Bow Down, Peasant

Kael Romulus. 25. Human. Far more noble than yourself. "Say my name you know who I am"

[kaelromulus-blog]

For Whom The Bell Tolls || Kael & Gwen

[gwenmarsh]

The word “pirates” brought forth a series of images that ended with her staring in fear at a sweaty, leering man armed to the teeth. Gwen didn’t have to be a genius to know what he was. His skin was crusted with salt and looked like it had the texture of old leather boots that should have been thrown in the rubbish bin decades past. His teeth (what little he had) were of a shade similar to overcooked steak and it made Gwen’s stomach churn just to look at. Everything about him – from his looks to the hungry gaze in his eye as he stared at her, grinning like a child in a candy store with unlimited funds.

She remembered the man – pirate, as it were – and remembered trying to figure out whether she would be able to outrun him or not when she’d felt herself knocked down before things went black. Her “admirer” hadn’t been alone, apparently. The good news, however, was that he was nowhere to be seen and judging by the dress of her “new companion”, his friend was gone as well. She wasn’t where she had been before the blackness, but she could tell that aside from being struck on the head from behind and dragged to a dark alleyway, nothing else had happened to her. Of course, that only meant that her revenge wouldn’t have to involve murder. What a shame.

“Hit my head?” she asked as she struggled to sit up. “In a manner of speaking,” she replied as she lifted a hand to her temple, adding pressure from the heel of her palm to her head.

She remembered everything and while she didn’t know exactly why she was in that alley, she could guess. Not that he would care, though. She could tell from his manner of dress that he was well above her station (and human). There wasn’t any possibility that he would give half a damn about her, even if she wasn’t merfolk. She was of lower class, in or out of the water. “I was looking for my friends. There was a man – pirate. He uh…. he’s gone now, it seems,” she said slowly, looking around for the first time.

[kaelromulus-blog]

So the woman had been presumably attacked by a pirate. That didn't surprise Kael much; they were a barbaric bunch, and one he sought to avoid associating with. "There's been a fair number of people running from here. He must have gone with them. Either way, this place seems to be safe for the time being." He shrugged, taking another glance around to make sure that was still true. The fighting may have moved on to a different part of the town, but there was no guarantee that it wouldn't come back around while they were still lingering.

There was something that wasn't being said- Kael could tell from the changing expressions on the woman's face that she did recall a little of what had happened to her. He thought to pry, for a moment, but decided against it. Whatever her reasons had been for blacking out, he didn't know and a good part of him didn't care. At least he told himself that he didn't care. Caring implied that he actually gave a damn about what happened to her, a commoner of all people. For a nobleman of his standing, whose only concern should have been about that of his own kind, such a thing could be interpreted as him becoming soft. He didn't much like the idea of what would follow should that sort of reputation start to precede him.

Nonetheless, he couldn't allow himself to abandon a woman in trouble. If he wasn't going to fight in the battle, the least he could do was see her to safety. With minimal risk to himself, of course. "These friends of yours, where do you think they'd be? Do they have a shop they might be defending?" Hopefully they didn't. Taking into account the condition of all the smashed windows and stores he had seen by the harbour, Kael wasn't positive that many of the merchants had been successful on that front. The looters were simply too numerous- taking advantage of the chaos to steal and vandalize like common criminals. Besides, he didn't take kindly to the idea of going back into the fray at any point in time.

Watching how she held her head, Kael sighed. "We should probably get that looked at by someone too, and get moving in case those pirates come back." He offered a hand to her, to help pull her back up to her feet. He didn't know how steady she would be on them given her condition, but it was better than just letting her lie on the ground all day.

[kaelromulus-blog]

For Whom The Bell Tolls || Kael & Melanie

[melaniederrieux-deactivated2015]

“I don’t think we have the luxury of waiting to find out Kael, lets just go.” Melanie was sure that if for whatever reason she could not go further on her own two feet, Kael’s arms would be more than enough to take her the rest of the way. As much as she loved that idea ( and she really really did ) she would hate to be a burden to him, she was already slowing him down as it was and it didn’t help that they were still vulnerable to attacks. She just wanted to feel safe, to be anywhere but there.

Melanie smiled at Kael’s breathy laugh, pleased to have been able to do that, to coax a laugh, even in a time where the events happening were anything but a laughing matter. Soon after her smile fades, her brow furrowing at his casual disregard to his own safety. She looked him over, patting him down (or feeling him up had the situation been any different) trying to make sure there weren’t any bleeding cuts or anything worse. Not that she would know what to do if she had found him hurt but she wanted to be sure - positive- that he was okay, because what good would they do if they were both badly injured? Her heart clenched at the horrible thought. “Oh Kael, me worrying over my best friend is second nature, I…I couldn’t bare…” her voice falters and she takes a deep breath to gain composure. “…I couldn’t bare the pain of losing you. You are a priority. Please don’t make light of that.”

