Love & War [Closed] - Printable Version
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RE: Love & War [Closed] - saronym - 04-12-2017
It wasn’t her amusement with him so much as the little movements of her ears that drew the smile out of him. They twitched and moved or pinned down with each change in her mood and the timbre of their conversation. How curious. He wouldn’t dare admit to her that he found them rather attractive. He was left wondering how soft they were, what they’d feel like between his fingertips or against his mouth. His smile curved into a smirk when she offered to take him to the market. “I should enjoy the occasion to observe the variety of women Veridian has to offer me.” He folded his hands behind his back as they continued to walk. “And fruit, of course.” He added in afterthought.
He would have offered her a handkerchief for the syrup that dribbled onto her hands from the fruit, but she was content to lick her own fingers. Such behavior of a woman would normally be considered rather crude and at the very least highly impolite and out of the realm of acceptable public displays. Especially for a noble woman. And much less a monarch. Owen stared at the display. In awe of her lack of shame before him. It felt like an intimate thing to watch slim fingers dip one by one between supple lips. He was gripped by a sudden fantasy to have his own fingers in her mouth. Though he wouldn't have been as gentle about it.
Had he been a bashful man the action and flight of thought it provoked would have made him blush. Quite the opposite though, something between his legs twitched privately in tight leathers in response. Apparently he was becoming aroused. He picked up his pace somewhat and luckily she was content to lag behind him a little while he gathered himself.
“Perhaps I will take you to the encampment of my battle maidens so you can see the variety.” He playfully tossed back to her the very words she’d offered to him.
He wasn’t aware that she didn’t know about what he considered to be the infamous battle maidens. An all women battalion recruited exclusively from temples to the Eskran war goddess, Desdemona. Though the Eskran women, on average, were smaller than Eskran men, his battle maidens were almost universally feared for their ruthlessness and skill on the battlefield. A rumor had started among the men in the Emperor’s army that he had assembled the battle maidens for bed stock. A ready supply of beautiful women to bed after battle. Though the emperor had certainly enjoyed several of his battle maidens and that was no secret, they’d long since earned their respect as more than just pretty accessories to the rest of the army comprised solely of men.
He’d gathered himself enough to half turn towards her and offered her his elbow to be escorted. Now that they had established a more at-ease rapport with one another he found it expedient to begin his courtship of her. Perhaps it was his recent arousal that had finalized his decision to court the queen - whether she was available or not.
It didn’t bother him.
Conquerors never worried about taking things that didn't belong to them.
They delighted in it.
“So, this Harvest Faire…” He began eyeing her somewhat mischievously. “Will you accept me as your humble escort, Your Grace?” He bowed his head in humility that didn’t suit him. Blonde locks of hair fell forward over his forehead before he righted himself. When his face was revealed to her again, his eyebrow was arched in a playful manner. “Or would that violate the treaty with Delanveaux and the delicate sensibilities of your tardy prince?”
____
Maeve was so very obviously uncomfortable with the deadly feline lounging on the bed. Holland for all his brains and know-how didn’t need to think hard to know this. She had retreated and begun pacing nervously. He closed the door on the tiger and turned back to the handmaiden.
Holland reached for Maeve’s arm to stop her pacing. He let his hand run soothingly along her shoulder. His fingertips trailed down her bicep, forearm, to her fingers and he coaxed her hand into his. Pressing her hand, he fixed his face into a pleading yet comforting sort of expression. Eye brows pinned together in concern, eyes serious with emotion.
“Lady Maeve, I beg your pardon. I did not mean to frighten you with the animal.” He started bringing her fingers to his lips. He pressed a series of apology kisses against her knuckles. Just the slightest brushing of his lips over her skin. “I beg your leniency. Just this one exception. She’s quite a safe animal and the Emperor loves her so.”
Nevermind that he’d violated any space he had to ask for leniency by forging an invitation and marching an army of men to the Veridian Queen’s castle.
“What can I do to put you at ease?” Holland released her hand as he made the inquiry.
Lady Maeve was proving a rather obstinate obstacle to his plans for the Emperor in Veridian. Fighting him and asking probing questions at every turn. He’d settled on charming her, romantically that is, to gain her trust. He had certainly done it with much success before. He could do it again.
