Princess x Slave Rp (Sabriel and Mintchan)

[little mintchan]

He kept the hurt hand against his side, trying to soothe the hurt himself but as he was dragged over to the window, it was obvious that he should let her treat the hand. The snow stung at first but soon soothed the burning sensation in his palm. "Isn't that what you like about me? That I'm never boring?" He joked, siiting down and letting her rub the thick fluid to his hand before pressing the cloth against it. She stared so intently at him that maybe he thought his joke was true? Could she finally have feelings for him after all he's tried to get her to develop such feelings? "That's better than the box...you shouldn't worry whether I can make it or not, I survived being the slave of the most ruthless, beautiful Queens in our history." He smiled, reaching over to move a loose hair and tuck it behind her ear. He enjoyed telling her of how beautiful she was, how ruthless she was and how right the throne was for her.

His hand stayed there at her ear, knowing that his hand didn't hurt anymore, but he still felt pained by something. "If I can't marry you, I won't marry anyone. If you told me to go out and proclaim I love you, then I would do it immediatly. This wouldn't be a political marriage in a sense, but I'd give you anything you wanted, if I could wake up every morning holding you in my arms." He moved his hand to hold it over her own hand.

---------------

Bethany looked to Ester, smiling as the younger woman joined them and Joseph was pushing Hector instead of doing something stupid. "I wonder why it was closed off..." She lit Hector's candle and her own with a nearby one, smiling at Joseph and kissing him on the cheek. "Your amazing when you don't rush into things without thinking. I'll give you a reward tonight in private." She whispered to him, walking ahead with Ester in tow. Webs were everywhere, furniture still in it's place but old and broken from no use. Pictures covered in thin white drapes along with some beds and bigger furniture. "This had to be someone's wing of the castle, but it looks too old and forgotten to be one of your siblings..." She grabbed ahold of one of the white draps, revealing a portrait painting of a young woman with long blonde hair and dull blue eyes.

The name under was smudged and torn, as if on purpose. "She must be part of your family if she lived here." She turned to them and wondered if any would recongize this woman. She moved to the room next to the painting, it had been set up as if for someone's wedding, the dress still on it's mannequin and dead flower arrangements all around.

Sabriel Thurirl

 

[Sabriel Thurirl]

Her breath caught in her throat as those last words left his lips. Her eyes widened slightly and color touched her cheeks. It took her a few moments to calm herself down. How could he openly speak of such desires? Why was she pleased to hear him speak them? Was he trying to manipulate her? "Do... Do you truly believe that... Saying such things would make me chose you instead? That I could give one as soft of heart as you the power of the crown? The authority?" She chose to focus on how obviously impossible it would be for him to turn the other cheek if he were King. This was in the hope that he'd stop trying to appeal to her emotions. That he would face reality and accept the inevitable. She gripped his hands tightly, roughly pressing the bundle of snow against his hurting skin. She also knew, but didn't want to acknowledge the fact that if she allowed herself to become even closer to him that she wouldn't be able to cope. She might become a bumbling fool or a ruthless tyrant who killed indiscriminately like an animal. "I let you live because I wanted to! That is the only reason you survived!"

She pulled her hands away and pushed him down against the rickedy bed. "There is nothing you could promise me! You've already broken your word, the moment you announced your intention to marry me." She held him down by his shoulders. She disregarded how cold it was in the cabin, now that what little heat there was had been let out. Also that she was basically overtop him and they were expecting someone to return at any moment. The reason for their trip was partially to fix his attitude. His poor behavior while drunk was also a factor. Recalling it gave her an idea. "Do you still wish to apologize to me?" She asked, cold violet eyes narrowing angrily while she loomed over him and pushed against his shoulders. She waited impatiently for an answer.

________________

Ester held onto the material over Bethany's back, casting nervous looks at their surroundings. How could such a filhy, dirty place exist within the castle? As she caught soght of the portrait, she could see some simularities between the woman and their father. When Bethany stopped in the next, even creepier room, Ester took the chance to communicate. She looks like my Daddy... But I never heard of her. Only Uncle Winnie. She didn't think to explain further. Instead. as if he knew what she was thinking, Hector spoke up.

"She was probably related to our late father, or his father before him. Anyone else they wouldn't keep a record of. If she was an Inrmis daughter who died before she could be of some use or... Maybe killed if she wanted to be Queen. It would make sense. Their names are erased. usually. Only memories need remain of the failures. That... or she did something really, really bad." It was the most he'd spoken in a while. He looked over the dried out flowers and the now ruined dress. "I wonder what happened to her. What if she's still here?!" He pondered, excited by the idea of coming into contact with a ghost.

Meanwhile Joseph was pushing Hector around like a zombie. "She kicked the bucket a ******** eternity ago. Who cares. Like we needed another useless waste of space around." He knew of the woman's identity, having heard about her before from his father and uncle while the three of them were drinking. She was his Aunt Elizabeth. Older sister to those two old men. She was always weak, nosy and would cry for no apparent reason. She would do things like putting bear traps in their beds, snakes in their toilets and sharp bits of glass in their shoes. Then acuse everyone else of doing that to her. She even skinned alive his dad's puppy, when he was a boy, and stuffed it crudely to present to him as a gift. Naturally, he was upset. He was like seven or something.

