Andonyia [CLOSED]

YOU HAVE UNTIL FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 28TH 2012 TO GET YOUR POSTS UP BEFORE I TIME SKIP YOUR ARSES

Oh rude. =3=	5.6%	[ 1 ]
...	11.1%	[ 2 ]
ALL HAIL THE ALMIGHTY QUEEN NEY GODDESS CHERRY	33.3%	[ 6 ]
no.	16.7%	[ 3 ]
I leik cake.	33.3%	[ 6 ]
Total Votes:			[ 18 ]

[AnimeGirl4216]

Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire.


Ｅｌｅｎｉｅｌ Ｋａｉｒｉ Ｂａｉｎｗｅｎ
Ｇｕａｒｄ ｏｆ Ｗａｔｅｒ



But if it had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice is also great and would suffice.

Three months….Three long excruciating months of searching, panicking, worrying, and utter desperation and still what did she have to show for her searching? Nothing. Not a thing had been heard of her charge. The Myrmidons had been all but outraged at the disappearance of their young leader, but for even his guard not to know where he had gone was certainly disconcerting to everyone. The queen hadn’t let her hear the end of it… Still in all these months she’d had no time for herself, not once had she let herself disappear to feed and to be honest the hunger was starting to nag at her stomach. To be without proper nutrients for such a long time was not only unhealthy but extremely dangerous. She was putting not only herself but all the people of the male gender at risk.

She needed to feed but not until after she’d found her charge and properly strung him up by the flesh of his back, maybe the feeling of hooks digging into his back would finally give him the clue that he shouldn’t disappear as much as he did. It would at least soothe the bloodlust that had been brewing under the surface before she’d finally been able to find a proper source to feed from.

Coming to Aurarias had been a somewhat healthy distraction; the entire kingdom was here for the first of many weddings to come, though the groom was still currently missing in action… Poor Natasha was almost as worried as she was…though while the young Lycanthrope could go and run out her anger and frustration the older Succubus could only let herself sit and stew…. Perhaps this time Tasha would be able to find the Prince, she had clues as to where the young man had gone to, though from the look of the note he had all but disappeared. There was a strange pattern of princes’ disappearing. Just what was going on not many in the castle could really settle upon but perhaps the young men were merely feeling the horrible rush of nervousness in their upcoming nuptials. Marriage would not be the end but it was at least a means to an end.

Now if only she could find Prince Zayne to be able to knock some kind of sense into his ridiculous head maybe then she’d be able to get some well earn rest and…. Other things.

Curling up in her somewhat private room in the Diamonds’ castle she’d been lucky to be placed in with Natasha when rooms had been properly assigned to the guards, the young guard spent most of her time outside of the room, searching the woods for her charge so that left Eleniel mostly to her own devices, it was certainly better that way, she could lock herself in the bedroom and seclude herself from the rest of the population. Maybe not smart for her but much more safe for the rest of the subjects of the castle.

Last thing any of the castle folk needed to see was a rampaging Succubus roaming the halls.

Burrowing her face into her soft pillow for what felt like the twentieth time her brows furrowed in confusion as she felt her warm cocoon disappear.. Had she rolled off the bed? No, that was it… Now what the hell was going on? She was being poked? Reaching her hand up to bat away whatever had just poked her, there was only one person who would think about bothering her like that and he was still missing in…. Wait….

“…Za….”

But even as she started to open her eyes she screeched at the top of her lungs, sitting straight up in the bed as the icy water came splashing down upon her frame effectively soaking and all but freezing her as she sputtered, cursing violently before pushing her hair out of her face to stare into the smiling face of Prince Zane Spades. Damn him…Damn him to the deepest pit of hell…. Did he not know the ordeal he had put her through? And now he just expected to waltz into this bedroom, drop ice water on her and then have her answer him like she had seen him just yesterday? Snarling darkly she shot out of the bed, her wings unfurling as she grasped the front of his shirt as she shoved him roughly into the wall pinning him as her eyes blazed with anger.

“Who….The…HELL do you think you are waltzing in here like that? Do you understand the HELL it has been for me these last days……weeks…….MONTHS?! How dare you simply act as if nothing has happened and no time has gone by!” Her nails tightening on his shirt as she tore through the material of his shirt as her teeth ground in utter frustration, “If you think I’m just going to give you the information at the drop of a hat guess again. You are first and foremost going to tell me where the hell it is that you have been and just why exactly you were gone for so long. Next time you leave: LEAVE ME A DAMN NOTE!” Screaming in his face probably wasn’t the best thing for her to be doing at this point but she was seeing red…

There wasn’t going to be anything that could hold back her rage….Well…. Perhaps one thing…but that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon….

Or was it?

[Dark Overlord Windycakes]

↘forp e a c e ↘➾➾➾↺
Zayne ➾ Argus ➾ Spades
↘↘S C I O Nxxxxxxxxxxxxx

↺I’m here to finish what I started.

↘↘And when I land the killing blow, I may be slightly broken-hearted.
➾ ➾ ➾But you brought this upon yourself you’re your heinous deeds. Life is part of a cycle, yours is over; it’s time to bleed.





((ooc: ))


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Zayne kept the smile on his face, struggling not to laugh as Eleniel went on her violent rampage. To him, it was more amusing that serious, the way she screamed at him, paying no heed to her naked form. But, that was a succubus for you. It wasn’t until she shoved him against the wall, cracking the stone framework, that he noticed how weak she’d become. It was then that the smile fell from his face and he scrutinized her thoroughly. Her screaming was lost to him as he noticed how pallor her skin was and a couple blemishes here and there. Obvious signs of malnutrition in a succubus. He frowned and looked at her with concern. The woman had been beside herself with concern, so much so that she probably hadn’t fed since he’d left.

Chains of ice materialized from the air and bound her wrists and ankles, wrenching her back from him. ”Calm yourself. I apologize for disappearing. Admittedly, it wasn’t of my own volition. But, as you can see, I greatly benefitted from my foray. More importantly, why haven’t you been feeding? You could lose it and kill everyone in the palace!” A heavy sigh escaped his lips as the chains disappeared. The prince ran his fingers through his hair as he listened to the wind. She obviously was in no frame of mind to tell him what he needed to know. Nor did he have the time to reveal himself to his family for clues to where Kal was. For a long moment, Zayne sifted through the various sounds and voices the wind brought to his ears. He heard past the bustling castle, past the awakening town, deep into the wilderness.

"Better get going then..."

His brother’s voice. From that, he would be able to track him down and get him back in time for his wedding with very little difficulty. Now that he knew where to search, he turned to a more pressing matter. ”You need to feed.” Now it was his turn to pin her against the wall. His lips met hers with a fiery passion. Unsure of how he’d obtained the knowledge, he knew that she fed off of lust and passion, rather than the actual deed. So, he let all of his considerably increased desire run free, allowing her to draw off of it as she may. His mind was beginning to go hazy. He wasn’t sure if it was her powers, but he found himself becoming less and less attuned to his objective. Eleniel had his coat and shirt off before lucidity returned to him. He backed off swiftly, picking up his discarded clothes and shaking his head in an effort to clear the fog from his mind. ”I don’t have time to give you a proper meal, Eleniel. I need to find my brother. Tonight, after the reception, I’ll give you a proper explanation and dinner, you have my word. I’m sorry.” The prince donned his clothing and vaulted out of the window, shooting off towards the horizon at a blinding speed.

The farther he’d gotten from Eleniel, the more he was able to focus. Zayne must have flown for leagues before he was able to pinpoint his brother’s location. With a burst of speed, he broke through the treeline and alighted to the ground in front of his brother. How he had changed! Did he go through something as Zayne had? Both princes looked to be two years older than they actually were. He stood there for a long moment, looking over his brother. He looked like he was about to collapse! ”How you’ve grown brother… You didn’t do anything you might regret did you?” It was a half-joke. The light laugh at the end of his question did little to distract from the obvious concern that was on his face.

So he quickly changed the subject.

”So what it my favorite brother doing out in the middle of nowhere, at least half a day from the wedding chapel that he’s due to be at in four hours? Seems like an impossible distance to travel in such a short time, no?” He smiled and lifted himself off the ground. ”Don’t worry, I plan to explain my disappearance to everyone. But I only plan to explain it once, so it’ll have to wait until after you get hitched. And when are you going to ask me to be your best man?” He offered his brother his hand. ”But that can wait. We need to get you back. Flying truly is the best way to travel. And I’m fairly certain that I have more than enough strength to lug your a** back to the castle.”




