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LONELYRAIN · Dec 5, 2022

The Bloody Rose, or more commonly known as King Arlo Rose is the fifth king to inherit the crown from King Aldrich due to the king being assassinated as well as his half-siblings, he has taken the throne at the age of ten and had been ruling over it for five years. His five years of reigning over the kingdom has held nothing but blood shed and pain for those who opposed him, and with him having a rather damaged childhood, Arlo takes enjoyment in breaking everything and anything, this obsession eventually having led to him breaking down nations and destroying their soldiers with his own hands. He is a boy who had been forced to a role and filled it, although becoming a cruel king, far crueler than any of his brothers or King Aldrich. As such, his reputation is a horrid one and many fear him due to his intimidation factor, however oddly enough no one knows that King Arlo Rose is nothing more than a boy still in his early teenage years.

YC is one of these people who are ignorant to this fact, and is the eldest princess (around age 18-20) in a land far off from the kingdom of Yore's reaches, the Providence of Storms. It is here that YC is able to control the elements along with everyone who is born on the strange island. However, soon a letter arrived to YC's homeland with a clear threat that if the eldest daughter from the Providence of Storms is not handed over, Arlo will personally see to it that her island is destroyed, both enraged and fearful of the threat that Arlo brings to her people, YC would agree to the engagement to the king as a way to perhaps stop him from carrying out his threat to wipe out her people. However, upon reaching the kingdom and meeting Arlo in the throne room for the first time, YC would be surprised and insulted to see that Arlo is nothing more than a young boy on the throne. This would lead to YC unintentionally insulting Arlo due to not believing that a child would really be the king which will result in Arlo being enraged by her reaction and would remain for YC to be sent to the dungeons.

This would start off their rocky relationship, with Arlo not trusting YC at all due to the way he had been treated in his past and seeing YC as nothing more than a means to meet an end with an eventual heir, and YC being rather annoyed and irritated with Arlo for being so angry and quick to turn to threats, they will initially not see eye to eye at all. But, YC would eventually take pity on Arlo due to seeing how broken the boy had become over not only his duties as a king, but finding out from the servants who had served him for so long what had occurred in his life, resulting in YC wanting to show Arlo that life in not strictly one of pure suffering and would attempt to draw out the side of him that he protected from the world out of fear of being hurt.

Eventually, their relationship would strengthen and would result in Arlo slowly recovering, with YC's aid with slowly overcoming his trauma and bringing out a more merciful side to the tyrant king. Eventually, a romance will develop between the two as they grow to love and trust each other as their royal life together will bring its fair share of challenges as the Rose family's enemies would attempt to take the young king's life as well as other outside threats which would threaten to break Arlo and YC apart and the plot will continue from there (feel free to add to it).

Arlo Rose

Arlo hadn't been intended to rule, nor had his birth been expected by the royal family under the name of Rose. The royal Rose family, ruling over the kingdom of Yore had an impressive military might, one that many countries in the surrounding areas found threatening and had bowed easily to the whims of the superpower kingdom that had seemed to grow endlessly which each passing year. As such, the kingdom was lavish in riches and many rumors claimed that the kingdom of Yore had its streets and roads paved in pure gold. Of course, to reach such a prosperous height, the Rose family had committed many acts that many would consider deplorable for their political enemies and kingdoms that opposed them, yet none were as horrid as when the young king Arlo would be placed on the throne, a throne he had never been intended to inherit.

Arlo had been the youngest of his family, born out of wedlock due to his mother feeling neglected by the king at the time; King Aldrich. Her affair had soon reached the ears of the public as soon as Arlo had reached four years of age, and unfortunately the king as well. It was then that Arlo would view his mother; the beautiful Queen Blythe Rose be executed in the public square for her crimes of adultery. She was to be hanged, and of course the hanging would be an awful sight for one as young as Arlo to view, as he hadn't a clue why his gentle mother had been killed before the crowd of silent onlookers from peasants to noble folk, and as he viewed her body swaying from the noose, a lifeless body something had snapped inside of the young Arlo, his mind forever changed from the experience of seeing death. Something inside the young boy had become warped, broken and yet his life would not become any easier from that day forth.

Being now a bastard child, Arlo was isolated from his brothers, four in total who would inherit the crown before him. Without his mother to protect him, Arlo was at the mercy of his elder siblings who of course would ridicule and terrorize their younger sibling. In retaliation, Arlo began to break anything and everything his hands would grab a hold of. Whether it would be the beautiful vases that his mother once treasured so dearly, or breaking apart his elder siblings's precious belongings, oddly he began to feel an odd excitement when breaking apart things that his family once held dear. Eventually, his odd behavior was seen as erratic, and many assume he had been possessed by something demonic as he grew older, his addiction to breaking anything and everything his hands could get a hold of only seemed to get worse and worse, as his brothers now viewed him as a freak, eventually resulting in daily physical beatings from not only his siblings, but the king as well for his odd behavior. However, Arlo didn't seem to stop, and as the beatings grew more and more violent, leading eventually to the young prince suffering broken limbs and bruises daily, the king grew tired of the child and had him locked in a tower, away from the view of the main palace.

Even in his tower, to perhaps pacify him, servants oftentimes brought him canvas's to paint with, and with no avail as soon as Arlo would paint beautiful landscapes, he would completely and utterly destroy every single piece of art he made much to the dismay and confusion of his servants who still served him. Eventually, his obsession with breaking objects resulted in him losing sleep and being unable to rest without being administered sleeping aids from the royal physician. Truly, the young prince had become not only a disturbed soul, but menace as well but eventually his memory would be forgotten gradually from the minds of many until the royal Rose family began dying.

King Aldrich would be assassinated upon Arlo turning only seven, and as his eldest brother had claimed the throne for only a short eight months ruling, he too would die from food poisoning. The next three brothers would die from illness, all upon reaching the throne and with leaving no heirs, Arlo would be freed from his tower at the age of ten and the child king would be placed on the throne, a ruler who would soon be known as the "Bloody Rose". Even in his time in the tower, Arlo had been a fast learner when he'd not been breaking any object he could get his hands on, as such he adapted quite quickly to life within the palace, and yet upon the night of his first day ruling, the ten year old child had gathered all of his servants and began to slaughter ones who he had viewed as betrayers and shifty. He enjoyed breaking his servants one by one, taking delight in the horrified expressions of the ones who were still loyal to the crown, expressing that anyone who dares think to oppose the crown of the Rose family will die by his hands personally. King Arlo was no fool, he knew that someone had been attempting to take the lives of each and every one of his family members and had succeeded until when he took the throne. As such, the Bloody Rose had began to bloom upon the throne he now looked over.

He was a cruel boy, being far more cruel than his "father" King Aldrich. He raised cities to the ground, burned their crops, ordered his men to slaughter any who dared raised a hand in resistance and oftentimes the child king would go to the battlefields himself to "break" apart more souls who dared to fight against the kingdom of Yore. In the three long years that followed, King Arlo had successfully annexed in seven nations that had previously shown resistance against the Rose family and forced them to submit otherwise he'd waste no time in breaking them apart himself. His odd behavior of breaking objects continued to occur more so than often, as Arlo was still just a boy, one who received abuse from his family, watched his mother hang, was thrown the duties of a king on his shoulders at the age of ten, and as such as feared by everyone who even so much as look at him. However, the cruel king was an efficient king who made his kingdom prosper, although his personal identity had been long forgotten by the simple mind of the citizens he ruled over, most whispered fearful whispers of such a king daily.

However, soon enough the king would meet someone who would change his life permanently, although whether for better or for worse is yet to be determined by the young king.

Upon five years being passed in his reign, and now being fifteen years old, Arlo's cold, cruel behavior no longer resembled that of a hurt child but of a cold-hearted adult. Concerns over those who would attempt to take his life had become more and more frequent as his advisers had suggested for him to marry and produce heirs as soon as possible. Of course, Arlo had initially ignored their pressing but soon it became an issue that he could no longer ignore. The Rose family did need to continue the bloodline, although it was merely in name as he did not carry King Aldrich's blood, he still needed to pass down the name eventually. And so, the hunt for a queen who would be forced to marry the Bloody Rose King had begun. Of course, many were too frightened to offer their daughters for marriage, while Arlo found most if not candidates boring and uninteresting. He likened them to boring white walls, uninteresting, unoriginal, and certainly not entertaining. But, eventually the young king would hear rumors of a princess who came from a people in a land far from his reach who could control the elements. Magic was unheard of in the humid kingdom of Yore, and seeing as such a thing was rare Arlo would not accept no for an answer.

His letter to the kingdom called the Providence of Storms was not one that was friendly, more demanding than anything else. It entailed that the young king Arlo wanted the eldest daughter from the Providence of Storms to become his wife, and if any resistance were to be met he will personally see to it that their land is destoyed and their bodies broken to pieces by his own hands. Of course, this being not taken lightly, a letter in response was soon brought back to King Arlo in reluctant agreeing to his threat and to expect his fiance to arrive within a week's time. And so, a week he would wait.

