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‘You need to move. Stopping will only make it worse’ If he’d had the energy to lift his head away from the stone, Silanos would have favoured Daxos with his most disbelieving look.It could get worse?. He was quite sure that without the solid, reassuring presence of the wall at his side that he would just topple over on the street and that would be that. What kind of torture was this?
Such ruminations were interrupted by the rather decisive puking that followed, and Sil spat and spat to try and clear the taste, just that little bit too late to duck away from Daxos’ hand reaching toward him.Expecting more violence, Silanos could not have been more surprised at the almost gentle touch that he received instead,and this time he did look at the other man, warily, as if he were waiting for the biting follow up.
It didn’t come, and so the Valaoritis Lord gave some small murmur that might have been assent or protest at the nudge Daxos gave him, but he was at least moving again. He didn’t speak the rest of the way round, needing everything in him just to keep putting one foot in front of the other. He couldn’t hear much over the pounding in his head anyway, and it was as if everything distilled into that. Feet on stone, heart thumping, head aching. It became almost unconscious movement, somewhere his mind registering that if he stopped again, if he let his muscles stop working then that would be it.
And when they finally made it back into the courtyard, Sil stumbled away from Daxos, shrugging off the pack, locking his knees to try and stop his legs from trembling. Stretching?. The young Lord was quite certain if he even moved an inch then his legs would just give out under him and instead he just stood, breathing heavily, blotches of colour on his cheeks, a sheen of sweat over every visible piece of skin.
Gods, how he hated his brother in that moment.
He had not moved, seemingly anchored in place, when Daxos came offer and extended the waterskin to him and here Silanos proved at least a little responsive, taking the water and lifting it to his mouth, the “Thankyou” almost so quiet as to be inaudible as the guard turned away. Almost.
In truth, Sil was battling against stars dancing in his eyes and the further ignominy of passing out right here in front of everyone. It took a lot of concentration on trying to breathe deeply enough to chase off the blackness that threatened at the edge of his vision, and he couldn’t even find the will to be outwardly offended at Maleos’ words. Fuck him.
Food though, was not an appealing notion, not when all Sil wanted was to go collapse in a heap somewhere and just feel sorry for himself for about a year. Nor did he want to go and sit amongst those men who had been skewering him with displeased glares at having to wait, and so when Daxos turned to him, Sil shook his head. “I’m not hungry.”
He really wasn’t. His stomach churned unhappily even with the little water he’d taken onboard. “Just let me go and die somewhere quietly will you” he muttered, watching the soldiers flood into the hall. “I won’t even be any bother”. Though he also wasn’t particularly keen on spending any more time with dear Captain Maleos, so perhaps it was that fact that saw Sil trail miserably after Daxos and push his spoon around in the bowl of porridge as if he thought it might delay the inevitable.
Around them, the rest of the soldiers ate quickly and efficiently, loading food like the necessity it was with the hard physical training they went through on a daily basis. There was a little chatter, some ribald humour and more than a few curious glances cast over to Silanos, whose position of being the noble brother of their very own Commander had trickled through to even those who hadn’t recognised the younger Valaoritis on sight.
What had the lordling done to be stripped of title and made to train like the greenest recruit? And how serious was their Captain when he said he was to be treated no better than any of them. Even with Maleos’ words, it would take a brave man indeed to set aside the rules of class that they had grown up with. Sil could only hope it was an ingrained thing that would keep them at bay until he could get himself out of this ridiculous punishment.
He glanced askance at Daxos, unsure now if the man was an ally or an enemy in this, and he opened his mouth more than once as if he might say something before closing it again and returning to slopping porridge around. It hardly looked appetizing even if he hadn’t felt on the edge of hurling again, and his lip curled a little as he looked at it. “Is this what you eat?” he asked after another long silence.
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‘You need to move. Stopping will only make it worse’ If he’d had the energy to lift his head away from the stone, Silanos would have favoured Daxos with his most disbelieving look.It could get worse?. He was quite sure that without the solid, reassuring presence of the wall at his side that he would just topple over on the street and that would be that. What kind of torture was this?
Such ruminations were interrupted by the rather decisive puking that followed, and Sil spat and spat to try and clear the taste, just that little bit too late to duck away from Daxos’ hand reaching toward him.Expecting more violence, Silanos could not have been more surprised at the almost gentle touch that he received instead,and this time he did look at the other man, warily, as if he were waiting for the biting follow up.
It didn’t come, and so the Valaoritis Lord gave some small murmur that might have been assent or protest at the nudge Daxos gave him, but he was at least moving again. He didn’t speak the rest of the way round, needing everything in him just to keep putting one foot in front of the other. He couldn’t hear much over the pounding in his head anyway, and it was as if everything distilled into that. Feet on stone, heart thumping, head aching. It became almost unconscious movement, somewhere his mind registering that if he stopped again, if he let his muscles stop working then that would be it.
And when they finally made it back into the courtyard, Sil stumbled away from Daxos, shrugging off the pack, locking his knees to try and stop his legs from trembling. Stretching?. The young Lord was quite certain if he even moved an inch then his legs would just give out under him and instead he just stood, breathing heavily, blotches of colour on his cheeks, a sheen of sweat over every visible piece of skin.
Gods, how he hated his brother in that moment.
He had not moved, seemingly anchored in place, when Daxos came offer and extended the waterskin to him and here Silanos proved at least a little responsive, taking the water and lifting it to his mouth, the “Thankyou” almost so quiet as to be inaudible as the guard turned away. Almost.
In truth, Sil was battling against stars dancing in his eyes and the further ignominy of passing out right here in front of everyone. It took a lot of concentration on trying to breathe deeply enough to chase off the blackness that threatened at the edge of his vision, and he couldn’t even find the will to be outwardly offended at Maleos’ words. Fuck him.
Food though, was not an appealing notion, not when all Sil wanted was to go collapse in a heap somewhere and just feel sorry for himself for about a year. Nor did he want to go and sit amongst those men who had been skewering him with displeased glares at having to wait, and so when Daxos turned to him, Sil shook his head. “I’m not hungry.”
He really wasn’t. His stomach churned unhappily even with the little water he’d taken onboard. “Just let me go and die somewhere quietly will you” he muttered, watching the soldiers flood into the hall. “I won’t even be any bother”. Though he also wasn’t particularly keen on spending any more time with dear Captain Maleos, so perhaps it was that fact that saw Sil trail miserably after Daxos and push his spoon around in the bowl of porridge as if he thought it might delay the inevitable.
Around them, the rest of the soldiers ate quickly and efficiently, loading food like the necessity it was with the hard physical training they went through on a daily basis. There was a little chatter, some ribald humour and more than a few curious glances cast over to Silanos, whose position of being the noble brother of their very own Commander had trickled through to even those who hadn’t recognised the younger Valaoritis on sight.
What had the lordling done to be stripped of title and made to train like the greenest recruit? And how serious was their Captain when he said he was to be treated no better than any of them. Even with Maleos’ words, it would take a brave man indeed to set aside the rules of class that they had grown up with. Sil could only hope it was an ingrained thing that would keep them at bay until he could get himself out of this ridiculous punishment.
He glanced askance at Daxos, unsure now if the man was an ally or an enemy in this, and he opened his mouth more than once as if he might say something before closing it again and returning to slopping porridge around. It hardly looked appetizing even if he hadn’t felt on the edge of hurling again, and his lip curled a little as he looked at it. “Is this what you eat?” he asked after another long silence.
‘You need to move. Stopping will only make it worse’ If he’d had the energy to lift his head away from the stone, Silanos would have favoured Daxos with his most disbelieving look.It could get worse?. He was quite sure that without the solid, reassuring presence of the wall at his side that he would just topple over on the street and that would be that. What kind of torture was this?
Such ruminations were interrupted by the rather decisive puking that followed, and Sil spat and spat to try and clear the taste, just that little bit too late to duck away from Daxos’ hand reaching toward him.Expecting more violence, Silanos could not have been more surprised at the almost gentle touch that he received instead,and this time he did look at the other man, warily, as if he were waiting for the biting follow up.
It didn’t come, and so the Valaoritis Lord gave some small murmur that might have been assent or protest at the nudge Daxos gave him, but he was at least moving again. He didn’t speak the rest of the way round, needing everything in him just to keep putting one foot in front of the other. He couldn’t hear much over the pounding in his head anyway, and it was as if everything distilled into that. Feet on stone, heart thumping, head aching. It became almost unconscious movement, somewhere his mind registering that if he stopped again, if he let his muscles stop working then that would be it.