Melanie sighed, slightly uncomfortable at having such an honest thought out there in the open and trying her best not to burst out in tears. She blamed the sudden frenzy of nerves on the fact that she still didn’t know what was going on. Now was not the time to look into what exactly her feelings regarding her best friend were. So she’d do what she does best, shove it down and move forward. As Kael wraps his free arm around her waist she returns the gesture, clinging to Kael and trying to find the strength to ignore the pain of simple movement. “Sounds like an excellent plan, I fully support getting out of this wretched village.”

“To the Romulus Estate then, lead the way darling.“ Melanie found comfort in her best friend’s steady and calm voice, the fact that they had a plan of where to go eased most of her worries. She only hoped there would be no surprises on their way there. “Kael do you think your parents will be there? I hope they are okay and safe.” That was something that hadn’t even crossed her mind before now, how were her friends faring in this sudden chaos? She prayed that all would be well. It was the only thing she could do right now.

[kaelromulus-blog]

It vaguely amused Kael to see Melanie worrying over him so much, and had the circumstances been different he would have teased her about it. Her hands were all over him, and he couldn't help but wonder what her touch would be like had she been doing it for an entirely different reason. The nobleman was almost tempted to ask. However, given her distressed state and insistent checking for injuries on his person, it wasn't the best time for that sort of banter. It really wasn't the best time for anything other than running as far away from the fighting as possible.

Yet when she spoke, he stiffened, dumbfounded by her admission. The nobleman stared at her, that odd tightening in his chest coming back full force. Every now and again he had the feeling that there was something more, something different between them that would surface when they weren't expecting it. Had there been something else underlying what she had said? If there had been, what exactly was he expecting from her? The thoughts confused him as much as Melanie herself often did, and like every other time, he opted to dismiss the feeling for later, until things were less stressful.

Kael wondered how long he could keep it up.

Instead, he nodded solemnly and hid his conflicting thoughts behind his best poker face. "...I won't, Mel. As long as you remember that your own safety comes first." He told her, gut wrenching horribly at the thought that she would do something foolish to keep him safe because she didn't have an ounce of concern for herself. Kael hoped she had a little more sense than that, but when it came to her, he could never quite tell.

He glanced back out to the street, taking hold of Melanie's hand and guiding them away from the fighting towards the estate. When she had brought up his parents, another uneasy, guilty feeling came over him. In the commotion he hadn't thought about them at all. "They're either at the estate or the castle. I can't imagine why they would be anywhere else." At least, he was pretty sure that was where they were. Both of his parents were blueblooded to the core- they would have never ventured this far into the commoner areas on a normal day. Hopefully that was still the case; the alternative was too grim for him to consider. 

[kaelromulus-blog]

For Whom The Bell Tolls || Kael & Melanie

[melaniederrieux-deactivated2015]

At the sound of her nickname leaving the mans lips Melanie felt the comforting sense of relief blanket over her, it was Kael. Thank God, she wasn’t alone anymore and better yet she was with someone she trusted. Melanie winced as his hands brushed against a bump on her head, a breathy “ow” leaving her lips before she could stop it. A frown wrinkled her face as she realized that was the first time Kael’s touch ever invoked pain, damn them, whoever caused this situation in the first place…damn them to hell. She clutched her head as the anger made it pound even more, taking deep breaths she tried to calm down.

She focused on her best friend and even Kael’s panicked voice did nothing to scare her because nothing was more terrifying than being alone amongst all the violence. Her head would not stop pounding but other than that she didn’t think she had any other injuries. And at the moment she would try anything to get away from the danger, she quite liked her life. “I don’t know, but help me up please.” The cane that she had grabbed earlier was left forgotten on the ground as she attempted to stand, she felt sluggish and slow as she anchored herself on Kael’s arm, aside from bruised knees and scratches here and there nothing too serious happened to her legs. She felt weak but she was sure she could run to safety if need be.

A bit of clarity in her head made Melanie look Kael over, “Kael you’re not hurt are you?” She wouldn’t be able to bear it if something happened to him. “Where should we go? Is your estate closer or should we try for the Castle? Kael why is this even happening?” She had to use all her strength to not just collapse on Kael, panic once again trying to consume her. Why was this happening now? How could people be capable of such horror? She could still hear the crashing of glass and cries of pain from earlier that day, could feel the echos of panicked souls behind her attempting to escape just as she had. She wouldn’t be surprised if she were haunted by that forever.