She didn't understand and ******** beat him with it until she was pulled away by his nanny. There were tons of stories similar to it, with various other victims human, animal or plant. She'd sometimes be seen flirting with the walls. Not paintings or any sort of decoration. Literally the walls. Basically she was a nutjob. A really touchy, vengeful nut-job. Buckets of crazy. She was expecting the crown but was supposed to be married off to some low ranking noble's house at the time. Basically being sent away without a care. He didn't remember at the moment just what had happened to her but didn't care either. It didn't matter, she was dead. And he was bored out of his skull. He didn't want to be here and didn't want his wife in here either. She'd probably get sick again or something. What if she attracted another devil like in that village before?

Hector suddenly lurched forward in his wheelchair and shouted. "The altar! I saw someone there!" He was excitedly pointing in that direction, having just seen dark shadow pass behind it. An old candlestick positioned on top of it snapped in half while still in its stand, held together by the still intact wick.

little mintchan

((Howzat for the ghost's identity?))

 

[little mintchan]

The snow eased his burn, and as he continued to stare into her eyes he also wondered, how could he be King? He would have to become someone he wasn't, just so he could love someone he had once hated with a passion. He loved her...for longer than he knew; since he saw her as a child, happy and carefree until it was taught that she was better than others and an heir to the throne once her elder siblings died. "I don't wish for authority, or power, or a crown on my head." He took a breath when she pressed on the snow upon his burn. "They are nothing compared to the real gem, you. If I must obtain those to become the only man you bed, then I will gladly take them. I will take the chance on my life if it means you are mine."

He became shocked at her risen voice, her hands slipped away and he was shoved onto his back with her on top. She was right, the only reason he still drew breath everyday was because she spared his life so many times and finally freed him. If he was to be King, then he needed to stop apologizing and start showing her how much he loved her. "I won't apologize for breaking my promise, nor for my ways of loving you and stealing every kiss on your lips, I did those on purpose, I will apologize for how I acted while drunk, even if I don't remember." He stared up at her, moving a hand to wrap around her legs and pull her fully up to the bed; in an attempt to get her to lay on her side so he could hug her tightly if she allowed. "I will not apologize for my love of you, only my drunk actions." He smiled slightly, hoping to make her blush again.

-------------

Bethany felt the dress, it was silk, expensive but not as expensive as the dress made for Victoria's wedding. "I bet she haunts this wing. denied her reason for moving on..." She mumbled, smiling happily while Joseph explained who the lady might be. "You know her, Joseph? Oh if she is a ghost here then it'll be my first ghost next to that damn vampire we saw." She became excited as Hector spotted something moving at the altar, she moved towards it and lifted the candle. "We HAVE to explore now!" She was determined, moving along to the next room, the door was jammed. "Joseph! I require your amazing strength." She looked around until he could get the door open, seeing the dark shadow pass down the hall and smiling at Hector. "You saw that right?" She grabbed his wheel chair, pushing it along while Joseph struggled to get the door open; appearntly an old dresser fell and jammed the door.

She decided her and Hector would go follow the shadow while Ester clung to her dress, she almost forgot the girl was there she was so quiet. "I wonder if your uncle would know how she died, clearly she was...not right in the head." She looked inside a room full of stuffed pets that she had taken and stuffed until her death, the room still stank of blood and decay as well. Bethany had to cover her nose and mouth to prevent puking or worse, passing out as she was still sensitive to smells.

Sabriel Thurirl

 

[Sabriel Thurirl]

Astrid tightened her grip on his shoulders as she felt him trying to pull her legs onto the bed. "Don't speak of such things so boldly..." She was blushing deeply after hearing his confession. How could she not? She would have smacked him if only her hands had been free. He was too charming. She let go of his shoulders in order to grab hold of his chin. She tilted his head back, to make it harder for him to look at her. Then took a breath to steady her resolve. "You've spent too much time being pampered by your commoners... I refuse be manipulated by you. In fact... I may have been too gentle with you. By your own choice of words it seems you already understand that you would become my belonging if I were to marry you. I must say that's an unusually clever conclusion. I'm impressed you were able to come to it on your own, or perhaps you didn't?" It wasn't out of the realm of possibility that his new father or someone else in his hive had helped him think it through. It was difficult for her to believe that the cowering, masochistic, depraved fool she thought him to be could even let himself think about whatever their relationship was in that way. It was the truth, she wouldn't let him rule if her other suitor turned out to be incompetent. Or if Kenneth survived their trip without changing his mind.

She leaned down, shifting her hip onto the edge of the bed and twisting her torso to be able to be over top his. She rest one arm next to him for support and with her other hand she found his uninjured one. "Don't touch me." She silently dragged her fingertips over the skin on his fingers in an attempt to annoy him. In her mind it probably felt like a spider was walking on him. Then she began to flick at the side of his hand until he turned it over to expose his palm. She continued to ever so lightly drag her gloved fingertips over his palm for a while before speaking. "I will not discuss this matter with you any longer tonight. I will however allow you to stay until after you've eaten." She fully expected to be praised for offering to let him eat her maid's portion of food. When he was her slave she'd beaten him whenever he'd failed to flatter her according to her whims. So now she assumed he'd be able to pick up on the chance and would, as she desired, give her praise for treating him kindly.