RE: Love & War [Closed] - megs - 05-01-2017
An ear fell lopsided at his smirk, flattening against the delicate crown tucked into her bounty of curls. Her eyes made a perfect half-circle as they rolled away from him and settled on a butterfly that danced along the petals of a nearby clump of milk thistle instead. Of course he would talk of surveying women in the same way one would talk of fruit. Her ears pushed to attention again, aware of his eyes on her as she continued the meticulous ministrations of tending to the sugars on her fingers. His train of thought was lost on her, as it did not occur to the diminutive queen that anything vulgar could be deciphered from her actions. Ears swiveled in Lord Hardwydt’s direction as she heard him move away from her. She turned her head to follow the motion, hand falling once again to her side. Her tail swayed back and forth near her feet. Slowly, she followed after him. Her attention had been caught by his cloak. She cocked her head, aware that he was speaking, but more entertained by the way the material fluttered and shifted. “I would be honored to meet the men and women of your company,” she replied, though her tone sounded distant and distracted, even in her own ears which twitched as she hurried her pace to catch up with him. Starling silently trotted after her.
She didn't know that there was anything to be special about the women he spoke of.
When she was close enough, Julianna reached out and touched his cloak, somewhat unthinkingly. Just the tips of her fingers at first, but when he didn’t seem to notice she risked splaying her hand over the fabric that hung near the small of his back. The material was soft, but heavy. She’d never felt anything like it before. There was obvious impression left where her fingers had once been, and she found that curious.
He turned to face her and she snatched her hand back. She held it against her chest with the other hand, like a child that had been caught doing something naughty. Her tail pinwheeled towards her spine and her ears stood at the highest attention. Wide green eyes gazed up at him, and she suppressed a nervous laugh. Julianna was mahogany red down her spotted shoulders, as she cleared her throat and took the arm he offered her. She still wasn’t entirely comfortable with the strange contact, but he insisted on it, and she didn’t want to appear rude.
Or any ruder, considering her handling of his cloak.
Julianna’s tail uncurled to sway behind her shoulders at his brief, gentlemanly display. Her own brows arched towards her hairline, though more in surprise that he was capable of such a thing. Ears shifted in unison. “I believe that I have more of a say in my escorts than a feeble treaty,” she replied, eyeing the blonde locks that curled near his jaw. She wanted to touch them for some reason. “It would certainly be an honor to attend the festival with the emperor of Eskra and I accept you offer.”
And for all she cared the tardy Prince of Delanveaux and his delicate sensibilities could fall off a cliff.
Her pacing ended when he touched her. She halted because he had touched her, not necessarily because it had been his intention when grabbing her arm. Violet eyes darted between the hand that trailed across her arm and his face. Though her gaze implied that she wasn’t entirely pleased at being handled by the adviser, she did not pull away. Holland did not appear to be Eskran by birth, but Maeve assumed he had been with them long enough to engage in casual touching so freely. The handmaiden listened to him as he made a show of requesting her forgiveness, and it wasn’t until he brushed kisses upon her knuckles that she pulled her hand away from him. There was a note of surprise in the way her hand was suddenly removed from his, even though he released her simultaneously. The hand he had previously held was hidden away behind her back. Her expression was neutral, and she didn’t blush, but she had obviously been affected by the careless use of what she viewed as an intimate gesture.
“You…” Her eyes narrowed sharply as the hand behind her back curled into a fist. “You are a bold man, Master Rivers.” Her tone negated any compliment in the words. “A forged invitation, a company of men inside Veridian borders, and a tiger in the castle.” Obstinate violet eyes settled solidly on hazel.
Maeve’s hand reappeared, but only to clasp the other and rest against her thighs. Reverting back to the picture of a woman of her station. Even though she didn’t believe a closed door would be enough to dissuade a tiger on a rampage, having some distance between the animal calmed her nerves. “I will have to discuss all of this with her majesty,” Maeve explained. “It is not my leniency that you should be begging for.” She frowned at him. She found Holland’s servient and compliant nature to be suspicious.
“Which brings us back to the matter of the invitation. Why forge one, instead of requesting to be hosted by the Queen?”
