles ended up being the weakest - but he was no match for the eldest and the youngest. Iann had a family to worry about, but moral people broke under the pressure of pleasing everyone. “I shall be King - on the Forty Isles, we like to move fast to keep up with the ever-changing currents. Today, I will be a King.” He put a hand on Fane’s shoulder, and leaned in. “We’ve had enough of war, even on the Forty Isles - but for us a war seems inevitable. My brother is…ambitious, and he doesn’t care for the mainland as I do. If he were to wage war here…I fear it could have damning consequences.” Iann said, because that, at least, felt true. “But if the evidence points to me, then let it be so. I cannot be killed for the High Raj’s death - not as King of the Forty Isles. I can be exiled there, however - and I would guarantee that my exile would not lead this realm back into war. I will nobly take my punishment. And if I did, supposedly, kill the High Raj, then I would name my dear brother - so knowledgeable about venom and the like - as my accomplice. Let me confess us both to a crime that I did not commit; and upon my exile, I will take him back to my Isles for Forty Isles brand of justice. The nobles will get what they want, and so will the commonfolk, if the Cloverry chooses for the better of the people.” He raised an eyebrow. “And you have always been autonomous in the North, Inquisitor. You can return to standing outside and apart from the squabbles of the rest of the mainland. And it will be over. The peace we all want.”

Fane lifted his chin his eyes steadfast as he looked at his friend, it was clear that he didn’t like the idea. But then again when had anything that would serve the greater good truly felt satisfactory to everyone? The proposal solved one portion of the issue at hand, but equally left one piece of the puzzle unsolved, he entertained the notion Iann set forth but equally was not completely convinced of the motion. “And what of Cassandra? She has some role to play, what that is I cannot say but let her walk away from this and how long ‘til we find ourselves back in this situation once more?”

Bella entered unaccompanied by her wolf, the man had gone to round up those that had come to help the Kingdom and had inadvertently trashed it, with the hopes that he and his wife could return to the Dead Woods upon meetings end. Bella did not believe it so simple, but she was interested to hear what had been learned of things and entered the Quiver in her usual jewel draped clothed, back exposed and littered with diamonds and emeralds. Her walk was slow and weak but her posture strict. “Inquisitor Savin, Prince Iann,” she said, not having heard any news of his Kingdom. “It looks like I am pleasantly on time to these things.”

Iann looked confused for a moment. “Grand Lady Cassandra? I’m sure she wasn’t involved in the death of the High Raj,” Iann couldn’t help but huff a slight laugh at the very thought. “It was mere coincidence, and a clever ruse on my brother’s part.” Iann looked sharply to the left, but he saw it was the Queen of the Dark Woods in her strange regalia, and he relaxed. She wasn’t involved in the matters of the realm, so Iann just gave her a bow. “Hello Queen Bellamy. I’m just finishing a conversation with the Inquisitor and then we shall join you to wait for the others, if it pleases you.”

Bella nodded her head gently, taking a seat at the table, drawing her legs up onto the seat while only those she felt strangely comfortable with were around.

Fane couldn’t quite bring himself to agree with Iann’s dismissal of the notion. Coincidental indeed. “And why then did she lie in my name to take a strange cloaked figure into the dungeons not that much longer before Lord Kesley was found dead? The Kesleys were the only other major suspects for this case regardless of how dim they might be. Equally, what gain would they ever receive for kidnapping her in broad daylight before yourself and your brother?” The Kesleys were dim that much was well known, but that was plain idiocy. Unfortunately, further discussions concerning the matter were cut short and Fane gave a glance in the Queen’s direction. “Your highness…” he afforded her a small bow but the tension still rippled in his frame.

This was all news to Iann, who had no spies and had taken no part in the gathering of Inquisition evidence. The only information that had concerned him anyway, was about himself and Miguel. He’d filtered out the rest - apparently that was another mistake the Prince had made during his tenure in the Capital. “I…suppose this is where you’ll need to retire those beautiful morals of yours then, my friend. I…I’m afraid I cannot say anything about these matters. I didn’t know about them, until now.” He sighed, and took a slow step back, giving Savin a sad, but resigned look. “Will it be justice, or peace?”

Maya walked into the room, having heard that they were convening for a meeting of the Quiver of Houses. She knew that Lord Savin was close to the truth, but wasn’t certain if he had arrived at an official conclusion. She didn’t know either if a new High Raj had been chosen. She hesitated before taking a seat next to Lord Savin. Her attention turned to Lord Cardero, having heard his final question. She said nothing though, another habit she had yet to break.

Fane studied the Prince as he stepped away and where not a moment prior was feeling a touch more secure in the situation that was fast approaching was once more left feeling entirely adrift. There was no answer given to the question as it was posed, and Fane made a low noise that rumbled deep in his chest. Anger flared momentarily in his eyes, not truly at Iann moreso the situation at hand, the same anger that had been simmering since his discussion with Lady Florent.

As more people arrived, Iann stepped further away from the Inquisitor. Indeed, he was like a ship, leaving Savin’s port and sailing away on its own. Leaving Savin once more on his own. The Inquisitor hadn’t agreed to Iann’s proposal, but neither had he disagreed. For now, it would have to do. All Iann could think of was getting back to his beloved Isles and taking the crown he was born to take. He nodded in greeting to the servant-lady-whatever she was in greeting, then sat next to Bellamy. “Did you enjoy our sail, Bellamy?” Iann asked, all smiles and graciousness once more.

Bella noted the other woman’s presence, still amazed she was seated since no one had informed her the woman was not a servant girl any longer. “I did, I’ve never felt the wind move so fast before,” she immediately grinned. It felt like it’s own sort of magic and she partially wished it had been evening so she could have felt the full potential of herself. “I have the urge to buy a boat,” Bella mused.

“Queen of the Dark Woods with a boat,” Iann laughed, gently. “You kingdom is land-locked, is it not?”

“For now, perhaps if I perform some blessings I’ll be gifted a river right through the middle of the woods,” Bella attempted to joke, aware that even if she had her beliefs they would likely not extend to altering something so set in stone. “Besides, without a boat how will I visit your Isles?”

Maya nodded in return to Iann. To Lord Savin, she said quietly, “There may yet be a way to have both.”

“River boats are extraordinary,” he agreed, although they didn’t hold a candle to ships for an ocean. But of course, Iann was heavily biased. “Perhaps one could use the wood of your Dark forest, and fashion something that could sail over land. Meet me at the coast and I would sail you to the Forty Isles myself.” These were all light-heated words, not actual plans or ideas. Small talk, trivial and entertaining, for now.

Fane remained stood as Iann drifted yet further away. Fane stared out the window the room feeling altogether too small and confining. His mind drifted to something he’d been told a long time ago, you must do, and be good. If that means you suffer defeat today then trust that you’ll find way to claim victory tomorrow, or the next day, or the day after that. His brows were furrowed deep in thought that he only made a small noise at Maya’s comment. If there was, he didn’t see how.

The door to the Quiver Chambers opened to let a man of the North pass through. This was a formal occasion he was actually informed about and casual wear was replaced by glossy jacket of leather, knee-deep black boots and a finely knitted woollen cloak hanging off his shoulders by a silver clasp in the shape of a wolf’s head. He’d almost looked like a lord for a change, albeit a dark and austere one. A heavy sword was sheathed in a scabbard at his hip, swaying at his side as he approached to write himself into the attendance book, a heavy tome which kept a record of all who will be attending this council. A tome that is very likely to be a great witness of historical events Ryden had little to no hand in besides having put a Balcaster’s name in it for the very first time. He’d signed it, his writing clumsy as he’d only taken it up a couple of years ago and still learned to dot down big words. At least he got his name right by now. Then he found himself a seat, not too far away from the Queen of the Dead Woods and the Prince of the Forty Isles, barely sparing them a glance. He was here only to see one thing - a new Raj appointed just so he could say that Dyrerow means to remain independent, as it had been for ages now.

