"Oh the winds blow east and winter comes on but to the road I take my song. No home to warm no walls so strong but freer never any than me. Don't tempt me in I can not stay. To the road tempt you to stray. Come winter freeze or summer thaw through valleys of rivers long. I travel far and farther still and freer non than me. Never a man so free. Like birds take wing though have I none i let my song take flight." As her last song ended Alura wondered if the dye had fooled her father.
"Good job. Help me gather the offerings." Fenic murmured in her ear. She nodded and started to gather the coins that had been tossed on the floor during their performance. She was glad that Cathouse was standing close behind her as she bent over, she even heard him growl several times at men who couldn't keep their eyes to themselves.
Soon the room cleared and Cathous wandered over to a window ledge were a two year old girl was crying. He helped her down and sent her to her frantic mother who pet him. That was when she felt a strong grip in her hair and someone pulled her head up and back. She could taste the wine on her father's tongue as he forced it into her mouth. She struggled and whimpered as he continued to kiss her and even shoved his free hand down in the neckline of her dress to fondle her breast and tease her nipple.
A loud growl sound from right next to her and he finally let her go. "Come to my room later, sweetheart. We can finish what we started." The coins that she had not yet put in the pouch attached to her belt fell at her feet, clinking as they hit the stone floor of the banquet hall. The king was already striding from the room as she collapsed, shaking, to the floor. She tried so hard but could not stop the silent tears that ran down her face. Senora whimpered quietly and wrapped herself around Alura protectively.
Cathous whined and laid down in front of her a little distance away. It was as if he knew she needed space from men at the moment. He laid his head on his paws and whined again, an apologetic look in his eyes.
Alura finally stumbled to her feet and staggered to the door, a silent sob forcing its way out. All she knew was that in this moment she wanted Fenral to hold her and tell her that everything would be okay. As she stumbled into the corridor she collapsed to all fours and vomited violently on the floor at the thought of what might have happened to her. It was the same thing that happened to many other girls in the capital. He had been trying to force her out of the room after all. She vomited a second time and Senora nudged her shoulder with a pittying whine.
Alura wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and forced herself to her feet. She was still shaking violently but she was not weak anymore. Her hand brushed across the hilt of Fenral's dagger that was hidden just behind her right hip inside her cloak. She held her head high as she passed the drunk King by his door.
"Touch me and I will gut you like the rat bastard you are." She growled lowly. Shock crossed his face as she continued past him, the shaking now an unnoticeable tremor. Senora walked past him with her head up as well. Alura knew that no woman had ever dared to tell him no or called him out for what he was.
"How dare you!" He snarled and she turned around and gave him a disgusted look, presenting a courage she did not feel.
"You are nothing more than a rapist piece of shit! How dare you think you have any right to my body!" She spat venomously at him. "You are not even worthy of the time it would take to gut you." He started towards her and a deep growl from the end of the hall drew their attention. Fenral stood in a regal out fit of all black. What struck her the most was the fact that his eyes matched his attire.
"Jansel!" He snapped loudly and a young man of 14 stepped from behind him wearing a Strange tunic. It had a black wolf howling in front of a silver circle on a field of crimson.
"Yes your grace?" He inquired quietly.
"Escort your queen to the stables. We are leaving immediately." His words came out as a demonic growl and Alura knew better than to defy him in this moment. She stepped over to the youth and he lowered his eyes to her boots.
"Right this way my queen." He murmured and held his hand out indicating the direction in which they would go. She dropped a shallow curtsie to Fenral and walked away with all the pride and dignity that she had in her tiny body, her hidden hand still wrapped tightly around the hilt of the dagger she now carried. She refused to say a single word in fear that her voice would tremble and break revealing her cowardice. She had to fake being strong so this youth would not think less of his king.
Once in the stables she saw Trenton holding the reigns of both horses as a short woman in a sapphire blue riding gown stroked Fenral's horse while giggling. She Had long auburn hair that fell to her waist, despite being pulled up into a tight intricate braid at the crown of her head. Alura could see that the woman had a very plump, almost motherly frame. She stood to about four foot three. Fenic rushed in as well followed by Cathous. Trenton turned at the sound of rushing feet and caught her eye. The guiviel smile that lit his features fell instantly as he scanned her face and found her lower lip trembling. A dark and silent snarle was quick to replace the look of joy, his eyes also went black as coal. He wore a loose white shirt tucked into black wool pants. And while she noted he was attractive it did nothing to detract from the murderous energy he exuded right now. She shook her head subtly to indicate that it was not worth it.
"King Fantoral, may I present her majesty the queen Luna Alura. Your grace I intorduce King Fantoral of the darwves." Cathous said in a formal tone as he inclined his head to the man that stood at barely four foot nine. He had auburn hair that was graying at the temples and was dressed for battle. Strapped to his back was a long handled pick ax that had to be taller than himself.
Just than she felt strong hands wrap around her waist and lift her into the saddle. When she turned she saw Fenral with blood splattered across his face and dripping from his hands. His long black hair was slicked back and glistened wetly in the light from the torches. His black shirt clinging to his chiseled torso. He gave the shirt a sharp tug and it made a wet tearing sound as it ripped from his body. Red smears of blood decorated his perfect physic.
