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 Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2018 8:56 am
  At first Mirabelle struggled to keep him down and continued to press her tongue against his teeth in an attempt to open his mouth. When finally he'd managed to push her away she spit out the remains of whatever she'd been keeping in there. "I'M NOT A WITCH!" She started crying, frustrated that the spell still wasn't working. She took in more wine and leaned back in to try again only to be head butted away. She spat out the wine again, spraying both him and herself with the stuff. She fell off of the bed and landed on her rump. "Ow! Darling, I can't take much more of this! Don't mention those names! Don't do this to me! To us!" She shouted, sobbing wildly and rubbing her forehead and her rump. "They've bewitched you! Tramatized you into thinking that they were good and pure! They're gone now! Stop believing their lies! That--FAKE--father of yours is dead! Your FAKE family is dead! Do I have to kill that woman too in order to free you?!" She climbed back up onto the bed and in an instant was back on top of him. She grabbed his face with both hands and tried to force him to look at her. She didn't realize that he was stronger than the last time she'd tried to force herself on him. She leaned in to try to kiss him but was frustrated when all she could reach were the edges of his face and his hairline. She pulled back far enough to smack him and try to pin him down by the shoulders. "I'll save you! I know you don't mean it! I'LL SAVE YOU FROM THEIR SPELLS!" She hung onto the memory of him when he was lucid and promising to run away with her. She knew that was what he was really like. She just had to remind him! "I'LL PROVE IT TO YOU!" What better way to remind a man who he was in love with than to show him through force! She fumbling with his shirts, pushing them up to expose his chest. She started to run her hands over his bare skin before she realized that it felt off. She took one look at his butchered chest and jumped off. She stepped back, negligee billowing out at her sides as she put distance between them. "What.. What horrible things did they do to you?! Your beautiful skin!" More tears began to fall from her eyes and her lips began to tremble as she waited for him to speak up for himself.
---
"Ha! What do you mean by that? If you want me to believe that you were royalty before you married me then you'd best come up with a better story." With a sneer he chuckled at the absurdity of such a lie, exposing his pointed canines and the rest of his pearly whites. There was no way he could make himself believe that a woman like Bethany was ever a princess like his sisters. What country would raise a girl like her, who acted and thought like a boy most of the time? For once he decided to ignore her slight about his face being pretty. He still hadn't been able to grow a beard yet and his body hair had grown in thinner after her little prank back at the training camp. He stretched a bit as he felt her head on his chest before putting one hand upon the small of her back. "Whatever. Let's get some sleep." He paused, for a rare moment thinking about her feelings. "Do you really want to leave? Is this about what happened in Elizabeth's wing?"
---
 Hector stared up at her silently for a moment. What she said made sense but he still didn't believe her. Right now any member of his family would look like a demon to him. Did not being a threat now make much of a difference? Ester probably would have been married off. But they were young. He'd heard that people could change. He'd been told that he'd changed quite a bit since the incident in Caritas... He'd never considered her to be the reason for it. But now his world was spinning. He saw conspiracies he hadn't paid any mind to before. It was unusual for so many children of a king to survive before one of them was crowned. He hadn't heard of it before, because those who didn't inherit the crown or become worthy of mention were simply erased from history. A chilling thought occurred to him as he stared up at Tory. What if Ester had not been the real target, but had only been killed because she noticed her murderer first? He broke his stare to rub at his temples. He swayed in place, legs feeling weak from the trauma of such an attack. "Right... Forgive me if I want to be alone right now." He said bitterly. He was only excusing himself because he had to. He walked unsteadily to the door, all the while not allowing his back to show to her. Then slowly made his way down the hall. He didn't really know where he was going, because he couldn't go back to his room and it was still a few hours till everyone else was supposed to be awake. He eventually found himself in the throne room, under the watch of a few royal knights. He walked over to the chair he usually sat in, which was next to the one made for his twin and fixed the empty seat next to him with an empty stare. He'd stay there until he was forced to leave.
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Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2018 9:08 pm
He kept her at a distance, successful at his head-butt, except for the wine of whatever she made being spilled on to him from her mouth. She was a witch, or a seductress! W-Was she one of the whores that Astrid spoke about to Victoria at times with? Those crazy women who only desired to make a man no longer pure for his wife? He wouldn't let her use his body for whatever she wanted, he wanted to fight back for once. She climbed on him again and slapped him hard, harder than he expected, but maybe because Astrid had been quite dainty in that aspect with him. "Your a whore! I'm going to keep fighting you until I get free! I won't be a slave to anyone again-" He stopped himself as she put distance between them after seeing his slave scars. He got off the bed, gripping the post to stand as she as distraught. "Stay away from me! Your crazy! You killed my family after I finally got one! You killed innocent people!" He struggled to get the rope off his hands, stumbling back as he lost his balance due to the effects of the drug still wearing off.
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Bethany rolled her eyes, of course he wouldn't believe her. "True...if I was a princess before marrying you, then I'd be a Queen one day and that is just too boring. I like being your wife and a warrior." She took in his scent, giving herself a reminder that he needed a bath. Of course hearing him say it was because of Elizabeth, she could only nod in response, feeling that ghost wanted her child. "I should of listened to you when you spouted your fears of the hallway." She sighed, unable to sleep even with his embrace and the snacks.
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Victoria couldn't make him understand, this was the life of their family, produce as many heirs as possible and choose the most powerful pure blood. "Don't think too much of it, Hector, it's just...tradition, an unhealthy one that I will glad to leave behind." She closed the door as he left, refusing to give her his back. "Good night, little brother." She locked her door, grumbling that someone took the kill, even if she hadn't planned for it for a long time. Would Arric do such a thing? Joseph? She didn't know, and didn't care as long as she still got to marry her beloved.
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Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2018 7:17 am
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Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2018 11:38 pm
He clearly wasn't getting through to her, she was insane and delusional and here he was, trapped in her private area. He couldn't see an exit, a pair of stairs? Freedom? He was so focused on his escape, he ignored the incoming log to his stomach until it slammed into him with brute force of a full grown woman. He fell over as she ripped at his shirt more, screaming as she tore at his poor never-going-to-heal wound. "Your insane! I'll never love you! You can't make me love you!" He fought back, having lost a lot of his breath and strength from that log to his stomach. Where was Astrid? Why was he praying for her to save him when others times he never thought she would? "Your just as evil, you vile woman!" He tried to punch her, anything to be considered fighting back.
-------
Bethany rolled her eyes, she had no passion for being a queen nor did she ever desire the crown or the attention. She was a warrior and her child would be one as well. Although it was still unnerving to be called princess, it did somewhat hurt that he wouldn't believe her. This man was so handsomely annoying.
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Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2018 4:55 am
A few days later... As soon as she'd returned home Astrid was faced with the mountain of work and drama that had built up while she had been away. Nearly two weeks, one being the time it had taken to travel too and from Blackwolf Hall, and so much had happened. She had to arrange for the funeral of the murdered little Ester. Her Aunt Valencia had passed away from her illness. Hector had been accusing everyone of murder. Joseph had gotten married to a particularly irritating barbarian female and, what's more, the two of them had been the cause of plenty of drama in the castle. The uncovering of a decrepit and abandoned wing of the castle would have been enough of a headache on its own. The servants and noble women would have plenty to gossip over. Of course it had to be more complicated and it was all the result of Joseph and his new wife's meddling. Many servants and even guardsmen were too afraid to go near the abandoned wing and were also avoiding Joseph, Bethany and Hector. For the time being she'd decided it would be for the better to send husband and wife away to a remote village until the rumors died down. She had no intention of letting Joseph return to the castle. But would think of another assignment to keep him from returning later.
