phoenixstrut | [AU] For the Greater Good

"letters? What the hell does that mean?!"

For all his bad temper, she's got the fire to match it, though... she does take another step back.

There's a harsh laugh, and again it sounds wrong in a way that was pure sound - something about the way he's making it isn't right.

"The high did teach you to read, didn't they? It wouldn't surprise me if they had neglected that was well!"

Leave him alone, leave him alone!

She's silent, absolutely seething at the attack. "It's not different than any of you here," she snaps back, retreating another step and shaking her head. "Fine. Suffer on your own. I'll go read."

It probably does very little for their 'happy newlywed' image as she slams the door of their room and all but flies down the hall, as from from him as she can. He wants her to read? Fine. The library is home to one of the few only other people she 'knows' anyway.

Edited 2020-07-12 03:35 (UTC)

She's barely in the door before Duke makes himself known by holding a book in front of her.

He's also a little frustrated, a bit frazzled, and still that familiar, low hum of irritation.

She flinches at his sudden appearance and rubs the back of her hand along her eyes before addressing him.

"What, you want me to learn to read, too?" she bites, though it's half-hearted.

This is a particularly unimpressed look.

"There's a different section for that." This book is far too thick for a novice, Dove.

"I had misjudged what information the High deigned to continue to teach. One would think they would still keep information about the oldest of their foes and inform themselves with it, however..." Bitter, actually, old and bitter.

"Hmmm," she grumbles, taking the book and studying the thickness. "One would also think they liked me enough not to purposefully throw me to the wolves."

Though she hadn't really meant it... even she falls silent a moment as the words settle in. Maybe the people she trusted really had sent her in as unprepared as possible, though she couldn't imagine why. Regardless...

"So what is this?"

Duke has no positive reply as to how he thinks the High has functioned recently, so he keeps it all to himself.

"What the alignments mean to old world demons. How their sphere of Influence affects them, and the like."

There's a bookmark in it. The book opens to Lust.

Sadly enough, she'd likely agree with him on whatever it is he has to say, despite her own alignment.

For now, she only frowns as she flips the book open and peers down, scowling at the page. It's written in an old language, one that she actually has to study a moment before it clicks properly, though in her frustration, she's still too hasty to comprehend. "I know he's Lust aligned," she sighs, starting to close it again. "How did you even know that's why I'm here-"

"The whole manor is under the domain of the King. This includes his Influence." It comes out a tiny bit sharp. He's not really that irritated directly with her, its just. his usual irritation with the world. He rubs his forehead, probably... the most she's really seen him emote, outside of nodding, and drinking tea instead of answering.

"He is, and it is the base of his Influence. Open it and read."

His more-than-usual irritation has her studying him for a moment before she takes his advice and actually opens the book again, her own frustration clear.

For a moment, she just skims the page, frowning as the words piece themselves together... and then goes entirely pale and wide eyed as it finally clicks into place.

"...shit."

"Exactly." Duke watches.

"And thus why the rest of the manor is avoiding that area. His Influence is calling, and he's keeping it off of you. You, now, have a choice." And the implication is if the king had desired any of the staff at the moment, they probably wouldn't.

Of course, Zaveid never let it get like this before he tried the whole married thing.

The implication is loud and clear and hits much harder than she would have expected... as does the choice at hand.

"Why?" she she hisses, shaking her head. There's a touch of relief that, okay, he's not a horrible person in choosing to spare her from manipulation, but then-

"That idiot... we're..." There's very little conviction in her voice, even as she backs away from Duke, still clutching the book. She's not sure whether to confront Zaveid or to avoid him for the rest of...forever.

"Why override the will of the woman he's supposed to unite two people with a massive history of war, just so he doesn't go hungry?" Duke retorts.

"That would go over well, wouldn't it." Sarcasm! He does know it.

Edited 2020-07-12 05:01 (UTC)

"He could have at least said something," she bites, more in a rise of anxiety than actual spite. She snaps the book shut and offers it back to him, unsure of what exactly to do.

On one hand, she had left him boiling in anger and sounding as though he might literally eat her should she push him any further, and on the other... on the other, she knows somewhere deep down that she can't continue to run from him, if they're going to make eternity work at all.

Either way, Duke is right, and she doesn't exactly want to pester him for answers he's not likely to give her. Desperate as she is, she still doesn't exactly want to discuss this with an almost stranger.

"...thanks," she finally mumbles, turning to go, embarrassed and hurt by her failed preparations.

"To tell someone of a need that is considered basic, but the other knows nothing of?" Duke accepts the book. "I can understand why one wouldn't."

There's a faint hum, a flicker of acceptance, he heard you.

To consider that as a basic need isn't something that she's ever thought of as unreasonable, but at this scale...

She hands him the book and heads back out of the library, working her way back to their room and trying not to panic as she tries to figure out how to approach this...and once this is handled, how to approach her Council without burning them all from the inside out.

Duke thinks they could use a good burning, to be quite honest, but he's going to retire to his tea and Not Pay Attention To Anything Else.

Zaveid has returned to just a mess of frustration, and now that she knows what she's looking for, an interesting sort of desperately hungry. While not as bad as the book said it could get, it was probably a little clear that he was locking himself away in the bathroom to prevent any sort of instinctual... anything.

She presses her forehead to the door, steadying herself with a few deep breaths before she finally opens it and heads inside, shutting it carefully behind her before slowly crossing to the bathroom door instead.

Her throat is tight, but the frustration spilling out from behind the door, while it scares her, tugs at something different this time. Shit...

"... Zaveid? Let...Let me in."

"Go to sleep, princess-" Zaveid grumbles it. The intensity of what he's feeling gives away that he most definitely wasn't almost asleep, despite the roughness of his voice.

"Zaveid." Her tone's a touch more resolute this time, even if still as gentle as she can manage, given the circumstances. There's a pause as she summons a kernel of her power and sends it through to him- that aura of calm comfort and warmth. "Let me in."

He is not going to let her in here before he's sure, no matter how much he wants to knock down the door.

"Do y'know what your asking?" What will happen if she comes in here, anything like that.

He's closer, the desperation-could-be-over and frustration at not being sure, don't jump at it-

There's silence for a few long beats, then,

"...Yes."

A soft thunk, like his head is on the door, a sound that should have been fingers on the latch but didn't sound quite right.

"I'm..." A breathy admitting, the relief is soon, and something small and bright that she's actually accepting him in someway More Important than simply being married. "Not quite myself." And the door opens.

That's really all the warning he has for the fact that he's in the early stages of a draconic transformation, scales highlighting along his cheekbones, spine, in rough edges along his hands and arms. His full crown of horns is present, as is distinctly Wrong eyes.

... Dove has about two breaths to realize this before he is carefully reaching for her to press his mouth to hers.

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phoenixstrut - 2020-07-12 06:13 (UTC) - Expand

[AU] For the Greater Good

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