She shifted quickly after speaking, pulling her hand away to instead drag her fingertips over the chapped skin of his lower lip. She'd separate herself if and when her maid returned. At this point it didn't matter that her spy was within ear range, or that one of her knights was outside patrolling to keep her cabin safe. She just wanted to spend a little time annoying him, without hurting him. He deserved a little torment but she didn't want to cause him pain.

________________

Hector's eyes couldn't take in the sight of the room fast enough. This was where the shadow had gone? What was she trying to tell them? The walls and floor were littered with gruesome, poorly preserved stuffed animals. Their coats were falling apart and pure black in places from the old blood. Some had been eaten. One most of them where the eyes, nose and teeth should be was gone. Some faces were eaten away. Had real eyes, noses and teeth been used? Who would think to do that? Had they perhaps left the flesh on the jaws as well? Some of the animals were in poorly constructed costumes, complete with tattered straw accessories and all in bad condition. Buckets full of old blackened lumps of what had presumably been meat, large needles and thread were all positioned around an old blood-stained desk. On the walls, scribbled in undeterminable fluids along with some use of charcoal from the fireplace in the room, were irrational ramblings. Some of it wasn't legible, but what was sounded a bit paranoid in nature. Gibberish and crudely drawn depictions of people holding animals. Maybe these.... toys? "What... is this...?"

Behind Bethany, Ester was trembling. She wanted to run but was too scared to leave alone. She had her eyes shut tightly, being too gentle in nature to be able to handle what she'd just witnessed. She felt like she might faint, so she tried to go to a happier place and avoid falling on whatever was on the floor. She longed for the comfort and cleanliness of her room. But how could something like this actually exist within the castle walls? Why wouldn't it be cleaned up? She didn't feel safe in the castle anymore. Maybe the chapel. She shook her head, trying to calm her fears and in her head promised herself that she would absolutely never, ever go on any adventures with Hector or Bethany again.


Letting loose the occasional grunt, Joseph tried to push the door open by force. He also tried kicking it, which worked equally as well as pushing it had. Finally, annoyed at having failed so far, he backed up a few steps. He grabbed a pew and charged the door intending to ram it open with the pew. The wood of both pew and door splintered and gave way. He continued to bash it until the door was open wide enough for him to squeeze inside. It smelled musty, like one of his animals if one of their coats been neglected for months and there was also a hint of blood. It was dark and the air was thick. As he stepped around the door something that felt kind of big crunched beneath his boots. After pushing the dresser out of the way, he peered around the room. The only source of light came from behind him, since he'd left his candle in there. His gut was telling him to get out of there. So, he did. He didn't really care what was inside anyway.

He caught up with Bethany, looking around with disgust. He didn't realize that these had been real animals at once point, murdered disgracefully. To him it looked like she'd been playing with furs and meat. Elizabeth had been using the animals' real eyes and teeth so much of that had rotted away over the years. "We've wasted too much time here, woman. Who cares about a dead woman's s**t? Let's get out of here. Cook's probably finished that Crias pie you wanted by now..." At this point he was both tired of being in this forgotten wing and concerned for her health and their unborn child's.

little mintchan

 

[little mintchan]

He couldn't help but chuckle even when she gripped his chin and forced him to not look at her. "Trust me, if I hadn't been bed ridden for the last couple months, I would of gladly done a lot of stuff myself." He waited until her hand moved so she could hold one of his hands which he gladly gripped while the other was being molested by a spider. "It's obvious the King doesn't always hold the power although it seems like it, I noticed your father would occasionally wait until his Queen would nod before making a final decision. I also had a lot of time to read up on royal customs, your a bigger target while single then married." He smiled, seeming to become nervous again as she got closer to talk with him. His uninjured hand seemed to wish to hold her hand but once she said not to touch her, he laid still to comply with her wishes.

He looked away from her, a blush lightly on his cheeks after she say he could stay to eat dinner before returning to his cabin. "I will gladly eat dinner with you, I'm glad your not just going to kick me out into the snow without some food." He let her drag her fingertips over his dry bottom lip, having not realized how parched he really was even after kissing her at least once. "Can we discuss what we are doing out here in the wilderness? While eating dinner I hope, you've been very generous to let me eat here with you." Mat was wondering when she would get off him as well, did she really want her maid to see the Queen on top of one of her suitors?

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Bethany was about pale as a ghost, that smell was wretched and the sight was gruesome even to someone who played on battlefields much of her life. "This woman must of been some kind of monster...l-lets leave for now and ask your Uncle Erwin about her..." She did feel rather...vulnerable and held a hand to her stomach whenever a chill went up her spine. She was more than happy to leave when hearing her special pie was possibly done by now. "Then push Hector and lets go before someone else eats that pie..." She would be pissed if that pie disappeared again.

