Outcasts

Hey, welcome to Glymrian! We welcome all creatures, from dragons to pixies to wizards, so hey, care to tell us about you? -Tracking tags: lastoftheirkind (Independent RP blog for a trio of outcasts, who are, as the title suggests, some of the last of their kind. If you want a starter please ask. Please read the rules page prior to interaction. Thank you!)

[lastoftheirkind]

Return of the Black Rose [Draykan || Nezera]

[lastoftheirkind]

draykan:

Dray sipped his wine, red and strong, as he liked it. She really did treat them well, remembering what they liked. “I agree… It sounds like if he gets away, he’ll only find another kingdom to try and convince to attack us. And after the battle, when our neighbors and civilians will know our powers, it won’t take much convincing on his part to get them to attack. One war is bad enough, I refuse to force our people through several.”

Nezera nodded. “We will put an end to him, one way or another.”

Her ex was soon to meet his fate. When you messed with the kingdom, you messed with her.

No one messed with her.

Three days later.

“Your Majesty?” A familiar servant girl approached Draykan in the hall way, hands folded in front of her with a letter tucked between her delicate fingers. “Someone came and dropped this off at the front doors earlier and stressed that it reach you immediately.”

She offered it to him and bowed, waiting for him to take it before scampering off to return to her regular duties.

Inside was an anonymous note that read nothing more than:

Check your bedside drawer when you return tonight.

(Inside the dresser drawer is a second letter that reads:

Good evening, King Draykan...

I understand that you are aware of the situation at hand. Not only do I have your secrets under loose restraint, but I also have a King of my own who is willing to back a bloody war that I could so easily send you and your kingdom into.

However, all of this can be easily avoided.

Turn yourself over to me, and I will spare both your precious dragon whore and her kingdom. Your lands and your friends will be spared. Most importantly, your wife won’t see the torturous hands of her worst nightmares ever again.

Meet me tonight in the Southern Forest, next to the Grand Fig Tree. You probably haven’t seen it, but it’s a large tree unlike any other in the forest and you can’t miss it.

Naturally, you should come alone, and you should note that I have several spies within the kingdom, all of which work for me willingly and lovingly. You met and killed one already, but I have plenty more at my disposal. I will know if you tell anyone, and I will know if you bring any companions.

Should you deny this request, you can expect a battle tomorrow morning.

I dearly hope I will see you under the moonlight tonight. Or perhaps you will decide to put your life before your people and those you love?

Good luck if that is the case.

-Kanata.)

[lastoftheirkind]

Return of the Black Rose [Draykan || Nezera]

[lastoftheirkind]

draykan:

“That is what Cethin said as well, my dear.” Dray couldn’t help but chuckle when she almost mirrored the words Cethin had said.

He frowned when Kai burst in without warning, and the frown grew when she explained the ‘coincidence’. It didn’t sound like a coincidence, very few things in the higher levels of power were. “Yeah it is. But don’t worry Kai, even if it’s more complicated, this just means we have even less reason to return you.” He had a feeling this was going to make things personal for Nez.

Kai gave a grateful smile and poured both their drinks. “Your unending kindness towards me puts me forever in your debt, Your Majesties. Thank you for everything you’ve done, despite having no reason to.”

The queen rested a gentle hand over hers. “You have served me well in your time here. It’s because of you we all get to eat wonderful food, and the people on the streets do as well. You’ve repaid us all in full already, Kai.”

Tears in her eyes, Kai bowed lowly and took her leave.

Nezera picked up her wine and took a sip. It was sweet and bubbly, just the way she liked it. “Kai’s not going home and Kanata needs to be ended before he results in more trouble. Not just for us, but he’s a threat to every kingdom out there.”

[lastoftheirkind]

Return of the Black Rose [Draykan || Nezera]

[lastoftheirkind]

draykan:

“Extremely vital. Cethin found out who hired that guy, and who has been feeding information to Kai’s father. So I’d like to say it when we’re comfortable.” He led them both to her couch and took a seat, letting a long breath.

