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Post by The Jenn on Sept 8, 2007 16:00:57 GMT -5
I can imagine something better, you high-bred bitch, Fino thought with a polite smile gracing his lips, and I’m sure you could too. How long are you going to play the game so sweetly, your Majesty? I’d dearly love this to be over and done with as soon as possible. Whatever you may be, you are not my type.
The thought of sleeping with Lysaras didn’t exactly appeal to him, but he would make the most of the…experience. After all, why have sex in the first place if you didn’t enjoy it? So long as at least one suitably impressive and worthy child resulted, the time would be well spent, and with genes like his, how could they be anything less than magnificent. Hopefully none of them would be tainted with the cursed gloom of her region. That would be less than pleasing.
No one would be informed of their plans, of course, until the offspring arrived. He wished to know exactly what he would be laying claim to before he did so. Not even a word of their intent had been leaked beyond its being a ‘political discussion’, and this part of the garden was secluded enough that any eavesdroppers would be quite easy to notice.
He looked down at her words, thoughts cold despite the fiery colors of his appearance. He smiled once again and brought her hand to his lips, brushing her fingertips just slightly against his lower lip. ”And my fondest wish is that you should enjoy this evening, Lady Lysaras. Tell me, how much of yourself are you willing to give?
Gods, let it end already! Whatever came out of her mouth, he was taking to dinner afterwards without delay. He didn’t know how much of this saccharine sweetness he could play at without becoming ill.
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Post by The Jenn on Sept 8, 2007 16:07:15 GMT -5
Nathalia and Jenn both receive 1 token each, to be redeemed in Ashwin's Shoppe.
This will automatically be added to your recorded totals in the shoppe.
Congratulations, and keep up the good RP!
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Post by Nathalia on Sept 9, 2007 15:47:28 GMT -5
Lysaras gave Serafino a pleased gaze, still demure, but happy. "Anything you wish, dear Serafino, anything you wish..." She continued to clutch his arm, she wouldn't let go until she had to, he was just so wonderful...she wished to peel off her gloves there and then and feel his smooth alabaster skin...to see how warm it was, how smooth... She shook her head slightly, thoughts like that weren't appropriate right now, no matter how hard she longed for them...
She watched the halls of the palace pass without really taking them in. SHe wanted to get to his chambers, to get past the food...she would only eat enough for him to see that she had eaten...then she wanted... Oh God how she wanted...
She looked up at him again, so beautiful, as though carved from perfection...she could imagine nothing better...it was all she could do to stop herself from giggling madly. She could just imagine the children now... how he would fawn over them, laugh with her about one of them...perhaps the lowest...it could only be a Jack, perhaps of Spades, with their heritage how could it be anything else? He would joke with her about that one being a rotten brat, then perhaps slip it candy when she wasn't around... She lost herself in the fantasy for a few moments, face remaining serene, but losing the silly smile. Perhaps the highest would be another Queen? Oh how she could wish...maybe a triple cross? A canine with beautiful wings and a long, slender neck and tail...a beauty to behold...like its father...
She moved alongside the other Queen, waiting...waiting...
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Post by The Jenn on Sept 9, 2007 16:35:58 GMT -5
Completely oblivious to the fantasy family that occupied his companion's thoughts, Serafino led her indoors and through the first floor corridors until they reached a side staircase, which they ascended. His private dining room was just down the hall from his chambers, a moment of foresight in case he didn't feel up to dealing with people for a day or two of rest. The furnishings were sumptuous, as he preferred them, and curtains had been drawn over a large side window to ward away the chill of evening.
A small meal was already laid out, mostly consisting of fruits and meat pies, and a bottle of wine sat unobtrusively to the side. He directed Lysaras to her seat and held it for her, as was the role of a gentleman caller, mentally grumbling the while. He would not, however, stoop to pouring the wine himself and allowed the lone attending servant to do so. The man was mute, by birth rather than circumstance, and also illiterate. He often proved to be a valuable footman on nights where privacy was required.