Maya said nothing else when Lord Savin didn’t respond properly to her. For one, she didn’t believe in peace. At least not in the long term. She did turn to one of the servants to ask politely for some ale. At the sound of the door opening, she turned her head to see Ryden, the wild man of the North, enter. He stopped briefly to sign his name before taking a seat away from Queen Bellamy and Lord Cardero. She had not heard of his change of station. “I take it you’re eager to return home?” she half asked, half stated to him.

Curiously Iann studied the new arrival at the Quiver of Houses. It seemed the Coronation (or the murder?) of the High Raj had brought so many nobles out of hiding - the Dark Woods Queen, the Lady Faye, the servant-Lady. He considered also how the North - Fane Savin’s North, that is - kept themselves autonomous. He thought about how his own Forty Isles was so powerful it barely required the Bluesprings realm for much more than trade (and the occasional pillage). Iann looked out towards the Sunlit Throne in the Great Hall, visible through the pane windows that separated the Quiver Chamber from the Hall. Iann mildly wondered just how powerful it would be, considering how many lands were really more just…independent states, all of which wished to be left severely alone. The other lands who’d fought in the civil war - most of their lords and nobles were dead, killed by their own strife. So this was what remained - and none wished to be ruled. He smiled, and studied the rings on his fingers.

Ryden looked up when Maya asked her question, big arms crossing over smooth leather on his chest. “Naw, I actually like watchin’ dumb theater plays. There’s a lesson in each an’ they mostly come down to 'don’t be stupid like these pricks’.” He grinned, his smile sharp. “If there’s an encore, I’ll stick around a little while longer for it.”

Miguel had to make hasty actions. But things were set up to work in his favor. No matter what fate had in store for the Quiver meeting. As long as he had that last hidden cask of Forty-Isles mead, in his room, and a little on his person, in a flask - he would be fine. And he didn’t have to think too hard about anything, his heart still aching and his stomach falling away as he took his seat in the meeting room. A little behind and to the left of Iann - always behind him. The small detail kept his blood hot and resolve strong. He took a sip of the mead and hid the flask back in his shirt. The heat was still there, the honor, the duty - but the desire had dripped out of him sometime last night.

Bella looked to the man who had entered, her person not quite as kind as it had been upon meeting him but Bella giving him a nod. “There are different sorts for rivers?” she asked the Prince of the Forty Isles. “Seems a waste of wood for something to sail on land when we have carriages that could be made but our wood is…very peculiar, perhaps if you picked me up for a visit I could have some brought along, no ship would be more adept in the ferocity of the evening sea.”

Maya almost laughed. She managed to hide her smile as Annabella appeared with her mug of ale, giving Maya a moment to collect herself. She turned back to him. “I’m sure you don’t want my council, but I’d be cautious. Our luck the last few days there may well be an encore and a statement like that might get you blamed for it.” There was no real seriousness to her words. If someone were to be planning to kill another one of the nobles they would’ve done so already. Besides there was nothing to gain for him by committing such an act, at least as far as she knew.

“A ship for the sea, made out of Dark Woods timber?” Iann thought the idea was intriguing, and rather glorious. He looked over when he saw his brother enter, and for some reason all he could think of wasn’t Savin’s words or the evidence piled up, or himself making that proposal. All he could think of was finding Danian Lovel, with Miguel. His brow furrowed, and he looked back at the Queen. “Perhaps once this is all over, we can set up a trade, my Queen.”

“Now that’s what I’d like t'see. Git another poor sod up there and have 'um killed by poisoned royal knickers. I don’t think anyone would blame me for laughing my ass off at that.” Ryden barked out a laugh that echoed across the hall, insulting in its volume.

Bella practically beamed at the idea, smile on her face pulling hard into her cheeks. To have an alliance, of sorts, with someone with a Kingdom as vast as the Prince’s would be equally as helpful in her fight against her family as the High Raj, and both would be even better. “Timber for a trip at sea, how lovely.”

Maya Obviously, discretion was not a value of House Balcaster. It was almost refreshing for Maya after all the intrigue and power playing of the last few days. “That is until it’s your knickers,” she replied with a hint of a smile. Especially in comparison to his, her voice was quiet.

Iann was thinking more timber for his own ships, but he let the Queen believe what she wanted. If he found the timber sea-worthy (and if it was indeed special) then he’d build her a ship as well, especially for her. “Lovely and valuable,” he said with a smile. The mysterious lord who giggled with the gleeful servant-lady didn’t bother him. He was a sailor after all - loudness and crassness were as normal to Iann as bread and fish.

Cassie entered the room where all the houses were gathering for the final verdicts that had been hanging over the castle the past few days. There was a tightness in the Grand Lady’s chest as she walked around the long table and found an empty seat next to Iann. He was speaking with the Deadwoods Queen again, he was clearly interested in something about her, or something she had. “Brother.” She greeted softly, “Condolences for your father.”

Bella had not meant to build her a ship. But the ride on his ship to return but since he didn’t voice as much she just looked with a gentle smirk at the Lord who had joined us, amusing if he was made High Raj. Unsuited as he was it would be humorous. However Queen Cassandra approached Prince Iann and spoke of Death, Bella’s eyes moving between them. “Your father has passed?”

“S'why ya don’t let anyone touch yer shit. I dress meself, I wash meself and I put me own hats on. Y'all southerners are lazy. A servant could spit in yer soup and ya would still eat it.”

Miguel didn’t say anything. He listened to his brother and his jaw tightened. So presumptuous.

Bella snorted at Ryden’s comments, mostly finding it amusing because to her he was still very much indulged by his position, as all were. “He says with his men atop expensive horses, and wearing fur,” Bella scolded of Ryden in defense of whoever he was trying to insist was not so self sufficient as he. Iann’s news was good though, subjectively, and Bella smiled to him. “Long live to King of the Forty Isles, no longer an empty throne.”

Iann inclined his head. “Thank you, Bellamy,” he said graciously, and refused to look over at his brother. Miguel didn’t deserve a second glance.

Maya gave him a crooked smile. “Now you will get yourself in trouble, I’m not a Southerner and I can take care of myself a sight better than you I’d bet.” Her attention turned to the other end of the table, overhearing the Grand Lady’s words to Lord or rather King Cardero. She noted it, although didn’t think it relevant to the investigation before them. “Long live the King,” she echoed raising her mug slightly.

Ryden slowly turned his head around to take a look at the Queen who had rudely interjected. He raised an eyebrow at her. “Well, ya try comin’ from where I came from on foot dressed in linen. Ya’ll feel very accomplished dead in the snow.”

Bella raised her brows that the servant did not acknowledge her defense of them, merely hearing what she said of Cardero. She was a Southerner for someone from so far North as the Balcaster’s were and it seemed silly to Bellamy to not at least be grateful for a betters defense. “It’s still an indulgence, and why is that something shameful, indulging is most of the enjoyment in life.”

Iann lifted his cup towards the servant-Lady’s words, but he didn’t drink just yet. “Longer than the High Raj, one hopes.”

“It’s shameful when ya put on a crown and it kills ya. S'what I think all this shit is.” Ryden waved at the Golden Throne, looking at it in disgust. “Indulgence, all of it. Y'all called it a necessity, to put up one man there. None of ya lot know of necessity and at least this one is admitting it proper.” He said it loud enough for everyone to hear, not that he spoke in a hushed tone before, waving his hand at the Queen of the Dead Woods dismissively.

Maya did not feel she had needed to be defended and certainly not from Ryden, who had already claimed them equals. And she had not seen Queen Bellamy’s words as a defense of her specifically either, merely a pointing out of hypocrisy. She therefore didn’t understand why the Queen seemed put out with her. It was better to be cautious though and so Maya did not say that she’d seen much shameful indulgence from lords and ladies across many lands. Nodding to Iann, she said, “I think we should all hope to live longer than the High Raj.” It seemed she didn’t have to say anything anyway as Ryden quickly declared the whole affair an indulgence.