And when they finally made it back into the courtyard, Sil stumbled away from Daxos, shrugging off the pack, locking his knees to try and stop his legs from trembling. Stretching?. The young Lord was quite certain if he even moved an inch then his legs would just give out under him and instead he just stood, breathing heavily, blotches of colour on his cheeks, a sheen of sweat over every visible piece of skin.
Gods, how he hated his brother in that moment.
He had not moved, seemingly anchored in place, when Daxos came offer and extended the waterskin to him and here Silanos proved at least a little responsive, taking the water and lifting it to his mouth, the “Thankyou” almost so quiet as to be inaudible as the guard turned away. Almost.
In truth, Sil was battling against stars dancing in his eyes and the further ignominy of passing out right here in front of everyone. It took a lot of concentration on trying to breathe deeply enough to chase off the blackness that threatened at the edge of his vision, and he couldn’t even find the will to be outwardly offended at Maleos’ words. Fuck him.
Food though, was not an appealing notion, not when all Sil wanted was to go collapse in a heap somewhere and just feel sorry for himself for about a year. Nor did he want to go and sit amongst those men who had been skewering him with displeased glares at having to wait, and so when Daxos turned to him, Sil shook his head. “I’m not hungry.”
He really wasn’t. His stomach churned unhappily even with the little water he’d taken onboard. “Just let me go and die somewhere quietly will you” he muttered, watching the soldiers flood into the hall. “I won’t even be any bother”. Though he also wasn’t particularly keen on spending any more time with dear Captain Maleos, so perhaps it was that fact that saw Sil trail miserably after Daxos and push his spoon around in the bowl of porridge as if he thought it might delay the inevitable.
Around them, the rest of the soldiers ate quickly and efficiently, loading food like the necessity it was with the hard physical training they went through on a daily basis. There was a little chatter, some ribald humour and more than a few curious glances cast over to Silanos, whose position of being the noble brother of their very own Commander had trickled through to even those who hadn’t recognised the younger Valaoritis on sight.
What had the lordling done to be stripped of title and made to train like the greenest recruit? And how serious was their Captain when he said he was to be treated no better than any of them. Even with Maleos’ words, it would take a brave man indeed to set aside the rules of class that they had grown up with. Sil could only hope it was an ingrained thing that would keep them at bay until he could get himself out of this ridiculous punishment.
He glanced askance at Daxos, unsure now if the man was an ally or an enemy in this, and he opened his mouth more than once as if he might say something before closing it again and returning to slopping porridge around. It hardly looked appetizing even if he hadn’t felt on the edge of hurling again, and his lip curled a little as he looked at it. “Is this what you eat?” he asked after another long silence.
The soldier nodded at the small thanks he had received from the young lord. He didn't often get positive words from the man-child, but he wouldn't let it go to his head. The day had only just begun and there was so much more than they had to do. The soldier wasn't sure that he could even finish the whole day, but he had to give the boy credit, he completed the run, some couldn't.
He nodded at receiving his captain's orders, "Yes, captain." He turned and nudged the young lord into the mess hall. Finding a small bench off to the side he motioned for the young lord to sit down next to him. Next, he went to the pot and grabbed two bowls, one for him and Silanos. Returning and placing it in the young lord's hand, "Eat. You'll need it for the drills. We still have..." he pondered for a moment, "at least another five hours of drills. Possibly eight."
He sat down next to the young lord and began to eat. "Is this what you eat?" he heard the incredulous voice come from the man-child next to him. Daxos broke out into a chortle, but since he still had food in his mouth and started choking.
Clearing his throat and laughing at the same time he turned to Silanos, "This is actually better than what we eat on a campaign. There's meat, grains, and vegetables in here. Sometimes we only get one if we're on a campaign long enough and we're behind enemy lines. Despite the way it may taste or smell, it's hearty, and it's exactly what you need to keep going. But don't eat it too fast. Same thing with the water, you'll lose it if you eat too quickly." Daxos elbowed the young lord lightly and started eating his food again, taking small sips of water in between.
Moments after, Daxos' friend, Maxis, walked up cautiously, "Hey Daxos!" He turned and looked at the young lord, his brown eyes warily eyed the lord, "Lor- uh... Silanos." He bowed his bald head with respect to the lord. Despite what the captain had said, it's hard to break all the traditions that one was ingrained with since birth.
Daxos smiled and bellowed, "Maxis! My friend. Come sit with us. The maggot here was just telling me how much he loves this food we get." Daxos' laugh was loud and boisterous, causing the other men in the hall to feel a bit more at ease. They had been tense about the young lord being here, the soldier could feel it. It wasn't normal to see a noble in this kind of situation.
Daxos knew that if Silanos was to last in the unit, even if it was just drills, he needed to be accepted by the unit as a whole, or they would cause issues for him. His laughter and insistence of Maxis joining them caused the tension to loosen and the other soldiers began to speak and laugh louder. Fewer eyes watched the young lord than before.
The bald soldier sat down next to Daxos and looked over at the lord, "I'm sure our food is not up to your standard, but it's pretty good when you've had nothing to eat all day, my lor- Silanos." He smiled meekly.
"Maxis, no need to be so cordial with the maggot. You heard the captain! No need to be so uptight!" Daxos patted the young lord's back with some energy, "The maggot here did well for his first run. At least, after he lost his dinner!" The large soldier laughed heartily at his joke.
Maxis chuckled, "I see," He leaned over to look at Silanos directly, "Just so you know, this is sort of how all new recruits are handled. Everyone fights the captain. Everyone makes the run. I just hope when it comes to the unit drills you can keep up. Captain doesn't like it when one man falls behind. The phalanx is a cohesive unit."
"Indeed my friend, indeed. That's why you must eat! Eat maggot! It'll be a while before you can eat again! We still have much more to do today. Plus... We must see the captain after the meal, and let me tell you, it's best to face the captain on a full stomach." He smiled as he slurped down the last of his porridge.
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The soldier nodded at the small thanks he had received from the young lord. He didn't often get positive words from the man-child, but he wouldn't let it go to his head. The day had only just begun and there was so much more than they had to do. The soldier wasn't sure that he could even finish the whole day, but he had to give the boy credit, he completed the run, some couldn't.
He nodded at receiving his captain's orders, "Yes, captain." He turned and nudged the young lord into the mess hall. Finding a small bench off to the side he motioned for the young lord to sit down next to him. Next, he went to the pot and grabbed two bowls, one for him and Silanos. Returning and placing it in the young lord's hand, "Eat. You'll need it for the drills. We still have..." he pondered for a moment, "at least another five hours of drills. Possibly eight."
He sat down next to the young lord and began to eat. "Is this what you eat?" he heard the incredulous voice come from the man-child next to him. Daxos broke out into a chortle, but since he still had food in his mouth and started choking.
Clearing his throat and laughing at the same time he turned to Silanos, "This is actually better than what we eat on a campaign. There's meat, grains, and vegetables in here. Sometimes we only get one if we're on a campaign long enough and we're behind enemy lines. Despite the way it may taste or smell, it's hearty, and it's exactly what you need to keep going. But don't eat it too fast. Same thing with the water, you'll lose it if you eat too quickly." Daxos elbowed the young lord lightly and started eating his food again, taking small sips of water in between.
Moments after, Daxos' friend, Maxis, walked up cautiously, "Hey Daxos!" He turned and looked at the young lord, his brown eyes warily eyed the lord, "Lor- uh... Silanos." He bowed his bald head with respect to the lord. Despite what the captain had said, it's hard to break all the traditions that one was ingrained with since birth.
Daxos smiled and bellowed, "Maxis! My friend. Come sit with us. The maggot here was just telling me how much he loves this food we get." Daxos' laugh was loud and boisterous, causing the other men in the hall to feel a bit more at ease. They had been tense about the young lord being here, the soldier could feel it. It wasn't normal to see a noble in this kind of situation.
Daxos knew that if Silanos was to last in the unit, even if it was just drills, he needed to be accepted by the unit as a whole, or they would cause issues for him. His laughter and insistence of Maxis joining them caused the tension to loosen and the other soldiers began to speak and laugh louder. Fewer eyes watched the young lord than before.
The bald soldier sat down next to Daxos and looked over at the lord, "I'm sure our food is not up to your standard, but it's pretty good when you've had nothing to eat all day, my lor- Silanos." He smiled meekly.
"Maxis, no need to be so cordial with the maggot. You heard the captain! No need to be so uptight!" Daxos patted the young lord's back with some energy, "The maggot here did well for his first run. At least, after he lost his dinner!" The large soldier laughed heartily at his joke.