Astrid had ordered for the new wing to be cleared out and made ready for Hector to live in. The not-so-little pup meant to be given to Ester as a gift from Ken she instead gave to Hector. The second pup had been given to Victoria. The little slave girl she'd borrowed from Ester was also given to Hector. She asked him to take care of both in Ester's place. She didn't think it was right to make him stay where his twin had been murdered. She also believed that a new living space would help him to move on. It was remarkable how insignificant the deaths of Ester and Valencia seemed. Hardly anyone seemed to miss them. She had little time to dwell on the murder. By the time she'd returned both matters had been settled for the most part except for Ester's funeral. Like her other deceased siblings and those from previous generations, her death wouldn't be mourned by the kingdom. At least her aunt's death appeared to be natural. There was also another matter of grave importance. A military messenger had reached the castle with news of Blackwolf Hall's ransacking and worse had brought news of their enemy having attacked the province it was in. She'd sent her uncle to reclaim the lands they'd lost and put him in charge of selecting new Margraves to take over in place of the Catanachs. Before news reached the castle, she'd ordered for an assassin to be prepared to protect Ken in secret. She sent that man to go and investigate what had happened to Ken using any means necessary to either find him or bring his body back.
She wished that she could go instead but the responsibilities she carried as queen regent came first. So much had happened, at home and where she'd left her heart. During the day she buried herself in her work and avoided discussing it. At night she had to revert to taking tonics to force herself to sleep or she wouldn't be able to stop thinking about him. His letter reached her, along with his beloved Rubert and two servants barely clinging to life. He hadn't executed the red headed girl as she'd ordered him to. She could barely stand to look at her and when there was more time would have the two of them killed. Once Egbert heard some maids gossiping about what had happened to the Hall, he went on a horrible drinking binge. Because of that he was also in the dungeons, for a few days until he calmed down. His wife had been ordered to work as a seamstress for the servants and guards. In the meantime, both maids were being held in the dungeon. Rubert was being taken care of by one of her maids, being walked on a leash for the time being. She'd been told that he spent most of him time looking and sniffing around for something, presumably his missing master. Astrid returned her quill to its inkpot and rose from her desk with a sigh. She walked over to the nearest window and stared out at it. Her heart was heavy, for several reasons. She knew she should have killed him when he wouldn't give into her wishes. She should not have listened to her heart when she knew that eventually something would happen to him. She never imagined something would happen so soon.
Something always went wrong when ever she flirted with the idea of being with him. Always. If she believed in fate, she would think that they were destined to never be together. She could have lived with that before. Why did he have to persevere? Why was he so incompetent? So incapable of keeping himself safe? From anyone-man or woman! He was so very weak! Even though he won one round against her when they'd dueled. Even though his health had improved to such an extent. Even though he'd gained some confidence and seemed to be happy where he was. When did he first become such a burden? She didn't even know if he was alive right now. The maids and his letter indicated that someone had spent a fortune to capture him. Who could have access to those funds that would want a man like Kenneth gone? Was it interference from Vriddeotus? If not for a considerable amount of wealth being necessary for a force large enough to break into Blackwolf Hall, she would suspect Lady Mirabelle Claymoore. The Claymoores were wealthy, but not to that extent. Considering what had happened to Ester, was someone who knew of her affection for Kenneth trying to use him to get to her? Victoria, Joseph, Arric, their mother or even Hector? To what end?
She had no time to spare for Kenneth now. But even with this incredible failure and how very likely it seemed that he would be dead by now she could not bring herself to abandon him. After deciding to take what she wanted, she couldn't change her mind. He'd become more valuable than her jewels. Perhaps, even her poisons. She had spies following her suspects. All she could do for now was to wait for their reports, and trust that Kenneth would do everything he could to keep his last promise to her.
---
Joseph stiffly climbed out of the carriage with a grunt. He stretched his legs a bit before lifting his very pregnant wife out and lowering her to the ground. He held an arm around her waist as he took a look at their new surroundings. It was late, the sun was low in the sky and the dim lighting didn't compliment their new home very well at all. It was an old, previously abandoned manor. Five bed rooms, one small kitchen and pantry, only one sitting room, a dinning room, two small rooms for servants and not much else. The yard and driveway were ugly. Only the minimum amount of snow had been shoveled away for them. There were sickly looking trees and plants everywhere. It was obvious that before the cold weather had come no one had bothered to take care of the lawn. He refused to let Bethany walk by herself for this reason. He was so sure she'd trip over the dead overgrown grass beneath their feet. They hadn't yet seen the backyard but he was sure that it was worse than the front. Nowhere near as grand as the one at the castle. He'd only been allowed to bring a few of his pets, too. He already missed them all and was unhappy that he had to rely on Arric to take care of the ones back home.
The front stones were weather worn and some had fallen out. Only some of the windows were intact, with the rest being boarded up. The town they'd passed through wasn't much better. Ten people had gone missing over the last few months. There were wild rumors floating around about all sorts of ghouls and monsters that could be responsible. Even the possibility of an illegal slavery and prostitution ring had been talked about. The residents had appealed to the crown to do something about it and so a**-turd sent him here. He'd wanted to go on vacation for Bethany's sake but this was far below anything he'd been asking for. This could've been handled by the town watch, even a constable would be too much for this kind of problem. He knew this was just an excuse to send him away. There had been no people in the streets and all of their had their windows shuttered, even with the arrival of a prince. Visby was truly a s**t stain on the map. At one point it had been one of Criaswen's most beautiful little towns but had long since fallen on hard times. Who cared if these people were missing? Why make him and his pregnant wife spend a week in a cramped carriage just to get to this has-been dump in the middle of nowhere?
A hastily dressed elderly man appeared from inside the house and held the door open for them. "Your Highness, welcome! Please, come in and warm yourselves by the fire. I'll see that your luggage is taken care of." Joseph sneered at the man and then proceeded to simply walk past him without giving any further acknowledgement. He helped Bethany inside and scoffed at the condition of the place. Paint was peeling off of the walls and the floor was in bad need of a polish. It smelled like dust, even if it looked cleaner than Elizabeth's wing had been and there were no signs of insects. It looked like it had been cleaned in a hurry for their arrival. An elderly woman dressed as a maid, probably the old man's wife, came up to them and curtsied. She asked if she could get them anything and Joseph replied curtly. "Fetch warm milk for my wife and anything else she wants." He then looked down at Bethany to see what she'd ask for.
---
Mirabelle walked down the stairs with a tune on her lips, carrying a basket full of 'food' for her darling on one hip. She set the basket down and began to twirl her way across the floor. She sang merrily, swishing her skirts back and forth in an attempt to look as dainty and feminine as possible. She thought this would be alluring to her dearest husband and would finally win him over. She was awful at keeping track of time and hadn't noticed that in only a few days their relationship had somehow worsened. She thought things were going well. She'd tried to pull his pants down to see if he had really been a slave. She'd thought that his fake family had scarred his flesh to make him look like one. To keep them apart. But she'd been unable to strip him any further than the first day when she'd ripped his shirts apart. She'd tried to repair them with a needle and thread. While he was wearing them. She hadn't noticed how many times she'd poked him, or how she'd accidentally SEWN his shirt INTO his skin. Didn't clumsiness make a woman look cuter in the eyes of her man anyway? She'd lost her temper, hitting and throwing things at him when he'd refuse to let her do what she wanted or say what she wanted to hear. But she was sure today would be different. The old witch had told her so. Today she had with her a new spell that would surely break the charm on her darling Kenny-bear. A rotten dog's foot with various herbs and a tar-like solution on it. All she had to do was cook it infront of him and make him eat it. Then viola! He would finally be free.