[kaelromulus-blog]

The nobleman froze when he heard her wince, drawing his hand back immediately. Clearly he was causing more harm than good by examining her injury. And what did he know about those sorts of things anyway? He was a noble, not a healer! When it really came down to it, he knew exactly which of the two that Melanie needed, and Kael found himself annoyed by it. It almost felt like he was incompetent, that everything he had worked towards was useless when a true crisis came around. He didn't much like the feeling. However, wrestling with his pride on what he was capable of and what he wasn't could wait.

As she started to stand, Kael focused back on her again. He was careful, keeping a steady grip on her forearms until she was back to her feet again. Out of instinct he glanced at her legs for any additional injuries. Luckily there didn't appear to be anything less than a few bruises. Kael wished again, not for the first time that day, that he knew more about this sort of thing to give her a proper examination. "Are you sure you're okay to walk? Absolutely sure?" He still wasn't entirely convinced of that. She looked too shaken up, too unsteady to be on her feet.

A small laugh escaped him despite the fact that this was far from the occasion to do so. Really, this woman was ridiculous, fretting over his health when she was the one who collapsed. "I'd sort out my priorities before asking those sorts of questions, Mel." Kael noted, smiling faintly to try and set her at ease. She was distressed, so at least one of them had to remain calm no matter how much his insides were twisting with a number of emotions he didn't care to unravel. Instead he wrapped his free arm around her waist, holding her in a steady embrace. "I'm fine, and you're not. So we're getting the hell out of here while the going's good."

The smile faded into a grim expression, weighing their options carefully. "The castle is closer, but if the battle escalates that's surely where the pirates will go. The estate will be safer." He concluded, pulling away enough to reorient himself with where they were. Once Kael was sure, he started to lead them off in the direction of his house while keeping a cautious eye on Mel's progress. "The fighting is at the docks, but the further we get away, the better. As for why..." He trailed off. There wasn't an answer he could think of, or at least any that she was in a state to hear. "We can deal with those sort of things once we're in the clear."

[kaelromulus-blog]

For Whom The Bell Tolls || Kael & Gwen

[gwenmarsh]

Everything was heavy. There just wasn’t any other way to describe what Gwen was feeling. Everything was dark, breathing was difficult, and her pulse pounded in her ears. It felt like someone was sitting on her chest and she couldn’t figure out from where any of this was originating. None of it made sense. She didn’t know where she was or why it was so dark and why everything would hurt so terribly.

It had all started as a bright day. She’d been away on her own for the past several days, gathering ingredients from the edges of the mer kingdom. She hadn’t taken anyone with her and only a select few individuals might have guessed where she was or what she was doing. It was nice, the solitude. Everything had just been so busy and so stressful lately. After meeting that– that pirate (she was sure that’s what he’d been) at her grotto and being threatened by him, and then after the snatching of the Princess, Gwen had been enraged. She hadn’t been angry or irritated. She had been nothing short of wrathful. She’d wanted vengeance. She had wanted to help find the princess and bring an end to the filthy humans who had dared take a mermaid prisoner in order to try to control the merfolk as a whole. 

Every sweaty, stinking human had been suspect and she had eyed them all as such. Any one of them might be the responsible party, begging to have their spines ripped from their back, their lungs filled with saltwater like a pair of balloons, and their brains smashed upon the rocks of the shore. She’d almost thought herself capable of doing such things. All she knew was rage and bitterness.

But he’d deterred her. He’d pulled her back from such a terrible path. Just as she had convinced him to abandon rash attempts of revenge and to bide his time, Gaelen had done the same to Gwen. She’d shown the very worst side of herself to him and he hadn’t looked at her any differently than he ever had (well, perhaps that was a bit of a lie. He would obviously look at her differently, but it wasn’t as he might look at a monster). He had calmed her down and helped her to see that blind rage wasn’t the answer. She’d left after that, and spent the next several days on the edge of the merkingdom, thinking and trying to follow his wisdom. When she’d returned, she was immediately bombarded with the news of what was happening on land, in one of the small villages nearby. Without thinking, she had gone to land and changed into a pair of sturdy trousers and a shirt. She would have to make sure Serena was okay, that Gaelen was safe, and that Callista was in no danger. She wouldn’t rest until she’d found all three of them and made sure that they were okay.

Try as she might, Gwen couldn’t figure out why she was on the ground or why she was in so much pain. She literally didn’t know what hit her. All she knew was that a man in fine dress was kneeling by her and eyeing her with concern. “I– I wasn’t napping,” she gasped out as she tried to sit up. She was just so heavy. It wasn’t right and fear began to trickle through her veins. “What’s going on?” she asked, unable to stop herself.

[kaelromulus-blog]

When Kael realized that the person he had come across was a woman, his attitude shifted. His initial plan had been to check to see if they were awake, maybe drag them out of the main line of fire and hightail it out of there. However, he had also assumed that it would have been a man he'd stumble across in a place like this. If it had been a woman...honestly he hadn't really thought about it, but at the very least it meant he couldn't leave well enough alone. As a nobleman, he had a duty to make sure that the fairer sex was protected. It wouldn't sit with him well unless he was sure that she was all right.