Sabriel Thurirl

 

[Sabriel Thurirl]

Astrid stared down at him coldly while she continued to brush her fingers against his lower lip. His face flushed with color while wearing such an anxious expression was attractive. She didn't know how to feel about him avoiding her gaze. She knew it was a submissive gesture and she preferred it to the arrogant smirk he sometimes showed her. However she also liked being able to make eye contact with him. Without any others around to witness the two of them together, she could behave in a more relaxed manner. Within reason, of course. Even if after their trip was over he hadn't changed his mind, she couldn't do as she pleased with him. He had a habit of turning things around on her and she didn't like being humiliated. But this opportunity he'd given her proved to be too much temptation for her to resist. She leaned down, resting her head on his chest for a moment. "Cease your prattling, Kenneth." She spoke with authority, hoping that would shut him up. She wanted to lay there quietly for a few minutes at least. To feel his warmth and listen to his heartbeat. But she knew better than to trust him to stay still and let her do as she pleased.

So she pulled away and as a result, realized how cold it was. She stood up and retrieved a blanket from her bed. After draping it around her shoulders and back she sat down and folded her hands tidily in her lap. She waited in silence to see if he'd become uncomfortable or make himself useful and provide some sort of entertainment. At the very least, he could attend to the food since he'd already taken over for her maid. It had been quite a long time since Emily had left. Had she frozen to the latrine or gotten lost? Was a guard chatting her up or had the wolves dragged her away? Or was she just very sick. Whatever reason she had for staying away for so long, Astrid didn't really care anymore. She enjoyed being alone with him for a while. She didn't expect to have any more of these moments after this trip had served its purpose.

________________

"What? Wait, I'm not leaving yet." Hector protested as his brother got behind his wheelchair. He put his hands on the wheels to try to keep it from moving forward while his eyes were directed to one of the walls. He wanted to stay and read what had been scribbled all over the walls. He didn't care that it was really gross. It had to mean something even if he didn't understand it immediately and there was also the shadow they'd seen. He wanted to keep exploring! He'd never actually encountered a ghost before. He had to pull his hands away with a hiss as that idiot ox-brained brother of his pushed with such strength it hurt his palms.

"Mine... rule... you...?"

Hector felt his blood run cold as the soft, yet cold and emotionless voice of a woman could be heard coming from the direction they'd come from. He'd never heard that voice before. He heard his twin call out in surprise. It was more of a garbled, incomprehensible noise but he knew it was Ester. He heard a thud immediately following the noise and could guess that she'd probably fainted too. So everyone had heard the voice, it hadn't just been his imagination. There was an eerie chill flowing through the hallway. There was no reason for it, the air had been still before and even if it was a little cold he hadn't noticed before. This wasn't natural. It felt almost as if the walls were breathing.


Joseph looked ahead, fully expecting that there would be a woman standing around somewhere. A body to go along with the voice, but there was nothing. His skin prickled and his senses were alert. His gut told him something was amiss. This place was dangerous, probably evil too. It felt like they were in the stomach of some huge monster too, he didn't like it. He knew his wife would be pissed if he just dragged her out of here at this point. So he looked at her to yell at her to do what he said when he saw something long, narrow and dark reaching out for her belly. The darkness spread, revealing a shape that resembled a long, thin and bony-fingered hand but the fingers and nails were too long and pointed to be human. He didn't care to wait for an explanation or get her to concede to his will. He hurriedly scooped Bethany up into his arms and ran out of the abandoned wing, leaving his wheelchair bound brother and unconscious sister behind. He stopped only once they were outside in some garden somewhere just outside of the castle and set her down on a bench. "What the hell was that?! " He looked back in the direction they'd come from. Why did it feel like something was chasing them? Had they gotten away?

little mintchan

 

[little mintchan]

Kenneth rambled on and on, his blush light yet still heavy on his cheeks as he finally closed his mouth and stopped talking long enough to let her get comfortable. He wished to wrap his arms around her waist and keep her close, but she seemed to hear the intense heartbeat within his chest. He couldn't just let her feel like she couldn't lay with him while they were alone, it was so rare for the Queen to not be with one of her maids or slaves. "Are you cold? I could uh...warm you up...?" He blushed again, his cheeks showed that he was nervous as anyone could be right now, even while inching closer and touching her shoulders to lean her back. "Was my heart beat too loud?" He wrapped his arms around her, leaning in to set her head back to his chest although it was awkward considering how short he was compared to her, maybe it would be easier for him to hear her heart beat? He didn't seem to mind setting the side of his face right above her chest, he was also a little chilly and wondered too, about where her maid was.

---------

Bethany had heard the voice, felt the chill and now she wanted to stay! She didn't see the monster-like hand creep towards her stomach, only Joseph as he swooped her up and rushed away without thinking of his other two siblings. "Joseph! Put me down!" She was set on a bench and took a much needed breath, who did that voice belong to? She had to go back and get Hector and Ester, or she could just go eat pie and forget about entering such a haunted area. "You believe me now right? Ghosts exist! That has to be the ghost of your dead Aunt!" She looked around, peering through the darkness but she couldn't see anything. "We are getting your uncle and going back there! Otherwise I'll be up all night thinking of how we left your siblings to some horrible ghost!" She stood up, moving behind him slightly as bushes around them rustled from either the wind or whatever had followed them.