Soon, the time of his future queen would come as Arlo rested upon his throne, the child king dressed in garbs of dark colors, the Rose family's royal crown resting atop his golden locks. The boy's posture was that of an adult within the throne, not lounging on the throne leisurely, instead he was alert. The only sign of impatience being the tapping of a finger against the armrest of a throne of which was engraved with precious gold. Soon, the sound of the great oaken doors at the end of the room would creak open, a satisfying sound to his ears as he had halted his impatient tapping upon the throne's armrest, his crimson eyes settling upon the woman who was making her way within his throne. His future queen had arrived at last.

A smile curved over the boy's lips, a chilling, cruel smile as he spoke, his voice like that of a winter chill although still light with the tint of youth, "Welcome to my humble kingdom, I assume that the trip was not too harsh on you?" He asked the question politely, though it was expected of him to act in such a manner. However, to anyone else seeing Arlo on the throne would be confusing, as the Bloody Rose King had many military victories secured and well... rumors depicted him as a cruel, older man, nothing like the boy who was now on the throne expectantly.

catatonic · Dec 5, 2022

The fire was warm and comforting in the palm of her hand, lighting up the dark room she had found herself in. Leana hummed softly, the twenty year old enjoying herself in the dark. She didn't have any nightly meetings to attend to and had freedom to do as she pleased. And that's what she did until the day came where a letter from a neighboring kingdom came and demanded her hand in marriage to their king or the death of her people would happen. She remembered trying to convince her father, King Maximus Stella, to deny the proposal seeing as the royal family and their people were magic users and could handle their own in a war should it come to that, but her efforts were in vain. They were a small island kingdom and were generally peaceful people, so the idea of their land being destroyed didn't sit well with the king and he had agreed to the proposal, sending a letter in response that the eldest daughter would arrive in a week's time.

And that's how her life changed. She found herself in studies for a few hours each day to prepare for her role in this kingdom that would become hers. She learned their history and the history of the current king. He was a tyrant and a man of bloodlust. He seemed to enjoy the battles he fought and ruled the land with an iron fist. There were no rebellions to his reign, she noted one day, and the kingdom prospered despite the blood that was shed to get their. The pink haired woman was sitting in front of a mirror, her handmaiden behind her brushing the long locks and pulling them back into a simple braid that the princess decided she didn't like and made her take out.

The days passed quickly and soon she found herself on a boat in transit to the neighboring kingdom, a two days journey. Her father and sisters had been there to see her off and tears were shed by the youngest of ten as she said goodbye to the only home she ever knew. Standing on the bow, she sighed as the wind blew through her hair. The salty seas were calm and the trip was a gentle one, but she couldn't help the feeling of dread that pitted itself in her stomach. What was this king like? Would he be ruthless towards her? Only wanting heirs and nothing more? She feared her magically abilities would be used as warfare, as they could be, and disgust at the idea raised in her throat.

Days later, she found herself in the throne room where she was greeted by a boy no older than fourteen or fifteen and she was dumbfounded. Who was this child? Why did he wear a crown? In her country, a new king couldn't be crowned till his sixteenth name day, so it was unusual for her to see such a young boy on the throne. Upon hearing his question, she nodded shortly. "The trip fared smoothly. But I must ask, where is the king? I cannot imagine you are who I am betrothed to." She didn't mean any insult, for where she came from she had the freedom to speak her mind, but she understood too late that her words could be seen as hurtful.

LONELYRAIN · Dec 5, 2022

Arlo's expression twitched, a mere slight twitch of his lips and a quiver to his even breaths as the woman before him had so boldly implied that he was an imposter. A fake? Anger began to coil in his gut as he struggled to keep a pleasant smile upon his lips, however the boy was never good at suppressing his anger. "...Where is the king?" He repeated the question, savoring it upon his tongue as the boy's fingernails scratched against the gold of the armrest of his throne. This woman dared to insult him? A chuckle left his lips then, causing the guards within the room to visibly tense at the action. It never was a good sign when Arlo laughed, for the cold laughter wasn't of amusement nor was it kind, it was an agitated and strangled sound as the rage was beginning to spark to life in the boy king's crimson eyes, "Do you want to die?" The question was spoken so coldly which had made one of his guards try to speak up, "Your-"

Arlo's hand slammed down on the armrest, his head whipping around to glare daggers at the guard, a feral rage twisting his soft features, "Hah? Did I ask for anyone else to speak? I didn't did I?" The guard had immediately stepped back in response as Arlo's heart was quickening in his chest, a hand coming to his head as a harsh breath left his lips. His mood had been soured, ruined completely by this foolish woman. The nervousness from his guards were filling the air, a usual reaction prior to when Arlo was about to snap, and he certainly was quite close. The only thing staying his hand was the potential usefulness this woman in front of him held and nothing more, but even then he had to release his anger somehow especially for her insolence in his presence. Slowly, the boy king had reclined in his throne, a headache thrumming to life as his expression pinched. Yes, he would spare her for now, if he didn't he wouldn't hear the end of it from his advisors.

The rage painted so clearly upon his face had faded, leaving behind the forced pleasant expression he had been carrying before as he spoke up, "Well, I'm sorry to not meet your expectations." The boy had stood from his throne, causing a shift within the room as he began to step toward the young woman before him, the very air within the rather pleasant elegant room was suddenly tense and uncomfortable, eventually resulting in Arlo coming to a stop before the young woman before him, the king having to look up to meet the woman’s gaze though there was no kindness within such cold crimson eyes.

“Let me show you that I’m simply not pretending,” A pleasant smile had touched his face for a few seconds before he announced, “Guards, take her to the dungeons.” There was hesitation that met his words, perhaps more of shock than anything else. But, not many actions could perhaps shock the guards nor servants within the palace anymore, Arlo was a tyrant, a cruel child and he’d not been shown any different way to direct his displeasure or anger. At the very least, he wasn’t ordering to execute the woman on the spot, something that he would personally do so with his own hands if he desired it.

The sound of the guards moving forward due to Arlo’s command had resulted in two guards grabbing hold of the foreign princess, though not too tight at all due to not wishing to bring her harm. After all, who wouldn’t be sympathetic to the woman in this current turn of events… except for Arlo of course. The child king had turned away from her, beginning to make his way back to the throne as he waved dismissively to the guards, despite feeling the familiar itch to break something again, he wouldn’t be able to do so. There were many duties he had yet to fulfill for the day, meeting his wife to be although hadn’t gone on as planned was one duty that he completed, he needn’t be near her any longer than necessary. He could hear the men beginning to walk away as he stopped before the throne and sat upon the throne itself, leaning back leisurely as a cold smile crossed his face, his ruby colored eyes burning holes into what would be his fiancé being dragged out of his presence to the dungeons like he ordered. It almost seemed akin to him mocking her as she was dragged out, though there was unmistakable anger still within his posture. The comment clearly had offended him.

catatonic · Dec 5, 2022

The woman watched him with calm eyes, a silent hint to anger behind them as the scene unraveled before her. She made no protest when he ordered her to the dungeons, seeming to glare at the boy king. When he had stood in front of him, she looked down upon him with a distaste to her pink gaze. The stories she heard about the ill tempered king were true, though she got lucky only being banished to the dungeons rather than death.

When the guards grabbed her, she allowed them to take her from the blonde's presence without struggle. She was beyond angry to be there and even more so since she hadn't meant to offend the child. She followed obediently between the two guards as the skies outside seemed to grow dark as the seconds passed by. There would be a storm on what had seemed like a perfect day. And she would see the walls of a prison rather than a room on her first night in this foreign land she would claim to be hers.

Her pink hair flowed behind her as she was taken through hallways and downstairs, going deeper in the complex of the castle until she was in the dungeons. The musty air filled her nose and made it crinkle in disgust, being used to the fresh air of the outdoors. One of the guards took a torch from the wall and lead the way while she was positioned between the two guards in a straight line. She was led to a simple cell with an iron barred door and when the door opened, she was pushed inside and given a half apology as the door was closed once more.

Her pink eyes surveyed the room. Four stone walls and a stone slab as a bed with a bucket to serve as the bathroom. She sighed softly to herself as she sat on the stone slab of a bed. So much for making first expressions. "This king has lovely people skills." She said to nobody with a sorry chuckle. She was a prisoner. Her fingers itched with the desire to set aflame, but she did her best to ignore the feeling. She would not allow her talent to be shown. She was one of the more proficent magic users of the royal family and she did not want to be used as a tool of war.

LONELYRAIN · Dec 5, 2022

The storm that had reached the kingdom had made Arlo's foul mood even more so rotten as the boy had been forced to tend to the matters of import concerning laws and taxes over his kingdom, the piles of documentation rising high above the boy's own head, and yet this was an everyday occurrence. For hours, the boy would be locked up within his study to attend to his duties, his sleepless nights being oftentimes punctuated by the boy eventually lashing out in frustration if a servant so much as looked at him wrong, after all he wasn't the most pleasant person to be around especially if he already had been unintentionally insulted. That was right, the woman to be his queen was still in the dungeons... was she not?

By the time that stray thought had finally settled within the boy's mind, his crimson eyes shifted to the windows settled behind him, still seeing the rain beating down hard against the window pane. Judging by how long time had passed him by, it perhaps was nightfall which made a cold smile finally cross his face. He wondered, did she learn her lesson while she was confined within the dungeons? With the foul conditions outside of the palace, the dungeons perhaps would be a bit more frigid that night, not that they were never not cold, but this made the boy's expression turn a bit sour. What if she fell ill underneath his care? It wasn't as if he wanted to deal with a sick woman, especially considering she needed to remain as useful to him as possible, and if she were to die then that would inconvenience him greatly.