"Oh, darling! I've got another present for you my love!" She finally looked over to the bed where she'd last had him tied down and noticed he wasn't there. "Darling? Are you hiding from me?" She looked around. There were no hiding places in this basement. None. The chamber pot, bath tub and everything else had no walls so she could always know where he was. She screamed, running around and throwing everything around in a desperate search for her missing Kenny-bear. "DARLING! KEN! WHERE ARE YOU?!" She finally looked up and saw that the rusted bars on one of the narrow windows in this basement had been pushed out. The glass was broken. It was already always freezing cold in the basement-a planned cold to convince him to cuddle up with her for warmth-so she hadn't noticed that a window was open. "NOOOOO!" She ran over to the window and pulled herself up to look at it. Her hair and chest were too full to fit through the space. All she could do was look outside desperately in the hopes of seeing him or where he'd gone. "KEN!" She screamed and tried to force herself through the window. This only managed to cut up her chest and rip out some of her hair.
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Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2018 5:23 pm
Rubert was dragging along the poor guard entrusted to walk him around the courtyard, sniffing everywhere before stopping and laying down. He was sad, where was his master? Was he alright? He would save every bone and stick for his master's return, and one of Astrid's shoes. He run forward, towing the guard with him and looking for a cool stick.
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Day by day he had bent the window bar outward, using whatever he could to push it until finally it gave way and he scrambled out, ripping his skin and shirt further before running off. He had to get away, asking anyone for help only to realize that he was in a different country with a language he barely knew. One lady tried to help him, but as she lifted her glasses to her face, she gasped and shoved him away. "Get out of here, you slave!" He hit the ground, landing in a mud puddle as the lady ran off. He had the marks of a slave, no wonder no one would help him. He was tired and hungry, having refused anything Mirabelle gave him in fear of what it might contain. A hand stuck out and he looked up only to freeze in surprise. "Get up, oh my god, whats happened to you? Oh brother, I-I never imagined I'd see you again.." She helped him up, dragging him to where she lived with her parents, their parents. He couldn't believe it, his little sister, the precious thing he never thought he could see, was right in front of him, a beauty in any man's eyes and so well grown that he was happy she still held compassion.
"Mama! Papa! I found Kenneth!" She closed the door behind them, locking it and helping him get dried with a towel. His parents rushed from their area's, surprised, but not happy. "You ran from the Queen? Oh...lucky you found us then." They were more devious in their idea's of helping their 'son' and were inclined to return him if he didn't feel inclined at well to cooperate. "I never expected you to return so soon, did you get anything on that damn Queen? I mean, we only let you go there for information, you got it, right?" They were vultures toward Kenneth who was still trying to even comprehend anything. They...purposely sent him there? Did they plan his older brother's wife to be harassed? His sentence? "N-No... I would never betray the Queen." That turned a sour note, they frowned and motioned one of their personal guards to grab Kenneth from force from his sister. "Lock him in something, he's too filthy to be our son. You! Go to your room, you don't need to see this." The father had the mother take Kenneth's sister away even as she kept telling them to not do anything to him.
It fell on deaf ears as the father stepped forward and punched his ex-son. "Your just a slave, no longer my son, pathetic. How did you get to this country? I'll find your new master, and send you locked in a chest." He got some rope and had the guard help tie him up, being rough and gladly making sure he wouldn't move an inch. The sister was locked in her own room by her mother, she rushed to her desk and scrambled for some paper, the Queen wouldn't let this happen to her property and she needed to save her brother. She climbed out her window, having done it before to avoid her parents ever since they moved here. She found a mail carrier, begging him to get this letter to the border and to be quick.
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Bethany was glad to get out of the castle, upset mainly at the tight carriage and her swollen feet. She had to make several stops for her bladder and morning sickness. The town they passed was creepy and nearly empty, perfect for a haunting! "I hope there are some ghosts here!" She held on to Joseph as he helped her out and she attempted to waddle around, being confined by her waist and his hand to guide her. "Do you have any pie? I love pie." She stayed close to Joseph, holding a hand to her stomach and kind of glad she wouldn't be giving birth at the castle, too many eyes and peoples.
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Posted: Fri Aug 31, 2018 10:43 am
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Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2018 10:55 am
Bethany rolled her eyes at Joseph, sitting on the couch and struggling to get her boots off for her aching feet. "Fine, but you won't convince me they aren't real!" She was relieved when the old woman took her boots off and massaged her feet and calves, eating the pie while she did so. "This place is nice, common, but simple and not so...extravagant like the palace." She knew how much Joseph loved being rich and fancy, having stuff to show off and boast about was his thing.
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Kenneth didn't enjoy his father humiliating him like this, not understanding why he was being treated like...like a slave. When he heard knocking, it stopped his father from putting him in a crate or chest, going to answer the door himself. "Come in, we do have him, I'll gladly take a reward for finding your slave..." He gladly showed the man inside and to where Ken was tied up and gagged, his nose bleeding and a bruise already on his cheek. "You really should keep a tight reign on your master's slave, wouldn't need the constable to deal with him instead." He joked, knowing full well that the constable was a man who enjoying taking slaves from their owners and selling them for as much as he could.
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Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2018 1:41 am
Joseph scowled at her and put his hands on his hips. "Has the pregnancy dulled your brain, woman?! This whole place reeks of dust and we have not even the most basic courtesies here! It's worse than camping! Who knows what diseases this building is hiding! This place should've been condemned. That damned Astrid sent us here because she wants us to die!" He huffed as he finished speaking and then began to pace in front of the fire. He realized that the room was a bit chilly. So he went over to Bethany and with a grunt lifted up the couch she was sitting on. "You've gotten fatter." He complained as he carried the couch over to the fire with her on it. He set it down so that she'd be within a few feet of the fire. A mean look and a growl was all it took from him to get the decrepit old woman to hurry over to resume her massaging of his wife's feet and legs.
"Who knows if this place even has proper plumbing. They're probably filling bathtubs one bucket at a time and still using chamber pots! Besides, it's freezing in here and there's no doctor! This place is so backwards that it's probably a haven for witches. That b***h! She sent us here to be hexed! We're basically being told to die out here and yet you're acting like this is a good thing!"
It was after this that the old man returned. After walking over to them, he bowed. "Highness, you are correct when it comes to our plumbing. However Her Royal Majesty has sent a doctor to live in town. My wife will be attending to you along with our daughter who is unpacking your luggage as we speak. I myself am the town constable and I've been asked to tell you all that I know."
Joseph's mood only worsened to being interrupted by this old man. "You're the constable? You? You look like you're going to die any second now you ******** crone! a**-turd hired you, you say? If you even try to kill us I'll kill you first!" The old man kept his eyes to the ground and asked for permission to speak. It didn't help that Joseph still couldn't manage to grow more than a few little hairs on his chin after weeks of trying to grow a beard and that Bethany was blocking him every time he tried to get laid. She was too far with child to appeal to him and whenever he 'flirted' with a maid she'd appear out of nowhere and hit him with something. Now that they were out in the middle of nowhere he stood no chance of finding a young woman to satiate his lust. He felt less and less like a man lately and it was making him crazy. Once Joseph was done yelling at him, he was given permission to explain what had happened with the town.
