Cold Hands, War[m] Heart [Namingtoohard & Fanatasia]

[Namingtoohard]

Fiora would continue to frown for a few seconds as Sorei tried to brush aside the matter at hand, unable to help but feel her lover hadn't quite taken her words to heart. Finally, she would relent, giving a defeated sigh followed by a sort of half-hearted shrug. Part of her wished to press the issue further, but the girl had other things on her mind right now, and Sorei's hands were doing a very good job at being a pleasant distraction. Even as Sorei moved to sit back, Fiora would press forward, straddling her shamelessly while her hands came to rest on the girl's shoulders.

"A guard? No, no. He was one of the castle's stablehands, in charge of caring for the animals that ferry people up and down the mountain" Fiora offered simply, giving a bit of a casual shrug. She refrained from saying much about the man himself, afraid that it mig have a few adverse effects on her lover. Instead she brought a hand up to Sorei's jaw, before leaning down over to claim another kiss. She would press her lips to Sorei's with surprising tenderness, but behind it burned both a powerful desire and an unwillingness to relent. When she withdrew, it was only a mere fraction, so that their faces still hovered close. Her voice was little more than a whisper, soft and husky.

"Now, what were you saying about tending to me?"

When the king was finally delivered his message, he would scowl something terrible, much to the shock of the man who had delivered the queen's words. Beating a hurried retreat, the messenger would disappear into the crowd. After a few moments of silent contemplation, he would rise, quickly storming off towards the town elder's home. Alas, his arrival came too late, and he arrived only to find his wife's sleeping form. With a scowl, he would withdraw, and none too quietly either. Leith would head back towards the bonfire then, and spend the rest of the night with the locals. He continued his facade of making merry with them, until the last few who remained all passed out around the smouldering bonfire, which had burned itself low in the late hours of the night.

Naturally, it would not be the cold that awoke Leith the next morning. Rather, it was the sun that did him in. Woken during the earliest hours of the morning, he would rise, feeling extremely stiff given where he had passed out. After a few moments to compose himself, the king settled for waking the guards and getting everything ready so that they could make way. The sooner they were away from this place, the better...mostly because he would finally be able to call out his beloved wife on what he had convinced himself was one giant, extended lie.

[Fanatasia]

Sorei eyed her quietly, furrowing her brow. Though, she leaned into a brief kiss, whispering, "Well... Get off me so I can get up." She taunted, her lips stretching into a grin.

Should Fiora oblige, Sorei would shift her to take the place she had vacated, and then she'd move to place Fiora on the edge of the baths, before trailing kisses along her legs. "Mhm. You taste delectable, darling." With those words, Sorei's hands grasped Fiora's hips as she buried her face to truly taste the other female's core; though she quickly evened her timing, slowed her movements; and she was going to tease the hell out of Fiora unless forced to do otherwise.

When the King entered the home, and woke her as he left, the woman would gather their daughter and leave. The house would be vacant; as if nobody had stayed the night there. The dragon was even gone. All trace of the Royals gone, a maid would rush to alert the King once preparations had been settled with.

"She's not there--there's nobody in that house, sire."

Aine and Yelena had left--with Oron in tow. The toddler had slept through the night, and Aine had allowed Oron to take them into the skies. They had gone far; quite so. She had left no note, nothing to give away her whereabouts--and she and her daughter had spent the night atop a cliff, overlooking the ocean.

And, by the time her husband had begun to prepare their caravan again, and the maid had told him of his wife and child's absence, she was just entering the forest to forage for food with Yelena; giggling and playing with the child as they walked, Oron behind them...

[Namingtoohard]

Rather predictably, Fiora would comply with Sorei's request, quite content to follow her lover's instructions for the time being. She would be crazy not too, given everything that her words suggested. The girl would shift and move just as asked, settling down on the side of the bath immediately and without hesitation.

A soft shiver would run the length of the guard's body as Sorei kissed her way up along Fiora's thighs. A soft moan would slip from her lips as the girl leaned in to begin her work, eyes fluttering closed almost immediately. The muscles in her legs would tense and her toes would curl as sensation overwhelmed her, obliterating any knowledge of the outside world beyond their current association. One of her hands would snake its way downwards to bury itself in Sorei's hair, tangling itself amongst her locks with reckless abandon as she sought to anchor herself somehow. The other would grip the tiled edge of the pool tightly, almost in desperation.

She would have little choice but to ride things out until her body had reached its limit. The moment was accompanied by a series of loud cries. When the moment finally passed, she finally relaxed, body almost going limp as her strength seemed to bleed out of her. Her breaths came short and raspy, and it would be several moments before she recovered.

