Love & War [Closed] - Printable Version

Love & War [Closed] - Printable Version

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RE: Love & War [Closed] - megs - 01-14-2020

Julianna cocked a sassy brow at him. She crossed her arms under her breasts and popped one hip out. She should have been more upset about how comfortable he was making himself in her private chambers, but she was too amused by his audacity. His boldness appealed to her in a fun and new way, that often made her forget she should approach him with more caution. His handsome smile and gentleness with her, made her forget that he was conquering the northern countries even now. Even as he sat with her in a linen shirt that was left open and revealed the trio of ragged scars across his chest. Even has he invited her to play a game with a boyish glee.

"What kind of game?" she demanded to know, before she moved to sit near him on the chaise. Her ears twitched as she observed the board he was setting up. Her mouth curled in such a way that made her look like a curious cat, her pupils wide as she was attracted to the pretty carved pieces.

"You will have to teach me," she demanded again, with a playful but haughty tone as she dropped down next to him on the seat. She teasingly pushed his hand away from her strawberries and pulled one out of the bowl for herself. She bit into it and her lips were already tinged red from the sweetness.

RE: Love & War [Closed] - saronym - 01-14-2020

There was a bemused smile permanently stuck to the Emperor's face as he gazed up at the little Queen who regarded him with curiosity. He tracked wandering green eyes as they passed over his chest. He wondered idly whether the story of the scars he displayed had reached even the southern nations. He was flattered at the thought that rumors of him could travel so far.

He wasn't the only one on display. The sheer nightgown she wore left only the hard details to the imagination. The fabric did nothing to hide the shape of her breasts or her nipples. He wasn't so boorish that he would stare openly, but he did enjoy few glances at her body.

Owen shifted on the chaise so that she could join him. "I told you, it's a game of war." He said with a mysterious smile.

He let her push his hand away and watched her take a bite of strawberry. Owen was finding his appetite for fruit growing. They had so little of it in Eskra, only the nobles had access and even then it was never as fresh and delicious as it was here in Veridian. He captured her wrist and forced it towards his mouth. Raising up to meet her, he took the remainder of the strawberry from her fingers with his mouth.

"I will teach you." He agreed through a mouthful of strawberry. And then he popped upwards to set up the board properly.

"Here choose your side." He handed her two of the pieces. One of them was the milky marble. The other was dark obsidian. "Now, the object of the game is to take all of your opponent's pieces. To claim them."

He began to set up the board as he explained how to play and demonstrated how the pieces moved. "I played this game when I was a boy." His smile had a sad tint to it as he reminisced. "I came up very poor, I'm sure you've heard. It's one of my many faults, you see." There was a hint of bitterness as he spoke. "This game was one of my only pleasures when I was young. I became obsessed with playing it any chance I could. I cut a square from my own cloak to make a board and I was beaten very badly for it."

He laughed and glanced at Julianna. "I am very honored to share this Eskran commoner's game with a little southern Queen."

RE: Love & War [Closed] - megs - 01-17-2020

That kittenish and wide-eyed look of amused curiosity remained as he rose from the chaise to the level of her hand and the strawberry. His hand easily encompassed her entire wrist. she watched him with fascination, and there was a subtle change to her countenance as his lips touched her fingers. A flicker of arousal, and then he was gone to arrange the game. She was surprise by how quickly thoughts of herself and the emperor in compromising positions sprang to mine. She blamed it on all the foreign novels she had been reading lately.

A blush flared over her cheeks and she hoped it wasn't enough to reveal her wandering thoughts.

Pushing her loose hair over her shoulders, Julianna slid of the lounge and sunk to the ground between the chair and the table. She held her hand palm up to receive the pieces he gave her. Upon closer inspection she saw that the white pieces weren't entirely white, flashes of grey like lightening strikes decorated the surface, and the black pieces were delicate and shiny. She turned each piece over to admire the craftsmanship, before deciding on the white marble piece for herself.

He reached for the other piece and her touch lingered as she returned the black one to him. She was distracted by that sad smile. Julianna was only used to seeing bold grins and teasing smirks from the emperor. She cocked her head as tone changed. Her ears swiveled to the emotion in his voice. She pulled her hand back and rest her arms on the table to lean on them, chucking at the brief peek into his childhood.

Julianna wanted to know more about him.