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Location – Wilderness
Company – Kal
Mood – Concerned

[Klarp Glornharm]

Her Highness, Rea Vent Diamonds
Princess of Air

The gods had not been so cruel as some may have thought to Rea. During her time in Rutrum, after the revelation, and after her conversation with the blood-soaked Kal, she had been approached subtly by many, asked how she felt. Afraid, she'd realized when she'd been alone. Afraid of the man when not clouded by his emotions. And yet, it was hard to find that original fear, alone or otherwise, after having talked with him. Having felt his emotions, his burden, Rea had managed to take a step into understanding him, at least somewhat. That had lowered her fear of him.

Still, it wasn't like she was nearly so excited as the rest of the castle seemed willing to act. There was no real attraction to the man, and while they had spoken more, she couldn't say that there was more to her own feelings for him than the concern that she felt for most anyone. The difference was that she could affect him in a more direct manner, and she would try, but... The time to think about such things had long since passed, though, with her being woken early, tugged about this way and that for opinions on things, measurements for last minute changes to the dress... So much was happening, and so many people were around her, that the day was dragging her about in a daze, the last few had been similar, and Rea couldn't be sure of her own feelings. Just the bundles that intruded into what should be her fortress of solitude. What was to everyone else.

Still, Rea didn't wear a face of annoyance, of excitement, of anything in particular. As always, her face was calm, her answers spoken softly, to find some peace in the chaos, and she even managed a smile, one that didn't show any specific happiness, but matched her eyes. Calm, easily weathering the chaos of the wedding. It was only now that she slipped away, given time to herself, in anticipation of the prince's return, so that he wouldn't "see her before the wedding." Doubt was there that he'd show, but the only annoyance was at appearances. A strong union, a show that her family and his family were both strong, that they feared no rebels or terrorists. If he was late, the image would be damaged. If he didn't show...

Well, then the image would be broken.

But then, what does he really care about images? I hope he understands the importance of them to the people. Especially now, with the ones who tried to kill us out there, probably ready to jump on any sign of weakness... It was what had driven her to go out when they'd spoken in Rutrum. It was what stopped her from making any complaints at being married to someone like him. She frowned at her hands, feeling the disappointment that hadn't quite reached her before at that idea. No, he wasn't some horror, and yes he had problems. But the youth had returned home literally covered in blood without a single person seeming ready to ask him. And he'd wanted more. That wasn't all of who he was, she knew that, she could feel it better than most.

Rea laid down on her bed, calmly forcing herself not to think. Two hours and she'd be visited by the maids, ready to put her in the dress. I wish they weren't all so busy. It would be nice to have someone to distract me right now.

[Asyndeton Narrative]

xxxxxThe fifth born prince had been walking for about a half hour when he found he needed to stop. The pain that shot through his arm whenever he moved it was rather unsettling, especially when he reached for the hilt of his blade on instinct whenever he heard sounds that could indicate someone approaching him. It was such an intense pain it nearly blinded him for a moment. With a groan in protest, Kalais had lowered his frame so he was sitting on the grass once more, leaning back into a tree. He'd then proceeded to carefully unwrap the bandage around his arm. He paused halfway through this task when he heard shifting branches. Kal had immediately risen back to his feet, though he'd had to support himself with his left hand on the tree trunk in order to do so without falling over.

xxxxxUnexpectedly he found himself looking at a familiar, yet disturbingly different face. His eyes widened in mild surprise as they took in his brothers frame. He found himself leaning back into the tree, nearly read to slide back to the ground. ******** he was tired.... and Zayne looked like he was older. As if he'd aged just about as much as Kalais had himself. The air about him was also different... and then there was the fact that he was certain Zayne had just flew. What the hell had the younger prince been up to in these three months? "How you’ve grown brother… You didn’t do anything you might regret did you?” Kalais let out a short back of laughter, even as he allowed himself to slide back into a sitting position. "I'll let you know when I figure that out," he responded, before he absently went back to unwrapping the bandage around his right arm, that wound it's way from wrist all the way up over his elbow and half way to his shoulder. "So what it my favorite brother doing out in the middle of nowhere, at least half a day from the wedding chapel that he’s due to be at in four hours? Seems like an impossible distance to travel in such a short time, no?” His eyes moved back to his brother, and he found another bark of laughter escaped his lips, finding himself recalling his last encounter with his soon to be wife. He certainly was lucky it was by the joke, and not by the minute. He certainly wasn't going to live for 480 some years.


xX Flashback Xx


xxxxxHe carefully pushed the unlatched window open, before pulling his frame inside and glancing about in the dark bedroom. He'd done this quite a few times before, and had the room completely memorized by this point. Looking in from outside the window he had been fairly certain no one else was in the room, and he confirmed this as his gaze slide over the space. Once he was sure no one else was there, his eyes turned to the bed. There was no figure under the covers, which did not surprise him. Instead she was sitting on the bed, knitting needles in hand. It was strange, but after the first few times he'd caught her asleep, she'd started to predict when he would visit her. He almost always found her sitting on her bed as she was now, busying her hands in one way or another as she waited for him to make his appearance. Sometimes she wouldn't even verbally acknowledge his presence, and would barely look up at him to signal she knew he was there. Not that he minded. These particular sort of visits were usually short, and he'd be gone again within a half hour.

xxxxxThis time seemed to garner a different reaction. Rather than the calm expression, she wore a near glare, disapproving eyes fixed on him. It was hard to pick out these emotions from her face, as she showed very little, but after awhile he'd started to grow a little familiar with her mannerisms. She was definitely unhappy with him for something.... and he had a pretty good guess as to what. "If you are even one minute late, I will personally make sure you suffer for a year." Her voice was soft as ever, but had a stern edge that was usually absent. He found a chuckle escaped his lips as he regarded her. "Is that a year of suffering regardless of how late I am, or a year of suffering for every minute I keep you waiting?" he asked half jokingly, not willing to leave quite yet. He definitely was not looking forward to what he had to do. "Two years," he barely caught it, but as soon as his mind registered to two words, he found himself caught in a short fit of laughter. "So my punishment is left to your merciful sense of humour." And as if to confirm his statement, he was promptly told it was now Three years. He shook his head in an effort not to laugh again, before his face fell into a serious line.

xxxxx"Princess.... I recall you mentioning our union meaning you would help me carry whatever burden I have." He turned his eyes away from her, licking his lips a little nervously. He wasn't nervous because of her, or what he was saying, but because of what he was going to try and accomplish when he did leave. "I think I'll need the support you've offered more than ever when I do return, so I can rid myself of a particular burden." He clearly wasn't about to tell her about this burden. "It's ill timed... but I have to go now. Please believe it's in everyone's best interest.... and I suppose I will attempt not to leave you standing at the altar." As he said the last bit his frame was turning back towards the window, though he kept his eyes on her face. he couldn't afford to delay much longer if he was going to make it back in time."Goodnight Rea."


Xx End xX


xxxxx"Don’t worry, I plan to explain my disappearance to everyone. But I only plan to explain it once, so it’ll have to wait until after you get hitched. And when are you going to ask me to be your best man?” The words snapped him back from the memory, and he found himself frowning at his brother's hand which was being offered to him. "Since you were missing I was going to shove that duty on Arci or something." He sighed, and quickly re-wrapped the half removed bandages around his arm. "I suppose it is kind of mandatory for me to be there as well... and I reckon I'm too tired to care about being lugged back." He raised his right hand accept his brothers offer, but winced at the pain that shot through his arm. Letting it fall back to his side, he quickly switched to the left hand, even if that was a bit awkward. "Though I'll admit I'm a bit iffy on the flying part..." this part was half mumbled as he pulled himself to his feet using his brother as support. Damn he felt rather pathetic at the moment, not even able to stand on his own strength.


▂▃▅▆ ░▒▓ █ Location::Between Aurarias and Oryn █ With::Zayne █ Curently::talking █ Feeling::tired, stiff, sore, dirty, releived
▂▃▅▆ ░▒▓ █ O. O. C. ::bloop

[Dark Overlord Windycakes]

↘forp e a c e ↘➾➾➾↺
Zayne ➾ Argus ➾ Spades
↘↘S C I O Nxxxxxxxxxxxxx

↺I’m here to finish what I started.

↘↘And when I land the killing blow, I may be slightly broken-hearted.
➾ ➾ ➾But you brought this upon yourself you’re your heinous deeds. Life is part of a cycle, yours is over; it’s time to bleed.