“Idiot,” Bellamy surmised of him. “You know nothing of any of our purposes for being here, or what we know of necessity. Crass and childish to imagine yourself knowledgeable on anyone here.” His mood had changed so vastly in her direction and she wondered what it had been, the darkness in him, or a falsehood upon meeting because no men were around for him to show off to. “Keep indulging your ego with the necessity of your hard journey, no one else could possible imagine,” sarcasm thick in her words.

Iann sipped his mead then, letting the mysterious Lord bray to his heart’s content. His critique served no purpose and held no solution, it was merely some need to ensure that everyone in the room heard that he had decided he was better than everyone else here, save perhaps for the servant-lady. Iann had heard, he’d heard it all before, from all sorts of men from all types of ranking. He listened, between the Lord and the Queen. He gave a nod of acknowledgement to the servant-lady. “Indeed, child.”

“Oh I don’t care 'bout no one here. They ain’t my concern. You, on the other hand. You I know of. And your wolf king and what you two do in the dark of your woods, scheming and poisoning with yer dark magic. You are here to spread it further, that I am sure of.” Ryden pinned her with his silver gaze, his words dripping with hate.

The loud Lord was in luck at least - since no one here seemed to care about anyone else, so he was in good company in that respect. Iann stood up then, sensing something more could potentially happen that he didn’t want to be a part of. He took his mead, and headed over to stand next to his seated brother.

Faye had arrived later than most, not feeling all that well. But now she was here and found a seat near Maya. “Good day,” she said as she folded herself into the chair. “Have I missed anything?”

Bella stood from her chair, enraged by the lie, but with the weakness of her legs and her sudden movement she near fell, catching herself with her hands on the table. “You know nothing of who and what I am,” she announced. “Whatever vile lies you’ve had whispered in your ears you’ve been pathetic enough to believe.

Maya was perfectly content to let Ryden and Bellamy fight over which noble was more indulgent. But then the conversation took a sharp turn as he accused Bellamy of spending dark and poisonous magic further than their own words. She saw Iann move to sit next to his brother, even as her gaze snapped to Ryden. "I think you should explain yourself fully with an accusation like that,” she said. She nodded to Faye although was too distracted to reply.

Miguel crossed his arms and looked up at his brother. Then he looked away. There was no room left for acting, his mind was running on peanuts and little sleep. The headache from the night before was slowly growing in the back of his head. “Here to enjoy the theater?” he grumbled.

“That Lord proclaimed it a theatrical, and then made himself the starring role,” Iann said, smiling at Miguel’s grumble. Iann did not sit, he remained standing against the wall of the Chamber, where Miguel had taken his backseat. Always in the background, always watching. “Do you have any idea who he is? The wolf pin seems familiar, but so many people lay claim to knowing and being the only one to understand 'the real North’. I’ve lost track.”

Faye looked at the deadwood queen as she stood, and then across at the northern lord. She’d heard the words ‘dark magic’ as she’d entered, or so she thought. But still she said nothing, wishing only to do her duty and be left alone.

Miguel hummed. He didn’t recognize the young loud Lord. He seemed rugged. There were plenty of little rugged Lords in the North though. He sat up straighter and looked him over. “He looks more like mercenary than a Lord.”

Iann replied drily,“ They’re from the North. They all look like mercenaries. I think the Inquisitor is the only one with a sense of style.”

Ephram watched the dramatics go down, a mild look of distaste on his face; surely these other nobles would have the decorum or at the very least, the sense to not pitch fits in the meeting of the Quiver? But then again, half of these people who were present didn’t even seem to want to represent their Houses or lands, reluctant recluses and fake servants and terrified witches and the like. He grunted to himself and shifted closer to the Princes of the Isles. They, at least, had motives that made some sort of sense. “From what I can gather,” Ephram intruded on the Carderos’ conversation, “the less interested in anybody else you are, the truer North that makes you.”

“The wolf pin seems familiar, but so many people lay claim to knowing and being the only one to understand 'the real North’.“ 

“I’d be even more pathetic if I didn’t believe 'um and they killed me. Like they did, three of Balcaster lords before me, with slow poisons that drove them to madness then death. Strange enough that I come here and find the man to be appointed as High Raj killed the same way, only it didn’t take quite as long.” Ryden rose then, to loudly proclaim. “I have proof. I have been looking to display it to those who would investigate. Commotion of these events, that distract the capitol, had made it close to impossible.”

Ephram’s mouth twisted in aggravation, but he kept it out of his voice. Bloody arrogant Iann Cardero. “Pettaline,” he said tightly. “Lord of the Honeywilds. You know that, but since you’re in mourning perhaps it slipped your mind, Majesty.”

Miguel heart jumped into his throat as the Honeywild Lord sidled up to the island princes. “Good point, Lord Pettaline.” Even if he was caught in his own vortex of a mind, he had a duty to Ephram, to Cassie, to Adeline, and that meant he couldn’t withdraw as he wanted to. Not yet, maybe not ever. He started building his masks again, he needed them.

As the North Lord made his proclamation, Iann raised an eyebrow towards Miguel, then over at Lady Faye. Both of them had investigated the venom that killed the High Raj, after all. They were the experts on that mode of death. “Could this be true?” he asked Lady Faye. He waved aside the minor Lord Pettaline, more curious to hear these new accusations.“ A mild curiousity, since Iann had no involvement in the past week’s investigation.

Ephram shot Miguel a look of appreciation, but then was distracted by the wolf lord, or whatever he was, yowling even louder than before. "Proof of what?” he asked Ryden. “Are you talking about your own House, or the assassination of the High Raj?”

Maya glanced over at the gaggle of nobles seemingly more interested in watching the show than any sort of attempt at either peace or defending the Queen. And for just about the hundreth time she wished that the Red Priestess hadn’t revealed her true identity. If she hasn’t advisor to Lord Savin she probably wouldn’t feel any even crumb of responsibility for attempting to keep peace. “Well you seem to have an audience now, what is this evidence you claim to have?” she asked in an almost completely calm voice.

Faye looked up as the northern lord stood, claiming accusations towards… the deadwood queen? Faye glanced at Maya, wondering if this news was something the Inquisitor was aware of. “Has he spoken to Lord Savin of this?” She asked Maya softly. When she was questioned by the prince (having not heard of his new title yet) Faye swallowed. “Possibly, Your Grace.”

It was a show that the Lord both wanted, and then became himself. And truly, Iann could tell from the way the North Lord’s head was bent close to the servant-Lady while they giggled and mocked, that she was the only one he would listen to. If he listened at all. It made sense therefore, for her to address him. She was the only one the North Lord respected. "Well that is news,” Iann sipped his mead. “I thought the venom came from a snake of the Hathurana lands.”

“Venom can be transported by anyone, Your Grace. Even to the North.”

“I came to ask for justice for my house. If ya find sum connection, feel free to use it to yer advantage.” Ryden pulled a bundle from under his cloak, unpacking them. They contained empty vials of something that only had remnants of the liquid they were once full of. “Lord Godrick of Balcaster, who would be my grandfather if I were not born a bastard, had employed an adviser of supposedly great wisdom and magic, not long b'fore his passing. He’d sat at his brother’s side, who’d died of this same poison a mere year later. And then his son as well, the man who’d fathered me, the last of the line. These poisons were delivered to him by a messenger, who had been traced back to the Dead Woods. How this poison was made, I do not know. But I will leave it to be inspected, if ya have men capable enough to compare it to the one in the dead Raj’s blood.”

“That’s … not proof of anything. You make claims of truth before they’re proven so, Lord Balcaster.”