Maxis chuckled, "I see," He leaned over to look at Silanos directly, "Just so you know, this is sort of how all new recruits are handled. Everyone fights the captain. Everyone makes the run. I just hope when it comes to the unit drills you can keep up. Captain doesn't like it when one man falls behind. The phalanx is a cohesive unit."
"Indeed my friend, indeed. That's why you must eat! Eat maggot! It'll be a while before you can eat again! We still have much more to do today. Plus... We must see the captain after the meal, and let me tell you, it's best to face the captain on a full stomach." He smiled as he slurped down the last of his porridge.
The soldier nodded at the small thanks he had received from the young lord. He didn't often get positive words from the man-child, but he wouldn't let it go to his head. The day had only just begun and there was so much more than they had to do. The soldier wasn't sure that he could even finish the whole day, but he had to give the boy credit, he completed the run, some couldn't.
He nodded at receiving his captain's orders, "Yes, captain." He turned and nudged the young lord into the mess hall. Finding a small bench off to the side he motioned for the young lord to sit down next to him. Next, he went to the pot and grabbed two bowls, one for him and Silanos. Returning and placing it in the young lord's hand, "Eat. You'll need it for the drills. We still have..." he pondered for a moment, "at least another five hours of drills. Possibly eight."
He sat down next to the young lord and began to eat. "Is this what you eat?" he heard the incredulous voice come from the man-child next to him. Daxos broke out into a chortle, but since he still had food in his mouth and started choking.
Clearing his throat and laughing at the same time he turned to Silanos, "This is actually better than what we eat on a campaign. There's meat, grains, and vegetables in here. Sometimes we only get one if we're on a campaign long enough and we're behind enemy lines. Despite the way it may taste or smell, it's hearty, and it's exactly what you need to keep going. But don't eat it too fast. Same thing with the water, you'll lose it if you eat too quickly." Daxos elbowed the young lord lightly and started eating his food again, taking small sips of water in between.
Moments after, Daxos' friend, Maxis, walked up cautiously, "Hey Daxos!" He turned and looked at the young lord, his brown eyes warily eyed the lord, "Lor- uh... Silanos." He bowed his bald head with respect to the lord. Despite what the captain had said, it's hard to break all the traditions that one was ingrained with since birth.
Daxos smiled and bellowed, "Maxis! My friend. Come sit with us. The maggot here was just telling me how much he loves this food we get." Daxos' laugh was loud and boisterous, causing the other men in the hall to feel a bit more at ease. They had been tense about the young lord being here, the soldier could feel it. It wasn't normal to see a noble in this kind of situation.
Daxos knew that if Silanos was to last in the unit, even if it was just drills, he needed to be accepted by the unit as a whole, or they would cause issues for him. His laughter and insistence of Maxis joining them caused the tension to loosen and the other soldiers began to speak and laugh louder. Fewer eyes watched the young lord than before.
The bald soldier sat down next to Daxos and looked over at the lord, "I'm sure our food is not up to your standard, but it's pretty good when you've had nothing to eat all day, my lor- Silanos." He smiled meekly.
"Maxis, no need to be so cordial with the maggot. You heard the captain! No need to be so uptight!" Daxos patted the young lord's back with some energy, "The maggot here did well for his first run. At least, after he lost his dinner!" The large soldier laughed heartily at his joke.
Maxis chuckled, "I see," He leaned over to look at Silanos directly, "Just so you know, this is sort of how all new recruits are handled. Everyone fights the captain. Everyone makes the run. I just hope when it comes to the unit drills you can keep up. Captain doesn't like it when one man falls behind. The phalanx is a cohesive unit."
"Indeed my friend, indeed. That's why you must eat! Eat maggot! It'll be a while before you can eat again! We still have much more to do today. Plus... We must see the captain after the meal, and let me tell you, it's best to face the captain on a full stomach." He smiled as he slurped down the last of his porridge.
With such an eventful day planned, Timaeus of Valaoritis certainly had hoped for a peaceful morning. However, that was not to be the case when the plan that he had masterminded was set into motion and the first step was done just a bit too... enthusiastically.
Sure, the baron had heard the insults from the soldier as his voice boomed throughout the manor’s halls. Even more annoyingly, he had also not missed the shouts of his brother, attempting to rouse the Baron into stopping what had already been set into motion long ago. Silanos would have been sorely disappointed if he thought he would find any reprieve with the Baron who responded to all the noise by shoving his head under the pillow and trying to drift back off for an extra hour or so. However, the events of the morning had been far too rowdy for the house to settle back into the silence that had been present before Daxos came storming into its halls. The staff was all rattled by what happened and as they were in the dark, Timaeus’s hopes of rest were shattered every time they stopped in front of his door, wondering if they should rouse him to inform him what had happened.
Before long, it was clear that the Baron was not going to succeed in his endeavor and had to finally admit defeat. Dressing in his old, pristine military garb, the Baron went about his usual morning routine. He ignored the pointed stares all the while as he was certainly not in the mood to discuss the events of the morning. The sheer number of worried glances though solidified the Baron’s desire to have a firm word with Daxos and make sure that next time he was fully aware that his job was to wake only Silanos. Not the entire Valaoritis household.
Right around the time that Silanos would have been returning to the barracks from his morning run, Timaeus made his way from the Valaoritis household to the very same place. His travel time was a lot shorter than his brother’s as he guided his beloved steed Thrasos to the unit’s home base at such a quick pace that a cloud of dust followed in his wake. The pair only paused when they arrived at the gate and were forced to wait for some of the recruits to open it for the lone Baron who was impatient to meet with the unit’s captain.
As soon as the gates were wide enough, Timaeus urged Thrasos through the gap at the same breakneck pace he had taken on the winding path. The speed wasn’t necessary, of course. The Baron was not late to the meeting that had been arranged alongside the orders that had set the whole day into motion. (Even if he was though, it’s not as if Maleos would truly mind with the two men being so close.) Instead, the whole spectacle was a bit of a power move, oddly. Timaeus didn’t need to be at the barracks and see how much of a fool Silanos was making of himself to know that there would be questions. Men who he had met during his days as the unit’s Captain and who still enjoyed a friendly relationship with the militaristic Baron would surely not think twice about asking their former comrade why they were to disregard his brother’s status.
Timaeus did not want to deal with such inquiries.
He had spent far too long brushing all of his brother’s misdeeds under the rug to allow himself to even admit that Silanos was a problem. It took him months to even admit as much to Roxana. There was no way that he could look his comrades in the eyes and inform them that Silanos was incorrigible that one more scandal might see him removed from the Valaoritis family tree. No, instead it was far better for Timaeus to put on that well-practiced expression of stone and show the unit that he was not one to be trifled with this morning. No man would even have the gall to approach him if they saw their leader thunder into the camp as if he was declaring declarations of war.
Though, the whole tactic may have been for nothing. Once he was as close to Maleos’s office as he could get, the Baron forced the beast to come to a skittering halt. In one swift motion, Timaeus dismounted from the horse and headed off in the direction of his friend’s quarters; further preventing any sort of interaction with the few men that weren’t at breakfast. Although the Baron had his head ducked down so that none of them could see his hard facade cracking at the edges, he could feel all of their stares boring into him. He knew that they were all aware that something was occurring in their ranks that day. That much was obvious with the appearance of Silanos. But now the Baron was here too? Timaeus knew that within the hour the whole barracks would be swarming with rumors of what had lead to such an eventful day. Perhaps even the more outlandish ones would be little more than a candle flickering in the darkness next to the truth.
He didn’t even bother to knock when he entered the soldier’s office and as soon as the door slammed shut behind him, shutting out the inquisitive looks and distance insults filtering through the air from the mess hall, Timaeus breathed an audible sigh of relief. His shoulders dropped and the strength he had shown thus far this morning seemingly drained out of him. “ Is this what things have come to?” The Baron muttered, more to himself than the Captain with him as he took a moment to recompose himself. The momentary dropping of the curtain of indifference was gone, but the strength that had come with it had not returned. Instead, all that was left was the dark bags under Tim’s eyes from one too many sleepless nights spent worrying over Sil and the slight hint of defeat in the tone he would only share with his close confidante.
“ So, how was it? Is my brother still with us?” Timaeus asked as he shrugged the riding cloak off, revealing his bright maroon military uniform underneath. Truthfully, the Baron was expecting to hear that Silanos had refused to take part in any of the drills and had instead spent the whole morning squawking about his noble status put him above the other soldiers. Of course, that probably means that Silanos would have taken quite a beating from Maleos if he had so much as tried to do that. Timaeus might know that there was a heart of gold within the man in front of him, but the Captain was known for not tolerating brats like Sil. That was why Timaeus had put him in the position after all.