((ooc: ))


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Before they commenced takeoff, Zayne needed to address the state that Kal’s body was in. His brother looked like he was about to drop and that simply didn’t do at all. Swatting his brother’s hand away, Zayne placed his palm against his brother’s forehead. His hand was enveloped in a pale blue light that slowly seeped into Kal’s skin. Zayne had given him as much energy as he thought his body could handle. It would serve to ease his soreness and help repair is injuries, as well as give him the ability to make it through the ceremony. It was an infinitesimally small portion of his power, but he was relatively certain it would get the job done. ”There. That should do it. Now, let’s get you to your wedding.” He picked up his brother and threw him over his shoulder. ”You’ve lost weight. No matter.” Before Kal could have a change of heart and try to jump down, Zayne leapt high into the air and darted off back towards the palace.


They landed lightly in the courtyard of Aurarias Palace. Zayne set his brother on the ground and cleared his throat. ”I hope my acrobatics didn’t make you too sick. I was riding the air currents, you see. I didn’t want anything getting in my way.” A flock of the Spades’ servants rushed towards the two princes, all surprised and elated to see Zayne alive, in one piece, and older.

”Prince Zayne! You’ve returned! How did you grow so quickly?”

”Milord, ya ‘ad us ‘orried ta death.”

”Your mother has been up nights with worry, Lord Zayne.”

With a smile, Zayne raised his hand to silence them. ”Now, now. Enough of that. How about you get the groom ready for his big day? Today belongs to him and his blushing bride; I’ll not take the limelight.” He clasped his brother’s good shoulder and smiled. ”I’ll be visiting mother. Try not relax.” With a chivalrous nod to the maids, he took his leave of the group and set off to find his mother.

As he made his way through the corridors, he constantly had to ask guards or servants for directions to his mother’s quarters. The palace was so confusing. While he’d been there before, for banquets and the like, he really didn’t get the whole layout down. He was operating on what he knew about castle architecture to make his way to his destination. Being in the general vicinity of Eleniel made that somewhat more difficult. Apparently all he’d succeeded in doing earlier was make her even more volatile. Being as attuned to magic as he was now, her energy was almost overwhelming. She had to know he was there too. He was surprised that she didn’t just compel him back to her room to finish what he’d started. Yet another mistake he had to take responsibility for.

When he finally made it to the door to his mother’s chambers, he stopped as he placed his hand on the wood. He couldn’t guess how she would react. If she was angry with him, however, that was well within her rights. He went over every situation he could think of in his head. As he began to get bogged down in his thoughts and lose his nerve, he shook his head in an effort to shake away the doubts. Biting the bullet, he pushed the door, opening it sharply. ”Mother. I’m back.”





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Location – Aurarias
Company – His Mother and Queen Dianah
Mood – Nervous

[The Original Ravyn Raver]

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••x♠xᴀᴚᴄᵻx♠x••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

xxxxxxxxxA jester of sorts, you stand holding your courts over minions of Capital Hill.
xxxxxxxxxIn a bath full of blood I'm alone, standing still.
xxxxxxxxxUnder God, you can fire at will.

And when the devil's angels come to take your life and lead you to the flames beneath,xxxxxxxxx
Your headstone reads, “Here lies the dead who was hung by his head beneath us.xxxxxxxxx
They're laying in their graves. Damnation free for all!”xxxxxxxxx

Arcadius Gabriel Spades. The eldest of the Spades legacy, and regarded as one of the greater military geniuses to come from his father's lineage. Arci was aware of the high expectations brought on by his status, but somehow, in this moment, he didn't care. The plains surrounding him passed in a blur, his black and white clydesdale's muscles flexing under his legs as they galloped towards Aurarias. He had been in a small village, called Roaadale, near the Roaa River on a diplomatic mission. They had a variety of ores that the kingdom could use to build weapons, and he had been hoping to establish a regular trade route with them. His attempts were fairly successful, and would have been even more so if he had been given enough time to continue the effort. A messenger had brought him a note from his second youngest brother, Kalais, requesting his presence at the Diamonds' Castle in Aurarias a week into his stay. The letter stated that he was getting married to Rea Diamonds in two weeks time from the post mark, on April 4th. Presently, Arci was on his way to the Diamonds' Castle.

His horse, Caspar, pounded down the road, snorting wildly in his pleasure at the cool air rushing through his mane. Arci smiled at the beast, enjoying the same cool air brush across his barren chest, his cape flapping behind him. He still had a fair way to travel before reaching the castle, but off in the distance he could just begin to make out the speck that was Aurarias. He knew that somewhere in that speck was his betrothed, Princess Libyanna. He had yet to spend a lot of time with her, but he knew he would have to marry her for the good of the kingdom.

Caspar pushed harder into his bridle, so Arci gave him the reins so he could go faster. Arriving more rapidly isn't a bad thing. Losing his thoughts to the fresh air and sunshine, he continued his ride onward.

((Small time skip, about an hour))

Arriving at the castle's gates, Arci encountered two guards. "My name is Arcadius Spades. I'm here in lieu of the marriage between my brother, Kalais, and Princess Rea." The guard nodded, taking hold of the reins as Arci dismounted. Arci grabbed his saddlebags, nodding at the man. "Please have the stable hands feed and brush Caspar, as well as remove his tack and clean it." The guard nodded once more, uttering a promise to assure Arci that his horse would be taken care of.

Slinging the saddlebags over his shoulders, he strode into the grounds. Approaching the nearest maid, he smiled to get her attention. "Hello, I'm Arcadius Spades. Could you lead me to Princess Libyanna?" Taking the maid's hand, he kissed her knuckles, bowing slightly. She blushed at him before stammering out a small sentence. "Of course, sir." Letting her hand drop back to her side, Arci followed her through the bustling castle down a side corridor. The doors along the walls were almost all closed, but a glance into the few that weren't revealed that these were all bedrooms. The maid stopped in front of a door, curtsying politely. "Here we are sir." Arci smiled and thanked her, waiting for her to continue back from whence she came before knocking loudly on the door.

//OutOfCoffee... Yay! First post for Arci... And sorry about poor quality... being kicked by a mad child.xx

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••x♠xIII♠IIIx♠x••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

xxxxxxxxxDead beat, six feet, dead underground.xxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxAn eye for an eye only leaves us all blind.xxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxGoing once, twice, and there goes your life!xxxxxxxxx

[OkamiBxtch]

Got a secret
Can you keep it?
Swear this one you'll save
Better lock it, in your pocket
Taking this one to the grave

XXXX Xanniah Ephiphany Spades



"How do you keep your girls from running off for months on end..." Xanniah asked quietly as her head rested against the glass window. It was rather early in the morning. The garden was cloaked in the beautiful glow of the sunrise and Xanniah would have appreciated it more but her mind was elsewhere. "....I talk to them......I don't confine them...." The older woman answered. Xanniah remained quiet as she cradled a glass of hard liquor. She wasn't sure what it was but it was strong, just what she need. How she managed to endure these three months without a drop of alcohol was amazing. but she was breaking. Xanniah just wanted to drink herself into a stupor. Perhaps this was all her fault. Maybe she drove her husband away and that is why he hadn't returned yet. But still managed to keep in contact with everyone but her. Maybe she had unintentionally restricted her sons, or not payed enough attention to them. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes but she refused to let them fall.

Xanniah drowned the glass of liquor in one go, trying to get her mind off the sadness that has been the past three months. "Don't you think it's a bit too early to be drink?" Dianah questioned as she watched the dark haired queen reach for another bottle of liquor. Xanniah snorted as she poured herself another glass. "We're trying to plan a wedding for a son who isn't even here" She replied as she guzzled down another glass not caring that she let out the little secret that Kalais wasn't here. "I think it's a very appropriate time to be drinking.... considering our situation. This is good stuff by the way" Xanniah lifted up the bottle, two glasses and she was already buzzed. Very good stuff indeed.

Xanniah continued to drown her sorrows in alcohol and confined in the queen of diamonds for the next two hours. She obviously acting very un... queen like, more so than usual. And it was obvious that Dianah was very uncomfortable with her behavior, even so Dianah continued to comfort the fellow mother. "Six... SIX sons I gave birth to and raised.... a-and I get treated like this... Like some high class concubine with no feelings" Xanniah slurred and she began to rant. "My husband doesn't even want to talk to me. No letters, No message in the bottle, Nothing. He rather talk to anybody but ******** a*****e." She continued on taking a sip of her tea, Dianah had long since removed an alcohol front he room not wanting the queen to get anymore intoxicated than she was already. Dianah simply nodded and pour the younger woman another cup of tea to sober her up bit. "A-and you know something? I gave birth to a bunch of arrogant bastards... They take after their father you know..."