"In our letter we informed you that ten people had gone missing and I'm afraid that's no longer accurate. Three more have disappeared since then. The baker, his wife and their neighbor the cobbler were all taken from their homes all in one night. The victims have been young and old. The missing townspeople have only one thing in common: the mess they leave behind. It's as if a storm has gone through their homes. Everything was found to be wet and sticky and everything in their homes was thrown around as if by a powerful wind. There were no fresh footsteps around their homes or property. None of the neighbors heard any noise. Everyone here is afraid and had been locking their doors and windows at night but still people have gone missing. We've searched the woods nearby but have found nothing. This evil is beyond us, Highness. Please, we beg of you to save our town and bring the missing people back." The old man bowed his head and slowly got to his knees. He then put his forehead on the floor, facing Joseph in a begging position in the hopes that the prince would take pity on them.
Joseph sneered at the man and looked over at Bethany. If not for his sister's orders he never would have brought Bethany out to a place like this that stank of dust and decay. The scene described to him made him think it could only be the work of a demon. He was unaware of the mentality and superstitions of the poor. They associated water with the underworld, still clinging to old traditions even in this enlightened age. It didn't help that the town was built within a quarter mile of a large, deep lake.
---
Mirabelle's bodyguard looked down at Ken as if he were looking at a particularly boring dust bunny or piece of dirt. He noted the bruise and bloodied nose but said nothing about them. The man was a plaything for his charge, nothing more. He was sure that in merely a month's time, she will have killed him with 'love.' Perhaps it would take two months for him to die, if he were fortunate enough to cling onto life for so much time. He paid the man the promised sum and a little more for the rope he'd already been tied up with. He simply picked up a length of it and began to pull her 'darling' along behind him. He wasn't as strong as he had been in his youth, but he didn't care enough to untie it's ankles. He didn't care about humiliating it by making it hop behind him or risk falling over onto the icy ground.
---
She grabbed him the moment her bodyguard brought him up to the door. The four-foot-eleven woman hopped up and down with him in her arms and cried loudly. "Darling! Oh, DARLING! How could you run away! I was so scared!" She then tossed him inside and began to stomp on his leg with one of her bare feet. "I was SCARED! Thought you LEFT ME. WHY DID YOU RUN EVEN THOUGH I LOVE YOU SO MUCH?! You're mine! Mine, mine, mine! My husband! My lover! I'M THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE! We're meant to be! YOU CAN'T RUN FROM TRUE LOVE!" She stared at his legs. "If you didn't have those... you couldn't leave." She grabbed a marble bust of some politician from this foreign country and lifted it over her head. She went back to Ken and braced herself to bring it down on his legs with the intention of breaking them. Her bodyguard stepped in. "Your parents will be upset if you destroy that, Milady."
Mirabelle froze as if for a moment regaining some sanity. The bodyguard took the bust and put it back down as she remained stuck in a pre-leg-crushing stance. It took a few seconds for her to come back to reality and then she looked down at him. Angrily, she began to cry. "Why won't it work?! Why won't you ACCEPT your REAL FEELINGS!" She pulled at his bound hands and started to drag him down the basement stairs. She didn't care that she risked bending his arms to an unnatural angle or risking any number of injuries to him by moving him this way. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs, struggling to catch her breath. It was hard work dragging around a fully grown man. Then slowly dragged him over to the fireplace. She grabbed the basket which contained the rotten dog's foot with various herbs and a tar-like solution on it.
She picked up a cauldron and set it inside before dropping the dog's foot inside. She poured a special liquid all over it and then dropped to the floor to cuddle Ken. "I've finally found it, my darling Kenny-bear. The solution to break the spell and return you to me!" She didn't care that his bound hands were underneath her and being driven into her stomach by her own weight. Nor that this was also probably hurting him more, considering he'd gone without eating or drinking for days now. She was only thinking of her longing to hear him say those wonderful words to her again. To be able to spend the rest of their lives together was her dream. He'd been so charming when they'd first met at the Princess' birthday celebration. So sweet and swift on his feet. His smile gave her thrills and she felt as if her whole body was on fire. The witch had to have been right when she'd told her she'd meet her destined one on that trip! She knew it and he'd even admitted it when she'd found him at the inn! She just had to get him to say it again, to break the spell and then finally they could be together!
---
Astrid was in her study, surrounded by scrolls and various other papers which needed her attention. She'd sent Egbert to fetch her sister. She had orders for Victoria. With her soft-of-the-heart-and-head fiancé missing all that she wanted to do was arm herself and go out to find him. The more time passed, that harder it had been to focus on anything else. She hated being stuck in a position of waiting, more than she'd thought she would. That hatred could rival the way he used to make her feel every time she would catch him taking punishment to protect another or when he would try to manipulate her to get something he wanted. When he did that, he often did so to gain something for someone else. It was infuriating. This was a different feeling but just as unpleasant and work was her only available outlet. With the attacks on her mother and youngest sibling, she decided it was time to send young Victoria off on a diplomatic mission.
Hector's behavior had only grown stranger. He'd even yelled at their young twin cousins for not caring about Ester's death. He didn't understand that the death of their mother was more of a crushing blow. The relationship between their aunt and her children was completely alien to him. He was isolating himself and spending too much time in Elizabeth's wing, which bothered those tasked with cleaning and fixing it up for him. The once cheerful, friendly and outgoing Hector was now like a stranger to her. Since he'd regained the ability to walk in her absence, she no longer intended to shun him but he was hardly ever present. She had no time to hunt him down to speak with him either. For these reasons and more she needed to get him out of the castle. He was causing too many problems. Perhaps a change of scenery would help him to get his mind off of his twin's death. So, she'd task Victoria with keeping an eye on him and Hector with escorting Victoria he would in turn keep an eye on her. She continued to work as she waited, having no time to spare.
---
With gloved hands the spy dug through the snow and pulled aside burnt corpses of a pile left in the yard of Blackwolf Hall. He was dressed in a loose-fitting wool tunic, with a thick and high collared shirt underneath it. Thick tights covered his legs and cloth boots were belted up to his knees. A simple wool headwrap kept long disheveled brown hair out of his face and his head warm. His clothing was warm but obviously cheap and patched in several places. He looked very commonplace but obviously of a lower class than the kind who served nobility. He'd accompanied the royal advisor and several units of soldiers here but wasn't meant to be involved in the war. Prince Erwin knew who he was as Vít had served both him and his brother the king as a spy.
He'd continued to work on his previous mission until the new queen had him reassigned to secretly protect a margrave. These lands had only just reclaimed this land which allowed him to finally get his investigation started. He'd searched the badly burnt skeleton of the house as well as the grounds and found some clues. But nothing significant enough to tell him where his charge had been taken. So, here he was. Digging through a pile of dead bodies in the hopes that there would be something damning left behind. He stepped back a moment as he uncovered the body of a tall man. It was mostly bones with charred remains clinging to it, but had a little hair sticking out of it. Knowing that it could be Margrave Ailean, he handled the corpse with more care. He was surprised to see that the underside of the corpse was still fairly... fleshy. Considering how burnt every other body was.
