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amethystpath-writes · 3 years

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A Gentle Blade Part 28

Part 27 here.

@tears-and-lilies

******

"You tried to make me hate you so that you could protect me."

Kastion hummed and glanced over at Leera.

They weren't very far from Thharewood now. Only a few more hours and they'd arrive at the front gate of the prince's home. Actually, he and Leera were already in Thharewood, just not in the palace, not in the core of the kingdom.

Leera had been on edge the last couple of days, but it'd gotten much worse in the very last day, when they crossed into friendly territory. Kastion assumed it was because she didn't believe it to be friendly quite yet. Not because she thought Rennera was secretly after them, nor Crooked the Devious Guard, but because Kastion asked her to be queen and she was so used to being known as an assassin. The prince reminded her time and time again that that very fact was the reason Thharewood would love her and welcome her.

Thharewood wasn't full of murderers, but the people did believe in striking back. If a nearby kingdom was making threats- or worse, intruding- they wanted to attack a kingdom before Thharewood was attacked itself. The king did things differently, though.

"Something like that, I suppose." Kastion shrugged, looking at his lap instead of Leera. He didn't like how a pleading look from her could make him feel so many emotions. No, that was a lie. He loved it, but it unsettled him in some fashion. He had no regrets falling for an assassin, but it did irk him a bit. A part of him always remembered Leera telling him she only killed the bad guys. Kastion still considered himself one.

If it weren't for Leera sitting beside him, the prince would have heaved a sigh. Kastion nearly hated himself for feeling any amount of hesitance in loving Leera.

"Something like that? That first day I tried talking to you- when you became my guard- you tried to make yourself seem uninterested, but in the woods-"

Kastion smirked at her, any uneasiness melting away. "Are you trying to tell me you had me figured out from the beginning?"

The ex-assassin's mouth gathered to one side in a pinched cheek. "Well, you made it kinda obvious. Made it clear you didn't want to do what you did."

"Hm." Kastion crossed his arms and squinted. "I wonder why it took you so long to realize I was a prince then?"

They both knew the real answer; Leera didn't want Kastion to be a prince. She would have felt fooled and betrayed. But Kastion proved himself to be much better than the prince Leera knew, hadn't he?

She scoffed. "Don't you remember when I directly asked you if you were the prince in the story? You denied it."

"For good reason."

"Well, yeah, but that doesn't change the fact that I guessed it."

"But then I told you the next day what I was." Kastion laughed. "And then you denied it."

Leera tried to stop the smile playing at her lips, but she couldn't. What was she supposed to say to that? It had been a back and forth game. Her smile fell shortly after. "When did I realize you were a prince?" After all the recent events, it was hard for Leera to recall that particular moment of realization.

Kastion shrugged and bumped her shoulder with his arm. "I told you- for a second time. It was after- uh..." He licked his lips. "It- it doesn't matter when you realized, really. It just matters that you accepted it, right?" As if on cue, the carriage they rode in came to a stop.

Leera put a hand on Kastion's shoulder before he could open their ride and step out. "It still bothers you, doesn't it?"

"Nothing's bothering me. I'm fine." He shrugged her arm away, proceeding with his task.

"Kas, it's allowed to bother you, what happened in Mesenian."

"I never said I was bothered," he told Leera, finally managing to climb out. He kept his head down as he rounded the cart to Leera's side and opened the door there. "I mean, it does bother me, but I don't actively think about it all the time."

The ex-assassin took Kastion's hand, letting him pull her out. "Alright. Well if it doesn't bother you then remind me when it was that you told me- for a second time- that you are who you are." Since very few people knew Leera's face, she kept hers held at a normal angle. If both she and Kastion cloaked their eyes and noses and mouths with shadows, they'd look awfully suspicious. And right now, with the Prince of Thharewood supposedly being dead, it was best that he not be recognized until he got to the palace.

"Can we just drop it, Leer-" He caught himself before he could finish her name, just barely, but it was better than not catching it at all. "Can we drop it?"

"Well if it doesn't bother you that much, and it doesn't bother me that much, then I don't see why we can't talk about it now. It's not like-"

Kastion grabbed her arm and spun her back to face him, grabbing the other arm when he did. "I don't like to think about you getting hurt, okay? It does bother me. I think about it nearly every moment. And when I'm not thinking about you being in pain, I'm thinking about how I caused it. You should want to kill me, you understand? I'm the reason you were there to begin with."

Leera's arms remained stiffened at her sides as Kastion held them. His grip was tight in his stress, but not tight enough that it hurt her. "I don't know how I can help, Kas," she said softly.

Her eyes and nose stung.

"I've told you," Leera continued, "none of it was your fault." She began whispering. "You utilized an assassin because you needed one. I never told you not to give others my name. If anything, it was my fault. And really, it wasn't either of our faults at all." The prince's grip loosened as he tried to reason out what she was about to say. "The queen would have searched for me whether she had a name or not."

The prince let go of her, running a hand down his face. "We can talk about this more later if you want. I have other things to focus on." Kastion walked passed Leera.

Raising a brow, she huffed. "That sounded awful soldier-istic of you."

He stopped, turned his head over his shoulder. "What?" His voice was empty, void of any emotion. On the inside, he was hurt, but on the outside his princely demeanor continued to shine through.

"'I have other things to focus on'?" Leera ran her tongue against the front of her top teeth. She was pissed. "You're not allowed to destroy yourself like them."

Angling his body fully towards the ex-assassin again, Kastion lazily threw his hands out. "What does that even mean?"

She took several steps towards him before poking him in the chest and look up into his eyes. "You've said over and over again that you're terrified of becoming the assholes who trained you. I know what they did to you. My father was in the army and went through similar treatment. They make you shove everything down. They make you swallow your problems, but that doesn't fix them, Kas; it makes them worse. I'm not letting you destroy yourself by pretending-"

"Leera?" The assassin froze, her gaze falling to Kastion's chest, though her vision was unfocused as her jaw fell and stayed open. "Is that you?"

It wasn't Leera who spoke up, but Kastion instead. Recognition be damned. This was someone who knew Leera, which meant they might be trouble. "Who are you?" It was an older man the prince spoke to. He seemed to be in his mid-thirties or early-forties. Black hair. A thin beard, one that crossed in a bridge above the lip and below the nose.

"Is that Leera?" the man asked. He must not have recognized Kastion. Maybe it was because he'd grown a little facial hair himself. Or maybe the man had never been close enough to the prince before to ever recognize him in the future.

Leera's breaths picked up, and her eyes stung more badly than before when she'd grown soft with Kastion. "I should go," she said very quietly and briskly brushed by the prince into the tavern in front of her. It was the last stop before the two went to the palace. She didn't expect this to happen at the last stop.

The black-haired man stepped forward to follow, but Kastion held up a hand, tossing his head back real fast to see where Leera was headed. "I don't know who you are," he said turning to the man again, "but you need to stay out here. Better yet, leave."

Squinting his eyes and smiling, the man said, "I'm usually the peaceful intervention in fights, but you have no reason to be stopping me, so I think I'll be following."

"You're acting an awful lot like a predator, I say that's reason enough. But if you don't think so, then let me say this. As your prince, I am demanding you stand down, and leave without another word spoken to that girl. Am I understood?" Before the man could try to be smart and say something like 'Any man can call themselves a prince', Kastion pulled his royal seal ring out, waving it in front of the man's eyes. "Go."

The man gave a quick 'Oh' before hurriedly taking a bow and muttering again. "Your Highness, forgive me, but the rest of the kingdom thought you to be a runaway, or otherwise dead."

"Great statement, but as you can see, I'm very much alive. The runaway part I'm sure is debatable." The prince had never been as cold as this, but the man in front of him still never gave a claim as to who he was. It was obvious he was after Leera, and Kastion wasn't going to let that happen.

"For-forgive me again, but Leera..."

Kastion raised a brow, clenched his jaw. "I don't know who you think you saw just a moment ago, but the assassin, Leera, was taken by the Queen of Mesenian, as I'm sure you know- as I'm sure everyone knows."

"Leera is my niece."

The prince's eyes widened to the size of two full moons. "You- You are her uncle."

******

Part 29 (to be continued)

#part 28 #leera and rennera #medieval whump #my ability to tag has gone to poo #self blame #angst #fluff #cliff hanger #:)#okay i'm done tagging #I am doing bad at this haha

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amethystpath-writes · 3 years

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A Gentle Blade Part 24

Part 23 here

3,190 words on this one. I think the last update explains why this one is as long as it is. Up for the reveal? *wiggles eyebrows*

@tears-and-lilies

******

Leera woke on her own, presumably at night, though she couldn't tell. She felt as though she'd barely slept. Her head had still been on Kastion's shoulder and she smiled slightly before realizing the corners of her mouth were wet. She lifted her head in a hurry, looking to the shoulder she had previously been laying on. There was a dark circle on the prince's shirt.

She considered waking him up now, but decided embarrassingly that she should wait until her drool spot was dried up. How humiliating would that be? Extremely.

But why? Surely a prince drooled, too. Leera was almost sure if the roles had been reversed then it would be she who had a wet spot on her shoulder. But he was a prince, and this was the problem. She was lost in the idea of him being a prince, of him being the stuckup, rich king at dinner. Poised and insulting. Make no mistake. Be inhuman. Kastion wasn't that kind of prince. Kastion was Kastion.

Sure, drool was still disgusting, whether it came from a prince's mouth or an assassin's. But it wasn't so humiliating to Leera now that she acknowledged whose shoulder she drooled on. Not a prince's, but Kastion's.

Would Leera ever feel fully comfortable with him being a prince? Enough to hear the title and not fall into a pit of previous trauma? It will take some time, she thought, but it's achievable. After their conversation last night, she felt better about it- whatever it was.

Were they in a relationship now? If they were, what did that mean? Leera supposed it meant nothing more than it already did. They enjoyed one another's company, but what would happen once they escaped? Kastion had responsibilities. He would have to return home and tend to his father while also helping his mother make decisions for their kingdom. Where would that leave Leera? She would live as she did before, hopping between inns and barns, finding a new warm place to sleep every night. She would scrounge up papers and ink to post notices on town boards so that someone would hopefully hire her.

That brought up an entirely new question. If she didn't- the thought was difficult. If she didn't become a queen, would she return to being an assassin? Leera figured she would try to. After all, she still wished to rid the world of evil men and women. She would just have to be sure to not get caught. Leera could have completed at least two contracts by now if she hadn't been caught. Then again, would anyone ever hire her now that she already had been captured?

Too many conflicts were arising in the assassin's mind. Soon they would make her go mad, as if she hadn't been already. With a laugh, Leera tried to imagine this was all a dream. At what moment would she have fallen asleep if it was a dream? Before the capture, surely. Or maybe not. Maybe she really was captured and it was Kastion which was the dream. A hallucination.

It was now that the prince stirred. Leera watched as his eyes became open and he blinked away his sleepiness. "You're already awake," he said gruffly. He yawned, covering his long mouth with a hand. Leera only acknowledged the action because she always did the same thing when she yawned, even if no one was around. It was something she picked up from her uncle.

"I am," She peered at his shoulder. The drool was nearly gone, thankfully, and he didn't seem to notice it. "Haven't been for awfully long, but long enough to notice your snores."

His eyes widened. "I snore?" He asked it as if he were horrified. It made Leera laugh.

"It was a joke, but it was entertaining to see your reaction."

Kastion lightly threw his shoulder into hers with a smile. "Suppose I'll have to find something else to jest you about."

She smiled back, but otherwise stayed silent. Now that Kastion was awake, all of the questions Leera thought up before were returning.

Today, Kastion would reveal himself to the queen. He would ask for her presence and ears and then he would put the ring on, telling her who he really was. And hopefully Rennera would remember that holding a prince prisoner was a likely cause for a war. But then-

"Kastion, you can't demand my release," Leera said.

"Why can't- oh."

Neither one of them thought of it before, but Leera truly was the queen's property. Seeing as she killed the king, she was a criminal of the lands. Rennera owned the assassin just as she owned everyone else here except for the prince.

"The only way for me to be released is by escaping or by you stealing me from her. The latter will cause a war." Before he could respond, Leera continued, "And I will not allow you to start a war over me. Get out of here yourself, and I'll find my own way out."

"Leera-"

She interrupted, already knowing he would say something stupid, something sweet. "No. You'll leave me. Do what is best for your kingdom, not me."

The two of them remained silent for some more time. Kastion, flipping through idea after idea, only discovering that most of them would not work. Leera, wondering how she would escape someday on her own. Maybe she wouldn't escape, but she could live with that if Kastion was safe in his own lands.

"Be my queen," Kastion said suddenly, the idea just dawning on him. He pulled Dogars' ring out of his pocket, pinching it between his thumb and forefinger. "Take this and hide it somewhere on your person."

Leera shook her head. "Then you won't have proof of your status."

"I do. In my trousers that they stole away."

"And if they burnt your trousers?"

Kastion laughed full-heartily. "Well it's not made of wood. They'd have a rough time accidentally burning it in a fire."

***

Crooked shoved Kastion's shoulder towards the queen's door. He nodded at the bounty hunter to knock, and Kastion did.

Upon hearing Rennera's voice, Crooked called out, "It's the fish breeder. He wishes to have your private audience. Do you accept?"

The queen did accept, and so Crooked pushed the door open then pushed the prisoner in as well. Kastion noticed the guard taking in his noble- rather, royal- clothing, and thought that soon enough Crooked might be wearing them himself. Just another thing to deal with when he returned to Thharewood. It seemed war was bound to happen no matter what he and Leera did to avoid it. So why not go ahead and 'steal' the assassin?

"Close the door, my future king."

Kastion obeyed, even latching the door shut to satisfy his own worry that Crooked might bash in when he revealed himself as the Prince of Thharewood, if he even did it here.

"Now, what is it you wished to talk to me about? I don't suppose the assassin revealed herself as my spy, did she? The emissary did a better job at it than her."

He ignored her casual taunts. Rennera didn't know nearly as much as he did, and she would realize that soon. "I need my clothes back." Kastion's voice was a bit harsher than he intended, but it was mostly because the moment scared him. As often as he thought about it, he never considered what words he would use, what he would say in order to not offend Rennera.

"Those dirty rags you wore for- who knows how long? Why should you need those back?" The queen sat on her bed, her legs undoubtedly tucked beneath her dress as it was billowed out.

"To support the truth I know you will not believe."

Rennera smiled something wicked. She had darker lipstick on today than usual. The usual ruby red was now almost black and her teeth contrasted greatly next to them. "And what's that?"

"I think it will be better that you see it rather than hear it."

"My future king, I am intrigued. You should tell me before I lose patience and decide to do something more fun than wait for a truth you already think faulty."

"I'll tell you something more believable now, then," Kastion said and strode towards the bed. He sat on the very edge, not even enough that his whole bottom was rested. He whispered, "Every man and woman that works in this palace served happily for your last husband, didn't they?"

The queen felt the shift in his tone. Even as he was serious before, he was more so now. She nodded at him.

Kastion pointed to the door. "The man standing outside that door has an agenda of his own. I know why you want to marry me. I have proven to be a greater weakness than yourself and you value that image because of the former king. You want to appear stronger than who you marry."

He continued to explain what Crooked told him not so many days ago when Kastion had poisoned himself. About how the guard thought the queen fancied Leera, and how it even made sense because of the past king's abuse. Rennera loved Leera for killing the queen's abuser. He further explained how Crooked wished to be the next king and tried convincing Kastion to hand over the title when he received it.

At the end of Kastion's report, the queen said, referring to herself loving the assassin, "That is ridiculous!" The bounty hunter urged her to quiet down as Crooked was still on the other side of the door. It's why Kastion came to sit beside Rennera and began to whisper before, so that no one outside of this room could hear.

"I can help you," Kastion told her. "But I need you, or someone, to take me to my trousers. Unless you trust my every word, I need this. It's for both of our goods."

"You suppose you could stop a greedy man in a high position?" The queen tutted, shifting beneath her dress. "You might be my future king, but you were a bounty hunter, and a fisherman before that, my dear. You are not capable of destroying a throne and crown."

Fine. "I guarantee you that as a prince of a nation in these lands, I am perfectly capable of assisting in a political matter."

Truth be told, Kastion didn't intend on assisting Queen Rennera, but if it helped him and Leera escape unscathed, he would mutter any lie necessary.

Of course, Rennera did not believe the man in front of her was a prince. How could he be? He wore rags and came as a bounty hunter. What royalty would ever pretend to be anything other than royalty? Nevertheless, the queen escorted Kastion out of her room and to Servant's Circle, where servants of the palace completed many duties, one duty included cleaning very worn clothes, such as the bounty hunter's before he was changed into a king's clothing for dinner.

Kastion had to scavenge through various piles of stinky clothing like a cat trying to find a mouse in a thick stack of garbage. After many wasted minutes, he found his trousers in the last mass of cloth. They were more rank now than they were as he wore them, which was surprising given how he'd worn them for several weeks. It didn't matter how they smelled, it was the golden circle he fiddled with in the pocket of the pants he held now that mattered. He pulled the ring out, held it in front of his and Rennera's eyes.

"Thharewood," he said. "That is my home. That is my kingdom. It was to be Leera's as well before you kidnapped her. She has a ring just as well as I, if you need further proof."

Rennera didn't dare deny her eyes. The ring in front of her was true; gold with the royal seal of Thharewood on top like a stamp. It didn't necessarily mean Sir Guard was a prince, but perhaps he was a knight of a higher authoritative lord. It was in the nickname after all. Sir Guard. 'Sir' as in knight.