It was rather comical to watch the queen in such a drunken state, she was an exaggeration of herself. She was practically fearless and didn't care what came out of her mouth. She about to continue her rant after taking another sip of her tea when she heard someone come into the room. ”Mother. I’m back.” She turned around to see a white haired young man who looked strangely like her son Zayne but... older. Xanniah, completely missing the fact that the young man called her mother, pushed the thought to the back of her mind, she need to deal with this unknown intruder first. "Who... do you think you are coming into my room like that... do you know who I am?!... I am the Queen b***h in this place... but so is she... but this is her house so she's the queen b***h above me... but that doesn't mat-" Xanniah stopped her ranting abrutly before getting up from her seat and taking a closer look at the young man. "You really do look like my son.. except he's my little baby boy.... And I miss him so much..." Xanniah said her voice breaking up as the tears she's been holding back for the past months finally escaped. She held the young man close as she cried into his chest mumbling something about her youngest sons and killing them when she finally sees them.

If I show you then I know you
Won't tell what I said
Cause two can keep a secret
If one of them is dead…

((I don't even know. I can't convey her feeeelz properly sorry for the crap post))

[Dark Overlord Windycakes]

↘forp e a c e ↘➾➾➾↺
Zayne ➾ Argus ➾ Spades
↘↘S C I O Nxxxxxxxxxxxxx

↺I’m here to finish what I started.

↘↘And when I land the killing blow, I may be slightly broken-hearted.
➾ ➾ ➾But you brought this upon yourself you’re your heinous deeds. Life is part of a cycle, yours is over; it’s time to bleed.





((ooc: ))


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Pure, unbridled rage welled up in Zayne’s chest. A few hours from her son’s wedding, and she was drunk? How stupid could she be? The Scion’s eyes began to glow a bright crimson as the Wrath began to grow. The Wrath, a state in which servants of the gods enter when they’re about to rain down righteous judgment upon the mortal plane. The Wrath, a force with the strength to level mountains and raise the oceans. Its power had only been mentioned in whispers of legends of the old days, when the gods walked among man. All of Boreas’s fury was at his fingertips and all he had to do was release it. Then he was brought out of his rage from a strange sensation on his chest. It was warm and moist and, as he looked down, he saw his mother crying into his chest, bemoaning her missing children. Compassion won out over his rage, giving him the strength to suppress the power welling up inside him.

”Mother…”

Despite his control, his voice came out as a throaty growl. Slowly, carefully, the young man wrapped his mother in an embrace. The Wrath was suppressed but had to be sated before it would cease to plague him. Right now, he could just as easily snap her in two as he could hug her. He held his hysterical mother for a long moment before moving his hands to her shoulders and pulling her away from him. His fingertips touched her forehead, filling her mind with images of his time in the domain of Boreas; Zayne’s domain. The images would flash before her eyes like a sideshow, granting her insight and understanding through her drunkenness of her son’s time missing. How he grew, how he trained, how he came to his new station without actually telling her what his new station was. Soon, the images would fade, most likely leaving his mother speechless.

So, prince Zayne repeated himself. ”Mother… I’m back.” Again, the Wrath affected his voice, that same, intimidating growl passing through his lips. He forced a smile that looked ever so out of place coupled with the intensity of his eyes, with every muscle poised to strike. To kill. To destroy. Restraint was proving to be far more difficult than flying off and leveling something. It was apparent that this state wasn’t going to fade anytime soon, so he’d have to suffer through it. ”Furthermore, I left Kal with an army of maids to get him ready for the wedding. Everything is now in place.” Zayne cleared his throat and sighed. ”Everything but your sobriety…

His eyes fell upon Queen Dianah, who has remained silent as the scene played on before her. ”And my apologies to you, my lady, if any harm befell your daughter in my rather… violent exit.” Even as he spoke in a relatively calm tone, his Wrath continued to build to an overwhelming state. It took nearly everything he had to quell it. Why was there nothing in Boreas’s memories that would tell him how to control it. Then it hit him, something that Boreas had said regarding his indecisiveness (as the North Wind called it) when it came to combat. He was taken back to his very first lesson with him, the words coming to his mind as if on cue.

Rage is a weapon, just like any other. However, contrary to what you mortals think, it is very controllable. You’ve always shown restraint in denying your rage, Zayne. Now, you must immerse yourself in it, let it grow, run free. If you can master that, you will be even more of a terror to fight than I.

Now, with the Wrath threatening to destroy him, Boreas’s words rang true for the first time. Right now, he could be described as standing on the edge of a cliff with two choices. Either he’s forced off or he embraces what lies below willingly and with no reservations. Zayne chose the latter. The Scion let the Wrath overtake him, to fill his very essence with its strength. Raw, unbridled energy flowed through him, barely contained by his mortal shell. The pain was immense, but his face remained stoic as the change occurred. After all, his training with Boreas had subjected him to far worse. Just as the power of the Wrath rose to a fever pitch and threatened to tear him apart, there was order in the chaos. The raging energies that threatened to swallow him up suddenly calmed, forming into a second well of energy that he could call upon.

All of this took place over the span of a few minutes, during which he had unconsciously embraced his mother in an effort to console her. She was still crying and for good reason. He and his brother must have caused her so much anguish by disappearing. But it was more than that, Zayne could sense it. His father must not have returned. It was also very likely that he had not made any attempt to contact her when he’d made every effort to stay in touch with Arcadius and Zayne. That made him far more angry than his mother’s improper drunkenness. This time, however, the Wrath stayed perfectly controlled, though he could feel the well containing it quiver in response to his rage.

”Mother, if you wish it, I’ll devote every ounce of my energy and all of my new, considerable resources to track down my father and force him to return. There is no excuse for such an extended absence. It’s been nearly a year and I assume that he’s made no effort whatsoever to contact you. It’s your choice, mother. Just say the word.” Zayne really didn’t want his father to be the first target of his new powers and army, but his mother was in pain. If he had to send every last Legionnaire in the Realm of Ice after the king, he would if it would alleviate her anguish. He would sift through every last whisper carried by the wind to find his father if it meant his mother wouldn’t be so sad. His mother had seen the sheer force of Boreas’s army in his visions. She would know that with them searching for the king, it wouldn’t be long before they found him and dragged him back to her. Or, at the very least, take the time to send her a letter.

As angry as he was, Zayne worried at the same time. This was very unlike his father, no matter how distant the two of them were. The Myrmidons, for the most part, only contributed when they saw fit. They were more of a state-sanctioned Warrior’s Guild than anything else. The only reason Zayne had been inducted is because his father wished to gain some control over their ranks. Unfortunately, Zayne had been a bad candidate as he sympathized with their ideals. Direct orders from his father could, and often were, ignored. He wouldn’t dare disown him. He’d have to kill him if he did that. Disowning their leader would have made the Myrmidons turn their backs against the Spades Kingdom and the king didn’t want them in the hands of their enemies. In short, Zayne and his father never saw eye-to-eye. The only reason he received any correspondence from him was because he was a general and his father was more interested in how the military was faring instead of his family.

”I’m deeply sorry for being gone for so long. There’s something very important I need to find….. and I still haven’t found it.” The last part of the statement nearly caught in his throat when he realized that he and his father were more alike than he originally thought. Zayne had placed his own agenda over his family. Had he not needed to go in for supplies, he could have very well missed his own brother’s wedding too. The realization stung as his anger towards is father was suddenly turned towards himself. But, his own habits were something he could change far more easily than his father’s. And, in these trying times, the families of both kingdoms would need all of his support and attention.





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Location – Aurarias
Company – His Mother and Queen Dianah
Mood – Calm

[OkamiBxtch]

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Ophelia awoke to the sounds of someone knocking quiet loudly on the wooden door. The pyro slowly opened her eyes once she figured the person knocking wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Ophelia sighed as she looked to her side to the other sleeping body next to her. Her sister Libyana was sleeping quiet peacefully despite the loud knocking that occurred just a few moments ago. Sometime around last night Ophelia crawled into bed with her sister (very much like what happened when they were younger) because she couldn't bare being stuffed up in her room anymore. If she was going to be forced to stay in bed all the time, she need a change of venue once in a while.

Ophelia smiled at her slumbering sister before pushing herself up into a seating position. She yawned and looked around the room. It was tidy unlike her room, which was a complete utter mess due to violent altercations with the various servants and doctors of the castle. from what she knew Liby didn't get along with the doctors all to well either but she was far more...reserved with them then Ophelia ever would be. She frowned as she was reminded about how difficult the past three months had been on both of them. Libyana was struck with some type of paralysis ever since the attack while en route to Rutrum some months ago. Ophelia didn't quiet understand what caused it but all she knew was that Libyanna had difficulties moving around.