Considering they had met in a slightly darkened alleyway, he doubted that was the case.

He hadn't the slightest clue if the lady had amnesia or anything like that. It wouldn't have surprised him, seeing how pale she looked at the moment. Nonetheless, he decided it wouldn't hurt to fill her in on what was going on. "There was an attack at the harbour. Some pirates, I think." He started, frowning as he tried to put in order all of the hectic events of that morning. "The commoners retaliated and everything got out of hand from there. Now everyone is torching their neighbour's shops and there's a full-blown riot at the docks." That was probably an understatement at this point, with the angry roar of metal clashing against metal drowning out all other sounds aside from the screaming. It was a scene straight out of a nightmare.

Rather than focusing on that, Kael peered back at her, assessing her appearance for any sign of injury. She was a rather attractive broad with firey red hair- had the circumstances been different it wouldn't be so far-fetched to think that he'd hit on her. However, this was not exactly the appropriate time for that. "You don't look all that swell. Did you hit your head?" She did look pretty pale; not the most assuring of signs that she was well. On the other hand, it didn't exactly look like she was injured either.

Perhaps she was sick? The nobleman supposed that he could check that, but general politeness kept him from touching her. Even in an emergency, it wasn't proper. He would have to resort to asking questions instead, so long as there was time to do so. Kael decided to start with a few simple ones first. "Do you remember anything? What are you doing in a place like this?"

[kaelromulus-blog]

For Whom The Bell Tolls || Kael & Melanie

[melaniederrieux-deactivated2015]

In all her months of being back, not once has Melanie ever felt the need to be accompanied by a royal guard or knight. Her position of royalty mattered little when it came to the family guards, as they are always with her father and his spouse; Melanie never asked anyone in the Castle to appoint her some either. Even with the rising tensions of war on the horizon she never doubted the safety she felt in her bubble of privilege. How could anything bad happen on the Island of Ronsanella? Her home, the place where her happiness was finally a reality rather than a dream.

It was a cruel thing, for that bubble of safety to burst so violently. For there she was, suddenly in the midst of chaos, alone and terrified.

Melanie was no stranger to the villages surrounding the castle, she enjoyed spending her money on whatever her whim desired, and that day had been no different. Making small talk with the merchants and any familiar faces, that day was supposed to be no different than any other, which is why the sudden shattering of glass was so shocking. A concerto of screams drowned out all her thoughts and instinct took over, seeking out anything she could use to defend her self she grabbed the first thing she laid her eyes on: a beautiful decorated  cane. All around her the sounds of the shop being ransacked let her know that trying to escape from the front door was impossible. She ran toward the back of the store, praying that an exit would be nearby. She practically sobbed in relief when there was a back door that lead to an alleyway, not stopping she ran in the direction where she knew the castle was, praying help would be nearby. Her heart was about ready to burst when she tripped over debris from a previous attack, her head hitting the floor with sound smack, pain overwhelming her senses. She didn’t have it in her to get up. Her tears unknowingly going down her face.

A sudden voice had her already high heart rate go through the roof, would it be in her best interest to play dead?  In her confusion and pain, Melanie was not able to make out the voice of the stranger until they got closer, fear being halted by hope as she finally recognized the voice.

“Kael?” she slurred.

[kaelromulus-blog]

Kael didn't know who it was at first that had fallen. Her face (and it was certainly a her) was hidden from him and she practically shook like a leaf in what he suspected was hysteria. Given the circumstances he couldn't blame her for that. For all she knew, he could have been one of the attackers back for more stolen goods, or perhaps something worse than that. However, rather than panic when he called out to her, she stilled and looked up at him. Now it was his turn to be caught off-guard.

"...Mel?"

The colour drained from his face as he came to realize that the sorry-looking creature he had come across was one of the closest friends that he still had left. She was sporting a cane in one hand, though god only knows what sort of use she could get out of it, and her face was streaked with tears. Carefully reaching out to brush her hair back, he felt a bump that he was positive hadn't been there the last time that they had met. Dear lord, she was hurt. While he was off running to save his own hide, someone had hurt Melanie.

Worry gnawed at the pit of his stomach at the sight, along with a growing fury that someone would dare to do this to her. Another part of him was angry that she had gone off without an escort of some sort. Hadn't she realized that they were on the brink of war? Didn't it occur to her in the slightest that it simply wasn't safe for a woman to be out by herself anymore? At the very least she should have gone with another person, safety in numbers and all that. If he hadn't been the one to find her, what would have happened? Any looter or pirate could have waltzed right up, seen her jewelry and whisked her off for ransom. Didn't she hear any of the stories about that?