“The Wolf King’s woods’re cursed. None by his ilk come and go from it.” Ryden claimed, certain of this truth.

Maya could only shake her head and shrug at Lady Lacroy’s question,“ I do not know. But as you said the venom came from a snake of the High Raj’s own lands.” She turned her attention to Ryden as he began to speak again and pulled out some parcel. A few things came into clear focus when he mentioned being born a bastard. “Lord Pettaline is right. Either we must speak to this messenger or someone must verify that that poison could only come from the Dead Woods and that it is what killed your family.”

Faye looked at what Lord Ryden placed on the table. Listened to what he said. “What killed the Raj did so near instantaneously,” she said.

“Who is the alchemist you employed, who could shed light on how the poison works, if administered in certain ways?” Ryden asked, because it made sense to him that same poison could possibly used in many different ways, causing different effects depending on how it’s used.

Maya turned to Lady Lacroy and the younger Cardero as well, “I think that would be up to you if you wish to verify these claims. It appears we have some time before both the High Inquisitor and the Cloverry finish their deliberations.”

“My lord… the venom of this serpent will only harm if it enters into the blood. It could be swallowed whole and the person would likely only suffer stomach upset, if anything. That’s not to say there aren’t other ways to use such substances to achieve a slow death. You say they went mad as well?”

Ephram made an explosive sound of irritated dismissal, kicking away from the wall to fetch himself a tankard of mead. “Nonsense. You burst in making a lot of noise and fury, deriding the existence and purpose of the Quiver, and don’t even know that it was venom that killed the High Raj and not some common poison from the land of a self-proclaimed Queen.” He drank down half of his mead and refilled his tankard, gesturing with it at the bundle that Ryden had displayed. “Go home, Balcaster. Carry out your quarrel with the Dark Woods using your own resources. Surely you have men more capable than we can provide.”

Tuah watched the conversation that transpired, content to simply listen in instead of joining in the conversation. He had no intention to be uninvolved with whatever quarrels the nobles had between them, keeping an impassive mask each time he attended the gatherings. He did, however, want to know who was behind the murder of the High Raj, hence why his interest piqued when Lord Balcaster loudly proclaimed his accusation. Tuah watched as the empty vials were displayed in front of everyone, listening to the conversation around him. “There is no harm in testifying Lord Balcastar’s claim,” Tuah finally spoke up, his quiet voice still carried through the crowd without him needing to raise his voice, “what do we have to lose. As it has been pointed out, we still have time before the deliberation.”

“But also what interest would the Deadwood Queen - Or any of her people - have in killing so many northern lords?” Faye was merely asking impassively, trying to get a sense of why Lord Balcaster would make such accusations, other than the reputation of the deadwood. “But yes, I agree,” she said to Tuah. “We should hear what they both have to say.”

Miguel sat back in his seat, listening to the debacle before him. How would they ever get anything done. Nobles were worse than cats. Herding them was a labor fit for hell.

"The lords of my house were all treated with leeches before their passing. Blood lettin’ was part of the therapy our physicians had attempted.” The young lord sat back, leaving the vials on the table, disgusted to even touch them. “They were ravin’ and not makin’ sense as their condition worsened. It was both a fever and a madness.” His eyes narrowed at one of the lords who had immediately discarded any need to even consider what Ryden was saying. “And what is the purpose of this council and this High Raj that ya wanna appoint? To just sit in his golden chair and wear a crown upon 'is head? Ain’t the purpose of all this shit to keep peace, unite and solve problems we individually can’t solve ourselves?” He looked to the other lord, who had spoken reason and found no harm in investigating what Ryden had brought to this council’s table. He nodded gratefully at Tuah. “I do not know. An interrogation may lead to an answer.”

As terrible as this all sounded, Iann was glad in a way that this new information pulled Grand Lady Cassandra adown the Inquisitor’s suspect list. He doubted the Queen of the Dark Woods and the Queen of Summerset ever confided in each other, never mind met each other before the Coronation. If either of them were guilty of anything, of course. If anything, Iann felt slightly bad for Stefan Savin. Looked like his role as Inquisitor wasn’t over yet. And even moreso, now it was accusations coming directly from his people of his beloved Northlands. So much for staying autonomous and uninvolved. The North Lord had dragged Fane into this. Iann sipped his mead. He would explain the way the Quiver of Houses actually functioned to the North Lord - since the young man’s own impression was ill-informed and naive - but Iann didn’t want to waste his breath. The North Lord clearly had his own agenda and had little interest in much else. He’d already loudly stated exactly that, after all.

Miguel turned away from the dramatics and toward his brother. “That’s not Forty-Island mead, is it?” He asked it lightly, a slight grumble still in his voice.

Ephram met Ryden’s glare levelly. “I’ve been supporting the Quiver and the High Raj and peace in the Bluesprings for years, with whatever small power my position affords me,” he said. “I haven’t swanned in proclaiming it all to be shameful indulgence and claiming that none of my peers understands the meaning of necessity. Or declared that I don’t care about anybody else here. If your intention was to ask for justice for your House, Balcaster, then you could have gone about it like an adult with some upbringing.” Ephram dipped his chin, voice dropping to a low, disgusted glower. “Instead of slinging insults and then attempting to hitch your personal grievances to the assassination of the High Raj in order to give yourself some importance.”

Miguel held the bridge of his nose for a moment. Iann was so frustrating, but so predictable. “I like the Honeywild mead.” He grabbed Iann’s cup and sipped it. There was an interesting variety of flavors, and it was different from the last batch Miguel had tried.

Maya was reminded once again why she had sworn never to return to her birthright. This was not what she was good at. She took a long draft from her ale before turning to Annabella to ask for something stronger. Her gaze went around the room, trying to decide how best to keep a fight from breaking out. “Could we all just take a deep breath?” she asked, certain that by speaking she was painting a target on her own back as well. “Perhaps after a new High Raj has been selected and his killer caught there may be time for keeping peace, uniting and solving problems. At the very least we should allow Queen Bellamy to speak as to these accusations before a brawl breaks out.”

Ephram snorted at Maya’s comments. “A brawl is hardly what this is, and since you’ve no interest in taking responsibility for your own lands, I’ll thank you to stay out of a discussion between actual House representatives.”

“I’m headed back to the Forty Isles tonight,” he stated then, his gaze steely as he looked at Miguel. “Once this Quiver is concluded. My men are all ready and waiting to sail.” Iann glanced up at the Pettaline Lord. “My Lord, my Lord, your coat has no gold sewn into it yet. The Servant-Lady is here as the Inquisitor’s Advisor…is she not?” And since she was the only thing keeping the North Lord calm, Iann saw no reason to force her into her usual silence.

“As current advisor to the Inquisitor, she has as much - if not more - right than any of us to speak, Lord Pettaline.” Faye spoke neutrally, not wishing to stir any discontent.

Iann motioned at Lady Faye’s confirmation, amused that she was able to confirm this information. “There, we have it, Honeywild.”

Ephram’s eyebrows climbed his forehead as he slammed his tankard down on the table behind him. “If not more right to speak?” he repeated incredulously. “Well, then! I didn’t realize that there was a hierarchy to who sits at the Quiver table, and that being an appointed advisor conferred such hallowed status. No gold needed on her coat, eh, Cardero?”

“Did I stutter? Or perhaps I should speak slowly next time.”

Maya was surprised by Lord Pettaline’s vehemence. Her expression didn’t show it, but she turned to him and watched as he slammed his mug on the table. “I have already spoken to you about my duty to my people and whether or not you agree with me, do not think it doesn’t weigh on me every day,” she said in a carefully even tone, “But at least for now, I can only attempt to keep some semblance of peace in this room as is my duty to my lord.” She nodded in gratitude to both King Cardero and Lady Lacroy for their defense of her attempts to keep some measure of calmness amongst the accusations.

