Thread: Spoils of War (DareToDream and Nightingale)

Standing deep in the heart of the garden, cloaked in the shadows of the night, Marcus listened. The sounds of birds twittering in soft coos and the rustle of leaves in the breeze filtered through his ears but were quickly discarded. He was listening for the sounds of footsteps, sounds that would let him know when Lady Illayna left or someone else joined them outside, and so he stood patiently, like a warrior in waiting. That he was here at all was a surprise to him, one he had not planned, for when hed entered the garden to walk with her initially hed had every intention of staying for a long while. Their small discussion though, and the concern she had displayed, had shaken him, particularly when the word traitor flowed from his lips and hed felt no remorse. For years he had fought for Lord Aquitaine, shed blood and taken lives, and never once questioned a single order that hed received. Something had changed inside him though, something that had taken root and become real, and he knew that his life as High Knight would forever be changed as a result. Closing his eyes, that moment in the garden where hed leaned down and placed a kiss against her skin replayed through his mind. His lips still tingled from the simple touch and his body ached with need, need that he had refused to quench further right then. The sight of her pendant had caused a spike of pain, the reminder clear to him she was an acolyte of the Goddess and thus not his to claim. Turning traitor against his King was one thing, since it was for the greater good, but stealing her away from the Goddess would serve no purpose but a selfish one. That she was drawn to him had been made clear out on that dark balcony and he knew he felt the same way thinking about that further though had him wondering. Had the Goddess brought them together so that they could work towards peace as Knight and Acolyte or had she done it for greater reasons than that? The deities had always worked in mysterious ways in the past but for the first time, Marcus was personally involved and had no clear direction. The sound of footfalls fell on his ears then and Marcus stood erect, listening carefully to see if they were coming or going. A smile came across his face when he figured it out and so he padded softly down the path using stealth. He picked up Lady Illaynas trail as she exited the gardens, following quite a distance away and felt a flare of happiness shoot through him when she passed the bouquet of flowers to her guard. From there she went back to the ballroom, merging into the crowd, and he soon entered too, pausing to get his bearings before moving off. He lost sight of her then as he was pulled from one conversation to another, finally ending up with a pair of sweet older ladies. His eyes continually scanned the room as he talked, watching for the Lady, hoping to get one last glimpse of her. When he did, he felt his blood run cold instantly, his eyes landing on the person in front of her. Lord Aquitaine barred her way to the High King, an arrogant sneer on his face, and when she tried to move around him, he stayed in her way. Marcus immediately excused himself and threaded his way through the crowd, worried for Illaynas safety. His Lord had been drinking that night and was well known for his temper when drunk the Lady was in grave danger but only the High Knight knew that. Stopping a short distance away, he caught the words as they were flung at her. So its the little Princess bitch from Greymere is it? I heard you were tempting my High Knight, you slut. He should have killed you while he had the chance. His eyes swept her from head to toe then, gazing over every soft curve, and he sneered again. Perhaps I should do it myselfafter I enjoy a taste of your womanly offerings. With that, the High Lord moved fast, one hand grabbing for Lady Illaynas arm and the other reaching into his tunic, searching for something. Fear shot through Marcus then and he acted without thought, throwing his body between the two of them so that he might block any knife thrust. One hand shot out to deflect the High Lords wrist before it reached his tunic, while his other was thrust behind him to knock Illayna back a step. Milord! he said with reproach in his voice, his eyes staring into the maddened gaze of the man. Following through on your threat will break the truce and bring the wrath of the High King down on us. I wont allow that. Turning around, he quickly mouthed Go now to Illayna and then turned back, hoping that shed heed the warning and slip away while she could. Lord Aquitaine had recovered from his shock and raised his fist, striking Marcus with a solid hit to the chin before he could react. The blow was not without strength and it staggered the High Knight, dropping him to one knee. Glancing up at his Lord for a moment, Marcus considered retaliating and changed his mind, bowing his head instead. Please accept my apologies, milord. I do this for the good of Narvarshal. The words were spoken softly, with as much obedience as he could put into it, but inside Marcus was seething. He was doing this for Illayna, not for Narvashal, and he could only hope shed understand that.