#hellhound general: starter

[voxdaemonica]

@covrtofnightmares​​ (Kael & Gabriel)

Kael wasn’t in the habit of questioning his High Lord’s plans, as he knew that they always benefitted the Night Court. But this entire operation was insane, even by their usual standards. It was one thing to draft an alliance with The Garden and the Wild Hunt; a feat no one had ever done before, but to invite one of their own into their inner circle? In matrimony of all things? Preposterous. For all they knew, the Nymph that was coming their way could be one of Rosaline’s pretty little Thorns, just waiting for a chance to ensnare Gabriel in between her honeyed thighs so that she could plunge a dagger into his back. 

Outsiders couldn’t be trusted, and if Gabriel couldn’t see that, then it was Kael’s duty to remind him.

It wasn’t difficult to track down his High Lord. As much as people feared and revered him, Gabriel Beaumont was most certainly a creature of habit, and Kael had spend decades following in his footsteps. He didn’t bother knocking as he entered Gabriel’s chambers (for one never had to knock on their own bedroom door), instead crossing the luxurious space in favour of the balcony on the other side. On such a clear night, even the King of Nightmares would be wise to see what the stars had to say, especially in the wake of his drastic decision-making as of late.

“A clear night is a rare gift these days, isn’t it?” The High Fae greeted him by the doorway, announcing his arrival with a relaxed purr that belied the anxieties squirming in his chest. Despite years of sharing a bed, Kael knew better than to surprise Gabriel when he was in a brooding mood. Trust took years to build, and could be so easily broken with the most inconsequential action, and when Gabriel was involved, the general took no chances. “Do you think the stars would be willing to provide a more concrete idea of this calamity tonight? Specifics would be incredibly helpful for our preparations.“ Kael walked closer to the edge of the balcony then, resting his arms on the marble surface as his gaze flickered upwards. “...Yet somehow I doubt that their reply will be a simple one.”

He paused then, rolling around the many ways he could breach this particular subject with Gabriel. It wasn’t something they had talked about before; at least in the way that Kael had wanted. “It should be coming up quickly now, isn’t it? Your engagement.” The word felt bitter, and it took significant control to keep himself from scowling at the thought. “With everything that’s been going on, with Giselle and all...I don’t think we’ve ever had an opportunity to discuss it. Do you think we can trust Rosaline on her word about this girl?”

[voxdaemonica]

@wickedgxmes​ (Kael & Nate)

So the wedding had been one glorious disaster.

The days had blurred together, following his debauched encounter with one Sophia Beaumont and the subsequent breach of security that had been the council meeting. Nobles left and right demanded his attention, constantly bombarding him with questions about the safety of the Night Court after the attack. When he wasn’t trying to calm the masses at home, he was knee-deep in correspondances from abroad. Threats from Autumn and Winter, concerns from the Garden, the Wild Hunt and Day- by the time he finished the day, his wrist smarted in a manner that was far less enjoyable than usual.

Kael needed a proper break; one where he didn’t have to worry about what the furtive glances he kept sending towards the High Lady and the High Lord in his recent confusion, and where he could find some companionship that had more than two brain cells to hold a decent conversation. It had been why he had decided to take the night off for a trip to the taverns in the Jeweled City, and why he had sent a hellhound with an invitation to one Nate Dubois. Nate was as devious as they came; boastful and conniving in ways that would be seen as off-putting for most people. But at least Kael knew what he would get with the Captain of the Guard, and so far his libido hadn’t sunken so low as to make a pass at him yet. But with his current trends, he had no idea if that would hold fast.

He had already imbibed in several glasses of wine before he spotted the familiar face entering into the tavern, raising a hand in greeting. “I was wondering when you’d show up. Do the locals have you running ragged too? Or is it the extra drills?” It was no secret that the Inner Circle had been less than thrilled with the actions of their guards, and that none had been competent enough to prevent the attack from occuring in the first place. “I’ve got a tab going already. Given the High Lord’s current mood, I don’t think he’ll notice if we drain the treasury a bit tonight.” They had deserved it, after all, dealing with this complete mess left behind by humans. “It’s funny. I thought the whole point of this alliance was to make our work easier, not harder. Great start on that front, if you ask me.”