RE: Love & War [Closed] - saronym - 05-07-2017
When Owen turned back towards her, he caught a sudden movement of hers in the periphery of his eye. He wasn’t sure what he saw. A delicate limb flying back towards her chest where she cradled it protectively. Like a disobedient child caught sneaking sweets in the kitchen. And then there was the endearing reddening of her skin. He followed the flush with his eyes down to her shoulders where those fetching spots patterned her exposed shoulders.
The emperor was left wondering what had sparked the reaction from her and why he found her bashfulness so seductive. He thought perhaps he’d caught her caressing his cloak as now that he thought of it he might have sensed the slightest pressure of a hand against his back. He couldn’t be sure.
He wondered also how far down her body the spots went.
She, meanwhile, was accepting his offering to be her escort. His smile was nearly a smirk, there was possession in it. The look of a man who had achieved something. “I’m honored, Your Majesty.” He said to seal the deal.
Owen could be sly when the mood struck him. With his free hand he took the edge of his cloak and lifted it up to show it to her. “I’ve taken to partial Veridian style,” he began with a little laugh, “but I couldn’t not wear my cloak.” He smoothed the portion of fabric held between his fingers over her shoulder where those little spots teased him. “Wool sheared from goats who live high in the Eskran mountains. They are almost impossible to catch. They can scale a near vertical rocky mountain face and are forbidden from being killed for their wool. They are considered a sacred animal and must be humanely captured and only sheared during the first months of spring or else they’d die from the cold in the winter.”
He lifted the fabric a little higher to brush across her cheek. “There’s nothing like it in the world.”
____
Holland bowed his head in a show of humility as she accused him of being ‘bold.’ He’d noted the way she’d reclaimed her hand, evidence that he’d offended her. It seemed she was much more assimilated to Veridian culture than he’d estimated and he could use the information to his advantage.
“Forgive me.” He murmured in reference to her hand.
The other accusations she made, he remained silent with a neutral but somehow concerned expression. He made a nice show of listening sympathetically to the complaints she made of him.
“Of course.” He agreed quietly with her instruction that he shouldn’t beg leniency from her but the queen.
When it came to the question of the forged invitation, Holland pursed his lips contemplatively and rubbed at his chin with the same affectation.
“Though it may displease My Lord Hartwydt, I feel compelled to give you the entire truth Lady Maeve.” He began attempting to flatter her with words rather than touch. “As you must be aware, the Emperor is very interested in...how should I say...unorthodox military exploits. We were curious whether we could gain access to a capital city by feigning invite. Such a success would prevent the need for protracted costly, and deadly sieging of a city.”
He bowed his head again. “I apologize that Veridian had to suffer the humiliation of our trickery. I must say I find it a credit to the hospitality of you and your Queen that have allowed us such leeway and forgiveness.”
He smiled suddenly and laughed, “I suppose we could chalk it up to a practical joke.” He lifted his index finger to add something further, "Also, you may not be aware that the Emperor has been on a tour of sorts. Meeting the available Ladies of high houses and of import in search of a suitable wife. He was interested in meeting the Queen of Veridian, though I informed him that she had already been matched via treaty. He was unpersuaded and wished, nonetheless, to meet a reigning female monarch."
RE: Love & War [Closed] - megs - 05-07-2017
There was nothing charming about that possessive smirk, but Julianna found herself drawn to it nonetheless. How easy it seemed, for him, to get what he wanted. He was obviously pleased by her acceptance, as if he had won some sort of victory. It put the idea in her head that she was something to be won, and she liked that. Jean-Etienne would also be infuriated by the idea, and she liked that too. They had stopped walking again, so Starling huffed and dropped down into a lazy position at her feet. Her gaze dropped to the dog, and in her distraction, she wasn’t anticipating his touch until she felt it. The softness of the cloak against her shoulder with his hand behind it. Her ears sprung to attention and swiveled towards him, and she looked back up at him as her tail curled loosely towards the base of her spine. “That’s...fascinating,” she managed, somehow. It wasn’t possible for her to get any more flushed, but she had begun trembling at some point. A fine, and near imperceptible tremor coursed through her as he lifted the fabric to her cheek. It was unlike anything she’d ever felt before. She was suddenly very aware of his closeness, the heat of his body and the way he towered over her.