"You sought to marry an assassin?"

"I didn't know she was one," he lied. "It is the reason why I took up a false identity, why I brought her back when I found her in the woods. Anger," Kastion explained. "Anger like nothing else. But I can stop her from pursuing that flimsy occupation of hers if you only return her to me." This was the quickest lie the prince ever came up with, and he was afraid Rennera would sense it. So, he spit out a truth. "I am Kastion of Thharewood, the only male heir to King Gulldis and Queen Mofrin."

The queen squinted at him. "And your sisters names? Harvin mentioned the prince having sisters."

Harvin. Kastion guessed this was the guard he called 'Crooked'. It made sense. Crooked did mention Thharewood before the other nobles showed up to the first dinner.

Before he thought this, though, he immediately answered with his sisters' names. Rennera was obviously testing his truth telling. If he'd hesitated before answering, had to think about it first, she would have thought him a liar despite having the royal seal.

"I cannot just..." Rennera trailed off. She couldn't let Sir Gu- Prince Kastion- go. She'd already announced to every important figure in the lands that he was to be her next husband. Allowing him to leave would destroy every bit of the image she made. Not to mention it might make her a target. Rennera imprisoned a prince and his supposed fiancé. That wasn't something to be looked over, whether she was aware of it or not. And Leera killed the queen's husband. If she let the assassin out of the palace, it would appear that Rennera had gone soft. No, no it wasn't possible. But then if she refused to let Kastion out, a war would begin. The emissary from dinner was from Thharewood and he would have recognized his own prince. And if she did allow Kastion to leave, and not Leera, he would start a war on his own.

Surprisingly, she admitted the lot of these thoughts to Kastion once they returned to her bedroom. It was too late to prevent the servants from uttering what they saw and heard, about the reveal, in the Circle. But, the two royals could discuss pressing conflicts elsewhere, in a place where there were no prying ears besides Harvin's, and he couldn't hear whispers through a wooden door.

"You shouldn't worry about weakness if you take solace in my kingdom." Kastion then promised he would aid Rennera should she need it, and she would.

Rennera shook her head, feeling a bout of stressed tears in her eyes. "I can't. I don't- I don't know what to do. If what you said about the guard is true...what if he is just as bad as Loel?" In this moment, Rennera realized that she didn't trust Kastion to be any less abusive. Who would turn their loved one in to a queen- a queen that clearly tortured her subjects- just because of anger? Then again, Rennera wasn't exactly mad that Leera killed her king. Maybe Rennera was just as bad as everyone surrounding her.

"Follow behind me and Leera when we leave," Kastion said. The further this conversation went, the more willing he was to actually fulfill his promises. Perhaps taking the queen in wouldn't be so bad. Perhaps if she did come with then he could teach her how to listen to her people, since it's what Rennera truly aspired to do. But how could he possibly teach her such a concept when it was he who was a coward within his own rule? Kastion's people wanted violence and he didn't deliver. He hired an assassin, which was more than violent enough in his mind, but likely wouldn't be for them.

But it was okay. They could all take this one step at a time. The most important thing right now was that Kastion return home and that Leera be safe. They could figure out the rest later.

The queen proved her aspirations when she said, "The two of you are free to leave. I will occupy the guards so that they do not guard your cell as I take you back." She breathed. "But I must stay. I can't- It's not right for me to leave when I..." Rennera wasn't sure what to say. Really, she didn't even know how she felt. Nonetheless she settled for saying, "I am the queen of Misenian, and I should be here for my people. Even if I can't help them, I should at least be a leader enough that I suffer with them."

***

Rennera led Kastion to the cell after giving a short word to Crooked, urging him to gather all of the Guard in the Servant's Circle. It wasn't a suitable place for guards and they would undoubtedly question her notions, but she needed to do this. Rennera needed to redeem her actions. She was cruel because she was scared, and it wasn't fair. And she didn't think this because Kastion was a prince, but she could admit that it aided in her decision. How much further could this all go?

"Leera," Kastion said as soon as he reached the cell door. "We're leaving. Come on."

The assassin looked up bewildered, and her eyes widened as she noticed the queen standing behind Kastion. "Wha- You're serious?" She wasn't sure who the question was directed at. Either one, she supposed.

It was unbelievable- that Rennera would let them go. There were so many ways for this plan to go wrong, more so than there were for them to go right.

Leera looked up and to her left where chains dangled. I am dreaming. I have to be. She was still drooling on Kastion's shoulder unknowingly, wasn't she?

"My guards have been gathered in an unproblematic area," Rennera began, watching Leera's confusion morph into an odd, possible joy. "I will take you two to the stables and from there you are on your own. I wish there is more I could do for you, especially given how terrible I have been. The words will mean nothing, but I have never felt more remorse in my life. I pray the gods will not be so merciful as we usually pray they will be. I do not deserve it."

Kastion hardly listened. His only goal was to pull Leera from the floor onto her feet. He did this, and when she stood, he paused.

Certainly he wasn't about to cry, he thought to himself, but he was. His eyes stung, along with his nose. How he'd ever come to love an assassin in the dungeons...he did know. Most wouldn't. It would have been so unbelievable that most would have denied it, but Kastion couldn't. Leera was worth loving. There was no questioning that concept.

"We're free, Leera."

******

Part 25 here

#leera and rennera #part 24 #kastion #sir guard #identity reveal #royalty #royal v royal #royal whumpee #royal whumper #assassin whump #original series #a gentle blade

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amethystpath-writes · 4 years

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A Gentle Blade Part 12

Part 11 here

The queen is back, folks!

Tag list (if anyone wants added lmk!):

@tears-and-lilies

Tw: character getting slapped, threats of torture,

******

Leera woke up screaming. She wished it were the queen's fault that her throat was sore as her eyes opened and she jumped into consciousness. It wasn't.

The assassin's breathing was quick and shallow and she broke into sobs that felt like they could gorge holes into her body worse than the heretic's fork collar.

She didn't bother looking for Sir Guard to see his reaction, or even to make sure the queen wasn't soaking up her despair. Leera only let the tears fall, soaking into her raggy clothing, let them clean away any dry blood they came into contact with.

Eventually Sir Guard did come over to the sobbing assassin on the cell floor. He said nothing, only put a hand beneath her back and urged her to sit up. There was no way she could breathe the way she was sniffling and Sir Guard figured that laying down couldn't possibly help that problem.

Her body had been limp, heavy, but she didn't resist as her guard guided her into a seated position. She did, however, continue to cry. At one point she squeezed her eyes shut, trying her best to rid the image in her head.

It wasn't often that Leera dreamt of her father's death. It wasn't often that her brain conjured a random man's voice to make up for her father's, whose voice she'd forgotten. When it did happen, it was always miserable and he was always dying. He was being hurt and tortured until death, just how it was said he'd been in real life, only Leera's brain liked to venture into forms of torture she never knew existed.

"I never want children," the assassin muttered with a sniffle following.

Sir Guard hummed. "Why's that?"

"Because I'm afraid she would be a third generation of Unfortunates."

He didn't respond to the part Leera imagined he would. "So you would like to have a girl if you had a kid at all." It wasn't a question.

"I guess I would."

"You said you would."

"Not directly."

He shrugged. "Didn't have to. Some people don't care to read into words and wordings. I do, and you told me you don't want a daughter to suffer the life you and a parent of yours has."

Leera sniffled again. A sting returned in her eye, letting her know she needed a second round of sobs. She didn't want to cry again. She didn't want to the first time.

Sir Guard regarded her carefully, taking several steps towards her after having retreated when sitting the assassin up earlier. He knelt in front of Leera, touched her cheek and barely pushed on it, a signal for her to tilt her chin back. She complied. "Do they still hurt? The puncture marks?"

"They've healed by now," she explained, "Only scabs. If I scratched and reopened them it'd hurt, but otherwise I hardly notice them anymore."

"Good," Sir Guard said. The next thing he spoke as he let go of her cheek baffled the assassin. "You always ask who I am. I want to know who you are."

"It's no fair you get to ask and expect an answer if I can never get one from you."

"I'm a prince," he replied easily.

Leera laughed. She laughed and laughed, and by the end of her laughter, she felt an ache in her chest. This time she was thankful it wasn't the pain from the forked collar. "Fine, don't tell me then."

He smiled. Leera lost what little breath she had left. Teeth, she thought. They're how I imagined. "You asked who I am. I just told you."

Gathering herself back together, she scoffed, "You're not a prince."

"Why can't I be? I'm Rennera's future king, aren't I?"

"Well- well yeah. But-" The assassin shook her head. "But I would know if it were- if a prince had-had been guarding me this whole time, who-who had captured me in-in the woods." Leera paused. "I would know," she declared, but it was far from confident. "You're joking with me and it's cruel. Stop it."

"So you won't tell me who you are."

"I'm an assassin. That's all."

"An assassin who does, but doesn't want a daughter because she believes she's cursed."

"I never said I thought I was cursed."

He reminded her, "Didn't need to. It's in the wording."

Leera was slightly annoyed. What was Sir Guard playing at? First he conversed Leera's having a child, a daughter. Then, he asked who she was as if he didn't already know. She was an assassin, and well- it seemed like he'd already figured out her past. And not only this, but he was calling himself a prince. How dare he kid Leera like that?

"I take it you were dreaming of whichever parent went through your same situation now?"

"Wording?" Leera asked.

Sir Guard nodded. "I guess I just like using context clues. You woke up screaming and sweating, and the first thing you said was that you didn't want children. Basic deduction."

The assassin squinted. "Are you a general, a commander?"

"In some way, yeah. I told you what I am."

"You lied."

"I didn't." He looked her straight in the eye. Without wavering, he said, "I wasn't lying."

Leera huffed. "You can't be. You can't be a damned prince."

"Why not?"

She shook her head. She would get a cramp in her neck if she kept doing that. "Because," she said like it was obvious, though she realized she had little to no reasoning. Fine. It's fine. I'll just wing it. "Because you- Because! You refuse to be the queen's husband. Why would a prince be here if they weren't marrying? Why would they capture runaway assassin prisoners and return them to queens they hated?" Finally with full confidence, Leera stated, "You're not a prince. How's that for your deductive reasoning?"

Sir Guard shrugged. "I would be impressed-" There was a sound of footsteps, a clack clack clack. It was the queen. "I'm sorry," Sir Guard said, "If I weren't so close to you I'd have time to get back to my spot."

"What do you-" He slapped her. Hard and right across the cheek he had tenderly touched earlier. Leera gasped and put a hand over her cheek. It stung badly enough that her eyes teared up.

The cell door creaked open and sure enough Queen Rennera stepped through. She clapped as she always did when she saw her greatest prisoner. But a look of confusion crossed her face. "What are you doing so close to her, my future king?" She didn't seem angry, just utterly baffled.

Sir Guard stood up from his kneel and threw a hand in Leera's direction. She flinched away instinctively. "The assassin wouldn't shut her trap so I took action."

"Strange," the queen said. "She usually only ever speaks when I'm doing something to her. What was she going on about, I wonder?"

"Complaining. Her chest and chin still hurt."

"Oh, how unfortunate for her that I am bored today."

Leera remained still on the floor as to not provoke the queen. She was grateful for her guard's lie. Leera hadn't complained about her marks at all, she only ever groaned when they hurt, but they didn't hurt anymore. He'd even asked if she was still in pain. She wasn't, but he said she was to the queen to save them both some misery.

"Your Majesty, forgive me if I am speaking out of place, but I would be appreciative if you gave her at least another day." He casted a glance at Leera. "She has been terribly annoying. If you put her through any more then I know she will never shut up."

"I could cut out her tongue?"

The assassin couldn't help the whimper that rose in her throat. The thought of- of what the queen suggested was too horrific to fathom.

"And prevent her from ever begging?" Sir Guard shook his head. "I don't mind her voice. It's the complaining I cannot stand." He added, "And anyways, wouldn't you think it is more fun to break her down after being fully restored? What's a better sense of false hope than that?"

Rennera hummed highly. "I suppose that's a good point. If she hurts enough that she's complaining though...that means several days longer of wasting away untouched. Ah!" Her hand came up suddenly, a finger pointed at the ceiling. "You hit her, yes? That is why her face is flowery?"

Flowery, Leera wanted to scoff. What a polite way of saying my cheek is bruising.

Sir Guard nodded.

The queen clapped excitedly. "Good, good. You shall do it again. When she complains that it hurts, you will strike her until she stops. Eventually she'll deal with the pain silently and when she does, we'll know that pain isn't so unbearable that we can't put her through something else." Rennera looked to her prisoner on the floor. "Do you have any objection, my dearest assassin?"

Leera swallowed, said nothing.

Rennera repeated herself and Leera looked at Sir Guard, weighing her options.

If she accepted, her guard would be forced to strike her more often and she knew he wouldn't want that. He would do it to protect her- for whatever reason she still didn't know- from the queen's personal torments.

If she refused the idea, she would be maimed and broken now rather than later, but Sir Guard wouldn't be forced to do something he didn't want to do. He felt badly enough about Leera's position. She had no doubt he would apologize again for slapping her when the queen left.

"What will you do to me if- if you take me today?" she asked Rennera.

The queen smiled, "Telling you would defeat the purpose of our goal, wouldn't it?"

Apologize to the king. Leera could apologize easily, but it was the truthfulness the queen wanted that she couldn't give. The torture was pointless. It only made Leera apologize to the queen instead of the dead king. So agreeing to be hurt by Rennera was pointless for Leera when she could opt out of it, but...it wasn't pointless to Sir Guard who would otherwise be forced to harm her.

"I'll take it. Whatever it is, I'll take it."

Sir Guard's face dropped into despair. Why? it asked. Why would you commit yourself to this when you had a choice not to?

Leera wanted to say back, You've done enough for me. Now I'm doing something for you.

"Good," the queen purred. "Good. But before then, I would like to reward my future king for his duties."

Now it was Sir Guard who swallowed nervously.

******

Part 13 here

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amethystpath-writes · 3 years

Text

A Gentle Blade Part 23

Part 22 here

@tears-and-lilies

******

The dinner went by today as it did last. The emissary attempted to persuade the queen that the assassin was a dangerous subject of hers and couldn't be trusted, just as the bounty hunter wasn't. This was counteractive to their plan of getting Kastion and Leera released, but hopefully the queen would realize that was part of their facade. If not, they were in more trouble than they originally thought.

"What will happen if she doesn't believe you're a prince?" Leera whispered to Kastion mid-dinner.

He shrugged. "I have the royal seal."

"You have Dogars'," she pressed. "If she finds out it was his, you're in this deeper than you can get yourself out of."

"It will be fine," he reassured her, or at least tried. Kastion could still see the worry on her face, the way her brows were drawn together, the way her features were softer, and yet somehow refined. She was trying not to be concerned, but she was failing.

"I think we should have planned more. There's too many flaws."

"Dogars being in our cell as long as he was was a flaw, Leera." His voice was soft, not reprimanding, but she still felt like she was being scolded. Maybe it was only because she knew that his words were true, and she knew them before he spoke them.

The two's conversation came to a pause as one of the kings asked Leera a question. She hardly answered, having known the voice, having known the face. Every piece of her shut down for moments before she spoke, and minutes and minutes afterward.

"Assassin, you left quite an impression in my lands. Tell me, do you remember who I am?"

The man who spoke hadn't been a king when Leera knew him. He was only a prince, then, and he was the reason Leera was so spiteful towards royalty. She could feel a pit developing in her stomach when she said quietly, "Yes."

"Yes?" he asked. "Yes what?"

Leera was shaking now and she felt a sting in her eyes. I won't cry, she told herself. Not here. Not now. "Yes, I remember who you are."

She looked away before she could see the king's smile. How hadn't she noticed him at yesterday's meal? "Good. Would you like to tell everyone else how you know me?"

Kastion whispered her name just barely, knowing something was wrong, knowing Leera was experiencing something she never allowed herself to before in front of him. Her breathing was uneven. There was no pattern or beat to it as there should have been. And her hands, he could spot the assassin's hands shaking, quivering like nothing else he knew beneath the table. How did she know this king?

"I-" Leera swallowed. "I can't."

"Sure you can. Just tell them what connection we have."

Connection. That word sounded so pleasant, so dainty and kind. To him, it was likely all lily petals and rose water.

"Go on- what is it? Leera? Tell them, Leera, how we met."

The prince considered saying something, telling the king to back down, but that would only upset Rennera, which would then likely result in him getting taken away. Ultimately, saying something, anything, to anyone other than Leera, meant he would no longer be able to be there for the assassin. And right now, she looked as though she needed someone.

"He had my father killed," Leera said softly, but because the room was so suddenly quiet at a new inquisition directed towards one of two prisoners, everyone heard.

"Oh, come on. Not just killed. Give them the nitty gritty details, would you?"

Leera looked to her queen, to the one who could put an end to this if she only held up a hand. But she wasn't. Rennera was only watching it all pan out.

"Tortured," she spat. "My father was a knight. He was captured, tortured, and killed."

"I should never hire you as a storyteller," the king said then began to explain in the fullest details what exactly happened to Leera's father. He even told what it sounded like to hear muscle tear when it was stretched beyond its capacity. He told of broken bones and screams that servants complained of hearing in the middle of the night from aisles and aisles away from the torture chambers.

A few from the company seemed to shut down as much as the assassin, looking away, and swallowing when hearing the most brutal descriptions. Only the general from Eliaph leaned in.

