Welcome to Gaia! ::

(just so this isn't forgotten)

The night was winding down, with the main event over, more and more guests were retiring to their rooms or taking their leave via the complementary carriages waiting outside the front entrance. There were no horses to be seen, each was powered by a magic spell. Lunette dutifully stood by the door to thank each guest for their attendence, while Aislinn lounged iin her chair with a large group of admirers. A packed suitcase rested on the floor near her feet.

(Spoof should Damien and Dios leave for the ball?)

The palace was much quieter than usual, the coronation had taken place a few days hence and people were still sleeping off their hangovers. She smiled to herself, it was good to be home. Her strange man hadn't spoken a word during their journey, he seemed to be conserving his strength and while he was pale and shaking from blood loss, he seemed to be holding up well. Remarkably well as a matter of fact, judging by the amount of blood he had either coughed or thrown up in the last day or so he should be close to death, but he even managed to walk himself to the door with only minor assistance.

The two guards by the door each took one of his arms, ignoring the blood that dribbled all over their crisp uniforms. She noted with some embarrassment that the only thing he wore was a tattered and bloodstained blanket that did little to preserve his modesty. Their knowing smiles, and little winks made her flush bright red. She probably could have scrounged up something for him to wear before they left.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hael allowed himself to be led upstairs and into a small apartment with fresh sheets and a magnificent view. Little did his little mortal know, she had just returned the Dark Lord to his kingdom. He would have to thank her for that, thoroughly, later on. She came in a few moments later with a boxom young woman with very unusual gold and silver hair. It was rather attractive actually. They both looked very concerned, and his little mortal was shedding waves of sweet despair. He licked his lips again, savoring his meal, he had been siphoning off her emotions for days now.

"Can you heal him Ash?" his little mortal questioned the newcomer, wringing her hands nervously, "His lung has been punctured."
The woman appraised him thoughtfully, " He dosn't look as though his lung has been punctured Alura, he's much to strong for that if it happened when you say it did, he shouldn't even be conscious right now. Nevertheless I can think of no other explanation judging by his bruising..."
The mortal called 'Ash' ran her cold fingers over his painfully swollen chest, her fingernails were long and tinted black, a black widow then. She would never heal him if she knew what he was, who he was.
"I can have him as good as new by tomorrow," she decided finally.

Guen appeared through the portal and began her walk up to the castle to see if she could possibly sneek a peek at the Queen Lunette.

Aislinn lounged on her throne in the receiving room, her shapely legs draped over an armrest lazily, twirling a golden curl with her fingers and thinking. She was beginning to regret saving Hael. Even his name struck a warning cord deep within her body, lately he had been parading through the corridors like he owned the place, which was irritating, but no one had ever shown him around the palace. He just knew....
He had compromised her spy network and was receiving at least as much information about the surrounding kingdoms as her and Lunette, and he had every woman at court absolutely fawning at his feet. It was sickening.

She heard footsteps echoing up the corridor and promptly assumed a more dignified posture. It was him. "What might I do for you Lord Hael" she purred in honeyed tones. Her stomach flipped the moment their eyes locked, he was wearing a suit of jointed black armor engraved with alien looking silver symbols, it was rather crude but he looked stunning, as usual.

He didn't answer her question, but instead began circling her throne with a strange expression, for all the world like a predator stalking his prey. She swallowed heavily, tucking a golden lock behind one tapered ear, she had a feeling this was not going to end well.

--------------Later that evening---------------------------------------------

Lunette sat at her desk in a gauzy white nightdress, her fall of silvery blonde hair cascading down her back in a fall of loose ringlets. Her expression was very serious as she flipped through some reports, they were rather bland lately. It was as though someone had sifted through the information already and then handed over the leftovers. It was incredibly frustrating, she would have to speak with Aislinn about it in the morning, perhaps she knew what was going on.

Behind her, the door slid open on silent hinges, and Hael stepped through the doorway.

Lune jumped about a foot when Hael, very nonchalantly, kicked the door shut. The was a little snick as the lock slid into place. She turned slowly, her wide green eyes gazing up at him with confusion. "Hush now," he murmured, "screaming will do you no good so you might as well save your voice." He approached slowly, sensually, and leaned in to gently nibble the base of her neck. A small sigh escaped her lips as an agreeable tingle surged down her spine leaving her limp in his arms

TBC