[$] To Have and To Hold (with LotusCurtiss)

[BrokenScreamBox]

According to the rest of the world, there were so many things wrong with the scenario: they were both males, one was a prince and the other his bodyguard, and only the bodyguard was in love.

The kingdom of Fraterun was not powerful and rich nor was it weak and poor. It was on the lower middle ground, barely sustaining itself and yet also able to defend its land against invaders who underestimated its armies. The royal family, wishing to expand their rule and build up their kingdom, had multiple children for the purpose of marrying them off to other kingdoms and create alliances so, when wars come, they might overcome their enemies and partake in the spoils. However, their youngest was born sickly and undesirable, and so his existence was, at best, negligible. The parents had at least enough heart to give him a companion.

At a young age, Garrat had been sold to the royal family to become the playmate of the sickly youngest prince. They became like brothers then, and Garrat worked hard to become strong so he could guard the prince against the world, but his strength and capability were not the only things he gained over time. Realizing that he had fallen for his prince, he resolved to hide his feelings, but could only do so by distancing himself from him, for he was a terrible liar at the worst of times, particularly when his feelings were involved. Quite a few years had passed and Garrat and his prince spoke no more than a few sentences a day on average. Sometimes, they didn't speak at all.

The prince, on the other hand, longed for the relationship he and Garrat had in childhood and was determined to find out why his bodyguard became cold to him one day. Oh, they still talked on occasion and it was undeniable that Garrat still cared for him in one way or another, but why was he so far away in more ways than one? And why did it hurt so much?

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Skeleton Key

[b][u]Kingdom Flag[/u][/b]: (username)
[b][u]Please sign here[/u][/b]: (Name)
[b][u]I'm this old[/u][/b]: (18)
[b][u]In a relationship, I'd be[/u][/b]: Uke
[b][u]I'd say[/u][/b]: (Personality and History)
[b][u]Vision[/u][/b]:

 

[BrokenScreamBox]

Residents

Kingdom Flag: BrokenScreamBox
Please sign here: Garrat
I'm this old: 21
In a relationship, I'd be: ???
I'd say: Garrat does not remember much of his childhood before becoming the prince's playmate. His memories fully consist of being by his friend's side. Unsure of whether or not his prince would ever recover from his sickness and in fear that one of the siblings might become so ambitious that he or she would try to kill all other heirs to the throne, Garrat decided to train to be a knight. At first, it had been self-teaching, but he sought professional training among the squires. At first, he still had the time to spend with the prince, but they gradually grew distant for the following reason.

When at the age when women became interesting, Garrat found that he had feelings for his prince. Considering their difference in class and that they were both males, he tried to hide them, but he was a terrible liar. When his feelings got in the way of training, he could only think to distance himself from the prince to focus on becoming a strong bodyguard and to hopefully grow out of the feelings. To prevent an accidental slip of the tongue, he limited however much he talked and sometimes even avoided the prince at times, though he never went so far that he wouldn't be there if anything happened. The silence and the distance was torturous.
(Personality will develop over time)
Vision:


Kingdom Flag: Lotus Curtiss
Please sign here: Corza Glace Libellule
I'm this old: 21
In a relationship, I'd be: ????
I'd say: Corza was born sickly and frail, so in order to keep him occupied, his parents bought him a playmate. The two began to grow up together. But as he watched his best friend begin his training to become his personal bodyguard, he felt left behind. Not willing to be out done, he began a slow and painful struggle to recover to full health and strength. As he did, he could feel his best friend begin to slip away and become even more silent and closed off. Now the relationship between them feels cold and distant. What is a prince to do to get the friendship they once held to be what it once was?
Vision:  

[LotusCurtiss]

C O R Z A t h e P R I N C E


❝I WISH FOR MY BEST FRIEND,❞

❝IF ONLY HE WEREN'T SO COLD.❞


||⇒ σ. σ. ҫ : ||

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❝Corza leaned onto the arm of a comfortable chair in the small library. Yet he wasn't so comfortable on the plush seat at all. He had gotten used to the plush bed he had been stuck in since he was born because he was constantly ill. Corza went out of his way to make sure he was uncomfortable on anything plush all the time. He held a book on war and strategy. He is in perfect health now, even the Royal Physician cleared him of all sickness that had plagued him, four years ago.