Sauntering over to one of the chairs in the room, Timaeus sat down, ready to hear what had happened that morning when Silanos had received his rude awakening. Wanting to spur the man on a bit with the story, the Baron goaded him a bit, “ I don’t expect he faired too well with his initiation. He’s far too scrawny to stand a chance with the likes of you.” Timaeus had even managed to crack the faintest hint of a smile with this, knowing full well that the brat was likely a bloody pulp somewhere thanks to Maleos and his method of welcoming recruits. It hadn’t been something that had been in place when Tim was in charge, not with the consequences that came with pummeling someone of his status, but Tim had not been opposed to seeing it reinstated. Not when he knew all too well just how cocky the recruits could be.
However, beneath the jovial tone that Timaeus was trying to force himself to have, that slight hint of concern could still be heard in his voice. As much of a delinquent as he was, Silanos was still his brother. The baron couldn’t help, but worry bordering on paranoia over his well-being and panic over whether or not the boy was seriously hurt. Granted, he trusted Maleos, but still…Timaeus would be a lot more at ease to know if his brother was still in one piece or not.
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With such an eventful day planned, Timaeus of Valaoritis certainly had hoped for a peaceful morning. However, that was not to be the case when the plan that he had masterminded was set into motion and the first step was done just a bit too... enthusiastically.
Sure, the baron had heard the insults from the soldier as his voice boomed throughout the manor’s halls. Even more annoyingly, he had also not missed the shouts of his brother, attempting to rouse the Baron into stopping what had already been set into motion long ago. Silanos would have been sorely disappointed if he thought he would find any reprieve with the Baron who responded to all the noise by shoving his head under the pillow and trying to drift back off for an extra hour or so. However, the events of the morning had been far too rowdy for the house to settle back into the silence that had been present before Daxos came storming into its halls. The staff was all rattled by what happened and as they were in the dark, Timaeus’s hopes of rest were shattered every time they stopped in front of his door, wondering if they should rouse him to inform him what had happened.
Before long, it was clear that the Baron was not going to succeed in his endeavor and had to finally admit defeat. Dressing in his old, pristine military garb, the Baron went about his usual morning routine. He ignored the pointed stares all the while as he was certainly not in the mood to discuss the events of the morning. The sheer number of worried glances though solidified the Baron’s desire to have a firm word with Daxos and make sure that next time he was fully aware that his job was to wake only Silanos. Not the entire Valaoritis household.
Right around the time that Silanos would have been returning to the barracks from his morning run, Timaeus made his way from the Valaoritis household to the very same place. His travel time was a lot shorter than his brother’s as he guided his beloved steed Thrasos to the unit’s home base at such a quick pace that a cloud of dust followed in his wake. The pair only paused when they arrived at the gate and were forced to wait for some of the recruits to open it for the lone Baron who was impatient to meet with the unit’s captain.
As soon as the gates were wide enough, Timaeus urged Thrasos through the gap at the same breakneck pace he had taken on the winding path. The speed wasn’t necessary, of course. The Baron was not late to the meeting that had been arranged alongside the orders that had set the whole day into motion. (Even if he was though, it’s not as if Maleos would truly mind with the two men being so close.) Instead, the whole spectacle was a bit of a power move, oddly. Timaeus didn’t need to be at the barracks and see how much of a fool Silanos was making of himself to know that there would be questions. Men who he had met during his days as the unit’s Captain and who still enjoyed a friendly relationship with the militaristic Baron would surely not think twice about asking their former comrade why they were to disregard his brother’s status.
Timaeus did not want to deal with such inquiries.
He had spent far too long brushing all of his brother’s misdeeds under the rug to allow himself to even admit that Silanos was a problem. It took him months to even admit as much to Roxana. There was no way that he could look his comrades in the eyes and inform them that Silanos was incorrigible that one more scandal might see him removed from the Valaoritis family tree. No, instead it was far better for Timaeus to put on that well-practiced expression of stone and show the unit that he was not one to be trifled with this morning. No man would even have the gall to approach him if they saw their leader thunder into the camp as if he was declaring declarations of war.
Though, the whole tactic may have been for nothing. Once he was as close to Maleos’s office as he could get, the Baron forced the beast to come to a skittering halt. In one swift motion, Timaeus dismounted from the horse and headed off in the direction of his friend’s quarters; further preventing any sort of interaction with the few men that weren’t at breakfast. Although the Baron had his head ducked down so that none of them could see his hard facade cracking at the edges, he could feel all of their stares boring into him. He knew that they were all aware that something was occurring in their ranks that day. That much was obvious with the appearance of Silanos. But now the Baron was here too? Timaeus knew that within the hour the whole barracks would be swarming with rumors of what had lead to such an eventful day. Perhaps even the more outlandish ones would be little more than a candle flickering in the darkness next to the truth.
He didn’t even bother to knock when he entered the soldier’s office and as soon as the door slammed shut behind him, shutting out the inquisitive looks and distance insults filtering through the air from the mess hall, Timaeus breathed an audible sigh of relief. His shoulders dropped and the strength he had shown thus far this morning seemingly drained out of him. “ Is this what things have come to?” The Baron muttered, more to himself than the Captain with him as he took a moment to recompose himself. The momentary dropping of the curtain of indifference was gone, but the strength that had come with it had not returned. Instead, all that was left was the dark bags under Tim’s eyes from one too many sleepless nights spent worrying over Sil and the slight hint of defeat in the tone he would only share with his close confidante.
“ So, how was it? Is my brother still with us?” Timaeus asked as he shrugged the riding cloak off, revealing his bright maroon military uniform underneath. Truthfully, the Baron was expecting to hear that Silanos had refused to take part in any of the drills and had instead spent the whole morning squawking about his noble status put him above the other soldiers. Of course, that probably means that Silanos would have taken quite a beating from Maleos if he had so much as tried to do that. Timaeus might know that there was a heart of gold within the man in front of him, but the Captain was known for not tolerating brats like Sil. That was why Timaeus had put him in the position after all.
Sauntering over to one of the chairs in the room, Timaeus sat down, ready to hear what had happened that morning when Silanos had received his rude awakening. Wanting to spur the man on a bit with the story, the Baron goaded him a bit, “ I don’t expect he faired too well with his initiation. He’s far too scrawny to stand a chance with the likes of you.” Timaeus had even managed to crack the faintest hint of a smile with this, knowing full well that the brat was likely a bloody pulp somewhere thanks to Maleos and his method of welcoming recruits. It hadn’t been something that had been in place when Tim was in charge, not with the consequences that came with pummeling someone of his status, but Tim had not been opposed to seeing it reinstated. Not when he knew all too well just how cocky the recruits could be.
However, beneath the jovial tone that Timaeus was trying to force himself to have, that slight hint of concern could still be heard in his voice. As much of a delinquent as he was, Silanos was still his brother. The baron couldn’t help, but worry bordering on paranoia over his well-being and panic over whether or not the boy was seriously hurt. Granted, he trusted Maleos, but still…Timaeus would be a lot more at ease to know if his brother was still in one piece or not.
With such an eventful day planned, Timaeus of Valaoritis certainly had hoped for a peaceful morning. However, that was not to be the case when the plan that he had masterminded was set into motion and the first step was done just a bit too... enthusiastically.
Sure, the baron had heard the insults from the soldier as his voice boomed throughout the manor’s halls. Even more annoyingly, he had also not missed the shouts of his brother, attempting to rouse the Baron into stopping what had already been set into motion long ago. Silanos would have been sorely disappointed if he thought he would find any reprieve with the Baron who responded to all the noise by shoving his head under the pillow and trying to drift back off for an extra hour or so. However, the events of the morning had been far too rowdy for the house to settle back into the silence that had been present before Daxos came storming into its halls. The staff was all rattled by what happened and as they were in the dark, Timaeus’s hopes of rest were shattered every time they stopped in front of his door, wondering if they should rouse him to inform him what had happened.
Before long, it was clear that the Baron was not going to succeed in his endeavor and had to finally admit defeat. Dressing in his old, pristine military garb, the Baron went about his usual morning routine. He ignored the pointed stares all the while as he was certainly not in the mood to discuss the events of the morning. The sheer number of worried glances though solidified the Baron’s desire to have a firm word with Daxos and make sure that next time he was fully aware that his job was to wake only Silanos. Not the entire Valaoritis household.
Right around the time that Silanos would have been returning to the barracks from his morning run, Timaeus made his way from the Valaoritis household to the very same place. His travel time was a lot shorter than his brother’s as he guided his beloved steed Thrasos to the unit’s home base at such a quick pace that a cloud of dust followed in his wake. The pair only paused when they arrived at the gate and were forced to wait for some of the recruits to open it for the lone Baron who was impatient to meet with the unit’s captain.