While Libyanna was dealing with her paralysis, hopefully temporary paralysis, Ophelia's "sickness" was becoming far more aggressive than ever. The first week back in Aurarias was fine, she was trying to find someone... anyone to teach her how to sword fight. Since her "teacher" decided to explode during a lesson, which freaked Ophelia out... a lot. The next week however, she was struck with her usual "sickness". It started out as something so simply as a fever, but for some reason the doctors couldn't treat it or rather the symptoms of it. Her fever continued to rise and there was nothing that the doctors or healers could do to alleviate it. This was a very odd circumstance. Although they couldn't cure her, they could usually treat the symptoms to whatever the "sickness" decided to change itself. Obviously this wasn't the case this time. She continued to suffer from her sickness as it would rapidly develop into something else. The doctors couldn't keep up with it. She spent many a nights throwing up or in excruciating pain. She lost quiet a bit of weight and looked like she was near death for a while. But, for now, her illness was giving her a much needed break.

Ophelia climbed out of bed decided to not dwell on negative thoughts anymore and finally go answer the door. When she opened the door she was face to face with an unknown man. "Who are you and why are you here so damn early in the morning?" Ophelia spat out at the man, but her anger probably didn't have the desired effect. She was a shadow of herself and she simply did not look healthy. Ophelia heard her sister stir in the back so Ophelia decided to step out into the hallway and close the door so as to not disturb her sister. She looked the man up and down. He looked like he could be a noble but she really couldn't tell with that cape on him. Ophelia could smell the scent of grass and the general "outside" smell on him. "You should go take a bath before you decided to deal with me or my sister... or anyone in fact." She sneered at the man.




THE PYROMANIAC PRINCESS

[Estiia]

M A L A K I I † ♕ † S P A D E S

♕ King_of_Spades ♕
† l o c a t i o n ‡
† m o o d ‡
† c o m p a n i o n s ‡

((ooc: ))

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"You insult my family, you insult me."

Rain came down in sheets over the mountains, sloshing into ravines and streaming off of waxy leaves. It left the two horse wide trail a muddy mess, exposing tops of stones threatening to trip and founder the horses. But the small band of men was not moving now. No, they were up to their ankles in mud, drenched to the bone in the cold rain, standing off to one side of the pathway. A man choked, and knees hit the ground, following closely by a body. Blood mixed with mud, being quickly washed downhill from the sheeting rain.

"Your highness, was that really necessary?"

King Malakii Emaurii Spade didn't answer right away. No, he took his time lifting the blade from the man's back, examining the crimson stain on the pale silver steel. He twisted it left, then right, a contemplative frown on his face. "I will rid myself of anyone who dares insult my kin," Malakii said quietly, and with a jerk of his arm, rid the blade of most of the blood. It spattered at across the boots of his other companions, a few of which jumped back. The King lifted his eyes from the tip of his blade to glare at them all. "Does anyone else have any objections to my going home? Or business is finished. The deal is done."

A chorus of "No sirs!" echoed around the group, and Malakii nodded.

"Very good. Then I will part ways with you here. If I am not mistaken, I have a wedding to attend, and a wife to bed..."

Without another word to the hodgepodge of men, he grabbed the main of his midnight colored mount, swung himself easily into the saddle, and wheeled the stallion around. The beast was sure of foot as it thundered off down the pass, leaving the muttering men spattered in mud and huddling under their cloaks.

"I hope we wont regret this..."

----------------------------

Aurarais.

It seemed like centuries ago, that day. The gold lined stone gates at the city's wall had not changed much. Maybe weathered a little more but still glittered in the early morning sun. The town itself was still a splendor, cheerful voices shouting deals of their wears, the market streets awash with curious children and mothers trying to keep them at bay. Merchants sat with hats low behind their stalls, no doubt still in pain from the night of celebration before. It had looked, and felt, much the same that day, save that the King had been perched in the back of a black carriage, not mounted atop a noble stallion.

Not many rode about the streets of Aurarais on horseback. Their tight cobbled alleyways and uneven roads led for safety on foot. The mounted guards were about the only ones people ever saw atop a steed, yet no one cast him a questioning glance as he navigated up through the lower districts towards the palace, which rose above the town like a looming guarding. Its whitewashed stone walls and golden accents flashed strange patterns onto some of the rooftops, still tinted orange as the sun had not fully made its appearance yet. To the southern end of the town he could hear the crash of the ocean outside the safety of the harbor, and the calls of sea men to those on the docks. Aurarais always seemed to be bustling, even in the early mornings.

At a split in the road Malakii turned his mount north, heading up a steeper hill now, but rapidly approaching the gates of the palace. He had entered the noble district, large houses nestled closely together with attempts at yards and gardens with some. Most of them were no doubt empty at this time. Court had probably gathered early, all dressed in their best, to help with preparations for his son's wedding.

Kalais.

A slow frown crept over the forty odd year old man's face as he approached the palace gates. The marriage arrangements had ultimately been Alcander's idea to wed their children and form a blood alliance between their two nations. At first Malakii had objected. He had never been a fan of rank marriages, and deep down somewhere in his arrogant heart, he'd wished for his son's to fall in love and marry for that, not politics. But time had proven that an alliance with the Diamonds was for the best, and the strongest way of going about it would indeed been through marriage of his sons. In his absence Malakii had made sure to keep up on the palace goings ons through mainly Arci and Zayne. He never gave the young men an inkling of what he was doing, having just up and left with hardly a word a year prior. But he had trusted them to keep the palace running and the family in order. And through them he had kept pace with the happenings of the nation's bonding deal.

The guards at the palace gave him a doubtful look as he approached. Ah, yes, he was still disguised as a commoner, and stained with mud. Pushing back the hood of the cloak, he unclasped it, and pulled it off. Somehow it had kept the mud from spattering his silken tunic and cotton breaches. They were simple in color and design, but the style was no doubt royal. Flushed with embarrassment, the guards bowed low to the King of the Spades, and pushed open the gates wider to allow him passage....

-----------

The hesitant knock on the Queen's doors was followed by a mop of tousled blond hair peering in. "Your highness... es." The palace servant addressed the small gathering of royals in the Queen of Spade's bedchambers. He did not have more alcohol with him, much to Xanniah's disappointment. "The... um, the King..."


"I do not need an introduction to my own family, thank you." Malakii shoved past the lad and positioned himself in the doorway, arms folded over his chest and legs slightly apart in a balanced stance. He took one look at his pitiful looking wife, and exhaled. His hair was still a bit damp, and stood up in strange waves on his head, his skin paler then they had remembered, though still rippling with honed skill. Above all he looked... thin. The curve of his jaw was sharper, the lines around his hips, even covered by clothes, narrower. But he still had that air of power and arrogance he carried everywhere with him.

Oh yes.

The King was back.



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[Asyndeton Narrative]

xxxxxThe hell was Zayne's problem? First he offers his hand, and then after Kal is back to his feet, he swats the hand away instead. It made pretty much no sense to the older prince. Kalais was about to snap at his brother, when the other man placed a hand on his forehead. Moments later a sort of cool... something seemed to flow over his body. It erased a great deal of his fatigue, and eased some of the soreness out of his frame. Since when could Zayne transfer energy? He would have asked if he wasn't thrown over Zayne's shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Stupid little ********! And of course, it was too late to jump down, seeing as the s**t had already took to the air. "I swear, when I've got both feet on the ground again, I'll skin you alive, pull your entrails out your a**, and shove them back down your throat."

xxxxxThe prince closed his eyes then, relaxing his frame the best he could. Even flying, this was bound to take a decent amount of time. So he cleared his mind, and slipped slowly into a meditative state. Kalais let everything fade away, the aches, the frustration, everything; untill the feeling of being uncomfortably suspended in the air , became the now familiar feeling of floating in nothing. e then pulled himself out of his trance just enough so he was vaguely aware of the position his body was in. As such, when he was finally set on his feet again, his body was able to immediately adjust to a standing position; even though he couldn't pull himself from his trance as quickly. The world came back to him gradually. First he realized Zayne and himself were not alone, and then he felt his brother's presence moving away. Hopefully to go see their mother; she'd been at wits end for weeks, if not months. His eyes finally opened to look after the white haired young man, and then moved to the gaggle of uncertainly hovering maids. They were clearly torn between the need to prepare him for the ceremony and their fear of him. Kal resisted the urge to sigh, and instead turned towards the palace. "Draw a bath, then you are all dismiss for an hour." His voice was firm, as he didn't want to be questioned on the matter. Just the idea of having to deal with the gaggle fretting over his wound was aggravating. Unfortunately it was pretty hard to miss his heavily bandaged arm. And one maid was apparently daring enough to point it out.