Sabriel Thurirl

 

[Sabriel Thurirl]

Astrid narrowed her eyes in response to his offer to warm her up. Though now she was feeling a bit flustered just imagining it. What's more, she didn't hate the idea of cuddling up with him right now even though it would be wrong since they weren't married. She would take what she wanted to satisfy whatever other desires she held, but she resisted the urge to be too close to him... At least under the same blankets or pressed together. She thought that would be going too far. She pulled herself forward as he tried to lean her back, becoming annoyed as he gently persisted. She shot him a dirty look. What was he hoping to achieve by doing this? As he settled on resting his head on her chest instead, she froze. Her mind scrambled to comprehend his actions, but her body reacted first. She grasped his hair and pulled him away from her. "What are you doing?!" She yelled at him, shoving him away further and standing up to put more distance between them. She clutched the blanket tightly around her shoulders. "Answer me!" She demanded an answer when, in her opinion, he didn't provide one fast enough.

________________

Hector watched his idiot brother's disappearing back with some surprise. He'd never seen Joseph so afraid of anything. He was always a big, stupid meat-for-brains who would charge forward to face anything. So seeing him that freaked out scared him. He looked around nervously, feeling like he was being watched. His candle's flame flickered in his lap as if something were messing with it on purpose. Shadows danced around and he couldn't tell what was supposed to be there and what wasn't. He had to get out. He was alone with something he couldn't fight. He started to wheel himself forward, focusing on the light at the end of the corridor where they'd come from. Halfway there, he remembered his twin. "Dammit!" He called out, terrified of having to turn back for her but he couldn't just leave her behind. He wheeled himself backwards, all the while trying to catch sight of where she'd fallen.

He kept going for a while before realizing that he'd gone far beyond where she should've been. But she hadn't gone past him. Ester would never go further into this place. It frightened her enough to cause her to faint in the first place. So... had she been possessed? He was both excited and scared by that chance. But there was also the possibility that in a confused state she'd gone the wrong way. They weren't that far in though... He bit back his frustration and fear. After silently asking his father for courage, he continued down the black as pitch corridor in search of his stupid twin.


He raised his hands and shook his head after being told she wanted to go back. "No, ******** no. We are NOT going back in there." He looked in the direction she was looking, nothing caught his eye. He set his hands upon her waist and forced her to sit back down. He crouched in front of her, taking in a deep breath and sighing. "We're going to go back to my--our room and I'll order some guards to go get them. We're not going in there and I'm not ******** going to my Uncle to ******** ask him to go save Hector and Ester from some ******** dumbass ghost! I'll look like an idiot! That thing was ******** after you! I saw it reaching for your womb!" Even with what he'd seen, he didn't believe in ghosts. If it wasn't just a living creature or their imaginations or something, it was a demon. He remembered the last time and didn't want to let her play around with that dangerous stuff. Demons weren't afraid of shields.

little mintchan

 

[little mintchan]

He was content to keep his head there, hearing her heartbeat quicken and before he knew it, she had him by the hair yet again and roughly shoved him away. He didn't expect such a reaction after she had tried nearly the same thing. "Isn't that what you wanted?" Did he do something stupid again and what was her fascination with pulling his hair? He laid a hand where she had pulled, making sure she wasn't attempting to make him bald. "I guess it's different if a guy puts his head there, isn't it?" He laughed lightly, not making the situation any better by laughing at her being so flustered, but she was just too cute when her cheeks were red or she paniced and wasn't so calm and stoic as usual.

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Bethany panicked, something was going to her womb? Would that ghost dare hurt her unborn child? "We should still tell your uncle to block off that hallway or something once Hector and Ester are retrieved! Oh...what if they died in that cursed wing?" She began to cry into her hands, her emotions out of her control during this whole pregnancy thing. She didn't think Joseph could ease her worries either at the moment unless they went to his uncle so she could get Hector and Ester back to safety. She didn't wish to leave her siblings behind either, having learned that guards were useless low-birth humans who didn't have the ability to join the army.

Sabriel Thurirl

 

[Sabriel Thurirl]

Completely red in the face, she shoved him over to the door. "You fool! You completely thoughtless, arrogant fool! How could you?!" She smacked him harshly, then repeated the action as just hitting him once wasn't enough to remedy his carelessness. "It matters not at all how you feel about me if you treat me like I'm some lesser woman! I'm an unmarried woman and your queen! Do not handle me like one of those whores you used to associate with! You heartless barbarian! Would you care if another man treated me the way you do? What would be the difference if one did!" Once mentioned, she'd never forgotten how he'd freely offered that information and around poor Victoria as well. He'd seen so much, how could she believe that he didn't give in a little? Even if he passed that initial purity test Arric had provided in excellent time. This and his behavior towards her while he was drunk and so much other carelessness on his part was just too much. She couldn't forget any of it and that he wouldn't even try to act like a gentleman! She smacked him yet again before pulling him away to open the door. She shoved him out, watching him stumbled backwards down the stairs and land in some fresh snow.