[voxdaemonica]

@gardensheir​ (Kael & Rosaline)

The wedding, without question, made up the worst few hours of Kael’s life. Having been so busy learning the affairs of his household and securing the Night Court from an event he had been vigorously protesting, he had never considered for a moment, what would be asked of him that night. But there was no other that Gabriel saw fit to serve as his best man, and as much as he would have loved to fight and argue about it for the next decade, his loyalty to his High Lord always usurped his feelings. And so he had stood there by his side, watching as an undeniably beautiful Nymph stole the place and the name that so rightfully belonged to him, in a ceremony that should have been a celebration of their achievements. While Gabriel had been adamant that no other could take his place in his heart, the War General could not help but feel the hollowness that had carved its way into his chest, envy burning everything to ash in its wake.

But there was no time for grief, when there were allies to attend to, and this one demanded his utmost attention.

“A finer rose has never graced our fair Court. I take it you’ve enjoyed the festivities?“ He greeted, ever the gentleman just as much as he was the serpent. Rosaline Liancourt embodied all that everyone loved about The Garden and its residence. Ethereal beauty, unparalleled grace and a wit so sharp that no one say it coming, Rosaline was just as much an embodiment of her people as Gabriel embodied the stars and the evening sky. Under normal circumstances, Kael would have felt grateful to be in her presence, pleased that he had been deemed worthy enough to match that clever mind of hers. However, given how easily she had shaken his world by bestowing the Night Court with one of her daughters, his opinion had become conflicted. 

Nonetheless, the War General held out a hand in invitation as the orchestra started a new piece. “Given my good fortune of finding you on your own, I was wondering if I may ask you to dance?” He smiled then, an easy charm flowing more from habit than intent. Mourning what could have been was something that could be left to later, when he was alone with his thoughts and an equally bitter drink. For now, it was time to celebrate new beginnings, and ensure that the rendering of his heart was not in vain. “It would be a shame not to show our prowess on the dance floor when all the Courts are here to witness it, don’t you think?”

[voxdaemonica]

@theartofruling​ ( Kael & Jacen ) 

Regardless of his own personal feelings on this engagement business, Kael had to admit that there was an undoubtedly good opportunity to understand the fae who lived in the Cloverwood Forest under its pretense. The Wild Hunt was a mysterious group even by Court standards, and there was so little that even he knew about their operations. It was why he had left the Jeweled City alone, with only a letter of warning announcing his arrival a few days prior, to see just what these lupine fighters had to offer to the Night Court’s military might. 

It was almost unfortunate, how undeniably impressive the Wild Hunt was. After touring The Widowed Oak in person, it was far more adequate than he had been expecting, leaving even less room to object to Gabriel’s marriage. Lucien had trained his soldiers well, but what was even more impressive were their mounts. Dragons of impressive size and strength would undoubtedly work wonders to protect their mountainous terrain, and the General couldn’t help but want to sneak a closer look at the beasts for himself.

Kael had managed to find a moment to slip away to the stables, fascinated by the stark differences between each specimen. Paired with the hellhounds that he so lovingly trained, there was no doubt in his mind that this would make for a frightening combination for their enemies. But as strategies ran through his head, he caught the movement of another fae from the corner of his eye. “Excuse me, are you one of the keepers here?” He asked, subtly glamouring his wings out of sight. No need to give away who he was quite yet, after all. “I was curious about your wards here. I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing dragons so up close before. Are they difficult to care for?” Kael asked, shooting the other man an easy, open grin. “I raise hounds myself. I was curious to see how different the practice was. Have a minute to spare?”

[voxdaemonica]

@wickedgxmes​ (Kael & Nate)

While there had been some relief that had come with knowing that Gabriel had managed to pull through his ordeal in Autumn, and that the complicated situation involving Sophia and the both of them had finally blossomed into something he might dare to consider stable, Kael was painfully aware that he had been neglectful in his duties to the Night Court. While he had sat by his High Lady and High Lord’s sides, the stars had continued to shift and change for everyone else. As much as he longed to remain with his lovers, there was a Court to run and certain people he needed to speak with. After all, he was certainly not the only one in Night who had a penchant for dallying with High Lords.