The sound of his chair scrapping against the floor had echoed in the room as his advisor had suddenly jolted awake, the older male staring bleary-eyed at Arlo, "Your Majesty?" Arlo turned his head to the man, his eyes betraying no hint of his anger that he had managed to suppress for quite some time that day, certainly a record, "I'm going to see my fiance." Surprise filtered across the advisor's face, though it soon turned into concern as he saw the hint of a smile beginning to peak across the boy's rosy lips. A question began to rise in the man's throat, wanting to question the boy if he had done something foul to the woman, after all he knew Arlo far too well to even trust him to act appropriately in company he needed to be gentle with. Little did the man know that Arlo had thrown his fiance in the dungeons, the boy purposefully keeping him in the dark as he stared after the king bewildered as the doors to his study closed firmly behind him.

...

Arlo knew the way to the dungeons quite well, the pathway there being used frequently in the earliest years of his reign. The boy had tortured and broke apart plenty of men and women in the dungeons, so the place more or less had become one of if not his most familiar places to linger. The door to the dungeons of course were guarded, though the guards were quick to part the way for the king, letting him through into the darkness below as he secured a torch, the small flickering of light casting some form of a light source in the pitch black darkness as Arlo's light steps rang through the darkness, holding the torch firmly before him as the damp smell of rainwater that had managed to seep into the dungeons, along with the ever present smell of blood causing a shiver to go down his spine.

As he reached the bottom of the stairway, the boy's eyes peered into the limited light he had as he carefully approached the only occupied cell, staring through the bars with contempt at the foreign princess as he wordlessly turned his back to her, settling the torch within one of the empty sconces attached to the nearby wall, providing an eerie light in the darkness as he soon had grabbed a nearby stool and settled the chair comfortably before the cell bars, a pleasant and mocking smile crossing the devil child's face as he stared at the princess before him, "I see you're doing far better than I'd hoped. You're not hungry are you?" There was no genuine care in his tone as his stare was cold, unfeeling as he shifted his position to be a bit more comfortable on the old stool he had seated himself upon.

"Have you repented?" The tone was a bit colder then, the darkness to his crimson eyes seeming to grow, "If you had, then I'm more than willing to let you out of here. It is a rather cold night, is it not? And I'm sure you'd want to sleep on a comfortable bed rather than... that." His eyes shifted to the uncomfortable stone slab within the cell to punctuate his point, though it seemed he was enjoying this. The feeling of power he felt, the control he had in this situation was making some sort of twisted enjoyment rise within his chest.

catatonic · Dec 6, 2022

The woman had been listening to the sounds of the rain outside and was huddled to herself with her knees in her chest to combat the cold. No blanket was offered and she didn't expect one to be. She was alone in a foreign land with a devilish boy king whom was at least five years her junior. How could she marry a child? It baffled her to believe her father had accepted the proposal. And it angered her. Shouldn't she be wed to someone older? Not a boy of fifteen?

She sighed, wishing she'd let herself use her magic to keep herself warm, but instead settled for letting her long hair canopy her in attempts to stay warm. When a light began to faintly grow near, she let her pink gaze travel to the bars to see whom was visiting her and her mood seemed to sour even more upon seeing the boy king. She was quiet as he spoke, her eyes watching the smug smile on his lips. He seemed to be enjoying himself, like he had all the power in the world to control the mage princess. She scowled at him.

"The cold I can handle. The stone slab I can endure." She replied simply, eyes watching him with a silent anger behind the pink hues. She was angry with him for throwing her in the dungeons. Angry at the fact he seemed to get pleasure out of her treatment. Angry at the fact he was only a child. She huffed, using her hands to rub her chest in attempt to warm herself discreetly. It worked and she relished in the warmth coming from her hands, but just as quick as she started to warm up she stopped her movements and only stared at the boy king.

Repent? She hadn't meant any wrong and this was her punishment. She frowned at the blonde child, her anger only seeming to grow at the audacity of the boy. "If your highness believes I should eat, then I will." She responded after a few minutes of silence. "If he believes I should have a comfortable room than I will take it." Repent? She had done no such thing and would not indulge him in his twisted fantasies that she would just bend to his every whim because everyone else did. She was too prideful and hardheaded to act like the rest of the kingdom, and if she had to stay in the dungeons because of it then so be it.

LONELYRAIN · Dec 6, 2022

This satisfying feeling of power, this rush that was beginning to hum in his veins as he stared with contempt at the princess before him had cracked. "Hah?" The exhale of breath left his lips as she replied coldly to him. She could handle the cold? The stone slab? The boy's victorious expression had dropped as his heart quickened in his chest, her bold anger reflected in the soft coloration in her eyes made his blood boil. Was this woman trying to piss him off? Why was she not begging for forgiveness? Prostrating herself before him? Why wasn't she acting like he wanted her to? His rosy lips were turning down slowly, the smile upon his face twitching as he could feel the itching feeling beginning to return to his fingertips.

Her following responses made the anger grow within his chest, his slowly fading frown had settled into an empty mask as he stared at her. She still was being defiant? "...So you will not repent?" The question was spoken softly, so very softly as he slowly stood from the old stool as hatred began to burn in his eyes toward the woman. Ah, he hated how she was looking at him, as if she could defy him so openly and expect that he would let such an insult slide. The itching feeling within his fingers continued to intensify as a chuckle finally began to bubble up past his lips as he whispered again, though it was more to himself and under his breath than purposefully to her, "...You will not repent. I see. I see." The boy's eyes shifted to the keys hanging within sight of the torchlight, stepping away from the dungeons as his hand reached out and grabbed ahold of the keyring, the clinking of the keys ringing in the silence of the dungeons as his steps took him to the cell, the fiddling of the keys within the keyhole being the only sound that broke the silence until a distinct click could be heard followed by Arlo stepping inside as he approached the woman before him.

A hand had gently reached out, almost as if he was offering his hand to her to assist her to her feet, as it seemed like the burning hatred in his eyes had vanished for a split second and had settled within a blank expression. There didn't seem to be any malicious intent coming from him at first as his hand neared her... only for his fingers to suddenly grab ahold of her pink hair, tugging with sudden force that betrayed strength in what was supposed to be a mere boy's body as his expression cracked, splitting to show a vicious expression with a twisted smile growing upon his face, "I don't think you understand your position here," His hand tugged tightly again within her long locks, tone becoming more so malicious, "If I wanted, I could have sent my troops to burn your country to the ground. Hell, I can even bring your family here to behead them before you at the slightest inclination. This world and everything in it is mine! Why? Because I deem it to be so!"

He tugged again at her hair, dragging her closer to him as he spat in rage, "And you in all of your insignificance dare to defy me?! Me! Do you understand that I can kill you at any time!? In fact I probably should have for that insult!" Arlo's chest heaved, the deranged light coming to his eyes in full as he gazed down at the woman, "Know your place, bitch! All your use to me is to produce heirs! Do you understand me?!" The dungeon doors slammed open then as Arlo's breathing was becoming ragged, the itching feeling intensifying as his other hand nearly was reaching to grab hold of the woman's neck, almost as if he couldn't contain himself... then the boy found himself being dragged back, his fingers forcibly pried from the princess's pink hair as his advisor had looped his arms around Arlo's, "Your Majesty! Stop! You mustn't!"

"Let go of me!" He snapped, his body struggling as his breathing was more like a beast's, crimson eyes unfocused as he snarled, "Let go of me! Let go!" His hands clawed at the air as the man behind him was dragging the raging child away from her, the frenzy Arlo had whipped himself into wouldn't end anytime soon as the guards posted before the dungeon had rushed in, grabbing hold of Arlo as the boy was now reduced to inhuman sounds emitting from his lips as he was escorted out of the dungeons, without a doubt being put back in the connecting tower to the palace, the one he had been locked in during his early childhood to rampage until he would calm again, leaving only the rather pale-faced and mortified advisor as he turned to the princess, horror within his expression as he quickly bowed to her, prostrating himself before the woman as a cold chill had gone down his spine. He should've known Arlo would've been unreasonable, why did he think for a single second that the king would actually conduct himself in a normal manner?

"I-I am so, so sorry! No apology could make up for this!" He sucked in a breath to calm himself as he straightened up out of his bow ever so slightly, the mortified expression on his face being nothing but genuine, "P-please, allow me to give you warm food and a room, Your Highness." Straightening out of the bow, the older man's gaze dropped to the keys that had fallen to the ground in Arlo's rampage, an expression of embarrassment settling upon the man's face as he grabbed hold of the keys as he said in an ashamed tone, "After I thought he had been doing so well... he goes ahead and does this." Arlo had certainly made the advisor feel like he had lost a good twenty years off of his life from the amount of bloodshed Arlo had committed, not only against his own people but nobles from other countries as well. Arlo had been rather calm prior to the princess arriving... maybe he should have been in the throne room as well to prevent Arlo from losing his temper, but then again what use would that do?