But this wasn't the time and place to go on a manhunt through the village or to lecture her about her carelessness. The echoes of battle were ringing through his head like white noise, reminding him that they weren't anywhere close to being safe. He needed to get her out of there and fast, especially if that bump was something worse than just a bruise in the early stages. "Can you stand at all?" Kael asked quietly, glancing up occasionally to see if anyone was around. He was sure that the fighting was picking up, and he had no intentions of leaving her behind. Maybe it would be faster if he carried her? Was the head injury the only one she had? The more he thought about it, the more anxious he got. “Come on, doll. We’ve got to get out of here- It isn’t safe for either of us to get caught like this.”

[kaelromulus-blog]

For Whom The Bell Tolls || Kael & Ava

[janeopheliaporter-blog]

The two shared a mimicked look, Ava brushing her hand off after he pulled her up slightly. She thought it might seem rude to do this, especially in front of a man who seemed rather well-bred, but she wasn’t much of a fan of dusty hands. Her hand went to her sword, touching the top of the grip to make sure it was still attached to her after the fall. It was. The look on the stranger’s face seemed to tell her he wasn’t used to seeing a lady with a sword. This made her want to laugh, but she only offered a sliver of a smile.

“Maybe to you. Alleys might feel like home to me.”

Ah, so he wasn’t a fighter. She could respect that, seeing as this entire mess was created by people who only wanted to fight. Which was something stupid entirely seeing as the kingdom and the pirates both had trained fighters who knew exactly how to make a war play in their favor. The commoners who had created this mess had only put themselves into a more dangerous position than weeks before. It made Ava wonder how exactly the kingdom didn’t com crashing down before.

“You’re one to save your own skin, are you?” She said this in a questioning tone, not wanting to jump ahead and judge the man who had stopped and helped her up. That was more than the others running by had done and Ava could respect someone who offered help to others during a time of sudden panic.

“No, no. I’m fine. Really, it’s nothing I can’t handle.”

Truth was, Ava still had the pain in her side and her ankle was feeling a little weak compared to before the fall. But, this guy seemed to have more to worry about than a stranger woman and her injuries. Plus, he most likely knew she was a pirate and any help he offered may come to bite her in the ass again. She could imagine it now, Avery giving her hell for going off with some stranger and spilling secrets Ava knew she shouldn’t. And she wouldn’t. She could handle a bruise and swelling ankle. She was, after all, a pirate. She felt odd as he looked her up and down, taking her in in all her dirt covered glory. If she had known someone this…attractive would be running around playing hero, she might have tried to look decent. Eh, there was always after the battle.

“A lady is always prepared. If I have to fight, I would like to have some edge,” she said as she tapped the sword at her hip with a smile.

And suddenly, the stranger was grabbing her again, this time his hold a little more forceful than when he had helped her up. This guy really wasn’t a fighter. As he touched her, she could see his face change, as if using this type of touch was nearly unheard of to time. And maybe it was.

“I can protect myself, sir. Thanks for the warning though.”

She tried to walk off, her ankle slowing her down as she left the man, casting him a glance as she leaned on the wall of the tavern. Peering out from their hiding spot, she saw the pure terror happening in the bright sun as pairs of people fought and yelled. She knew that she couldn’t really hold her own in a fight now, and the idea of even trying made her want to laugh. Oh my, she thought to herself, what to do?

[kaelromulus-blog]

He could hear the questioning tone in her voice, trying not to judge him for what was a clear act of running away. Well, it wasn't that exactly. "That's one way of putting it. It might be more accurate to say that I just can't be bothered." Kael shrugged. She was a strange woman, living in an alleyway dressed as a pirate. But who was he to judge? It wasn't as though she was nobility, or someone whose reputation was worth protecting by any means. "I'd rather not die for a cause I don't believe in, is all. Not my style." Nor was chatting amiably with attractive women in the middle of a riot, but somehow he doubted that she would have appreciated the sarcasm.

Kael studied her as she recovered from her fall, not in the slightest way convinced that she was completely fine. She was favouring one side more than the other, which made him suspect that she had injured herself in the fall somehow. Knowing this, he debated whether or not it would be fine for him to just leave her there. He had already wasted enough time as it was, and the fighting was already getting too close for comfort. She would have to be mad to try and take that on in her condition.

And like any stubborn wench, that was exactly what she intended to do apparently. "It's one thing to have a sword, but if you don't know how to use it I doubt it would serve you any good." He replied dryly, trying not to scoff. He was sure there were some women that could wield a sword better than a man (if he recalled, one of the Pirate Lords was a Pirate Lady, after all), but she hardly looked like the type. At least, he wouldn't bet on her victory against the looters. "Besides, those blokes have numbers. There isn't a chance you can take them on your own."