“Oh, and just so you’re aware, Ceth dumped the guy in the woods after making it seem like he could walk and was unharmed. It was probably the only thing he could have done, this way they don’t know what we know, and they probably would have killed him if he went back. After all, he was meant to have died by the poison he took anyway.”

It was clear he was stalling, and after clearing his throat, he finally started to say the real news. “… He also said the person the man was working for, and that had been feeding all the information to Kai’s father, was a man named Kanata.”

Nezera blinked several times at him. Making it seem like he could walk? Had the man been paralyzed when she brought him back? Well, that certainly was an unfortunate side-effect that she hadn’t anticipated. She wondered if that had to do with the ritual itself or if she’d done something incorrectly.

A wave of emotions rolled through her at the mention of the name, but after a few countable seconds of silence, she growled low in her throat.

“That conniving little bastard.” It appeared that ‘bastard’ was the word of the day. “I should’ve let Cethin kill him, apparently.”

Still, she couldn’t help but remember her younger days when she was in love with the idea of being in love with him. It was nothing close to what she knew now, the actual feeling of love, but she’d thought she loved him. However, once she found out about his desire for power, she’d turned him down. Repeatedly.

Apparently, that was coming back to bite her now. She’d known he was desperate, but not so much that he was willing to go through other means of acquiring it.

“He’s also the one I was supposed to marry.”

Nezera looked up as Kai entered the room, a scowl on her face. “What do you mean?”

“Kanata? I’d know that name anywhere.” Kai stepped in with a tray holding two tankards and a pitcher of wine. “Forgive me, Your Majesties, Savita told me to you requested something to drink. I saw Cethin in the hall earlier and figured... I wanted to be updated.”

The kitchen maid set the tray down on a table in the room. “Kanata was the one that came before my father promising power and wealth should I marry him.”

The queen exhaled in frustration. “So not only does Kanata have two grudges, but your father shares them now as well... This is getting more and more complicated by the second.”

[lastoftheirkind]

Return of the Black Rose [Draykan || Nezera]

[lastoftheirkind]

draykan:

Dray chuckled and walked over to give her a hug, and quick kiss to the lips. “Cethin got the information. Here, let’s go back inside and sit down, where there’s less chance anybody can walk in on us… Or see you in a sight that rouses my dragon.” Both true, and a way to try and relax her, it sounded like what he was going to say was going to drop the bombshell on her, and the calmer she was before the easier it would be to keep her dragon from trying to break out.

“Savi, would you mind getting us something to drink?” He didn’t know if Savi had overheard what was said, but the look he was trying to give her was that this needed to be said in private, and he was also thinking that the reappearance of Savi after a bit might help calm her down. Every little bit helped and he could easily be over thinking all this, but it was always better safe that sorry, especially for his queen.

The queen snorted at his response to her dress. She’d never thought much about nudity, but she supposed that now she should put a little more care into it. Given Draykan’s adorable protective nature, one wrong look in her direction would set him off.

She briefly remembered the time that Cethin practically launched Draykan through the wall and a smile teased her lips. Some poor sod would end up in the same situation if she wasn’t careful, except this time, Draykan would be doing the throwing.

Savita waved a hand over her shoulder to acknowledge Draykan’s request before she switched directions on her heel to head to the kitchen rather than the study to work.

Nezera pouted at the fact that he wasn’t answering her question immediately. “It’s either very unimportant information or vital information, so which one is it?”

[lastoftheirkind]

Return of the Black Rose [Draykan || Nezera]

[lastoftheirkind]

draykan:

“Hm…” Maybe Nez had cared for him, to let him leave alive despite him knowing what he’d known. Or maybe he’d known nothing. But either way. She let him leave alive, and that was coming back to bite them all in the ass, like a ravenous dragon. Not that he’d say anything, but he had a feeling she’d think it once he mentioned who was behind it.

He couldn’t help but crack a small smile at Savita’s admittedly adorable anger. “It was a good choice, Savi. The people see him leave, unharmed, and he can’t go back to report to them that we know now. Of course… I doubt they would have kept him alive even if he had said something, so… There are no right choices here.” He put a hand on her shoulder and gave it a little squeeze to try and calm her.