Stepping back, the man moved over toward where the keys had been resting prior to him arriving in the dungeons before moving back to the prison cell and reaching out his hand to the princess to assist her to her feet, the expression upon his face still very much mortified, but at the very least he was trying to make up for Arlo's all too inappropriate behavior.

catatonic · Dec 7, 2022

Leana had watched the boy king very closely when he moved away from the cell, muttering to himself. And when he opened the cell door and approached her, she watched. When he reached out for her, she seemed to bristle at the idea of physical contact with the child and gave a shout of shock when his fingers found their way into her hair. He pulled painfully and strong, something she hadn't expected. She placed a hand on his wrist that was attached to her hair, pink hues looking at him with anger behind them. When his other hand began to reach for her, she reached out as well to stop it.

The slight warmth in her hand began to grow the longer they were attached to one another. Before she could burn the king though, he was pulled away and she was freed from his grasp. She couldn't believe this monster was who she was to marry. And have children with. She silently prayed she didn't bare him children to save them the horror of their soon to be father. Her scalp burned from where he had pulled her hair and she found herself checking to make sure he hadn't made her bleed in turn while his advisor spoke to her.

She watched as the balding man bowed, laying prostate in front of her before he bowed after straightening up his posture. When he offered a hand, she took it with her free one and pulled herself to her feet. frowning the entire time. "Your boy king is truly a monster." She said to him in a soft voice, as if the screaming child could still hear her. And her words weren't wrong. The boy, to her, seemed like some demon in human flesh and she hated herself for being there. While she could sense and see the advisor's expression and concern was genuine, she couldn't help the feeling of dread that was crawling up her spine.

"I would like a room and food. I've been in this dungeon since I arrived and haven't seen the slightest bit of decency." She looked up at the man, pink eyes ablaze with anger. If the child hadn't been pulled away when he was he would have been burned by her hand and she had wished he had been. At least she'd get to relish in the fact she had caused him pain when the boy had done the same to her. She smoothed her long pink hair down and followed behind the man, silent now as her anger only boiled. She at least tried to be civil with the older man.

LONELYRAIN · Dec 8, 2022

An all too visible wince was the advisor's response as she had expressed in a soft tone that the king was a monster. "..I apologize." That was the only thing that he could respond in turn with, agreeing almost wholeheartedly with the princess, sweat trickling down the sides of the balding man's face as he couldn't look her in the eyes. Of course, the princess's request had made his expression redden slightly with anger as she had admitted that Arlo had locked her up straight away within the dungeons without hesitation, causing the man's head to begin to spin. That was completely unacceptable, and incredibly rude to a foreign princess, especially considering this woman was to be the young king's wife! Not to mention this certainly had soured whatever relationship the two would have, and not to mention even planning a wedding ceremony to bind the two together would be strained... Stressed lined the man's face as he shook his head again, more sweat seeming to pour down his face, how could he possibly make up for the king's obvious blunder? How could he try to appease this woman to make her feel at ease? It probably wasn't possible.

A sigh left his lips as he nodded his head firmly, "Yes, of course... Princess Leana, was it?" The man could vaguely remember the princess's first name, considering his days in the palace were lined with the stress of trying to get Arlo to cooperate with him in terms of marriage, although now that he had seemed to cooperate it just lead to more disaster. Forcing his gaze to finally meet the princess's, he offered her a strained smile, "Follow me, I'll lead you to the dining hall. Oh, forgive me I've almost forgotten," He bowed again, a quick and polite curtsey, "I'm King Arlo Rose's advisor... er, one of his advisors, Victor St. Clair." He swiftly corrected himself, considering the king had more than one due to the other noble houses within the kingdom of Yore wanting to influence the young king to their side, only to receive nothing but a devil of a boy in response. No one truly could control King Arlo, which had resulted in quite a lot of servants being murdered or tortured; even both if they were extremely unlucky. Only a few advisors had remained, Victor being the one that Arlo had clear preference for, though the man had not a single clue why, nor did he truly want to know. The man was only balding due to the stress that Arlo put him under daily after all, perhaps the king found enjoyment in torturing him. He wouldn't be able to know.

Straightening out of his bow, he offered another wavering smile and turned upon his heel and out of the dungeons, though he could already see evidence of Arlo's rampage upon leaving, an overturned statue that had cracked upon hitting the floor, a simple table to decorate the hallway being tipped over and the expensive vase having been left dejectedly upon the polished floors, all with rather pale-faced servants trying to tend to the mess, though they too had swiftly avoided looking at either Victor or the princess due to having been shaken up by the rampaging king who could barely be kept under control by the guards that had dragged him away. Victor cleared his throat as he spoken up hastily, "I-I assure you that this doesn't happen often." A lie, an all too obvious one judging by the discomfort in his face and how swiftly the servants were cleaning up the mess, though it was sort of a half-lie. It never usually was this bad.

Eventually, Victor had finally led her to the dining hall, in which it was quite a grand sight with an elegantly set up table in which he had grabbed one of the chairs and pulled it back for the woman as he assured gently, "A maid shall be along soon after your dinner is prepared, she will then lead you to your room." He bowed once more, looking aside from her as he cleared his throat, "Please do enjoy the rest of your evening... as best as possible." Making a mental note, the man stepped away to retreat to the palace's kitchen to try and get the chef to prepare the best he possibly could in regards to a proper meal for the woman as he stepped out of the hall. It wouldn't be too long afterward until servants filed into the room, a few silver platters placed before her with various fresh foods displayed before her, perhaps a bit too much due to the severity of the embarrassment Arlo had done.

...

"Damn you!" Arlo's fist slammed against the door locking him within the tower, his breathing ragged as his fingernails scratched at the unyielding wood, "I'll kill you! I'll kill her! Let me out!" He screamed, splinters piercing underneath his fingernails, his palms as silence greet his words, leaving the king panting as his attention shifted to the empty room. The itching in his fingers didn't cease, now tingles of pain settling within them as he slumped to the floor. He needed to break something with his own hands... but he couldn't! These damned useless servants couldn't even do that much right to soothe his anger. His teeth caught his bottom lip, expression twisting as his hands came up to his blonde hair, tugging at the locks as his red eyes stared at the floor, the pain doing little to soothe the agitation within his body.

They would refuse to let him out until he calmed down, probably waiting until morning came. Perhaps he would be lectured for his behavior, to sit back and allow himself to be insulted by an insignificant nobody from a nation that he could perhaps crush easily enough... though this was from maddened thoughts at this point as curses flew nonstop from the boy's lips, expression twisted in nothing but rage as he rocked himself back and forth, his breathing heavy and uneven, lasting far into the night for sleep wouldn't be able to take him.

catatonic · Dec 10, 2022

The woman listened and watched the balding man quietly as he spoke. When he asked her if her name was correct, Leana nodded shortly in response. "Sir Victor, it is a pleasure to meet you." She said when he finally introduced himself without having her ask. He probably realized he hadn't introduced himself, so she let it go. He obviously had a lot on his mind. "I foresee a fruitful connection between the two of us." She felt she could trust the strange and sweaty man.

When he straightened from his bow and began to lead the way out of the dungeons, she followed closely behind him. Her pink hues looked at the devastation the boy king left in his wake and frowned. It doesn't happen often? I doubt that highly. She thought when Victor said that the incident before them didn't happen often. She had a sinking feeling it would become commonplace the longer she were there. And it made her wonder what the life ahead of her held with the boy king.

The child was a monster and nobody did anything to stop him. He had free reign to do as he pleased and did as such without consequence. She sighed softly and turned her gaze away from the servants and continued to follow the balding man into the dining room. She liked the appearance of the hall, eyes looking everywhere until she noticed the man had pulled a chair out for her. Quietly she thanked him as she smoothed her dress and sat down, nodding at his words telling her that servants would be along with her food shortly.

When they did arrive, Leana was twirling her hair with her fingers at the sound of the doors opening and her pink gaze turned to the servants carrying platters of different foods. She looked at everything with hunger behind those pink pupils, and she looked at one servant to ask what the dishes were. She recognized the fish and the poultry, but the side dishes brought she didn't. It was her first day in this strange land, she didn't know all their foods. "What are these side dishes? I've never seen them before."

LONELYRAIN · Dec 29, 2022

The servant in question that she had spoken to had shifted her gaze to the fresh fruit that had made up most of the side dishes for that evening. "These dishes, my lady, are made from a special fruit imported from Bluys Fla; Bluys Pears." Unlike the typical pear being green in coloration, the pears in question were bigger than their regular counterpart and appeared to be a dark crimson, the sweet smell seeping from the unusual pear's skin being pleasant yet quite strong, "The chef himself had recommended to serve you these, they have relaxing properties and they are quite pleasant to eat." Though, the pears themselves always were quite expensive, certainly costing a king's fortune to get a hand on just one in Yore's lands. However, nothing was out of reach for the child king it seemed.

It was a pleasant gesture at least, a bit of a sympathic glance from the woman as she had stepped back to give Leana the proper space she needed after briefly going over the various salads as well, all made from imported ingredients from foreign lands, all of which noticeably had been conquered by Arlo. It would make natural sense that the child king would have access to all the world's greatest produce and pleasures; for he was greedy had consumed all that the world had to offer... even if he didn't much enjoy it.