The prince's scowl would only deepen as the maid informed him of where his wife had gone, and he quickly moved to get underway, He returned to the royal caravan, calling for the guards to form up immediately. The king would also summon Irina, who he would call with barely-concealed rage. Just what the hell did the woman think she was doing, taking their child off like that without any sort of assistance? They were still feeling the effects of last time his wife had been left unguarded.

"Irina, can you lead us to your brother? Now" he hissed through gritted teeth. From there, he announced that they were following the dragon for the time being, who huffed in some form of reply. With that said, the dragon would spread her wings and take to the air. Whether or not she would be able to find them, the prince did not know. Still, he ordered their little group to follow after the dragon, before moving to claim one of the horses. He had no intentions of leaving their caravan behind himself, making the same mistake he was already going to berate her for.

[Fanatasia]

Sorei grinned softly, resting her chin against one of the others legs, as she watched sensations claim her all at once. She shifted to pull herself up onto the edge of the bath, and leaned to press a soft, gentle kiss against the others' lips.

"Mmh. Been too long," she teased, as she settled atop the other female, one arm holding her weight. " Now come, let's properly bathe." She'd croon, fingers brushing against a spot of blood on the others face. "You've got a bit of... grime there, dear."

Aine laughed softly, as she held Yelena's hand tightly. The little toddler had snagged a handful of berries, and shoved them in Oron's mouth. Once the dragon had eaten them, Aine allowed the child too. She couldn't tell what color or shape the berries were; and Sinder was filled with poisonous berries. So she had to be careful.

The woman would continue walking, her bare feet careful on the hot soil. "Did you like the sunrise, Yela?" She inquired, her hues finding the blurred form that was her child. "Uhuh. Pink!" She exclaimed, as she stumbled along with her mother. Yelena was not used to the roots, the heat of the ground; the actual heat of the country. But she was adapting.

Oron kept close to his mistresses, growling low in his throat as trees began to rustle. The forest they had entered was not far from the village; a few miles or so, and Irina would certainly arrive first. They'd left the coast behind hours ago; after sunrise. The male dragon lurched into the air, snarling--only to stop as he took in the sight of his sister.

Aine had moved forwards with Yelena, stating, "Daddy seems to be on his way, Yela." She didn't know what her husband would do; but she wanted to spend as much time with her daughter as possible, before he found them. She was almost certain he'd not let her off palace-grounds at this rate.

It would be a few hours still, before Leith and the caravan found the edge of the forest--a clear beaten path through it that would take them to the Capitol, as well. So Aine had not taken them off course, rather she had led them on-course. The little clearing he would finally find the dragons and his wife in, appeared to be an old camp. Shantybuildings, fire-pits, so forth could be seen.

"Dada!" Yelena's shriek pierced the air, causing her mother to release her, and clasp her hands in her lap. All focus quickly turned to listening for footsteps; so that she could gauge when he would be in front of her.

[Namingtoohard]

"Mm, most definitely" Fiora would mutter softly. She leaned against her lower gently throughout the entire exchange, quite content to let Sorei take her weight for the time being. She would crinkle her nose briefly as Sorei pointed out that there was something on her face, wiping away a little bit of gore, before giving a small nod as she announced that the two of them should wash off good and proper. Willing her body to move, Fiora would slip from the edge and back into the bath good and proper, quickly stepping out to where the water was a little bit deeper. Sinking in up to her shoulders, the girl would turn back to face Sorei once more.

"So...you wash my back and I wash yours?" she offered simply, a smile curling at the edges of her lips. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't fancy a nap right about now, but probably best to get nice and clean first" she added quickly. Naturally, that was accompanied by the unsaid invitation that Sorei was more than welcome to join her.

The mood around the caravan was sombre as their party continued to chase after the silhouette of the dragon in the sky. Even the guards seemed worried about the king's wrath, and most of them gave him a wide berth. He spurred his horse on ahead of the convoy, moving at a speedy trot with his eyes turned upwards. When they finally drew close, Oron would be the first thing that he took notice of, followed by the squeal of his little girl. Relief flickered across his feet, and Leith would promptly reign his horse in, before dismounting and crouching down as their little girl approached.

"Well hello there, princess" he would offer simply. The king had no scorn for the little girl, considering that she had just been following her mother's lead. Leith held no animosity towards her, though his rage was still only thinly-veiled. He would scoop her up calmly, before gesturing for one of the nearest guards to come and take her. He had to deal with the girl's mother yet, and that was certainly going to be much more troublesome. "You go and get settled, hm? I'm going to go speak with mum, and then we can finally go home" he offered simply as they withdrew.