Savita sighed and stood up on her tiptoes to give Draykan a kiss on the cheek. “You’re a good man, Your Majesty. I’m grateful every day for you coming into our lives.”

She stood back down and watched as the last remnants of Cethin disappeared down the hall. “He’s not so bad when he’s been drained, for lack of a better term. Much more reasonable.”

Nezera emerged then in a silk bathrobe and raised a brow at the two of them standing outside the hallway. She looked much more refreshed than she had when she had gone into the tub. “I fear what kind of conversation I just stumbled into.”

Savita looked at her, blinking innocently. “What do you mean, My Queen? Did I say something wrong?”

Shaking her head at Savita’s innocence, Nezera leaned into Draykan. “So? What’s the news?”

[lastoftheirkind]

Return of the Black Rose [Draykan || Nezera]

[lastoftheirkind]

draykan:

Draykan listened intently, nodding his head as Cethin talked. He raised a brow when he was told that Nez had been promised to someone. This Kanata guy didn’t sound like a good deal. Especially if he knew secrets. But… Dray had come far after he’d been promised, how did he know? Unless… He’d been in contact with the elders, using them to get information on the rule. He didn’t sound like the type to give up potential power easily.

“Coincidence is few and far between.” Dray agreed. “How isn’t important right now, what is important is that he has all the motivation in the world to get back at us, and apparently the resources to find out secrets. I want to say the elders are how he knows all of this, promised to put them in power if they divulged secrets, even if I don’t believe someone like him would give up the power.”

He exhaled in frustration. “Kanata is a persistent bastard and I wish Nezera had let me kill him before he left. She’d know even then that he wouldn’t stop pursuing her.” His head shook slightly. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the Elders are involved. They’ve wanted Nezera’s power since she was but a babe.”

His eyes moved to the bathroom where Nezera sat bathing. “Kanata is part of the Elders. I know the truth and so does Nez, but we have never found enough evidence to convict him of treason. Now that he’s out of the kingdom, it doesn’t matter, but I’d still like to-”

“Cethin!”

Cethin growled at the sound of Savita’s voice. “What?” He demanded, voice cold and threatening.

Savita seemed unfazed. “You let the man go? What if he starts saying things again?”

Cethin snorted. “I am not an idiot. I made his departure public before dropping him off in the middle of the woods. He will never return, paralyzed as he is.”

The phoenix glared as angrily as she could (which was hardly at all). “That wasn’t your decision to make.”

He shrugged carelessly before giving Draykan a half-bow and taking his leave.

Savita ground her teeth in an adorable act of frustration. “It’s a wonder Nez hasn’t drowned him yet.”

[lastoftheirkind]

Return of the Black Rose [Draykan || Nezera]

[lastoftheirkind]

draykan:

Dray could see the grimace of discomfort she made when she stepped in, and could tell it was a little too cold. He lit a fire in his hand and put it in the water with her, letting that heat start to permeate the liquid and slowly get it warmer for her. 

When Cethin came in, he looked at Nez, then nodded to him. Whatever it was must have been important to say in private, or he wouldn’t have wasted time asking to see him. Dray gave Nez’s shoulders a squeeze and promised he’d be back to give her a massage, then walked over to the dark swordsman. “How did it go?”

Nezera eyed Cethin carefully, unsure of what discussion could warrant privacy with a king Cethin had yet to fully accept, but she accepted that she would eventually hear of it. With a brief nod to Draykan, she settled back into the water and allowed Draykan to take care of her worries for the time being.

Cethin led Draykan outside the room, knowing Nezera’s sensitive hearing would pick up on their conversation if they were any closer. After a quick glance down the hall, he finally settled on staring at Draykan with his usual hardened expression.

“Bastard took a lot before caving. Before I divulge into what I have learned, know that I am telling you because I know Nezera will take it easier from you than she would from me. She needs to recover first.”