"The best part of it all was that little Leera was there to see it all. I wonder how often you remember my face," the king said to her, "despite my not being there. It is all I could ever dream of, to exist in your mind as all that I am without even having to try."

Leera said nothing, still stared at nothing as if she, herself, wished to be just that; nothing.

Kastion felt himself tearing up at it all. He imagined it was him at such a young age, watching either of his parents being put through all of which Leera's father had been. He couldn't see it without nearly crying. The thing was that he couldn't even imagine half of what the king on the other end of the table said because he never heard his mother or father scream in a tortured manner. Maybe his mother when she gave birth to his sisters, but beyond that, he couldn't see it or hear such harshness in his mind.

This wasn't all to say that he pitied Leera. Rather, he admired her for going through all of which she did and continuing to go through it. Leera wasn't out of the bushes yet, but she continued to live despite every trouble she faced. Even allowing herself to be manacled by Crooked wasn't giving up, Kastion realized.

Thankfully, for Leera, the queen didn't ask that she gain anymore information from Sir Guard. She had Dogars for that now since Crooked reported to her that the emissary was in the cell when he brought Leera back. He was asked now to explain what he learned from the bounty hunter now, after the king finished up his humiliation story.

And Dogars did tell, in full, what he, Kastion, and Leera came up with last night in the last two's cell. Rennera knew some of it, of course, having already used Leera as a spy. The part that she didn't know was how Sir Guard's parents supposedly disproved of his new occupation.

Leera still wondered how prolonging this act would affect the outcome of telling the truth when Dogars left. She wondered if they shouldn't tell it while everyone was still here. Wouldn't it be safer to say such an outrageous thing now in comparison to when there was no one to back it up? Leera considered the royal seal ring that Kastion now had possession of. The queen would question Dogars immediately if he had one of those rings. When he revealed he didn't, Rennera would want to punish Kastion for his lie, but then he could always tell them to check his trousers pockets. They would find the ring and he could explain that he took his emissary's ring to do all of this. They could explain everything and then- what?

And then what? She would just let them all go? Not likely. Leera remembered why they couldn't do this with Dogars here. If he were to return home, knowing that Queen Rennera was aware of holding his prince, he could declare a war. Rennera would never allow for that to happen. She knew where the emissary was from and if Kastion revealed he was from that very same kingdom, she would put Dogars under custody as well. Then none of them could do anything.

Everything was beginning to feel hopeless. No matter what they did, there were multiple consequences almost bound to become reality. It terrified Leera, not only that Kastion might not make it out of this palace, but that they wouldn't. The both of them might be trapped in this hell, never able to make it out together, to explore what they could be. She wanted that, to become something with him, more than anything in the world, but it was beginning to look like it would never happen.

"We can talk later if you need," Kastion offered. It was still obvious to him that she was worked up. He wanted to be there for her now, but he knew it wasn't the time. Like before, it would only cause more conflict.

Leera nodded, but didn't necessarily answer whether or not she would need to talk.

"If it helps any," the prince began again, "I have faith in our plan. I know that isn't the only thing you are thinking about, but it can at least be one less thing."

"You should eat," was all she said. Kastion was unbound for this whole dinner, yet he hadn't even tried to take a bite. He just sat, watching and listening.

The assassin was at least grateful that he didn't try to argue. He picked up a piece of chicken from his plate and slid it across some excess gravy before placing it on his tongue. After swallowing his first bite, he reached for another, saying, "You should, too."

"I don't feel hungry." She knew it was hypocritical, but it was also honest. Her appetite was lost after the prince- king brought up Leera's past.

"You should eat something before tomorrow."

"You have so much confidence," she said.

Kastion shook his head. "I have hope. There's a difference."

"Whatever it is, I wish I had half as much as you." Her voice never grew greater than a whisper, not because of the secrecy of their conversation; everyone spoke loudly enough in the room that she and Kastion could have spoken at a normal volume and not been heard, but she felt out of herself right now. She wasn't Leera enough that she could speak like her. Right now, she was only the assassin, the one that killed the bad guys, the one that couldn't kill the bad guys right now because she was caught by them. She was a subject. That's what she was. And subjects didn't have a voice.

"Leera, we will be okay, alright? I promise that we are going to get out of this."

"Don't," she snapped quietly at him. "Don't tell me something you can't guarantee." Subjects, she thought. "You are not a prince anymore, not here. You can't hand out false hope and expect it to be taken without question."

He had nothing to say to this, so he said nothing at all, only continued eating.

Later, when the dinner was over, the assassin and the bounty hunter were returned to their cell. Dogars didn't follow anytime soon and the two cellmates supposed he didn't want to draw anymore attention to suspicious interactions.

"I know you think there's no hope." Kastion wasn't really sure why he was talking at all. Perhaps it was to fill the silent room with some kind of noise.

Leera didn't seem to mind the silence, especially seeing as she didn't bother responding.

"Are you mad with me?" the prince asked.

"No. No, I'm not mad." She wasn't chained now as she had been the last couple of nights. Still, something stopped her from crawling over to Kastion and holding him, or allowing him to hold her. Maybe it was because she was afraid of becoming close with him. She would admit she had feelings for him, but she was still terrified of that feeling. It was so new to her to show interest in anyone. It might have been better if they had a chance to express things freely, without fear of being heard or seen. But an assassin prisoner wasn't allowed to fall in love with a queen's betrothed bounty hunter.

"You've shut down, Leera. Since that- that idiot at dinner, you haven't been the same."

"Did you expect me to be?"

"Of course not. I'm just concerned."

She hummed with a shrug. Leera felt tired, too tired to talk to her prince lover about how tired she was. Tired, tired, tired. It was the only word in existence right now.

"I want to help." Kastion slid over in skooches. He took her hand in his own next. One hand on bottom, one on top.

His hands are warm, she thought. It was freezing in the cell.

"Tell me how to help you, Leera."

After a pause, she responded. "This is good," she said, and her fingers twitched in either of Kastion's palms. "This helps."

"You're not one for verbal affirmations, are you?"

Leera shook her head slightly, peered into his eyes before letting her head fall to his shoulder. She could fall asleep on him in this very moment if she didn't wish to continue hearing his voice.

"What about the words 'I love you'?"

Kastion smiled as he felt Leera's lips curl up on his shoulder. "I like those words," she told him quietly. He could tell now how sleepy she was.

"Do you?" Kastion hummed so lowly that he felt it in his chest. He wondered if Leera felt it as well.

"I do, but only in that order." The assassin's chin lifted lightly so that she could look at his face. She'd been nervous being so close to Kastion like this, but now that he was here, now that he was holding her, it felt perfect. Her head fit on his shoulder. Her hand fit in his own. Everything fit like a pearl in a clam. They fit. The only opposition was that Leera was an assassin, and Kastion a prince.

Leera was afraid of being too forward when she asked this, but she did it anyways. "Would your people scorn you for bringing home an assassin?"

"They think you're a hero. They would be as happy as me."

"You have already considered taking me as your queen."

Kastion nodded, looking down at her on his shoulder. He moved one of his hands so that he could stroke the top of hers with his thumb. Her skin was dry, but it still managed to be softer. No, not softer. It was smoother. The blood running in her veins was calm, unlike his which ran so quickly at all times that it created random peaks and streams along his skin.

"But I know you are not fond of the idea. You could remain as you are, and I as a solo king." Kastion continued, "To make up for the lack of union, I could make Dogars assist me in his position of second in command."

"You've really thought this through." Leera snuggled her head into Kastion further and closed her eyes. "I don't think being a queen would be so bad as long as you were the king by my side."

Kastion began to tell her he wouldn't want another person by his side, but he heard the way Leera's breaths had changed, how calm and persistent they became. She was asleep, and this time, it wouldn't matter if the queen or Crooked found the assassin's head on his shoulder...because tomorrow, Kastion wouldn't be Rennera's pet bounty hunter. He would be a prince capable of bringing her kingdom down.

******

Part 24 here

#long post #part 23 #leera and rennera #original series #kastion #whump #whumpee #whumper #royal whumper #royal whumpee #undercover #captive #chains #torture #death #a gentle blade

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amethystpath-writes · 4 years

Text

A Gentle Blade Part 13

Part 12 Here

TWs: heavy mention of domestic violence, mentions of blood, mentions of torture (if I miss any pls let me know)

Tag list: @tears-and-lilies

******

"You are much better than my last king," the queen said, pulling Sir Guard out of the Leera's cell by an elbow. He stole one last glance at the assassin before a substitute guard closed the door.

"Is he only watching her?" He didn't mean for his voice to sound so concerned, but this situation was so sudden; he couldn't help himself.

He needed to think of excuses before Rennera thought wrongly of his question.

"Territorial, are we? Perhaps you are not greater than my dead husband."

Dead, Sir Guard noted. Not passed, like what most people would use when a loved one passed- or was killed. And actually, he was killed. The former king didn't just die. He was killed, by a hired a assassin. Sir Guard thought the queen would have said the king 'passed' if she was saddened, 'killed' if she was angry. Rennera was neither.

Sir Guard shook his head as they now headed up the stairs to the main level of the palace. I've been thinking too long. I need to respond. "Not with the ones I really care about," Damn it. That implies I like the queen. I don't. I don't, I don't, I don't. "Only I like to be the one monitoring her, acting when need be. I like for my hand to be imprinted on her cheek. It's no fun if she's scared of everyone, instead of just you and I."

Rennera hummed. "I don't like to hurt her."

The confession struck Sir Guard like nothing else ever had before.

She continued. "I never liked when my husband brought prisoners in, never liked when he came into our quarters with blood splatters on his clothing. It was horrid."

No. She's making this up. She's trying to get a reaction.

"Sounds difficult to be married to a man you disagree with on every whim." He was hopeful she would reconsider marrying him after learning he liked to hurt Leera- even though he actually didn't.

"Not every whim. We agreed on one thing."

The queen opened a door at the top of the stairs to reveal the throne room. It was still in horrible shape; tattered banners scattered on the floor, crumbled walls, shattered chandeliers. Rennera led the way once again, and Sir Guard didn't bother asking where they were going.

"What did you agree on?"

She tutted and laughed. It was a sarcastic laugh, one built on a foundation of spite. Because of it, Sir Guard believed he knew the answer. "We hated each other."

Rennera stopped walking shortly after, standing next to her throne. She took a deep breath before releasing it with a sigh. Her hand dragged across the arm and she began walking again. This time they were headed toward a hall on the right. Sir Guard wondered why they didn't turn right as soon as they left the stairs. She was making it a point to visit the throne, for whatever reason.

They approached another staircase, walking up, and then down another hall before arriving in front of a second door. The queen informed Sir Guard this would be his bedroom if he chose to use it. Rennera didn't offer her own like he thought she might. He never forgot about the forced kiss she gave one his first or second night. When had that been? Not long enough ago, he thought.

"Excuse me for asking, Your Majesty, but if you both had a distaste for one another, why marry?"

"Arranged," she answered. "I tried to love him. He only made it more obvious how much he hated marriage during those times. He would," she swallowed. "Do you mind if I..." The queen reached a hand towards Sir Guard's face. It would be foolish to reject her. He nodded. "I would tell him I loved him. He would pretend to pull me into a kiss." She demonstrated, grabbing both sides of her future king's face and pulling it towards her, one hand sliding down his cheek, closer and closer to his lips. Her fingers suddenly closed on his bottom lip. He gasped, though the pinch was not tight at all, only sudden. "He would pinch my bottom lip until it bled and the metal flooded onto my tongue. Then he would kiss me and tell me I tasted good, that it was all I was good for." Rennera released Sir Guard and swallowed. "If you tell anyone that, I will kill you."

The words didn't match her eyes, which darted away from Sir Guard's.

He hated that he said this, but he couldn't say nothing. "I would never..." he trailed off. "You don't care that he was assassinated, do you?"

"Of course I do," the queen snapped. Then she softened again. "I still loved him, if only for the fact that he hated the idea of fate, hated to be controlled. He hated me because people were trying to force him to love me instead. He had a strong will, and even though he threw every amount of backlash on me and his prisoners, I appreciated that he lived for himself." Rennera sighed. "I suppose it wasn't him that I loved, but the idea of him. I would have truly loved him if he loved me back."

Sir Guard wanted to apologize, to say 'I'm sorry you went through that' but it wouldn't have helped anything. Instead, he implored for more answers. "If you don't like to hurt the assassin, why do it?"

"Because that's what he would have done, and the people know that's what he would have done."

"You're filling in for him."

She nodded. "If I didn't, I would be seen as weak. I summoned my assassin so that the people of this world knew I was serious. If I could capture the one who killed my husband and best her in front of others, I was safe. I am safe." The queen's eyes flickered between Sir Guard and the wall. She was telling the truth, he knew, even if she wasn't constantly looking at him. Rennera was embarrassed of herself.

"You'll still hurt her tonight."

The queen must have heard it as a question because she nodded. "Yes, and since you seem to like hurting her, I thought-"

"I don't," He almost cursed himself for the admittance. A part of him still believed the queen was only acting, waiting for him to slip up like this. He recalled Leera's last guard, how he was so mutilated he could hardly be discerned as human. If Rennera was waiting for the slip-up, she didn't act on it- which made Sir Guard feel comfortable enough to finish. "I didn't want to be her guard because I don't like torment. My job is to hunt bounties." Good, that was good, he told himself and continued. "The most I do is tie a rope and drag them around, and even that becomes difficult. Ever drag a teen through a desert?"

She gasped. "You've been to one of the deserts?" The queen couldn't believe it. She squealed and ran into her future king's room, plopping down on the bed. "Tell me what it was like, please. I always wanted to go."

And so the day went on. Sir Guard made up story after story, detailing miles of deserts he'd never truly been to. He spoke of jungles and oceans- or lakes that were so large they might as well have been oceans. He wished to stop speaking as soon as he started, but the longer he spoke, the more time Leera had to rest before the queen's tortures. Maybe by the end of the stories, maybe he could convince the queen to let Leera free, or otherwise simply stop torturing her. He certainly hoped so.

******

Part 14 here

#long post #tw #domestic violence #torture #blood #whump #whumpee #whumper #royal whumper #leera and rennera #rennera #sir guard #original series #queen whumper #part 13 #a gentle blade

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amethystpath-writes · 3 years

Text

A Gentle Blade Part 20

Part 19 here

Can't believe there are 20 parts/chapters to this series. So insane.

Quick history fact before we get started. The word 'vile' was used to refer to commoners or those of a very low rank, hence why the word morphed into a definition that more closely means 'disgusting' or 'wretched'.

Okay, onto the story!

@tears-and-lilies

******

The guests walked in in no particular order. The two generals mixed with the kings and Dogars was actually the first to walk in. There was no battle of priority until they all noticed the different seats. Some were wood, others were throne-like. It was obvious that their host, the queen was implying a difference in stature.

"Royals will sit in the coloured seats. Non-royals will sit in the other seats provided." Rennera smiled, welcoming the company as well as she knew how to. "I am thrilled to see you all arrived safely."

Should have started with that, Sir Guard thought. He would have whispered as such to her if he were allowed. Unfortunate- for her- that her rules limited what help he was willing to offer.

It wasn't much longer that the prince averted his gaze from the crowd. They were all situating themselves, deciding which seats to take, and across whom. Before he looked away, Sir Guard watched his friend sit in the wooden chair at the foot-end of the table.

Gods, how would Dogars react when he saw it was his prince tied up against a fancy seat?

Leera Psst'd at Sir Guard while he faced the other way.

He shook his head, holding his index finger out though he realized the assassin wouldn't be able to see it as his hands were out of eyeshot.

Psst!

Sir Guard shook his head again.

"Is there a problem over here?" His head lifted, finding the queen's eyes staring into his own. They flicked over to Leera. "You two are making it difficult to speak. I believe she is trying to get your attention, my future king."

A muscle in his leg twitched. He swallowed with a quick nod. Taking a deep breath, he turned to Leera, but not before he snagged a glance at Dogars, whose eyes became squinted. He doesn't recognize me yet. Sir Guard praised the gods for giving his friend a short sight of vision. It was for that reason Dogars never picked up a bow by choice.

"What?" the prince spit out quickly to Leera. He whispered it, of course, as to not interrupt the queen as she continued speaking.

"Rennera-" She glanced up at the queen, then looked at the floor. The side of her mouth quirked up as her eyes narrowed. The assassin looked at Rennera again, then shrugged before grabbing either edge of her chair and throwing it to the left, getting closer to Sir Guard.

His eyes went wide with caution, though no one seemed to pay mind. She kept coming closer until their chairs almost touched.

"Her Majesty-" Leera rolled her eyes. "-wants me to find out where you come from." She continued their whispering feud, one that would probably last the rest of the night. "Where you, the bounty hunter, comes from," she specified. "I haven't told her anything."

Well at least that much was going nicely. "That's a difficult answer to come up with."

"How?" Her nose scrunched with her confusion. "You came from somewhere. Just tell me what kingdom you...rule? Or I guess you don't rule if you're only a-"

"I am not giving her any shred of truth," the prince said. He went silent, thinking. He needed a back story for his bounty hunter persona. The only development that man had was that he hated torture and was supposedly poor enough that he couldn't afford the streets.

"Then throw out a random city name. It's not like she'll know the difference."

"Maybe not, but when she tries to confirm it on a map and finds the name exists nowhere on it, she'll take it out on you."

"His Future Majesty," someone said across the table.

Sir Guard's attention found one of the generals staring at him. His eyes darted towards Dogars again. At the same time he wished his friend not to recognize him, it was also all he wanted.