“So, I’ll be needing myself a new Captain of the Guard soon, will I?“ There wasn’t an ounce of animosity to his tone, even as he oversaw the training regimens with the guards and their hellhounds. If anything, the sideways glance he shot towards Nate was almost proud. As much as he had been preoccupied with the turmoils of the inner circle, gossip was most certainly not something he tended to miss. And when it came to Nate Dubois, who was almost always at the centre of something particularly scandalous, Kael’s attention had been easily captured, especially when the word engagement was involved.

“I must admit, out of all your family, you somehow managed to surprise me yet again by being the first to settle down. And with impressive company too, if rumours are to be believed.” The War General smirked, keeping well out of earshot of the other guards as he spoke with their leader. “But gossipmongers can only be half-believed at the best of times. I’d much rather hear it from you. To whom am I losing you, Captain?”

[voxdaemonica]

@covrtofnightmares​​ @nymphcts​​ (Kael & Sophia & Gabriel)

As the War General of the Night Court and the longtime lover of the High Lord himself, Kael thought that he knew nightmares. He had invoked any manner of terror personified on Gabriel’s enemies, had known everything there was to break a person down with a week of bad dreams, and yet the fresh hell that he was living now made those past efforts seem trivial in comparison. The first night had been the worst, when the healers had been uncertain whether the High Lord’s quick thinking had managed to mitigate the worst of the blood loss. The subsequent nights however, blended with one another in a constant, sleepless vigil, until he had lost count of the hour and the days as he stuck by Gabriel’s side.

The attack itself was a blur- a part of his memory that was vivid in some of the ways it had struck and where blanks filled in the other spaces. He remembered the face of the man who had done it, the human who had dared to strike the King of Nightmares during a peaceful event. Kael could recall the plunging of the dagger into a heart that felt far more than anyone could possibly know, and he could recall the way his voice had ripped out of him when he had believed the blow to be fatal. The crowd and the panic that followed had been nothing but white noise, waves of bodies that he had bulldozed his way through because Gabriel had been hurt. And he could recall scrambling to his lover’s body, plunging head-first past the shadows and dreams until he had taken hold of his universe falling apart before him. He remembered the vividness of the blood, the stickiness against his fingertips and the sheer wrongness of its feel against Gabriel’s skin. 

Their escape was far less certain, but there was the High Lord and there was Sophia. There had been screaming, hearts being rendered asunder as healers spoke of uncertain chances and threats were uttered. ‘Because healers who can’t do their fucking jobs can be fed to the hounds!’ There had been a moment where he had been kicked out of the room entirely, the hurricane of raw feelings far too much to handle for the Fae who worked so diligently to stablize Gabriel. By the time the anger was spent, Kael had been allowed back by his side. There he had remained ever since, stubborn, resolute and immovable.

But he hadn’t been alone. 

Sophia must have been there for as long as he, even if the forced insomnia made it difficult to know for certain. Kael had found his attention wandering between the both of them, hope for the High Lord’s awakening and concern for the High Lady’s well-being tugging him between two nervous states of being in equal measure. Whatever the strange relationship was that the three of them shared, messy and uncertain and full of secrets from all sides, there was some measure of comfort to be found in knowing that he shared his watch with another, even if he wasn’t entirely certain what it meant for them in the long run.

It was probably near mid-morning, if the untouched, stone-cold breakfast trays were any indication, by the time he looked up to speak with her. The exhaustion of the past few days was apparent to him, from the stiffness of his limbs to the raspiness of his voice. The War General doubted his appearance was likely to be any better if he looked even remotely like he felt these days. But there was only so long that they could continue with silence, and there were still others that needed them. 

“Sophia...” Long gone was the malice that had marked their first encounter, resignation of their complicated feelings having replaced it since. ”Have you given any thought to what we should say? To the others, I mean. We can’t leave the inner circle without answers for much longer.“ In truth, he really didn’t want to face their closest friends, not if it meant acknowledging that Gabriel was no better than before. The very idea of a Night Court without him was unthinkable, positively blasphemic in nature, but the stars were cruel enough to make it so, if their luck had been any indication. 