He grew board on topic of choice and snapped the book closed and left it on the side table. Sunlight streamed in and hit his eyes from the stained glass window. Its prism of rainbow nearly blinded him. Hissing at the intrusion, he stood and walked to the glass doors, opened them up and walked out into the garden and under the trellis walks. The cool shade was filled with sweet nectar from the hanging honey suckles. He followed it all the way to the gazebo that was centered above the small lake, bridges connected the honey suckled path to the center point of the east garden.

The East Garden was his territory, a place built just for him so he could get better years ago, but he had figured a way to gain strength and it was his secret. He drew the dagger from his boot when he heard foot falls that weren't so accurately concealed. "You fail at being a bodyguard if you can't mask the sound of your feet." He chucked the dagger with a lazy arm at the shadow on the ground. He missed it by three feet. "Stop hiding and show yourself Garrat." He crossed his arms and waited.❞
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[BrokenScreamBox]

Garrat had always been fond of the East Garden, even more so in his years of nearly absolute silence. It was here among the lush greenery and petals that he could relax and reminisce on the fond memories of his childhood. He remembered how, when Prince Corza was unusually healthy, they would, as children, play silly games such as hide-and-seek, though they could never stay outside for very long.

Upon hearing his prince commanding him to come out of his hiding spot, which was behind a tree that he never remembered hiding behind, he remembered the dangers of reminiscing: he could never focus on the stealth required for a bodyguard. He forced himself back to the present and revealed himself to Prince Corza. He spoke no word, but simply bowed as one would to royalty. Friends as they had been, he still knew his place. He had to remind himself that he was a servant, nothing more. What friendship they had must have ended long ago, when Garrat had begun his training.  

[LotusCurtiss]

C O R Z A t h e P R I N C E


❝I WISH FOR MY BEST FRIEND,❞

❝IF ONLY HE WEREN'T SO COLD.❞


||⇒ σ. σ. ҫ : I got a question....cause I have been wondering about it for a while, is magic allowed? ||

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❝When Garrat Revealed himself, the man was always silent and this irritated Corza even more. He said no apology and no remorse to try to get better. Corza closed his liquid gold eyes and shook his head then went to go retrieve his dagger that he tucked back into his white knee high boots. "Speak man! You look like a blank page in a book." Corza hid his irritation well from his voice. "And you sound like the dead."

When ever Garrat did talk with him, it was always short and curt response's. They used to talk for hours but that seemed so long ago. It made Corza want to punch the man all the time for not speaking longer. Yet he needed to down play on his strength and when he chucked his daggers, he had to do it with a lazy arm. He was waiting to show his true strength at the next Royal Heir Duel. To take on his brothers, that he had to watch every year as one would take the top spot and it was always different brother who won. He had a trump card and that was time and false image. Making everybody think that he maybe healthy but his body seemed week still. Even if it meant fooling his best friend.

Corza could feel the daggers that were hidden well on his person, a special 20th birthday present from his Father, the strongest metal designed to be light weight and deadly. Easy to use. He adjusted his gloves with metal accents. "I don't know why your are acting like a mute but you only need to hold your tongue in the presence of my Parents."❞
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[BrokenScreamBox]

(I don't intend for their to be magic, but that might change in the future)


Garrat found no need to say anything, even though Corza commanded him, and so held his tongue. Though the prince did not sound irritated, Garrat knew him well enough to know that he was. Prince Corza might have been feeling the same thing for years now, and who would blame him? In truth, Garrat wished he could speak, but then it would be intermixed with a few secrets and he just didn't want to risk it. For one, he did not know how Corza would react. As of now, it seemed that the prince wanted their friendship back, but would he feel the same if he knew just why the bodyguard had distanced himself all these years?

It was very hard to look at Corza even now. Odd thoughts ran through his mind and it was becoming progressively more difficult to keep a straight face. It was good that he had had years of practice. If he so much as twitched an eye, there would be suspicion. He could not risk that now of all times. No, not when such thoughts were forbidden for a man of his class, or even for a man. A woman with the thoughts in Garrat's head would have been forgiven.  

[LotusCurtiss]

C O R Z A t h e P R I N C E


❝I WISH FOR MY BEST FRIEND,❞

❝IF ONLY HE WEREN'T SO COLD.❞


||⇒ σ. σ. ҫ : Oh yay!!! I kind of have a reason behind using a little magic. I don't want to spoil the future posts. ||

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❝Oh gods help him! He nearly was ready to throw the dagger hidden just inside his jacket sleeve at Garrat! And with deadly accuracy too, right in the eye would the spot he'd pick to hit. He turned on the ball of his foot and walked away, keeping his gait smooth despite the anger boiling in him. His best friend was acting like a jerk. A big jerk. Corza entered the green curtain of a weeping willow tree, its leaves were dipping into the lake.