“Perhaps we should visit the market,” she said, suddenly, her voice pitching higher as she took a single step away from him and his entrancing...cloak. She cleared her throat, clasping her hands against her abdomen. “It’s a beautiful day, and they’ll be making all the fresh deliveries.”
When Holland proposed the idea of sharing the truth with her, she was suspicious the truth was the opposite of what she was going to hear. It was expressed by the lift of one brow, shortly followed by the tilt of her chin. Her lips pressed together. She did not look as impressed as he perhaps wanted her to be, finding no amusement in their having used Veridian for practice in their exploits. She exhaled sharply through her nose, and forced a smile as he effused what was meant to be a compliment. “Of course. The queen prides herself on Veridian’s non-violent and welcoming image. That aside, it wouldn’t have done any good to make a scene of your arrival. Better to host your for now and then politely see you on your way at the end of the week.”
Maeve, of her own volition, seemed to have applied her own timeline to the length of the Emperor’s stay.
Her brow knitted together at the sound of that laugh. The thin line of her mouth turned into a frown. “I was...unaware,” she replied, and it was obvious she didn't like the idea. An idea that the this wild emperor was at all interested in Julianna. Her hands unlace and she unthinkingly allowed her thumb to reach her mouth. She chewed the cuticle as she often did when she was thinking. She heard him mention the treaty and she snapped back to attention, her hand jerked from her mouth, and she looked down at the damage she had managed before it fell. “How do you know about the treaty?”
RE: Love & War [Closed] - saronym - 05-10-2017
“Isn’t it?” He asked with an undisguised amusement in his voice. He couldn’t help himself. She was so … reactionary.
He was remiss to watch the tremulous kitten take a step away from him. He enjoyed the feeling of power that he got by standing over her and teasing her. It sent a rush, an exquisite high, over him. A feeling of hopeless attraction for the small woman trembling before him and blushing as if she might die. Though if he continued on this way it seemed she might fall apart at the seams.
There was something so enticing in the paradox she represented. Not bashful when it came to wearing leathers, riding horses, and confronting an over-entitled emperor. But when it came to the slightest physical contact or even the hint of it, it seemed she ceased to function.
She was making suggestions to visit the market in a slightly shrill voice. That victorious smirk had never left his lips but his left eyebrow twitched upwards displaying he knew full well what he was doing to her. Finally, he inclined his head just a little bit, acquiescing to her plan.
“That sounds wonderful,” he said as he let his cloak slip through his fingers and fall heavily by his side again. “Your dog here can’t stand our halting walk, it seems, we should pick up the pace for his sake.”
He folded his hands behind his back as if to signify that he would spare her his touch for the moment. He walked maintaining a respectful distance between himself and the nervous queen. “You’ll have to meet my pet. I don’t go anywhere without her. Her name is Kenna.” He glanced over at her. “Have you ever pet a tiger? She’s staying in Master Rivers’ chambers while I’m out today.”
____
Holland was entirely displeased with the timeline the handmaiden thought she could impose upon their stay. The Emperor would certainly demand more time, and besides their next planned engagement with a possible match wasn’t for weeks. They had time to dawdle in Veridian. And Holland very much wanted to linger in the country, make contacts, gather intelligence, and potentially marry off his Emperor in a marriage that would be seen as a power play. Yes, they would be staying far longer than a week.
And when they left, they’d be taking an empress home with them.
Now she was questioning him about the treaty. He would answer honestly. “I had occasion to review the document when my Lord sent me abroad to learn of the various existing international commodities agreements. He is interested, of course, in entering international export markets and wanted to be sure he understood the lay of the land before approaching his targets.” Holland had taken to pacing. There was something academic in his voice. He was lost in a topic he found compelling. “I found it to be quite an interesting document, this treaty concerning your queen. It was the only promissory pertaining to grain exports that also included a betrothal to a future monarch.”
He turned back to Maeve and boldly seized her hand to remove it from her mouth. Stepping closer, he kept her hand and his tone of voice became confidential. “Between you and I, Lady Maeve, Delanveaux got too much out of the agreement. It is a liability to your queen and she should be rid of it and sooner risk conflict than marry beneath her to a family and nation with financial woes that could drain even the Veridian Monarchy’s historic wealth.”
He released her then. “It’s just a humble man’s opinion of course. She could perhaps look to Eskra for a better agreement?”
