Blood From A Stone {Mathayus x Reader}
Requested by: Anonymous Wordcount: 3714 Summary: Your foolish husband makes a strong enemy. It's easy to decide which side you're on. Warnings: War, stupid husband, blood, a bit of gore.
While your husband’s men were fighting a war that was needlessly bloody, you were stuck watching from atop the fortress. It was not the best view that you could have had, but it was the safest. Your ladies, your personal guard, they all tried to coax you back inside, back into the narrow rooms and the darkness and the silence to wait but you continually pushed them away. What use would you possibly be indoors? At least from up here, you could glean some sort of information. If you were lucky - perhaps you would even see your cold, calculating husband Demaratus fall in the battle. It would be in your city’s best interests, after all. Mathayus - the Scorpion King - was rumored to be a great leader, to be a powerful warrior. It was his guidance that this city should rightfully fall under. But the very fact that this had been mentioned by the council sent your husband into a fit of rage and jealousy. Men. Such a silly, dramatic, overemotional lot.
Your eyes were going over the battle. Mathayus’s men had taken your husband’s insolence and threats seriously and had turned up at your doorstep, ready to take the whole city under siege. You saw him then, your husband, full of anger, using up his strength fighting as hard as he could. He was not even fighting Mathayus yet. You were searching for the Scorpion King and though your husband’s rival at the moment was muscular, it was not the man of legend.
It didn’t take you long to find him. It didn’t take you long at all. That form just naturally attracted the eyes. He had been pushed down but killed his opponent, getting up to his feet. His chest was exposed, dirt, dust and blood staining his sand-colored skin. His shoulders were the broadest that you had ever seen - he could carry some cattle on those shoulders. His fingers - just as strong looking as the rest of him, you noticed, ran through his dark hair, pushing it out of the way of his eyes. You could not quite see their color, but you assumed that they were as intense as the rest of him. The chains around his neck glinted in the sunlight, as did the ones tied around his arm, and the jewelry in his hair. He did not smile, no, he was not a man who seemed to take particular joy in killing. There was an honor in that. He was doing what he had to do.
As if he felt himself being watched, his head turned to look upward at you. Your breath caught in your throat as your eyes stopped on one another, as straight and true as any arrow. But then to your relief, he looked back around the battlefield and went back to work, as if you had been nothing but the sun, getting into his eyes.
Your men were getting brutally kicked around. Every part of you was hoping and praying that your husband would surrender. You found him again. A growl was on his lips as he stabbed his sword into the gut of some poor man. You knew that growl well. It was the same one that he gave when he penetrated inside of you, albeit in a different way. When he conquered you, or at least that is how he thought of it. A fool, your husband was. Was he going to be smart enough to surrender?
The two men looked at each other across the battlefield, strong legs stepping forward, bringing them closer. You could swear you felt the world tremor beneath Mathayus’s feet. Oh - he was immaculate. He was unlike anyone that you had ever seen before. And was unlikely to ever see in anyone again. He looked and he fought like a deity. A real Scorpion King.
You leaned in closer with bated breath, watching the great conflict. The moment that all of this was coming down to. Oh, the look in your husband’s eye, you didn’t have to be close to him to know that it was there. He had been so sure that his men were going to kill Mathayus. And that if push came to shove, and he had to face him himself - he would be able to do it with just a single blow. He had been bragging about it all night before. For he is the strongest. For he will not let a Scorpion King walk all over him. For he was the closest thing to a God among men walking this earth, so this will be easy for him. So easy.
The look that you knew was there was one of fear. Of coming up across an unexpected enemy. Of seeing a nightmare in the flesh. Mathayus’s arm was holding his sword up high, ready to come crashing down on Demartus’s head, putting an end to this foolish battle. You dared not look away. You leaned in closer, your hands on the stone of the wall that was the only thing keeping you from topping over and falling all the way down to the ground.