The nobleman watched as she walked, or more like limped, away from him. Just seeing that alone concluded the debate he had been having in his head. So against his better judgement, he followed behind her. He was in a much better state and had a long stride, so it didn't take much effort to catch up to her. "Surprisingly I doubt a limp is going to help you against a mob." Kael told the woman, keeping his voice low to avoid attracting any unwanted attention. He reached out for her again, halting the stranger from getting further away and closer to the fighting. Whatever this odd moral streak was, it didn’t set well with him to stand by and let her get killed because she wasn’t thinking clearly.

"Don't be daft. There's no need to stick your neck out when it's obvious you can't defend yourself.” Kael gestured back the way he came, back where all the sensible people should be going. “My estate is a little less than a half hour on foot from here. It's well-guarded and we can get someone to look at that ankle." Of course, habouring a potential fugitive didn’t guarantee that it would be safe for long, but it would at least buy him enough time to figure out what to do with her. So long as she wasn’t the stubborn type.

[kaelromulus-blog]

For Whom The Bell Tolls || Kael & Ava

[janeopheliaporter-blog]

Ava had been quick to dash off the ship and onto land the news of the raids, wanting to see exactly how much damage was being created by idiots claiming to be her kind. And while she wasn’t the best pirate, she could at least tell the difference between the organized mess pirates made and the absolute chaos being made by townspeople wanting to poke all the sides closer and closer to war. Which was pretty stupid for them, seeing as their own homes would be destroyed in the process. She had made sure she had grabbed a sword before leaving, tucking it into the sheath on her belt as she made it onto land. She might not be the best fighter, but at least a weapon gave her some leverage.

Jogging into town, she realized everything was falling apart much faster than she expected. People were fighting each other, screaming and cursing at each other as swords and makeshift weapons clashed. Looters were running about, carrying what they could as they avoiding running into fighters. Ava was running through when something hit her side, knocking her into the alley between the tavern and another shop. Some idiot had plowed into her, dropping a few of whatever goods they had been carrying. Ava held her side sitting on the ground to inspect herself. Not even five minutes in and she was hurt. What kind of pirate was she. She heard someone turn into the alley, her head snapping at the sound of moving gravel.

She took in the stranger as she rubbed her bruising side, arching an eyebrow as he slowly approached her. Ava never felt as if she looked dangerous, but then again half of the people in town looked innocent and were now setting their neighbor’s shop aflame. He probably had the right mindset to be worried. Moving out of the shadows just a little, she looked up at the man as he crouched to meet her eyes. He felt like someone she had seen in passing, maybe one of the many visitors the castle had over the years.

“Ha, if I wanted to nap I would have gone to the shore. Much less happening there..”

She rubbed her bruising side again as she let him help her up, his hand tight around hers.

“And where are you heading? Not a fighter?”

[kaelromulus-blog]

Kael looked down on the girl, quirking an eyebrow to mirror her own. She was a fine-looking broad, but he had seen the sword at her hip. Either she had pilfered it off of one of the pirates or she was one. Either way, his last encounter with a possible pirate woman hadn't gone well and he had no intention of repeating the experience. "Funny place to be lying around then." The nobleman commented carefully, offering a hand to help her up. Pirate scoundrel or not, he was a gentleman and no amount of mass hysteria was likely to change that.

He shook his head in response to her question. "Not when it doesn't benefit me. Seeing as I don't care much for either commoners or pirates, it seems ridiculous to risk my life defending either." Kael replied bluntly, showing not even the slightest amount of remorse for his answer. As far as he was concerned, none of these matters were relevant to him. So long as he stayed on the sidelines, no harm would come of it. Besides, the other lowly behaviours that came with rioting were beneath him, so he had no interest in joining in with the looting.

"Are you hurt at all?" Kael examined the woman closely, realizing in the back of his mind that something about her was vaguely familiar. Seeing as he didn't associate with pirates, he wasn't sure how to take that particular feeling. Nonetheless, if she needed attention, then maybe it would be best to bring her with him to the Romulus estate. She didn't look seriously wounded, but he was no expert on that sort of thing. "What's a lady like yourself running around out here for anyway? And with a sword no less?"

The dull roar of fighting slowly started growing closer to them again as the battle started growing outwards. He thought for a moment on what to do, then promptly decided that he couldn’t just leave her there, even if he wanted to. It would leave a bad taste in his mouth if he did. Kael sighed, foregoing polite etiquette and grabbing hold of the stranger’s arm. Once they were both up on their feet, he nudged his head back to the alleys. “Look, I don’t know about you and I don’t particularly care, but I’d get moving before those blokes down here get any closer. You don’t want them to catch up to us, trust me.” 