xxxxx"Milord, your arm." the brunette maid stepped forward with a clear purpose. "Please allow us to treat your injuries." The other two maids shuffled nervously, before they also began to close in on the prince. He scowled at them openly, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "Unnecessary." The two other maids hesitated, looking at each other in mild fear. They knew well the reputation of the second youngest prince. However, the first maid seemed quite determined, and reached out to take his arm, intent on seeing to the wound. Roughly he pulled his arm away from the woman. "Keep your hands to yourself," his voice was harsh, and he leveled a murderous glare on the woman. "I've given you your orders. Get to it before I decide to slit each of your stomachs," He forced a manic smile onto his face, one that normally only came when he was thinking of enjoying the bloodshed. The sight made the three back up. "Perhaps then I'll string you each up with your entrails across the battlements." That did it. The three hastily turned, excused themselves, and half ran into the castle.

xxxxxKalais finally let out a sigh, watching the three women disappear. He remained standing there for a few moments, before slowly following after. The prince made sure to take his time navigating the castle to his guest chambers, intent on arriving after the three maids had left. He shot glares to a few other servants who had seemed about to approach him on the matter of his arm. As such, it was nearly fifteen minutes later that he finally made it to his room, just as the three maids left. They took one look at him, and hurried away, eyes fixed on the floor at their feet. Kalais rolled his eyes. Stupid women. They were so easy to scare... and worry. His mother included. He sighed, closing the door behind him, before making his way to the private bathroom. He made sure the bathroom door was also closed securely behind him, and that the window in the room was covered by the thick curtains. Then the young man sat down on the edge of the filled tub, and proceeded to unwrap his arm. His eyes narrowed as the skin was exposed. It had a definite grey tint to it. "That b***h..."


xX Flashback Xx


xxxxxThe prince looked down at the broken form at his feet. The avatar had been thoroughly smashed, but the face was relatively unscathed. One stone hand was closed around his right elbow, cold fingers digging slightly into the skin and drawing blood. The face of the avatar was smiling at him, which he found quite aggravating. "You underestimated me." He spat hat her, as he grasped the stone hand with his left. Slowly he attempted to remove the appendage, exercising his control of the element. There was a hollow laugh. "Perhaps a little. But just because you've power enough to smash my avatar, does not mean you can escape my control. You are merely delaying the inevitable, my little pet." Kalais hissed as the fingers tightened around his arm, digging in deeper, before the appendage quickly eroded into fine dust, slipping between his fingers and onto the ground. The rest of the broken pieces also eroded, with the hallow laugh echoing in the background. "It's only a matter of time before you succumb."


Xx End xX


xxxxxThe prince stared in shock at his elbow. The joint was stone. He pratically tore the rest of the bandage off, eyes still fixed on the afflicted area. Calm yourself. He breathed slowly, trying to calm his mind, and let his eyes slide shut. With his recently improved control of his element, Kalais concentrated on the area, probing it. Curiously he pushed at the spot, to see if he could make it recede. Painful... but doable. Bitting his lip, the young man forced back the stone as far as he could, before opening his eyes to inspect his work. The affliction could no longer be seen on his skin... though he had no idea how long that would last. With a heavy sigh, he turned his mind to getting himself cleaned up. A task he barely completed when there was a timid knock on the bathroom door. Had it already been an hour?

"Prince Kalais," the voice was strained with an effort not to stuttered. "We need to prepare you for your wedding, sir." Kal rolled his eyes again, pulling on the pants that had been left inthe bathroom for him, before he took a deep breath. Well. He couldn't procrastinate on the matter any longer... Mentalling preparing himself for the ridiculous ordeal that was sure to follow, brown haired prince left the bathroom, to be converged upon by the maids. This was going to be much to long of a day...

▂▃▅▆ ░▒▓ █ Location::Aurarias █ With::maids █ Curently::getting cleaned up █ Feeling::stiff, sore, aggravated
▂▃▅▆ ░▒▓ █ O. O. C. ::Finally... a post.... Liby next!

[AnimeGirl4216]

Ｄｉａｎａｈ Ｃｏｒｉａｎｎｅ Ｄｉａｍｏｎｄｓ

Ｑｕｅｅｎ ｏｆ Ａｕｒａｒｉａｓ

XXXXXX♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere,
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXand many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXagain and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

This had to be one of the most uncomfortable and incredibly awkward moments in Queen Dianah’s life. More strange than her wedding day, and certainly more uncomfortable than the moment that her husband had decided their daughters should be married off.

No, this certainly was the worst.

Queen Xanniah seemed to be hell bent upon making herself completely inebriated; this was not the way in which she thought that the day of her daughter’s wedding would go. She’d planned to come in, speak to the queen and then continue on her way to find her daughter, but she’d been waylaid by the queen who seemed to be more interested in the fact that her daughters had not ever acted out the way that it seemed her sons had been doing.

"How do you keep your girls from running off for months on end..."

What in the world was she talking about? She’d always done her best to try and speak to her girls about their feelings and how they were being treated but….. Could that be part of the reason they stayed? Well, it could be that and also their father would pitch a royal hissy fit if they ever were to leave but the Queen didn’t need to know about that… “....I talk to them......I don’t confine them....” It would be simpler for her to simply use that for an answer than anything else….. Still the woman seemed to not even pay attention to her, even as she spoke up about the consumption of alcohol she simply continued on her strange rant… Gods above, could someone just come and save her from this strange mess?

This was her daughter’s wedding day, not some sort of strange therapy session for Queen Xiannah…..

But as the door opened quickly she stood up quickly, her eyes going toward the young man only to then look toward Xiannah as he spoke to her. This was her….son? She did not recognized him from the first time they had met all the princes. What exactly was going on? This wasn’t Prince Kalais so…Who was it? Stepping back from the table as her brows furrowed in confusion before moving slowly toward the door; this certainly wasn’t a conversation she needed to be listening in on, they needed their space and truth be told she wanted to go and see to her daughter.

It was her wedding day, she should have her mother at her side.

“….I will leave the two of you alone…Until later Queen Xiann….” but even as she turned to head out the door her eyes widened in shock at the new person who now stood in the doorway….Another…..wait…. Staring in complete surprise as she swallowed hard her gaze went from the tall ruler of Rutrum her gaze moved to the floor for a moment before nodding her head toward him, giving him his due before standing up straight like the queen that she was.

“….It is an honor King Malakii….. Please, step inside.” Waiting for the older man to move out from the doorway she stepped outside, her gaze moving to the prince as she took another step back, “…..Prince…..” Who was the one who had th….it started with a z…… “Z.....Zayne…Won’t you come with me? I am sure you might wish to change after your journey, please won’t you follow me?”

This was getting more uncomfortable by the moment….Where in the world was her husband? He would need to know that the King of Spades was here now in the castle.

[Asyndeton Narrative]

x
x

xxxxxxx The eldest princess went to bed the night before feeling frustrated. Frustrated that one of the weddings was now upon them, and she hadn't found a way to spare any of her sisters from the fate. Frustrated that she still couldn't move freely. Frustrated that her sisters Fiancé was missing the night before the wedding. Frustrated that prince Zayne was still missing.... especially now, since she'd finally been allowed to read into some texts, that gave her a very possible answer to fixing her sort of paralysis. And Zayne needed to be present. Frustrated that everyone kept fussing over her. Frustrated she couldn't go visit Ophelia when the other princess had been bedridden. Frustrated that her own fiancé had yet to make an appearance. Frustrated that the ruler of Rutrum was still MIA. Frustrated that everything was making her Frustrated.

xxxxxxxAs such, she hadn't slept well at all. At least... not at first. After several hours of fitful sleep, she was woken by the shifting of the mattress, and the subsequent movement of the covers. Her eyes slowly opened, and she had found herself face to face with Ophelia. Libyanna had blinked the sleep out of her eyes, before giving the other young woman a smile. It was a releif to see her sister. Even if Ophelia was clearly worse for wear from what she could tell. She was much thinner than she had been.... but she didn't look like she was sick at the moment. That was definitely something to be happy about. The older princess had sat up, and wrapped her arms around her sister with a releived sigh. They hadn't remained up long though. Both princesses were exhausted. So they had settled, each laying on their backs, shoulders very nearly touching, and holding each other's hands for comfort.... much like when they had been younger. Libyanna had wanted to speak with her sister, but sleep had returned to her not long after they were settled comfortably in bed.

xxxxxxxAfter this the princess had slept well. In fact, she slept much better than she had in a little over a month. She didn't even stir when there was a loud knock at her door. Normally such a thing would have woken her. The shifting of the bed also should have woken her, but the sleeping woman remained oblivious to the world around her. "Who are you ....here so damn .....morning?" The familiar voice of her sister filtered in and out of her sleeping mind. She stirred, turning from one side to the other. However she didn't really wake until the soft click of a door closing met her ears. Her eyes fluttered open to the empty side of the bed. The blankets had been pulled back, and the sheets next to her were still kind of warm. So Ophelia had risen only recently.