She shut and locked the door with a huff, and returned to her bed. It took a while for her to calm down and wipe the few tears she'd shed from her eyes. About twenty minutes later her maid rejoined her and they ate. For two days more they traveled, on the last day only resting for a while at a temporary camp before continuing through the night. As they neared their destination, one couldn't help but notice the lack of wildlife. During the winter many of Criaswen's animals would adapt to the cold, as this lands winters were quite long. It wasn't entirely unusual to notice only a few of them around even during the daylight. But there were none to be seen. Even their sled dogs were reluctant to go forward the closer they got to the old border. Only the noise of their sled dogs across a field of white. Though they were miles away at this point, there was a sharp small of blood and decay. As the sun rose a field of black could be seen on the horizon. Outlines of bodies of different ages all in various states of decay mounted on stakes high in the air. A little pink showed through the snow and in some sparse areas without snow one could see that the soil had been stained red.

The bodies were mostly skeletons at this point. Their clothes were in tatters, some bits of bone were scattered on the ground. But largely they were still stuck on their poles. This morbid forest of bodies stretched for miles, as far as could be seen. It was a well known site in Criaswen where their border with Vriddeotus had been less than a decade ago. Originally, the bodies of Crias people had been the ones left on these poles after the settlement there had been attacked by the Vriddeotus army. The late William Inrmis had reclaimed this land, had his people buried with dignity and their town burned. Then had the bodies of hundreds of the invading army and their ilk take their places. He would bring them here to die the slow painful death of impalement. Even going so far as to transport live prisoners from hundreds of miles away to add on to this gruesome forest. It was a powerful message to their enemies and made him quite a popular king with the people of Criaswen. War between Criaswen and Vriddeotus had lasted for centuries and currently Criaswen was on the winning side. That had stalled a bit since King William's sudden death.

They stopped the sleds a few feet away in order to allow passengers to get off. Astrid gestured for Kenneth to come over to speak with her but noticed how distracted he was. So, she went over to him. She stopped about two feet away from him, not bothered at all by the stench of old death. The others with them weren't far away, her maid and one of her knights staying by their sleds. Vriddeotus was still a powerful enemy, one not to be underestimated. The worst of the many threats to Criaswen she'd inherited. She watched his expression carefully, wondering if he understood her reason for bringing him here. "Kenneth. Do you know where we are?"

________________

Joseph tried arguing with her to get her to see his point but ended up ultimately giving into her. He just didn't know how to deal with her when she was like this. He'd already bothered his uncle to get permission to marry her a few days ago. With his wife stuck in bed like that, he was really tense and would be annoying to convince. With her in tow, as he couldn't convince her to go back to their room and wait, he went to see his Uncle Erwin. He explained some of what happened, interrupted by Bethany at some points. "Just say you'll get those brats out of there, okay?" He asked, hoping Erwin would just take care of it so Joseph could get Bethany to rest.

little mintchan

 

[little mintchan]

He didn't understand, what had he done wrong other than show her affection- oh. He was forgetting that she was his Queen and a high status woman at the same time meant she didn't come to terms with his antics very well. He scrambled to get his footing as she smacked his face before tossing him out the door, he reached out only to miss grasping the blanket around her shoulders, falling backwards into the fresh snow. He sat up and rubbed at his aching cheeks, wondering how to explain why he was covered in snow and his cheeks were red. He heard the door lock as well and decided it was time to go back to his cabin and rejoin the sleeping guards and his Rubert.

They continued to travel, Kenneth not speaking to her Highness until they stopped at a rather morbid sight. He knew where they were now, it was the gossip of everyone and it was what made the late King WIlliam so famous in his youth. Erwin had quite some fame as well for what had happened here, from what he read though, William was a great tactician when it came to battles. He became distracted by the landscape, having never seen an actual battlefield before, nor such a huge graveyard. His head snapped back to reality as she spoke, looking over the large field still. "The border, or rather what use to be a border, I've heard stories about it, why are we here, your Highness?" He asked, trying to stay formal and composed, what he wouldn't give to draw what he was seeing so people knew the true price of a war and that it wasn't all victory.

--------------

Bethany argued and cried until she got her way, knowing full way he had no way of dealing with her in such a state and she was glad for the advantage. Erwin had been ready for bed when they knocked on his door and he was forced to leave the warm bed. He invited them in, lighting a candle to see with before hearing their explanation. "You made me leave my nice bed for...a ghost?" He sighed, grabbing his sword before motioning them to follow. "Thats why we closed off the wing, my sister was nuts! Your coming with, you two." He explained, walking ahead in a more grumpy manner although it was entirely silly to walk around with a sword when he had pants on and a night cap. "Nothing is after Bethany, I assure you nothing wants to deal with a child of yours, Joseph." He joked, showing how much he disliked the pig-headed prince still.