After moving it he discovered that the body underneath had for the most part survived the fire. The face wasn't spared, but the rest of the body had for the most part been untouched by the flames. He wasted no time in searching the clothes. He didn't hesitate to pull the pockets out or undress the corpse. He wasn't bothered by the stench of decay and smoke, nor the frozen appearance of pale dead flesh underneath the clothes. He found a small folded paper between the man's shirts and pulled it out.
Blackwolf Hall. One o'clock. Keep it to yourself.
Quint
Vít continued to riffle through the man's clothes and found his coin purse hidden inside his pants. The gold was the highest quality of coin, used only by the archduke and royalty. Mainly because they were the only ones who were allowed to use it, due to their high rank. His search uncovered a few more small details but this evidence was enough to notify the queen before he moved on to the next step of his investigation. He whistled, then after removing his gloves took a quill and inkpot out of his pocket. A small dove flew over and landed on top of one of the corpses next to him. He scribbled down a message for the queen conveying what he'd uncovered. He blew on the ink to help it dry faster before he rolled it up and attached it to the bird's leg. The bird was trained to always return to the castle. He wouldn't see it again for a while and would have to use some other means of contacting the queen for the next message.
He climbed out of the pile of corpses and pulled a long pipe out of another pocket. It was already loaded with his preferred blend of poisons. He lit it and stuck it in his mouth as he went over to the stables.
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Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2018 11:41 pm
She seemed to become a bit...flustered at Joseph's insults towards her, how dare he talk to his wife like that? The mother of his only child? A warrior? "For a man who loves battle and war, and fighting, you complain about not having fluffy pillows, a lot. You stop complaining about where we are staying and help these people and I'll let you pick the prettiest woman of my choice to have sex with all night." She bribed him, but wouldn't let some woman prettier than her take her spot. She laid back, adjusting to be comfortable and nearly there when Joseph moved the couch closer to the fire and she grumbled at his further insults. "Joseph, if I could get up without help right now, I would gladly prevent you from fathering anymore children if you continue to call me fat." She threatened, cringing and rubbing her stomach, exhausted from the trip.
---------
Ken laid there, refusing to cry as his nose bled and as everyone stared at him like he was a object to be traded and sold. Sold...his father wanted the gold offered for his own son and he never felt this kind of feeling before, being sold as a slave. He hadn't been bought the first time, he had been arrested and sentenced, it was different and he had been blessed with survival and luck. He shook his head as the old man grabbed his rope and got him on his feet to pull forward. It took a lot of shaking to get the rag from his mouth and he felt like he could breath better.
"Let me go! I'm not yours to trade around!" He tried to walk, little steps, little bounces and then laughter from people who saw him. Some offered prices to the old man, walking away frustrated when they were ignored. It hurt. Hurt more than him slipping on a small puddle of ice and landing hard on his shoulder. The old man didn't stop, dragging him until Ken was able to return to his feet and continue to hop or stumble. He struggled more as they reached the house, fearing it was his destination, unable to pull the rope free or untie himself this time.
Mirabelle ran to him and seemed so excited he was back, almost like a normal Lady. The she pulled him past her and he stumbled, hitting the marble ground hard and it wasn't even the worst. She stomped on one of his legs with her bare foot and even if she was a small woman, she was pissed off and he felt like it wouldn't end until she spoke again. "No!" He curled up, fearing the bust until the bodyguard took it away and acted like the bust was more important than a human. He was scared, she grabbed at the rope around his hands, pulling him down the staircase that led to his imprisonment again. Kenneth could only squirm and cry out as the stairs were hitting his back, ribs, wherever he tried to turn to avoid injury. His arms hurt by the end of it, she was out of breath, but he was starving, thirsty and cold. The only blessing he seemed to receive was being pulled towards the fire place.
The she laid on him like some kind of cushion. "Don't want it. I'm not going to stop escaping, screw off." He grumbled, trying to head butt her again but she was on his back where his hands were tied and pushing into various scars, bruises and possible wounds. "I don't want to see your ugly face anymore, I don't even want to hear you!" He set his face down, his nose clotted with blood and just wanting to rest, unable to do so with her near him. "Astrid..." He only thought of her, regretting having to be the one that needed saving.
---------
Victoria was asked to visit Astrid, oh how her dear sister must be feeling with the news of Blackwolf hall being attacked. She knocked on the door, opening it slowly to see her sister distracted at her desk. "Sister, Egbert said you requested me? What do you need? Has there been news of Kenneth?" She watched Egbert hide himself like any slave would, deciding to stand near Astrid and hope for any good news.
--------
Erwin and the soldiers had reclaimed the Margrave's lands, it was easy and he took any prisoner he could to interrogate. Ugly, heavily outfitted mercenaries, no leader in sight, but enough to torture and sell. He rode his horse around Blackwolf hall, frowning at the sight of such a fortress half burnt, piles of bodies having been charred or set in piles to be charred. "No leader yet, but we got a few captives if you wish to...talk to them. They are at the stables." He pointed toward a barely intact stables, surrounded by some of his men. "Enjoy yourself and have some fun, One of my men are reporting some hassle at the border near here, I'll be back in a day or so." He turned the horse and left, following any leads he could while Vit did his own investigation.
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Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2018 2:45 am
Joseph resumed his pacing, shut up by the promise of satisfying his lust with a pretty girl. He was torn between believing her and thinking that she was just going to hit him for it if he actually tried. "It's the truth! You're constantly eating!" As the old woman started to speak up for the very pregnant Bethany, Joseph snapped at her. "Shut up! You over there, keep talking." He said, leaning against a wall next to the fire and then crossing his arms over his chest. He listened to the old man explain in more detail who the missing people were and that they all seemed to disappear in the night. There had been nothing else unusual. He then sent the elderly couple away and went over to his wife. He helped her get to her feet, fearing that carrying her like he normally would risked harming the baby.
"I'll take you upstairs, but I'm not letting you sleep on the bed if it's ******** disgusting." Of course, he had no idea where he was going. But, it wasn't a large house and in no time he'd found the stairs. He helped her up and after some searching found the nicest bedroom in the place which was obviously made up for them. It contained two small wardrobes for their clothing, two twin mattresses pushed together inside of one large plain wooden bedframe, a washbasin on a high stand, a chest at the foot of the bed for their belongings, a small couch by the wall and near the fireplace was an open door which lead into another room. Just from a distance one could see a very plain looking baby's crib, an arm chair next to it and that there were a few other small pieces of furniture in the room. He left her for a moment to pull up the sheets and inspect the material of the mattresses. It was sub-par but he didn't see any bugs or smell anything other than the stale fragrance of the house.
He helped her over to the bed and lifted her legs to get her under the covers. Then went over to the fireplace to lit a fire. The room was fairly cold. As he was doing that, a middle-aged woman knocked on the door and brought in a tray which held the piece of pie and warm milk they'd left downstairs. With permission from Bethany, she brought it over and set it on the nightstand beside her. She asked is there was anything else she could get for them before leaving.
---
Mirabelle's eyes shot open and she clutched tightly onto his bruised and wounded shoulders. "The devil--You've got the devil inside of you--It's the devil. The devil. Devil, devil, go away." She sat her hips on top of his lower back, with her legs on either side of him and then tried to turn him around by his shoulders to face her. She started to scream, consumed with a mad rage which she didn't fully understand. When trying to flip him around like this failed, she balled up her fists and began to beat his back like a drum. "DEVIL, DEVIL, GO AWAAAAAAAY! DEVIL, DEVIL, GO AWAAAY!" She wasn't very strong, but his back was already permanently damaged from the previous year and few months of abuse before he was made into a free man. His scars ran deep and would always cause him some degree of pain. None of this she knew. She just kept hitting him, not caring about the few still healing gashes on his back, the stab wound on his arm, the numerous little cuts, large bruises and patches of exposed skin which had been made raw from him having been dragged over slick ice.
