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Love & War [Closed] - Printable Version

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RE: Love & War [Closed] - saronym - 07-04-2020

Owen watched the way she reacted when he touched her and afterwards. He studied her carefully. She brought her hand to her chest, cradling it as if something precious. He wondered if she were savoring his touch.

His own hand closed into a tight fist as she described what everyone seemed to understand about Deleveaux's intentions in marrying Jean-Etienne to Julianna. A power grab. A ploy to secure a powerful throne, nation, and queen. His hand clenched at the indignity of it as he remembered the way the third-born prince had spoken of the queen and women generally.

"Then we'll give them war." His voice was quiet, dark, and full of resolve. War was what he excelled at. "But only if the Veridian queen promises her hand to Eskra." He reminded her his intention. She wouldn't have his armies without having him.

"It's a big decision." He moved one of his game pieces. It was his first step in a series of four moved he'd planned. This would secure his victory. "You have time to decide yet. Eskra will remain at court for a time. Upon your continued blessing, of course." He smiled wryly.

RE: Love & War [Closed] - megs - 07-23-2020

Owen was making a show of being offended in her stead. Julianna wondered how much of it was just for effect. He had a plan. He wanted Veridian for himself. This was not something she could ignore, regardless of how exciting and handsome she found him. Yes, he thrilled her more than Jean-Etienne could ever dream, but he was also a man with goals, and she reminded herself to be careful around him. A new emperor called usurper as much to his face as behind his back. He needed her too. Like she needed him.

And here she was with him, speaking so casually about war. Was that already his influence on her? Only days in his company and she was so quick to weight the chance violence.

Here she was, trying to blame him when the thought had always been in the back of her mind. The meek and pacifist queen knew what her decision to break the treaty would do. She planned on doing it before, but with the emperor's help...

The idea was not as terrifying.

"I will...take your words into consideration, Lord Hartwydt." She cast her eyes to the game to watch as he made his move. Her tail continued to sway behind her head. After a few moments of consideration, she choose a move of her own. She didn't not immediately pick up her hand, as if she was unsure of her decision. But she left the piece where she placed it and lifted her hand to pull the strap of her nightgown back up over her shoulder.

"Eskra will remain at court," she agreed. "Much to Lady Maeve's disappointment." She couldn't help but laugh. Thinking of her sour handmaiden. Who would be throwing an absolute fit to know she was in such a state with the foreign emperor. "We will see what is to become of your stay in Veridian."

RE: Love & War [Closed] - saronym - 07-25-2020

There was a moment of silence that fell between them as Julianna carefully considered her next move. Owen watched her hand poised uncertainly on the game piece. He traced the line of her arm up to her bare shoulder.

He momentarily thought about kissing that spotted shoulder. Maybe she'd let him bite her some. His teeth marks would look good there next to her own natural markings. As if she'd guessed his thoughts, she pulled her nightgown back into place on her shoulder.

"Very good." He complimented her choice. It had blocked his next move...unless he was willing to sacrifice his piece.

Owen smirked at the queen when she mentioned Lady Maeve. "Ah well, irking her displeasure has become a kind of sport for me. I suppose my stay here will be another victory for me." He laughed and then leaned forward and arched his brow at her. "Will you wait to tell her when I'm around to witness it?"

He decided to move aggressively against her line. It would sacrifice his piece but ultimately set him up for the moves he'd planned anyways.

"Will I be permitted to court you openly? Or will we have to continue these clandestine meetings?"

RE: Love & War [Closed] - megs - 08-25-2020

Julianna could not help but laugh at how genuinely excited he seemed to annoy her handmaiden. "If it pleases the emperor, I will wait to tell her until you are present."

She was picking up on the game rather quickly now, though she had no illusions of defeating him in this moment. She broke eye contact with Owen for a moment to glance down at the board. She surveyed the field quickly, and overtook the piece he had left in the open for her. She was playing into his hand, and didn't know it. Which was a perfect metaphor for their current relationship.