“FALLBACK!” Your husband yelled, stopping the blow by raising his own sword. He was acting purely on defense, not putting forth any offense. Mathayus was much too skilled for him, and it took all of his effort to keep himself from getting hit. Sweat was breaking out upon his forehead. He was backing up, trying to get to the city walls. And luckily for him, his men were listening. They were helping him. Two of them attacked Mathayus, moving his attention to them so that he could get away.
“Coward,” You whispered to yourself, turning away from the fight. You had seen enough to know who the real winner was. To know who was going to be victorious in this battle, and emerge as still being the Scorpion King, no matter what anyone said about it. The men were going to look down upon their King for abandoning the battle. For not even getting in a single blow at the Mathayus. Oh, that was going to be written about in the scrolls, woven into tapestries. The cowardice of Demartus.
The great walls were closed and rather than try to bash them down, Mathayus tended to his troops, rallying them back up, taking their dead. You returned to your quarters, practicing your facial expressions in the large bowl of water. You couldn’t appear to be amused. You couldn’t be snarky. Your poor, poor husband was going to be looking for a certain type of reaction tonight and it was going to take everything out of you to give it to him.
---
The Scorpion King continued the siege, as was expected. He had been disrespected. All that he had asked for was for Demartus to come out and resign himself to him. Give him his allegiance as King. As it should be. The council was careful in their wording when they encouraged your husband to do this, that enough people had died because of his pride.
Every day, you went to the top of the fortress, and you looked out upon the tents that Mathayus’s army had raised to sleep in. You watched as he walked amongst his troops, talking to them, giving them orders. There was an older gentleman that he kept with him most of the time, and the two seemed to be in conversation more often than not. They were too far to be heard, not even the wind could carry their words up to you, so you remained curious. And once in a while, so rarely that it made your heartbeat wildly when it happened, he would look up at you. Your eyes would catch despite the distance. His were as dark as the night, and yet, they had a warmth to them that was like the sun, He never let himself look for long, often turning his head to focus on the siege that he was putting your people under. Your husband, however, would never surrender. He was the one that was truly putting our people in danger. He was the one that was taking food from their mouths, water from their wells. His stubbornness was going to keep killing people.
He talked to you about it every night, as if you were his council. After all - you were a woman. You were too stupid, too docile to do anything that would damage his reputation. Go against all of these so-called plans. He was positive that he would be able to draw the Scorpion King into another battle. One on one and slay him. He just didn’t have his strength because of the battle the first time. But oh - if Demartus was well rested, he claimed, he’d be able to take on the so-called King. Show him who the boss was and wipe his hands clean of it. He could do it in his sleep, he boasted!
Right. In his dreams, maybe, you thought to yourself, but dared not to say this out loud, lest you bare his wrath. He did have a good arm on him when it came to hitting you, unfortunately.
“I’m sure that you will, my love,” you said, attempting to keep the tedium out of your voice. “You, perhaps, will even become the new king.”
“Is that what you want? You want me to make a Queen? Selfish.”
You looked towards the window to avoid rolling your eyes. Even when you told him what he wanted to hear, he was able to twist it around so that you were the bad guy. You would rather have married a peasant than be Queen with this man as the King.
Would you be a Queen under Mathayus’s rule? Now that was what you thought about while you were in bed at night. Not Demartus and his angry fingers, his violent touches towards you. But Mathayus - warm, tender but large, so masculine, so robust.
You awoke to the sound of guards in the hallways, a loud knock on the door. Your eyes were opening in the darkness, not taking in your surroundings, until the door was opened, and the torchlight came streaming through. In a sleepy daze, you just caught onto the fact that the Scorpion King had breached the gates into the city and was now on the warpath. Your husband was smirking now. As a self-proclaimed warlord, he was going to get his victory now. He was going to get the Scorpion King as a trophy.
... and he was wasting good moments of fighting time boasting, before finally putting on his armor. He spared not a glance to you. Did not tell you to lock yourself in this room, or to get to a safer location. Didn’t tell you to round up the women and the children so that they wouldn’t be harmed. All that he cared about was himself, and his own sword, and his own bloodlust.