He took a polite sip of the wine, dearly wishing that his tea was already sitting in front of him and steaming in welcome. This would do nothing to soothe his head. Dinner conversation was kept to a minimum, more of the same stupid platitudes that he had been spouting the whole evening.
He could tell by the way she held herself that she was anxious, perhaps as ready to be done with this as he? All that talk of being untouched was probably nothing more than another move in the game. As powerful as she was, she no doubt had the welcoming embrace of a favored King to look forward to on the morrow. That was another thought that left him feeling moody, and another thing to exacerbate the slight headache he had been sporting since earlier in the evening. Restraining himself always proved annoying.
After dinner, it would be such an easy thing to lead her down the hall.
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Post by Nathalia on Sept 10, 2007 10:57:34 GMT -5
Lysaras barely paid attention to what she was putting in her mouth. Every few minutes she reminded herself to take another bite of fruit or bread, she wasn't in the mood for anything else. Even when offered something else by a servant, she waved it away. She was afraid that her nerves would upset her stomach if she put too much in it. She was glad of the wine though, she watched Serafino over her goblet as the servant poured wine into it. He was so Queenly, such a monarch. The servants seemed to do what he though rather than what he said...perhaps it was a power of his? She smirked to herself...so this was why he didn't pour the wine himself...it was the same as flexing for the younger males.
How adorable.
She longed for dinner to end, to follow him back to his quarters, to have him...all of him. Her Serafino... Even if it was just for tonight, if she did well enough then perhaps forever. She had never been with another as a lover before, she had Kings, but none of them had ever connected with her in the way she desired, she had never had sexual relations with any of them...though she knew that Varestes wished they would...but he just wanted to have further control of...everything. She wanted a lover, tonight she would finally get one.
"Shall we, Serafino?" She asked when she could bear it no more, in all twenty minutes of dinner she felt as though she might die... She held out her hand, smile gone with nerves, heart fluttering as she awaited his pleasure.
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Post by The Jenn on Sept 10, 2007 14:11:11 GMT -5
With one last sip of wine - oh, not good for his head at all - Serafino took her gloved hand gently in his and kissed her palm, letting his lips linger. Appearances...it was all about keeping the façade. Her expression had lost some of its own innocent mask, so perhaps she was watching his even more closely? No cracks would appear, not for her. Not for anyone. He was a Queen, dammit, and headache or no, he would win this test of wills.
"If milady desires my company for the evening, then I would be honored to give it." So saying, he rose slowly from his seat, eyes intent on her face for any sign of weakness. She was difficult to read, what with how well she blended the cunning of her rank and the innocence of her persona. The lightest tug on the hand he still held would hopefully encourage her to rise as well and, smiling just the slightest bit, he would lead her from the dining chamber. Servants would take care of the meal's remnants and likely enjoy the unfinished half-bottle of wine.
His private suite, just a few doors down, would take only a moment to reach and enter. He very rarely, if ever, allowed anyone in his personal sleeping quarters and so kept an extra bedroom available for amorous encounters. Also, the different texture of the mattress served as a reminder to hold his human form while asleep, which he normally wouldn't do. The one stupid maid who had entered his bedroom before he had properly awakened and changed back to human had found herself beheaded before she could even run out the door. Silly twit would have stained his carpet if it hadn't already been crimson. As it was, the walls had to be scrubbed from the spray. Unpleasant business.
Such were his thoughts as he led Lysaras into the secondary bedroom, eyes somewhat hooded from memory, though she would likely interpret it differently. The servants kept things fresh and aired out, so it didn't give the appearance of disuse. For all she would know, this was his bedroom.
He closed the door to the room as they entered and tilted his head just slightly upward to make eye contact. Their children had better not inherit her height...
"I believe we should start with these," he murmured, taking her hand to slowly pull the smooth glove from her fingers, which he then feathered with a kiss. "Much better. Wouldn't you agree, Lysaras?"
((We can fade to black in your response and you can start up the next bit if you'd like. <3 Poor Lysaras. She's so cute. I adore her and her son. Mrao.))