RE: Love & War [Closed] - megs - 05-15-2017
She huffed a sharp sigh through her nose, before clearing her throat. She was frowning at his smirk. Hands that still threatened to shake were curled tight against her abdomen. The shameless and easy way he touched her, still unnerved her though she had tried to acclimate herself to it. His last attempt had been too much for the young queen to endure. She knew she was being foolish to attribute her reaction to propriety, when it was wholly caused by arousal that set her heart to fluttering. Julianna resisted a sigh of relief when he agreed to her plan, watching as the fabric he released drifted back to his side. “Yes Starling is rather impatient-”
She all but tripped over Starling who was still laid out behind her, simultaneous to Owen mentioning him. A clipped and kittenish yelp sounded from her as she took another step to save herself from completely falling over. Starling was not at all concerned with being the reason for her misfortune, only rolled over and righted himself to standing as Julianna straightened. She didn’t turn to face the emperor. She accepted then and there that she would only ever be blushing red in his presence. Her ears pressed against her crown, tail flicking.
“A tiger?” She intended to behave as if nothing had happened. As if she were as poised and graceful as she’d been for approximately half of the time she’d spent in his presence. Ears were at attention once more as she half-turned at the waist to continue speaking with him as they moved to leave the gardens. “I’ve heard they are vicious and dangerous creatures. And you’re keeping one as a pet? And it’s currently in my castle?”
___
The way she worried at her own cuticles and stared at the wall over Holland’s shoulder made her look as if she wasn’t listening to him. She was, of course, but that didn’t not take away from the other things on her mind. Such as the preposterous idea of the Emperor finding a wife in the Queen of Veridian. Holland knew more than he was sharing with her. Maeve was suspicious of him. She wondered to the status of her Queen, wandering the gardens with an intent-filled Eskran Emperor. Violet eyes returned to Holland when he started to pace. They tracked the line he made across the floor. She felt as if she could read something excitable in his movements.
She was visibly surprised when he moved towards her and took her hand again. Mostly, because she thought she had made it clear she did not appreciate the contact. Her brow furrowed as she stared hard at him. Something about his grip implied that he was not content to let her go just yet.
Her face smoothed out as he deigned to speak of the treaty with her. It was, to begin none of his business, and to end, not something she would be discussing with him at length. “Between you and I, Master Holland, the matter of the treaty and its subsequent handling are none of your business.”
She chose to be rude, rather than say too much in defense of Julianna and the article in question.
When her hand was hers once more, she turned away from him, blatantly indicative of her desire to leave. “Her majesty is more than capable of making her own decisions regarding trade and most especially regarding marriage." She spoke as if the Eskran Empire would be denied on both fronts.
Maeve opened the door and stepped into the hallway. As if suddenly remembering her place, she turned to face him and curtsied. A short dip, one foot behind the other with an arm extended. “Good day, Master Holland. I hope you enjoy the rest of your...short stay on the Isles,” was her terse farewell before she closed the door on him with a bit more force than necessary.
RE: Love & War [Closed] - saronym - 05-30-2017
Owen quickly stepped forward when the queen tripped as if to steady her. His hand was out, reaching towards her, but he let her catch her own gait. She seemed to not need his assistance at that moment, nor did she seem to want it. He did, however, glare at Starling and curse at him in Eskran. He waved his hand at the dog as if to shoo it and gave similar instructions in his native tongue. There was still a hint of flushed embarrassment to her cheeks when she turned back towards him to continue their previous line of thought.
“Yes, that is the general impression I’ve heard from others concerning tigers.” Owen nodded thoughtfully. He looked for a moment as if he might disagree with the notion that tigers were vicious animals but he’d seen Kenna rip a number of men to shreds in the past. “Kenna is harmless, I assure you, so long as she deems that you are unthreatening to me. She’s rather protective of me. And somewhat petty. Quite prone to jealousy.”
Owen’s hands folded behind his back again as they strolled, “You pose no threat to my personal safety whatsoever so there’s no need to worry.”
____
Holland’s face remained calm and neutral in the storm of abuse she sent his way. Lady Maeve seemed intent on insisting that Eskra was unwelcome and would find no friends in Veridian. Holland knew that she was wrong and intended to prove her so even if he had to start with her. Yes, that was what he would do. He would start with her.