The door shut behind him, leaving you in the darkness. You went towards that door, pressing your ears to it, and heard that there was not even a guard left behind to protect you. It really showed how little your husband cared about you. You weren’t going to stay in that room, you weren’t going to let yourself get cornered in there, oh no. You already knew your plan. You were either going to help Mathayus’s army take the city to end this stupid siege or throw yourself at his mercy. Potentially both.
You ran out, going straight towards the long balcony, the one you often spied on Mathayus from. You could see him right away. He was holding his own, as he had been doing since the fight began. And your husband, hiding behind his own army. That’s how he survived, that’s how he came to be called a Warlord. He hid behind troops less important than he was, and then controlled the truth. History is recorded by the Victors. That wasn’t going to be the case this time. Not with Mathayus - who surpassed being a Warlord.
To your surprise, Mathayus looked up at you. His dark eyes were reflecting the fire coming from the torches that his men were holding. It was a threat, those flames, that he could burn this city to the ground if it came to it. And yet, he didn’t have the look of wanting to kill you, in particular.
What you did do was move your eyes down to a grate that was below you, in the walls of the palace. It was one of the few weaknesses in the exterior, and it could only really be found if a person knew that it was there. It was hidden beneath foliage, bushes and flora. He followed where your eyeline was and found it. It would be a tight fit but there was no better way to conquer the city with as little bloodshed as possible than to take the castle. He went running for it, and you ducked back inside, hurrying through the flurry of anxious servants to go to where the grate lead in - air for the scullery, since it got quite hot in there.
The kitchen was empty. The cooks had been in bed, and their place of work was hardly the first place that they would go running to during an emergency like this. Mathayus’s thick frame was squeezing through the window, bringing down flowers and grass around him, making him look like something out of a painting. You gasped as you saw him up close like this - nearly shirtless, but with so many decorations hanging around his neck.
“The Castle is yours, my King,” you said, bowing down to him, realizing at that moment that you were still in your bedclothes, leaving you quite exposed. No matter. It just proved the submission of the keep more so. “By entering, you have already won.”
He looked you over, a smirk on his face as he realized you were nearly bare. That you were bowing down to him rather than to the ‘Warlord’ keeper of the city. “Demartus - is he your husband?”
“Unfortunately so,” you said, standing back up straight. “But he is not the person that you think that he is. Or that he thinks that he is. He hides behind his men, his warriors. They protect him because he is rich, not because he is a good fighter. He has them kill the opposition and then writes the story of his victory. He wouldn’t survive one swing of your sword, my King.”
Mathayus took a moment to think of all of this. The sounds coming from outside were growing louder as the battle came closer to the castle. “And what about you?”
“I know the people of this city. They never wanted a war. They never would have risen up against you. They’re all hiding out in their houses, I’m sure, cursing the name of my husband for all of the damage that is being done. I know that - when you win, I can talk to them. I can make this city prosper under your name,” you said, showing off that you were smart, that you were charismatic, and that you did care about more than just yourself. You had more than a reputation to offer.
“Are you negotiating?” Mathayus asked, sounding amused. That was a good thing. As long as he didn’t sound insulted, that is.
“I suppose I am. Kill my husband, kill Demartus and this city, and everyone that is in it, will be yours absolutely willingly. No one would ever rise up against a true king like you in here,” you said, daring to look into his eyes. He seemed to regard this, and then stepped forward, a large hand going to your side. He rubbed his thumb against your skin, sending goosebumps all the way through your body. It was the most pleasurable touch that you ever felt. In return, you put your hand up to his chest, pressing it against his heart. “I swear this to you, My King.”
“What if I don’t want you to stay here?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “What if I would prefer you in Gomorrah?”
“That could be easily arranged, my King,” you said, feeling the warmth of his body underneath your fingertips. The rush of his heart. It hadn’t been going quickly when you first put your hand on him but now - it seemed to be increasing. “Whatever you wish.”