She stopped hitting him after a while and opened her hands up. She dug her fingers into the side of his face and desperately tried to turn his head around so she could look at him. Why wouldn't he look at her?! She began screaming again when this too failed to work. "NOOOO! Won't leave! WON'T LEAVE! GET OUT! GET OOUUUT! EEEEVIIIIIIIL!" She began to dig her fingernails into his back as in a manic state she believed she could grab hold of the evil inside of him and rip it out. It was at this time that her bodyguard made another appearance, along with a pair of maids. He came down the stairs and calmly walked over to her. He stood close, but far enough away to avoid getting any blood on him. "Milady, your parents will be arriving in two hours. I suggest you tidy yourself. We must hide those scratches on your chest." This brought Mirabelle's fit to a stop again. She understood through all of her madness that she needed her parents. No man would marry her, that is why she went to the witch in the first place and why she had been allowed to attend the princess' ball.
Her parents were the only barrier between them and poverty. She was breathing heavily from all of her efforts and in a daze she let herself be pulled up to her feet. She was walked out by the two maids, mumbling to herself and panting the whole time. The bodyguard glanced at the mess she'd left behind on the floor. It had scratches all over its body and bruises were beginning to appear anywhere its flesh was visible. Its clothing was completely disgusting and in absolute tatters. Clearly, it was not capable of intelligent thought. What could it have hoped to achieve going outside looking like it did? It was still tied up by the hands and feet. He could hear its ragged breathing. "What a nuisance." He said before turning and leaving the basement. He sent down a spit boy from the kitchen to go and clean up the floor.
The spit boy actually looked to be about twenty years old. He took one look at Ken then decided to fill up the bathtub with lukewarm water, forcibly undress the weaker man and tossed him in it so he could clean up the floor and burn Ken's clothing. The tub wasn't very deep so he didn't untie the binds, since it wouldn't be too difficult for the man to keep himself from drowning in that level of water. All that would be left for Ken to wear would be a few cheaply made and loose women's underwear and dresses. All had been made for Mirabelle to wear which meant that they would be too short for a man of Ken's height.
---
Astrid's quill snapped in her hands as she Tory's voice. She looked over to her young sister and forced a small and polite smile to her features. Due to them still being in a period of mourning for their father, neither of them were permitted to wear makeup and they were both still dressing in all white clothes to show their sorrow. Because of this, Astrid couldn't hide the dark circles under her eyes or the few little veins showing through her skin by the sides of her face, with makeup. Her nerves were thin but if she had the use of makeup she would be able to hide all signs of wear and worry. She set the broken quill down and wiped her hands on a nearby cloth. Then stood and walked Tory away from her desk and over to a couple of chairs by the window. A warm pot of tea, two dainty tea cups and some small snacks were already over there waiting for them. "I apologize for calling for you at this hour, Tory. I'm afraid there is something urgent I must discuss with you."
She poured her sister a cup of tea, then herself and lightly set the pot back down on the table. She took a sip of it to try to calm herself, breathing in the rich aroma. She didn't wish to speak about Kenneth to Victoria. She hardly wanted to think about him right now. Worries over his safety and the desire to go out and find him were burdening her thoughts right now. She knew that she had to accept his inability to protect himself. But she had to trust in him to do everything he could to try. She was completely buried in work thanks to the invasion at the border. She only had herself to blame. If only she had tried to persuade her father and uncle to select a different family for him it would not have left the border's protection so weak. The more she learned about the state of the border, the more she was convinced that she never have left it up to an old man and Kenneth. "I suppose I must..." She said calmly after taking a moment to consider whether or not she would tell Victoria what she knew about Kenneth's situation. "I know only what you know, Victoria. Our Uncle has by the grace of God pushed back the Vriddeotus army to the border. There is no sign of Kenneth or Uncle Ailean."
She sighed and set her cup down before folding her hands one on top of the other upon her lap. She glanced over at Egbert and noticed that he seemed quite disappointed by this lack of news. She sighed again, rather heavily this time. Now he only pretended to understand Crias when it involved Ken. If not for her betrothed's wishes for her slave and his wife and child, she would have gotten rid of him by now. For all of his trouble he certainly was useless. As Queen she was entitled to have up to four slaves. "We must continue to wait and put our faith in god and the royal advisor. Whether Kenneth survived or was killed, Uncle Erwin will find him. However, this is not the reason I've called you here. Tory, I'm sending you and Hector to Lacero province to represent the crown. There are problems there with the peasantry and the Fyodorov's are failing to resolve them. They are one of a few provinces largely responsible for providing wool to our royal servants for their clothing, among other highly demanded resources. I am unable to go myself and can not send Hector alone."
She leaned forward to place a hand on her sister's shoulder and attempted to make eye contact with her. "I understand that you might not wish to go anywhere with him due to how strange his behavior has been of late. However he can not go alone and there is no one else capable of handling this job. The goods which come from Lacero are quite important to the peasantry and with Vriddeotus at our border it is essential to keep things working. I am aware that this will be... uncomfortable for you. However, if you succeed, I will grant you permission to spend the remainder of your engagement in Caritas with your fiancé." It was technically an order but Astrid was trying to be polite with it, since Tory seemed such a delicate girl. She thought the younger woman would jump on the opportunity to get out of Criaswen and away from so much death. She only knew Tory to be a frivolous and idealistic girl, after all. Count Fyodor Fyodorov, a young man of twenty-three and the only surviving member of the Fyodorov family, was notorious for doing anything for a pretty face. With the authority of the crown backing Tory, Astrid knew the man wouldn't try anything but would be more easily persuaded by a charming and confident beauty like Victoria.
---
Vít bowed to the prince and waited out of respect for him to take his leave before he continued on his way to the stables. He adjusted the pipe in his mouth, puffing out smoke which would was so toxic it would make any ordinary man puke his guts out. He spent an hour carefully interviewing the surviving mercenaries. The men weren't very loyal to their leader, giving out his name and location fairly quickly. The spy left a message for Erwin with one of the soldiers which told him where he was headed next and the other information he'd uncovered. This included the locations the bandits had illegally taken the people and riches of Blackwolf Hall to be sold should the honorable prince choose to pursue that impossible task. He readied his horse and swiftly departed for the tavern the bandit known as Quint frequented.
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Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2018 12:41 pm
Bethany grumbled, attempting to reach one of her boots to throw at him, unable to do so and deciding it best to lay back with a pout. "I'm eating for two people here, and it's not like your one to talk about eating a lot." She stood with his help, groaning at his complaint before getting up the stairs and finding their room and a suitable bed which she gladly went for. "Your still complaining, I guess you don't need sex." She smirked, knowing full well it would piss him off but get what she wanted. She waved the young lady over, letting her set the items down before looking her up and down. "You don't look married yet, are you? How old are you?" The girl was ugly to Bethany's standard.