The general wasn't continuing, and the prince wasn't allowed to speak, so he nodded, urging the man to continue. He did. "The queen says you are a bounty hunter," The prince nodded in confirmation. "She also says you were the one that brought the former king's assassin back when she ran away. Where did you find her?"

Was this an interrogation?

He looked to Rennera who closed her eyes and gave a slight nod, giving him permission to speak. Now that he was allowed to speak, he had little time to decide on a lie. The prince would have to give the truth or else his thinking too long would look suspicious. "A few miles into the woods from this palace." His eyes fell onto Dogars for the millionth time. He swallowed as the emissary's own throat bobbed and his mouth fell slightly open. Sir Guard just barely shook his head, hoping Dogars would get the message.

If he did get the message, he was deliberately deciding to be stupid when he piped in and asked, "What were you doing-"

"I wasn't done yet," the general who spoke before tried to interrupt. It didn't work.

"-so close to the palace?" It was a personal question, one that Sir Guard should have expected coming from his friend. He was making this situation more difficult by asking such a thing.

After just a short moment of gaining yet another permitted nod from Rennera, the prince answered, "I'm a bounty hunter. I was hunting the face on the bounty posters."

"Hunting bounties is a dangerous job, as I see you've found out, as you should have already known, as I'm sure someone told you," Dogars returned. He was speaking too quickly, Sir Guard noted. His friend was going to lead the others to believe they knew each other if he didn't calm his tone and speak slower.

Maybe the prince was over-analyzing. The others probably weren't noticing what he was, but he couldn't help it. If the queen learned Sir Guard was the prince of Thharewood...he didn't want to think about what might happen. Rennera said she would punish Leera for his mistakes. Perhaps rather hopefully that would change. Otherwise she might hurt Leera more than usual.

"I'm curious, Your Majesty," Dogars continued, "why you've made a bounty hunter, who you've clearly had problems with, your betrothed."

Rennera hummed, picking up a glass which contained red wine. She swirled the liquid before explaining, "He brought my husband's killer back. I took a liking to him for that reason, but it was all a rash decision and apparently he thought so, too. He tried to sneak the assassin back out in the woods."

Sir Guard felt the urge to defend himself, to say it was a lie, but what would it matter? He was only the queen's captive at this point. The others wouldn't care whether or not the claim was true. Dogars might. Might call him foolish later when he returned home, if he ever did. The thought he might never return to Thharewood never crossed Sir Guard's mind until now. It made him feel sick.

"Would anyone else like to contribute?" the queen asked, taking a sip of her wine.

No one said anything for moments. There was only the sound of heavy breathing and chewing. One king commented on how lovely the feast itself was. He'd been a quiet and old man, one who was timid, and was only present because he feared the consequences of not showing up. Sir Guard read this all in one easy comment.

The rest hadn't spoken yet, but the general, presumably from Harcose based off of the fish shape on his leather vest.

And, of course, Dogars had spoken plenty. Sir Guard could tell he was pissed by how quickly he shoved food in his mouth. If the prince were free to speak and was sat beside his friend, he would have quietly joked that he should watch his weight. It was something Dogars scorned himself for often, overeating anytime something relatively stressful happened. It was a habit he admitted trying to quit which was the only reason Sir Guard felt okay teasing about it.

Leera leaned over for a second time this night, whispering, "Have you thought of anything yet?"

"Honestly, Leera," he said, "I can't think about anything beyond my nerves." The prince shook his head. "I've never been this frightened before." He hated to admit it. His trainers always told him as a boy that fear was a ridiculous thing to let control you. They said you should only shake from overexerting yourself. Fear was, to say it most simply, stupid.

The assassin sighed, thinking to herself now. Sir Guard knew the consequence if she didn't get her answers for the queen; he would be hurt, maybe tortured. He would be okay with it, but he knew there was no way Leera could handle watching him in pain. He swore he would come up with a story by the end of the night, but for now...it was just too difficult.

"Is it something you can talk yourself out of? My uncle always said I was a good listener."

"Your uncle?" Her eyes saddened as she nodded. "Was that who took care of you after..." he trailed off.

"After my parents both died, yes." She nodded then took a deep breath. "I miss them," she said. "All of them."

Sir Guard's brows knitted. "Did your uncle pass, too, then?"

"No. No, he didn't, but I- uh- haven't seen him in years, much less spoken to him." Leera reached for the tankard in front of her. Her hand paused mid-reach and the prince watched her gaze turn towards the queen. After a short minute, her hand continued to reach out, grabbing the cup and bringing it to her lips. She asked, "Are you thirsty?" He shook his head, but because he licked his lips, the assassin moved forward, rear-end on the edge of her seat. She didn't have to reach very far for the cold edge to meet her prince's lips.

He turned his head. "Leera, the queen didn't say I could eat or drink."

"She didn't say you couldn't either, and that's what you asked her earlier, isn't it?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"If she has a problem with it, I'll tell her you forced me to give you a drink, that you...I don't know," She shrugged. "Threatened me or something."

Sir Guard gave a look that said, Right. She would believe I threatened you.

The assassin shrugged again. "You haven't seen a man starving or dehydrated, then."

In the blink of an eye, the prince saw chapped lips barely visible passed blond hair and sand. Sir Guard had been around...8 years old, he guessed. He didn't miss having blond hair, and was quite pleased that it'd darkened. It was at least one less reminder of the days he had trainers. None of them were kind and they put the prince through the worst of situations, saying it was only to 'toughen him up'. It was cruel was all, but 'tough' was what Thharewood needed since the current king and queen didn't 'have the guts' to stand up to opposers.

"Sir Guard?"

The fog in the prince's brain cleared away at hearing Leera's voice.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm alright." He eyed the tankard in front of him. "I think I'll have a drink of that now."

Leera proceeded to tilt the cup until she could see the water pouring out slowly in a jerky stream. She didn't want to pour too much, so she was careful.

The prince grunted and she pulled the tankard away, setting it down on the table. As she did so, she found the queen's head directed at her.

"Thirsty?" Rennera asked. Her gaze moved from Leera to Sir Guard. A single drip of water ran to his chin from his lip.

He nodded.

"Yes, it has been a while since you had anything to eat or drink." The queen took a sip of her wine. "Guards, one of you untie him. And take the rope to my chambers. You may toss it on the bed."

Sir Guard's mind went to the worst place possible. He hoped her bed was only the place she kept the gilded rope stored, and that she wasn't implying anything else. The most she'd done was kiss him. Rennera wouldn't do more than that, would she? She hated torture, she admitted that. Would she consider...that...as torture? The prince certainly did.

Before Sir Guard could suck himself into a further pit of dread, he felt relief. The final coil of rope fell away from his wrists. He sighed and brought his arms around front before raising them up, allowing the two guards to unwrap what rope had also been around his chest. Sir Guard took a deep breath. It was the first one he took that he actually felt reach his lungs.

On the other end of the table, Dogars watched, releasing a small and pitiful growl. Never would he have imagined seeing his best friend like this. And never would he have imagined he couldn't help. The emissary wondered how long Kastion had been tied up like that. He looked sore, but fine otherwise- or at least as far as Dogars could tell. The prince was mostly blurbs of colour. He only truly knew it was Kastion by his voice when the general asked him a question.

A bounty hunter, the emissary thought and shook his head. He didn't doubt Kastion fulfilled his role after seeing the poster. His real question was what was the prince thinking going to Ecksthnie? What was his plan before he found the bounty posters? Just go in and demand they release the assassin? That would have worked great, Dogars scoffed mentally. Kastion was lucky he found a bounty poster.

Gods damn him. I told him that assassin wasn't his responsibility. Of course telling Kastion that didn't mean anything. If he felt responsible then nothing- no words or actions- would ever succeed in changing his mind. The prince was stubborn when it came to faults. Dogars supposed it had to do with his training. They blamed him for every mistake when truly it was them not teaching him how to do anything. They'd throw him in a- a gladiator pit with an adult man without any previous lessons then expect him to know what he was doing, and when he failed, they'd tell him he was too absent, made mistakes too easily. You are a humiliation to this kingdom and you will continue to be unless you can fix all of your mistakes, they would say, and they would never say what his mistakes were. Dogars watched it all unfold firsthand, everyday.

So, the emissary understood perfectly why his prince ran off. He blamed himself now, for not knowing where Kastion went off to. As often as he spoke of Leera and how 'It's my fault she was captured. I was the one who asked for her name, begged her for it. And for what? She's in Ecksthnie because I thought praising a name would keep her from harm.' Kastion talked about the rumours as well, about a destroyed throne room and coffins. About nail streaks down a cheek. All about the assassin, of course. He spoke so often of his fault. Dogars should have known when the prince went missing that it was to save the assassin- or do whatever it was that he wanted. He clearly wasn't saving her right now.

"I think the emissary has gone deaf. Someone splash their water on him, will you?"

"No need," Dogars blurted. He was surprised to see as he looked around that no one was jumping to fulfill the order. Though maybe he shouldn't have been. The emissary could tell the generals were ticked off about the queen's unsaid statement; royalty was above all else. Generals were vile. Anyone who wasn't a king, queen, prince, or princess was of low and poor blood. Dogars didn't mind the status he received. He liked when people underestimated him, particularly queens who held his best friend captive. "I have a question for the assassin," he said.

The queen bade him permission to ask.

"You are unbound, have been since the beginning, unlike the...soon to be royal. Why's that?"

She, the assassin, thought for a moment. "Her Majesty...treats me better than I deserve," she said, and that was all.

Dogars nodded, running his tongue along his top teeth. His mouth remained closed, though, until he spoke to Rennera. "So you treat her well despite it being her who killed your husband? Yet, this random bounty hunter is being tied to a chair despite being your supposed betrothed?"

"I broke the assassin in," the queen replied. "She behaves the way I ask her to. My future king deceived me. I believed he was incredible for bringing back the girl who killed my husband. He was a fairytale character. He proved the other day that he is not what I thought. He is a great actor-" Better than you think. "-but I will break that trait down soon enough. In less than a week, all he will want to do is marry me."

Now it was the other present general, one from Eliaph, that spoke up. "Sounds risky, Your Majesty. A bounty hunter who managed to bring in an assassin? If I were you, I wouldn't have unbound him."

"You live by fear?"

At this, Sir Guard could have laughed. Only the food occupying his mouth stopped him.

A hypocrite, he thought. The queen was mocking a general for being scared when it was her who was terrified. She wouldn't be having this dinner to prove herself if she weren't nerved by the rulers of the lands.

"I live cautiously," the Eliaph said. "Intelligently. You would be wise to do the same."

"In Harcose," the prince whispered to Leera. When she gave him her full attention, he continued. "I came from Harcose. My family was granted a lake by the lord of our region, but because we weren't allowed to plant more trees, hawks and eagles were stealing the fish we bred and sold. I became a bounty hunter as a last resort as we couldn't afford the lord's rent prices."

Leera's eyes had grown wide halfway through the made up back story. "I guess you only needed time, huh? To come up with a story?"

"Food, actually." He smiled. "I only came up with it just now. The general- not the one who just spoke, but the other one- comes from Harcose. I could tell by the patch on his clothing. Anyway, that's what you can tell the queen. Is that all she asked for?" Leera nodded. "Good. Good, that's settled. Now I only have one other thing to worry about during this dinner."

"What's that?"

"See that man on the opposite end of the table?" Sir Guard nodded his head down the long dinner table Very end, not on the sides."

"Yes."

"That is my best friend, practically my brother. That is Dogars."

The assassin gave a small, delighted gasp. "The name you used in the story."

"Yes." The prince took another drink of water then leaned back in his 'throne'. "I'm surprised he hasn't launched a knife at me yet."

Leera blew a puff of air from her nose. "Sounds like a great friend." It was sarcastic. At first she'd been excited to meet Sir Guard's friend. Now he didn't sound so pleasant.

"He is. Dogars only worries for me. I have...large tendencies to throw myself in harm's way. This was the biggest toss." The prince looked the assassin in the eyes. "It's been a fine fall, one I would take all over again if needed."

She said, "You don't have to fall for me." Leera paused, thinking, Did he just confess he had feelings for me? "In fact, I encourage you not to. I'm more danger than I'm worth."

"You're right," Sir Guard said. "You are not worth a thing. That's why I poisoned myself to prove I was on your side, that I would never hurt you."

"I hate you for that," Her voice was soft, didn't hold any wrath behind it at all. Either way, the prince's point was across. She was worth everything, he was telling Leera. She still couldn't bring herself to believe he might have liked her romantically, though. It just seemed so impossible.

"I'm alive," Sir Guard returned. "Didn't know it would almost kill me." Then he admitted, "Even if I'd known, I wouldn't have done any differently. I deserved an almost death."

With a sigh, the assassin shook her head. "You'll never stop blaming yourself for what happened to me, will you? I shouldn't be a prince's concern, you know?"

"Why shouldn't you be when it was my fault?" He dragged a hand down his face. "Leera, I told everyone your name. You wouldn't be here if it weren't for that."

"I. Was the one. That gave you my name. That was my fault, not yours."

"You wouldn't have given it if I didn't-"

"Stop!"

The room went silent. All eyes were on the assassin, who was now standing at her seat, fingers flayed on the table. Her breathing picked up when she realized she'd drawn everyone's attention. Leera didn't mean to have an outburst. She just...she hated how much Sir Guard hated himself, how he blamed himself no matter what evidence there was against it. She wasn't mad at him for it. She was mad at whoever made him like that. Who blamed him in his life? For what? Why?

Leera swallowed. "Sorry. I'm so sorry, Your Majesties and- and generals." She sat without another word, stared at her lap with her chin tucked to her chest.

Sir Guard didn't say another word, afraid he might upset her again. He wasn't entirely sure what set her off. The prince still felt correct. He was to blame for Leera being here. He asked her for her name, and instead of moving on when she said she didn't give her name to people, he'd asked another time. Again and again, he'd asked, telling her he wanted to know the name of his hero. And when she finally gave, he spread it around like wildfire.

Of course, it was never Sir Guard's intention for it to harm Leera. He thought it would offer protection. She killed the King of Ecksthnie, and she escaped. Anyone would be right to be fearful of the assassin. But this wasn't what happened and it was his fault. He should have known what would happen, should have thought of every possibility. This was his fault. Nothing would change the prince's mind.

Rennera stood quite suddenly, announcing that dinner was over and everyone should return to their rooms. If anyone wished to know more, they could consult the guard standing in the throne room. If it required the queen's direct answer, they would be escorted to the queen's room, where they could consult with her at ease.

Dogars wouldn't go to the queen, but he would talk to Kastion. He needed to know what the hell had gotten into him, and what needed to be done. He'd go to his prince's cell tonight, even if it meant sneaking passed enemy guards without a weapon. He would get there. There was no choice.

******

Part 21 here

#leera and rennera #part 20 #sir guard #Kastion 👀👀#Dogars #How many characters will I have by the end of this?#whump #whumpee #long post #whumper #royal whumper #royal whumpee #original series #a gentle blade

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amethystpath-writes · 4 years

Text

A Gentle Blade Part 16

Part 15 here

You know, I was going to write more, but I'm pretty content with how this ended :)

TWs: drugged whumpee, manipulation

@tears-and-lilies

******

There was no doubt in Leera's mind that she was in a prince's company. Sir Guard had been so true, so sincere, so genuine. He even cried, and in the end, so did the assassin. She believed him full-hearted. And she wasn't upset, didn't hate him like he always thought she would. In fact, it made her admire him more.

There was perhaps a little pity in the mix. After realizing Sir Guard's story had been about himself, she felt terrible for him, felt terrible that he felt so badly about himself. He hired her because he couldn't kill a man. This wasn't why Leera felt pity towards him. It was the fact that he couldn't do what she knew everyone expected of him. He was a prince, raised to be cruel, raised to be vicious and willing to take out the enemy.

Leera didn't blame him for not being able to do it. Gods, even she hated to kill, even when it was sometimes entirely deserved. But the assassin wondered what the prince's people would take of him if he ever returned home- if it was ever revealed that he hired an assassin, then fled his own kingdom to help her because he simply felt sorry. How would they react? They certainly wouldn't trust him. This was why she felt pity. Because no matter what he did now...he was weak, weak in the eyes of those he was supposed to take care of.

He wasn't weak to her, of course. Leera found him to be very brave, very valiant. Perhaps if he weren't so empathetic then he wouldn't be in this situation, but not every prince was willing to take responsibility like he was. Then again, there was no responsibility to take on. Being an assassin was Leera's job. She was meant to be there for him in some sense. The assassin killed for those not willing to kill, and she did it within reason. Leera once told Sir Guard she only killed for the men and women wearing rags, or whose ribs she could see. Which, maybe he was a prince, and maybe she would have turned him down before he said a word if she'd known, but that was her lesson to learn now. It wasn't just the poor who needed a voice, but the generally suppressed as well. Not every prince was pampered.

Either way, Sir Guard wasn't to blame for anything. If she didn't think the king had any reason to pass, she wouldn't have taken the job. Of course, who was to say the real villagers of this kingdom were actually suffering? The prince spoke for his own kingdom when he claimed to be a villager of this one. But hey, Leera supposed it didn't matter how the king treated this country if he treated others poorly. In the end, he was still an awful man, one that no one but the queen missed.

***

"I'm not sure when dinner is, but the queen came down here shortly after you went to sleep," Sir Guard suddenly began to explain. He sat on the floor, no less a prisoner than she now. Leera still didn't quite understand what 'test' he'd mentioned the queen presented to him. "She gave me this," Sir Guard held up a small tin can. Its lid was still closed. "It's- uh- well I haven't opened it yet, but she said it would stop your lips from becoming infected." Leera could tell there was more to say by the way Sir Guard glanced up and down, at the wall and floor. His eyes would meet her face for the slightest of seconds before bouncing around again.