“Small power indeed, since yer Raj got killed despite any support ya could provide. Looks t'me that yer the one hitchin’, lookin’ t'strengthen wha'ever measly power ya got. Upbringin’, hah! And look at all the good it did to ya. Ya wouldn’t recognize justice if it slapped ya in the face.” Ryden turned to Maya then, pointing at the proof he had to share. “Then will ya bring this up to the inquisitor and have a demand put in for the Queen of the Dead Wood to be questioned about this?”

Bella was astounded that anything could be laid against her like this, she had done nothing to indicate she wanted the crowd but as no one seemed to defend her, and rather seemed to want to test whether or not this was true Bella felt a wash of discomfort across her. Only one ( ooc: maybe more and I’ve missed it ) man seemed capable of speaking to the possibility of her innocence and she didn’t even know him. “I do not use poisons, I do not use magic, and I have never been as far North as Lord Balcaster’s home is. I was attacked in the city and now rumours run wild about what happened, what I am, and to imagine that any created prior aren’t equally as ridiculous is childish. People out there assume I am death, and you get to accuse me of caring about your Kingdom? And the rest of you sit and consider the statement valid, I don’t want this Kingdom, it’s filled with awful people who offer nothing to the Kingdom but beg and cry for everything. All I wanted was the High Raj to know that these rumours are rumours,” she spoke, shaking her head. “I want to keep my Kingdom, I want to save those in the Kingdom I was cast out of for these same thoughts, and I don’t want men walking to find death in my woods because the wars here have brought them to suffering.” Bella was not strong enough to walk ut but she wished too.

Ephram stared around at the other nobles, colour slowly draining from his face. Finally he drew a deep breath and straightened, saying, “…I apologize, then, for misunderstanding the nature of the Quiver. I’d foolishly thought that as House representatives, we were all on equal standing here and able to parlay openly. Instead, I see that those beloved of the Inquisitor are afforded higher ranking.” He gave a stiff bow. “I’m a minor Lord with no gold sewn on my coat, as has been pointed out. I’ll leave the discussion to my betters.”

“I have no gold in my robes and i came a bastard, representing my house in shame rather than in honor, for they had no one else to send. As much as lord of the Honeywilds irks me, I would rather have us all speak at once then none speaking at all. Since I came 'ere, there’s been nothin’ but whispers and inconclusive statements, all open discussion avoided in favor of some secrecy that didn’t git any of us any closer to the real truth. I want to be listened to and others must be as well. I will even have the Queen of the Dead Woods speak, if she is so assured of her innocence. But can she claim the same of her King?”

“You haven’t misunderstood, Lord Honeywild. I have no gold, no family, nothing to speak of but my name. For what it’s worth. Perhaps it is simply my own misunderstanding, having been away for so long.”

“Fine,” Bella sat back down as he stated she be questioned. “I will happily answer the Inquisitor’s questions, or anyone’s questions.” Her eyes, golden and fulled, glared daggers at the Balcaster male. “It seems only some here have any sense, the rest will need things laid out for them. Like the fact my husband is a wolf, for all intents and purposes, he has the cravings of an animal. He wants to fuck and eat and sleep.”

Maya listened carefully as Queen Bellamy spoke, watching her for any signs of lying. She saw none. And really, there was no proof in Ryden’s claims. Although it would explain why the kingdom so closed off to outsiders for years had decided to come to the Coronation. This justice they claimed to seek must be enough of a draw. She addressed Lord Pettaline first, “I have not asked for any higher ranking, only tried to keep peace, sir.” She then turned to Ryden. “I understand how close this matter is to your heart, but you said earlier that you would stay for an encore. Perhaps once the matter of the High Raj and his assassination is settled we can have it all out as to what you believe Queen Bellamy or his King has done to your family.”

Iann listened to what the Queen had to say. She was a Queen - and as far as Iann was concerned, Queens should handle their own affairs, lest they look weak by being defended by others who had never met her before this Coronation. He couldn’t vouch for her, or vice versa. He pet Pettaline’s shoulder. “Now you’re learning,” he said quietly. He spoke a bit louder, “Well, it looks like the Inquisition has been reopened, in light of all this. Thank you, Lady Faye and to the Servant-lady for their valued contributions. High Inquisitor Savin will have to listen to the claims of both yourself and the Queen Bellamy, and proceed from there, Lord Balcaster.” And at the mention of this husband-King of the Dark Woods, Iann schooled his face first before responding. “That sounds like a life to be envied, then.”

Ephram shook Cardero’s hand off, too raw at the moment to maintain his usual grin-and-bear-it demeanor. “How kind of you to speak more slowly for my benefit, Lady Lacroy,” he said. “Perhaps you should inform the Un-Lost Lady of her own superior position, since she seems unaware of it.” He scowled at Maya. “Don’t call me sir, I already asked you. And there’s no need for you to self-appoint yourself peacekeeper. None of us are interested in causing war. I know you have a very poor view of nobles, but I assure you of that much.”

“Shut up, girl. You heard me tell you there was something dark in him and said to respect whatever he could say, yet you don’t seem to respect anyone who has actually been here, why on Earth are you even seated?” Bella said to Maya, over the validation this man was getting she had done anything to hid kin. “You know what you are and you know very well I didn’t do it, Lord Balcaster, don’t you imagine whatever created you would have far more awful designs on your family than a stranger thousands of kilometres from you would have? Why do you imagine I would care at all about you?”

Ephram nodded at Ryden in acknowledgement of the Lord’s stating his preference that the Quiver speak openly, much preferring that himself. “The Inquisitor has been much occupied of late with his investigations,” he said, less confrontationally now that Ryden had expressed a desire to talk. “It’s an inopportune time for you to present your case for investigation, is all.”

“What created him?” Iann asked. “What is he, exactly, other than the bastard Lord he’s already claimed to be?”

Tuah heaved a sigh when the tension grew once more, wishing that they could carry the conversation without it turning it into some kind of fiasco. He felt a pang of sympathy to the Advisor, though he couldn’t argue that this so-called conversation would lead to a brawl, so to speak. He decided to stay out of the argument once more, quietly listening to everyone saying their piece.

Bella watched as the man left with her own accusation laid against him. “Why would I answer you now?” she responded to Iann, feeling quite betrayed by everyone bar a Lord she didn’t even know. Iann might have felt as though a Queen should defend herself but he believed this as someone who had kin at his side and a Kingdom of power. “Whatever he says clearly holds a ridiculous level of weight for someone who has shown up like this.”

Maya took a deep breath. “No one else seemed particularly interested in the position when Ryden accused Queen Bellamy of his fellows’ murders.” She couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled out of her as Bellamy told her to shut up and learn her place. “Well, with that I think we can all be very well assured that Queen Bellamy cares not for anything outside of her own lands,” she replied, not technically answering the question. But even with everything else going on her true birthright had not gone unnoticed by most anyone else gathered. She smiled, “But I suppose you’re right. I rejected by supposed birthright long ago. I have neither right nor duty to the happenings in this room. I will keep my own council from now on.”

“He holds no weight with me. Whatever history your two factions have, I’m equally ignorant of both.” And just because Iann had known Bellamy for a couple more days than the Lord Balcaster, didn’t mean he would throw any political weight or judgement behind either party.

“I’m glad to hear it, Un-Lost Lady,” Ephram said, his voice falling back into its more natural rate and tone from the tenseness it had held. “I was somewhat bullish about the point, I admit, but you must understand how galling it is to think that diplomacy and treating between titled Houses should be dictated by someone who denies her own lands.”

Bella stood from her seat, weak as she was, dragging it next to the only person she felt had defended her, and replaced herself. A few days to a woman who had not spoken to anyone in years was a great deal and she had rather felt that even if he didn’t consider her a friend he understood her motives as she had shared them with him. Bella’s hand covered in jewels took that of the man who had offered a defense. “Thank you.”