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Ken screamed at her to stop, that he had no devil in him, but she just kept hitting his back, clawing his body and digging her nails in his face. He kept his face away from her, keeping it turned even as her nails went into trying to bring it to her. Even without food or water for days, he refused to show how weak he was in front of her, maybe due to Astrid's intense training of him, but he could handle her. She was nothing he hadn't endured before, and he would try to survive if anything until he could escape again or be found. He heard that bodyguard again, turning his face to him and failing to spit at his shoes. "L-Let me go..." He whispered, breathing was tough right now. If anything, he had hope at the sight of a spit boy, only to be lifted and undressed then tossed into a basin of barely warm water. He protested weakly, curling up and setting his forehead on his cold knees. His back burned, the water washing away dirt, blood and mud from falling in the streets. "P-Please, let...me go." He begged the spit boy to release his binds, the rope was tight enough to hurt and he long since lost that sense of pain.
He stared at the spit boy, being ignored like an object so he decided to try and climb out himself. Leaning just a bit over the basin, attempting to climb out with no limbs was difficult and he only managed to tip the whole basin over, spewing water toward where the spit boy had just cleaned. It had made the area to be cleaned even larger.
------
Victoria sat at her seat, drinking the tea like any delicate woman would while listening. She understood her sister didn't like the topic of Kenneth right now, deciding it best left alone until good news arrived. "A man who has lost his wife is a powerful enemy, our Uncle will reclaim our land and add more to it in honor of his late wife and the attack on Blackwolf hall." She listened further, becoming startled at her request for Victoria to settle a dispute in Lacero, having visited it rarely. "Deal, when do I leave?" She continued to sip her tea, already thinking of which dresses she would pack, which slave to bring, and how to charm this Count. She would also write a letter swiftly to her fiance in hopes of him becoming excited to see her again.
------
The tavern was full, mercenaries with full purses, rogues who could barely stand anymore. Quint was in the corner, drinking heavily and buying rounds for everyone. "Ya' should of seen it! The maids were delicious and we screwed every night since then, oh boy, one tried to escape and I sold 'er off to some farmer! Damn that prince though...he took my new fortress back and killed lots o' my men!" He dumped another mug down his throat. One of his men asked a few questions, having not been there at the time. "Boss, shouldn't ya' be a bit quiet? The crown is still looking for the Margrave and his son, ya know, the one you sold?" He was the youngest member, barely reaching 15 and more of an errand boy than anything. "Bah, to hell with the crown, I'll take her down next!" An hour later, almost everyone was passed out in the tavern, even Quint. The young boy was the only one awake, searching for any left over gold from them for himself.
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Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2018 4:58 pm
"Too much is bad for the baby--You remember what the doctor said? You keep eating like that and it'll get stuck inside you and you'll die. And I may eat a lot but I don't get fat!" He was tempted to rip his shirts off right then and there to show off his muscles. But he didn't, since he had to get the room warmed up for Bethany. For all of his complaining, he was making sure she was taken care of. As she started talking to the middle-aged woman he turned to look at her. He then scowled and threw a log at her. It hit her in the side which knocked her over. "Get the hell out of here! I'm not ******** a b***h who's old enough to be my mother! You've lost your ******** mind, woman!" He shouted at Bethany, losing his temper as the woman scrambled to get out of the room.
---
The spit boy turned around as he heard the tub fall over and let out an audible groan at the sight he was greeted with. Water all over the floor and their abductee's naked a**. <******** sake, man. Can't you cut me a break?" He muttered, annoyed that now he had more mess to clean up. His co-workers in the kitchen were expecting him to come back any minute now too! He'd never hear the end of this. He'd probably lose any chance for promotion too because of this guy. All because he wanted to show a bit of kindness by giving the man a chance to wash up. He picked up some towels and got to work soaking up the water on the floor. He left the naked guy naked on the freezing cold floor until he'd gotten the rest of the water up and had to move him. Then dropped one of the dirty towels he'd been using over him and rolled him in it. He pushed him to the side until he could get that spot of floor wiped up. Then once again filled up the tub and dropped him inside of it. The water was barely room temperature and in the cold of the basement it was losing its warmth rapidly. "Stay put this time." He was tired, annoyed and needed to get back to work. So he decided to just loosen the guy's binds if it would keep him from causing trouble.
He tossed a bar of soap at his master's plaything and waited a few minutes before helping the guy get out, dried and into... a pair of women's pantaloons. He pushed the shorter man over to the bed and re-tied the rope to one of the bed posts. He was a lot kinder about it than anyone else had been, giving enough length that the obviously freezing man could fully curl up under the blankets if he wanted to. This was unintentional, as was how loose he'd made the ropes around Ken's hands. He'd tossed the rope that had been around his feet into the fire to burn. Then cleaned up the tub and hurried off to go resume his duties.
---
"A day from now, in the afternoon. I have arranged for a carriage and prepared an allowance for you if you wish to purchase new things for the trip. Select what you wish to bring with you. Just don't forget that Hector will be accompanying you, Tory." She mentioned pointedly, a bit concerned about sending him with her. But she'd already decided it would be for the best. There was no alternative. He was too much of an embarrassment at this point and she couldn't allow him to be sent to do anything alone lest he shame their family in some way.
---
The hour was late when he finally arrived at the tavern he'd been told to go to. He glanced at the scene through a window, raising a brow at the sight of so many men and women passed out. He took note of the teenage pick pocket and decided it best to keep the element of surprise. He didn't want the kid disturbing any of them. That would complicate this and time was against him. He searched for an unlocked window or back door and entered the building secretly. He suffocated the cook, gagging him and binding his legs together. Then he locked him in a broom closet. It would be best if he could avoid killing any of these men until the royal advisor could deal with them. Oh, how the people of Criaswen loved their public executions. He then crept up behind the boy as he was counting the coins he'd looted. He covered the kid's mouth and swiftly used one leg to unbalance him. He pressed a knife into the kid's back before he had time to react. "Do as I say or I'll gut you like a pig." He dragged the kid into the kitchen and tied him up. He tied the kid's arms behind his back, around the hot pipe of the stove. Then shoved a dirty cloth into the kid's mouth and secured it behind his head before leaving to go secure the drunks.
A little effort and a lot of rope, most of which they already had, and he'd tied all of them up to various heavy things in the room. The one sitting at the best table, with one hand down the blouse of a bar maid, stood out as being the leader. The guy was surrounded by empty bottles and stank of beer and piss. He tied him up too, like the others but instead dragged him into the kitchen. He shoved him into the closet with the cook. It was a bit difficult, considering the side of both men but he managed. Then turned his attention the kid. He crouched down in front of him, smiling a bit as he saw the fear in his eyes. "You have questions. They aren't important. You'll answer what I ask you and keep your voice down, or I'll get creative here with the cook's tools. Nod if you understand." He held up a rather large looking metal spoon, not afraid of getting messy if he had to use it to make the kid talk. If he complied, he'd remove the gag to let him speak. If he tried to yell, Vít would make that spoon disappear.
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Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2018 10:08 pm
Bethany groaned, that doctor practically put her on a diet, the only treat she was allowed was a whole pie to keep her happy. "Hmph, fine, then when your done, go find a pretty woman in town and screw her!" She pouted, those emotions controlling her anger and sadness. Why did she have to fall for him? Get pregnant by him? She winced at her stomach again, the doctor said something about contractions but it was too early to give birth. "Joseph, you should get the doctor in the morning, to make sure the baby is fine." She already felt fat, stealing most of the blankets at night and pillows.