Her eyes sought his and they were once again a cold icy blue. "I feel better." He said and smirked up at her as if he had just announced that she was pregnant. her face paled at the realization that the blood was not his.
"Fantoral, it is good to see you again old friend. I see you brought your lovely daughter." She giggled as he lifted her to his mother's back.
"Oh King fenral will I ever see you not covered in blood?" She flashed him a flirtatious smile and winked.
"Not any time soon Sapphire." He said coldly. Alura looked away from the two who seemed to know each other very well as she fought back a nositating wave of pure jealousy. suddenly she felt Fenral's hand brush across her thigh and looked into his eyes. "Are you alright my love?" His gaze was now gentle. "To sit a horse I mean. Mother said she fears you ill."
"I'm fine." She said in a clipped tone and looked at the door to the stables. Fenral sighed deeply and removed his hand from her.
"Jansel. Mount up." He snapped at the youth who held up his hands and backed away, a look of terror flashed across his face.
"I don't trust that thing, Sire." He said and motioned at the horse. Alura laughed sardonically and everyone looked at her.
"Sorry. I'm just laughing at The irony." the smile she plastered on was dripping poison. "You don't trust the horse and..." She nudged the beast she had named pitch to stand next to the youth, "I don't trust you." As she said the words her smile melted into a sneer of disdain. "All the while we were walking together I had a dagger that was ready to pierce your heart."
"Now I don't trust her!" He gulped as he tried to back away and bumped into Fenral.
"Alura that is enough! Jansel we don't have time for this!" He snarled as he grabbed the scruff of Jansel's neck and pushed him forward. "Luna will not stab you!"
"That's debatable." She snorted only to recieve a death glare from her husband. He flipped her cloak out of the way and sliced through the leather straps holding his dagger on her belt. His hand closed around her wrist in a painful vice like grip.
"Make no mistake Alura. You may be my wife and queen but you are no more than a glorified incubator!" He snarled as Jansel finally heeded his comand to mount up.
Alura felt as if she had been punched in the gut. She closed her eyes tightly and held her breath and waited for him to let go. When he did she reached up and, tearing the brass combs from her hair, flung them into the filth at his feet. Hot tears threatened to blind her as she drowned in pain that she turned to rage. A single sob escaped her body causing her to jerk slightly. She could hear Cathous snarling in rage. Fantoral said something that she didn't care to hear.
"Just because you have a dick doesn't mean you have to act like one!" Fantoral spat venomously at Fenral as Pitch reared and bolted out of the stables with no cue from her. Even the horse was pissed. Cathous and Trenton shot out Fantoral on Cathous' back.
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After almost everyone else left Fenral was still staring blankly at the brass combs glittering cruelly up at him in the torch light. It felt as if he couldn't breath. His body started to shake and he just wanted his mother or Sapphire to hold him and tell him that it was not a rejection.
"Sapphire-" He started his voice thick with the tears he refused to allow to fall.
"Don't!" She snapped coldly, uncaring of the emotions that were drowning him. "After what you just said you don't get to play the victim!" The venom in her voice was lethal but he knew she was right and his pain finally got the best of him as tears streamed down his face. He hadn't cried since he was a small Child but now it felt like all he could do.
Silently Fenic reached down and picked up the combs. "Well that was..... not what I was expecting to happen tonight." He gave Fenral a small sad smile. "Don't get me wrong. You are at fault for the pain you caused both you and Alura. But I don't think that you are the villain. So, how will you make this right?"
"I don't know if I can. This isn't like when I cut her hair or spilled ink on her dress. I just called the woman I love a glorified incubator. Why the fuck would I say that to her?"
"Heh. Because you were angry. Trust me I've said a thousand things to sky that I wish I could take back. It doesn't mean you love her any less." He looked at Fenic in confusion. Had he lost his fucking mind? Or had he forgotten that his sister's name was Alura? "Sky is my wife." He explained when he saw the confusion on Fenral's face. He tugged the amulet of Sebeenhime free and Fenral noticed what he hadn't before. In the center of the amulet was a beautiful large ruby. Or, more precisely, a ruby red dragon stone. Fenral had only heard of them. Inside the stone would be a trapped dragon. Sometimes they held more than one though that was even rarer than the stone itself. "I met her six years ago when I was on my way to Clathesora to deal with a dangerous witch. I had no idea that the traveling circus I joined as cover was under the control of the witch. When she discovered that Sky and I had fallen in love she trapped sky in this dragon stone."
He shook his head sharply back and forth to clear it. "But I digress. How are you going to make things right with Alura?"
He tucked the brass combs into a pouch on his belt and Fenral was floored by the man in front of him. His wife had been trapped in a dragon stone and here he was giving advice to a man that couldn't seem to find the right words to say to not hurt his sister. 'At least I can still hold Alura.' He thought to himself as he watched Fenic mount his forest racer. An alarm bell began to toll near by and he shifted, leaving his pants in bloody rags on the floor.