|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 5:59 am
+Before the Memories+
He should have been back home, but where was home? He didn't have a clue and that made a sense of ice cold fear trickle into the clouded mind of the ginger-haired butterfly as he stumbled through the forest. Where was he? What was he? and better yet, who was he? Soft pink lips tried to form words, but he couldn't, why couldn't he speak?? Oh, he didn't know what to say or even how to say it.
'why am I hurt?' His hands gripped the shredded right sleeve of what must have once been some type of regalia, eyes confused as he came into contact with the thick blood that was seeping out of the deep gash there. His bare feet carried him unsteadily through the forest, not aware of what it held or where it was, nor of what was dangerous or safe. This just was.
It must have been hours before he reached the edge of the forest, exhausted, confused and hurt. He felt dizzy and his blue-green eyes were slipping in and out of focus, from fuzzy to clear. He was so tired. So when did it come to him to freeze and cry out in fear as he finally realized he was in a road, when the light coming towards him was from carriage lamps and the sound of hooves from the horses that pulled the carriage? He didn't know but he cowered, curled into a ball as he waited for the pain of being trampled on.
"woah!!" came a startled cry as the driver tugged on the reins of the horses, making them rear as they were suddenly halted. Stamping there feet and snorting their disapproval at being so suddenly stopped. The butterfly didn't move from his protective crouching position, trembling slightly as he waited for something, anything to happen to him and when all that came was the sound of slithering and a hand on his shoulder, he couldn't help but flinch.
"be calm, my little winged one" came the soft, reassuring voice from whoever stood behind him. He looked up and in the light from the lamp the driver held up for his passenger, Blue-green met an almost white violet, framed by honey brown, hairpin straight, waist length hair. Pale Violet reassured scared Blue Green and the Butterfly slowly picked himself up and stood, wondering who this was and why they were helping. Where was he?
"w-where..?" he asked finally, hands gripping to the strong arms holding him up, The brown haired Naga exchanged a worried glance with his driver, before he turned his attention to the Butterfly clinging so desperately to him. What on earth had happened to him? Oni? He raised a large pale hand and stroked it through the auburn curls that framed the Butterfly's slim face, soothing him quietly.
"The forest of Nad'eln, on the outskirts of the Naga Kingdom" he answered quietly, watching the confusion echo over his the auburn-haired male's face. He looked around before settling his gaze once again on the Naga.
"where...?" he asked, confusion painted brightly on his face and lacing his soft voice.
"Lord Galbreil, it seems he suffers from an Oni attack" his driver said softly. Galbreil nodded and looked down at the person in his arms, looking at him curiously.
"..Galbreil..." he tested quietly, looking up at the Naga, testing the word in his mouth. Galbreil smiled and nodded. "yes, my name is Galbreil, what is yours??" he asked, leading Jade slowly around the side of the carriage, lifting him carefully into the cab before he slithered in himself. the Butterfly's eyebrows knitted in thought, looking utterly lost.
"I-I don't know..." he answered softly, looking frightened at being unable to remember Galbreil frowned and seated himself next to the butterfly, wrapping a blanket around him, an arm staying around his shoulders. "do not worry, once we get to the Palace and I have had an audience with the King, I will do everything I can to help you, dear fluttery one" he comforted as the carriage started moving forward once again.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 6:02 am
+Before the Memories+
At the Palace
They had reached the Palace in a couple of hours or so, there was no real way to tell through all the haze, the carriage clock's ticking was meaningless to the amnesic Butterfly. He had simply fallen asleep, leaning against the Naga who had so warmly accepted him into safety, comforted by the strong arm the refused to leave his shoulders. Galbreil did not mind in the slightest, he was curious as to who this youth was and his eyes...The Naga sighed, he had such deeply expressive eyes, showing a hidden devotion, a hurt of love and a tortured look that ripped into the Naga's heart whenever he thought about it. What had happened to the feminine boy?? He was awfully pretty, Galbreil could even say he was beautiful, as were many of the butterfly race, they were such skittish and beautiful creatures, being this close to one was a treat in itself. They were fragile too it seemed, just like their wings.
"Chancellor?" came the timid voice of a maid, Galbriel snapped from his musings, lifting his gaze from the sleeping butterfly held in his arms and looked at the female servant who had opened the door to his chambers. He bowed his head, feeling awfully rude and a bit bare to have been caught staring at the Butterfly. He was thankful he was asleep.