As soon as the gates were wide enough, Timaeus urged Thrasos through the gap at the same breakneck pace he had taken on the winding path. The speed wasn’t necessary, of course. The Baron was not late to the meeting that had been arranged alongside the orders that had set the whole day into motion. (Even if he was though, it’s not as if Maleos would truly mind with the two men being so close.) Instead, the whole spectacle was a bit of a power move, oddly. Timaeus didn’t need to be at the barracks and see how much of a fool Silanos was making of himself to know that there would be questions. Men who he had met during his days as the unit’s Captain and who still enjoyed a friendly relationship with the militaristic Baron would surely not think twice about asking their former comrade why they were to disregard his brother’s status.
Timaeus did not want to deal with such inquiries.
He had spent far too long brushing all of his brother’s misdeeds under the rug to allow himself to even admit that Silanos was a problem. It took him months to even admit as much to Roxana. There was no way that he could look his comrades in the eyes and inform them that Silanos was incorrigible that one more scandal might see him removed from the Valaoritis family tree. No, instead it was far better for Timaeus to put on that well-practiced expression of stone and show the unit that he was not one to be trifled with this morning. No man would even have the gall to approach him if they saw their leader thunder into the camp as if he was declaring declarations of war.
Though, the whole tactic may have been for nothing. Once he was as close to Maleos’s office as he could get, the Baron forced the beast to come to a skittering halt. In one swift motion, Timaeus dismounted from the horse and headed off in the direction of his friend’s quarters; further preventing any sort of interaction with the few men that weren’t at breakfast. Although the Baron had his head ducked down so that none of them could see his hard facade cracking at the edges, he could feel all of their stares boring into him. He knew that they were all aware that something was occurring in their ranks that day. That much was obvious with the appearance of Silanos. But now the Baron was here too? Timaeus knew that within the hour the whole barracks would be swarming with rumors of what had lead to such an eventful day. Perhaps even the more outlandish ones would be little more than a candle flickering in the darkness next to the truth.
He didn’t even bother to knock when he entered the soldier’s office and as soon as the door slammed shut behind him, shutting out the inquisitive looks and distance insults filtering through the air from the mess hall, Timaeus breathed an audible sigh of relief. His shoulders dropped and the strength he had shown thus far this morning seemingly drained out of him. “ Is this what things have come to?” The Baron muttered, more to himself than the Captain with him as he took a moment to recompose himself. The momentary dropping of the curtain of indifference was gone, but the strength that had come with it had not returned. Instead, all that was left was the dark bags under Tim’s eyes from one too many sleepless nights spent worrying over Sil and the slight hint of defeat in the tone he would only share with his close confidante.
“ So, how was it? Is my brother still with us?” Timaeus asked as he shrugged the riding cloak off, revealing his bright maroon military uniform underneath. Truthfully, the Baron was expecting to hear that Silanos had refused to take part in any of the drills and had instead spent the whole morning squawking about his noble status put him above the other soldiers. Of course, that probably means that Silanos would have taken quite a beating from Maleos if he had so much as tried to do that. Timaeus might know that there was a heart of gold within the man in front of him, but the Captain was known for not tolerating brats like Sil. That was why Timaeus had put him in the position after all.
Sauntering over to one of the chairs in the room, Timaeus sat down, ready to hear what had happened that morning when Silanos had received his rude awakening. Wanting to spur the man on a bit with the story, the Baron goaded him a bit, “ I don’t expect he faired too well with his initiation. He’s far too scrawny to stand a chance with the likes of you.” Timaeus had even managed to crack the faintest hint of a smile with this, knowing full well that the brat was likely a bloody pulp somewhere thanks to Maleos and his method of welcoming recruits. It hadn’t been something that had been in place when Tim was in charge, not with the consequences that came with pummeling someone of his status, but Tim had not been opposed to seeing it reinstated. Not when he knew all too well just how cocky the recruits could be.
However, beneath the jovial tone that Timaeus was trying to force himself to have, that slight hint of concern could still be heard in his voice. As much of a delinquent as he was, Silanos was still his brother. The baron couldn’t help, but worry bordering on paranoia over his well-being and panic over whether or not the boy was seriously hurt. Granted, he trusted Maleos, but still…Timaeus would be a lot more at ease to know if his brother was still in one piece or not.
Maleos had been sitting at his desk, trying to find the words he wished to use in order to write a letter, but instead the words did not come and the parchment in front of him remained blank. He looked up as his door opened, and he was ready to shout at who ever had come just barging into his office, his men knew better. That was until he saw who it was, and then his usual stoic expression turned into a rare look of happiness as he saw it was his closest friend who entered. He felt like it had been a long time since the two had had a moment to speak outside of the occasional letter here and there. He had to admit he was glad to see him, even if Tim looked less than impressed and the circumstances weren’t ideal.
Timaeus did not look his best, Maleos had known him in his glory days, a younger man and a proud military Captain himself, the dark-haired man could still see Timaeus as he was in those days. These days? The stress of everything seemed weighted on his shoulders and his mind, and it seemed as if sleep had not been a friend of his lately.
“He suffers nothing more than a few bruises. They will fade, but I do not imagine the memory will.” He said as Tim asked after his brother. The two men did not need greetings or small talk, or formal titles outside the prying eyes of the public. Maleos respected Timaeus as his Baron, had respected him as his Captain before that, but there was an easy friendship between them both outside of that. Tim was one of the only people to see Maleos outside his rocky and strong exterior.
“Surprisingly little resistance from him. Still quite an attitude underneath it all, but our spar went as expected. He landed on his ass in the sand, a little pain to remind him he bleeds as all men do.” He started once Tim had settled himself in one of the chairs across the desk from Maleos. He himself relaxed a little back against his own chair.
“I allowed Daxos to spar with him as well, and he did about as well against him as he did against myself. My men have been instructed to drop the title of Lord while he remains here with me.” He said, knowing that once all of this was over, Silanos was still a Lord and would be treated as such, but as long as he was a man in Maleos’ unit, he would be treated exactly like any new recruit would, Lord or not.
“He survived the morning run, even with weighted packs, which was perhaps the most surprising part of it all.” He said with a laugh, giving Tim a little smile. He knew that the Baron cared for his brother, which is the reason he was sent to Maleos in the first place.
“He dines now with the men in the mess hall, I decided to allow him at least that much. He and Daxos are to return to me here once they have eaten their morning meal.” He finished, hoping Timaeus would be pleased with everything so far.
“You look tired, Timaeus.” He finally said, the concern clear in his voice for his closest friend. Timaeus was like a brother to him, their bond stronger than his own bond with any of his siblings in fact.
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Maleos had been sitting at his desk, trying to find the words he wished to use in order to write a letter, but instead the words did not come and the parchment in front of him remained blank. He looked up as his door opened, and he was ready to shout at who ever had come just barging into his office, his men knew better. That was until he saw who it was, and then his usual stoic expression turned into a rare look of happiness as he saw it was his closest friend who entered. He felt like it had been a long time since the two had had a moment to speak outside of the occasional letter here and there. He had to admit he was glad to see him, even if Tim looked less than impressed and the circumstances weren’t ideal.
Timaeus did not look his best, Maleos had known him in his glory days, a younger man and a proud military Captain himself, the dark-haired man could still see Timaeus as he was in those days. These days? The stress of everything seemed weighted on his shoulders and his mind, and it seemed as if sleep had not been a friend of his lately.
“He suffers nothing more than a few bruises. They will fade, but I do not imagine the memory will.” He said as Tim asked after his brother. The two men did not need greetings or small talk, or formal titles outside the prying eyes of the public. Maleos respected Timaeus as his Baron, had respected him as his Captain before that, but there was an easy friendship between them both outside of that. Tim was one of the only people to see Maleos outside his rocky and strong exterior.
“Surprisingly little resistance from him. Still quite an attitude underneath it all, but our spar went as expected. He landed on his ass in the sand, a little pain to remind him he bleeds as all men do.” He started once Tim had settled himself in one of the chairs across the desk from Maleos. He himself relaxed a little back against his own chair.
“I allowed Daxos to spar with him as well, and he did about as well against him as he did against myself. My men have been instructed to drop the title of Lord while he remains here with me.” He said, knowing that once all of this was over, Silanos was still a Lord and would be treated as such, but as long as he was a man in Maleos’ unit, he would be treated exactly like any new recruit would, Lord or not.
“He survived the morning run, even with weighted packs, which was perhaps the most surprising part of it all.” He said with a laugh, giving Tim a little smile. He knew that the Baron cared for his brother, which is the reason he was sent to Maleos in the first place.