Faye sat back as the conversation no longer included her answering any questions, and she wasn’t going to continue to argue or banter with anyone when it would do no good. She was reminded quite vividly of one of the reasons why she had stayed away for so long, other than the obvious. Everyone said they wanted peace, but all it took was the wrong word, the right insult, and they would be at each other’s throats. So Faye sat and watched with no small amount of quiet ire as the others quarreled. She wanted to leave. To pack her horse and go back to the marshes. But what would that say? Nothing good. So she stayed for now, hating more than ever the politics and the game in which they all found themselves.

Ephram noticed the Dark Woods Queen relocate herself next to him – he couldn’t miss it – but still he was surprised when she took his hand in hers. “Oh! Errr … not that I don’t want to be deserving of your thanks, Highness, but … why do I warrant them?”

Iann did like Bellamy though, so he added, “When it comes to the matter of a distant Lord, though, I’m sure you can’t possibly feel intimidated by his accusations. He demands attention but has paid little attention to anyone else here, barring of course the Advisor.” Which was certainly strategic to say the least. Getting the Advisor’s favour by disparaging everyone en masse - that oh-so valuable 'us against them’ mentality - would certainly lean this Advisor bias towards him with the Inquisitor. Iann watched Bellamy drag her chair, desperate to make a friend more than anything else. A friend, of all things. This poor little Queen.

Maya turned and only nodded to Lord Pettaline. It was clear to her that he had no respect or interest in listening to her, believing her derelict in her duty to her people with little knowledge of the situation. She was certain though that her people were better off without her. She noted Queen Bellamy dragging her chair to sit beside Lord Pettaline, but made no comment on it. Maya only hoped that Lord Savin would return soon and settle the matter, so that she could leave this place. Although leave for where she wasn’t yet certain.

The argument was growing pointless, and Tuah wanted nothing more than to retire to his chambers. It reminded him of the petty arguments that his own council had back at the High Peninsula, though at least their argument made sense to him since it involved his people. He watched idly as the Queen of the Dead Woods made her way towards Lord Pettaline, a sigh of relief escaped his lips as the petty argument had died down. “When can we expect the Lord Inquisitor, Advisor?” he turned his attention towards the woman in question.

“You were the only one to note that his accusations were without evidence aloud,” Bella smiled, since she assumed other’s must have at least thought as much but would not say so for whatever reason. “And you don’t even know me, which means you spoke for whatever reason was your own,” she smiled to him, jewels on her hands glimmering in the candle light. Iann spoke however and she lifted a jaw to him. “Actions made threatening when no one who knew better was willing to speak, only to sit silently while others decide I am deserving of interrogation. You know why I’m here, King Iann, and yet you sat back.”

Ephram was one of the few nobles who was honoured to be at Bluesprings Castle, even more so to be part of the Quiver. While politicking wasn’t anything he was keen at – King Iann was probably right to mock his efforts so openly – he took his position as the last Lord of his ruined House extremely seriously. And all the responsibility towards his people that came with it, although that seemed to mean very little to the people he found himself surrounded by, who viewed any discussion as being petty and tiresome and only suggested to shunt every new situation onto the Inquisitor. He was glad, however naively, to find that despite what Lady Lacroy and Maya seemed to imply, the Inquisitor himself didn’t actually want to place those close to him above everybody else. Or take on every task from investigating the assassination to the grievances of random Northern lords.

“I saw a Queen deigning to argue with a Lord, not an interrogation,” Iann said with a light shrug. “He’s in no position to threaten you with anything.”

Ephram smiled back automatically at the diminutive, outlands Queen in her ostentatious jewels and dark affectation. “It’s more to do with my not being familiar with proper secretive etiquette suitable for the Capital, I’m afraid,” he laughed lightly. “I’m more plain-spoken than I ought to be in a place like this. I get the feeling other people would rather say nothing and then complain of everybody talking in circles … but I suppose that’s what they enjoy.” He shrugged. “There wasn’t any need for such rampant accusation and claim of proof, especially when Balcaster had none. Only another problem to foist onto our long-suffering Inquisitor to solve.” Ephram shook his head, grimacing. “I don’t envy Lord Savin being the man everybody brings their troubles to.”

Maya wasn’t overly surprised to overhear Queen Bellamy only give credit to Lord Pettaline for pointing out the Ryden had little to back up his claims despite that Maya had said it as well. It seemed Maya herself was below the woman’s notice entirely. When addressed directly she turned to Tuah and replied, “I do not know unfortunately. Hopefully soon though and with the answer to who killed the High Raj. Then perhaps we can get to coronating the new High Raj and allowing them to help settle all these other matters.”

Tuah nodded, satisfied with his question answered. Though at the mention of other matters, Tuah couldn’t help but let his gaze lingered at the Queen of the Dead Woods. “I do not envy the Inquisitor nor the High Raj for having to settle such matters.” He shook his head, refraining himself from grimacing. Instead, he focused on what mattered to him. “What other things have you learnt from the Inquisitor about the killing of the High Raj, if I may ask.”

Bella shook her head at Iann, he could remain as calm as he liked, disinterested in it all but he was still here. “Perhaps you should return to your Kingdom rather than deign to be here in this one,” she suggested of him. “I think we all need to be a little plainer, this could have been finished off the very first night it happened,” she stated. “Or at least not gone on nearly so long. You should keep remaining plain-spoken, King Iann clearly has too much indifference breed or nurtured into him.” Bella did find the Inquisitor a good man, and if hse was questioned she doubt he’d fight it but she was over have more and more lies spread about her.

When she had a point, she had a point - and Iann definitely wanted to return to the Forty Isles. Perhaps he was being indifferent, but this wasn’t his rule as Inquisitor or High Raj. So he conceded to the Queen with a small bow.

Maya shrugged, “I’m sorry, I don’t know what all I’m at liberty to say other than whats already been said. It was venom from a snake of his lands delivered via the crown’s hidden mechanisms.”

Ephram held his tongue as the Dark Woods Queen directed a few barbs at King Iann, getting a vicarious satisfaction at seeing Cardero be diminished the way he jibed at Ephram. “Thank you, Highness. I was a little bit in my cups, to be honest, but it made my statements no less sincere.” On impulse, he raised Bella’s hand and pressed a kiss to her jewels. “It seems there’s to be some small delay before the important events of this day’s meeting, and I need fortification. Would you care to join me for some lunch?”

“In your cups?” Bella asked, leaning forward as she didn’t quite understand what it meant but she was still happy to have company. “Lunch sounds perfectly wonderful,” she agreed, using the grip he still had on her hand to stand and leave with him.

[eternityunicorn]

Elijah’s Eternity Part Ten

Author: eternityunicorn 

Genre: Romance/Fantasy/AU

Pairing: Elijah Mikaelson x OC

Warnings: Violence, Language, Smut (Smut marked +18)

Summary: Elijah Mikaelson didn’t know what to expect when he encountered the strange archer in the night, but he certainly didn’t think his whole world would be turned upside down by it. Yet, he quickly learns that she is more than what she seems, having come looking for an Original after a large spike in supernatural being populations started cropping up on Earth a thousand years ago. Now, he must help her decide if the supernatural community should stay on their home planet or leave it for good? A task that is made more complicated along the way, as his life is changed forever.

NOTE: OC is from my up and coming novel series. Other elements from said novel series also included. 

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The walk to the Art Institute of Chicago was frankly quick. It was just located a couple of blocks away from the penthouse, not a long walk at all. Elijah walked with Eternity by his side, her hand nestled in the crook of his arm with her other hand resting on his bicep. It reminded him of their time in Maine, just a couple nights before. 

They moved steadily toward their destination, while Elijah spoke of his few past adventure in the city. She smiled at his retelling, at the excitement he displayed whenever he would paint the imagery of the old landscape for her. She didn’t say much in reply, contented to simply listen to him speak.