"Thank you for sharing this with me," she replied with a soft smile. Her tail swayed lazily behind her head. The game was arranged and she had a decent handle on the concept. He gestured for her to take the first move. She moved one of the white pieces forward, an uneventful start but the game was just beginning.

"If you like games I have a Veridian one I could show you," she said as she reached for another strawberry. A bite of the fruit hid a mischievous smile. "Did you grow up with your family?"

RE: Love & War [Closed] - saronym - 01-17-2020

Owen’s eyes sparkled as he smirked at her. His crooked smile revealing rows of white teeth. He stared at her intensely studying her wide-eyed and flushing response. So, she was picking up on the same kind of erotic energy he felt. Even the smallest of touches when she handed him the black game piece felt electric. Owen was profoundly attracted to the queen and he wasn’t shying away from the feeling.

She handed him back the dark piece and he read into it. He preferred playing dark. She apparently preferred light. So did that mean they were well matched? He could be prone to such superstitious whimsy from time-to-time.

He nodded graciously when she thanked him for the game and didn’t speak again until she asked him a question.

“Yes I would like to learn your game.”

He moved a dark piece in a position that mirrored her first move on the opposite side of the board. It was a common tactic for the second-player’s first move.

“Ah...” His sort of cocked to the side as he thought about how to answer her question. It wasn’t a question that could be answered simply. He decided on giving her a full account.

“My earliest memories are of the convent where my mother had me. My mother was a nun.” He chuckled, “Until she got pregnant, which is not allowed. She was cloistered at Idelisa Abbey on Mount Genniver, where I was born. We lived there for many years. There was a man who came with his sick daughter to the Abbey because my mother was a known healer. His daughter was too sick and she died at the gates. But, my mother decided to run off with the man. And she took me with her. He was a soldier in the Czar’s army. His name was Reinhold Jorn Avald Hartwydt.” He looked up from the game to see if she would catch the man’s name and it’s relation to his current name.

“They had a daughter together, my sister, Victoria. Reinhold died some years ago. Of wounds on some battlefield. After that it became very difficult for us to survive, with my mother being disgraced. So I sold myself to a master of the fighting pits and gave the money to my mother and my sister. I was worth six capitals which is about two gold and six silvers here.”

While he spoke, they continued to move pieces. Owen was careful about moving his first two rows and created blockades with them. Pieces from the front were protected by moving pieces from the second row up. He protected his last row by staving off moving any pieces, so hers would have to battle their way through.

"Did you have a happy childhood?" He asked in return.

RE: Love & War [Closed] - megs - 01-20-2020

Julianna's ears stood at attention and rotated to the sound of his voice. She split her gaze between the game and the Emperor, and more than once found herself delaying her turn because she was watching him. She liked watching the way his mouth curved around the consonants of his non-native tongue. The longer she watched the more she realized that while his face was often a stoic mask his eyes gave him away.

She had never seen eye's the color of Owen's. Green, brown and gold were common in Veridian. Blue was rare, but none so pale as the stormy grey of the Eskran. They suited him. They man was a storm and she worried she was going to get swept away.

When Owen glanced to see if she was following along he would find her gaze still locked on him. She nodded once to indicate that he had her full attention.

Julianna sympathized with loosing a parent. Both of hers having passed away many years ago now from illness.

Her ears pinned backwards when he spoke of selling himself and turned the question back on to her. Two gold seemed like nothing for someone's life. Maeve have been sold for even less. Julianna had never looked back on her upbringing with any sort of reverence and after hearing Owen's tale she knew that was a privileged and foolish way of thinking. She didn't answer him right away. She focused on the board, trying to find a move that would break through his front. Or create an opening for her to press the offensive.

His skill in battle was showing in the game that was not as simple as it's design would lead you to believe.

"My life has always been comfortable," she said quietly. "I was the first daughter after two sons. Which was very important for the monarchy. My brother's were taken care of, of course, but Veridian must always have a queen." Julianna finally made a move. She was not confident in it. While she hoped Owen wouldn't notice her mistake she had a feeling it was unlikely. "I was... spoiled," she admitted with a sigh. "It wasn't until my parent's passed away that I was forced to grow out of it."

She could still be a brat when she wanted to be. Like climibing on table to confront rowdy emperor's for instance.

"I had thought they would just always be here."

RE: Love & War [Closed] - saronym - 01-31-2020

Owen was well aware of the queen's gaze on him. He could feel the heaviness of her attention and felt for the first few moments of their talk and the game that he needed to play his stoic role for her.

