Of Killers and Kings

[cannibal cookbook]

Callias stopped abruptly and turned over with a brow raised. "Tariq?" he repeated in question. "Now that's interesting. I suppose if he had anything to hide, he'd keep it on his person. But Tariq is the only other person I do trust... And I know all there is to know about him. He has been my mentor and my friend since my birth. I have no reason to suspect him." He let out a long sigh and continued walking. "You're right though, I did say everyone within the walls was a suspect. I just wish I could exclude him."

[Sick Salacious X]

Dorian grumbled to himself, it wasn't necessarily that the adviser was a suspect, he was just so damned interesting Dorian only wanted to be able to one hundred percent rule him out so he could consider asking for his aid. Would the adviser be easily drugged to sleep? The old fool seemed crazy enough to be impossible to ambush in his sleep. Dorian refused to underestimate anyone. Alcohol was always an easy option, if only he knew the old man's tolerance for it. He wanted to hit something right then and there, he hated playing this game of cat and mouse.

Dorian for damned sure wasn't going to babysit the prince forever.

[cannibal cookbook]

Another laugh echoed from the young man at Dorian's sudden silence. They had arrived at the shop anyhow and Callias bought the sweetest-tasting wine available. He wasn't too fond of the more bitter stuff, or wine in general. "We should make haste back to the palace before someone realizes I'm missing," he sighed.

Once returned, Callias was soon ushered off to his quarters to get ready for the celebration, seemingly a million maids in tow, eager to dress and groom the young man for his ascension to the throne of Gorxoth.

[Sick Salacious X]

Dorian, true to his word, kept the wine at his side for the remainder of the day for it was in a leather container at his waste and his hand frequently rested on the cork so that it was impossible to disturb without his noticing. With little to do until the ceremony he went out to the greenhouses, picked some herbs which ensured deep, restful sleep and returned to the castle to seek out Tariq. Perhaps later that evening he would brew a tea for the adviser, until then maybe he'd attempt to have that chess match if Tariq could be distracted from his duties.

[cannibal cookbook]

The sounds of scurrying maids, boiling pots and excited voices had consumed Tariq's day. He had just finished checking the last item off of the checklist of preparations, and now the rest of it was in the hands of the workers. He was helping and supervising where he was needed, making sure everything was going smoothly. He had been on his way to the kitchens to check on the food preparations again when he spotted Dorian the gardener approaching from afar. He hadn't seen the man since last night and wondered what he had been up to - most likely picking herbs or improving the appearance of the grounds.

"Did you speak with the Lords Therius and Galen?" he inquired with a bit of a chuckle, knowing full well that if he had, he'd have a complaint about their blatant lack of intelligence. "I'm eager to know what they thought of your plans."

[Sick Salacious X]

"Ahh yes, those lovely imbeciles who didn't seem to understand up from down and only asked me to have statues large enough to rival the city walls. Although, Galen informed me that he only learned this year learned how to ride a horse." Dorian walked up and put an arm around Tariq's shoulders, "You know, for an ugly old man you're starting to grow on me." He leaned closer to then whisper, "Are you still too afraid to play me at chess for fear you'll lose?" Dorian held up a small leather satchel of herbs, "I'll even play you for these wonderful tea leaves."

[cannibal cookbook]

Sick Salacious X

A hearty, darkened chuckle reverberated in Tariq's throat. He just loved hearing about the crazed antics of those two morons as long as he himself didn't have to deal with them. His smile and his amusement faded quickly, however, immediately replaced with a scowl as he felt a warm arm sling around his shoulders. He took Dorian's arm and pulled it away without a question or an explanation.

"Ugly?" he inquired, thought about it for a moment, and decided not to agree or disagree with the statement. He could care less what others thought of his appearance, anyways. In fact, he was used to the distraught feelings and occasional stares. "Well, I suppose beauty is in the eye of the beholder." He shrugged absently and continued on his way.

"But perhaps we'll play chess and discuss our philosophies over tea later. I still have things to see to before tonight's celebrations."

[Sick Salacious X]

cannibal cookbook

Dorian smiled and followed after Tariq, "What a coincidence, I have nothing to see to until the celebrations begin, so I might as well accompany you." He bowed before Tariq and offered his arm as he would normally do for a woman.