xxxxxxxLiby half rose into a sitting position, supporting herself with her left arm, as she used her right to rub sleep from her eyes. She had to suppress a yawn, as she groggily looked around the room for her sister. But the second born princess was not there. A troubled frown settled on her features as she sat up fully. Ophelia didn't leave without wishing her good morning. So why wasn't she there? The eldest sighed, supposing that the other woman didn't want to disturb her sleep. Well.... she was up now, and Ophelia would probably only be returning to her bedroom. Which was just next to hers anyway. So she'd through on a rob over her night dress and go see the other princess. Surely Ophelia was as bored out of her mind as Libyanna was. And it was always better to eat with company. Mind made up, she pulled herself from bed, feet touching the cold floor slowly. She shuddered at chill the stone floor sent through her frame, and made her way as quickly as she could to her walk in closet. Which wasn't very quickly at all.

xxxxxxx She could barely manage a brisk walk when she forced herself, and not for more than a minute, or without being quite tired afterwards. But she had no problem, now, with taking a leisurely stroll to the dining room to eat with her family once, maybe twice a day, before returning to her room, or on a very good day, going to the garden to sit outside for awhile. Which was extremely rare. Both Cyrus and Ilwen had been paying very careful attention to her needs. Though she was not forced to stay in bed, or constantly goaded into sleeping, and even allowed to leave her room when she wished, the moment she showed any sign of fatigue or pain one or both of them was there. If she was out she'd find herself back in her room in mere moments. That wasn't all. Between the two of them they were able to anticipate when she would be hungry, when she would want the company of her family, when she wanted to be left alone to read, and even when she would be in a foul mood (and just how to ease her frustration it seemed). It was honestly a little unsettling that they could read her so well... and yet completely understandable. They'd been with her for a long time.

xxxxxxx The princess gazed at the thick robes hung before her, searching for something that was thinner. It wasn't cold enough to wear the warm robes that seemed to dominate this section of her closet. But finally she spotted one that would do the job well enough. It was a deep blue, too dark for her liking as it barely looked blue to her at all. But it would cover her suitably, without making her feel like she was suffocating. She pulled it from its hanger, and situated it around her shoulders, pulling her hair out of the way and tying it in a loose knot over her left shoulder to keep it out of her face. The princess then exited her closet, looking around her room with a frown once more on her face. It was very strange that neither Cyrus nor Ilwen had shown up yet. For the last three months one of them was always there when she woke, or shortly there-after. She'd even begun to pick out a pattern, which told her Cyrus should be popping in at any moment. Thankfully the air betwen her and her guard was no longer strained. It had taken another three weeks after Cyrus had stormed out in his anger, but she was eventually able to have the conversation with him that she'd wanted.


xX Flashback Xx



xxxxxxxThe massive release of energy that caused the Rutrum castle to shake, and ultimately the disappearance of Prince Zayne, also had another effect that many were not aware of. In fact, the one affected didn't even know it until sometime later. The Released energy reacted with magic that had been trapped into the eldest princesses spine, and her world had erupted into searing agony. The episode had pretty well ruined all the progress that she had made in recovering. In fact, she remained unconscious for nearly two days... and probably would have remained as such for longer. But a concerned Cyrus had woken her for the purpose of feeding her. She hadn't even been able to eat half of what he'd provided before she'd fallen back asleep. For a week after it had been the same. Either Cyrus or Ilwen would wake her to feed her, and then she would fall asleep again. The first time she'd really woken up, it had been to discover she was back in Aurarias, and it was in the company of Ilwen. She'd pestered the other woman into telling her what had happened... and then stubbornly kept herself awake, waiting for her guard to return.

xxxxxxxWhen the man had returned, he'd seemed quite unhappy to find her awake. Ilwen had pulled him to the side for a few whispered words, before the elf had left. Despite the look of disapproval on his face when he'd come to sit by her bed, he did not scold her. She had wanted very much to stay awake so they could talk, but her body couldn't do so any longer, and she fell back into unconsciousness to the sight of Cyrus reaching out to pull the covers more securely around her. She wasn't sure how long she slept, but when she woke it was to find Cyrus was still sitting beside her bed. She blinked the sleep out of her eyes hastily, as she looked over at her guard, as if to be sure he was really there. "Cyrus," she said his name tentatively, and her voice was barely above a whisper. Even so it immediately brought his full attention back to her. "Can I sit up?" It seemed kind of strange to ask permission to sit up in bed... but the words he'd spoken to her before he'd stormed out were still very fresh in her mind. She needed to show him that she hadn't been pushing herself because she was still angry with him... and at the moment it seemed the best way to do that was simply not to push herself, and cause him more trouble than she already had. "We need to talk... and it's kind of hard to have a proper conversation laying down." She didn't move to pull herself up into a sitting position, knowing she'd sap quite a bit of her minimal energy if she did so. No, she waited patiently for him to answer, and prop her up comfortably with the pillows if he did allow it. If not... well she would start the conversation anyway, it would just be rather awkward... and so easy to fall asleep.

xxxxxxx"Of course, milady." Her guard had gently lifted her frame into a sitting position, and adjusted the pillows to keep her comfortably propped up. "Thank you Cyrus," she murmured with a half smile, before he had begun speaking. "I think you deserve more of an explanation regarding my absence. However, there are things about my past that I'd prefer you not know just yet. Forgive me." She had to keep herself from sighing. This wasn't what she'd been wanting to get into, but now that he'd started speaking, she wasn't about to interrupt him either. He sat down on the bed, and she gratefully leaned into his arm for the added support. "It's not that I didn't want to return as soon as possible. But I simply didn't have the power to protect you against my brother. Had I known what would have transpired, I would have been there, regardless of my defects, you have to know that." Now she did let out a sigh, and she could almost feel him tense, as he leaned forward to adjust her pillows. "I know this doesn't explain much. But-" She'd heard quite enough, and lifted her hand to press it over his lips, effectively silencing him. "Enough, Cyrus. I know this. I may not like that you were not there, but I do understand why. And it was my fault I ended up like this, not yours." She let her hand fall from over his lips, to instead pat him on the cheek before returning the hand to her lap. "What I wish to discuss is not any fault of yours." for a moment she adverted her gaze from him, biting her lip. but there was no point in turning back now, so she turned back to him, eyes clearly determined. "I'm not angry at you for your absence..... it is true I was at first, but the feeling faded quickly. I trust you, and I do understand perfectly that you would not leave my side for anything but the most important of endeavors."

xxxxxxxShe was not done with what she wanted to say, but she was terribly hungry, and starting to feel sleepy again. Not wanting to risk him interrupting her though, she pressed onward. "You misunderstood my stubborness and anger.... but it is my fault for not telling you otherwise, and for this I must sincerely apologize." She bowed her head in her apology, even as she went on. "When I had my fit only a small portion of my anger was really meant for you at all... most was from the frustration of feeling completely useless. I came to realize afterward that any anger directed at you was unjustifiable considering the circumstances, and I wished to apologize.... but found I could not do so sincerly." She closed her eyes for a moment, feeling quite tired, but she was not ready to give up on her words. She had more she needed to say. "I was angry over the way everyone was babying me... I didn't like being reminded that I couldn't do much for myself at all.... and I especially didn't like that everyone felt doing anything at all would leave me fainting." Here she huffed in annoyance. "It wasn't you I was rebelling against. It was the fact that no one would let me do even the simplest, most harmful things, and I was going positively stir crazy." She laughed lightly then, rolling her eyes at the memory. "Simply eating and sleeping for weeks on end isn't going to make anyone better.... not when they have some energy to do a little bit of something." He might disagree, but it was the best she could do at the moment to relate the true source of her anger several weeks back. She yawned then, and flushed in embarrassment at the open mouth yawn, bringing her hand up to cover her mouth, as she had turned her face away from him.



xX Flashback Xx


xxxxxxxLibyanna laughed privately to herself. It hadn't been the end of the matter, merely the beginning... but if she hadn't of been able to correct the misunderstanding then, she and Cyrus would probably still be quite awkward around each other now. But she'd really been daydreaming long enough. It was time to go find Ophelia. WIth a nod to herself, she headed for her door, reaching out a hand to open it... and then found herself hesitating. Vaguely she recalled her sisters voice, in her half wakeful daze earlier. and it had sounded like she'd been talking to someone. Who though? Well.... she didn't hear another voice, that she could remember... so there was really only two ways to find out. Open the door and find Ophelia still standing there, with the unidentified person, or go find Ophelia and ask who had been at her door. She looked down at herself, pondering the best course of action. Should she change into something more appropriate for a princess to be seen in? Then again, she was not well so she would be given leway in that respect. And Ophelia would be out there in her night things. So no. She wouldn't change. She was to curious about the matter anyway.