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Post by Nathalia on Sept 10, 2007 15:39:42 GMT -5
Lysaras admired the high vaulted ceiling and simplicity of the Queen's bedroom. It was a bit more fanciful than hers, but she had somewhat expected that. Her room now even lacked the overnight water pitcher that even the most common of the nobility had in their rooms... Ever since what had happened to the previous Queen...
She shook her head slightly and focused on Serafino. He smiled softly, and pulled the gloves slowly from her hand. She couldn't quite suppress the shudder of anticipation that ran through her, she felt his lips press against her bare hands and melted. He had her completely, he could have told her to jump out of the window and she wouldn't have thought twice. So this was love...caring...
Serafino...
She moved her fingers up to his face, gently running them over his cheek. She didn't bother with the hair...hair wasn't really her thing, she hated it when people caught their hands in knots, she would not inflict that on him, she was content to run her fingertips over the smooth, alabaster cheek. Tracing the Highlander markings under his eyes lovingly, her smile returning.
"Serafino..." She whispered softly, her hands moving to the back of his gown and gently fiddling with the clasp. There was nothing else she could think of to say. When his hands pulled down on her dress, she let it fall away without protest, falling into his embrace. Her mind seemed to go blank, she had never been quite so happy... Not that she could ever remember...
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The next morning, following breakfast, Lysaras stood at the front gate to the palace of Hearts, clasping Serafino's hand and smiling fondly. "I shall see you again soon, I hope?" She asked, blushing, wondering if he might keep her at arms' length until the birth of the child. Damn politics, it was what she should be doing as well...
She glanced back t her carriage, her second King, Nathaniel, a thin Cocker Spaniel from the Forest of Kahmden, beckoned her discreetly, his face troubled.
She turned back to Serafino, unwilling to leave until he had thrust her out.
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Post by The Jenn on Sept 10, 2007 16:01:58 GMT -5
Serafino had woken up sore and uncomfortable from sleeping in his human form, too warm from the heat of another body sleeping with him and unpleasantly damp with sweat. Add to that general soreness a lack of his morning tea because Dymphna had the day off and his mood had plummeted. And still he had to put up a calm, collected, almost affectionate front until the other Queen got out of his hair and returned to her own court.
He hated Mondays...perhaps he should give the doe an incentive not to take the day off?
And why wasn't the bitch leaving with her scrawny little King already?! The man had beckoned, and still she hung on his arm, looking up at him with that pallid face and oversized eyes. It was as if she knew he didn't feel at the top of his game and played it up for all she was worth, demanding an encore of the little game performance. At least she had seemed satisfied enough the night before.
"You shall see me when next you call upon my court, milady," he said diplomatically, hoping she would stay away until the previous night bore fruit. He prayed that a repeat performance would not be required. He hated playing gallant. With a gentle touch, he extricated her hand from its secure hold on his forearm and patted it lightly before tucking it against her heart and smiling. "Farewell until then."
Maybe he could go and terrorize the kitchens until someone gave him a cup of tea? That sounded like a good idea. Then he remembered that by sheer chance and unlucky fate, the woman who brewed his tea had taken the day off as well, so whatever he obtained would be substandard. It was only through sheer force of will that he kept his expression calm and refrained from hissing.