Holland followed her to the door and bowed his head in response to her curtsey.
“Once again I thank you for your kindness to surprise visitors and extend my deepest gratitude to your Queen. Long may she live and reign.”
He met her tit for tat in the unnecessary formalities. As soon as he’d closed the door on her Holland began plotting how to manage the ornery handmaiden.
RE: Love & War [Closed] - megs - 06-12-2017
Starling was not at all concerned with the emperor’s annoyance or instructions. He dropped forward on his forepaws in an elongated stretch as he yawned. He rounded Julianna’s legs, before taking his place at her side and moving with her. There was almost something sassy in the sway of his tail. While Owen didn’t find threat in the queen, Starling didn’t find threat in Owen. Julianna hummed, nodding her head as he explained the supposedly harmless quality of his pet tiger. There was staccato stuttering to the sound that advertised her disbelief. Her ears pushed to attention and she stopped walking when he voiced that he found her nonthreatening. She opened her mouth as if she would protest, but closed it with a sharp sigh. At that moment, she decided that it wasn’t worth a debate. Vehemently insisting that she could be threatening did not sound like the smartest of plans with guards hovering nearby on both sides.
She smiled instead, amused and wide enough to put her elongated canines on display.
“I think I would very much like to meet this tiger of yours.” There was a lift to her chin that implied she took his words as a challenge. Her tail swayed playfully behind her knees. “If you would approve of course.”
RE: Love & War [Closed] - saronym - 06-20-2017
A sly grin spread across his face before Owen gave one elegant nod of acquiescence to her request. “Of course. It would be my pleasure to satisfy any of the desires a beautiful queen might lay at my feet.” He fixed her with a steady gaze as he studied the effect that this suggestive statement made upon the bashful queen. He couldn’t help himself when she was so exquisitely reactionary; he had to keep prodding at her.
“This way.” The presumptuous emperor took the liberty to lead her in her own castle. “Master Rivers is keeping her while I walked the gardens.”
He hesitated and glanced down at the dog. “I wouldn’t recommend that your little dog attend.” He raised his eyebrow mischievously and turned away with a flourish of his cloak leaving her to dismiss the dog or follow as she chose. The dog was my no means 'little' but he hoped to intimidate the brave little queen a bit.
Owen strode confidently through the castle having already oriented himself well to the layout. He arrived at the chambers given to his top advisor and requested that he and the queen be announced to Holland for entrance.
The guardsman at the door bowed his head graciously. “Master Rivers has gone out, my Lord.”
“I see.” An amused little smile curled the corner of his lip. He stood aside waiting for Julianna to enter the room first. He followed behind her and then whirled around to hold his hand out palm first to stop the guards from following them. “That will be all, thank you.”
Owen glanced to Julianna challenging her with his look to similarly dismiss her guards and leave them alone in the chambers. This was not necessary, but Owen was curious in the ways she would let him push her. Would she allow herself to be alone in private bedchambers with the notorious emperor?
His own guardsman had already backed out of the doorway in obedience to their emperor’s request.
RE: Love & War [Closed] - megs - 06-22-2017
The young queen was already blushing, there wasn’t anything he could say that would cause her skin to flush any redder than it always was. A mahogany color on her face and her shoulders that highlighted the darker spots on her skin. She held his gaze, she always found a challenge in the way he looked at her like that, but there was no denying her redness and the way her ears swiveled towards him, picking up on the suggestion of his words. She nodded gracefully and followed at his insistence. Julianna looked down at Starling when Owen advised she leave him behind. It didn’t take her long to decide that it was unwise to have the canine escort her to meet a tiger. He was easily sent away with a few Veridian commands, and a wave of her hand. That flourish of his cloak easily drew her attention, still fascinated by the fabric, her ears pushed to sharp attention and she followed after him like a cat that had found an interesting toy.
The Queen was unsure of what it was about the Emperor that had her acquiescing to his words and his touch and allowing him to stride through her castle as if he were the reigning monarch and not she. It was possibly just his size, or his reputation, or perhaps both. It could, possibly, even be something else. Namely, her growing interest and attraction to him.