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Kenneth shivered, realizing it was warmer in the tub than on the floor and embarrassing to be seen like such. "Not like I can move..." He mumbled, being rolled up and put off to the side. The towel was dirt but was warming him up until the spit boy set him back in the newly filled but less warm tub. He stared at the soap, what was he suppose to do? Clean wounds he couldn't see? It got worse as he was lifted out and dressed into a woman's underwear. He closed his eyes, seeming to sleep from how tired he was, waking up to an empty basement except objects. He was hungry, and cold but his feet were free from rope and his hands loosened to where he got them out and tried to stand. He fell quickly, realizing one of his ankles was sprained and both were weak from being held so tightly together. He tugged at the blanket, pulling it off and wrapping himself in it before slowly moving towards the fire to get some heat from it. He heard a door open and hid his face in the blanket, clothes were set down and he waited until they left before poking his head out. Why would someone leave clothes for him? He grabbed at them and realized they were just a pair of underwear, pants and a shirt, nothing special. At least he would be decent though.
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The kid gathered what he could, going to a empty table to sort out his findings and prepared to hide it away. He stuck the coins in a bag on his belt, getting up and taking a step back until a hand came out and covered his mouth, stumbling him and pointing a knife to his back. He became frightened, being dragged to the kitchen and sitting down to be tied up to the hot pipe the stove used. He was gagged and curled up with his knees up to his chin in hopes the man wouldn't leave him like this. If he got caught with this gold AGAIN, the boss would hurt him like the last errand boy. He watched the man drag the boss and get him into a tight closet, squirming a bit as he got closer and crouched down to him. This man knew he was afraid, and frankly the boss didn't pay him enough to keep information safe. He nodded, softly, getting the gag out of his mouth. "I-I'll tell you anything, j-just don't hurt me..." He whispered, trying to be quiet so the man didn't use the spoon on him.
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Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2018 8:28 am
A few days later... An elderly maid walked down the stairs into the basement, carrying supplies for wound care. Her face was wrinkled and sagging. She'd only been hired yesterday and in truth, living like this was a pain in the a**. The disguise was thorough and tedious. If his charge were being held hostage in Criaswen it would be a simple matter of freeing him. For now even though he had finally found the man he'd been sent to protect things had gotten more complicated. Kenneth appeared to be ill. He was weak and when the shorty and busty lunatic wasn't dragging him around he was always in a daze. Vít's arrival had been too late to prevent the father of said lunatic from attempting to murder Ken. He had heard everything second hand from the other staff, who seemed couldn't resist the desire to gossip. The young lunatic had gotten into a heated argument with her parents over their unwilling guest. The parents couldn't agree on what to do. The mother wanted to return him with the hope of gaining favor from the crown. The father wanted to get rid of him immediately, by whatever means necessary. The daughter insisted on marrying him. There was even talk of witchcraft being involved. It would be quite scandalous back home.
After a lot of shouting the father ran down the stairs and very dramatically began to try throttling Ken. His hands were too fat and Ken's neck too thin, so that failed. He started to beat Ken with his fists and then the chamber pot the young Margrave had been using. Ken protected his vital areas from this, which frustrated the father. He threatened to leave Ken exposed to the weather or to feed him to the wolves outside of the city. His wife and daughter's hysterics and Ken's status made that impossible. He then tried to hold Ken's head inside of a burning fire, but Mirabelle tackled him and ultimately that saved his life. But the young man wasn't so fortunate as to avoid a little bit of burning. His face had only been burnt a little bit and looked like it would heal. Mainly his eyes, throat and lungs would be in poor shape from the smoke and heat. But it was anyone's guess which one of those attacks reduced his charge to this state. Vít's disguise was an elderly widow looking for work, who had also been a nurse in her prime. It was a decent excuse for him to be down here tending to Ken's injuries.
He'd sent word by carrier pidgeon to an outpost, which in turn would communicate news of Kenneth's location to the queen. Due to their location in a foreign country and a lack of resources they were both forced to wait for further instruction. As an old woman he slowly made his way over to the curled up figure sitting in front of the fire place. He set his basket down and very slowly and unsteadily got down onto his knees to give the impression that his joints were hurting him. He raised a fat, wrinkled hand to brush the hair out of Ken's face and gave him a smile. "Dear boy, can you hear me? It's time to clean your injuries. If you do as I say I'll sneak you a cookie from the kitchen. What do you say, hm? Sound nice?" His voice was soft and fair, like a woman's. He'd been trained all of his life to be a spy for the crown and was able to portray a wide range of voices. He'd also met enough old ladies to be familiar with the bossy yet kindly way some of them could be.
---
 Hector peered out the window of the carriage he was traveling in with his sister, Victoria. The sky was too bright and the sun's beams reflecting off of the pure white snow on rolling hills was unbearable.
Why was it that the world was still so full of color? A pure and honest girl like Ester had been killed in cold blood for a selfish and stupid reason. How could the world continue on in this unchanged way? It was an injustice and he wouldn't stand for it. He'd been interrupted in his studies. He'd hidden the books in plain sight and as for dear Ester she was safe and sound in an unknown passage he knew of within in his old rooms. The cold and the potions he'd purchased would keep her preserved until he could resume his work.
The interruption was only temporary. He ignored the rest of the world and opened a journal upon his lap. He began to jot down very vague notes which reflected his thoughts. He didn't answer anything Victoria said to him and didn't care about it either. She never said anything important anyway.
His concentration was only broken when the carriage came to a stop. A look outside told him they'd arrived at their destination. A meager problem meant to boost Victoria's ego and get them both out of the castle. There was no need for both of them to be here. The castle was a lot smaller than the one they were accustomed to but still quite large and beautiful. It was surrounded by a moat and behind high walls and archer towers which had kept it protected against several onslaughts in the past. A rather rough and regal looking young man came out of the castle and Hector couldn't hide his contempt. If this fool had simply done his job, they wouldn't be here now. There was no need for any of this. "Welcome, welcome! It is my honor to receive you, Your Highness Prince Hector and Princess Victoria! Please, come inside! I have a warm lunch ready and waiting for you, my treasured guests!"
---
After receiving the message from her spy, Astrid moved quickly to arrest and imprison her brother Arric. Victoria and Hector did not have access to such funds and with how well-thought out the abduction was it was obvious that Joseph was not capable of executing it. The Archduke and his family had no motivation to damage a large stretch of Criaswen's border. It could only have been Arric. As soon as she received word of where Kenneth was, she could no longer force herself to put her work first. In a matter of hours, her carriage was prepared and her ambassador was rushed to the foreign country Ken was being held in so that he could deal with the formalities. She traveled with an armed force as well as her knights and maids. She was gathering more soldiers near the border, ready to invade immediately if the King and Queen of the smaller country would not submit to her will. She had sent demands for the members of the Claymoore family to be captured and returned to Criaswen for judgment. She also demanded the heads of Kenneth's mother and father, his sister only being spared based on the report of her spy. She waited in the carriage impatiently, sheathed rapier and dagger resting upon her lap. She was dressed for war, her outfit tailored with only the finest materials of course.
Her maids, seated across from her, were visibly uncomfortable. This was most likely due to how open she was being about her emotions right now. She was enraged. Ready to raise that entire country in order to seek vengeance against the fools who would dare to interfere with her country and her secret fiancé. She knew of Ken's poor condition and that only added to her anger. She didn't care that she was behaving inappropriately for a queen. No one person had ever meant as much to her as Kenneth did now, even if she couldn't believe him when he'd told her it was mutual. She would arrive in the offending kingdom within the next twelve hours at the latest.
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