He took a slow breath and pushed a hand back through his hair, knuckles bloodied. Although his expression was no different, it was easy to tell that he was, in fact, more relaxed than he had been not a few hours ago. “The man was hired by none other than a man by the name of Kanata... someone who was supposed to have been pledged to Nezera. Originally, things had been fine between the two of them, but it became apparent that Kanata was only after power and wealth and wanted very little to do with Nezera as a person. Therefore, after she took her place as queen, she withdrew the pledge.”

His arms came to fold in front of him. “I refuse to believe in coincidence. There is no doubt in my mind that Kanata is working with Kai’s father, though I’m not sure how the two came to know each other.”

[lastoftheirkind]

Return of the Black Rose [Draykan || Nezera]

[lastoftheirkind]

draykan:

“You should really rest more…” Dray remarked, but he moved to her side and put an arm around her waist, helping her get to her feet and steady her. He knew better than to argue with her when she got that look in her face. There was a time to fight her on it, and there was a time to let her have her way, and now was the latter.

Nezera grunted as she pushed herself up to her unsteady feet. “I’ve rested plenty. My kingdom is falling apart, I can’t be asleep when it does.” In other words, there was no way he was going to talk her back into bed. “I’ll be fine. I just want to get in the bath, it’ll help.”

Using him for support, she walked them both over to the bathroom. Weakly, she pulled water from a nearby spout and poured it into the tub. Then, she slipped from her dress and lowered herself into the water. It wasn’t the most comfortable temperature, but it felt good to be immersed. Her body would heal quicker this way.

Not moments after she’d gotten in did Cethin appear in the doorway. He took one glance at Nezera in the water before looking to Draykan. “May I speak to you?”

[lastoftheirkind]

Return of the Black Rose [Draykan || Nezera]

[lastoftheirkind]

draykan:

“He’ll get him to talk Nez, I’m sure of it. If there’s one thing Ceth is good at, it’s causing pain.” He took the glass from her, and filled it again, holding it near her in case she wanted another drink. He sighed, putting his hand on his head for a moment. “What’s the word on the street Savi? Anybody believing this guy’s words?”

Savita hesitated, glancing to Nezera before responding. “The people are confused, needless to say. I think they want to brush it off, but the things the man said... they were surprisingly detailed. People think he was too specific to be shouting nonsense.”

Nezera turned her head away to stare out her window. A foreboding feeling rushed through her, and she had a feeling that this was far from the end. Just how many people would leave, though, before she could save them from the oncoming war?

Savita rested a hand on her shoulder, empathetic with the queen. The burden of this kingdom fell on all their shoulders to varying degrees. They all understood.

Forcing herself to a seated position despite her body’s protests, the queen took the water from Draykan and gulped it down, then set it on her nightstand. “Tell Cethin to report here immediately after he’s done. I only pray he hasn’t killed the man...”

Savita nodded and ran off to obey orders while Nezera pushed herself to the edge of the bed, looking to Draykan. “Help me stand.”

[lastoftheirkind]

Return of the Black Rose [Draykan || Nezera]

[lastoftheirkind]

draykan:

“It worked.” Dray sighed in relief when she finally woke up, reaching down, and grabbing her hand, giving it a firm squeeze. “Cethin is down there with him right now. I don’t expect it to take too much longer.” Letting go of her hand, her doting husband grabbed a glass of water and held it up to her lips.

“Thank the gods...” Nezera sighed of relief and turned her gaze up towards the ceiling as Draykan walked away. She would’ve hated to go through all that effort just to be a failure.

He returned with a glass of water and she’d never been more thankful. She forced herself to raise her head enough to drink with his assistance without spilling it everywhere. As soon as it was in her system, hopefully it would start working some magic.

A sigh of relief escaped her. Cethin would do his job and he would do it well. She had complete faith in him. The question was, would he let the man live after he’d received the information he pleased? Or would he let the man go, considering his life worthless and not of enough value to take?

Yeah, Cethin had some weird standards.

Seconds later, the door burst open to admit everyone’s favorite redheaded companion. Nezera was completely prepared for Savita to throw herself onto the bed, however the phoenix stopped just inches away and settled for leaning down to give the queen a light hug. “Thank goodness you’re alright. I’m happy to see you awake.”