His telling made the already short journey feel even shorter. It wasn’t long at all until they were climbing the steps of the Art Institute, recognizable by the green lions that stood guard on either side of the large stairway. Once inside, he took the lead in showing her around the place, having wanted to show her his favorite pieces and periods of art.

For a while, they simply wandered about, viewing this painting or that sculpture. He would tell her of his knowledge in each piece. Again, Eternity was content to let him tell her what he knew, seeming to absorb everything he said with high interest. She would comment here or there on what she had experienced in regards to the time periods each piece was from, but for the most part, she was just content to look and listen. 

One of the exhibits of the institute was that of old Viking swords and shields. Here, he stared at each piece with a certain fondness. A lot of the items locked behind the glass had been apart of his life long ago. They generally reminded him of a time long since past - of home. He began talking about the construction of the swords and shields in a step by step fashion, becoming more animated as he went. He remembered these things like they had happened yesterday and not a thousand years ago.

Then Elijah started speaking on the symbols etched into the metal. On one of the hilts was a worn etching of Loki, the Trickster God of Asgard. All he had to do was mention the figure’s name for a dark look to cross Eternity’s face. It was similar to the ones he had seen before upon her lovely features. 

She wasn’t looking at him, but at the sword he had mentioned. Her body was tense and it seemed like she was trying to light the old blade on fire with her stare. It didn’t light up, as he partially expected, which was good. It would be impossible to compel that many people into forgetting such a strange incident. Yet, he was concerned as to the cause of such a disturbed look. It didn’t settle well to see her upset.

“Eternity,” Elijah called to her, reaching to gently grab her arm.

The moment he touched her, she snapped out of it. She smiled shyly and laughed nervously at him. “Forgive me,” she whispered.

“Are you alright?”

“Aye. Just remembering...the past.”

With those words, Elijah was immediately more interested in her than the artifacts. “Explain.”

Eternity looked back at the sword with Loki on it, though this time her expression was light and animated, if not also a little sad. “Loki, along with all the figures of the old Norsemen’s religion, are real people,” she told him softly. “It is the same for some of the other mythologies too. Zeus, Hera, Hades. Anubis, Osiris, Isis. Odin, Thor...Loki. All of them are real.”

Elijah was taken aback by her words. So, there were gods amongst the immortals she spoke of. While he admitted he was surprised, it wasn’t as if he hadn’t expected to find out something of that nature from her. In fact, it made sense that some of the figures of human mythology would be real. But what puzzled him was why did the mention of Loki affect her so much? 

“Loki and I have history,” Eternity answered his thoughts. “He killed my grandmother, who was the Universal Queen before the duty fell to me. They hated each other and so, Loki acted as he always does: with malicious intent, slaying her before should even defend herself.”

“So, you seek revenge for this crime,” surmised Elijah. 

“No, not revenge,” she responded quickly. “I am a guardian. Revenge is not in my nature as a result. Though justice certainly needs to be fulfilled for his actions, but not with his death.”

Elijah didn’t understand. A man committed regicide and yet death wasn’t to be the automatic punishment for such a heinous crime? Maybe the laws were different for the immortals, he reasoned. Perhaps, they understood death was too swift a punishment and so, chose other methods to execute justice.

“You know, all those old Norsemen stories that you and your family grew up on were mostly complete fabrications,” smiled Eternity, changing the direction of their conversation. 

He allowed it, figuring it was best for now. So, he smirked playfully, “Is that right?”

“Aye, it is,” she nodded. “Odin, Loki, and Thor used to come here to Earth, to tell tales of their godhoods to the poor naive humans. Odin was especially full of himself when he spoke of how he created the universe and life itself to the humans. Of course, it never happened. Odin is not a creator god or any sort of god for that matter. He, like all immortals of light, are fallible creatures with only a higher calling of guardianship. Yet, he and many others, still like to think themselves gods toward those they deem lesser than; humanity being number one in that.”

“They sound delightful.”

“They are quite ridiculous. A little pathetic as well.”

Seeing how indignant she was becoming, Elijah observed, “You’re very impassioned by this distasteful attitude of your fellow immortals.”

With deadly seriousness, Eternity replied, “When they think themselves above others, you’re damned right I’m impassioned by their distasteful attitudes. Nobody is better than anyone else. No matter their station in the greater scheme of the universes.”

Elijah was impressed by the fierceness in her, in that moment. Her sapphire eyes were unyielding and intense with a noble sense of compassion for others, particularly in regard to those weaker. It was beautiful to see light in someone nonhuman like him. He had lived in darkness for so long, hoping to see light shine in on his world. Now, here she was doing just that with her value of others, of the innocent. His heart swelled for her and before he knew it, he was cupping her cheek and pulling her close. He kissed her passionately. 

Though a little surprised at first, she reciprocated eagerly, curling her hands up into his hair tenderly as she did. 

Elijah didn’t know how long they stood there wrapped up in each other, but by the time they parted, both of them were absolutely breathless. He took the opportunity to whisk them away to another area of the institute, holding her hand in his the whole way.

“You know, I’ve spent the past thousand years doing as I pleased,” he found himself telling her as they went. “Justice for the Mikaelson Family has always been based on self-preservation or selfish pursuits, including killing those that dare oppose us, humans included. Niklaus is the most ruthless of us, but we’ve all killed, maimed, tortured whenever it suited us. Even I’m not excluded from such...darkness.”

“I know,” Eternity said. “The darkness is powerful. It is easy to give into it, to let your darker nature prevail, especially when you have a brother who is a master of it; of fear, or control, of revenge. Live like that long enough and it’s difficult to live any other way, even if you wish it. But there is always light, even in you, Elijah - in Niklaus. If you can find it, then you can be different, better.”

“Maybe I just don’t believe that,” he smiled humorlessly.

“Perhaps it is simply something you have to discover on your own,” she countered, “but in the meantime, may I suggest you consider this: would I be here with you, if you were such a monster? If you are not capable of more?”

Elijah gazed at her profoundly, considering her words, but he didn’t reply. Instead, he turned back to the tour of the Art Institute, trying to turn their outing back to a happier tone.

Soon, they reached the Far East exhibit and Eternity was enthralled by the art there, as she gazed at some old Japanese artworks from the Feudal Era. Their previous talk had been abandoned for the time being.

“My family is from Japan,” Eternity informed him casually with a fond smile. “They lived in the region before the Great War. We’ve adapted many of the customs and whatnot from our ancestral home on Earth.”

Elijah looked surprised, “Really?”

“I also have a different cousin from the one I mentioned before,” she said, “whom still lives there. She runs a small shrine and tends to the wounded and sick mortals who wander into her forest. Though it’s technically illegal, she does also revive people from the dead, but usually only children. However, that should always be an exception to the rule.”

“I’ve been to Japan, years ago, and now that you mention it, I do recall hearing about a mystical shrine that performed miracles,” admitted Elijah, after some thought. “I thought it was utter nonsense, as many tales like those are. I suppose I shouldn’t have been so hasty in dismissing the stories.”

“Perhaps, it’s for the best that you did dismiss them,” Eternity replied. “Kaname wouldn’t take kindly to a vampire entering her woods. Not even one that meant no harm. Dark creatures are simply not allowed there.”

Elijah couldn’t take offense to that. It was true, he was a dark creature; a being created with dark magic. No doubt, her cousin had the same purpose in life as Eternity did; to protect others from the darkness. 

With that thought, he began to wonder why Eternity was with him? He was a being of darkness, and she was one of light. They shouldn’t be together. She shouldn’t want to be with him. Yes, they had an arrangement, a temporary partnership. But it was more than that. She had allowed more and in a short amount of time. Eternity was right by his side, as his lover - a companion. He didn’t understand it. Yet, he wanted nothing else than her by his side. He believed she felt the same way. 