“Opportunistic, aren’t you?” He said, with a small laugh.
“I’m not stupid enough not to grasp every chance that I can get,” you said, honestly. And the way that he looked at you - you could tell it was more than admiration for your body. He was looking at you as though he were admiring your mind. “Besides - you’re the one who would be doing me all the favors, and I would be extremely grateful.”
“I can see that you would,” he said, looking over you one more time, the shape of your legs, the way that you held yourself, the way that you had your hand on his heart. “It’d be my honor.”
“I’ll be waiting in my bedchambers,” you said, exhaling with excitement. “That would be the best place to show your domination of the keep.”
A smirk took over Mathayus’s face. “I like the way that you think,” he said, in his deep tone.
He climbed back out through the grate that let the air out of the kitchen and you watched as his strong legs slid out, before being replaced once more with the branches of the shrubbery. You knew it wouldn’t take him long to kill your husband. He would cut through his guards as if they were nothing but butter. You hurried out of the kitchen, and through the chaos of the servants.
\
“Get to your rooms,” you said to them as you ran through. “It’ll be over soon. You’ll be safer in your chambers.”
Your voice commanded them through the frenzy, and they took your lead. You had their respect after all. Much more than your husband had. They trusted you. They listened to you, forming a single file line instead of running all amuck and making their way down the hallways. You went to your own chambers after closing the door.
You could hear the sounds from outside. Battlecries. Groans from the dying and the injured. But there weren’t as many of those as you might have feared there would be. If only your window looked out towards the front rather than one of the courtyards. You’d be able to see the death of your husband. You would be able to see your problems coming to an end right in front of your eyes. For now, you had to content yourself with imagining it. The look of horror as fate finally caught up with Demartus. Mathayus, stabbing that smug look off of his face. Your freedom - though you were going to be giving it up to another man. A stronger, more noble man.
It didn’t take long for your door to swing open, for a large figure to fill the doorway. Six foot five, shoulders barely able to make it into the room, he had to turn himself slightly to come in. “The tyrant has been taken care of,” he said to you.
“I’m a little surprised that you didn’t bring me his head,” you said, moving over to him, looking for any damage that he might have gotten in return. There was nothing. His body had blood, but it did not seem to be coming from any wound that you could see.
“Such a thing might have seemed a bit too ... smug?” He said and let out a light laugh. It was music to your ears, and you joined him in that.
“I would think that you deserve it. The chance to be smug,” You admired, looking up into his dark eyes. “After all, not only did you kill a warlord, but you freed his wife, and this city from his tyranny. Heroes ... they should get the chance to show off once in a while.”
“I’d prefer to show off my spoils,” Mathayus said, looking you up and down. Oh, you enjoyed the way that his eyes wandered over you. It made you feel wanted, and desired by this beast of a man. But he also didn’t look at you like you were property, no, he looked at you as if you were truly, were a woman.
“I’d prefer to be called a treasure, myself,” You purred. His eyes lit up and he started to laugh again.
“Treasure - I like that. My own piece of treasure - I’m going to keep it close.”
He initiated the first kiss. His lips were hot, like the sands during the day, but not nearly as dry, nor as cracked. His strong arms went around your body, pulling you close, treating you like precious gold he wanted to wear on his person. Your own arms went around his neck, just as thick as the rest of him. He truly was a man in every sense of the word, masculinity was in his very sweat, in the heat of the kiss, in the gentle way that he held you despite the fact that he could break you very easily - and was most likely aware of that fact.
The city was freed from your tyrant husband and surrendered easily enough to Mathayus’s rule. He changed things according to your advice, since you had seen everything that had gone wrong. The fact that he actually listened to you was refreshing. He didn’t see you as a trophy, he saw you as an equal, took your words under guidance. And with both of your brains, you were able to rule the land with peace, only going to war when it was absolutely necessary. No more authoritarianism, no more rulers hiding behind their people, no more suffering because of greedy decisions - you were as praised as your King, the way it should be.