Leera only nodded, eyeballing the tin can. If her lips became infected, worse things could happen. She would trust that what Rennera gave would truly be to help her. After all, she needed to be presentable to whatever other courts would be attending dinner tomorrow.

Sir Guard scooted, with his bottom dragging on the ground, closer to the assassin, whose lips were always parted a little bit and swollen. He opened the tin can. The substance inside was...curious. He supposed it used to mostly be a cream, but now it was an amber liquid with just a few clumps of thickness. He and Leera both looked at it with caution, but as he looked up at her she nodded again.

He sighed and dipped a finger in before setting the tin down. It nearly ran down his arm so he asked, "Is it okay if I tilt your chin up a bit?" She nodded, and he put his free hand beneath her chin, just barely pushing up so that he could let the liquid from his other finger drip down onto her bloody lips.

Immediately, Leera released an agonizing scream, slamming her head into the wall behind her to get away from Sir Guard's hand.

"God, god, god. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Leera had tears running down her face, impossible to stop. Her nose stung, and her lips...she could never describe it, even if not for the pain in them. She cried, and she couldn't stop for as long as that Liquid Hell settled into her body. She swore her body was going numb, but maybe it was only because the pain was so immense that it was beginning to feel that way.

"I didn't know. Gods, I didn't know." Sir Guard felt something sick crawling from his stomach into his throat. It wasn't poison, the liquid, was it? He knew how to help even less if it was poison.

He left the assassin. He couldn't help her by just sitting there anyways. He took the metal tin closer to the torch in the room, observing it from the can and on his one finger. Sir Guard tried taking whiffs of it, but nothing. He thought to put what little bit was on his finger on his tongue, but decided that was a terrible idea.

There was a voice; the queen. "I thought I heard screams." The door to the large cell squeaked open as Rennera stepped in. "It took you long enough, my future king." She tutted, then continued, "I suppose it doesn't matter when the plan is first in play, as long as it is before our dinner, which it is."

You little conniving- There was still a dagger on his hip, the one the queen allowed him to have again when he brought Leera back that first day as a bounty. He could chuck it at Rennera, throw it harshly enough that it surely harmed her in some way. But what then? Sir Guard was sure there was a guard behind her somewhere. And if not it still made no difference. He couldn't pick Leera up easily enough then proceed to run up stairs with her.

Sir Guard weighed his other options.

It was only last night that he'd fully told Leera who he was, what he did. She seemed to believe him, but it was hard to tell seeing as she didn't- couldn't- speak. What if Leera didn't believe him and here the queen was saying he was part of Rennera's plan to hurt her?

But then if he blatantly sided with Leera, what would the queen do then? Sir Guard already figured out the queen's trick. Giving him a room presented a choice. Either he could abandon Leera and willingly become the next king, or he could reject the room and be imprisoned with Leera instead. He was foolish in taking the cell. Not because it meant being a prisoner, but because it meant he was no longer in any authority to help the assassin. In any case, Sir Guard was here now, as another dungeoned guest with no key. What would Rennera do if he rejected her for a second time?

He looked to the assassin, grounded on the floor, head still pushed against the wall. She looked more relaxed now, but her eyes were locked with his own.

"Leera," Sir Guard's voice was shaking. He willed it to stop so that he sounded more believable. He wasn't a part of the queen's plan. He wasn't. "I promise I had nothing to do with this. I didn't even know what this was." Was it a mistake to use the assassin's name? Would it have made any bigger of a difference considering he deliberately sided with her already?

The queen laughed. "Didn't know what it was and yet he still thought to smear it across your slaughtered skin? You lie for what, my dear?"

"Listen to me, please. I was skeptical of it, too, but she said it would help. I wouldn't have used it at all, despite my hopeful judgement of it, if you hadn't nodded. I wouldn't hurt you, Leera." But he had. He'd hurt the assassin dozens of times. If not by being the reason she was even here, then he harmed her when he bound her wrists, gagged her with rope, collared her. He hurt her when he pushed her to the ground and dragged her, when he knocked her down and collared her again before a hanged and long-dead king.

Without realizing it, Sir Guard placed the liquid-tipped finger against his tongue. His mouth watered and he swallowed before he collapsed, grasping his throat. Somewhere, at the same time he swallowed- or maybe it was when he fell- he heard the metal tin can hit the floor. Some of the liquid speckled his arms, but he barely felt it passed the immense burning in his throat and through his chest. Whatever the substance was, it traveled through him, clinging to every surface until he could barely breathe.

Even more barely than his breathing, Sir Guard heard Rennera call out to someone, somewhere, "Damn this fool. Get him some water!"

She yelled something else, but he couldn't tell what. He was in a bubble, a stinging, and somewhat numbingly tingly bubble of space. It wasn't colourful like the soap bubbles he liked to make so often as a little kid though. It was dark and it was closing in on him.

******

Part 17 here

#part 16 #drugged whumpee #manipulation #leera and rennera #sir guard #his guilt is going to get him killed I swear #whump #whumpee #whumper #long post #assassin whump #royal whumper #amwriting #a gentle blade

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amethystpath-writes · 4 years

Text

A Gentle Blade Part 15

Part 14 here

Oh ho ho. I've been waiting for this moment in this story for a looong time.

TWs: mentions of torture, self blame (if I miss any plz let me know!)

Tag List: @tears-and-lilies

******

Leera was made to walk back to her cell, still escorted, of course. Her lips had been cut, not her legs, so there was no reason she couldn't walk except for the fact she had been lying down for quite some time. Her legs were filled with lead, and they cramped, but if she was being forced to walk- like she was- she would manage.

The stairs were the most difficult thing. It was hard for Leera to know if she lifted her foot enough until she was catching herself on unsteady arms several steps above her.

Rennera paid no mind to her. That was typical of the queen. If she wasn't torturing Leera, she wanted nothing to do with her. At least she didn't ask Leera to apologize to the dead king again. The assassin tried not to think what would have happened if she'd been forced to apologize again. Her lips hurt enough that she'd hardly have been able to speak, but if they hadn't been, what would have happened when she apologized incorrectly?

It doesn't matter, Leera thought, because it didn't happen. She was happy to still have a voice in her mind. That was one thing the queen couldn't take. Leera couldn't talk to Sir Guard, but she could talk to herself. It was entertainment enough, right? Sir Guard only ever confused her anyways.

Yes, yes this was a good topic to think about. Sir Guard and the mystery he shrouded himself in. He was a specimen of curiosity to Leera. Most people she figured out easily; Sir Guard was not one of them. Although maybe she did know him. He admitted he was a prince. Leera just wouldn't accept that. It simply didn't make much sense. She thought about him, all of him that she knew.

First, Leera started, then was interrupted as she tripped on the last stair leading to the door at the top. Leera nearly fell into the queen, but Sir Guard thankfully jerked her back before it could happen. He wouldn't have done so with the extra guard behind him, but thankfully that guard remained downstairs to clean up. Leera tried to think he meant he was cleaning the dagger he used to split her lips dozens of times.

Leera continued walking, as well as thinking. First, he found me in the woods. She recalled that day too vaguely; it made her upset that she could remember it so barely. Either way, what she did remember was what he had said to her after he captured her. 'You may scream when I take you back to Her Majesty'. It was such a horrible thing to say, and Leera wondered how she ever came to enjoy his presence, to feel safe in it. That was one thing she couldn't deny now at least. The assassin felt warmer when he was near.

She thought harder. He'd collared her, walked her like a rabid mutt. Leera had asked him if he realized who he was working for. She remembered him calling her scum, but she also remembered how difficult of a time he had saying it. But then moments later-

Leera's body quaked as her foot fell down onto a step. She shook her head. How had they already passed the throne room without her realizing? It didn't matter. Nothing mattered when she was the queen's prisoner. What significance was there walking in a throne room when it only meant she was walking from her cell to a torture chamber or vice versa? It didn't.

But, the assassin soon realized, it does matter when the queen no longer walks in front of me. Leera walked herself now. She was alone, besides Sir Guard behind her, but he was invisible behind her back. To walk again, with no one in front of her, it was nice. It was freeing, even if it wasn't total freedom.

"Are you opening the door on your own or will you allow me to be a gentleman?"

Leera almost laughed. She wasn't sure how allowing a man to open a cell door was considered being a gentleman, but still she stepped aside and allowed Sir Guard to open the door.

He seemed to know what she was thinking, for he commented, "If it makes you feel better, I'm stuck in here with you. No key. We both leave at the queen's demand." Something seemed to strike him for a moment. He didn't move, but Leera could just barely spot his features tightening into what she only imagined was confusion. Moments later, Sir Guard shook his head and stepped aside with a soft apology.

The assassin stepped in, automatically walking to her typical spot of rest, the center of the right wall. She sat beside her various unused restraints, ranging from ropes and chains to collars and metal prongs stained with blood. Leera knew she could sit anywhere, or even move the items of restriction, but they reminded her of her strength. At one point, she cried at each of those things being used. She didn't now. Some might have considered her broken, and the assassin would have agreed, but broken didn't mean weak. So, she sat by her restraints.

It was difficult to pick her thoughts up where they left off before she came into the second staircase. She had been thinking of Sir Guard, but what about him at what point in time? Where had she left off in her memories? Leera closed her eyes until she could recall the last moment of her investigation.

Scream for the queen.

Collar.

Scum.

And then he admitted he hated the queen. That's where she stopped thinking.

Leera picked the thoughts back up and continued. She wanted nothing more than to figure out who Sir Guard was.

Why did he return Leera to the queen if he hated her?

Because he wanted to live, he'd told her. But what did that mean? How did returning the assassin mean life? Sir Guard was stuck here, with only the name 'Sir Guard' and 'my future king' used to identify him. He wasn't a guard, Leera knew that much. He seemed to have no interest in the job when he took it, and even now...

How did he ever come to care for Leera? Why had he gone from growling voice and shoving her to the ground to catching her before she fell? He was acting. He was pretending to be someone in order to ensure both of their safeties, but...Leera shook her head.

"You're thinking," Sir Guard said.

The assassin shook her head for a second time and rolled her eyes as if to say 'No kidding'. Then she held a finger up, a motion telling him to give her a few more moments for herself.

Who was Sir Guard? Why was he hiding his identity?

One small piece of her screamed, He's a prince! You already know it! But what was his business being here? He certainly wasn't the prince of this land, if he was one at all.

So the question was, assuming he told the truth, why was the prince of another land here after the death of the king? Was he hoping the queen would be poorer off and he could just swoop in and take control? Didn't he have a throne and crown at home to claim? And if he were a prince, why had he taken Leera into the queen? He hated Rennera; that much was obvious, but that just made it more confusing as to why he would have claimed to be a bounty hunter for Her Majesty. Why claim to do favours for someone you hated?

To gain entry, Leera concluded. Maybe he's not a prince, but a spy instead. A spy for a prince. Sir Guard's prince must want to take over the queen's kingdom. After the king was assassinated and word spread, the next obstacle became how to rid the queen. With the assassin caught, the prince couldn't find someone to hire to kill.

Now again more questions rose. Now that Sir Guard found Leera, what was the next step in his plan? He brought Leera back to gain entry, but how did that help anything? Unless Leera was in good condition, she couldn't do anything, couldn't help.

Maybe the spy's goal was to grow closer to the queen. He could learn her weaknesses and then it wouldn't matter whether Leera was okay or not. His kingdom could strike without an assassin.

What would his plan have been if he hadn't stumbled upon Leera in the woods?

There were too many gaps in the assassin's theory, but it was the most solid one she'd come up with so far. Sir Guard wasn't a bounty hunter, a guard, or a prince like he claimed; he was a spy.

Leera slapped the stone floor once, then twice to get Sir Guard's attention. He looked to her without pause. The assassin supposed he did have good posture, looked like he could be a guard, a general, even a king. But that was part of being a spy, wasn't it? Being able to impersonate anyone in order to gain information?

She pointed at him, them pointed at her own eye. Are you a spy? she was asking, but he didn't understand. She repeated the action. He still didn't comprehend.

The assassin sighed. If the floor were dirt, she could draw the question out with a finger. Instead, she opened her mouth despite having swollen lips. "Arr- oo-"

Sir Guard held up a hand. "Don't hurt yourself."

I wouldn't have to if you understood simple hand signs.

Leera moved on. She shrugged, then acted as if she were putting a crown on. After that, she took two fingers and walked them across the floor. Her eyes met Sir Guard's.

His face went nearly blank. He blinked and gave a small, frustrated laugh. "This would be so much easier if you could...well, talk." Leera hummed before he continued. "I'm just going to take a wild guess and answer with," he paused, trying to formulate a response. "The queen is preparing for her meeting. She said they will be here within two days. The majority of those involved began the trek here after the queen left. They probably want this to be over as quickly as possible."

The assassin gave a quizzical look. Pinched brows, squinted eyes, would-have-been pursed lips.

He elaborated. "The queen didn't put up a great show at her last meeting. She requested an audience here so she could show them the assassin who killed her husband."

You're telling me she called for a meeting in an enemy kingdom to tell them she would be taking over. Then she got flustered and told them that she had something to show them. And they agreed?

"It's best not to question a scary rumour," Sir Guard remarked, though he obviously didn't hear the assassin's question. He read her, as he always did. That's what spies do. "If someone told the kings and generals she liked to sprinkle sugar on her steak, they might call it odd and move on. But if someone tells them a woman hanged her already dead husband, they remain weary, and rightfully so."

But if she acted poorly in front of them, doesn't that discredit the rumours enough?

"She stumbled over her words, but she didn't fret in throwing a knife at an eastern general who spoke over her. Dinner ended shortly after and she left with no words but when she expected to see them again."

So she redeemed herself and now intends to over-redeem herself. She's trying to create a security blanket.

Sir Guard slid down the wall until he sat. He took a deep breath before saying, "I made mistake. Several. But I really messed up this time."

Again, Leera could only look confusedly at him. She hoped he was deciding to be less secretive.

He laughed again. He did that when he was aggravated. "She gave me a room earlier, before she...with you..."

Leera's eyes widened.

"No. No, nothing happened. Didn't even try to kiss me. Thankfully." The last word was gruff. "It wasn't a reward like she said it would be. I'm realizing this now." He sighed, put his head in his hands. "It was a test."

"Wha-mm." She groaned in anger. As much as her lips hurt, Leera still managed to forget it hurt badly enough that she couldn't talk. She hated it. Speaking to herself wasn't enough when Sir Guard was in the room.

"We're both prisoners now," he explained. "I never thought about the door," Sir Guard threw his head in the direction of the metal bars. "being locked while I was in it until I told you I had no key. Not that I ever had one before, but-" He shook his head and gave a big exhale. "I never had a choice before. My one and only job was to guard you. Now, though, now she's given me the option to be her king. I was supposed to take that opportunity. I have no choice now." His attention snapped to the assassin. "Not that I would ever marry her, but if I would have at least pretended that was my intention. Gods, I screwed everything up. And I'd tell Dogars, but he didn't even know-"

"Uh- ince?" The prince? Leera recognized the name as the the prince from Sir Guard's story. The prince, Dogars, was the one who hired a- wait. Dogars hired an assassin to kill an enemy king. Had Leera met with a prince? If she did, she didn't know they were a prince. Or maybe she did. The assassin made it a point to forget everyone she did business with, whether that meant the person who hired her or the person she was hired to kill.

Sir Guard's head dropped. "Still haven't accepted the fact yet, have you?"

The assassin shook her head.

"I hired you, Leera. I'm the prince in the story who hired a killer."

She swallowed. Breaths rushed in and out of from between her cracked lips as her head shook back and forth. It was the first time he ever used her name.

"You've recognized my guilt and I know you've wondered at why I feel guilty. It's you," he said.

It was becoming harder and harder to deny him. He was staring right at her, eyes unwaivering. She held a hand out, gesturing for him to come closer.

He obeyed, scooting so close that their knees almost touched. Now his gaze bounced. Sir Guard looked at the assassin's hands, which hovered in the air, waiting to be held, and then he looked to her eyes. When she nodded at her hands, he reached out as well and grabbed them lightly. Her hands were cold, but not freezing. They both felt hot, then.

Leera watched his eyes. Tell me again. Tell me everything.

"I-" Sir Guard didn't even know what to say. He tried to tell her he was a prince before. Not when she first guessed it because it was too soon, but when he felt comfortable enough he told her very blatantly what and who he was. She didn't believe it. Why would that change now? He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. "I'm here now, as I am, to make up for what I did. I- was foolish and I didn't think ahead. I know what living as a royal is like. I should have known how the queen would respond, how she would have to, but I didn't foresee it. I was so anxious to do what my people thought I should do that I simply didn't think. I-"

His head snapped in the direction of the door. He thought he heard something, like a door opening, or even boots on a set of steps. It must have been his nerves.

He continued. "I hired you to kill the king because I was afraid to do it myself. The thought of killing a man- good or bad- terrified me. So, when I heard there was an assassin roaming the lands, I had my best friend- emissary- track your movements. Furthermore, when I heard you would be stopping in the very kingdom I was in charge of taking down, I went there myself. I only knew you by your hood. You only knew me by the rags I wore. The people with me were trusted friends, disguised all the same to be villagers as I was."