Sabriel Thurirl

 

[Sabriel Thurirl]

Her violet eyes narrowed as she regarded him. She was a bit disappointed by his failure to comprehend something which she believed to be so obvious. In truth, it pained her to see him so enthusiastic. It made how ignorant he was of the world around him painfully clear. How would she ever be able to handle it if she chose him and after, some terrible harm were to befall him? She bit back a sigh and folded her hands politely over her waist. Seeing it wasn't enough for him to realize the gravity of his choices. She decided to explain it to him, so he would fully understand just how incapable he was of surviving becoming her husband. "Yes, where we stand now was the border between Criaswen and Vriddeotus before my father inherited the crown. Many of the stories you've heard are probably true. Reclaiming this land cost us the lives of many loyal soldiers... You're no doubt aware of the many torture and execution practices we implement in Criaswen today. Did you know that many of them were invented by the Vriddeotus empire? We made improvements, of course. That is an important part of our history, becoming more ruthless than our enemies has allowed us to survive."

She paused, hoping she wouldn't have to continue. A part of her wished she didn't have to reject him so thoroughly. As much as he had wronged her, she wanted him to have the happy and peaceful life that she believed he deserved. Not with that maid of his though. Nor ladies Blackadder and Claymoore. Perhaps she wanted him to be without a wife after all. But still, he should live the rest of the life safe, fat and happy. Painting and sculpting whatever he wanted so long as it wasn't another woman. "Our ancestors also adopted the practice of capturing and enslaving foreign peoples to compete with them. If the previous king had not pushed them back here, they would have kept advancing. You should know well enough by now that our oldest enemy does not negotiate. Peace with Vriddeotus is impossible. Like my father and the old kings of Criaswen, I've inherited this war. I will annihilate them."

She turned to face him, tilting her head slightly. "Do you understand, Kenneth? I will put this as simply as I possibly can. I am used to this danger. Clearly, Vriddeotus is not the only threat to our people either. You must look deeply into the empty sockets of these vermin. There is no talking to them. They will kill you for being of Crias descent and will be one of many enemies trying to kill you if you were to become king. I wanted to keep you alive. You served me well and now I know that I enjoyed your presence then, even as I pressed hot iron against your flesh. It is impossible for me to protect you and you are too weak to protect yourself. Your body has yet to heal completely from the time you spent as my slave. Without my poisons you wouldn't have been able to stop a man like Joseph. You couldn't even protect yourself from the woman you gave you your most recent injury. Think carefully and take this opportunity to learn an important lesson from these corpses." She looked briefly in the direction of the others. They weren't too far away, but far enough that it wouldn't be easy to overhear them.

________________

Joseph fixed his uncle with an incredulous look, totally ignoring his dying Aunt as he followed along behind the crazy old b*****d. It hadn't been that long since his brothers died. Not that long since he'd been friends with his one and only uncle. He didn't get why he was hated by him or how to change that. But then again he was aware enough to realize it was probably his personality and that couldn't be changed. He put himself in front of Bethany as they reached the abandoned hall. A breeze blew in their direction, carrying with it the stench of decay from that room. It sounded almost like a woman's voice but no words could be understood. He groaned unhappily, annoyed and a bit scared to have to go back in this strange place. As they walked through, he noticed that there wasn't a sign of Hector or Ester anywhere. Maybe they went back to their room for the night? On the first pass through of all the open rooms they weren't able to find them at all. As they came back however, he caught sight of something pale illuminated by the light of their candles.

He shouted, again putting himself in front of Bethany to be between her and a perceived enemy. Standing in the doorway of the abandoned room was Ester, with Hector unconscious in his chair in front of her. He didn't notice the bruise around Hector's neck or the disappearance of the pencil and papers that Ester always carried with her. For some reason her white dress was covered in sticky-looking black stuff and her normally dark blue eyes seemed to have lightened in hue. She seemed surprised to see Erwin there. "It's mine." Her voice sounded really weird. Or did it? He'd never heard her speak before but something about it didn't seem right. If he'd been paying attention, he'd realize that the voice coming from Ester was actually the same they'd heard before. She smiled crudely, which made his skin crawl, then put her hands on the handles of Hector's wheelchair.

little mintchan

 

[little mintchan]

Hearing her words, he was thinking that maybe it was time to give up on becoming her husband, how could he hope to fight by her side when he could barely protect himself from a mere woman? Maybe it was the way he had been taught all year, that he wasn't worth the grain of rice he was fed, nor would his life matter anything if he hadn't become her slave. That if he didn't remain invisible and quiet, bad stuff would befall him even if it wasn't from her. Something lingered though...it was because of these barbarians that Criaswen adopted slavery and soon cornered the market on slaves. "Your highness...if anything, seeing this and hearing your words, I don't want to be your husband..." He turned to her and smiled, showing he wasn't done speaking. "I'm not just going to be your husband, I'm going to be the king, and the partner to the person who will annihilate these Vriddeotus barbarians! Our children will be so proud of you, and just hearing your goals for being Queen, it makes me love you even more." He could tell she was shocked, happy? It was hard to tell as he hadn't really seen her shown much emotion if it wasn't anger, embarrassment or blank. "I'll work extra hard to become a great king, I-I'll find more books on Vriddeotus and strategy, I'll learn all the royal customs and get my body in better shape to help get you pregnant, you want more kids than your father probably." He laughed lightly, taking this horrible scene and possibly the end of his courting of her into just another challenge to surpass. He couldn't wait to check every map his father had of Vriddeotus and learn of who it's current king is and who might be next.