“He dines now with the men in the mess hall, I decided to allow him at least that much. He and Daxos are to return to me here once they have eaten their morning meal.” He finished, hoping Timaeus would be pleased with everything so far.
“You look tired, Timaeus.” He finally said, the concern clear in his voice for his closest friend. Timaeus was like a brother to him, their bond stronger than his own bond with any of his siblings in fact.
Maleos had been sitting at his desk, trying to find the words he wished to use in order to write a letter, but instead the words did not come and the parchment in front of him remained blank. He looked up as his door opened, and he was ready to shout at who ever had come just barging into his office, his men knew better. That was until he saw who it was, and then his usual stoic expression turned into a rare look of happiness as he saw it was his closest friend who entered. He felt like it had been a long time since the two had had a moment to speak outside of the occasional letter here and there. He had to admit he was glad to see him, even if Tim looked less than impressed and the circumstances weren’t ideal.
Timaeus did not look his best, Maleos had known him in his glory days, a younger man and a proud military Captain himself, the dark-haired man could still see Timaeus as he was in those days. These days? The stress of everything seemed weighted on his shoulders and his mind, and it seemed as if sleep had not been a friend of his lately.
“He suffers nothing more than a few bruises. They will fade, but I do not imagine the memory will.” He said as Tim asked after his brother. The two men did not need greetings or small talk, or formal titles outside the prying eyes of the public. Maleos respected Timaeus as his Baron, had respected him as his Captain before that, but there was an easy friendship between them both outside of that. Tim was one of the only people to see Maleos outside his rocky and strong exterior.
“Surprisingly little resistance from him. Still quite an attitude underneath it all, but our spar went as expected. He landed on his ass in the sand, a little pain to remind him he bleeds as all men do.” He started once Tim had settled himself in one of the chairs across the desk from Maleos. He himself relaxed a little back against his own chair.
“I allowed Daxos to spar with him as well, and he did about as well against him as he did against myself. My men have been instructed to drop the title of Lord while he remains here with me.” He said, knowing that once all of this was over, Silanos was still a Lord and would be treated as such, but as long as he was a man in Maleos’ unit, he would be treated exactly like any new recruit would, Lord or not.
“He survived the morning run, even with weighted packs, which was perhaps the most surprising part of it all.” He said with a laugh, giving Tim a little smile. He knew that the Baron cared for his brother, which is the reason he was sent to Maleos in the first place.
“He dines now with the men in the mess hall, I decided to allow him at least that much. He and Daxos are to return to me here once they have eaten their morning meal.” He finished, hoping Timaeus would be pleased with everything so far.
“You look tired, Timaeus.” He finally said, the concern clear in his voice for his closest friend. Timaeus was like a brother to him, their bond stronger than his own bond with any of his siblings in fact.
He didn’t mean to be obnoxious - he didn’t have the energy- it was just that Silanos didn’t think he had seen a less appetising sight than the bowl of beige coloured slop in all of his years. Daxos’ response was only another thing to convince him that the life of a soldier was absolutely not for him. No fucking thankyou. His spoon clattered against the edge of the bowl as the soldier elbowed him and tried to persuade him to eat, and the young lord sent him a withering glance.
Daxos seemed far too cheerful all of a sudden, whether because he was enjoying Sil’s obvious misery or if he had just managed to resolve some of his anger issues, it wasn’t clear. But Silanos would take it over the rather vicious side of the man he’d been treated too earlier. It wasn’t like he had ever expected to win in a fight against the guard. That much had been apparent from the moment he’d been assigned to the Valaoritis lord, and then confirmed after the ridiculous chase through the streets of Midas. But still, Silanos had been a little stunned by the easy way Daxos had dismantled him. Not that it felt easy to be on the receiving end of it, indeed he’d just given up thinking of individual hurts in favour of considering his entire being just one big bruise.
The younger man was still listlessly stirring the porridge when the pair of them were approached by another soldier, and Sil lifted his gaze to the newcomer without lifting his head, his own expression just as wary. He flinched when Daxos bellowed a welcome right in his fucking ear, squared his shoulders and turned to face the newcomer when he addressed him again. “ I think if I put this in my mouth right now, it would be decorating the table within a matter of minutes, so you’ll have to excuse me if I pass” he muttered, only to be jostled once more by Daxos as the man hammered on his back.
The bawdy camaraderie between soldiers was hardly familiar to the lord, and he was uncomfortable with the over familiarity. If he could be any less comfortable, that was. But he looked surprised at having heard what was almost a compliment from the man who’d started his day off in such a terrible fashion. What the fuck was with these people?
“Is it?” he queried of the soldier who had, irritatingly, joined them. He couldn’t understand why anyone would do this willingly, would put up with the shit he had already and then come back for more. Timaeus could take a long walk off a short fucking cliff if he thought Sil was doing any of this again. The bald man’s next words were hardly comforting either, for the chances of Sil keeping up with anything seemed slim to none. He didn’t know if he’d even be able to persuade his body to stand upright again, he felt utterly exhausted after that shambles of a run and couldn’t see how he was going to feel anything but worse as the day went on and he stiffened up. And then because Daxos wouldn’t fucking shut up about it, the lord rolled his eyes and shoved a couple of spoonfuls of the disgusting porridge into his mouth. It tasted about as awful as he imagined, and Sil held a hand up to stay any more encouragement to eat. “I’ve had some ok. I swear I’ll puke if I try and I eat anymore. Just leave it.” It wasn’t even worth it to try and delay having to go present themselves to Maleos again. Surely they couldn’t really be expecting him to carry on?
He wasn’t given long to ponder it, the brawny guard had finished the meagre excuse for breakfast in far too short a time for Sil’s liking, and somehow he had to force himself to stand upright again and trudge after Daxos towards whatever new torture awaited. His focus wandered, and he almost walked into the back of the soldier when he paused in front of a closed door to knock, and Sil was stony faced as he followed the man in. Sil was fully prepared to sulk his way through this entire day, though his expression turned to one of indignation when he found his brother, the man ultimately responsible for all of this, sat back in one of the chairs in the Captain’s office.
With Timaeus wearing the uniform Silanos had not seen on him for years, the younger Valaoritis rolled his eyes, and he felt a sudden swell of resentment towards his brother for subjecting him to this. He just couldn’t help himself, hating the fact that he no doubt looked a fucking mess, and that his smug brother would make the point to come down here and lord it over him, as if it wasn’t enough having forced him into this farcical endeavour anyway.
How he longed to snipe at him, to let loose at least some of his anger, but Silanos clamped his teeth together and said nothing. He wasn’t about to give either Maleos or Daxos justification to hit him again. Not that they’d needed justification anyway. Instead he just stood and seethed, wearing his discontent as clearly as the souvenirs from the early morning ‘sparring’.
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He didn’t mean to be obnoxious - he didn’t have the energy- it was just that Silanos didn’t think he had seen a less appetising sight than the bowl of beige coloured slop in all of his years. Daxos’ response was only another thing to convince him that the life of a soldier was absolutely not for him. No fucking thankyou. His spoon clattered against the edge of the bowl as the soldier elbowed him and tried to persuade him to eat, and the young lord sent him a withering glance.
Daxos seemed far too cheerful all of a sudden, whether because he was enjoying Sil’s obvious misery or if he had just managed to resolve some of his anger issues, it wasn’t clear. But Silanos would take it over the rather vicious side of the man he’d been treated too earlier. It wasn’t like he had ever expected to win in a fight against the guard. That much had been apparent from the moment he’d been assigned to the Valaoritis lord, and then confirmed after the ridiculous chase through the streets of Midas. But still, Silanos had been a little stunned by the easy way Daxos had dismantled him. Not that it felt easy to be on the receiving end of it, indeed he’d just given up thinking of individual hurts in favour of considering his entire being just one big bruise.
The younger man was still listlessly stirring the porridge when the pair of them were approached by another soldier, and Sil lifted his gaze to the newcomer without lifting his head, his own expression just as wary. He flinched when Daxos bellowed a welcome right in his fucking ear, squared his shoulders and turned to face the newcomer when he addressed him again. “ I think if I put this in my mouth right now, it would be decorating the table within a matter of minutes, so you’ll have to excuse me if I pass” he muttered, only to be jostled once more by Daxos as the man hammered on his back.
The bawdy camaraderie between soldiers was hardly familiar to the lord, and he was uncomfortable with the over familiarity. If he could be any less comfortable, that was. But he looked surprised at having heard what was almost a compliment from the man who’d started his day off in such a terrible fashion. What the fuck was with these people?