"It would have to be in secret," she replied. "The prince can't know until the treaty if broken. It would be a betrayal on my part otherwise. The court can't know. Delenveaux is still viewed as one of our most important allies, and until Eskra proves that it can wrest that spot from them my hands are tied-"

There was a knock on the door to her chambers. Her ears twitched, the sound carried through to the balcony. It was Maeve and one of her warning knocks. "You have to go," she whispered at him. Her green eyes shimmered with sudden excitement. "It's Maeve!" She stood up, she wouldn't intercept the handmaiden to give him time to flee. Her face was red with a blush and she was suppressing giggles. "She can't find you here, now."

RE: Love & War [Closed] - saronym - 09-12-2020

Owen made his next move, as planned, while she spoke. His path to victory was certain now and he smirked at her as she made promises to him. Promises to let him watch the slow torture of her handmaiden. Promises to conspire in secret against her own historically close ally.

His head cocked toward the sound of the knock. "Ah. I suppose we are done for now." The tone of his voice suggested of secret meetings to come. Their departure now would be temporary.

She stood up but before she could leave the table, he captured her with his long fingers easily encircling her slender wrist and pulled her towards him. He reached up to cup her cheek with his other hand and pulled her face down towards his until their lips met. The kiss was rather chaste by his own standards. His lips captured hers for a moment and he released her again. "Keep the game, my queen. My gift to you." He said before he stood up dwarfing the diminutive queen when he did so.

"Now go." He ordered her.

When she turned away to get the door, he changed the game board, moving his king piece next to her queen piece. He popped another strawberry into his mouth. Then he climbed off the balcony and disappeared into the night.

RE: Love & War [Closed] - megs - 09-25-2020

Maeve tried to interrogate her about the game board until she went to bed. Of course, she recognized it instantly, but Julianna just brushed her off with vague answers about it being a gift. She didn't know from who. It had just been in her room. Julianna told her handmaiden that she was making such a big deal out of nothing up until she went to bed with the secret that it was much more than nothing. With the secret that her first kiss had been with the brash but charming emperor from Eskra.

"You lost, by the way," Maeve informed Julianna in the morning as she brushed her hair.

"What do you mean?" Julianna looked up from the correspondence she had been working on to view the blonde's face in the mirror.

"The game," she explained, nodding up to the war game she had tidied up and left on Julianna's vanity.

Julianna laughed. "Oh. Well, I wasn't playing with anyone," she lied. "I was trying to figure it out."

Maeve only hummed in a clear indication that she didn't believe her but said nothing else about the manner. She finished styling the queen's hair in silence and they left the private chambers together to go for a walk.

Julianna had a feeling that Maeve was trying to lead her in a certain direction, but her ears twitched to the sound of a commotion on the courtyard. "Any idea what's going on out there?" she asked, tail swaying back and forth. Julianna wore a blue gown that fell off her shoulders and was deliberately chosen for the emperor's attention. It was similar to the brilliant blue of the Eskran banner and revealed the spots on her skin she'd noticed him gazing at the previous evening. She wondered how he would feel about the color on her.

"I have no idea," Maeve replied, quickly. "Perhaps, we should retire to the quiet library."

Maeve suggestion fell on deaf, twitching ears that were following the sounds in the opposite direction.

Drawing closer revealed that the ruckus in question was an impromptu training session. From the top of the stairs the queen could see soldiers from both sides participating in some friendly sparring. Maeve followed against her better judgement and stood next to the queen. "A bit of a foolish spectacle, don't you think?"

"I think it looks like fun," Julianna replied with a smile. Soldiers and servants had formed a bit of a half-circle as an impromptu sparring ring. One of her personal guards, Sairus, was currently engaged with an Eskran soldier she didn't recognize. She nudged Maeve's side with her elbow. "Look, Lord Hartwydt and Master Rivers are here."

"Yes, I see them," the handmaiden replied, unamused, but violet eyes flickered to the dark-haired advisor standing next to his own ruler at the edge of the ring.