Thread: Spoils of War (DareToDream and Nightingale)

The noise in the ballroom was deafening and Marcus could barely hear himself think, much less concentrate on the dangers around him. It didnt help that he felt positively nude without his weapons, which had been confiscated by the High Kings guards before entry to the ballroom was allowed. The High Knight of Narvashal would have been fine staying out in the hallway and retaining his weapons but he knew his duty was at his Lords side and he couldnt perform that duty cowering in the hall like a frightened lamb. So he sucked it up, put on a brave face, and entered the maelstrom that awaited them, his senses instantly overwhelmed. The smells, the clamoring din, the chaosit was worse than a battlefield, at least to Marcus, and he wanted out almost as quickly as hed gone in. His eyes darted left and right, bouncing from person to person, object to object, ever wary and ever spooked, though the latter could not be seen in his posture or his face. To know fear was normal but to show it was not that was the warrior credo that he lived by and he would uphold it with honor that night. As the High Lord was hailed from across the room by another man, Marcus turned and scanned him, his gaze noting the mans strong build and handsome face. He strode forward with sure and even steps, his gaze sweeping the room as he passed. The High Knight moved to his Lords side immediately, recognizing a fellow warrior when he saw it, his hand moving to his hip for the sword that was no longer there. The other man noticed it though and stopped a short distance away, dipping his head to Marcus in a tiny bow of respect, before turning to the High Lord. High Lord Aquitaine, it is a pleasure to meet you once again. I trust your trip to Aurelian was uneventful? The High Lord nodded in response and then turned to Marcus. Marcus, Id like to introduce you to Lord Jacobs of Merivale. He and I have been talking quite extensively of late about our kingdoms joining arms in an alliance that would be beneficial for both of us. Cant you imagine it? With our combined might, Lord Ulric and Kingdom Greymere would fall in a bloody riot. The words stunned Marcus into silence and he stared at the High Lord for a moment, his brain unable to wrap itself around what he had just heard. The silence stretched for longer than was proper, causing the High Lord to narrow his eyes in anger, but before he could say something Marcus nodded. I.can imagine it, milord he finally said, the words spoken softly. Turning to Lord Jacobs, he gave a small bow, his eyes turning down as he did it. It is an honor to meet a fellow soldier, milord he said, letting the man know that he knew exactly what kind of man he was. As he stood tall again, Marcus studied the man, processing what he knew about his kingdom. Merivale rested against the southern borders of Narvashal but the two kingdoms had never been overly friendly, preferring to ignore each more times than not. Lord Jacobs land boasted a strong army and solid agricultural and mining industries so Marcus failed to see how an alliance would be beneficial to them. It was then that he saw weariness in the High Lords face, and the way his eyes darted to Lord Aquitaine and then away again, almost as if he was afraid of him. That was it then, the reason for this possible alliance clearly Lord Jacobs was worried that Narvashal would turn on them next and thus hoped to avoid that by aligning with them in the war against Greymere. It was a cunning strategy if it were true because Lord Aquitaines kingdom had grown steadily stronger during his reign and he was known as an ambitious man. Fear settled into the High Knights bones as he considered it further should an alliance be created, Greymere would not stand a chance. It would be slaughter in the worst degree and any chance of peace would be non-existent. Glancing at his Lord then across the room to where the High King stood, a shiver ran through him. For the first time, he wondered just how ambitious his Lord was and what hed set his long term sights on. A few more pleasantries were exchanged between the men before Marcus was dismissed and told to go mingle. As he moved away, he glanced back at the two Lords and saw them deep in discussion, no doubt working out more of the details. It bothered him that he had not been aware of these talks between the kingdoms, nor was he being included now had the High Lord known about his secret longings for a while now and chosen to exclude him as a result? If that was the case, Marcus was in more danger than he had originally thought and that was a fact that did not sit well with him. He had lost much in the war, far more than any man should have to lose, and peace was what he wanted now, not more bloodshed. Perhaps the time had come to start building alliances of his own, ones that would help bring his dream. With that goal in mind, he slowly made his way around the room, talking to different nobles that he met and even a few of the ladies who approached him. Those made it clear what they wanted from him but instead of admiring their beauty, he found himself comparing them to Lady Illayna in his mind. Thinking of her gave him pause and he slowly scanned the room again. It only took a few moments to find her among the crowd, so much did she stand out. She was talking with her father and another man and from the looks of it, she was bored stiff. A smile swept across his face as he studied her, once again lost to her beauty. Wearing a beautiful ivory dress that clung to her elegant curves, with her hair displaying the proper finery befitting a Princess, Illayna stood out like a shining star in his eyes. Just gazing upon her made his palms damp and his mouth dry, not to mention the way his heart was beating like a race horse out of control. He hadnt felt that way about a woman in a long, long time but he ignored that. Lady Illayna had captured his attention that day and he wanted at least one more chance to talk to her. Glancing back across the room, he saw that his Lord had been joined by two others and would be occupied for quite some time so with purposeful ease, he moved through the crowd, stopping a short distance from her. He had positioned himself where she could see him, but her father could not, and thus he waited until she glanced his way. When she did, he smiled at her and then turned, weaving his way through the crowd, heading for a darkened alcove that he had seen. He didnt know if she would follow or not, could only hope shed caught the hint that his eyes had conveyed, but it was that hope that carried him into the dark, to begin a future that could very well bring about his death.