It seemed however as the servant in question had stepped back to linger in the room, most of the other maids or butlers had left, leaving the one maid behind to await when Leana would be finished, the woman's expression being calm and serene, though there was a noticeable bit of sweat upon the young woman's brow, understandably nervous due to the horrid reception Leana had received from young king Arlo. Apologies were already swelling within the woman's mouth, though she suppressed the urge to spill the apologies already, especially considering Leana had already encountered Victor. There was no need to add onto the earful she probably already received.

...

Victor's steps echoed up the familiar tower stairway, the wood bending and creaking underneath each hesitant and nervous step as he neared his destination, an old oak door that had seen its fair share of abuse. The metal hinges that had been made time and time again by the kingdom's local blacksmith were already beginning to show signs of weakening, and the faint sound of flesh slapping against brittle stone from the inside of the room had made the advisor suck in a sharp breath, his eyebrows furrowing as he hesitantly raised a hand, pressing it against the oak door, "Your Majesty," He began, his voice tense, though not trembling just yet as the sounds within the room had went abruptly silent.

"Your Majesty, it is I, Victor. Are you well enough to talk?" A polite and seemingly innocent question, he could hear shuffling on the other side of the door, followed by a slamming against the oak door itself as the cold voice echoed from the other side, "I'll flay your skin you sniveling bastard! How dare you lock me, your king in this tower?! Huh?!" Another slam had caused the door to creak in protest, following by a scratching sound as if nails were beginning to tear at the door itself.

"Your Majesty, please! Listen to reason," Sweat poured anew down the advisor's face, heart hammering within his chest, "If you start a war with the Principality of Storms, there is no telling how much damage they could do in return. It is one thing to finally agree to marrying, but treating their eldest princess like you had done was far out of line! It would be a miracle alone that she would be willing to prolong her stay, much less produce-"

His words were cut off by the king's voice straining in rage, "That bitch is just a means to an end! Why the hell should I give consideration to one that doesn't know her place?!" Victor's jaw clenched as he snapped in anger, "Because, whether you like it or not, King Arlo you have chased off all of your other marriage prospects! We were lucky enough to seal this arrangement and I will not have you mess everything up over a minor mistake! The Rose line is at risk - the kingdom is at risk! Throwing it all away in a fit of rage, of everything that you've worked so hard to secure... it's madness! Foolishness!"

Silence met the advisor's words then, the man's breathing being uneven and ragged at this point as he was trying to regain his composure, cheeks reddened from the exertion, "Now, King Arlo, what I expect you to do once morning comes is to greet the princess and treat her like an honored guest, meaning respect. We cannot afford for her to leave or become dissatisfied, do you understand?" More silence met his words causing the man to swallow nervously again, regret settling within him as he realized his words were far too bold. Did he feel braver just because a flimsy door was protecting him from the demon child on the other side? Perhaps, but it was a foolish notion all the same.

"...Very well, we'll do it your way. However, if she steps one toe out of line, I'll personally see to it that she'll be ground to nothing beneath my heel, and you won't intervene." The threat behind the sinister voice that responded to him had caused Victor to take a step back as if to protect himself, shivers that he didn't realize were occurring had ran through his body. But, this was the king, and as much as Arlo tolerated Victor and his advice, the man knew he was tip-toeing a very fine line with the young king, this threat being evident of that fact alone.

"Very well, Your Majesty."

catatonic · Dec 30, 2022

Leana listened quietly as the girl spoke, eyes traveling to the pears that were mentioned and a curious twinkle lit in her gaze at the sight of them. They were big and red and smelled pleasantly, she decided as the girl spoke that she would try them. And she did, she helped herself to a plate as the girl continued to explain the dishes, popping one of the pieces of pear into her mouth and moaning lightly at the taste.

When the girl had stepped away, the pink haired woman looked around the room after grabbing a piece of fish and a small portion of one of the salads. It was a grand feast, far too much for just herself to consume. But she liked the gesture, at least the works of the palace seemed nicer than their king. She could feel the woman behind radiating nervous energy, and did her best to ignore it. She probably knew of how the Princess had been treated and wanted to apologize. Leana had heard enough apologizes from Victor, she did not have a need for more.

The woman ate in silence and when finished, she wiped her mouth with a napkin and stood from her chair. "I believe you're to show me to my chambers...?" She trailed off, hinting that she wished to know the woman's name. It had seemed, to her, that the boy king Arlo had much to his name. He had conquered plenty and spared no expense in getting the finer things in life. She wondered briefly if the boy even enjoyed the luxuries he won.

LONELYRAIN · Jan 6, 2023

The silence that had settled would remain unbroken until Leana had spoken, causing the woman in return to perk up, a straightening of her back with a squaring of her shoulders as the implication of allowing a name to be given had made the servant's eyebrows furrow, surprise flickering in the depths of her eyes as she spoke hesitantly, "Y-you wish for my name..?" It was unheard of at least in the palace for a servant to give their name, unless it would be a result of punishment. Every servant knew that well, stepping with care around King Arlo, hoping to remain nameless, unknown and dismissed underneath the child king's eyes. To be known was to be a death sentence, to be known was to be fated for breaking underneath the king's hands and feet, broken to a shell of themselves. Forgotten.

The woman dropped her gaze, swallowing nervously in response, a hand coming to her chest as if to still her heart. Surely, this wasn't the case with the foreign princess, right? She was a stranger to these lands, and even stranger to this palace that had become like hell since the demon of a boy had taken over. "M-Marjorie, my name is Marjorie... Your Highness." The now named woman had bowed her head, low with a faint trembling to her fingers as she was quick to control her features. She was not dealing with Arlo, so surely she and her family would be safe. A clearing of her throat would be soon to follow as she straightened from her bowed position, "Yes, I shall show you the way. Follow me."

Marjorie would not move until Leana would, a quick curtsey and a turn on her heel being the swift reactions of the woman as she had strode out of the dining hall, keeping her pace just slow enough so that Leana would not lose her way, nor get lost within the sheer amount of halls that consisted of the palace. There were many rooms, formerly used to welcome foreign dignitaries in long lost balls that had once graced the grand palace, but had since been abandoned and left to rot; no souls having since used them due to Arlo's refusal and distrust of those not close to him. Every room in question that was passed were slightly ajar to allow one to briefly look into, showing the emptiness of such rooms as well, the decorations within having long been sold off or stored away in the treasury. It certainly was a waste indeed.

Eventually, their seemingly long trek through endless hallways would stop before a fine set of doors which would part open underneath the gentle push of careful fingers from the servant, this room in particular having been tended to and designated for whoever would have the misfortune of being Arlo's betrothed. A plush bed, decorated with the finest portraits within of beautiful landscapes would line the walls, fresh flowers that have been taken from the palace's garden rested in a golden vase upon the simply drawer resting next to the bedside, filling the room with the soft scent of flowers. A large wardrobe was at the other end of the room itself, although empty due to it would be expected that dresses would be made eventually once Leana arrived. It was obvious enough that the palace's servants had put in the effort of doing so, as Arlo certainly didn't care whatsoever in looking into the matter. A sort of comfort lay within the room, comfortable and safe, though from the nervous soul lingering outside of it in fidgeting movements and the flash of nervous glances to Leana, the woman wasn't sure if the princess would even like the room, quite ready to make any changes if she deemed it so.

catatonic · Feb 7, 2023

Leana had waited patiently for the young woman's response to her question of a name, nodding when she repeated that she wanted to know her name. In her home Kingdom, the pink haired woman knew all her servants names, addressed them by them, spoke freely with them. They taught her different things throughout her twenty years of life, many were dear friends to her despite their low stature in their society. She had never treated a servant poorly, and she could see from the woman's reaction that Arlo did treat them poorly. His decision to put her in the dungeon that very morning of her arrival was evident he didn't care one way or the other about herself, much less the people that served him. "Marjorie, it's a lovely name." She smiled warmly at her, trying to ease her worry that she wouldn't act like her betrothed.

She followed closely and quietly as they walked, listened as their shoes clicked on the stone floor as they made their way. She glanced into the rooms she could look into, felt an ache at the sight of the empty rooms and discarded supplies. It's probably been some time since this castle last saw a party. I'd throw one if I could ever convince the demon boy. She thought to herself as they walked, feeling sad at the idea of not having a party for the marriage. She didn't think the boy king would care to throw one in uniting their two kingdoms.

She watched as the doors to her room opened, and took a long look into the room as she strode in. It was comfortable to say the least, big enough that she could have her dresses tailored in there instead of going to another room. She turned around slowly as she looked throughout the room, nodding to herself. She could see to using the powers she had while in the privacy of this room, unless Arlo or one of his servants were around. She didn't want them thinking she was a pawn for war. "Will my belongings be brought in or will I be expected to have everything freshly made?" She asked Marjorie as she turned her pink gaze back on the woman, a hand on her hip as she looked at her. "And I want to know more about the boy king. What terrible things happened to make him this way? He is no more than fifteen, barely man grown at that. It must have been some terrible affair to turn him so horrid."