Unable to resist a smile, Nezera forced her arms up around her friend. “Thanks, Savi. It’s nice to be awake. I think.” She released her hold as Savita drew back. “How’s Ceth doing?”

Savita bit her lip. “Well, last I checked, the man was still refusing to speak. But... Cethin was doing his damage.”

Nezera growled. Of course the man would be stubborn. He’d tried to kill himself to escape talking - anyone that desperate wasn’t likely to break easily.

[lastoftheirkind]

Return of the Black Rose [Draykan || Nezera]

[lastoftheirkind]

draykan:

Dray grabbed her the same way and nodded. “Write down what he says if you can. We’ll need to know exactly what the situation is.” He trusted Ceth to do his job though, this was his area of expertise, and would be a great time to get his sadistic nature out so he could control it better. Sparring wasn’t the same as killing or torturing.

He carried Nez through the back hallways, the ones only royalty knew about. Every castle had several, and he knew Nez had shown him some of them. Not all of them yet, but enough that he could get her back to her room without anybody seeing, and questioning what had happened. They didn’t need more rumors starting, not with the rumors of him keeping the queen under his thrall going around thanks to the man underground.

Getting her back to her room, he set her down on her bed, and sat next to her, running a hand slowly through her hair, and trying to impart some bit of his energy into her. Whether it would work, he had no clue, who knew how their magic would interact, they’d never tried it, but maybe it could help.

It seemed that, as soon as Cethin was left to his own devices, the man knew he was in trouble. If anyone was going to be able to get him to talk, it was Cethin. And things got much more interesting when Cethin realized that the man was completely paralyzed as a by-product of being brought back to life...

An hour later, Nezera finally woke with a killer headache like the dragon itself was trying to crawl out through her ears. On top of that, her entire body was spent as if she’d just run a marathon between kingdoms. Even moving her head was a strain.

Still, she managed to bring one hand up to her face and press down on her forehead, trying to ease the ache. She could hardly remember what happened...

The resurrection She remembered starting it. The man had started breathing, but after that... it was a blur.

She groaned and turned her head to see Draykan sitting next to her, face etched with concern. Knowing him, he’d likely tried to help her with some kind of magic. Judging by the way her body felt, she’d probably be asleep for another few hours if not for his lending hand.

Her hand flopped back down onto the sheets. “Did... did it work?”

[lastoftheirkind]

Return of the Black Rose [Draykan || Nezera]

[lastoftheirkind]

draykan:

Dray stepped close and pressed a soft kiss against her forehead, stepping back after that but keeping a hand on the small of her back. “I know my love. We can only hope the people will support us. It’s all we can do. Being ruler isn’t easy, I knew that, but I never realized just how difficult it is… How many tough choices with no real winner there are…”

“We’ll come out of this, it’s just who we are and what we are. But our people? Their trust? That’s up in the air. We’ll have enemies, those that are afraid of us once the secret is out, those that will use our powers as an excuse to attack. We can only try to show we’re more valuable as an ally than an enemy.”

Looking at the body, he nodded. “Feel free to use my life energy as well, to lessen the load on you. Just tell me what to do.”

She inclined her head in agreement. “It’s never as easy as people think it is. The choices a leader has to make are never straight-forward.” Again, she sighed, giving the lightest shake of her head.

Cethin returned with the water and Nezera reached behind her to give Draykan’s hand a gentle squeeze. “You’ve likely already strained yourself enough because of the doppelganger. I can handle this.” I have to. It was for her people. If she constantly reminded herself of that, then she might be okay.

Then, she chuckled weakly. “Just stay by my side and help me stay grounded, and that will be enough help.” Because working with blood magic was always a risk. If she lost herself, everyone in the room was screwed.

As Cethin set the water down, Nezera moved to stand next to the body, hands hovering inches over the man’s skin. The poison was everywhere and acted as a blood thickener - it’d caused the blood to clog his arteries and veins. Luckily, that was theoretically an easy fix. Unfortunately, she didn’t know just how long the man would survive afterwards.