He sighed, rubbing his hands together as he frowned. “I...I’m just at a loss of what to do. If he doesn’t wake up-” Kael clamped down on those thoughts, despair looming overhead at the very idea that Gabriel might not wake up. “It’s my fault. I should have known Autumn couldn’t be trusted to keep the gala secure. I’ve failed you both.”

[voxdaemonica]

@wickedgxmes​​ (Kael & Nate)

The training grounds were a flurry of activity that morning, the familiar chorus of barking and shouts as hellhounds and soldiers ran drills across the mountainous terrain. There was an uncertain air around many of the soldiers that day, an unspoken tension making everyone far more excitable than usual. Kael could see it in the hushed murmurs as he glided over the troops, and in the ways in which each movement seemed slightly more rigid than usual. News in Astralis always traveled remarkably fast when the High Rulers were involved, but nothing had quite spread as quickly as the news of Dawn’s most recent demise. It was no wonder the Night Court’s army was on edge, when so many were split about it.

Nate wasn’t a hard man to find among the mix of guards and infantry; there were only so many who, even in the most strenous of circumstance, would find themselves relaxed. And it was a fundamental rule that no Dubois could resign themselves to the shadows for long. The War General landed beside him, his swift descent causing a small breeze in its wake. “One might think that with all this time to gossip, our army might fare better as journalists rather than soldiers.” Kael observed dryly, offering a courteous nod to Nate before stepping in line with him. It would do their subordinates some good, to see both the Captain of the Guards and the War General so interested in their progress that day. “I believe we should give our troops a reminder of what they can do with all that spare time, rather than wasting it on speculation, don’t you think?” 

That being said, there was no point ignoring the dragon in the room any more than they had to. “So which side are you on, Captain? Elation or dread?” Kael asked, inquiring gaze settling on Nate intently. “Had they not done their trial run on Night Court grounds, I think I might have congratulated the humans this time around. They’ve done us quite the favour, eliminating a pest as annoying as Lord Caerwyn.” Indeed, he would lose very little sleep over the demise of that particular Fae, given how frequently he used to enjoy antagonizing Gabriel and the rest of the Night Court elites. “That being said, it does pose some concern, to have an enemy we know so little about committing such high profile murders beneath our noses. What say you about the whole affair, Dubois?”

[voxdaemonica]

@theartofruling​​ (Kael & Jacques)

Kael was perhaps not as well-versed in the arts as either the High Lord and Lady, but even he could relish an opportunity to appreciate it when the opportunity presented itself. And there was no better place to indulge than Jacques Dubois’ gallery. In the early afternoon, the space seemed oddly empty, bereft of the crowds of nobility vying for attention at its nightly galas, but there was a certain serenity to the silence. Without the constant buzz of conversation in his ear, he had a rare moment to truly appreciate the many treasures laid out before him uninterrupted.

He was studying one particular landscape piece intently- the rugged, harsh peaks of the Night Court’s mountains contrasting starkly with the soft arrival of twilight, inklings of the Jeweled City awakening implied with a subtle hand. The War General hadn’t come to shop for a new painting, but there was no doubt that it appealed to a part of him that was so rarely satisfied otherwise. “I see you’ve come across quite the young talent as of late. I don’t recall having come across someone with such a keen eye for contrast, save for yourself, of course.“ He turned his head slightly, offering a charming smile to the owner of the esteemed gallery. 

The Dubois siblings were a strange bunch, but they each held their own strengths among them. Jacqueline had Gabriel’s ear and Nate had a certain viciousness about him that flourished among the guards. Jacques, on the other hand, was more of an enigma. But anyone who could manage the household of such an illustrious family witthout so much as batting an eyelash out of line was intriguing sheerly because he always seemed too polished to be real. All the more intriguing really, if Kael was honest. Speculations aside, keeping in touch with other noble families was a necessity. “I happened to be running some inspections in the city and thought I would drop by. Given how well our formal gatherings have gone as of late, I thought an informal one might be of more interest.” Not to mention that it was a rare opportunity to observe the duke in his most natural habitat. 

“So how fares the head of the Dubois family? I do hope you’re not feeling too lonely with the absence of your siblings these days. The castle has been quite busy with the latest addition to our leadership, among other events. I trust that there haven’t been any problems as of late?”