LONELYRAIN · Feb 8, 2023

Nervousness settled upon the skittish woman's eyes which darted to Leana's reactions to the room. Even if she had been relatively pleasant so far, the young woman only had Arlo's example to run off of; to serve as a cautionary tale against becoming too complacent or thinking for a single second that this noblewoman was satisfied. Even if the gentle compliment had eased a bit of the tension from the servant's shoulders, there was a slight quiver to her lip as she fixated instead on the floor, shifting about the room nervously as to make sure there were no obvious flaws. It was maddening looking about as she was, enough to make her head spin... but, she was soon brought back down to earth, to reality which caused her back to straighten abruptly at Leana's inquiry.

"I will take it upon myself to bring your belongings that you've brought with you," She paused as she looked to the empty wardrobe, "However, a tailor will be attending to you to be able to prepare new dresses, and a jeweler will also be selected to attend to whatever accessories you may need with your dress." There was a moment's pause only for a hesitant smile to touch Marjorie's face as her eyes still didn't mean Leana's, but it was at least a tad bit friendlier than the nervous fidgeting, "You are to be Yore's future queen after all, it is only right that new items will be prepared for you." The sentence made the servant's stomach churn, though perhaps in untold worry and pity toward Leana, she who was doomed and shackled to Arlo. What a horrid fate indeed, and judging alone from the way Arlo had treated her on the first day... it certainly didn't lend any confidence for the young woman to place in Leana's situation.

She only hoped the woman wouldn't end up dead.

"I-I beg your pardon?" The passing pitiful thought had abruptly came to a halt as wide eyes flashed up to meet the pink gaze staring back at her, her face becoming a bit pale in response. What had made the king this way? Marjorie's expression pinched as she shook her head at Leana, if only she could give her a proper answer for she didn't know too much herself. If anything, she prioritized not even speaking the king's name or allowing herself to linger too long in his presence. He was frightening, and she desired to preserve her life. The pale pallor to her face had lessened as she looked over her shoulder as if checking for anyone who may or may not be walking past, her heart nervously fluttering within her chest until her head turned back toward Leana, "..Unfortunately, I fear that I know very little about King Arlo... most servants typically wouldn't know much either, except for his advisors."

The voice of the woman had became hushed as she tried recalling the very little information she knew about the horrid king, "All I do know is he took the throne five years ago, but that's general information. Though, I don't know if his advisors would be willing enough to speak on it. And there is the king too but.." She trailed off, finding that sentence would be useless to finish. As if Arlo would speak on his past! The king was a madman and a tyrant; suspicious and paranoid, chances of him actually trusting anyone with the information would be easier said than done, and there was no telling what any advisor would say when questioned, probably would wind up refusing or ignoring the inquiry.

"..I fear that topic is taboo here, I apologize for the knowledge I lack." Marjorie conceded, bowing deep to Leana in a quick action of fear for her failure. The servant's eyes darted to the door behind her as she hesitantly positioned herself closer to it, an old habit that had been formed due to Arlo's reactions when he was displeased, "I-I can go and retrieve your belongings now i-if you'd wish, Your Grace?"

catatonic · Feb 9, 2023

Leana nodded to herself at Marjorie's reply, eyeing her softly as she listened to her speak. "Very well." She hummed, knowing it would be useless to try and fight about having tailor made dresses and accessories to go with them. She wondered then what colors she would be expected to wear and if any would please the demon boy she was to marry.

It made her blood boil still thinking of how he had treated her upon first meeting, just because a simple slip of her tongue when she meant no insult. She could see that life here was going to be hard for her with him as her lover, something she wasn't too keen on herself. She didn't want to marry the boy, but she had no choice. It was the only way to ensure her home kingdom remained unharmed.

She watched Marjorie as she looked behind her out the door as if someone were walking by, sighing through her nose as she listened to her speak. "Then send for Sir Victor. You are excused for now. I will call upon you again when I wish for a bath to be run." She said after a few minutes of silence, of just watching her as she inched closer to the open door. If the servants didn't know much about their Lord then they were of no real help in the questions she had, she'd rather let her continue her day as normal than subject her to feeling anymore unease in her presence. "Come back in about two hours, I should be ready for a bath then. There aren't many belongings of mine, it shouldn't be too terrible to bring in. But please do tell Sir Victor I'd like a moment of his time." Perhaps he could answer her questions, he seemed very close to the boy king from what she saw earlier that day.

She watched Marjorie for a moment longer before waving a dismissive hand, crossing the room to sit in front of the vanity mirror, using the brush on the table there to brush out her long locks as she thought to herself. He's only ruled for five years? These people are terrified of a child. What could have happened to him to make him such a monster at such a young age? She grew up in a loving family, she was the eldest to the Storm Providence, she had her duty to fulfill in this marriage, but the idea of bedding the blonde made her skin crawl. It certainly wasn't how she thought she'd find a husband, she always hoped for a love match, but she could see now that that was the farthest thing she would get with Arlo. She sighed to herself as she put the brush down after finishing with her hair, just looking at herself in the mirror as she waited for Victor to make his appearance. She had questions that needed answers and had a feeling he could provide them.

LONELYRAIN · Feb 9, 2023

Another bow would follow as Marjorie complied a bit too eagerly to leave Leana's presence, apprehension flowing upon the woman's features as she had straightened up and turned on her heel, the action far more stiff as Leana had waved her away, her mind flowing over the instructions given to her. Return within two hours to prepare her bath, return with Leana's belongings and get the king's closest advisor Victor to come to speak to Leana. Easy enough, she assumed as a headache thrummed within her skull.

...

This same headache would be shared by Victor who had been flagged down by Marjorie after making his slow descent from the tower that Arlo still was locked away in. After the king's threat, the man couldn't help but look over his shoulder every few moments as if Arlo could appear like a phantom out of thin air, as if to haunt his every move and slaughter him if he even considered the option of making Arlo stay a single moment longer than necessary. He already had been cursed at sufficiently, his ears still ringing with the insults the foul mouthed brat had spat at him when he was denied from leaving his room to even return to his bedchambers.

Arlo was not to be trusted, not concerning when Victor already was far too acquainted with the boy's anger. Even if he told him to cooperate, it certainly didn't mean that the king wouldn't try to get to Leana, if only to slaughter her due to whatever petty grudge had possessed the boy. The thought made his head throb as his lips pressed in a deep frown, eyebrows creasing in the beginnings of stress as he took in a breath and exhaled slowly to calm the anxiety pulsing in his veins. Ah, how he wished for an early retirement from this hell.... but Arlo would never permit him to retire or quit, he knew that well.

If he even breached the subject he'd sooner find himself in the gallows ready to hang, a noose prepared for his neck and the devil of a boy no doubt would take enjoyment in the sight. It was certainly not a pretty picture for himself.

As agonizing as these thoughts were, Victor was not one to allow those who were awaiting him to wait for long; especially considering Leana's circumstances. The man's footsteps could soon be heard echoing down the corridor leading to the room put aside for Leana, and eventually there would be a knock at her door, a polite inquiry slipping past the advisor's lips if he could enter, and once given permission it would be then that he would part the door and step inside, bowing to Leana almost immediately as he stepped within, his face a shade paler than earlier due to his all too unpleasant audience with Arlo, but he had at least forced a smile on his face for her benefit.

"You called for me, Your Grace? Is there something else you need? Anything not up to your satisfaction?" The questions although spoken politely, were incredibly nervous. Even as he stood now quite confidently before the young noble, his eyes were surveying the room and attempting to pick out anything that could be seen as out of place, or maybe even undesirable or beneath their usual standards. He could have sworn he assigned the best handmaidens to attend to the room, so there shouldn't be an issue there. Eyebrows began to furrow and reform deep creases upon his forehead as his polite smile was wavering, still desperately searching for the reason of her summons. Marjorie hadn't exactly been the most descriptive.

catatonic · Feb 9, 2023

Leana had taken to reading one of the books in the room on her bed while she waited for Victor to make his appearance, not having given Marjorie anymore instructions aside from bringing her belongings, her bath time and that she wanted Victor's presence. She turned a page and continued to read, glancing away from the book to look around the room that was now hers. It was spacious and comfortable to say the least, books were lined up on the bookshelves and there was a table off nearby the window. She set the book down and crossed the room, filling a glass with the wine that was there. She sniffed it before taking a sip, deciding she liked how sweet it was, and sat back at the table after retrieving the book she was reading.

When a knock and a question to enter came, she called for him to enter and set the book down as she turned her pink gaze on the older man. She watched him closely for a moment in silence, noticing he looked paler than before. "Shut the door and have a seat, Sir Victor." She said after a moment of silence after his questionings. "The room is mighty fine. Marjorie will be bringing my things shortly and coming back to run a bath for me." She continued, sipping the wine again to calm her nerves.

"I would like to ask you a few things about Arlo." She hummed, setting the cup down and folding her hands on the table. "Please, have a seat." She motioned to the empty chair on the other side of the table. "Would you care for a glass of wine?" She asked, watching him under a careful gaze. "I'd like to know the boy king's history. What happened to him to make him so horrid at such a young age? He's barely man grown but men obviously fear him. What terrible things could have happened in such a short time to the boy?"