xxxxxxxWith her mind made up, Liby reached out for the door handle again, and pulled it open enough to peek out. She saw Ophelia turning towards the door, so that meant her guest was probably still there. But she couldn't see who it was around the door, so she opened it further. Her eyes fell on the undidentfied person there. A male. Who was.... fresh from the road by the looks of it. She couldn't keep her eyebrows from rising. Who was this man that he would dare visit a princess's bed chamber so early in the morning, when he'd just arrived? Her gaze moved to his face once more, searching for something that would tell her who he was. And she realized he was vaguely familiar. She... why, she'd met this man once! He was.... oh what was the name to this face. That was right! A frown instantly fell over her features. Why the hell would he turn up only now? "Prince Arcadius,She greeted him with a very small nod.

xxxxxxxAt the moment she certainly didn't respect this man. She highly doubted word of her condition had been unable to reach his ears... so the fact that he only showed his face now, when his brother was about to get married was quite... insulting really. She was his fiancé, and even if he hadn't made the decision himself, he was of royal blood, and should have acted accordingly. The moment he heard of her condition he should have done the best he could to come and see her, to make sure she would be okay. But... she supposed she ought to give him the benefit of the doubt. Innocent until proven guilty, right? "It seems you have just arrived in aurarias... and it is still a little earlier." She forced the frown from her features, but left her face sort of blank rather than forcing a smile as well. "Perhaps you would like to return after we have both had a chance to bath this morning, and join me for a light breakfast?"


▂▃▅▆ ░▒▓ █ Location::Bedroom █ With::Ophelia, slightly smelly Guy Fiancé █ Curently::wondering why her fiancé is visiting her so early.... and smelly █ Feeling::sleepy, bit sore

[AnimeGirl4216]

Ｎａｔａｓｈａ Ｍａｒｌｅｎｅ Ｓａｎｔａｉｇｏ

XXXXXX►►►►►►►►►►

It takes strength to be firm and it takes courage to be gentle.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXIt takes strength to fit in and it takes courage to stand out.

◄◄◄◄◄◄◄◄◄◄

Fifty-four hours…..Fifty-four hours and counting and Kalais still had yet to show his face. If he didn’t show up within the next two hours there would be the devil to pay and she’d lay Kalais’ corpse at his feet. What in the world was he trying to accomplish by disappearing like this? Did he not realize by now that with every disappearing act he pulled the more distraught his mother became? It was the day of his wedding! The gods be damned if he was not able to make time for such a momentous event. It was the joining of two strong families, it was as important to him as it was for the survival of their families kingdoms. If he couldn’t just show up for something like this, what did this say for his character? His bride had better understand the fix she was getting herself into she needed to be told of her husband’s true nature. He couldn’t just run off like he was used to doing, he had a duty to his wife and he had better realize that before it was too late.

Circling the perimeter of the Auraralian castle for what felt like the fourteenth time in the last two days Natasha’s head lifted in her wolf form as she sniffed the air once more. In all this time she still was not able to catch his scent. She’d lost it at the lake and been unable to catch it again she’d hoped beyond hope that she would be able to find him once more but it was to no avail. Kalais’ scent was still as vacant as the heart in the King of Spades’ chest. Perhaps that was harsh but most could see the feeling in the King’s chest was all but vacant in his family… Perhaps if he were to stay in the castle the Princes’ wouldn’t feel the unnecessary need to keep disappearing all the time.

Prince Zayne’s guard was almost beside herself with worry, her charge had disappeared for far longer than what Kalais had been gone for and the silly succubus still had yet to feed, she was much more concerned with Zayne’s return than her own well-being. If she didn’t keep herself in check soon there would be hell to pay on the castle grounds. There was nothing more deadly to a castle than a ravenous succubus. Moving toward the front entrance of the gates once more as she dropped her nose to the ground she paused, her ears flicking up at a familiar scent as her chords struck together in a low almost guttural growl.

Kalais was back.

Picking up her front feet as she broke off in a run she dashed passed the guards, pointedly ignoring their shouts of surprise as she pushed the doors open, inhaling deeply as she followed the prince’s scent before skidding to a halt just a few doors down from Kalais’ bedroom while ducking inside the empty room to shift back into her human form. No point in running into his room in her wolf form, she’d end up biting his head off when she really just needed to talk to him. His note had been so vague, did he really think she didn’t deserve to know just what it was he had been up to all this time? She was his guard yes but she had hoped that with all the time they had spent together he would think of her as more than just his babysitter.

Granted she did need to confine him in his quarters with her knives after he’d been away for too long. His mother usually was almost beside herself with grief at that moment, better to have him cursing at her than to have his mother in more of a tailspin than she normally was.

Fixing her tunic as she stepped out of the bedroom she tied her hair back, moving to open the door to the Prince’s quarters before witness what had to be one of the most amusing and certainly deserving moments in Prince Kalais’ life. Only he would be disgruntled at the fact he was being dressed like a little boy. If he wanted to act like this than it was how he would be treated but at this point she had little to no patience for the woman who now were tittering around him she stepped into the room, her hands raising as she snapped her fingers to get the women’s attention, “….If you would be so kind, your services are no longer needed, I can take care of his Highness.” She knew in that moment that the maids were not pleased with her orders… The fact they hadn’t listened to her was evidence enough for her. Standing still as her hackles raised she let out a rather strong and forceful growl while glaring at the trio before the three all but ran out of the bedroom like the devil was at their heels.

“Moronic little whips…” Stepping into the room as she closed the door behind her she moved to the bed, picking up the shirt the one maid had left before easing it over his arms as she quickly let the material settle over his shoulders with a quiet huff. “So were you planning upon notifying me of your return or were you planning on just letting me think that you weren’t going to show up for your own wedding?” To say she was upset was a bit of an understatement, she was positively livid at him. Still it was his wedding day and to be truthful something still seemed rather off with the young prince. Just what had happened to him in the two days he had been gone?

“Is there something bothering you Kalais or are you just having cold feet over the wedding? Perhaps all that you need right now is a stiff drink, there are libations here for you if you wish for them.”

If she could maybe distract him maybe it would make things easier for him… That or she could just get him distracted enough to be able to ask him the questions she wanted to…..

[Klarp Glornharm]

Laurence Diamonds
Would-be King

Away from the castle, but still in the better districts of the city, where not-quite-nobles would be expected to live is where the man lived. The home's outside was like any other in the area's, but its inside was surprisingly simple. None of the flashy decorations on the outside that drew eyes to it as surely as it would one of the shops on the street. No special furniture beyond book shelves. Inside there were several rooms, one for sleeping, a stove that used magic to create fire, a dining room, as well as another furnished with simple chairs and a table for guests.

Most importantly, a room with a circle carefully drawn to contain spells. Spells to be cast by students, friends, and most importantly himself. It was in this room that the man stood, speaking to a spirit that had been called into the circle, as calmly as someone who had done it before. "Remember, give the message, and then return with proof of it. Once you do that, I'll set you free to the afterlife. 'The people of the slums will rally to your cry.' Understand?" The spirit nodded calmly, as if this wasn't anything new to him, or as if he expected to do at least that much. Laurence offered a smile as the spirit was dismissed, he didn't expect to see it until later, possibly in a few days. The muffled sounds from outside called him back to the reality of what would be happening soon, and the necromancer let free a sigh.

The marriage of his cousin was today and he'd received an invitation, probably more of a token invitation than anything. The only certainty was that he needed to go, to see it himself. He would have to watch it happen, and be there in case orders were given to act, that much was for sure. Oddly enough, his home was fairly empty, even the stairs that led to the basement had gained dust in the recent months. But then, the general couldn't be expected to come, he'd imagine, and there was no sense in sending an army for a wedding.

She should be here at least. The thought came, his sister Lilibeth was supposed to be a guard within Rutrum. That was all that he could remember for certain, beyond that she was likely to show up. His eyes went to the robes, dusty and torn, that he was wearing at that moment. No no, Alcander would be enraged if he showed himself like that, surely. Another sigh slipped from his lips, and the man went to his room, to find something more appropriate.

One of those embroidered red coats with a matching shirt and breeches should be good enough, or so his thought process went. That was the sort of thing most nobles wore, at least once upon a time, right? And considering he had some time to be ready and head to the castle, Laurence decided on taking his time...

After all, a long bath was a luxury when you spent so long losing track of time...