“Is it?” he queried of the soldier who had, irritatingly, joined them. He couldn’t understand why anyone would do this willingly, would put up with the shit he had already and then come back for more. Timaeus could take a long walk off a short fucking cliff if he thought Sil was doing any of this again. The bald man’s next words were hardly comforting either, for the chances of Sil keeping up with anything seemed slim to none. He didn’t know if he’d even be able to persuade his body to stand upright again, he felt utterly exhausted after that shambles of a run and couldn’t see how he was going to feel anything but worse as the day went on and he stiffened up. And then because Daxos wouldn’t fucking shut up about it, the lord rolled his eyes and shoved a couple of spoonfuls of the disgusting porridge into his mouth. It tasted about as awful as he imagined, and Sil held a hand up to stay any more encouragement to eat. “I’ve had some ok. I swear I’ll puke if I try and I eat anymore. Just leave it.” It wasn’t even worth it to try and delay having to go present themselves to Maleos again. Surely they couldn’t really be expecting him to carry on?
He wasn’t given long to ponder it, the brawny guard had finished the meagre excuse for breakfast in far too short a time for Sil’s liking, and somehow he had to force himself to stand upright again and trudge after Daxos towards whatever new torture awaited. His focus wandered, and he almost walked into the back of the soldier when he paused in front of a closed door to knock, and Sil was stony faced as he followed the man in. Sil was fully prepared to sulk his way through this entire day, though his expression turned to one of indignation when he found his brother, the man ultimately responsible for all of this, sat back in one of the chairs in the Captain’s office.
With Timaeus wearing the uniform Silanos had not seen on him for years, the younger Valaoritis rolled his eyes, and he felt a sudden swell of resentment towards his brother for subjecting him to this. He just couldn’t help himself, hating the fact that he no doubt looked a fucking mess, and that his smug brother would make the point to come down here and lord it over him, as if it wasn’t enough having forced him into this farcical endeavour anyway.
How he longed to snipe at him, to let loose at least some of his anger, but Silanos clamped his teeth together and said nothing. He wasn’t about to give either Maleos or Daxos justification to hit him again. Not that they’d needed justification anyway. Instead he just stood and seethed, wearing his discontent as clearly as the souvenirs from the early morning ‘sparring’.
He didn’t mean to be obnoxious - he didn’t have the energy- it was just that Silanos didn’t think he had seen a less appetising sight than the bowl of beige coloured slop in all of his years. Daxos’ response was only another thing to convince him that the life of a soldier was absolutely not for him. No fucking thankyou. His spoon clattered against the edge of the bowl as the soldier elbowed him and tried to persuade him to eat, and the young lord sent him a withering glance.
Daxos seemed far too cheerful all of a sudden, whether because he was enjoying Sil’s obvious misery or if he had just managed to resolve some of his anger issues, it wasn’t clear. But Silanos would take it over the rather vicious side of the man he’d been treated too earlier. It wasn’t like he had ever expected to win in a fight against the guard. That much had been apparent from the moment he’d been assigned to the Valaoritis lord, and then confirmed after the ridiculous chase through the streets of Midas. But still, Silanos had been a little stunned by the easy way Daxos had dismantled him. Not that it felt easy to be on the receiving end of it, indeed he’d just given up thinking of individual hurts in favour of considering his entire being just one big bruise.
The younger man was still listlessly stirring the porridge when the pair of them were approached by another soldier, and Sil lifted his gaze to the newcomer without lifting his head, his own expression just as wary. He flinched when Daxos bellowed a welcome right in his fucking ear, squared his shoulders and turned to face the newcomer when he addressed him again. “ I think if I put this in my mouth right now, it would be decorating the table within a matter of minutes, so you’ll have to excuse me if I pass” he muttered, only to be jostled once more by Daxos as the man hammered on his back.
The bawdy camaraderie between soldiers was hardly familiar to the lord, and he was uncomfortable with the over familiarity. If he could be any less comfortable, that was. But he looked surprised at having heard what was almost a compliment from the man who’d started his day off in such a terrible fashion. What the fuck was with these people?
“Is it?” he queried of the soldier who had, irritatingly, joined them. He couldn’t understand why anyone would do this willingly, would put up with the shit he had already and then come back for more. Timaeus could take a long walk off a short fucking cliff if he thought Sil was doing any of this again. The bald man’s next words were hardly comforting either, for the chances of Sil keeping up with anything seemed slim to none. He didn’t know if he’d even be able to persuade his body to stand upright again, he felt utterly exhausted after that shambles of a run and couldn’t see how he was going to feel anything but worse as the day went on and he stiffened up. And then because Daxos wouldn’t fucking shut up about it, the lord rolled his eyes and shoved a couple of spoonfuls of the disgusting porridge into his mouth. It tasted about as awful as he imagined, and Sil held a hand up to stay any more encouragement to eat. “I’ve had some ok. I swear I’ll puke if I try and I eat anymore. Just leave it.” It wasn’t even worth it to try and delay having to go present themselves to Maleos again. Surely they couldn’t really be expecting him to carry on?
He wasn’t given long to ponder it, the brawny guard had finished the meagre excuse for breakfast in far too short a time for Sil’s liking, and somehow he had to force himself to stand upright again and trudge after Daxos towards whatever new torture awaited. His focus wandered, and he almost walked into the back of the soldier when he paused in front of a closed door to knock, and Sil was stony faced as he followed the man in. Sil was fully prepared to sulk his way through this entire day, though his expression turned to one of indignation when he found his brother, the man ultimately responsible for all of this, sat back in one of the chairs in the Captain’s office.
With Timaeus wearing the uniform Silanos had not seen on him for years, the younger Valaoritis rolled his eyes, and he felt a sudden swell of resentment towards his brother for subjecting him to this. He just couldn’t help himself, hating the fact that he no doubt looked a fucking mess, and that his smug brother would make the point to come down here and lord it over him, as if it wasn’t enough having forced him into this farcical endeavour anyway.
How he longed to snipe at him, to let loose at least some of his anger, but Silanos clamped his teeth together and said nothing. He wasn’t about to give either Maleos or Daxos justification to hit him again. Not that they’d needed justification anyway. Instead he just stood and seethed, wearing his discontent as clearly as the souvenirs from the early morning ‘sparring’.
A small wave of relief washed over the Baron when Maleos confirmed that Silanos had not been seriously harmed during the course of the day. “ That is good news a least...” Timaeus affirmed as the tenseness in his shoulders visibly lessened as his closest friend went over the events of the day. In truth, Timaeus had been somewhat worried about whether or not Sil would be able to take the beatings that came with training with the unit. It was irrational, he knew, but it still had been a concern of his and one that stemmed from the trauma of what had happened to Nico; so it was impossible to shake in the days leading up to this event. He was more than relieved to see that it had been misplaced though.
Now reassured to his brother’s health, Timaeus listened intently to the report that Maleos gave his Baron. He remained silent through most of it as the only things the Colchian could add were variations of what he had already said. He did, however, chime in when Maleos confirmed that the men had been told to disregard his brother’s noble status. “ Good. Any man who forgets or disregards that order should be reprimanded harshly. Tell him to call him Silanos of Eubocris if you must, the boy cannot take any comfort in thinking that his name will protect him.” He paused for a moment to shake his head lightly though and mutter harshly under his breath, “ Only Zeus could rival that boy’s arrogance, I swear to the gods.”
When the topic shifted to Timaeus’s own well being, Timaeus nervously shifted in his seat. “ You have your man to thank for that,” Timaeus said, trying to reassure his friend with the slightest hint of a smirk, “ You’d think he was trying to rouse Endymion with the racket he made this morning.” It was true, Sir Daxos had not given much consideration to the methods used to wake the younger Valaoritis. As soon as Timaeus had a moment alone with the man, he would be sure to tactfully inform the man that he should find a new method of gathering the delinquent. After all, it was not Tim who was meant to be punished with his bellowing cries about maggots and trips through the city.
But Timaeus knew that his friend was not speaking of the fresh bags under his eyes. Maleos’s tone of voice had been far too heavy for such a light observation. No, he was clearly speaking about everything other outward sign of how exhausted Timaeus was. He couldn’t even protest Maleos’s words either. He was drained. Physically. Mentally. Emotionally. Timaeus was simply at his wit’s end and it showed. He no longer carried himself in the same way that he had just a scant two years ago. Back then he was a proud man who effortlessly conveyed the strength that it took to lead a military unit. Now he was trapped in a miserable job whose stresses were grinding him down day after day. His attempts to bring the rigid discipline that Maleos and Daxos had known under his leadership now looked like pathetic attempts to keep some sort of semblance of control. Or at least that’s how it felt to Timaeus who was quite literally beginning to go gray from all the worries he bore.