Taking a deep breath, she removed the water from the bucket and covered his entire body in a thin layer. The healing magic caused a blue glow to emanate, lighting the room in a mysteriously beautiful blue hue. It took minutes of patience before she could feel the blood thinning, and the poison was forced from his body and out his mouth in a thin black liquid she could only assume was the poison.

Cethin collected it in a small vial, no doubt to examine it later, while Nezera moved on to the harder part of the job - bringing the man back to life.

With her eyes turning from their usual vivid blue to a deep maroon, there was a visible change in the man on the table; his skin began to flush with color, and at times his muscles would twitch involuntarily as if reacting to a shock.

She twisted her hands, and she could feel his heart beating to force the blood involuntarily out of it, only to welcome more back in. Eventually, her nose started to bleed and her face began to flush with color, but as a strong queen, she persisted in the task.

It took another several minutes before she could relax and the man’s heart was nearly beating on it’s own. She, on the other hand, was worsening by the second. Occasionally, her own hands would twitch and clench into claws and her jaw would set so tightly she thought her teeth would crack.

Cethin stepped forward to calm her down, and she snapped her head at the intrusion with a hiss that would’ve sent most men running. Just as she moved on of her hands, likely to harm him, the man took a shockingly deep breath and drew her attention away from the sword master who’d interrupted her.

Said sword master took advantage of the distraction to grab her and restrain her by her arms. While the man coughed and blinked, Nezera fought Cethin and hissed... until she eventually stopped and went limp in his arms, unconscious.

Picking her up bridal-style, he handed her off to Draykan. “Get her to her room. Leave the questioning to me.”

[lastoftheirkind]

Return of the Black Rose [Draykan || Nezera]

[lastoftheirkind]

draykan:

Dray narrowed his eyes back at Ceth, but didn’t say anything. He knew he was right, his own king was why he was like he was right now. “What would you suggest we do then, let our army get destroyed by a superior force? If they know about our powers, they’re going to force us to use them, or destroy our people. They might even have powers of their own! How else would they have found out?!”

Noticing his voice was starting to get louder, he let out a deep breath through his nose and looked to Nerazera. “If I lend you some of my life energy, will it make it easier to do? I will gladly take the burden, but I think we need to find out what this person knows, and what these people knew. The longer we wait, the colder the body grows.”

With the tone of voice quickly escalating, Savita took a step away from the group while Nezera calmly placed half of her body between Draykan and Cethin just as Cethin took a step forward. That murderous glint in Ceth’s eyes rose from fifty to ninety-five, and she wasn’t about to let him hurt her husband.

His eyes turned to her as if she’d become the primary target. “We can discuss this later. Draykan’s right, if we wait any longer, I won’t be able to bring him back, even for a short time.”

Cethin backed off a bit at that. “You agree, then?”

Even though her eyes said a different story, she nodded. It was for their benefit. Besides, she was a dragon. She lived for centuries. What was a few minutes, or even a few years? Time itself meant little to her. It was the value of her life and that which her friends contributed to it that mattered.

The sword master pushed through them with the body’s feet dragging along the floor next to him. Nezera walked behind him with Draykan’s hand in her own, and Savita pulled up the rear.

They walked down a few halls before reaching a private room with a table in the center. Lining the walls what what appeared to be various torture contraptions that one could only begin to guess what kind of damage they did. That being said, they were obviously unused as dust collected on all of them, and they were covered in rust. Almost none of them were sharp enough to even consider a weapon anymore.

Savita paused outside the room. “I... I think I’ll wait out here.”

Nezera inclined her head in understanding. She didn’t like this room, either, which was why she’d never used it, nor did she plan to. Cethin, on the other hand...

Dumping the body on the table, Cethin stood off to the side. “What do you need?”

“Water,” she told him without hesitation. “At least a bucket full.”

He nodded once and left to retrieve it, leaving her and Draykan alone in the room for a moment.

“I really don’t want to do this,” she muttered, raking her hands back through her hair. “I think you’re right. I think we need to tell the people the truth. But Cethin’s right, too. If we do that, we have to be prepared for further conflict.”