After that, the prince turned his attention to his wife. He made no attempt to conceal his anger at this point, and only paused briefly to call Irina down from the sky and back to his side. She obeyed, and the man thundered towards his traitorous wife. He would pause a few good metres behind her, scowling calmly. It took all of his self-xontrol not to lash out, and the man only really refrained because he knew Oron would not take kindly to such an action. He half-expected that the dragon would attack him despite his connection with Oron's sister. He hesitated for a few brief moments as he looked at her - where the hell should he start?

"...I'm really not sure which pisses me off more. The idea that you've been lying to me for our entire relationship, or the knowledge that you fled into the forest with our daughter when you've already been attacked once" he started simply. His voice was low - the king did not yell. The venom in his tone was enough, though, and his upper lip curled back as if he was snarling.

[Fanatasia]

Sorei chuckled softly, as she settled back into the water. "More or less," she'd croon, cocking her head to one side. "Mmm. A nap sounds so good about now," she'd lean to kiss the other woman's cheek, before brushing her hands across her shoulderblades. "The quicker we wash, the quicker we can go to bed." She cooed, with a lopsided grin.

The queen listened softly, as he greeted their child. She angled her head slightly so that she could watch his blurred form come towards her; and then come to a stop. Oron, sensing an aura of anger, had snarled and moved until he was between his mistress and her husband. His icy breath cooled the area considerably.

However, a firm hand from Aine, on the top of his head, and some quietly spoken words sent the beast into the sky. The venom in his tone stung; and she pulled herself to stand, holding herself proud despite the fact it may get her slapped. "I had Oron. Nothing was going to happen, Leith. Besides, I'm not standing in the middle of a goddamn country of backstabbing cretins." The venom in her own voice was not as calm as Leith's, it was more like... a slap, with just her words, though.

The woman drew away from her husband, and murmured, "I wanted her to see the sun, when it set upon the coast. And I wanted to be able to tell her about the colors." Colors, by this point, were all she could really see. People were just blurs. She turned on her heel and found her way around the log bench, crossing her arms across her frail form as she muttered, "And as for lies, you've been lying to me, too. I don't know what about, but I know there has to be something." She spat, blind blue hues narrowing.

The queen's temper was as fiery as that hair of hers, and she formed a small ball of flame and launched it towards her husband's blur, before she turned on her heel and called the brute she called Oron. Great scaly legs settled in front of her, and she murmured, "I want you to go on ahead. Scout. There is bandits in these words, okay? Anyone you see, circle above them for me. Be my eyes." The beast took to the air once more, causing Aine to stumble under the force of his wings for a moment, before she stayed where she was, her back to her husband. She could care less as to whether she had hit him or not. It was to prove a point. She wasn't as weak as he perceived her; even without her sight or the dragon.

[Namingtoohard]

"So what are we waiting for, then?" Fiora would answer cheekily, taking her hands to her lover once more. The girl was quite content to put such thoughts into practice then, helping her lover wash herself off patiently. After that, the guard would turn her attention to herself, making sure to scrub herself thoroughly and comb any leftover blood and grime out of her hair. When they were both as clean as could be expected, she would move towards the edge of the pool, placing both of her hands on the edge and promptly pulling herself free. From there, she would grab two of the clean towels that had been hung up nearby, holding one out to her partner before wrapping the first about herself tightly.

Leith would snort softly as Oron took up the space between the two of them, quite unfazed by the cold chill that seemed to permeate the air. He was just as much a creature of ice and snow as the dragon himself, after all, and it was from his power that the reptile had been hatched. The only real threat the dragon posed was physical, and there were plenty of guards within earshot should either of them act rashly. His wife's words stung slightly, too, but they only served to further enrage the king, inciting his smouldering anger even further. It was not often that he showed such emotions openly - rage was a Sindarian weakness - but Leith was beginning to near the point of just letting loose.

Before he could form so much as a sentence, Leith was caught slightly off-guard by his own wife throwing a ball of fire at him. His eyes went wide in surprise, and the king threw up an arm to protect himself. A layer of ice quickly formed over the outside of his limb, as an added means of protection, and the ball of flame crashed against it. He could feel the heat, even through the ice that had formed, but it served to protect him from the worst of it. Only once Oron had been dismissed would he retaliate, stretching an arm out in front of him. A wave of frost would spread across the grass between the two of them, before congealing around Aine's feet, trying to trap them. The prince knew that she could just melt it if she truly desired, but a few seconds was all he needed.