"I do so worry for your health you know. All work and no play could kill you."

[cannibal cookbook]

Tariq groaned under his breath and rolled his eyes. Great... His facade, however, remained stark and plain, his lips pursed into a thin line. He glanced down at the offered arm for a moment and chuckled in spite of it. This guy really was a character. "I don't usually worry about it," he admitted. "Although with people like you hanging off of me I might just lose any shred of morality I might have left, and quickly at that," he teased with a smirk.

As he stepped into the kitchen, the smell of something burning reached his nostrils and the sight of hurrying, worried chefs and maids running amok to put out the small fire made him groan and pinch the bridge of his nose. Thankfully there had only been minimal damage done and he did his best to coax everyone to get back to their normal duties.

[Sick Salacious X]

cannibal cookbook

Dorian couldn't resist grinning at Tariq, "Glad to know I'm such a good influence on you." The sight of the kitchen however had him laughing, "You know, you don't seem quite like you belong in your duties as an adviser, whatever they're paying you- if they're paying you- isn't enough. You'd have definitely made a better woman than you do a man, although with your looks you're better suited to being a male. Anyways, the way you manage to restore order reminds me of this woman I once met, poor dear had like 16 children. With you however, it's more like you're the single mother of an entire school of children. Kind of scary actually, how did you learn to shepherd people?"

[cannibal cookbook]

The idle chatter of the gardener had Tariq rolling his eyes again, although with less and less spite. "I can't say anyone has ever said that to me before..." He tried not to think about what his life would have been like as a woman. A poor, pitiful woman. Surely he would have had none of the chances to become what he was as a female. That was just how the world worked.

"Hmph. Shepherd? That implies docile sheep. Sometimes I feel more like I'm supervising a flock of headless chickens," he said, then paused as he glanced around once more to make sure things were going steady. He brushed some of the powdery flour and grey ash from his black robes. "It's not really something that can by learned, although some things are the result of having own mentor once upon a time. And Callias isn't my first student, either. I'm just used to picking things up and taking direction. When I came here, I stepped in where nobody else would, and after a while, they became familiar with my image as a leader."

He paused and beckoned Dorian out of the kitchen. He stopped just into the hallway, with one hand on his hip, the other running though his messy black hair. He smirked and decided to inquire about an obvious personality trait of Dorian's. "Where did you learn to be so curious?"

[Sick Salacious X]

cannibal cookbook

"I guess you could say from my mentor. If one is never curious, how ought you to go about learning new things and progressing to be better at what you do? Or maybe I'm just trying to convince the maids that you're not having a love affair with the prince, seriously it's making me sick to my stomach. At least if you're having a steamy love affair with me they won't hit on me anymore." Dorian grinned at Tariq, "And headless chickens? If you were so fortunate they would drop over dead pretty quickly, I think you need a better analogy."

[cannibal cookbook]

Tariq twitched, inwardly seething with a quiet rage. Not because Dorian was so open about flirting and suggesting an affair (although he hardly took it seriously, since he was apparently ugly), but because of those slanderous maids who never learned their lesson. "A love affair. With Prince Callias. That's what those gossiping hens have been talking about?" He clenched his fists, for a moment, and started to stalk away regardless of anything else Dorian said.

"I swear I'll break them all to pieces," he grumbled to himself.

[Sick Salacious X]

Dorian blinked at Tariq for a few moments before bursting into laughter. Apparently he'd found the absolute best (or worst) button to push, and this time it wasn't just him messing with the old man. Hurrying to catch up with Tariq it took him several attempts to get past the giggles to grab Tariq by the arm and pull him to a momentary standstill, "If you want to break them, break them after the ceremony. Otherwise all your hard work that you've put in today will be all for nothing."

Not that Dorian cared too much about the ceremony, but it would definitely be more fun to watch Tariq boil over for the rest of the day.

[cannibal cookbook]

The pressure and yank on his right arm, the bandaged one, caused Tariq to flinch with a grimace and a slight hiss of pain. He glanced down and flexed that covered hand a few times before looking back up at Dorian. He had nothing else to discuss with the man and decided it was a good a time as any to part ways. "You're right. The ceremony will be starting too soon for me to do anything about them now. I am expected to accompany Callias, so if you will please excuse me." With that, he turned his heel again and continued off at a brisk pace.