Talking at length about himself and her attentive listening brought his guard down and he became more relaxed again in her presence.

There was no part to be played.

He could just be himself. Owen.

And that meant he would certainly have to punish that foolish mistake she made. He glanced from the board to her face. She seemed to see it as soon as her hand left the piece. She was new at the game, but seemed to be catching on quickly even if she made a beginner's mistake.

Instead of moving right away, Owen paused to enjoy another strawberry. He didn't know how to respond properly to the story she told about herself. His own tale had seemed to make her a bit melancholy.

"I'm grieved for your loss." He offered quietly.

"But, Julianna, are you sure spoiled is so bad?" He joked to move them away from any lingering sadness. Jis brow raising over one eye. He moved his piece then to take hers. He put her piece aside as if the game were an afterthought.

"I remember a little queen on the table with her hands just so." He assumed a saucy posture, trying to resemble the haughty queen who'd confronted them that first night. "Only a spoiled woman could confront an emperor like that, I think. Your attitude is... refreshing." He laughed, "I have met too many meek little princesses. I'd prefer a spoiled and demanding woman, myself."

RE: Love & War [Closed] - megs - 02-01-2020

Julianna's tail quivered in anticipation behind her shoulder as she waited for Owen to make the move that would claim her first piece. She knew that would be his response to her mistake, but he was drawing it out. Almost reveling in the charm of her being a novice while he enjoyed another piece of fruit. She sensed something about his countenance and posture had changed. He seemed to have opened up to her in a way, and she liked that.

She pouted at him briefly. Not realizing that her expression softened into that childish look for a moment-bottom lip jutted forward, ears lowered off either side of her head. They perked to attention again when he made his move. She tracked the his hand as her black piece was set aside. Her first felled soldier, lonely on the sideline of the battlefield. The loneliness would be short-lived, she knew.

The queen nodded politely when he expressed sympathies for the death of her parents.

Owen was able to dissolve the briefly dour mood with a joke. An imitation of her, really, which caused her to blush furiously. She remembered clearly the things she had said to him. Insulting him, and his manhood in front of her court and his officers. "I'm not sure if we're remembering the same series of events," she joked. Julianna made another move. It was a more tactical decision than her last move, but her front line had been opened by his overtaking of a piece. Her arrangement would be out of sorts until she was able to claim something of his.

"Well, I am not a princess. I am queen." She couldn't resist a smirk. She enjoyed pointing out to men when they were equals. Though, she did not suspect Owen thought less of her in that regard. Men who did were often very vocal about it. "Oh, you'd prefer it?" she challenged, reaching for another strawberry. "Prefer it for this wife I hear you are in search of?" She raised her brows at him, nibbling at her fruit.

RE: Love & War [Closed] - saronym - 02-06-2020

One thing that Owen liked about Julianna was the flurry of near constant activity that she was. So unlike the poised princesses with perfect posture, neutral expressions, and one whining tone of voice. Julianna, was twitching ears, flitting tail, and expressiveness.

Case and point was her pink little lower lip looking like a bit of ripe fruit he'd like to taste. He felt his brow creeping closer to his hair line. Was she doing it on purpose to flirt with him?

He wasn't sure if she was fully aware and taking advantage of the effect she had on him.

He moved a piece with a lazy hand. He'd seen formations like the one on the board dozens of times. He'd sacrifice a piece. If she took it, it would further spread out her front line allowing him to jump two of her pieces. If she didn't take it, he'd continue pressing her and eventually king his piece.

"You are certainly no princess." He laughed and then relaxed on to his elbow, lounging on the couch opposite to her. His shirt pulled open with the posture revealing more fully his chest and the scars that raked angirly across it.

"Of course I want a fiesty wife." He said without hesitation. "Master Rivers would settle for any wife with a title connecting her to a powerful ally to legitimize me." He scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I haven't liked any of the matches he's made."

"Who would you pick for me?"

RE: Love & War [Closed] - megs - 02-07-2020

Julianna couldn’t resist the opportunity to take one of his pieces. She didn’t have any ambitions of victory in this first match, but at least she could say she claimed one of his shiny obsidian soldiers. She hopped over it with her own into an adjacent square and put his piece to the side with a self-satisfied smile.

Her tail continued to sway behind her head as her ears rotated to the sounds of his movement. He made himself more comfortable on the settee and she was amused by how he’d claimed it and she was seated on the cool stone flooring. It was his nature, she supposed, of the rumors about him were true to take what he wanted.