[save-room]

[kaelromulus-blog]

For Whom The Bell Tolls || Kael & Open

Kael knew his luck was bad sometimes, but this really took the cake. It was one thing to lose his favourite set of cufflinks in the safety of the castle during a ball, but an entirely different matter to find himself running for his life in the middle of the town, like he was doing now. However, like both incidents, it was all the fault of his overactive libido and the tempting wiles of women that had set him on a track to complete and utter misery. This, coupled with the recent and near violent encounter with a pirate woman had him wallowing in self-pity. 

Really, with his current streak with the opposite sex, the nobleman was almost convinced that he was cursed.

He dashed between the houses, trying not to get in the way as commoners clashed with pirates in the main streets. Kael swore under his breath, looking to see if any of them had dropped something of value, like a sword. What he wouldn't give to have his rapier on hand, or any sort of weapon right now. Like all nobles, he was well-versed in the art of fencing, but that knowledge was completely useless without so much as a stick to use as a foil. Not that he really intended on fighting the pirates (whose mermaid-exterminating mission wasn’t something he opposed), but it would have given him some peace of mind to have at least something to defend himself with. Cowardliness wasn't attractive on him.

However, self-preservation made sure that he kept moving as stealthily as possible. It might have been distasteful, but it was far better than getting a sharpened piece of metal through the gut.

Kael turned the corner sharply, stopping dead in his tracks as his eyes landed on a prone figure on the ground. He looked around nervously for a moment, searching for any signs of potential danger. Then, deciding that it was safe for now, he jogged over to them to get a better look. Since there wasn’t any immediate danger for him, then it was fine if he gave them a helping hand. God knows, it looked like they needed one as he got closer. From what he could see however, they were still breathing. So he took that as a good sign. “Not to be a meddler or anything, but this isn’t the best time to be napping in the middle of the street.” The nobleman warned, kneeling to help up the fallen person. “Come on, we got to get going.”

[lamergossip-blog]

i heard that Gabriel and Melanie were becoming friendly, do you think anything special would grow out of that? and how would Kael feel about it?

Hard to say; I can’t picture Gabriel settling down or starting anything special with anyone. But from the sound of it, he’s already amused and entertained enough by the prospect of Kael and Melanie to interfere.

…And I think it would bother Kael a lot more than he’d let on.

[melaniederrieux-deactivated2015]

Oh? Good, but you are aware of how charming I can be right darling? I’m sure I’ll be finding out about all your mishaps eventually. 

Nothing nothing, don’t worry about a thing darling.

[kaelromulus-blog]

I am fully confident in Beaumont’s ability to resist you. I should know- I’ve thrown countless women at him and he hardly bats an eye. Good luck cracking that one, Mel. Besides, there are some things that are best left unheard by proper ladies. 

You and I both know that answer isn’t even remotely reassuring. I know you better than that.

[lamergossip-blog]

i heard that Gabriel and Melanie were becoming friendly, do you think anything special would grow out of that? and how would Kael feel about it?

Hard to say; I can’t picture Gabriel settling down or starting anything special with anyone. But from the sound of it, he’s already amused and entertained enough by the prospect of Kael and Melanie to interfere.

…And I think it would bother Kael a lot more than he’d let on.

[melaniederrieux-deactivated2015]

Aww Kael are you worried? You needn’t be, after all I don’t think any secrets about you could really shock Monsieur Beaumont. 

Well unless…

[kaelromulus-blog]

Worried? Hah! Why would I be worried? I’m not worried- not one bit. I’m sure that absolutely nothing of concern would ever come up between you and Gabe. Besides, it’s not exactly Beaumont I’m concerned about.

...Unless what? What are you going on about?

[lamergossip-blog]

i heard that Gabriel and Melanie were becoming friendly, do you think anything special would grow out of that? and how would Kael feel about it?

Hard to say; I can’t picture Gabriel settling down or starting anything special with anyone. But from the sound of it, he’s already amused and entertained enough by the prospect of Kael and Melanie to interfere.

…And I think it would bother Kael a lot more than he’d let on.

[kaelromulus-blog]

Oh please. Why would I be bothered by Gabriel and Mel hanging out together? It’s not like I have an exclusive ownership over either of them, and clearly I’m the common middle ground between them, so I can’t complain. Really, the worst thing that could come out of any dialogue between a friend from the courts and a woman who’s known me for most of my life is...

...On second thought, that might not be so swell after all.

[alicebaudin-blog]

     “I think you misunderstood my intentions. I threatened to impale you because you were disturbing the girl, not because I wanted your attention or to bed you.” In fact, the very thought of it turned her stomach and she contemplated pushing her drink away.