Leera's hands were progressively heating, palms sweating, fingers feeling as swollen as her lips. Sir Guard's hands felt cooler now. The assassin couldn't tell if it was she who grew hotter, or he who grew colder. Perhaps it was both. Perhaps as she was genuinely listening, he was finally unloading all that he held back.

Both were experiencing something they needed since they had been imprisoned. Sir Guard was feeling relief; he was finally releasing all that he held in. Leera was feeling certainty; she was finally believing her guard, and he wasn't what she thought. He was no spy. He was the Prince himself.

"I'm sorry," he said after a long silence. "You being here is my fault. I should have been stronger than I am. I should have been able to do it myself. I should have been the one to have a scar on my face from a nail. Should have been the one collared and chained and humiliated. Should have been the one strapped down on a table and had my lips carved to say the queen's name. I'm the one who should have been her property-"

The assassin didn't know it was Rennera's name which was carved. The queen must have changed her mind mid torture session.

"-That's why I'm here. I deserve to be here. And you know what?" His hands were heating up again and there was a sniffle in his voice. Leera didn't dare look in his eyes. She wouldn't be able to stand the tears there. "I'm glad I screwed up this last time. Maybe staying down here with you will mean she'll turn her attention on me. She'll hurt me instead of you. It's what I deserve."

Leera felt her nose and eyes stinging. If her lips weren't so pained, she'd have sucked them into her mouth to prevent the spillage coming from the upper half of her face. A part of her always knew he was a prince, from the moment he told the story she asked for.

'Are you the prince from that story you told?' she'd asked him one day.

And he had replied 'Of course not. My name isn't Dogars.'

Dogars was his friend. He only used the name to cover up his own. It was there all along, even before he straight out admitted he was the prince. And she knew it. She just refused to accept it. Gods, Leera couldn't believe it. Hired by a prince to kill a king, now being praised by one as well.

She wanted so desperately to tell him, "This isn't your fault. This is my job. Please, please don't blame yourself for my life choice." She squeezed his hands, waited for him to look at her so they could take in one another's tears. He didn't deserve this. The fact that he said he did was what made him so innocent. Thank goodness she couldn't speak because for the first time, she thought, "I love you, Sir Guard. I've never been so glad to be in this cell because it means I have was given the opportunity to love you."

******

Part 16 here

#long post #part 15 #leera and rennera #leera #sir guard #torture #captivity #self blame #whump #whumpee #whumper #lady whump #assassin whump #whoever tagged assassin whump that one time I have not forgotten it #original series #a gentle blade

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amethystpath-writes · 4 years

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A Gentle Blade Part 14

Part 13 here

It's been a long while since I had a whump scene with Leera, but here we are.

TWs: Torture, mentions of death (of briefly mentioned character), mention of past abuse, nonconsensual touching towards end (brief mention), <-straddling ...(If I miss any lmk!)

Tag list: @tears-and-lilies

******

If wouldn't have mattered how long Sir Guard spoke; the queen wouldn't sleep until she hurt Leera. Rennera wouldn't say what she would do to her prisoner, but she did say Sir Guard wouldn't want to be there if he didn't torture. He would be there, whether he liked it or not; Leera wouldn't want to be alone. Or would she? Maybe she would be embarrassed if he were there.

It was too late to turn back now. Sir Guard was behind Rennera on the stairs to Leera's cell. If he turned back now... It would be cowardice to sleep in another room, away from the assassin who he was responsible for. He was the reason she was there. Sir Guard felt he needed to see Leera's torture, if not to make her feel better, then to punish himself.

"Knock, knock, my dearest assassin," the queen chuckled with high pitched hums. Sir Guard couldn't wrap his mind around the change in demeanor. Just earlier she had been talking about how she hated to hurt Leera, and any prisoner. She had just been talking about the abuse she went through, but now she was back to a sadistic torturer. How quickly she changed...then again, she had been silent the entire way from Sir Guard's room to the dungeons. She must have been preparing.

Leera whined like a dog preparing to be kicked by an abusive owner. Sir Guard had to look away from her before he did something he might have regretted more than what he'd already done. He turned his attention to the door, which he shut before taking up his usual space next to it. Sir Guard stared at the wall across from him. He hated that he couldn't plug his ears in order to stop hearing the assassin's harsh breathing.

"I have company in a few days," Rennera began to explain. "My conferences didn't go as expected so they will be visiting our great home. I'd like for you to be by my side." She spun on a heel to face Sir Guard. "You, too, my future king." He raised his brows. His lips parted, as well. Before he could say anything, the queen continued. "My assassin needs prepped in a particular way. I'm afraid you might coax my visitor's minds into helping you escape and I can't have that."

The assassin shook her head wildly. Sir Guard couldn't help but watch the panic on her face, the panic he ultimately caused. "I wouldn't. I won't. I promise I won't."

"Now, now." Rennera took lingering steps toward her captive. She bent at the waist, raising a sharpened nail to Leera's face. The assassin's eyes squeezed shut as she turned her head away in a series of small, nervous jerks. "You already agreed for our little session today. Best not to make it worse for yourself by begging, no?"

She nodded against the nail which barely touched her, but was still frightening nevertheless. Leera muttered a tiny, almost unheard, "Okay."

Sir Guard believed what all the queen had told him now. Even after the character change he witnessed, he believed her. She sounded evil, the way she suggested the assassin not beg, but it was that that Sir Guard caught onto, the piece that let him know Rennera really hated to hurt the assassin. She didn't want Leera to beg because that made it harder for her to pull through.

"Guard-" Sir Guard's attention snapped up if only because he was used to the assassin's nickname. He was fond of the name 'Sir Guard' now, though he felt bad that he never told Leera his real name. He almost did once before he came up with his best friend's name. "I need you to follow me. Bring the assassin. If she doesn't walk on her own, you drag her."

You're only saying that to prove your worthiness to your guard. But Rennera was a queen. Most people would have thought just owning the title would be enough. Sir Guard knew better. In some aspect he knew Rennera was doing the right thing, just as he had in some way; it didn't mean he liked her any more. He despised her as much as himself.

"Come, darling." The queen's black dress tailed her, dragging across the stone floor.

The other guard waited on Sir Guard with a bored expression. He quickly realized the queen was calling him darling. He shook his head, blinked a few times, and followed. It was difficult not to turn his head back to look at Leera who walked behind him.

"I can walk her," Sir Guard said, speaking to the man even further behind him than Leera. He turned his head just barely enough that he could see a little bit of the wall in his peripherals. It was safer Leera walk with him than the other guard. He seemed much more callous- certainly willing to drag her if she walked too slow like she nearly was.

"Her Majesty ordered me to walk her."

"She'll walk faster with me, and the queen hates waiting. I can hear her opening the door on the top step already. We're behind." He added. "And if you have not noticed, I am having to speak louder than I'd like because you and the prize are so behind."

To his surprise, it was Leera who responded. She gasped and the sound of footsteps ceased. "Please don't," she blurted and the guard behind her hummed in confusion.

"Keep walking."

"No, no, no. Please, you can't let him walk me. I'm going." But she wasn't moving.

"Walk. Now."

Leera continued to cry, unmoving on the stairs. What was she doing? Was she really afraid that Sir Guard would take over and hurt her? Was she scared of him now because he slapped her? She must not have trusted him anymore. Sir Guard reckoned he deserved it.

"Please," Her voice raised to a wail. Her body hit the hard stairs as the guard pushed her down.

"If that's not what you want, it's what you'll get," the guard said.

Then it struck Sir Guard. She was acting out because she wanted to be lead by him. It wasn't that she didn't trust him. It was that she did. Leera felt safe with him. Before he could smile, he gruffly demanded her, "Up, now. Let's go."

She scrambled passed him on all fours before standing and beginning to walk. She gave him no trouble, acted as if she were afraid stepping wrong would upset him. Her acting skills were coming along well.

The assassin turned her head once- before they could approach the queen- and mouthed a thank you, to which Sir Guard gave a long blink. He couldn't nod or else the man behind him would know something was going on.

Even if the queen didn't like hurting Leera, Sir Guard couldn't let her know that he cared for the assassin at all. If he showed that, Rennera would be forced to take action, and then neither he, nor Leera, would ever have a chance at leaving the palace.

Rennera tutted as she spotted Leera, then Sir Guard, and finally the other. "I don't suppose there were problems, my dearest assassin? It took you quite a while." She looked at her own dress, suggesting she should have been the slow one.

Sir Guard actually heard the assassin swallow. He said, "She only needed a little coaxing, Your Majesty. I think her fear in my presence merits enough as any amount of added punishment."

"Of course," was all the queen said in return.

The door was already open. Rennera stepped passed the threshold and the others followed her. Leera's harsh breathing was getting worse with every step. Sir Guard was afraid- but also hopeful- she would pass out before the queen could torment her.

He wondered what would happen if Leera did pass out first. Would the treatment be worse or better? It was hard to tell. On one hand- if she passed out- she wouldn't feel anything and it might be harder to tell when the queen should stop, so she might stop early. But this could also be the same reason that she hurt Leera more. Without the cries, Rennera might accidentally overdo it. The latter would be great for the queen, terrible for the assassin.

As the four of them walked across the royal rug of the throne room to another door and staircase, Sir Guard pondered further. This time, he thought about something the queen had mentioned earlier.

A hiccup in her meeting amongst the kings and generals of other kingdoms. They must not have believed she was worth her word and that was why she was so persistent now in fixing Leera up. It was an extra measure to assure others viewed her like her husband.

What did this all mean to him? Well, Rennera only ever referred to him as her 'future king'. He never had the confidence or preparation to tell her he didn't want to marry her. He would marry her if it kept Leera safe, or as safe as she could be. Sir Guard couldn't stop her from hurting, but he could at least be there to comfort her afterwards. If he refused Rennera when the time came, he couldn't be there. Maybe he could, but not in the way he needed to be. He would be no help to Leera if he was whipped until he was motionless and unconscious.

Sir Guard wondered what this next meeting would look like. The queen clearly had the intention of broadcasting Leera. How would he be shown though? Would Rennera demand he stay silent, be a puppy dog at her side to make her seem like a master of authority? Or would she expect him to be as evil as she was to Leera?

A door opened. The queen and crew flooded in. Two torches alongside the same wall as the door lit the room with flickering light. Various wooden tables scattered the open room, each with different...supplies on them. Most of which were metal. Most of which were stained various shades of red. Sir Guard felt as if one of those tools were pinching his lungs. He swallowed.

It felt selfish to think that he couldn't stay and watch. That feeling of selfishness was what made Sir Guard stay though. He needed to be here, in this...this Torture Room for Leera. And anyways, what kind of future king would he be if he couldn't stand to see prisoners like this?

I'm not this kingdom's future king. That's what he wanted to think, what he'd even say to Leera when she mentioned it at one point in time.

In all reality, or as reality spun on, the thought more or like became, I am the future king. I have to fill the old king's place. Not fully, of course. He could do as Rennera did; make the orders for guards to hurt the prisoners. But what if all of the prisoners are innocent, or they were forced into doing something?

Now again he thought of Leera. The assassin wasn't forced to be an assassin. From what he gathered from her poorly secreted self was that her father was taken prisoner and- as opposed to only being tortured- was killed while in captivity. Sir Guard assumed Leera became an assassin out of her own good will. She admitted she didn't kill for just anyone. 'I don't kill for people with overloaded bellies. I kill for the people whose ribs I can see, or can't see due to the loose fabric in place of skin' the assassin had said days ago. All in all, Leera wasn't forced to be an assassin, but even then she did the job only when it was fitting for the rest of society. Sometimes it backfired, like now as she was being wrestled onto a stone table. Sir Guard hated himself more than ever.

"I'll keep this simple," the queen practically announced.

Sir Guard couldn't tear his eyes away from Leera. She wasn't looking at him. He wondered if she hated him as much as he did himself. The assassin said before that she didn't hate him, but it was hard to believe, harder to believe than the queen actually being a semi-decent person.

"My future king has had many issues with you before, with your complaining and whimpers. So," She said the last word sharply, suddenly. "I have come up with an idea. I will use- hmm..."

Rennera moved on from the stone table to the nearest wooden one. Sir Guard still watched Leera all the while.

The assassin was held still by thick leather restraints bolted and strapped around the table. There was a seemingly new addition to the table. Sir Guard could tell it was new only by the fact it had no dirt or grime adorning it. It was a...a metal bracket, Sir Guard thought, and it was movable. By the looks of it, it was split in the center and pushed aside when not in use. However when someone lay down on the table, both sides were pushed together and locked in place on either side of the person's head. But why restrict the head?

As if on cue, the queen inhaled and released the breath with a sharp squeal as a shing- as well as some loud clunks- sounded throughout the room. Sir Guard's eyes finally left Leera to see a sharp short dagger glinting in the torchlight. The queen handed it off to the second guard in the room, the non-future king.

Rennera said to the guard now, "You'll cut lines in her lips- vertically. She won't give you trouble. Thank Bliss for new inventions."

That's why, Sir Guard thought mournfully. The torture would be done to Leera's mouth, and therefore her head needed to be as still as the rest of her body. It made him feel sick.

The other guard didn't waste a moment, already trying to figure out the easiest way to complete the task, which he didn't seem to mind doing at all. Sir Guard hoped he was only as great of an actor as everyone else in the room. He doubted it.

"Can I-" The guard gestured to the table, or Leera.

"Whatever will make this a speedy process," the queen answered, and the guard nodded, climbing on top of the table and straddling the assassin, looming over her with dagger in hand.

Leera tried to look away, but cried out as the metal brackets must have dug into her scalp. Sir Guard imagined there were spikes being driven into her head. He swallowed, watching, not saying a word- though he had many he wanted to say. The table was small enough that climbing on top was entirely unnecessary. The queen must have known this. Why did she agree? Sir Guard tried to think hopefully. Perhaps she is only trying to please her guard. Word will spread of cruel treatment of prisoners, but great treatment of the Guard.

"Get off of me!" Leera screeched at the man. "Get off!" She tried bucking her hips if only to knock him off balance, but his knees were well planted on either side of her and he only chuckled at the motion.

Pig, Sir Guard thought disgustedly.

Rennera said as Leera continued to protest, "Grab her mouth at the joints of her jaws."

The man followed instruction and Sir Guard quietly cursed himself. It was he who had done that and the queen caught onto it, using it to her advantage.

Every moment grew worse. Leera screamed and cried, begged between individual slices of skin made by the blade. Sir Guard wanted nothing more than to scoop her off of that stone table and carry into the very woods he found her in.

He considered what would have happened if he hadn't brought Leera back to the queen at all. Could they both have been free? No, of course not. The reason he brought the assassin to Rennera, he knew all along, was because there was no chance of freedom as long as Rennera wanted the assassin. The whole reason he brought her back was so that he had enough time to learn how to reason with the queen and convince her to release Leera. Nothing had changed. This was still the goal. It was just becoming slightly difficult now with the meeting of kings and generals coming up so soon-

No.

A thought struck Sir Guard. Rennera already stated he was to be at the meeting- most likely it would be a conversational dinner. What would happen if he was recognized by the others? The queen thought Sir Guard as only being a bounty hunter. She had no idea it was an act, one used to fool her into keeping him around. He refused to be Leera's guard at first only as a 'playing hard to get', though he didn't expect it would make him worthy of being her next king. Either way, to Rennera, Sir Guard being her king would be the first time he had experience with royalty. It wasn't, and that's why this next 'conference' as she called it would be so dangerous.

******

Part 15 here

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amethystpath-writes · 3 years

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A Gentle Blade Part 26

Part 25 here

Alrighty. I was able to recover the lost, last half of the chapter. All is well.

Putting big TWs on this one (there is no gore, but many references and mentions): captivity, prisoner of war, battle/war, choking, getting cut open, broken bones, torture, vomiting, whump of a minor, trapped, murder, character being stabbed, manipulation.

@tears-and-lilies

******

"Another question," Kastion piped as the two continued riding. "You don't have to answer, but..." He trailed off. Should he even ask such a personal question now?

On one hand, the prince figured there was no better time to ask. Who knew what would really happen when they arrived in Thharewood? The general would want to know where Kastion was, what he learned during his Mesenian visit. Beyond the minor interrogation, Kastion would have to visit his father- who was hopefully still alive. He'd need to help his mother sort things out; surely she was feeling overwhelmed. He couldn't think of what else he needed to do upon returning, but he was sure there was more. In this sense, it was reasonable to ask Leera such personal things now.

On the other hand, it felt too soon to ask such a thing. Kastion loved Leera. That feeling he knew was true, but a part of him always feared he only loved her because he felt bad for her. Even worse, he was afraid it was because he felt bad for himself. But Leera loved him, too. Kastion would feel okay if she asked him personal questions, so asking her was okay, right? But he didn't know for sure. What if-

"Kas?"

His attention snapped to Leera.

"What's your question?"

He swallowed, not meeting her eyes. He would feel so awful if he asked a question that made her feel badly.

"You can ask me anything. I don't mind, truly."

Kastion sighed. Okay. "Your father was captured by Termine. How were you? I'm sure you weren't in the battle."

Now it was Leera that swallowed. She semi-expected this to be the question. It was okay, she said it was okay, and it was. With a deep breath, she began, "I knew little about the battle, but I heard my uncle complain about it often enough that I understood Termine was strong and that if Poppy wasn't back with our much smaller army, then he was either killed or captured."

Leera went on to explain how she got to Termine. While her mother was sleeping from her illness, she stole the wedding ring off of her finger and sold it to a mercenary, who gave Leera just enough coin to hire a carriage traveling along the main roads. Thinking back on it now, Leera knew the ring was worth much more. It came from an island far east from their own lands. It was worth at least three silver coins.