She’d allow it, for the time being, he was her guest after all.

Julianna caught herself staring at those scars again as he spoke. Her eyes jumped to his face when he posed a question. It was a surprising inquiry. She blinked slowly at him. A thoughtful hum, resonated in the back of her throat.

“Well, I’m the only unmarried queen on this side of the world. And there are no feisty princesses that come to mind. It’s unbecoming of a young woman,” she said the last bit with a touch of sarcasm. No doubt she’d heard that very phrase time and time again.

Julianna also spoke as if it did not occur to her that she was a perfectly reasonable option for marriage. Her attention was on his scars again.

“May I ask how you got those scars?”

RE: Love & War [Closed] - saronym - 02-21-2020

A slow grin crept over his face as she took his piece. He nodded curtly acknowledging her small victory in their game of war. He could appreciate the decisiveness of the move. She likely knew the consequences but took the risk. Sometimes you just needed a little win.

Of course he swiftly punished her for the move taking two of hers. His piece would get taken in turn but it was, again, worth the sacrifice in his estimation.

"So you would have me remain a bachelor?" He asked entertaining her seeming disbelief that the two of them would make a good match. "Master Rivers would revolt." He joked.

The topic of his scars took him somewhat by surprise. The question was usually asked by lovers and he'd forgotten that his shirt in the southern style was open revealing his chest.

"The fighting pits." He responded vaguely before meeting her gaze with a kind of boastful intensity. "I fought an Eskran brown bear once." He opened his shirt more showing the scars that raked from his collar bone and shoulder down across his torso to his hip. "It tore me open. Their paws are like dinner plates." He showed her with his own two hands.

"It was the battle that Desdemona chose me to be her champion. She raised me up when I fell and I went on to slay the bear in a choke hold."

RE: Love & War [Closed] - megs - 02-21-2020

The queen gasped at the emperor quickly claimed two more of her pieces in one move. "How did you-" she started to complain, but her mouth closed again with a sharp click of her teeth. She didn't know he could do that but she supposed he was still learning. A corner of her mouth curled downward in a slight frown, as she considered whether she trusted him enough to play the game properly with her.

Green eyes studied his grin for a second. She didn't get the feeling that he would be the type of person who would cheat. Too proud of his reputation as a strategist, and expert at the game to not beat her fairly. Which he would certainly do. Julianna played into his hand and took the piece he left open for her, because she wanted it. She had not quite given up on this match, but perhaps she would do better the next time they played.

"That's not what I said," she countered with a pleasant laugh. She turned the round of black obsidian over in her fingers. "Would Master Rivers have you marry me then?" Julianna had been joking, but now that she had said it out loud she realized it was a possibility. Master Rivers, and perhaps even Owen himself, could consider her a match for him. Julianna blushed, her ears standing to attention.

Her face reddened more when he revealed more of his chest to her. She could see his hip bone when he turned slightly to show her where the scar ended. Though intensely curious she forced herself to look away, casting her eyes down to the game. Her tail twitched erratically behind her head. "I don't know what a bear is," she admitted, though she could gather that it was likely some kind of animal. A very large animal if the scars were any indication.

Julianna looked up at him again, but this time she focused on his face. "What do you mean Desdemona chose you?'

RE: Love & War [Closed] - saronym - 03-01-2020

The Emperor smirked at Julianna’s question about Master Rivers. “Of course.” He responded with candor while openly admiring the flush that came over her cheeks and extended down her neck. “As would I.”

They continued moving pieces as the subject changed to the matter of his scars and his personal history. “You don’t know about a bear?” He thought a moment, eyes rolling upwards, about how to describe the creature to her. “They walk on all fours, and are, about my shoulder height on all fours. They can stand on their hind legs and are like me to you in height. Head and shoulders above me.” He spoke fervently and excitedly, the memory of the creature he’d faced returned to his mind clearly. “They have a hide of thick, coarse brown fur. They are fearsome. I’d rather face my Kenna ten times over than another bear.”

Owen was not unfamiliar with the next line of questioning. About Desdemona. Master Rivers, a skeptical man, had interviewed him many times about it.

“She chose me.” He insisted though that didn’t answer the question precisely. “She offered me her hand when I fell and said if I took it, she would raise me up as her champion.” He trailed off, trying to wrap his mind around his religious experiences. “She has been with me since. I have not lost a battle.”

