Throne of Secrets [Closed RP]

[kianainactive1234]

His cheeks were stained completely red by the time they reached Madame Clarisse's building, his heart tripping over its own self in his chest. He was completely fascinated by Reina, be it the smooth sultry tone that she occasionally slipped into, or the cute way that she stumbled over her words when she let her guard down around him and let herself relax. He could see her shoulders tense, her features change ever so slightly when she got nervous and became the person she was during the day. He didn't mind it at all, but he wanted her to feel safe and relaxed around him.


He had let his head nestle gently into the crook of her neck, his lips brushing her neck every now and then - though if she asked, he would most definitely blame the small graze of his lips against her skin on the uneven canter along the cobblestones. Of course, blame it on his horse, not cowardly or anything at all. Bastien really needed to improve on his smooth tongue when he was around Reina. 

 

[aintnobaka]

Reina couldn't help but smile and blush as his lips caressed the skin of her neck. She didn't dare mention it, though, scared he would stop if he thought she didn't like it, and she liked it very much. When they reach the brothel, she sighed heavily and slowly moved down from the horse. "It's such a shame we're here," she mumbled and looked up at him, "I don't quite want to go back inside." But as much as she didn't, it was getting late and Clarisse wouldn't be impressed if she stayed out for much longer.


She walked to the door and turned to him once again with a sweet smile on her face. "Thank you very much for tonight, Bastien, I've had a fun night..." Reina reached out to take hold both of his hands in hers and she loosely laced their fingers together. "I'd like to do it again, if you would like."

 

[kianainactive1234]

Gently raising her fingers to his lips, he then pressed his mouth to the back of her hand lightly before letting their hands drop gently. Madame Clarisse had opened the door of the brothel to look outside at the commotion of hooves, and was now leaning patiently against the doorframe. She looked like nothing less than royalty, her sharp chin set and her eyes hard. However, she didn't appear to be upset, just feigning interest.


Giving her one last little grin, Bastien squeezed her hands momentarily, until he let go to mount his horse. Swinging up and locking his feet into the stirrups, he nodded just once at Madame Clarisse. "Thank you for letting me keep her out a little longer, Madame. I do hope I haven't interrupted your evening plans for the girls." Now turning to Reina, he shot her a final wink and set off down the cobblestone street, Biscuits hooves clattering softly throughout the mushy puddles left by the previous nights snowfall.

 

[aintnobaka]

Reina didn't once take her eyes off Bastien as he galloped away on Biscuit, and she waved goodbye to him. Only once he was out of sight did she turn to Madame Clarisse and sigh happily. The woman merely rolled her eyes and ushered the young courtesan inside. "Don't go thinking you're in love, men don't fall that easily." Clarisse warned her, but it was too late. Reina thought that perhaps she'd already fallen in love with with the guard.


Weeks passed, with many days spent with Bastien. They had days out in the snow, throwing snowballs at each other until they collapsed together, arm in arm. They took long walks through the night beneath the stars, hand in hand. And the more time Reina spent with him, the harder she fell for him. But unfortunately, she couldn't spent all of her time with him.


Lord Ashbroke had demanded her attention - or rather, paid for her attention - for a few days. Her little weekend stay at his manor had started last night. He treated her to a fancy meal, but then spent the rest of the evening in bed with her. She didn't know how a man so disappointing could last so long. 


That morning, though, she'd woken up to a surprise. Apparently the Lord had been receiving anonymous threats, and as a kind gesture, the King had sent guards to keep the man safe. Reina walked down the large stairs after dressing to see which guards had been selected for Ashbroke's safety. When her eyes settled on the back of Bastien's head, her chest tightened. 

 

[kianainactive1234]

To Bastiens dismay, he had been assigned to Lord Ashbroke. Or, Lord Asshole, as he and the rest of the guard had so kindly nicknamed the snivelling little man who held an unfortunately very valuable seat at the Kings table of advisors. The man had been receiving death threats lately due to land disputes, and thus had been granted extra protection by the King himself. Meaning, Bastien had to patrol the mans property at all hours of the day and wait on his every need. Several girls had already been caught sneaking out in the wee hours, which wasn't unexpected due to the rather slimy nature of Ashbrokes personality.


However, he wasn't quite ready for the sight that greeted him when he turned and snapped to attention alongside Tybell as a woman exited The Lords quarters at the top of the stairs. The woman in question, was Reina. His heart tightened in his chest while the rest of him couldn't decide between rushing to see if she was okay, or to run up to the Lords chambers and slaughter him himself. After all - he was receiving death threats. 