In the guest chambers, he dismissed his guards and then looked to her to do the same. He was challenging her again. Similarly to the way she dismissed Starling, she did the same with Coltrane and Sairus. The men very obviously wanted to protest, they shared a look, but in the end the bowed to her and disappeared with Owen’s own guards.
Julianna was very aware that she was now alone with the emperor for the first time. Her tail swayed lazily at her feet, she laced her fingers together at the level of her abdomen. She was aware that she had succumbed to all the ways he had pushed her and this was only their first day together. “I will admit I am quite nervous.” One of her ears fell lopsided as she spoke, and it was unclear as to whether the tiger or the emperor made her nervous.
RE: Love & War [Closed] - saronym - 06-22-2017
The way she obeyed him and dismissed her own guards had him feeling as elated as he did when they won a battle. Perhaps obedience was too strong a word. But how else could he characterize it? She allowed him to influence her. In his mind there weren’t many steps from influence to arouse and seduce. And Owen had already decided to do the latter things. Yes, he had chosen his wife already. A sympathetic look crossed his face when she confessed her fear. His hand extended to touch his index beneath her chin, lifting it slightly. “Don’t be nervous, kitten.” He tried out the little nickname he had already fashioned for her. “I won’t let anything bad happen to you.” His promise was broad and vague enough to extend perhaps beyond the present situation. Owen’s hand moved behind her shoulder, a gentle touch to encourage her and to take her under his protective custody which he did by bringing her closer to him and sliding his hand to the middle of her back.
He led her through the antechamber to the doorway of the bedroom. Without waiting to see if she was ready, he turned the knob and pushed open the door. On the bed the lazing tiger lifted her head and seemed to immediately recognize her master. Owen stepped forward leaving Julianna in the doorway as the tiger bounded from the bed.
The animal lifted up on her hind legs and placed large clawed paws on the emperor’s sturdy shoulders. Just like an affectionate housecat, the predator bumped her head against his cheek and rubbed at him. Owen hands petted his reciprocal affection enthusiastically down the animal’s flanks. Once the brief greeting was finished the tiger fell to all fours and stalked around him rubbing her side and tail along his legs as if to correct his scent. After making a full circle she lowered her head stared from the tops of her eyes at what she deemed to be a competitor for the emperor’s affection and bared her teeth. It was a challenge.
“Kenna.” Owen warned. The cat seemed to understand and put its teeth away. The petty creature turned her head from the queen refusing to acknowledge her competition.
Owen extended his hand to Julianna signaling her to come to him. “Would you like to pet her?”
RE: Love & War [Closed] - megs - 06-22-2017
That gentle touch beneath her chin drew her eyes up to his. Her face followed the subtle insistence of that touch, turning her expression slightly upwards. Lips parted slightly, and ears rounded to attention as he tested that sobriquet. Julianna didn’t protest the use of it. Ignorant of his plans for her, she was drawn to him nonetheless. No doubt that he found her responsiveness to him quite motivating. “Okay,” she replied softly, accepting his promise as she continued to gaze up at him. Her tail lifted and swayed back and forth behind her shoulders in what could only be construed as pleased. Her tail fell back to the floor with the movement of his hand as they walked. His palm was solid against her spine, easily conducting her into the next room which she was lead to believe housed the beast. Owen abandoned Julianna at the door and she remained just on the other side of the threshold. She watched with a mixture of fear and wonder as the giant cat ambled from the bed to greet her master. He handled the animal with only affection, there was no hesitation or trepidation.
Julianna froze when the tiger noticed her. She knew she was being warned and took a step back with a small gasp. Her ears were a flat plane of either side of her head and her tail had stilled. Her hands twisted nervously against her thighs. She looked very much like prey beneath the weight of the tiger’s stare. The queen took that step back to the threshold when the beast was scolded and turned away from her. She surveyed the hand Owen had extended warily. Nodding, she closed the distance between them, her steps were quiet and timid, she leveled her sights on the cat as she slid her hand into Owen’s. She was unconcerned about the contact, she had perhaps touched the emperor more in a single day than she had ever touched anyone. It was difficult, when he insisted on touching her and she found that she didn’t mind it.
Also, when she was intimidated by a tiger.