He took every dagger out and pitched them at a old sitting stump. "Jerk." He muttered under his breath at each throw. "Stupid. Idiot." He only went to retrieve them when all twelve daggers were embedded in the soft stump. "b*****d. Jack a**." He continued to throw till hunger arrested him. Still mad, he put the daggers away and went to go eat at the gazebo.

He found food at the table and sat down. Corza had started to request even more heartier food so he could build better muscle mass. After this, he would go do some private training in his bed chambers, no trainer, he was all self taught, everything from reading books to watching and learning it by eye. But how he trained himself was his key to become as strong as he is now. He gauged that he was maybe stronger than his strongest brother currently in position as the Heir. He'll prove them wrong.❞
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[BrokenScreamBox]

Garrat followed Corza, but stopped at the weeping willow, where he stood idly. The green wall between them did little to deafen the sound of daggers being thrown and the mutters undoubtedly coming from the prince. The bodyguard never felt any less guilty about being the cause of his former friend's frustrations. He wished it didn't have to be this way, but the only way he could think of and hope for to end his unofficial vow of silence was for him to give up his thoughts. This was easier said than done.

Perhaps he should consider finding a dame to fall in love with. It would distract him from his inappropriate feelings and maybe even help him overcome them. This, in turn, would allow him to end his silence and reconcile with Corza. It seemed like a decent plan, and one that was most beneficial and probable. To be sure, he did not know how much longer he could stand this charade.

As Corza headed to the gazebo for food, Garrat kept watch and found himself once again staring. It was undeniable that his prince had grown well and recovered quite a bit from his sickly state. One would think he was never sickly to begin with. In addition, he was quite easy on the eyes. Any woman whom he fancied would be fortunate to be his lover, and Garrat would admittedly envy any woman who would hold Corza's heart. These were the despicable thoughts which forced Garrat to end their friendship. It hurt, but it would have been worse, he supposed, if Corza ended up hating him or if he was to be sent away forever on account of his feelings.  

[LotusCurtiss]

C O R Z A t h e P R I N C E


❝I WISH FOR MY BEST FRIEND,❞

❝IF ONLY HE WEREN'T SO COLD.❞


||⇒ σ. σ. ҫ : ||

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❝Corza had contemplated day in and day out, what to do with Garrat. Send him to the whipping post or bind him in chains with out food or water for days. He obviously was blatantly ignoring a command since he has risen himself to the position of a body guard. He was looking at it from all views, as his friend and as a Prince. It clearly was evident what he had to do. There was no need to debate it for days. He decided to hand the punishment down in the evening. He should have done this in the first place a few years ago.

Corza stood when he had finished eating and left to get to his bed chambers. He shut the door and locked it, he did this so the others knew he wanted some peace and quiet to heal a little more. False image, the advantage. This included Garrat, he didn't want any one with him. There was a empty room that he had filled with swords, mace's, bows and knifes of sorts, branching off from his chambers. There was no outside door to the hall. He shed his jacket and removed his shirt before advancing to the center of the room. A single window overlooked the training hall, it was there he watched and learned by eye, the soldiers techniques and skills.

He closed his eyes and imagined a sword in his hands, the weight of steel and the texture of the grip. Though it looked like air he was only holding but he could sense that an actual sword was there. He raised his arms and lowered them, moved them side to side. Yes, the sword was there. Corza spent hours figuring out the weight of each sword there was, what they felt like in his hands and the movements needed to master them. Next he imagined a post of wood before him, he could see its earthy grains and bark.

He took a lunge and felt the vibrations of the sword go up his arm as he hit it, meeting resistance. He jumped back and attacked again. Each movement, strike, and swing felt real to him though he was hitting nothing but air with air but you could swear you see Corza hitting something with something. He danced around the wood post, seeing chunks fly off in his eyes. He stopped when he thought that the imaginary post had enough. Sweat rolled from his brow and chest. A nice little warm up. Next he could see a person form before him.❞
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[BrokenScreamBox]

With Prince Corza safe in his own room, Garrat took the liberty to patrol and make sure no assassin or anyone of the sort was around. He thoroughly examined every nook and cranny available, finding nothing out of the ordinary. Today proved to be another uneventful day, and one filled with boredom. In the past, he and Corza would hardly ever be bored, as they always had something to talk about or even something to do. With the distance between them, all Garrat could do was think to himself whenever he was not doing his duty as a bodyguard. It was actually a very dull job.