[lastoftheirkind]

Return of the Black Rose [Draykan || Nezera]

[lastoftheirkind]

draykan:

“… I would need to know more about what this resurrection you can do entails. What goes into it, how the person comes out. This is something I didn’t know you had.”

He blew out a long breath and turned to face her. “But I’ve always thought honesty is the best policy. And with this coming war, I don’t think we could keep it a secret. We have enough troops for a defense, but, if he’s truly been planning this war, he could have far, far more than us. We’ll need to use our powers, and the people will find out, one way or another.”

“If this resurrection doesn’t harm you, I say we do it anyway, to find out what they know, who has been telling them this information, and know what severity we’re dealing with. But I also think that we should let the people know the truth. If not right this minute, then when we know troops are coming. That way, before they have a chance to riot or freak out as normal humans are want to do, we can step forward and show we are on their side when the fight comes to us.”

“In theory,” Nezera emphasized, ensuring that they were all aware that it was only a theory, “I could remove the poison from his body and force the blood to move in and out of his heart until it starts to beat again. That’s the physical side, but there’s more to it than that. Bringing him back would take a chip off my own life, be it minutes or months or even years depending on how cold the body is.”

Savita frowned. “That doesn’t sound very pleasant.”

The queen sighed in frustration. “It’s not. Which is why I haven’t done it. Not to mention, it’s a serious strain on me.” Her eyes narrowed at Cethin. “You of all people know this.”

He ignored her, his attention turning to Draykan. “Honesty would make us a primary target by other kingdoms who see us as a threat. There’s a reason that it has been a secret for all these years. Word would spread fast. We could make enemies with everyone. You of all people should understand that corrupt royalty will do anything for personal gain. If we reveal that we have more power, they are likely to come after us out of fear and spite.”

[lastoftheirkind]

Return of the Black Rose [Draykan || Nezera]

[lastoftheirkind]

draykan:

“… You can bring people back from the dead Nez?” Dray asked, looking at the dead guy. Everything was just getting more complicated. He must have been a fanatic, or else forced to take the poison. Very few people in their right mind would kill themselves when the possibility of survival was there.

He concentrated a moment, focusing on the guy’s fleeting aura. The living had an aura that showed where they’d been for the last day. But this guy’s aura was everywhere in the city. Either someone or something was masking it, or he had been dedicated enough to go everywhere to throw off any attempts to track him.

“Theoretically, yes, but not without serious consequences,” she answered through a long exhale. Her arms folded in front of her. “Which is why I’ve never done it.” She narrowed her eyes at Cethin. “He could’ve just been spouting nonsense, Ceth. How do we know the people are going to believe him? For all they know, he’s just another-”

“Look at the situation, Nezera,” Cethin interrupted. He was one of the few beings that could get away with interrupting the queen. “A man comes in threatening us with war. Then a citizen goes off on a tangent that could turn the kingdom against you for a secret you’ve kept for years, not to mention your friend here comes into the kingdom, unannounced, and wins a place at your side only after his evil twin came to destroy everything that was the kingdom in the first place.”

It was the most she’d heard Cethin say at once in recent years, and he wasn’t finished as he angrily passed his gaze between them. “You cannot tell me that it’s not a coincidence. If that wasn’t bad enough, how does this look on us, on you? A man starts spouting things that may or may not be true, and then dies behind the closed doors of the castle. People will think we killed him to keep him quiet. Even if they don’t, with the situation at hand, someone is equally likely to step forward and say that’s what happened.”

Savita frowned. “But that’s not what happened. Surely if we tell the people-”

His sharp eyes cut to her. “The people will believe what they see.”

Nez knew he was right and she hated that.

She had three options: One, revive the man, question him, brainwash him, and set him free. Two, let her reputation fall and only pray that her people would understand. Three... reveal the secret she and her family had spent so long trying to keep.

None of them were great options.

Swallowing, she turned to her king. “... Dray?”