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Post by Nathalia on Sept 11, 2007 19:58:51 GMT -5
Lysaras reluctantly let her fingers slip from Serafino's grasp. Gods above, how romantic... She stepped away slowly, back toward her carriage and Nathaniel...she wanted so badly to stay, his face was the picture of perfect, sorrowful to match his tone, bereft at her departure... "Until then, Serafino. Farewell." She stepped up into the seat Nathaniel provided for her, not even noticing when he slid his arm protectively around her and growled slightly. She was too far off in another dream about the children...what they would be like... Serafino's reactions, it made her want to melt. Nine months would be too long. -------------------------------------------------- The Queen of Spades, prowled around her room in her Bipedal form, brown eyes wide enough that the whites were showing at the corners, foam building up at the corners of her jaws. One set of her gloves were completely shredded from the constant worrying. Her servants constantly moved in, to care for the child quietly. They would then try to get her to sit down, rest, anything. She would have none of it. She felt as good as dead. A four... She shuddered and whined slightly as she paced, terrified. A four of Clubs? She would never be able to present him to her love. He wouldn't be able to share the Kingdom with a Four, the politics would simply not allow or it! Poor Serafino, he wouldn't want to hurt his dear son's feelings with news like that...  She stopped suddenly, eyes wide. She shot over to the cradle in her room and scooped the boy out. His Human form was tiny and pink. She had been afraid of his Human alien-ness at first, afraid of not knowing how to care for him, of ho he would constantly cry. Yet he never cried. Not even now when his mother jerked him out of a sound sleep to hoist him into the air, he only made a soft cry of "Eh?" And then stared at her, watery purple eyes surprised. His Human form...his only hope... She pulled him close and stared around the room. Perhaps Serafino need not know... Only two servants knew at the moment...she trusted them with her life... If she said he was sickly...and kept him for a few years, perhaps she could raise his rank? She rocked the boy gently, knowing that this was what she must do. "George... In a few years...I promise..." She murmured, rocking him slowly. Whispering soothing words to him as she turned to her attendant and nodded. He returned moments later with a quill and parchment...as though he had expected. She slowly wrote out the letter. Detailing George's illness, and as a result, hers. She told him they would see him and that she would give him updates, skirting around saying anything certain, animal, realm, rank... none of it. She rolled it up and dutifully gave it to her servant with a sad smile, then returned to the cradle. She was calmer now, she pulled her whimpering child tightly to her, and wished... |
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Post by The Jenn on Sept 11, 2007 20:51:06 GMT -5
Serafino accepted the sealed letter from his attendant with an absent nod of acknowledgment, attention more intent on the squirming bundle of bandersnatches in front of him than one insignificant messenger. When two of the cubs had stopped gnawing on each other, he looked down and immediately recognized the official seal of the Spades. Finally, it's about time she sent word. What's it been, nine months and a few days? Certainly long enough for everything to happen. He opened the envelope and read its contents, eyebrows raising and then lowering in annoyance. Illness? Did pregnant women become ill? Wasn't the whole business a sickness in and of itself, some sort of parasitic infection until children finally popped out of their innards? Perhaps not. He would have someone look into it later. It didn't much bother him either way, just another thing to make note of. Just one...and sickly from birth probably meant that it had inherited its mother's region. A shame, really, but not enough to swear him off the affair entirely. The woman could have put more information, though. He frowned and flipped it over, finding nothing but blank parchment. An oversight in illness, no doubt. He certainly wouldn't want the two of them coming anywhere near him until they were well. He turned his eyes to the messenger and, with a bored expression, extended his hand. After a moment's frozen hesitation, trying to decide what the Queen needed, he finally rummaged around in his pack and produced both quill and inkpot. He'd obviously heard the story of the last slow, unprepared messenger. Eying the words carefully scrawled across the page, he dipped the quill and began to write on the back, agreeing to wait until they were both fully recuperated before seeing them, with a time not to exceed four years. He didn't mind working in the long-term, and really, if they weren't well by then, he would be curious enough to investigate regardless. Perhaps he should send a present along to amuse them in their ailment? With a speculative glance, he reached down and nabbed one of Sultana's children, the only one not engaged in wrestling at the time. It coughed but didn't protest much, being quite used to handling.  He looked at the messenger, suddenly quite amused, and handed the man both his reply and the bander, which stilled in the stranger's arms and sneezed three or four times in rapid succession. All of the others had stopped in their play to stare at this man who dared touch their brother. The mother's hackles raised slightly. "An amusement for the Queen," he said smoothly, eyes gleaming. "If you can get it to her before it injures you severely, return for an extra coin. If you drip blood on my marble, however, your head will be used as the mop. He dismissed the now alarmed and rushed man from his mind. The messenger ran for the door, a small pack of aggravated bandersnatches fast on his heels. That would keep them all busy for the afternoon. |
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