But no, despite himself, he kept his expression stony and his body rigid. She looked beautiful, but then again she always did. Her hair was ever so slightly mussed, from sleep or whatever the Lord had her doing up there.. He didn't like to think about it, but instead nodded as she passed solemnly.

 

[aintnobaka]

Reina's legs stiffened as she continued down the grand stairs and she had to put her hand on the rail to stop herself from collapsing on the spot. Oh Gods, oh Gods... He knew who she was, what she was, and what she did, and he had no problems with it. But he could see her in Lord Ashbroke's home, and he could probably guess what they had been doing. She knew she could not embrace him even though she wanted to, so when they reached the bottom of the stairs she merely nodded in greeting at him and the other guards.


Mere moments later, Lord Ashbroke walked from the bedroom and trotted down the stairs. "Ah, there you are. I was wondering when you would arrive," he said to the guards and stopped in front of them. He wrapped an arm around Reina's slip waist and pulled her closer to him, as if to show her off to the members of the Kingsguard. "Make sure anyone who enters these grounds is accounted for. They must request permission before entering, is that understood? I don't want the perpetrator just to saunter through the doors because you two aren't doing your job properly." He scrunched up his nose, his moustache dancing with the action. His gaze dropped to the pretty little thing by his side, and he smirked. "Don't want this beauty to be terrified, do we?" He chuckled and dropped his hand to her backside, giving it a firm squeeze through her dress. She tried not to express her disgust, but it showed on the tight smile she gave.

 

[kianainactive1234]

Bastien merely raised his eyebrow at the scene. There was no use in getting angry with the man. Despite the fact that the greasy Lord's hands were roving across Reina like migrating cattle - an accurate statement, seeing just how strangely sausage-like they were compared to the rest of his body - he kept his cool and blew a breath out through his nose before nodding in unison with Tybell, the two guards sweeping into a bow with their heads still lowered, muttering something about "Of course not, given how absolutely divine she looks, Lord Ashbroke".


After the Lord basked in the attention of the guards, he gestured to the main foyer with one arm, the other still wrapped around Reina, a silent command for the two other men to fill him in on the days activities and give him any information regarding their current situation. Snapping up from the bow, Bastien turned swiftly and started down the hall towards the Main Foyer, leading the group as Tybell fell into step behind the Lord and Reina. Sunlight had already begun streaming in through the gaps between the curtains, which were now being hastily flung open by maids who bustled past, stopping only to nod at the Lord and curtsey before returning to shuffling through the house to clean.


"There were no attempts at entry to the house last night, and no suspicious figures reported in the area either, my Lord." Bastien glanced back, raising an eyebrow before the Lord gestured to continue on. "The Councils Carriage arrives in an hour and breakfast is on the table, I suggest you eat to keep up your strength for the day, because following the Council meeting you will be escorted back here to negotiate the terms of agreement on the settlement of the northern Eyllweian border postings. The King plans to have our forces invade and take the topmost refuge camps for Endovier." Sparing a glance towards Reina, he added, "Will we need to make arrangements for your.. lady, sir?"

 

[aintnobaka]

Even though Reina knew Bastien was only saying such things to keep on Lord Ashbroke's good side, she couldn't help the nervous shiver that rocked through her body. She joined Ashbroke on the couch and leaned into him like he gestured - he liked having her lean into him, as if it convinced him that she actually wanted him. Even as he listened intently to the guard talk, his hand grazed against her body in ways that she didn't enjoy; especially not when Bastien was sat opposite and could see everything the lord was doing to her.


At the guard's question, Ashbroke glanced down at Reina and nodded slightly. "Yes. Seeing as you two are doing a splendid job here, one of you should stay and keep an eye on her, and the other one of you will escort me to the palace." He ordered and gently brushed his index finger along her cheek. "You needn't be scared while I'm gone, my darling. No one will hurt you with these guards around." He almost cooed at her, as if she were in fact his wife and not a whore he'd bought for the weekend.


He was never that kind to her when they were alone - he put it on for the guards, to seem more of a victim than he actually was.

 

[kianainactive1234]

Tybell would have received the beating of his life if he had offered to stay at the Lords Mansion with Reina - he knew that much. The boy was a loon in love, but said loon in love was his best friend in the barracks, and Tybell would be damned if he parted the lovers. Stepping forwards, the muscle bound guard strode ahead of the Lord, leading him down the hall towards the back door, where the carriage was ready and waiting for the Lords approach. Sunlight swept over the two men as they made their way towards the door, the heavy oak swinging open as Tybell looked back and dipped his chin at Bastien. The subtle gesture was enough to tell Bastien that everything should be okay, at least for the time being.