Deciding to stand somewhere in the hall where Corza's room was located, Garrat let his mind wander a little to when his prince would go to town again. Since the years of recovery, Corza could freely go to the town without worry of catching an ailment. For him to go meant Garrat was to accompany him. To go to the town, in turn, meant it was likely they would encounter a few fair maidens and the bodyguard could enact his unofficial plan to give his heart to one of them. Oh, but he could not tell Corza anything about it. The prince would surely become suspicious, and then where would Garrat be? He would have to explain himself.

He returned to being alert, only relaxing after some time of peace. Just what was Corza doing in his room? It probably was not Garrat's place to ask. He had his own secrets, after all. And they were no longer close friends, as far as he knew. Of course it would make sense that there were things about Corza he would not know.  

[LotusCurtiss]

C O R Z A t h e P R I N C E

❝I WISH FOR MY BEST FRIEND,❞

❝IF ONLY HE WEREN'T SO COLD.❞


||⇒ σ. σ. ҫ : ||

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❝This had become his routine since he saw his best friend begin to get ahead of him, then move away in their relationship. This room, he filled to display since he was young and it had become his greatest motivation, watching Garrat from the window, learning from the sword masters, sharp shooting archers, the assassin squad, hulking clubbers, and so on. It was this room he began to train through the pain, using his imagination. Growing stronger as he put himself through scenarios of simulated punches, reactions, stabs, piercings, advantages and disadvantages and even what death would be like. His sweat had seeped into the floor, staining it dark and where his feet had scuffed and slid, was smooth stone.

His best friend left him behind, betrayed the little promise between them when they were only five. {Promise to never leave the other behind.} Garrat had forgotten that promise and charged ahead on his own and Corza had to find the strength himself to stand through his tears. The situation was beginning to become clear, about Garrat and where he himself stood.

"Damn." He muttered, the images faded. His muscles felt tight from the strain. "If the way he is acting means he has given up on our friendship, then I can no longer see him as one, he no longer is a brother to me and behaves like my real brothers." He ran a hand down his face. "He can no longer see me as a friend but as his Prince and wants to me act like a Prince." He recalled meeting his uncle on multiple occasions, though they weren't related by blood, he is his father closet friend and still remain that way to today and probably forever. "He can't see me as both as I do in him."

In anger, he imagined a dagger going through the window and he angrily threw nothing but air at the glass object. "Then a Prince I shall have to be since he can not see me both as a friend and a Prince." A seed of bitterness that took root in him. began to grow and Corza didn't want it to come to this but Garrat had pushed him, the Foolish Garrat. "There is a empty closet in here, its time to make use of it." He will find a way to make his friend pay for forgetting the promise.❞
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[BrokenScreamBox]

Garrat remembered how the first few years of distancing had felt. He had been full of doubt and paranoia then. Would he be able to keep a straight face? What would happen if Corza found out? How long would this last? Those thoughts plagued his mind day and night and almost caused him to fail a few times. There were times when he wanted to scream out all that he had bottled up inside himself and admit to Corza everything, but those moments became fewer and briefer. His main concern at the time was how persistent his prince might be in trying to find out the cause of the silence, though it turned out his worries had been for nothing. Corza did little to no investigating, as far as Garrat knew anyway. He wasn't sure if he was pleasantly surprised that the obstacle hadn't come or if he was disappointed.

At first, it had been very hard for him to keep silent for days on end as he would now, so he would eagerly wait for nightfall and whisper in the corner farthest away from the door: "If only you knew, Corza." He would repeat this over and over again until it no longer held any meaning and he had to resort to silent confessions. It was a disgusting display, most especially to Garrat himself, but he had no other outlet. The training he did served little to release his frustrations, for it only fueled them as he was constantly reminded that he wanted to become a bodyguard to protect his prince, to be near him as much as possible. As he thought before, only women could be forgiven of such thoughts.