"thank you, but could you please get me a healer? he's hurt his arm rather badly" Galbreil asked pleasantly, the servant nodded and bowed, leaving the Naga and the Butterfly alone. He crossed the room and placed Jade on the bed, tucking him under the feather-stuffed silk sheets with a carefulness a mother would take with her child. He sat on the edge of the bed, scales shining silver in the candlelight of the chandelier dangling from the ceiling, a silver to match the curved horns growing from the sides of his head.
Did he have to wake him? could he not let the Butterfly slip into his dreams for hours and escape the complications of reality? He prolonged it as long as possible, but when the healer arrived he had no choice but to wake Jade so they could check for any other injuries. His arm wound was cleaned and stitched, wrapped under a snowy white bandage, the healer verified that Jade had indeed suffered an Oni attack, he gave him painkillers and then left. Promising to come back and check on him the next day. Galbreil had watched anxiously, practically pacing as he watched Jade blankly and silently let the healer talk and treat his wounds. Then he decided now was a good time for the Butterfly to clean up.
"Galbreil....??" Jade asked quietly, watching the older Naga fill the large bathtub up with warm, bubble-topped water. Galbreil turned and smiled at the Butterfly, who was sat on a ledge that held an assortment of cleaning products.
"..hmm??" he said, notifying Jade he was listening as he turned the gold taps off and held out a hand for Jade to take. Jade slipped off the ledge and quietly walked across the white tiled bathroom, gently taking the Naga's hand and stepping up to the bath. "..thank you." he whispered, smiling a little. Galbreil smiled back before he turned around, letting Jade undress and slip into the bath in privacy.
The bath was heaven to Jade's aching body and he couldn't help but let out a sigh and sink back a little, enjoying the warmth of the water as he submerged himself up to his shoulders, in amongst a mass of bubbles. Galbreil turned around once Jade told him it was okay and took up a sponge, making sure Jade's wounded arm was out of the water before he started to wash Jade's shoulders, stopping and letting the butterfly wash himself when he knew it was getting uncomfortable. Finally he just sat next to the bath, watching Jade blow bubbles about, his hair washed and skin clean, just relaxing now.
"I should give you a name, until you remember your real name" Jade watched the Naga, who had a thoughtful expression on his face, he tried again to remember his name. Why was it so hard?? " calling you my fluttery one would be rather strange.." the Naga mused and Jade couldn't help but smile a little at the childishly thoughtful expression on the Naga's face. Galbreil reached a hand out to brush a strand of wet auburn hair from Jade's eyes, Jade couldn't help but flinch again.
"Amber.." Galbreil said softly, admiring the colour of the youth's hair. Jade cocked his head to the side, curious. "Amber??" Jade asked and Galbreil nodded. "I'll call you Amber" he agreed softly and Jade smiled, liking that name.
The Chancellor forgot to go see his King that night, instead he lay down on the large bed with his Amber, watching the Butterfly sleep peacefully, looking twice as pretty now he was out of his shredded clothes and remnants of the forest and spilled blood had been washed from his porcelain skin. He smiled, falling asleep next to Jade, one arm wrapped protectively around the Butterfly's waist.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 6:05 am
+After The Memories - Chapter Three+
Into Eden
Note: Jade doesn't know his name is Jade, thus he is called Amber by Galbreil
Galbreil was sat in the study the king had gifted him, they were still in the royal palace and had been for the past three weeks. The King was worrying over the envoy to the Drow and was getting suspicious over his Son's Fiance' disappearing. Galbreil too, was starting to believe the whispers of him being murdered by bandits, he shuddered to think of the agony the poor boy must have been through, but he did not know what the Butterfly Prince was like--having been away on orders while the royal was here--so he couldn't say he missed him any.
His Amber was taking to sitting on the windowledge, looking out into the tropical gardens the palace housed, he was getting better, though he was sure the gash on the Butterfly's side would scar and the cut on his arm had healed thanks to the stitches. He just suffered the odd dizzy spell and was confused easily. Thus, Galbreil was reluctant to let the butterfly wander around on his home, no matter how cute his pout and pleading got. Sometimes it felt like they were lovers of sorts, they had bonded well and the butterfly refused to let Galbreil leave him alone and wouldn't sleep anywhere but in the Naga's bed, though he was adamant on having seperate covers. The butterfly was careful and a tad prudish.