LONELYRAIN · Feb 9, 2023

The close scrutiny of the pink gaze that settled upon Victor had made the man nervously shuffle from foot to foot, though it was only when she had instructed him to close to the door behind him and take a seat before her in response to his questions, it made a red flag immediately flare in the back of his mind. She wished to discuss something, that much was obvious. This made him frown in response as he turned on his heel and close the door securely behind him, the frown deepening as his mind was trying to run through any possibility of why she was intending to question him. Of course, he didn't know her well enough yet to even have a single semblance of what was going through her head, which left his palms feeling sweaty as they lingered upon the door handle, and yet he forced the frown to fade as he composed himself and followed through on taking a seat across from her, his smile widening a bit with force as she had responded in turn that Marjorie was intending on bringing Leana's belongings as well as drawing a bath for her later. Good, at the very least it was a relief that Marjorie was taking her duties seriously enough.

However, the smile froze in place and eventually fell altogether as she had spoken her true intentions for summoning him to her room, tension flaring across his face immediately as he seemed surprised; and a bit apprehensive. Normally, one wouldn't desire to learn more about the devil of a king, especially after suffering underneath one of his unreasonable tantrums. Most would only turn to run, or retreat to whatever homeland from which they had come. Information that was held on Arlo was something that was hushed, kept buried deep down if only to not incite his wrath, or even make him become inconsolable in his madness. Victor's eyes dropped to the wine as she had offered it to him, the man having not spoken a word so far, his hands clasping before himself as sweaty hands had twisted within each other and fingernails dug into flesh. "I would have to decline for a glass of wine. Unfortunately, it's never agreeable with me." He chuckled weakly after the admission, though it was typically due to his anxious and nervous disposition, especially in regards to the high stress that Arlo served to put him under daily, vomiting wasn't something he would want to do in Leana's presence, even if it could even dull the edge of anxiety.

His lips would press together then as he looked at the table between them, only to shake his head as memories was slow to return to him, "Arlo's history..? Forgive me if I'm very surprised that you would want to learn more about him. Let's see... where to begin?" There was another stretch of silence as the advisor's eyes closed, taking in a breath and slowly exhaling, "I suppose it all began with his mother, Queen Blythe Rose; and the scandal that came with her, she had unfortunately been promiscuous outside of her marriage to King Aldrich and birthed Arlo. The truth about him being born out of wedlock didn't come out until he was four years of age, where he had to watch his mother hang in the gallows for her crime." The day was filled with mixed feelings, something that Victor remembered well; while there were plenty of onlookers, mere peasants that jeered and called for her death, still there were some who felt... pain. Blythe had been a beloved queen, benevolent and warm hearted, loving and compassionate; a ever loving mother to all of her children and to the common people. Her loss had been extremely controversial and caused quite a lot of upheaval as the country had been split over her single mistake.

"King Aldrich had grown cold toward Arlo in the aftermath, and his brothers distanced themselves from him." A distant memory of the little boy who barely understood what was happening, who was suddenly left on his own in the dark after his mother no longer was at his side, it was a heartbreaking and cruel reality for one so very young, "Though, I know not why, but his behavior had become warped since that time. It started only with him breaking minor objects, mere replaceable vases, but it escalated to him throwing violent tantrums and lashing out at everyone around him. His father tried his best to... discipline him, but such discipline was far too harsh for his body to handle, in fact perhaps it was an excuse to try and vent the pain of betrayal and frustration out on him, and it only got worse when his actions were far too abnormal... but violence was something that Arlo learned to expect, and his brothers treated him no better." A disappointed sigh left his lips then, leaning back in his chair as more memories danced before his eyes, "Arlo's behavior only served to worsen, with each and every beating, and due to his violent tendencies he was forced to stay in a connecting tower to the palace, where he was supposed to stay until he died." It had been the original intention, to fade the boy out until no one remembered his name, no one remembered his face.

Until his existence would be blotted out, drowned and forgotten. A punishment for him existing, one which left him reeling and alone. It was something that filled Victor with regret, though considering back then he didn't feel as if he had the power to do much, nor did he try to do anything more than be a bystander. Arlo's irrational behavior was considered something that he didn't want to concern himself with, something that could be glossed over and forgotten as he was never intended to become much of anything to begin with.

"..Then, his father died. And one after one, his brothers upon taking the throne would too die." Assassination attempts, though all being successful toward the Rose lineage, "He remained ignorant to it all underneath the other advisors' orders, as my option to tell him immediately was silenced. It wasn't until Arlo's tenth birthday had he been crowned, and as a result he.. he truly had become a monster." The slaughter that ran through the castle had sent goosebumps to flare over the man's skin, his hair standing on end as Arlo had taken it upon himself to sniff out each and every single possibility of betrayal within the castle and had taken such delight in killing and ripping apart every soul who he deemed as "unfit" to remain. It was horrid, vile and the memory was enough to make him feel nauseous as he took in a breath and exhaled to steady the uneven beating of his heart, or even the quickening breaths due to the stress beginning to rise within him again.

"He had made a point of slaughtering everyone who he didn't trust on that day, breaking bones and severing limbs... keeping them alive to dangle hope only to snatch it away... But, as unfair and as cruel as it had been, Arlo was efficient in preserving his own life... though I needn't elaborate on what actions he'd taken to do so." Yore's impressive military might as well as all of the annexed kingdoms underneath its banner was enough to show that Arlo had been efficient, if not cruel. His people didn't starve, nor did they suffer unless they happened to get on his bad side, something that was a bit too easy to achieve with his quick temper.

"Unfortunately, this is all that I can truly share with you. It's... not information that I'm supposed to give lightly, King Arlo is very paranoid after all; he had told me not to speak of it years before. I trust that you can keep it a secret that you know between us, yes?" A bit of a nervous tinge had flared in the man's voice as he finally met her eyes, the tiniest slip of fear beginning to bloom in the depths of his gaze.

catatonic · Feb 10, 2023

Leana didn't pour him a glass when he said he didn't want one and simply sipped her own glass as she watched him closely. She felt at ease with the man, he was at least kind to her unlike her betrothed. She hummed softly as she listened, frowning to herself as he told her the story of the boy she was to wed shortly.

Despite how she felt for him, which was anger and disgust, she felt her heart ache as she learned his story. At the age of 4 he lost his mother, his only companion, because of his very birth and then was beating nearly daily by his father and his brothers. Her heart ached now knowing this, and she could understand somewhat why the boy acted the way he did. He's never known a kind hand. She thought to herself as she listened to Victor speak.

When he was done and watched him still, before offering a nod. "I won't speak a word of it to anyone." The idea of wedding and bedding the boy still made her skin crawl, but it was a little less than before now that she knew why he acted the way he did. She sighed as she downed the rest of her cup, pouring herself another as she mulled over her response. "When will I see him again? When is the wedding supposed to take place? I assume it could only be a few more days before we are to be wed." She continued after taking a long gulp from her glass, wanting to wash away the worry she felt pitting in her stomach at the fact she was indeed supposed to marry the broken demon of a boy.

LONELYRAIN · Feb 10, 2023

Hearing her words to keep his retelling of Arlo's history a secret, this had made Victor visibly relaxed as he let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. At least that was one less thing for him to worry about, one less thing that would keep Arlo from threatening his life... it wasn't as if his life wasn't already under threat as it was. The thought had made a trickle of sweat flow down the back of his neck as he recalled why he had been so anxious to begin with, and the very angry devil that was still seething in the connecting tower: and the promise to have Arlo actually behave.

This thought was merely passing as Leana had inquired further about Arlo, when the two were to meet in a hopefully far less hostile encounter. Clasping his hands together, he offered her a weak and wavering smile, "Ah well, you see... I thought it would be a good idea for you two to retry your.. er, introductions. I did try to convince the king to be on his best behavior, so you should expect him in the morning, and you may talk as you wish over breakfast." It was perfect, a perfect set up that Arlo couldn't possibly mess up! At least, Victor had hoped desperately that he wouldn't. Making the two get along well enough would be... difficult, especially with Arlo's disposition; and the all too horrid first impression he had left.

A frown nearly managed to creep over his face then at the thought, the headache he was suffering beginning to return in full force as he released a heavy sigh. Optimistic, he had to be optimistic! Now, his thoughts turned to when their wedding would take place, causing the man to clear his throat as he grimaced, though more in sympathy to the poor woman across from him, "Well, that would be held in a week's time. As much as the other advisors would want to push for an earlier date, that simply isn't possible. With accordance to tradition, the royal wedding susually are large affairs to be held in the view of allied nations, but with Arlo's paranoia... preparations will not go smoothly." He conceeded that with a slump of his shoulders, shaking his head lightly. Even if he understood the caution and the paranoia of the king, he took it to a worrying extent. If the king would have free reign, there wouldn't even be a ceremony, just an exchanging of rings in an empty throne room and that would be all. No priest to approve the union, no grand celebration... nothing.

"B-But as necessary, I will do all in my power to give you a say in how you want the wedding to proceed." It was the very least he could do, it wasn't as if she had any other choice in the matter but to wed Arlo, and the man felt horrible about her circumstances; being so very far away from her homeland and trapped in an uncomfortable position like she had been.

catatonic · Feb 11, 2023

Leana sipped her second glass of wine as she listened, nodding when he said she'd have an opportunity to speak with him over breakfast in the morning. She only hoped that it went better than their original meeting. She shuddered at the idea of being sent to the dungeon again. "I could see to speaking with him in the morning." She said behind her glass of wine, feeling the effect of the drink as a light shade of pink dusted her cheeks.