Moving back on topic, the assassin further explained that she asked to be taken to the battle sight. There were bodies, more than she could count, and she could barely recall tossing up the bread she ate before the journey, along with a tangy yellow liquid that came from her stomach. The carriage director left immediately after she got out so in order to get to Termine Leera would have to walk. That didn't matter until after she checked every single body, searching for her father's face. When she didn't find it, she knew he'd been captured. She walked the rest of the way to the enemy kingdom.

Once she was in Termine, she went to the Servants' House. It was a stretch of small houses, only large enough to fit one poor bed per home. In the center of them all was a washroom, where the servants cleaned up at night- both their bodies and their clothes. In truth, they were probably better off to not clean at all. That much water being recycled was probably more filthy than they could afford. Not knowing this at the time, Leera stole a servant's wet clothes from the floor. She slept in an alley the first night and once the clothes were dry, she traded them with her own, leaving her own clothes in the alley before walking into the palace as a noble servant.

She snuck about the castle as well as she could, discovering every hall and nearly every door. She didn't rest until she found the dungeons where she promptly began to scream for 'Poppy', and although her Poppy didn't answer, she knew he was down there. He hadn't returned home, his body wasn't with the others; this was the only place he could be.

The guards in the dungeon, however few, chased her about, and she ducked beneath their arms, beneath their legs until she saw her father sleeping on the floor behind bars. She yelled and yelled at him, but he wasn't waking up. Leera feared he was dead. As she stood at her father's cell screaming, the guards finally captured her flailing arms and pulled her back. They marched her up the stairs into the main palace. Because she was so small, her feet didn't touch the floor as the guards carried her, their arms tucked beneath hers.

They carried her all the way to the king's personal quarters where they dropped her behind his chair. In her fear, she didn't hear what the king said, but she assumed he dismissed the guards, for they filed out of the room, shutting the door behind them. Leera was so frightened that she scooted back until she met the foot end of the king's bed. Her toes curled in a fur rug.

The king had stood, towering over her. She didn't breathe as he took two steps towards her. He asked why such a small girl like her had been brought up to him like a criminal. Leera admitted that she was only looking for her father.

"He told me that I was looking at my father," Leera told Kastion. She could feel her chest quaking and her hands shaking as they continued riding. Who knew how much further they'd made it since she began telling her story?

The prince tried telling her multiple times that she didn't have to continue, but Leera wanted to. True, it was the most difficult thing thing she'd ever done, but it was also the most necessary. Even when Leera returned home to her uncle, she never spoke of what happened. She only said her father was dead.

Now, years and years later, Leera thought that finally telling someone might release whatever was trapped inside her, whatever made her able to kill as many and as often as she did. Killing was never easy to Leera, but it was easier- easier than if she had never been through everything she had been.

"The door was heavy enough that I couldn't open it," Leera continued to tell. She needed all of it out. She needed it gone, expelled from her mind, and the only way that could ever happen was if she spoke it aloud. "I slept in the king's room, at the foot of the bed, on the very rug I crawled back to on that first night. Servants brought me food, the king handed me daggers."

"Daggers?" Kastion asked. He'd stayed silent the whole time, but he hadn't expected Leera to say the King of Termine gave such a small girl a dagger, especially after learning she belonged to the enemy. Maybe that was it. She was a young, enemy girl, one that could be manipulated into a friend.

"I was made to throw them at dummies made from my homeland's armour. There had been a pile of it in the dungeons. For all I know, I threw a dagger at my own father's armour." Leera huffed. "I didn't know Poppy wasn't dead until one day the king ordered I be taken to the dungeons. I hadn't known his name so they weren't sure which soldier was my father."

Leera was escorted to the cells where she then ran to where she found her father before. He was awake this time, and despite the dark, he rushed to the barred door, reaching through to hug Leera closer. Why are you here? Why are you here, Leera? he'd asked. Over and over again, he'd asked and all Leera could say was, I wanted to find you.

This was when the prince stepped in. He grabbed Leera's shoulders and pulled her away from the captive soldier. My father says you think you belong to this man. You have a choice, the prince told Leera. You can forget this man ever existed, or I will show you what happens to captured enemies and send you to tell all your friends about it. It was the king's idea; his son was only more active, more willing to walk up and down the stairs to the dungeons.

I want Poppy, she said. Maybe she cried it. She was reaching for her father's arms reaching through the bars. Surely she was crying.

A guard stepped towards the cell, holding his sword backward before slamming the pommel against Poppy's arm. Her father recoiled with a pained holler. Leera did cry then, she knew.

What do you want? the prince asked.

Leera repeated herself. I want my poppy! She thrashed and thrashed in his arms, but he was older and stronger. She was nowhere close to competition to him.

The guard who hurt her father fumbled with a ring of keys, shoving one into the door before swinging it open. Leera tried to run in, but the prince's hands were still holding her shoulders.

Stand! the guard barked at Poppy.

At first Leera's father refused, only looking at his daughter. She supposed now that he wanted to be strong for her.

The defiance didn't last long, for the prince suddenly released Leera's right shoulder before grasping her throat. Her neck had been so small that his whole hand fit around her. With just a tiny amount of pressure, she couldn't breathe.

There was ruffling and shifting, clicks and clacks, but Leera couldn't process any of it. She was in a state of panic, unable to breathe, and progressively unable to see. But then she could breathe, and the fogginess of her vision was clearing away ever so slowly. She was young, too young to be held as she was, to see her father in such a piteous state.

Poppy stood still in his cell, grunting, and breathing harshly as the guard slid the sharp edge of his sword across his arm.

What do you want? the prince asked once again. And still, Leera responded that she wanted him, her father. She just wanted to be near him, to hug him, and to go home to Mum.

It went on like this for what Little Leera thought was hours, when in reality it was only one. Beyond that, it went on for days, each day becoming longer and longer, harsher and harsher, until Poppy was nothing but a barely breathing mound. And even further until he was dead. He suffered more cut limbs, broken limbs, fingers, and ribs, concussions from blunt force trauma, and plenty more. Leera was forced to watch it all. And on some occasions- like the first- she was slightly involved in the torture, only to make her father obey. It was a vicious cycle, one that Leera could never forget, even years later, and no matter how hard she tried.

Before Poppy was killed, Leera was still forced to sleep on the fur rug at the foot of the king's bed. One night, when she was sure the king was sleeping because of his snores, she picked a dagger from his desk, walked it over to the side of his bed, and she plunged it into his arm. He awoke screaming, of course, which alerted the guards outside of his room.

Because of his flailing, though, the dagger became loose, so Leera took it back and repeated her action, only this time to the thigh. Soon after, the guards came in and carried her away. To the dungeons! The king's voice was rasped with pain. Teach her a lesson!

Leera couldn't say what got into her that night. She supposed that hearing the king was responsible for her father's treatment became too much as she continued to watch it happen, as she continued to sleep beneath the man's feet. Leera, despite wanting to forget, remembered everything the guards had done to Poppy. And what made it so hard for him to move was what Leera did to the king.

After this occurrence, the prince tortured Poppy until his last breath, chaining Leera to the cell door bars. It was a short leash, one that didn't even allow her to sit. It went on for a single day before Poppy was dead.

Grabbing Leera by her cheeks, making her lips push out like a fish, the prince spat, You will go home and you will tell everyone what happened to you. You will tell them about your father's screams, about his whines, and about his writhing dead body. You will remember me every day that you live, and you will remember me in death.

"He's calmer now than he was then," Leera said softly, remembering dinner in Mesenian. "He was so angry with me for killing the king. I didn't know the king was dead until weeks later, when I returned home and word spread. I was thankful no one in Termine knew my name."

Kastion wasn't sure what to say. Who would have? He settled for saying, "I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that. And neither did your father- er, Poppy." Leera nodded at him with an appreciative smile.

They were on the main roads after much riding. The fear now was that they wouldn't find a carriage that could take them to Thharewood. Some of the guards wouldn't rest until they were found, Kastion was sure, which meant he and Leera couldn't rest either.

If they could find and hire a carriage, they would be disguised. The Guard wouldn't expect them to do something as public as that.

"We need to find a village and inn."

"Ee'd have more luck there than just wandering the roads."

She was shaking less, Kastion realized. It must have helped to talk it out. Still, he felt bad for ever asking. Without doubt, that was a lot for her to unpack. He hoped she would be okay.

"Then again," Leera said, "we might run into someone less than favourable."

The prince shook his head. "I doubt it. They don't care much about the people of Mesenian. And if they don't care, why would they come all the way out here to patrol?"

She nodded. It was a fair enough point. It still made her nervous. What if they went into a local area in hopes of getting away, only to be caught again? But Kastion was a prince, and he knew about these things. Leera would trust his decision.

And so it was, they followed the main roads, following signs until they found a small village, far off of Mesenian's prime perimeter.

The gods must have been traveling with the assassin and prince, for there very well was a carriage, hanging out near a horse vendor. Without any coin, Leera was afraid the director wouldn't take them, but Kastion showed the woman his ring and she ushered him to hide it before telling the two to hop in. "Shut the flaps," she told them as they got in and shut the doors.

It was a rickety cart, but the horses were strong from what Kastion could see. They were certainly large. He felt confident they would make it home.

Ch, ch, the director clicked and there was a thwap. The carriage began rolling.

Kastion took Leera's hand in his, resting them on his leg as they sat side by side. "If at any point you don't wish to come with me, I will leave this cart and you can go wherever you want. Keep the ring, and know that you will be welcome in my kingdom and home anytime you wish."

"I want to go," Leera nodded. She stared at their hands and smiled. "I want this and I want to see where it will go. I just- I'll need help along the way. I don't want to be a burden to you."

"You could never be a burden," he said. "Never."

Her eyes met his and she took a deep breath. She could do this. Leera could be his queen. Whatever it meant, she could do it, because she had already been through the worst life could offer. Surely being a queen by Kastion's side couldn't be as bad as anything else she experienced. And even if it was, she wanted to stand by Kastion. He needed her help as much as she needed his.

******

Part 27 here

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amethystpath-writes · 4 years

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Alrighty, folks.

We're at 80 followers! Which is totally unbelievable. You guys have probably heard it enough, but I seriously love and appreciate all of you, even my ghost followers. -This brings up my first question. I'm thinking about doing something celebratory at 100 followers, whenever that may be, but I have no ideas at all! What does a writer do to celebrate their followers? I have no clue.

For those of you invested in the Leera/Rennera series... I started working on a new chapter last night after I uploaded the Hero x Villain chapter! Leera should hopefully be posted by the end of the day.

#blog talks #whumplr talks #update #whump #leera and rennera #hero x villain #original series

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amethystpath-writes · 3 years

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A Gentle Blade Part 19

Part 18 here

I lied. The dinner will be next chapter. In the meantime, enjoy the tension pre-dinner.

@tears-and-lilies

******

"Have you thought up a new plan, Your Majesty?" Sir Guard only said it to prevent himself from acting gleefully when he saw Leera behind the queen. She was okay. She wasn't limping, wasn't groaning or moaning in pain. The assassin was okay.

Rennera ignored him, telling her walking captive, "You will walk over there, take the seat beside my future king and you will not utter a word until our feast has begun." Sir Guard watched the assassin make a confused look. He wondered what it meant, what the two discussed when the queen left him here.

As she spoke, the queen scanned the table. She bit her lip then said further to Leera, "If there should arise a time that my company speaks to you directly, you are to only say things that will be in my favour. If-"

Leera paid no attention, Sir Guard could tell. She met his eyes and they remained locked there.

Both parties of the stare felt relief. Both were a little more at ease seeing the other unharmed, or at least for the most part. The prince's hair was still wet from when Rennera dumped a tankard of water on his head. He was still adorned with the gilded rope, still uncomfortably tied to the chair he sat on.

On this note, Sir Guard broke the two's eye contact, looking at the assassin's free wrists, ankles, throat, any and everything that could be decorated with chains, rope, leather, or shackles. Leera was entirely free, so why wasn't she attacking? Only her lips had to be sore right now. Sir Guard figured maybe they tortured her while he was unconscious from the poison, but...Well, the assassin walked fine. There were no winces, no gentle touches to sensitive spotted bruises, no signs of complaint. Leera was perfectly fine, except maybe her lips. She hadn't spoken yet, and she was still at the other end of the table so Sir Guard couldn't tell if her mouth was still pained.

He glanced at her eyes again only to see hers had never left his own. It suddenly became very clear why she hadn't tried to leave already. A part of Sir Guard naturally assumed it might have been because she was out of practice, unsure if she could successfully take anyone down. This wasn't it, though, and he knew that now in her gaze. Leera wasn't going to leave him. The prince didn't deserve her- in whatever way he had her. The two weren't an item. He didn't think so anyways. Either way, Sir Guard didn't feel worthy of her friendship- or whatever it was they shared.

"Go. I told you to sit." Leera nodded at the queen before walking around the other end of the table, coming to Sir Guard's side where she eventually sat. They didn't look at each other now, and they wouldn't dare do as such until there was a distraction.

The queen tutted. "That won't do. Guard," The prince's attention snapped up to her and he shook his head.

He wasn't a guard, not anymore. He had no need to respond to that word except by Leera's mouth. Sir Guard, he thought to himself and almost laughed aloud.

"How many generals will there be?"

"Only two, Your Majesty. Then two kings and a..." The crooked guard who straddled Leera and taunted Sir Guard searched for the correct word. "An emissary, of sorts, I suppose."

"An emissary? What king is so cowardice that they'd send an emissary my way?" Rennera dug her nails into one of the decorative chairs around the table. She was still at the other end, but she was making her way to the head seat of the table now. All of the chairs were noble looking, with their brightly coloured fabricated cushions. They could almost be considered thrones. The queen's guests will sure feel welcomed, the prince thought.

"Thharewood, my queen." Crooked answered. "Their king is sick, has been for weeks now. The journey would surely kill him."

It took all of Sir Guard's might not to react. Thharewood. That was his home, his kingdom. He swallowed, listening.

Rennera took her seat with a hum. "Has he no heir to send away instead of an emissary? I feel offended."

Sir Guard swore he could feel his heart beating out of his chest. His hands were becoming moist with sweat. Despite his efforts not to, his eyes darted around the room. He looked between the empty tankard on the table in front of him, to the table itself, to the queen, and to his lap. The prince shifted in his seat, readjusting his shoulders against the chair and beneath the rope.

"The only heirs are a missing prince and two young princesses, Your Majesty."

"Missing prince, you say?" The queen admired her nails. Leera looked to Sir Guard; he felt her gaze like a soft whisper on the back of his neck. He never told her he had siblings. "I wonder what happened." Rennera hummed, letting Sir Guard know she didn't truly care. He felt relieved.

"Some think he drowned in the floods in the western valleys," Crooked explained. "Others think he killed himself after finding the lover he was meant to run away with dead in the woods." After a long awkward pause, he finished, "That is all I know of the matter, Your Majesty "

The prince scowled for two reasons. The first was this; he didn't know there'd been floods in the valleys. The seasons must have been changing again. It seemed like a quick change, and if people believed he died in those supposed floods, that means surely enough people suffered that the rumour was believable. Sir Guard wished he could have been there to help. Was it better to help one person through misery you caused or help many through a natural disaster? The prince felt more guilty than he already did for suggesting the former. He moved on from that, giving another reason to his scowl. This was that people believed he had a lover, even more so that he would kill himself for said lover. Sir Guard never took up lovers. It was too dangerous. Loving anyone meant putting them at risk. The world was filthy and enemy kingdoms liked to hold ransoms. No, he didn't have a lover.

Who would have guessed the prince went missing to punish himself for a silly mistake he should have known not to make?

"Two generals and an emissary," the queen said. She laid her head in her hands, elbows on the table. Rennera was thinking.

Does she not have a plan? Sir Guard wondered. The queen sure as hell couldn't tell everyone they were lovers, not if she intended on keeping him tied up like this. And he knew Rennera wouldn't release him. She didn't trust her future king not to do something, anything. Maybe the queen feared he would try to kill himself again.

The prince shook his head. He hadn't meant to almost die. His liquid tipped finger had so little on it that he thought it would only hurt, and he deserved to hurt for everything he put Leera through. Of course, putting the poison on his tongue was also proof of allegiance. He was so afraid Leera would think he sided with the queen that poisoning himself was the only way he could think to show he only wanted to protect the assassin. But, he knew if Leera had been able to say she believed him, he still would have consumed the poison. Again, he deserved it.

"-should stay in that seat. He is the future king, Your Majesty."

"Hm, I suppose you are right."

Sir Guard was thinking long enough to himself that he missed what the queen had been saying.

"Bring four wooden chairs then, instead of five. Two for the generals, one for the emissary, and one for my dearest assassin."

"Yes, my queen."

Wooden chairs? Two other guards in the room were collecting the throne-like chairs and dragging them away, while Crooked left to fulfill the queen's demand.

Two for the generals and emissary. Sir Guard had been so impressed that Rennera would be treating her guests nicely, all like equal royalty. Now, though...There was no way she had a plan, unless it was to piss off the generals and non-royals. Well, Dogars won't care. The prince's friend would expect it from this kingdom. The generals, though, would be quite offended at seeing how they were thought of as servants, rather than political icons.

His mind whirled back to Dogars. He never thought about his father assigning his best friend to do political business in his absence. If he'd have thought about it, Sir Guard would have actively hoped the king of Thharewood wouldn't do that. It wasn't that Dogars couldn't handle himself; it was that politics were terrible. No matter what you did or said, you were always doing the wrong thing. And to be in a meeting with so many other kings and generals, there were bound to be more mistakes than there were against just one person.