RE: Love & War [Closed] - saronym - 06-24-2017
Julianna came to him at his insistence and he enclosed her hand with his. Owen pulled her close to him and guided her hand down to the top of the tiger’s head. The animal’s ears were flattened down against its head in it’s annoyance. Nonetheless, Owen knew the animal well enough to judge that she wasn’t in a dangerous mood. She might have been a large beast but she wasn’t a threat unless there was a threat.Kind of like him.
“Here. She won’t hurt you.” Once her hand seemed safe to touch the tiger, Owen took his away leaving the queen and his pet to become acquainted.
Daring to think of them both as pets, Owen touch strands of long dark hair that hung about her face. He pushed the hair behind her shoulder in a gesture that was almost possessive in the way he arranged her hair the way he wanted to see it.
“What do you think?” He asked moving to sit on the edge of the bed. “Remarkable creature isn’t she? I’ve had her since shortly after birth. Her mother was poached for her pelt. Some villagers foraging for herbs witnessed the attack and rescued the litter that the hunters tried to drown.” Owen waved his hand as if to move forward in the story. “Anyhow, I was gifted the tiger cub after a successful battle.”
RE: Love & War [Closed] - megs - 06-24-2017
Julianna’s own ears were pinned backwards in her continued anxiety towards meeting the tiger. She pinned herself close to Owen’s side, unthinkingly, and once tried to pull her hand away from his and disrupt the route towards the tiger. He held firm, however, and eventually her fingers smoothed over the top of the Kenna’s head. Visible relief flooded over her, when she wasn't immediately mauled by the animal. Her shoulders relaxed and her tail swayed gently as she pet her. Kenna’s fur was different from Julianna’s, a bit more coarse to to the touch. The queen was so entranced by the fact that she was petting a tiger that she didn't seem to notice the way the emperor toyed with her hair.
“I think she's magnificent,” Julianna breathed. Ears pushed forward as her fingers smoothed towards Kenna’s ear. Not wanting to over-agitate the creature who was clearly suffering her attention at her master’s commands, Julianna let her hand fall away from the tiger and return to her side. She didn’t move from where she stood, only lifted her gaze to where Owen was lounging on the bed. The sway of her tail picked up a swifter cadence as she realized she was alone in private chambers with a notorious emperor.
“Do you often receive gifts after battle? Is that a...common thing?” Having never been to war or to battle herself, Julianna was unaware of the customs that followed such a thing.
RE: Love & War [Closed] - saronym - 06-25-2017
The tiger and Julianna were done acquainting themselves and now the queen stood there looking at him with a kind of bright eyed interest. He glanced at the tiger and then back to Julianna. His hand then patted the bed next to him. It wasn’t entirely clear which he was signaling to, or both. Owen was interested to test Julianna. Would she come join him in the bed? “Yes, it is.” He answered and then seemed to waffle. “Well, I sort of made it a common thing. Eskra, as you might know, has an ugly history of pillaging and rape after battle.” It was hard for the proud man to admit the flaws of his country out loud, but it was the truth nonetheless. He paused as if to emphasize the heavy weight of that history. “When I came to power and began our campaign of expansion I forbade those practices. We promise the lands that fall to us a peaceful transition, hope of a better life under a greater empire. And so, the soldiers are told that they must not take anything that is not given to them or that they didn’t purchase. An order I gave before entering your city, in fact.”
Owen’s fingers began scratching his beard as he became more thoughtful. He fell to his side on the bed, propped up on his elbow. “The peasants of one neighboring territory sent an emissary to the capitol city to beg us to come bring them under Eskran rule. We went into the territory just last year and the peasants ran out to us to bring wine and crowns made from flowers after we prevailed in the battle with their feudal lords and their hired army. A large part of my claim to power comes from the devotion of peasants to me. I improve their lives and they give me their support...”
Owen trailed off in his monologue that had been prompted by her simple question. He studied Julianna’s face carefully. Many established rulers had a wariness of him, a disapproval that stemmed from the threat he posed to him. Not necessarily that Eskra would take every country their emperor visited, but that the man embodied and was a living symbol of revolt that could dethrone them should someone choose to rise up.
He had been called many ugly things. Usurper. Illegitimate. Being a couple of the most common. Not that it wasn't accurate, but in his case, and from his perspective it had been for the betterment of his country.