As the ornate door swung shut, Bastien rushed at Reina, wrapping her up in a massive hug and burying his face in her face, inhaling her scent. Her hair, her skin, her perfume, she was tantalizing. He had missed her so goddamn much. Not a second after he had swept her up in the bone-crushing hug, Bastien held her back at arms length and let a trained eye look her up and down for any signs of... mistreatment. When he couldn't detect anything wrong except for the slight frizz of her hair, a sigh he hadn't known he was holding in escaped his lungs and his chest deflated with the motion.


"Are you alright, my love?" As he spoke he hadn't even thought of the servants that could be listening in until one walked behind him, catching the attention of his peripheral vision. He didn't care. They hated Ashbroke as much as everyone else. His tone was calm, his eyes kind. Nothing else should be expected of a man deeply in love. Jealousy or disgust were at the farthest point of his mind, unlike how men like Ashbroke thought. Bastien was just happy to know that his Reina was alright.

 

[aintnobaka]

The door closed and Lord Ashbroke left along with the other guard, and the force of Bastien's embrace was enough to crush Reina. But she didn't care. She would happily be crushed in his arms, if it means she could be in his hold, instead of the slimy embrace of the dirty lord. She took a deep breath, inhaling his scent as she curled her fingers into the fabric of his uniform. He smelt like home. 


She was well aware of the servants that would be watching them, but they wouldn't say a word to their master. They hated him just as much as everyone else did, and she was glad about that. When he held her at arm's length, she cupped his cheeks with her delicate hands, and let her thumbs caress his skin. "I'm fine, I'm fine..." And then her pink lips curled into a smile, and she pushed herself up onto her toes to rest her forehead against his. "Much better now that you're here with me." It was true - she would always be fine, more than fine, whenever he was at her side. She loved him - she was in love with him - and there was nothing in the world that could hurt her when he was beside her. And to prove just how fine she was, she pressed her lips gently to his to kiss him.


But that was when the door opened, and Ashbroke's voice carried into the lounge. He was calling to Tybalt, something about forgetting something. Reina didn't really pay attention to what his said, only that she could hear his voice. And when she pulled away from Bastien, the lord stood there, his face flaming red as he glared at them.

 

[kianainactive1234]

The slamming of the door and the fire lighting across Ashbroke's face was enough to send Bastiens heart pumping at double time. Sarcasm and charm wouldn't get him out of this situation unfortunately, especially since the Gods of Wit didn't ever seem to smile upon him. Blood rushed to his face, not out of embarrassment, but out of anger. Solely because he had been stupid enough to dare kiss Reina in such a public place just yet. His own thoughts almost cut through the screeches issuing through the horrible Lord's mouth. Almost.

"What the the Seven Hells do you think you're doing!" Demanded the man, now shaking with a feverish rage, his eyes glazed over in fury. "How dare you touch my prize, my toy, my trinket!" Spittle flew from his absurdly pink lips, glossing them over and sticking in his pencil thin mustache. The man didn't even have the grace to reach into his pocket and clean himself up with his hankerchief. With a flicker of his hands, two guards lurched forth, giving Bastien no time to struggle.

Both arms were seized behind his back, his head now held up by the iron grip of the larger guard. Black hair fell forwards across his forehead, narrowly hiding the watery sheen beginning to cover his eyes. Turning, the two guards pivoted him and began dragging him up the stairs towards Ashbroke's suite, where he would apparently he held until the King was notified of this "act of treason".

Bastien would have scoffed if his own emotions hadn't been warring, clashing and turning his mind into a state of chaos. Anger, loathing, sadness, embarrassment at his own stupidity, they all clattered like swords and shields. His future was suddenly very uncertain.

 

[aintnobaka]

How dare you touch my prize, my toy, my trinket.

The words cut through Reina like a sword. To Lord Ashbroke, she was just a piece that he could show off to flash his wealth. She was simply a whore he'd hired. To Bastien, she was human, a woman who deserved love. But that beautiful feeling was going to be snatched away from her all because she'd been stupid enough to kiss him in the lord's home.

"N-no, my Lord, please... It's not his fault!" Her eyes threatened tears but she tried to keep them at bay as she grabbed Ashbroke's arms. "I kissed him, he didn't kiss me!" She would beg for him to be let go. She would do anything at all if it meant Bastien wouldn't be hurt, and wouldn't lose his job, and his livelihood. It infuriated her that a pathetic excuse for a man like Ashbroke could ruin the good, honest man that Bastien was.

The slimy lord yanked his arms from her and screeched an insult at her. "You filthy whore! You'll be punished for this too!"