Perhaps one of the most painful things about his vow of silence was the fact that he forced himself to leave Corza behind. He could never forget their own special vow. It had been their very first. Corza, having been so sickly at the time, was not expected to catch up to his healthier brothers on his own and no one would help him. No one but Garrat, at least. He had promised that they would get stronger together, perhaps because they only had each other at the time. He could still imagine the betrayal on young Corza's face when Garrat had been caught training alone after weeks of avoiding him. The image had haunted him for a good couple of years, but he had long convinced himself that it would be nothing compared to what would happen if Corza realized exactly why he broke the promise.  

[LotusCurtiss]

C O R Z A t h e P R I N C E

❝I WISH FOR MY BEST FRIEND,❞

❝IF ONLY HE WEREN'T SO COLD.❞


||⇒ σ. σ. ҫ : ||

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❝Corza washed the sweat from his chest, back and face, pulling on his shirt and jacket. He then dabbed some cologne on and sat down at the small table. He began to write and draw out details for the closet, and once he was done, he tucked it away into an envelope and dropped some heavy gold coins inside as well. It is time to visit the royal black smith.

He unlocked and opened the door. Looking around then checked the envelope in his pocket, secure and out of sight. He left, a few of the maids bowed as he passed and he waved to them. Passing through the East Garden, he made his way to the armory. The forge was tucked away on its south corner, massive plumes of black smoke rose. Good, the Forge Master was in.

He greeted the man and took out the envelope, he passed by tucking it near a basket of fruit and then a few more gold coins he handed the man, asking for the finest work he could make and that if he delivered on time, there would an extra bonus. He talked a while, asking how the mans wife and children were doing. Small talk and asked to say hello for them on his behalf. He left.

Corza had often made requests for the Forge Master to make specific weapons and the man always delivered the finished product that would adorn the wall in the room connected to his. Corza only held the daggers his father had given him but anything else, he would have to go through imagination training before actually holding them.❞
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[BrokenScreamBox]

As was his duty, Garrat had to follow Corza to wherever he had to go. At first, he wondered if the prince planned to head to town, seeing as he had gone outside soon after leaving his room, but he instead went to the forge. He had to admit it was a mild disappointment, as he would have liked to go to the town for perhaps a change of scenery or something of the sort. Maybe even find a maiden, as the thought keeps popping into his head. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to put a word to Corza about that, but then one thing could lead to another. The charade would shatter then. Perhaps he should consider thinking less paranoid thoughts...

Speaking of paranoid thoughts, Garrat felt a sense of dread when Corza went to the forge. Perhaps he was only there for weapons or something of the sort, but it just seemed as if he had a different air about him at the time. His thoughts were interrupted when the prince left the forge and Garrat bowed before following him again. It must have annoyed Corza to be followed by his former brother, if Garrat could be called that. Surely he himself would have felt uncomfortable having to awkwardly be around the one person close to his life who suddenly left him alone. It made Garrat feel guilty again. It was just too bad he was too stubborn to make a change of plans and compromise.  

[LotusCurtiss]

C O R Z A t h e P R I N C E


❝I WISH FOR MY BEST FRIEND,❞

❝IF ONLY HE WEREN'T SO COLD.❞


||⇒ σ. σ. ҫ : ||

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❝Corza ignored Garrat as he followed, if he is going to be his body guard first and foremost, then it had come to seeing him as this. He will swallow the friendship they once had and move on. His face schooled into the features he wore at court. He kept his atmosphere regal. He approached the stables, feeling about taking a small ride into the hills to the small temple among the trees. The stable boy brought the horse out to be inspected, the saddle and blanket he struggled to hold as he sweated.

"You have been keeping her well feed, go talk with the breeder and find out when will be the best time to for her to mate." He stroked her braided mane and patted her nose as the boy hurried to put the equipment on. "Easy girl, there will be crisp apples waiting at our destination." She hummed at his soothing voice, sensing his calm air. He mounted, calming her once again when she began to grow uneasy. "There, you ready to get out of these walls, I can feel that but lets do some stretching before we can run."

He rode her around the corral, feeling her breathing and rhythm of movement. This young girl had been a frightened foal, shivering in her pin and hiding in the corner, she refused to let anyone near her. Corza was drawn to her and with time, they grew to trust the other, he talked to her and several occasions had slipped from his room to sleep next to her. It was shortly after a few months of the betrayal. The girl had grown strong herself and refuses to let anyone but Corza to ride her. Her bridle was emblazoned in his colors and the saddle and blanket matched.

"Lets ride." He whispered and her ears perked when they left the stables and corrals. Corza let her trot out of the North Gate, knowing where she is going.❞
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