     The thought left as soon as it had come and Alice nursed her drink, tiring of the man’s presence as he continued to grumble about his loss. He seemed of noble blood, the notion turning to solid fact at his words ‘live like royalty’ as if that were within reach for him.  She felt relieved that she hadn’t punched him in the face like she had initially planned to, but only because bringing down any more of royalty’s wrath upon her and her crew would be a pain in the ass to deal with.

[kaelromulus-blog]

Kael rolled his eyes. “Well yes, that’s glaringly apparent.” He had been approached by all manners of women before, but never had it been with outright intent to kill (at least on first encounter). However, if the thought bothered her, it was only fair that he needled her as much as possible about it since she had ruined his night. “The point of the matter is, doll, you won’t be making too many friends with that sort of attitude.”

“When knowing certain people may be the difference between life or death, I’d be a little more cautious about jumping to arms.”

[joshuadarling-blog]

“Trust me, mate. I’ve been around enough two-faced people to make your head spin. And with some, you can actually see it happen. The head spinning I mean.”

This guy seemed too put together to be a pirate, but Noah really was not familiar with those outside his own crew. For all he new, the man beside him was some up and coming Lord ready to fight anyone who got in his way. And Noah was not in the mood to cause any shuffles in this tavern. He thanked the bartend when he finally got his own beer, giving him the gold piece.

“If I gamble anything, I usually end up losing. Don’t know what makes me so easy to read over a few pairs of cards, but I seem to give more away than I’d like.”

Noah too let his eyes follow the barmaid, his head tilting a little to watch her pass. Well, even if this man was not as he seemed, at least he and Noah had the same taste. In bars and in women.

“For you, I bet she’s no challenge.”

“True. There’s more happening in this kingdom today alone than there has been in years. Finally a little life is added to this party. Though it does make enjoying a pint alone in a dusty tavern a lot rougher than it used to be.”

[kaelromulus-blog]

The nobleman raised an eyebrow at that, incredulous. “Seriously? What sort of people do you hang out with?” Sure, Kael thought he man looked like he knew his fair share of the rougher parts of town, but he hadn’t exactly expected it to that degree. Perhaps he was exaggerating? He wasn’t sure.

“I could probably point out what, if we ever played a round. You probably have some sort of obvious tick, or a godawful poker face. Something like that.” He suggested, letting out a bark of laughter as his companion lingered on the same woman that he had noticed and made, what he thought, was an obvious observation. Kael decided that he liked this guy. “Now that’s a wager I can get behind. You’re not wrong, of course.”

“That it does, but I can’t complain about it. Aside from the fact that some frightening women seem to be frequenting the taverns more often.” He nodded in agreement, taking a swig of his pint. “I can’t blame them or any pirate for being restless, the mer are making a mess of the harbors with all of their panicking.”

[alicebaudin-blog]

     “Believe as you want. Spared the girl some disappointment.” The corner of Alice’s mouth quirked up into a small smirk from his displeasure and she failed to hide it, his words falling on deaf ears. There were few that could rile her up on insult alone. She swirled the dark ale in her cup around, parting with the appropriate coinage for it and not a coin more.

[kaelromulus-blog]

“Is that so? And how are you so sure about that?” This broad was getting off on this and Kael couldn’t understand why. He didn’t find anything remotely humorous about it. He scowled, draining his glass partway. “For all you know, she might’ve missed a chance to live like royalty for a night because you scared her off. And what business of yours was it to interfere?”  

“Honestly, while threatening to impale a man is a good way to get their attention, it won’t help you bed them any time soon.”

[alicebaudin-blog]

    “You shit and think its gold, don’t you?” She spared him a glance filled with disdain before signaling the man behind the bar for a pint. She was not normally a fan of alcohol but if she was going to have to suffer the presence of the man next to her, she might as well soften the edge off. “Judging by the way she fled as soon as your eyes were off her, I doubt she was enjoying your presence at all.”

[kaelromulus-blog]

“That’s because most times it is.” He drawled sarcastically, tossing the barkeep a full silver piece as if to prove his point. Judging from her highly unladylike tendencies, Kael figured it was safe to rule her out of any social standing of esteem. She probably couldn’t fathom the amount that he was worth, nor was she ever likely to come across such wealth either. It was hard to imagine a more pitiful existence, really. 

“Or that could have had something to do with the fact that you came in looking like you were ready to murder one of us. Generally broads don’t sleep with men who have psychos after them, and you certainly looked the part.”

[kaelromulus-blog]

Sloth

“Well, I can’t refuse an afternoon off every once and a while, but if none of my friends are available, then it becomes more boring than restful. I’m a people person, after all. I suppose I would probably read, or more likely go out into town to see a play or to hit one of the local taverns. Chances are I would pick up a broad or two along the way for company, both during and after whatever activity I choose. They don’t tend to complain about that- spending the day as my companion includes extensive benefits.”