“I’m with you because I like what I see in you,” Eternity told him, reading his thoughts again. “You are a complex man, to be sure. You are fiercely devoted to your family. You care about their well-beings over all others, a noble cause. Of course, you’ll commit whatever terrible sin you must to protect your family and that can lead to terrible deeds. But I can see that you are capable of love and compassion and forgiveness, qualities that are of light, qualities that I can appreciate, despite your flaws.”

Elijah gave a small smile, reaching out to touch her cheek tenderly in appreciation, before moving on.

From there, they explored other parts of the institute, their conversations resuming their lightness. Eventually, they reached the food court and decided to take a break from their wanderings. There were others around, families and couples alike, getting food or sitting about conversing. The voices echoed in the vaulted room, making each conversation blend in with the others.

Elijah bought lunch for them and they sat together, at the outside seating with big green umbrellas at every table, where it was much quieter. He had ordered a couple cold sandwiches and juices for them to enjoy; though in truth, Eternity enjoyed the food more than he. He wasn’t exactly fond of the low quality rubbish that the institute provided. 

“Human food is amazing,” Eternity hummed appreciatively. “Their cuisines are so much better than most of the immortal worlds.”

“Is that right?” He replied, amused by the way she vigorously scarfed down the subpar ham sandwich as any ordinary person might. “I would think that theirs would be the superior cuisine.”

She scrunched her nose at him, “No, it’s not. It’s because most immortal food is produced through magic. The magic makes any food created from it taste artificial, stale even. It’s not appetizing in the least, believe me.”

“Is that why you come here to this world? To have decent food?”

“One of the reasons, yes.”

He chuckled humorously. 

Before anything else could be said, the loud sound of gunshots rang out into to the air. The sound had alerted Eternity, especially when many screams accompanied the continuous sound of firing guns. Elijah was mildly curious about it, but he didn’t get involved with the affairs of humans. Human matters were of no concern to him, an Original. Though from what he knew, he could surmise that it was either a robbery going wrong or a crazed madman going on a rampage. 

“It’s coming from outside the institute,” Eternity informed him needlessly, getting up swiftly.

“So it is,” replied Elijah with slight disinterest.

She didn’t seem bothered by his reaction. In fact, she looked understanding of it. “Normally, I don’t get involved in human affairs either,” she said hurriedly, ‘but that’s mostly because I’m not around to be involved. I’d like to see what I can do to help. I simply cannot abide by any innocent getting hurt.”

Of course, she couldn’t. 

Elijah sighed, “Well, perhaps if we go to the roof, we can see what we can do without letting the entire city know about us. I do like to maintain a low profile.”

“Just what I was thinking. Shall we?”

“As my lady wishes.”

With vampire speed, Elijah got them up to the roof of the institute. They moved to a spot where they could observe whatever was going on down below without notice. From their vantage point, Elijah could see a dozen police surrounding their suspect who had a hostage in his grasp - a gun pointed to the young woman’s head. From the looks of things, it also looked like a couple of people were wonder, bleeding on the ground. The smell of human blood was strong. It was good that Eternity’s blood was still sustaining him or else he wouldn’t have been able to remain so composed. 

The scene was full of onlookers and rescue teams. There wasn’t any way from him to do anything with so many witnesses. It was lucky for the humans that they happened to had a goddess watching over them in Eternity.

She swiftly assessed the situation. “The gunman is being controlled,” she observed. “I sense weak human magic - a dark variety of it.”

“A witch.”

“Aye.”

“Well, what do you suppose we do?” He asked, finally becoming interested in the situation, but only because one from the supernatural community was involved.

Eternity smiled, “I got this.”

Instantly, her outfit shifted into the corset and leather legging ensemble she always wore when going into battle. In her hands, her yumi bow and a single arrow already notched there appeared. The arrow head glowed bright blue like her horn did when she was a unicorn. She took aim at the possessed madman and let the arrow fly. 

To Elijah’s surprise, the arrow wasn’t meant to wound the man, but instead landed at his feet. Immediately, the blue light waffled up into blue vapors that swirled around the human. The gunman ceased holding the gun at the woman in his grasp and he slowly released her in a hypnotized sort of way. Within moments, he swayed and then collapsed in a heap on the ground. 

“The spell has been broken,” Eternity informed Elijah. 

It seemed to be true. The gunman recovered from his fall and began looking around him in confused horror, wondering what was going on. Then the realization hit and the man panicked, screaming that he wasn’t responsible for the crime, just as the police were moving in to subdue him. He begged and pleaded, but it fell on deaf ears.

“He’s a pawn,” observed Eternity, as the gunman was being carried off into the awaiting police car. “The lover of a vampire is he, but he doesn’t know that his lover is of supernatural origin.”

“This vampire probably angered a witch and the witch sought revenge through the human,” supplied Elijah. “I wonder if he or she is a member of the local vampire clan.”

“You refer to the one we’re to meet.”

“Yes. That very one.”

Eternity’s outfit shifted back into the lovely lavender dress from before. Her bow vanished as she changed as well. “Now I’m even more intrigued to meet this clan.” 

Elijah held out his hand to her then, “Yes, so am I.”

She took his hand without hesitation. The two of them headed down off the roof. Their exploration of the institute was over. Though the tour of the city was still on the agenda. There were other places that Elijah knew she would find interesting. 

They spent the rest of the day, going around the city, with Elijah telling her of the history, of his own personal experiences there. He also took her to the shops around town, letting her explore the human world at close range. The people they passed all stopped to stare in awe of Eternity. Some were curious and others were wary. Children were the most amusing in their admiration. They would stop and look with wide eyes and excitement. It was as if they could see what she really was, despite her human visage. Maybe they could. Either way, it was fascinating to see.

Eventually, the evening set in and Elijah took Eternity to a high end Italian restaurant, where they were served the best wine and far better food than that of the Art Institute’s food court. They sat and talked about a variety of things, nothing of great importance. It was just light talk, the same as it had been since earlier in the day. There was nothing but enjoyment in each other’s company. 

Then just as they were leaving the restaurant, Elijah felt the hunger stir inside him for the first time since he had tasted Eternity’s blood. Outside, he told Eternity, “I must feed.”

Eternity nodded understandingly, taking Elijah by his hand and leading him away toward the back of the building. Once they were concealed in shadows, she turned to him and said, “Feed on me.”

He didn’t hesitate this time. He pulled Eternity to him, embracing her tightly in one arm, while the hand of the other reached up to trace the column of her neck tantalizingly. He could feel the blood coursing through her beneath his fingertips, it caused the excitement of the feed to course at a greater pace through his own body. 

Without waiting another moment, Elijah descended up Eternity. His mouth traced open mouth kisses to her skin, his tongue reaching out to taste the soft flesh. He felt her sigh and relax against him, just before he let his vampire teeth sink into her neck. 

She gasped and tensed, but only for a moment, relaxing against him again almost immediately. She clutched him to her, a hand cupping the back of his head tenderly, while he pulled the blood from her. She moaned deliciously, the sound driving him. As before, the taste of her was exquisite and it warmed him to that same higher degree, making him feel far stronger and  completely sated than any human could. 

When Elijah eventually pulled away and looked down at the woman in his arms, Eternity had that glazed, flushed look about her again, giving the impression of drunkenness. “That was amazing,” she sighed contently. 

He grinned down at her, “You seem to enjoy my feeding on you.”

“I do,” she replied without hesitation. She smiled widely, while still clinging to him. 

Elijah chuckled, keeping his arm securely around her to keep her from falling. She simply didn’t seem to be able to support herself. “Come on, Sweetheart, let’s get you home. We can rest there until it’s time to meet with my acquaintance.”

Eternity nodded. She let him guide her out of the shadows and back out into the open. Together, they headed home to wait for the midnight hour to strike and their meeting with the vampire clan to commence. Little did Elijah know, what adventure awaited them when they arrived there.