"There's no need to be modest, dear. We're all backstabbing cretins here" he started simply, face distorted into a scowl now, not that she would be able to see it. He would take a few tentative steps forward, though the man kept one arm half-raised, ready to ward off any other sort of assault if totally necessary. "I mean, you did just help a man kidnap a young child out from under her own mother. Heck, it goes back further than that. I wonder if your father ever expected that his own little girl would be the one or order his death" he sneered, any prior restraint having well and truly vanished now. "Yes, we're both patricides, you and I. A mighty fine match, don't you think? But please, when you figure out what I've been lying about, do feel free to enlighten me"

The king was twisting events slightly here with his words - there was no doubt about that. He didn't seem to care, only wanting to hurt Aine with his accusations in his anger. Whether or not she would see through his deceit was another question entirely, of course.

[Fanatasia]

Sorei would go about cleaning her lover, and then herself. She'd watch the woman move towards the edge, and exit, with a sly little grin. Another tilt of her head caused her to chuckle softly, and whisper: "Aren't you a doll," before she followed.

Aine's feet trapped, she tripped due to not being able to see the ice. The woman's hands rested on the ground, and she listened to the man. And as he finished speaking, she simply fell. Any fight left, for sobs against her hands, those slender fingers tangling into those unruly red tresses.

After a second, she snarled, "I don't love you." And then the words poured from her lips before she could truly think; she only saw red: "I'm taking Yelena and... and I'm leaving." She was leaving--yes. Because the king held all the power in Sinder. Much like in Neve. "Enjoy your country," she hissed, as she shoved herself to her feet, and ordered the dragon to gather the child. As Oron landed and moved towards the caravan, Aine crossed her arms and waited.

"It's all you need, right? Just a foothole into war; into power." She hissed, tears streaking down her face, despite her anger she was extremely upset. She was very clearly going to leave--to take Yelena and flee the country; find asylum with an old ally.

[Namingtoohard]

Fiora would smile briefly as Sorei took the towel that was offered, unable to help herself. Once the two of them were both ready to go, the girl would turn and head for the door, quickly yanking it open before slipping into the hallway beyond. From there it was just a short trip from the baths to her room - one which was punctuated by the occasional yawn from the physically tired guard. She had no intentions of giving up her idea of a nap together, especially after the two of them had been apart for so long recently. As soon as they arrived, she was quick to pull her partner inside, hesitating only to leave brief instructions with the castle staff that they weren't to be disturbed.

A wince flickered across Leith's face at the next words to spill forth from Aine's mouth, despite his enraged state. That simple statement hurt more than any sort of insults she flung his way possibly could, as did the idea of losing his daughter when Aine fled. No, the prince could not stand for that. He wouldn't give up Yelena without a fight, even if his wife demanded that she was going to seek asylum elsewhere. Besides, would Sinder even accept a foreign king if there was no queen of Sindarian blood to sit beside him and verify his claim? No, he had to find some way to stop her.

"You aren't going anywhere. I'll not have you steal my daughter away from me" he stated. Suddenly, the man was quite glad that he had handed their little girl off to one of the guardsmen, who had taken her away. "Besides, will these so-called allies even harbour you if they hear that you've given up your only claim to power? Will they shelter a spoilt little noble brat that can offer them nothing?" He questioned. The prince risked a few more steps forward then, until he was practically standing over his fallen wife.

"Even then, what of your sister? Will you abandon Sorei, leave her all alone in Sinder while you flee elsewhere without her? If she chases you, she loses Fiora. If she stays, she loses you. Either choice seems just as likely to destroy her...and if they don't, I'll find another way to manage it" the prince offered snidely, clear contempt shining through in his eyes now as he looked down at his wife.

[Fanatasia]

Sorei grinned as she moved to follow, studying the woman's pace and gait as she walked about. A wry grin spread across her lips, and soon she had slipped an arm around the other woman. "I love you," she murmured the words against the others' hair, pressing a kiss to the top of Fiora's head. As they arrived, she was pulled inside and Sorei chuckled, moving to pull Fiora against her in a hug, hands resting against that bump.

"Hi."

Aine's face twisted, and she snarled out, "You're evil. You would not hurt those women, not like that." She simply fell; head hidden against her arms, face by her hair. "I hope you rot in hell," she hissed, dragging her hands through her hair as she felt Oron's snout nudging her roughly.

The dragon had growled lowly as the king came nearer to his mistress; and Aine pulled herself onto the creature's back, spitting: "I refuse to ride in a carriage with you." She was not risking her sisters' happiness to this man. She would figure out a way to dethrone the man; divorce was uncommonly requested by the woman, but typically allowed.