Reina couldn't hear the other words that he spat from his mouth as his flat palm struck her cheek.

Her skin sang with pain and the force of his hand left a red mark on her cheek, so harsh that it felt like it burned.

 

[kianainactive1234]

Bastien would later realize that what he felt now was the 'killing calm' that his cabinmates would speak of. That sense of eerie quiet and peace in a battle, when killing becomes all you have ever known and all you ever will know. He could almost play the death of Lord Ashbroke out in his head during these few heartbeats, as the world slowed and the smallest of breaths escaped the man holding him back to his left. One, how many men needed to die. Two, how many he would need to immobilize. Three, seconds they had to flee. Four, steps it would take for him to get to Reina and get her out of there.

But now the killing calm was over, the plan fresh in his mind and his chest heaving as a scream ripped itself free from his throat, spilling out like some horrible demon. "Reina!" Bastien bellowed, the sound so full of terror and agony that he was sure it wasn't his own; the plan continued without another thought.

Knocking his head to the left, catching the guard mid-breath, Bastien slammed his temple into that of the man next to him, stars dancing in his vision on impact. He twisted and shot his leg up and at the guard, catching the dazed man in the ribs and sending him stumbling away. However, the guard to the right was much smarter. A loud crack issued across the wide hall, the dissonance of metal meeting collar-bone singing out. Spots entered Bastiens vision as he shuttled himself toward the remaining guard, lifting a knee as the guards head was forced down, onto his kneecap. Two guards out cold.

Lord Ashbrokes eyes were the size of dinner-plates by the time Bastien turned on him, fury leeching across his face, burning bright-hot beneath his cheeks. The fat bastard barely had the time to yelp before Bastien reached him, grabbing and dagger and plunging it into his throat. Blood spilled from Lord Ashbroke, warm and crimson as it painted the floor and subsequently, Bastiens hands. Choked gargles escaped from the folds of the man's neck, the rubbery walrus of a man writhing on the floor as his last breaths struggled from his body.

However, Bastien, nor Reina, had the time to revel. Turning to her, the look in his eyes was indescribable, a catch between his shift from malice to sorrow upon seeing the pink slap blossoming across her face. It had to be tended to later however, as that three second getaway was coming upon rapidly.

 

[aintnobaka]

Reina stumbled back from the sheer force of the slap that stung her cheeks and brought tears to her eyes. Either Ashbroke would no longer hire her, which she would be pleased about. But even if he tried to, she would beg and scream for Clarisse not to let him near her again. She would never allow herself to be touched by the man ever again.

Apparently she didn't need to worry about that anymore.

She turned just in time to see Bastien plunge a dagger into Ashbroke's throat. Her eyes ballooned and she nearly screamed as blood squirted from his neck, but no sound came out of her open mouth. The man would be dead in a matter of minutes, and she would be free from the greasy hands of a fat lord that squished her when he took her to bed.

But Bastien would have to pay for this. He would be arrested, if anyone found out. The guards would soon wake up, and they would tell the king of this. They had to run away. They had to.

He turned to look at her and she swallowed the heavy lump in her throat. "B-Bastien... We have to leave..." Her voice was strained; weak.

 

[kianainactive1234]

Blood ran through his fingers and stained the front of his shirt, truly branding him a murderer. Nodding slowly, shock had begun to seep in already, making him numb and setting his mind on autopilot. "We'll escape through the South Gardens and head Eastwards from there, towards Felaven. I've got an aunt there.." Each viable option seemed less and less viable as he mulled them over, but anything would do at this point. Sword in hand, Bastien trotted forwards before breaking into a run, making sure Reina stuck close behind him.

Shouts rang out as guards filled the room behind them, the fleeing man and woman having just broken out into the courtyard. Biscuit nickered in alarm at the sight of Bastien and Reina running at full tilt, and was more than happy to break out into a nervous gallop as he flung Reina atop Biscuits back, swinging up behind her and slapping the tall creature to entice him onwards. Soon they were flying from the estate of the Lord and out back through the town surrounding it, veering left, towards the more private section of the Castle.

Any other man might have chosen to take the path farthest from where the heavily guarded King resided, but Bastien knew the guards timetables, and lucky for him, mid-morning was when the guards shifted from the castle duty to street duty and vice versa, emptying most of their possible assailants into the streets and drawbridges.

Smooth stone gave way to uneven cobble, the winding streets becoming poorer and dirtier as they made their escape. Slanted and leaning houses populated the sides of the streets, mud and other muck flying up underneath Biscuits hooves. Nerves and fear filled Bastiens heart, his head swiveling in every direction on the lookout. Gods help them if they even made it to the edge of the city.