"Galbreil?" Jade called, turning to the Naga Chancellor with a bemused expression, he had just seen a very, very colourful Naga prancing around a darker Naga down in the gardens. Galbreil looked up from his book of vanished kingdoms, getting up from his seat to slither over to the window, leaning over Jade to see what had caught the Butterfly's fancy. He chuckled as he saw the Prince and his friend down in the garden, he hadn't had the pleasure of meeting the half-drow, but according to his peers, he was very protective of Prince Illsaide and a little unruly.
"yes Amber?" he asked, running a pale hand through his silver hair, the long sleeves of his light blue robes, brushing against the dress the Butterfly insisted on wearing. Jade looked curiously at him, he had seen that rainbow Naga before.
"who is he??" he asked, pointing down to the rainbow Naga, Galbreil looked at Jade, wondering why he wanted to know.
"that, is Prince Illsaide"
"Illsaide..."
Galbreil looked at Jade when he repeated the name, the look on the Butterfly's face was a cross between nostalgic and hurt. Why did the Prince's name seem to bother him? Jade leaned himself against Galbreil, one hand clutching at the robes over the area his heart was located, looking in pain and on the verge of tears. Galbreil was worried about that, why was the Prince the centre of so much pain to Jade?? he looked practically heart broken.
"it hurts.." Jade whimpered sadly, seeking comfort from Galbreil. It hurt and he had no idea why it did, why was his heart aching so much?? Why did he feel like he knew that Prince, when he had not even known his name? He felt weak and ill, aching badly. Galbreil wrapped his arms around Jade, looking down to the Gardens the Prince and his friend were lounging in.
"let's get you back to bed, my dear little Amber" he said softly, soothingly as he picked the Butterfly up bridal style and walked out of the Study and across the hall to his bed chambers. He lay Jade down and sighed, watching the Butterfly fall into a fitful sleep, sometimes, he felt powerless to do anything for him.
"sleep well, little one" Galbreil whispered quietly, brushing a strand of long, curling auburn hair out of Jade's face and slithered out of the room. Aiming to go see Illsaide, maybe he knew who the Butterfly was. Galbreil was reluctant to let the Butterfly go, he had grown overly fond of his quiet company, his gentleness. If Prince Illsaide knew who he was, then most likely, his Amber would have to leave. He was caring for him like he was his brother or even his son. It was quite depressing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 3:15 pm
Illsaide’s father felt slightly angry that he had given some office space to a naga he had never even heard of. Maybe he had been drinking at the time.
Still he was secretly glad that the butterfly royal family had left, because quite frankly they had annoyed him. What kind of king would go around selling his son like a common whore. Nagas liked to stick to their own, and the only reason he had ventured to choose a bride from outside the kingdom was because all the Naga princesses had mysteriously disappeared or refused to go near his son. Quite frankly he had been a little desperate, but in retrospect it had been a terrible descision. It was causing far more trouble than it was worth.
He was also worried about that damn half breed. He absolutely refused to believe the rumours about the drowga and his son. Illsaide would never stoop so low to share his bed with such a foul tempered creature, and had enough sense to not shame his bloodline in such a way. Still the creature was due back from the underdark soon, he had to admit that Pomegranate’s spying was useful. There were strange things happening among the darker kingdoms and the old king wanted to know how his people would be affect and whether he should prepare the kingdom to defend itself or send troops to its allies. Naga warriors were very formidable and those with the strongest venom could defeat almost anything.
Now that Pomegrante was about to return, the king felt that familiar unease in the back of his mind. The half naga frightened him, he was not afraid of admitting that to himself and quite frankly he didn’t want someone like that slithering around his kingdom.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 3:17 pm
Illsaide was in his room, waiting impatiently for the day when Pomegranate would come. It had been some weeks since he had received the news of his return. What the messenger hadn’t noticed was the second note stuck carefully to the underside of the parchment and after a long session of carefully peeling it back and trying not to rip, Illsaide found that they were to meet in secret at that summer ball later that month. The prince would be the only other naga attending as his father’s weak heart prevented him from travelling long distances. No one else would know who they were or why they were together. The could just be Pomegranate and Illsaide, like they were by the river or at their summer house. This was the one thing he wished for and the one thing he couldn’t have. As much as he had been avoiding it, Illsaide would have to marry eventually and be bound by a false love that would prevent him from ever seeing the drowga in the same way again. And even if they could be together, he would have to inherit the throne once his father died, and there would be no end to their troubles. This depressed the prince considerably so he turned his mind to happier times. All those days they had spent meeting in secret, and when Pomegrate had held him in his arms, and the way he kissed, and the things he could do with his rattle….. The young prince blushed slightly at the memory. He could never keep his mind clean when he was thinking about the drowga.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