She had a fairly good idea that the wine they had would become her staple drink while she was there, something she had only indulged in during parties or a rough night when she was in her homeland. It made her a little upset to think she'd often be seen drinking alcohol, but she couldn't deny herself the calming affect it had. Especially since she didn't think this kingdom had any herbs to burn, something she had longed for in these moments. "I'd like some flowers to be incorporated into the wedding. Roses, lilacs, baby's breath." She listed off examples of the flowers she wanted, unsure if they even had such things in this new Kingdom. She knew in her homeland they did, for she grew them herself, along with the herbs she smoked.

She sighed through her nose as she set her glass down, looking at him in silence for a moment or two. "Are there any herbs here that can be smoked? I've quite the habit of it, it's rather calming." She paused for a moment. "Moreso than the wine, at least." It would also fuel her need to bed the boy, something she knew would happen the night of their wedding and she slightly dreaded it. She had been intimate before with one of the knights of her home kingdom, but had never gotten pregnant because she took a special tea to make sure she never had a child after their affairs, so the idea of carrying his child was little foreign to her. She knew it was expected of her, but it made her skin crawl to think the child would bed her. She only hoped he would wait till he was a little older, as it made her slightly uncomfortable that she was so much older than him, but she knew to herself the hope was fruitless. "Will... Will we be expected to bed one another on the night of our wedding?" She asked a little softly, unable to look at Victor, keeping her pink gaze on her glass of wine as she swirled it in the glass, obviously a little uncomfortable with the idea of bedding a boy of fifteen.

LONELYRAIN · Feb 11, 2023

Victor's gaze only served to grow more sympathetic toward the woman, though casting a slightly nervous glance to the wine she was insisting on sipping on. Pouring glass after glass it would seem, a comfort or an attempt to dull the edge of discomfort she was feeling. It was a sentiment that he in his own way understood... but for this matter, they had other more pressing matters to deal with in concerns to the image of the queen; or rather a queen of the world that Arlo had nearly completely conquered. She had more or less been thrown in a place that wasn't her ally, especially when one considered matters that had been brewing out of control prior to her arrival that day.

Indeed; he felt worse and worse for the poor young woman before him.

As she listed off the flowers, Victor had nodded his head as he responded in turn, "I will see to it if it will be possible for that to be arranged... rather the church would have to be consulted first prior to any changes." And that was the other matter that was becoming more and more of a problem. The church that Yore boasted of paid homage to the twin deities of the sun and the moon; Raha and Mehila, and as one could imagine since Arlo took the throne, his rule had been vehemently apposed by both popes who led the Sun and Moon sects individually. His marriage to Leana also had caused an uproar, with both claiming that he was marrying a witch and it had been blasphemy... to say the least, Arlo didn't care and forged ahead stubbornly.

Ever since he reached the age of ten, the animosity between both himself and the church was obvious, and Victor wouldn't put it past them for them being the reason why Arlo's life had been threatened on more than one occasion, though this was more of a passing suspicion with no clear evidence left behind to connect to the church. Always inconclusive, and frustratingly so. A grimace flashed across his face at the passing thoughts, pushing them aside for now. Such topics will be better off spoken of with all parties involved, especially having Arlo there.

Her next question had made even more of the grimace to flow, "Unfortunately, as much as I would seek imports that would adhere to your request... I cannot. As much as I hate to say it, your position here is not on stable footing. It's best to make sure your reputation remains as... spotless as possible. Prior to you arriving, there were many against the suggestion here, but.." He looked over his shoulder to the closed door behind him, "Such manners should be spoken of in far more guarded chambers. Not here."

An apologetic expression crossed his face again as he turned to face the princess, "My apologies, Your Grace." And then there was the dreaded other question which made the advisor take in a breath and slowly exhaled, "Yes. It is expected for the marriage to be consummated as soon as possible, considering Arlo's predecessors' sudden deaths, securing an heir as soon as possible is the priority... though considering this is Arlo we are talking about, I do not think you have much to fear." Another flicker of a shadow of exhaustion to cross Victor's face would follow, probably another headache that he would have to nurse again with arguing against his fellows or even the church... many, many arguments. "..The days ahead will be... interesting to say the least. I only ask that you conduct yourself as carefully as possible; there are eyes and ears everywhere." A warning laced those words as Victor frown had returned in full.

"..As much as I'd rather not leave you with such dark tidings, I must. Is there anything else you would require?"

catatonic · Feb 11, 2023

Leana listened quietly as he spoke, nodding when it seemed right, and when he was done she remained silent for a moment or two as she digested it all. It would seem they expected her to become pregnant at the earliest convenience, and at the thought she sighed, her free touching her slim stomach as she tried to imagine what it'd be like to be with a child in her. A child of the demon boy at that. She sighed again as she turned her pink gaze back on Victor, shaking her head at his final question.

"I appreciate the warning. I will be careful from now on." She said softly, sighing again. "No, I have asked my questions. You may be on your way, Sir Victor. Marjorie should be a long soon for my bath." As if she needed a warning to hide her powers, but she appreciated the thought from him. She had yet to let anyone see the powers she had, aside from the storm that had brewed not too long ago that had been of her making. Not that anyone could say for certain it had been her of course.

She sniffled a little as she watched him leave and when she was alone again she felt angry tears leave her eyes as she covered her face in her hands, trying to calm to rage in her blood. She wanted so badly to leave this place, to return to her homeland where she could have married for love and not duty, but she knew better than to try and leave. Her absence here would make Arlo go to war with her small kingdom, and she couldn't allow that. So she wiped her eyes and downed the cup of wine, not tasting it before she crossed the room to look at herself in the full length mirror, fingers dancing over her stomach as she thought of herself pregnant. "I guess drinking tea won't be allowed anymore." She mumbled to herself as she looked over her physique, frowning to herself. The idea of Arlo touching her made her skin crawl and the idea of him sticking his cock in her made her sick, but she knew she would have to see to bedding the boy and knew it would happen sooner rather than later. She wiped her eyes, pushing her hair back as she sat on the bed to await the servant girl for her bath and her belongings, very much wishing she had been able to snuggle some of her herb with her considering it was highly unlikely Victor would be able to aquire her some.

LONELYRAIN · Feb 11, 2023

As Victor had left, Marjorie would return, her thin arms supporting the princesses' belongings which had been surveyed and looked over by the castle's guards, a security requirement of sorts to make sure that there would not be anything dangerous within. Certainly it was an invasion of privacy, but one could never be too careful, especially in these days that haunted Yore. The luggage would be carefully placed upon the floor, as Marjorie had straightened up in her position, fingers brushing over her skirt as she cleared her throat, "I apologize for the delay, Your Grace. I'll prepare your bath right away."

Like promised, the servant would cross into the connecting room linked to Leana's where it would serve as her bathroom, alresdy having been prepared for her with all of her necesseties, although the matter of drawing a bath would certainly take awhile. With determined arms and firmly hands, Marjorie would had sufficiently drawn the bath water for Leana, and once done had she informed the princess she was done and had given her all of her necessary space. It wouldn't do for her to linger.

...

Morning soon would come with a new beginning, a new hope and hopefully a chance of redemption... or rather it should have been, as guards would finally open the locks that held steel hinges in place to look upon the now silent king who was staring blankly at nothing, the room inside showing the extent of the damage of his anger fuelled rampage of scratching at the stone walls, his blood smearing cold stone and the culprit being the ripped skin that had been caked up with dried blood underneath his fingertips. "..You made me wait.." The quiet voice spoke, causing both guards to look at each other as Arlo's red rimmed eyes, bloodshot in their lack of sleep had pierced through them, causing both men to take a step back as the king slowly stood, his body feeling a bit bruised from his anger fueled rampaging, hands sweeping away any dirt or dust that may have settled on the clothes he'd worn the day before.

"Come. We're wasting time." He had agreed to Victor's foolish terms, hadn't he? He would play along for now, see where this ridiculous farce led. Hopefully it would be entertaining, but for now... well he'd just have to look forward to whatever foolishness awaited. Him... being nice, playing to be docile? How ridiculous indeed, especially toward that woman? How the thought made his head ache with stabbing pain, a pain that wasn't the current one that surged from lack of sleep. On stumbling steps did Arlo walk from what had served as his prison to face whatever Victor had done.

...

An hour of preparing his clothes for morning as well as tending to his new injuries and Victory begging, or rather pleading and crying with him to not allow his temper to flare. It was now that Arlo would be seated in the dining hall, his expression filled with a bit of shock and almost cringing at the display of various foods from different homelands; and the more glaring set of roses that filled the vase between. The king's apprehension heightened as he slowly approached his spot on the opposing side, settling himself in his chair as his hand rested upon his cheek, a very sigh leaving him. Now he supposed, he would just have to wait?

The demon boy didn't appear as unhinged as he had been the day before, instead he was subdued in the slouching of his shoulders and the reclining of his posture in his seat. Carefully, he had been groomed and given a fresh bath and fresh clothes, things that seemed to at least boast of the wealth of a king of his reputation seemed to hold, dark in coloration to contrast the brilliant colors of his red eyes and blonde hair.

Realistic or Modern Pitter-Patter | Private

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