And what would Dogars do when he saw his very own prince tied up in golden rope, in their largest enemy's palace? What would he do when the queen said they were betrothed? How would Sir Guard respond?

Double-edged blade, my ass. This was an infinitely-edged blade. It was a sphere made of needles and everyone would be tossing it to one another tonight.

Crooked returned with the wooden chairs. Leera stood completely on her own, without the queen or the guard's instructions. Crooked had smiled at her, one side of his mouth lifting while his nostril flared. He set the chair down and the assassin took her seat as soon as possible.

Rennera commented, "Look how great my dearest assassin is behaving." She sighed. "I might actually let you eat a full meal today." Leera said nothing.

Soon after, a guard opened the dining hall doors, telling the queen that representatives from Eliaph, Harcose, and Termine had arrived and were directed to guest rooms before the dinner.

No Dogars yet.

Just as he thought it, the message delivering guard said, "The emissary from Thharewood was spotted a village away and should be here soon. Would you like for the others to be escorted to this room now, Your Majesty?"

"Not yet, but I do need you to take my assassin and have her bathed. She may choose whether she bathes herself or has a female servant do it for her." Rennera looked over to her two captives, "And Leera, dear, make it quick. We have little time, but I will not allow you to insult our guests with your stench."

"Might as well have our cell cleaned, as well. You are lucky neither she or I have become sick from the close living proximity of our own bodily waste." If he weren't restrained, Sir Guard would have taken a fake sip out of the tankard in front of him. "Not to mention I need a bath as well. You do a poor job taking care of other humans. I hope you don't intend on having any children." He heard Crooked take a step in his direction. The prince smiled as Rennera motioned for him to stand down.

"Very well. Send a servant to the assassin's cell and have it cleaned." Then, "Be sure my betrothed receives warm bathing water."

The guard who came in about the representatives began walking over to Leera, who stood as he approached.

Sir Guard didn't stand, not only because he was still tied down, but because he wouldn't have stood yet to begin with. "And for Leera?"

Laughing, the queen said, "She will get what is most easily accessible."

"I want her to have the warm water. Give her mine." He said this to the guard standing behind Leera.

"Excuse me, you are in no position to make demands," Rennera said, and her voice edged on anger.

He turned his gaze to her. "Well I know my arms and legs aren't heavily available," He wriggled beneath the rope for effect. "But my mouth still works. I think that's position enough."

It was fascinating to watch the queen's face twist in aggravation. He couldn't tell if she was acting or if she was really becoming irritated. Perhaps both.

"If you continue to be smart, I'll have you gagged again."

"Gagged?" It was the first time Leera had spoken since she came into the room. All attention went to her. Her eyes were wide, as if she were shocked and scared of her own action. Nevertheless, she continued, "You never said you gagged him, or that you would do it again." The assassin spoke slowly, and Sir Guard finally took the time to notice that her lips were still swollen, but much less than they were before. They looked more healed, but by Leera's slow speech, he could tell they were still sore.

Crooked stepped forward and this time the queen didn't stop him. His hand fell on Leera's shoulder and she stiffened.

"There's no harm in what she just said. Leave her alone." Tensions were becoming too high if Leera was getting thrown into the mix. Sir Guard decided he needed to mellow out, stop antagonizing if only for the assassin's sake. "I'll keep my mouth shut. Just don't...don't do anything to her. Please." He'd been trying to make the queen angry with him, not her.

The guard didn't release Leera until the queen nodded. "If either of you act out again, I promise that you will regret it." She hummed. "And if that isn't enough to convince you, think about each other." Rennera smiled, and Sir Guard could imagine venom dripping from her teeth.

Sir Guard opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again. It was a simple question, a confirmation, but would she hurt Leera for it if he asked? Now that he thought about it, he had two questions, not one.

"Go ahead. Speak, my future king." He hated that endearment.

"You'll give her clean water?"

"Of course. It'd be exhausting if she got an infection somewhere or became sick."

He nodded, waiting for further permission to speak, so as to not harm Leera. Rennera urged him to go on. "I want to know what is allowed versus what is not ahead of time. You got upset with me for being 'smart' though you never explicitly said I couldn't. What are our limitations?"

This made Rennera think. "My dearest assassin knows her limitations already, I trust?" Sir Guard turned to see Leera nod. She took a deep breath as she did so. "So it is only you who is unsure."

The queen went on to explain that Sir Guard was only allowed to speak to 'my dearest assassin', unless Rennera specifically addressed him to speak. That meant if a guest asked him a question, he was to remain silent until prompted by the queen. He wasn't to complain about anything, even if someone asked what he disliked about his stay. Sir Guard doubted he would receive this question once they saw him wrapped in rope. They would know his stay was involuntary.

***

The assassin finished bathing and dressing quicker than the prince. This fact was mostly due to the fact that she had old and cold water. She believed it was regular temperature for some time, but they'd made her wait to get in until they found her change of clothes. The water was freezing by the time she slid in. Having said that, she slid out just as quickly. She wanted to wait, just stand in the sunset-lit room, but guards and servants ushered her out as soon as she dressed. Leera sat at the dinner table for nearly fifteen minutes alone with the queen and her new personal guard, alone, before Sir Guard finally arrived.

During her wait, Sir Guard had a very pleasant experience- physically. Otherwise he felt miserable knowing some rough handed servant was probably shoving Leera's head beneath the water to rinse it through. They were probably half-waterboarding her. All the while he got to lay in a tub, in a room, all alone. His guards waited outside...He had to shake himself of the terrible thoughts of Leera's treatment. Rennera had told the two that unless one misbehaved, the other was safe, and Sir Guard had been civil while he was escorted to his bathing room. There was no reason Leera would be in pain, only possibly cold from unwarmed water.

When Sir Guard walked into the dining room, he noticed Leera already sat in her seat. She looked at him, looked down, up, down. Was she apprehensive of him? Why? Nothing was different about him except that his brown hair- which likely looked black before- was perhaps a bit fluffy. He wore royal clothing instead of rags. Other than those two things, there was nothing even relatively shocking.

The prince peered behind himself, thinking maybe- just maybe- Leera had been nervous about something else. Maybe a guard was about to knock him on the head so that they could secure him to the chair again without fear of struggle. But there was no threat behind Sir Guard. Another guard, sure, but she was no danger right now. Her face was stern, but it didn't scream 'I'm going to club you in the head with the butt of my sword'. What was the assassin anxious about?

Sir Guard sat semi-cautiously, expecting every one of the queen's Guard to launch at him with shackles and chains, gilded ropes and dirty rag gags.

They didn't jump at him per say, but with the queen said simply, "Restrain him," they wasted no time in grabbing either wrist and forcing them behind the throne dining chair he sat in. He winced as the bruises from before made contact with the edges of his seat once again. Sir Guard was thankful, at least, that they didn't gag him.

Soon after, the queen called for a guard to bring in the guests. Sir Guard never found himself praying before, but he did now.

******

Part 20 here

#part 19 #leera and rennera #sir guard #sir guard being a smart ass >>>#love that man #using the tags to rant about how much I love Sir Guard and Leera constantly looking out for one another #Like leera speaking up about the gag which she clearly has an aversion to #she hates gags #and so when Rennera said she'll have Sir Guard gagged 'again'#Leera is just like 'Im sorry what??'#not just because that means she wont be able to get an answer like the queen wants but because she really just despises gags #okay rant over :)#long post #a gentle blade

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amethystpath-writes · 3 years

Text

A Gentle Blade Part 27

Part 26 here

TWs: PTSD, flashbacks, torture (in some aspect), self blame, murder, panic/anxiety attack, imaginative suffocation-constriction-slit throat- blood (all briefly mentioned in the same few paragraphs), um...zombie whumper...that's the greatest way I can describe that. (As always, if I miss any, let me know in the comments or in an ask!)

@tears-and-lilies

******

The carriage ride was a casual one, even as rushed as the director acted when Kastion introduced himself. The prince and assassin were grateful for the slow trip; it would keep them better disguised- though Kastion still believed they wouldn't be found.

So far they'd visited several inns, mostly to get food and water. Leera wasn't comfortable staying in the inn so she and Kastion slept in the carriage at night while the director stayed in the inns.

Leera didn't talk often. She didn't know what to say. Everything in her life was changing and she didn't know how to respond to any of it. Leera was used to being an assassin, one who saw things from every angle and saw every possibility. She was the girl who wore a servant's clothing to sneak into a castle. Yes, she got caught then, and assassins didn't get caught, but it had been years and her skills improved vastly.

Leera was an assassin. That was all that mattered. She wasn't meant to be in this carriage, wasn't meant to have her head on a prince's shoulder. This- whatever she was doing now- wasn't her. It was because of this that she had no idea what to do.

She wanted to be with Kastion, she knew that, but it was scary. Leera was accustomed to her life of just getting by. Her purpose was to weed out the bad guys and she did that all her life. First the King of Termine, then various lords and small village killers. That was all she did- day after day, year after year. It was all she ever knew.

What was Leera supposed to do as a queen? Being queen meant giving up being an assassin, and as much as she actually hated killing, it was her duty, right? She got rid of the bad guys. How would a queen go about that? Throw them in a cell? And what if they escaped? Then they were out wandering the world. Public execution? People found that cruel. The only way to do it was to kill them in secret. But that sounded too close to Queen Rennera, and Leera could never become her if she valued her own sanity and morals.

Why- if Leera didn't like killing- did she feel like she couldn't live without it? It didn't make any sense. She didn't want to kill. She didn't. But she also couldn't imagine herself not killing.

Kastion groaned before shifting beside Leera. She dropped her head, closing her eyes and pretending to sleep. He'd be concerned if he knew she was still awake after all this time. Leera had only slept twelve hours in the past seventy-two. It wasn't healthy, but she was restless.

"Leera?" the prince whispered. When she didn't answer, he said, "I know you're awake. I felt your head drop on my shoulder." He grunted away some of his tiredness. "Unless you passed out, I think it's safe to say you're awake."

She lifted her head, peering at where his eyes ought to have been. It was dark in the carriage, darker than a dungeon cell. There was no torch- lest they intended to burn their carrier to freedom. The flaps on the windows were down. The only light available came from outside of the inn, and it only came from the one side, just barely through the crack of the flap. Kastion would be able to see Leera's features just as barely.

"I couldn't sleep," Leera sighed.

The prince sighed, too. "I shouldn't have asked about what happened to you." He raked a hand through his hair. Leera could only slightly see the silhouetted tufts. "It was thoughtless of me. I'm sorry."

Leera shook her head quickly. Her hand searched for his and when she found it, she linked her fingers between his, squeezing slightly. "That's not it, and even if it was, it wouldn't be your fault. I volunteered the information. If I hadn't wanted to talk about it, I wouldn't have said a word."

"If I didn't ask-"

"Are we really doing this again?" She let go of his hand, putting hers in her own lap. "You're right, okay? If you wouldn't have asked, I never would have told. And I would have drowned in my own self pity. It helped, Kastion. Stop trying to convince yourself you're the person you were trained to be. You're not."

He nodded, but didn't say whether or not he would still blame himself. Leera took it as he would, but before she could say anything, Kastion said, "You should get some sleep."

"Kastion, how do you punish criminals in your kingdom?"

The question caught him off guard at first, but then he made a sound like ah. "That's what you're thinking about." Leera nearly demanded he answer right away, but he began again, "Thharewood is generally peaceful. As violent-minded as most civilians are, they're also like-minded."

"But surely there is some crime, some out of hand murderer every now and then?"

They held hands again, and Leera scooched into the prince's side, laying her head on his shoulder as she always did since that day in their cell.

"Sure there is," he said. "We throw the killers in a guarded cell and they never walk out. As for robbers, give them a few coin and a stern talking, and they're ready to go. Same applies for food thieves, only a few loafs of bread instead of coin."

Leera considered his last two statements enough that she almost forgot the first. She'd hummed, nearly drifting away into sleep, but then his first statement hit her as if he'd just said it again. "Kas, what if those murderers escaped?" What if I escaped?

It was now that Leera considered herself a murderer. What made her so different than the guys she killed? She killed them because they did. But she killed so many. Maybe another assassin ought to kill Leera. No, because then they'd be as bad as her. What are my morals? Do I still really need to kill?

Kastion's hands rubbed Leera's shoulder. She hadn't even realized he snaked his arm around her. "You're still thinking," he observed aloud. Leera nodded. "Should I let you bottle all of your thoughts up or non guiltily ask what they are?" Kastion tilted his head at her, trying to peer at her as closely as he could- which wasn't much seeing as her own head was on his shoulder. "I think I've learned my lesson by now. I should ask what's wrong." There was a long pause, neither of them muttered a thing; they only breathed. "So what's wrong, then?"

Leera shook her head with a sigh. "I think we should sleep."

"I think so, too, but I know you won't sleep until you get this all off your chest." He said, "You'll pretend with your eyes closed and the moment I doze off, you'll do what you have been the past three nights. Talk to me, Leera. Tell me what your fears are so I can assure you everything will be okay."

"You can't guarantee that," Leera said pointedly.

Now it was Kastion's turn to sigh. "You think I can't." He rubbed his thumb across her hand. "Leera, I don't know how long you did things on your own, but you don't have to do that anymore. I'm here, okay? I'm not leaving, and you know that."

He was right- she knew. Kastion wasn't going to leave her to fend for herself. He had the opportunity to do just that many times in Mesenian and he never did. The prince wasn't even going to leave without her.

What she was thinking wasn't something they hadn't discussed before. Maybe she could talk to him.

"I don't know what to think about myself," Leera said simply. "And I wonder why I'm not one of the people you'd throw in a cell for life." Okay, maybe we haven't talked about this exactly.

Kastion shrugged beside her. "I love you," he told her. "Why would I imprison the person I love?"

"I'm a murderer. I've killed a lot of people, Kas. A lot." Her hand was becoming clammy. Freezing, but sweating- pouring sweat like she took a dip in a pond. "You shouldn't love me. No one should love me and I don't blame my uncle at all for making me leave."

Long, slender fingers were wrapping around the assassin's chest, claws puncturing her skin and digging into her insides until they pierced her lungs. Leera took a sharp inhale, eyes wide, but no air made it to her lungs. If any did, it leaked right out.

Images flashed across her brain, each image an odd angle of her taking a life. First, the king. Then a lord. Another lord. Another lord. A man's heinous wife. A duchess. A lord and lady.

More images flashed, and another set of claws began pressing down on Leera's ribs. These images were different; they were terrifying in a sense that she felt them. The king from her childhood had a hand wrapped around modern Leera's throat, and she swore she felt it now. The next image- the first lord halfway through slicing her throat with a dagger. She felt blood flowing down her neck. Then a rapier in her heart. A kitchen knife implanted in her bare spine. Each aggressor had their mouths open, screaming, and the assassin heard her name being screamed, over and over, in each flipping image.

Leera took rapid, ragged breaths, wheezing as she couldn't breathe. Her shoulders rose with each breath. Her lips and tongue were drying out as her mouth remained cracked open throughout it out. Her tears felt like blood, like the blood she should have been truly bleeding for being the cause of so many deaths. She was no better. She was no better than the prince. No better than the man who killed her father.

Murderer. Murderer. Murderer. That was all she was, all she would ever be- even if she stopped being an assassin and became Thharewood's queen. Everyone knew her name now, knew what she did. She would always be an assassin. Always, always, always. Murderer, murderer, murderer.

Her name was still being screamed in Leera's mind. She wanted to scream back, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Something was pinching her hand. A clamp, she imagined. Two pieces of metal, squeezing her hand like a lemon. All the while, her name was still being yelled. Now she saw Rennera. But why Rennera? The assassin hadn't killed Rennera.

Oh.

The former king of Mesenian stood behind the queen. Loel, was his name. The King, Loel, was standing behind Rennera, skin sagging off of his body, bones appearing in places where his clothing had been ripped. His skeleton hand gripped the handle of a dagger. He stepped closer, and with his other hand- one with flesh still attached- he raked his fingers through Leera's hair before grasping it and pushing her head back. Then, he brought his lips to her own, and to the assassin's surprise, the lips were wet and- and soft.

Leera's eyes fluttered open. Loel wasn't there. Another royal, yes, but this one doubled as the love of her life.

"Are you okay?" Kastion's voice cracked. He was standing, crouched down and twisted because of the small quarters of the carriage.

Bringing a hand to her mouth, Leera stayed silent. After a moment, she reached a hand behind Kastion's head, at the base of his skull, and she guided him forward, mouth barely open. They kissed for a second time, and this time Leera was fully aware of the moment.

"Thank you," she rushed out when their lips parted, only to crash again. The kisses became rushed, urgent, hardly separable.

"I love you," he said, out of breath. His lips found her own again. "I love you." Again. "I love you."

Salty tears found their way in the mix. Perhaps at first they had been sour and fearful tears, but now...they belonged to an emotion Leera couldn't place. Not love, something else. Longing? She wasn't sure. All she knew was that she had Kastion just how she needed him, and suddenly she couldn't remember what other reason she had been crying about. Where she was now, she always belonged. Leera was Queen; she was Kastion's Queen.

******

Part 28 here

#ptsd #flashbacks #torture #self blame #murder #panic attack #suffocation #slit throat #blood mention #long post #part 27 #leera and rennera #assassin whump #whump #whumper #whumpee #fluff #zombie whumper #a gentle blade

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