[lastoftheirkind]

Return of the Black Rose [Draykan || Nezera]

[lastoftheirkind]

draykan:

“I don’t know what to think… I agree we shouldn’t tell Kai, no need to make her worry even more. I doubt there would be a thousand soldiers on our steps tomorrow, I trust Ceth to keep good enough scouts that we’ll know if an army is mobilized.” But would it be enough? If these people know their secrets, they might know some way to evade Cethin as well… But he wouldn’t tell her that, instead putting on a brave face.

“Come on, if we’re going to interrogate this guy, we should get ready. I’ll… Let you handle it, I’ve never done one before.” He rubbed the back of his head, then took his thumb and wiped off some berry juice from her lips. “Missed a spot.”

She couldn’t help but give him a playful pout. “What, never interrogated a man before? My poor king. You’ll learn.” Cethin always helped. That pent up energy? Yeah, this was a perfect instance for it. So long as she was there to tell him when to stop.

And if this guy was a spy, they would need Cethin. Spies didn’t break easily.

Nezera kissed the pad of his thumb before moving away from the counter, leading Draykan and Savita both out of the room. Just as they were to get to the door of the dungeon, Cethin was there with his usual anger.

And two guards carrying a limp body behind him.

Nezera could tell instantly by the lack of heartbeat that the guy was dead. “What happened?”

Cethin looked back at the body as if he wanted to kick it and make it a part of the stone walls that built the palace. “Suicide. Poisoned himself.”

The queen cringed. “How long ago?”

“Likely? Before he started preaching. It was slow to kick in and quick to take down. He was still conscious when we reached the doors.” Cethin snapped his fingers, and the guards let the body fall to the floor before they disappeared. Then, Cethin took their place, lifting the body up and folding it over one arm like a jacket. “He’s still warm. Want to bring him back?”

She cringed. “You know it’s not that simple.”

He growled at her. “Do you want to find out who’s behind this or not?”

[lastoftheirkind]

Return of the Black Rose [Draykan || Nezera]

[lastoftheirkind]

draykan:

“… What?!” Dray looked at the queen, then back to Savi, eyes widened in surprise, concern… And fear. “Who else could have known about that? Surely if someone had found out before, they would have spoken out about it far earlier than now, when we’re in such a peaceful time…” Unless… Unless Kai’s father somehow knew much more than he let on. Or he had powers as well, that allowed him to spy on them without Cethin detecting it. Or worse. What could be worse, he didn’t know.

“Shit, what do we do Nez? The rumors are already going to spread. Most will write him off, but if we go to war… The seeds will grow. This… Complicates things, a lot.”

Nezera ground her teeth. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the first time someone had started to spread rumors about her, although no one had ever been so public about it. In time, those rumors had died out as she sought to neither deny nor confirm their suspicions - as a result, most people gave up.

With an oncoming war, though, both her and Draykan’s authority would come into question, regardless of who actually believed this unknown man. How could they have a kingdom back them if no one trusted them?

“Cethin,” she spoke to the empty room, knowing the vibrations of her voice would carry through the dark tendrils that Cethin kept in every corner. “Get this unknown man out of the square. Tell the people you’re removing him on the grounds of public disturbance. Get him back here and throw him in a cell so we can question him.”

A dark shadow that had gone otherwise unnoticed on the wall of the other side of the room slid into the crack under the door, acknowledging that her order had been received and understood.

If Kai’s father was behind this, then they were in a lot more trouble than they’d originally hoped. Kai’s father was intending to go to war and was playing all the cards he had to win. There were a lot of unanswered questions. Why now? What had prompted him to suddenly go to war? Why the determination to destroy them from the inside? And who had been watching them so closely without their notice?

She cursed. They were stuck with so many variables and she didn’t know which one to tackle first.

“Our best bet right now is to ignore it and hope that we don’t end up with a thousand soldiers on our steps tomorrow.” Her eyes moved towards the kitchen doors. A forbidden feeling of suspicion rose. Would Kai...

Don’t go there.

You’ve been stabbed in the back by people you trusted before.

“Let’s... not tell Kai about this for now. I don’t want to worry her too much.” It wasn’t a complete lie, but who could blame her for being suspicious.

She turned to Draykan. “What do you think?”