RE: Love & War [Closed] - megs - 03-02-2020

The queen was left speechless by Owen's bold claim that he did in fact intend to marry her. The black piece she had been toying with slipped from her fingers and clattered on to the table. She startled and quickly covered it with her hand to silence the noise. Her ears made a flat plane off the side of her head and she stared down at her hand over the piece, avoiding his smirking gaze for the moment. His statement was in full defiance of her arrangement with Delenveaux. Her thoughts drifted back to their conversation earlier in the day. That he would support her against the other nation if she needed.

Her ears popped to attention, matching her unvoiced thought process. Had marriage always been his intent?

The topic of marriage was shelved for a moment, which was good for her because she needed a moment to collect herself after his surprise reveal. Should it have been a surprise? Or was she just foolish? Honestly, she couldn't say.

Owen regaled her with his tale of the bear and how a goddess raised him as her champion. The emperor continued to surprise her at every turn. Not because she had ever underestimated him. Oh, certainly not. He could likely kill her with his bare hands if he wanted to and had to be smart as a whip to have raised a usurped nation like he had done with Eskra.

His connection to divinity made her think of her own goddess, Phaedra, the mother of the lynxes. The Veridian people saw their queen as anointed, as their goddess in material form. Sent to bless them and care for them. Julianna had never felt particularly divine, but she did not share this with the emperor, yet.

Because her mind kept drifting back to that singular bold little sentence. They way he said 'as would I' with that knowing curve to his mouth as he watched her burn with embarrassment. "I assumed your stop in Veridian was a just a visit," she said by means of investigating this claim. "On your way to Kelmont. That perhaps you were looking to forge a political alliance before moving on."

RE: Love & War [Closed] - saronym - 03-10-2020

Owen's hand darted out at the same time as hers to catch the escaping piece. His hand closed over hers atop the piece where she caught it on the table. After a moment, he took his hand away again and made as if he were going back to evaluating the game board but he kept a keen eye on her to gauge her reaction to their touch.

"Well, I intended to visit Kelmont, but I doubt Master Rivers believed we would ever make it there. I think Veridian was always the last stop for him." Owen admitted this even though it risked reflecting poorly on himself. It was true that his advisor did seem to always been one step ahead of him. Though Owen had veto power, of course, on anything and he often exercised it.

"I was curious to meet the Queen of Veridian though I had little hope for liking you." He smiled and his eyes twinkled. "You already know my impression of Southern women.. but I did hope alliances could be made. As I understand it, Eskra and Veridian have much to offer one another even outside of a powerful marriage alliance. Though I think the marriage of our nations would be the most advantageous move for both, don't you think? Your political clout and my army? Your riches and my manpower?"

RE: Love & War [Closed] - megs - 03-14-2020

The emperor's hand was on hers.

Julianna would have blushed, but she was already as red as she could possibly be. She could downright faint, with the amount of blood rushing to her face.

He had been touching her since he arrived and each point of contact felt more intimate then the last. She looked down at his hand, still upon her. So large his palm seemed to engulf her digits. Scarred, but gentle. His pale skin a pretty contrast over hers. Her gaze flicked to his face, and when it dropped back down to his hand, he removed it. The warmth of his skin remained. Her fingers curled over the game piece and she brought both hands to her chest.

She was feeling something did not recognize. It wasn't simply an emotion, or the heat of her embarrassment. It wasn't in her head or her chest. It was something like the throb of a dull ache low in her belly and between her legs. She had never felt this sort of attraction to a man, before.

"W-well, I am pleased to have upset your expectations of me." There was purr to her tone. A resonant rumble of a noise. She cleared her throat. She hadn't purred involuntarily since she was a child. "It's true. You, an emperor in your own right, have much more to offer me than that boorish third son of Delanveaux." The game had taken a pauses in the wake of a serious bit of conversation. "Jean-Etienne's eldest brother is already set for the throne and meant to marry the Princess from Therys. Delenveaux no doubt intends to control me through this pathetic ploy for my hand."

Julianna's ears stood at attention. Her tail flickered behind her head. "I won't allow Delenveaux to have everything, while Veridian gets nothing in return." The queen seemed suddenly empowered by Owen's intention to marry her. Her green eyes glowed with the fire he had ignited in her. "It would be advantageous, but... the treaty with Delenveaux will have to be destroyed. It will spark a war."