----------------

Bethany kept herself behind Joseph once he moved to protect her, that voice made her skin crawl and she gripped the back of Joseph's shirt as she saw it was Ester and Hector, although something was off and it seemed only Erwin understood. "That sounds..familiar, it couldn't be? Elizabeth?! Get your *ss out of our niece!" He pulled out his necklace, a rosary he had been using to pray for his wife and held it out. He didn't look it, but he was quite religious since his wife had gotten sick. "Leave her alone or I'm going to get every damn priest in this kingdom to purge your wing." He sounded mad, mainly annoyed that this might be his annoying older sister.

Sabriel Thurirl

 

[Sabriel Thurirl]

Astrid's brows knit together with concern and her mouth stretched. Why didn't he understand? He would never survive on his own. He was too open and trusting. Almost like a child, even if he had gone so far and accomplished so much in so little time. He was too vulnerable, yet still so stubbornly obeying his emotions even at this point! They were standing in front of the consequences of being unprepared and leaving oneself open. How did he not understand? Did he not care about his own well being? Still? Wasn't he living well now? Enjoying his freedom? She closed her eyes and allowed a sigh to finally leave her frame. "I see now that this was pointless. You only understand pain. I wonder if you're only so infatuated with me because of how thoroughly I would beat you?" She looked away from him to the impaled corpses before them. Why was she bothering to let him have his way? Why be so gentle with him and allow him to live? How could she have failed to predict such an outcome where she would feel too deeply for him to harm him? If she had killed him, would he happily be in heaven right now? "Having patience with you has failed. Clearly. I no longer care if you come to hate me for this, you only have yourself to blame."

How could he say that he'd given up, only to make such a ridiculous proclamation? She crossed her arms before her chest and sighed again. "I'll take your freedoms away myself this time, since you are so insistent upon it. Eight months. I'll announce it after the mourning period for my father has ended, roughly five months from now. We'll handle the arrangements at that time. You aren't permitted to speak of it to anyone. I do hope you understand the importance of that." She knew that the others could see them but not hear them and was grateful for that. She'd just accepted a marriage proposal from one of her suitors at a time when she was supposed to avoid being alone with any of them.

________________

He stepped back, one arm wrapped around Bethany to keep her behind him and where he could sense her. He didn't understand what the hell was going on and it all was stupid and impossible anyway. He didn't like it. Why was Erwin shouting like Ester was someone else? Why did she look so surprised too? She pulled back Hector's wheelchair with a sob as the rosary was thrust in her direction. "What the hell's wrong with you, Uncle?! Ester! Quit ******** around!" This was all really pissing him off. He shouldn't have to be here. Why was he obeying his wife? He was a man and a prince! He should just force her to go back.

In the meanwhile, Ester was crying though no tears were coming out and it was the ghost's voice. "It's MINE!" She shrieked, shoving the wheelchair forward with abnormal strength with the unconscious Hector seated in it. If he wasn't stopped, he'd crash into them. She used this chance to run off into another room, screaming nonsense all the while. This room was used to store her clothing, like a large closet. She never let any of her old clothes be burned and hoarded them here. She grabbed one of her stuffed animals, often left somewhere in her rooms as decoration. Then hid in one of her many wardrobes, muttering to herself and petting the rotten doll. She finally had her chance. No one had come into this wing of the castle for decades. She didn't care if this was her niece, or if she would've needed a blood relative in order to possess them. She was alive again and would take what she wanted! She had powers now! She wouldn't be scared of Erwin anymore, he was only a fly compared to her!

little mintchan

 

[little mintchan]

He almost thought, for a split second that she would continue trying to convince him, but she...she had given in and would announce that she would marry him in eight months? He stood there with his jaw open, surprised and at a loss for words except for how happy he was. "I...can marry you? I- I mean in Eight months you'll announce it a-and..." He looked up to all the guards and maids, they were all distracted after one of the maids fell into a trench of some kind. He hugged Astrid quickly, pulling away in case they would be noticed. "You've made me so happy, I'll send you letters, gifts, whatever you want for your wedding." He wondered what kind of ring to get her? He wanted to give her a gift when they returned to the Blackwolf Hall.

-----------

Erwin stepped forward and dropped his sword to catch the wheelchair, sighing as he was glad Hector was not hurt. "Joseph, take your wife and Hector to a lounge, I'll go get Ester." He picked up his sword once again, walking down to where he had seen Ester run, finding the room and staying there shocked at the door way. "Elizabeth, leave my niece alone, I left your wing alone since your death, would you like me to come with priests and cleanse every room? I'll gladly destroy your clothes and pets..." He was so not in the mood to deal with a ghost, he was a prince, an advisor, not an excorist.

Sabriel Thurirl