This sort of thing shouldn’t happen to a man at twenty-four.
Just like how men his age shouldn’t be Barons or dealing with the strifes that their younger relatives caused. That was the true root of Timaeus’s problems and it was something that he made clear to the Captain in his next statement. “ In strictest confidence? Yes, my friend. I am.” His words were deflated and his shoulders physically slumped as he confessed how taxing the life he led had been. “ It’s more than just Silanos… but between him and everything else… I would give anything for it to be like how they used to be. You know, before all of this,” He said, gesturing lightly to the signet ring bearing his family’s crest, “ Fell into my lap.”
He shook his head lightly as he lost himself in his own thoughts. Curses of the present day and wistful longing for the carefree days of his past both swirled about in his head. Back then, life had been easy. He could spend all day on the training ground without needing to worry about anything else. Nowadays he felt guilty for spending the morning in the courtyard, training to keep his skills in their peak condition.
But there was nothing that his friend could do any of that. Timaeus just needed to learn to accept that those days were gone. It was hard to do, but he didn’t have a choice in the matter. Instead, he tried to bring the conversation back to a topic that Maleos could advise him on; the little thorn in their sides named Silanos.
“ I don’t know what I’m going to do with him if this doesn’t work. I’ve exhausted all other options.” His expression matched his grave tone, conveying the severity of his words, “ The boy can’t even have wine with his meals and yet he’s still drunk at all hours. He’s been under house arrest for weeks. He fled from Eubocris when I tried to place him there and Daxos brings me word that he’s been scaling the walls in order to get a pint at a tavern.” Granted this barely scratched the surface of Silanos’s crimes, some of which were so grave that Timaeus couldn’t repeat them to the man he trusted most in the world. It was far too much of a risk, but that didn’t stop him from detailing from some of the smaller misdeeds of his brother, “ Every excursion of his ends with a bill in my name being sent to the manor or some angry whore pounding on our door, demanding payment for Sil’s night of revelry. He doesn’t care about the damage he’s doing our house and refuses to take on any form of responsibility. For gods’ sake, he’s twenty and it’s only now he’s taking up training.” His voice was pained as he said these words and if Maleos looked carefully, he might have seen the slightest mist in Tim’s eyes as he confessed his worries over what the future might hold for Silanos.
Timaeus cared for his brother. Truly. Everything he did from taking away the boy’s access to wine to confining him to his rooms was an action that Tim took out of love for the boy. He thought that if he brought the strict punishments of the unit upon his brother, he would learn the errors of his ways and finally become the nobleman that fae decided that he would be. Yet the boy seemed to become only more firm in his rebellion. Nothing was working, nothing was changing. Timaeus didn’t know what to do if the military regiment failed too.
“ Maleos,” He said lowly, his voice barely above a whisper due to how severe his next words were, “ I fear that if things do not change, he will leave me no choice. I will have to disown him if keeps to this path.” It was not an option that Timaeus wanted to explore. Silanos was his brother, his only brother, but as the head of his house, he had a duty to protect the legacy built by all the men that came before them. If Silanos did not step up quickly, he would lose all the privileges that allowed him to be so careless in his endeavors. His eyes glanced up at Maleos showing his friend a vulnerability that no one else in Colchis ever got to see with the young Baron. Timaeus was near hopelessness at this point. He was running out of options and Silanos didn’t seem to care.
He never seemed to care.
However, before the men could discuss this revelation any further there was a knock at the door. In an instant, almost as if a switch had been flipped, Timaeus straightened in his seat and his expression hardened to one of stone. The Baron of Eubocris had returned to his indomitable self.
It was a good thing that he had hardened himself so as soon as he door opened, Timaeus was confronted with the man of the hour; his brother, Silanos. He resisted the urge to stand and question the boy on how he had fared. (Which was a truly difficult thing to do as that ever familiar feeling of paranoia regarding his family’s well-being crept up within him.) Instead, he remained silent as Maleos greeted the pair first, as was his right given that this was his office.
Once the pleasantries were out of the way, Timaeus turned to Daxos and said rather firmly, “ Sir Daxos, thank you for your efforts in making this day possible. However, when you return tomorrow, remember that you are only charged with waking my brother and not my entire household.” Had Silanos not been there, he might have thrown in some sort of joke into the chastizement for how loud the soldier had been, but the Baron decided against it. He knew that it was important that Silanos did not see any cracks in his brother’s resolve. He could show no emotion beyond stern indifference if the men wanted this plan to change the nobleman’s way to work. If Silanos suspected that he could somehow break his brother, he’d focus all his effort into that task instead of learning the lesson that was supposed to come from the day’s events.
Especially now as Timaeus’s words made it clear that the punishment was not meant to end when the sunset that day, but instead it would continue until the young lord changed his ways. It didn’t matter if it took ten years, Silanos would not be released from such duties until a new demeanor emerged. Timaeus simply had no other options at this point.
However, the fallout that would come from such a revelation would be dealt with later as the temptation grew too large to look over Silanos and ensure that the injuries he had sustained were not too severe. His worry was shown only by a light bounce in his leg; an action out of sheer nervousness that came to a sheer halt as Timaeus rose from his seat. With an expression of cold neutrality written across his face, he moved across the room to where his brother stood.
He didn’t ask for permission before he lightly grabbed Silanos by the chin so that he might inspect the bruises blooming on his face. Due in part to Timaues’s grip, Sil’s mouth was forced to close as he turned the boy’s head left and right slowly, taking note of the damage that had been done to his heir. It was almost bone-chilling how indifferent the action was as Timaeus checked him over like he was some sort of possession that had been damaged. He looked at his brother as if he was a slave or a horse, not his own brother. Tim couldn’t be sure when it came to the likes of his brother, but the Baron knew that if the roles were reversed, he would find the heartless way he inspected Sil to be demoralizing… which was exactly Tim’s point in the action. He needed to grind his brother down and show him once and for all that this was his new reality. That Timaeus would not relent or even consider changing his mind.
This was only solidified as Tim let go of the boy and turned back to say to his friend with a slight hint of joviality, “ You really put him through the wringer, didn’t you?” The words weren’t accusatory, but instead carried a sense of admiration that Maleos could inflict such nasty marks onto his brother and still have him returned to Tim in one piece. With such nasty bruises, it seemed impossible to Tim that Sil would forget the lessons of the day.
Though, knowing Silanos, he would probably find a way.
Moving away from his brother, Tim continued by asking the Captain, “ What is his itinerary for the afternoon? Do you think he’s capable of holding his own with the new recruits yet?” Tim was not foolish enough to believe that Sil was ready to stand toe to toe with the men of the unit. But the twelve-year-olds? That should be reasonable.
But even if he couldn’t Tim might insist on it anyways. This day was about humiliating his brother and seeing him being bested by a child would certainly do that.
That was if Silanos didn’t lose his head from anger first…
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A small wave of relief washed over the Baron when Maleos confirmed that Silanos had not been seriously harmed during the course of the day. “ That is good news a least...” Timaeus affirmed as the tenseness in his shoulders visibly lessened as his closest friend went over the events of the day. In truth, Timaeus had been somewhat worried about whether or not Sil would be able to take the beatings that came with training with the unit. It was irrational, he knew, but it still had been a concern of his and one that stemmed from the trauma of what had happened to Nico; so it was impossible to shake in the days leading up to this event. He was more than relieved to see that it had been misplaced though.
Now reassured to his brother’s health, Timaeus listened intently to the report that Maleos gave his Baron. He remained silent through most of it as the only things the Colchian could add were variations of what he had already said. He did, however, chime in when Maleos confirmed that the men had been told to disregard his brother’s noble status. “ Good. Any man who forgets or disregards that order should be reprimanded harshly. Tell him to call him Silanos of Eubocris if you must, the boy cannot take any comfort in thinking that his name will protect him.” He paused for a moment to shake his head lightly though and mutter harshly under his breath, “ Only Zeus could rival that boy’s arrogance, I swear to the gods.”
When the topic shifted to Timaeus’s own well being, Timaeus nervously shifted in his seat. “ You have your man to thank for that,” Timaeus said, trying to reassure his friend with the slightest hint of a smirk, “ You’d think he was trying to rouse Endymion with the racket he made this morning.” It was true, Sir Daxos had not given much consideration to the methods used to wake the younger Valaoritis. As soon as Timaeus had a moment alone with the man, he would be sure to tactfully inform the man that he should find a new method of gathering the delinquent. After all, it was not Tim who was meant to be punished with his bellowing cries about maggots and trips through the city.
But Timaeus knew that his friend was not speaking of the fresh bags under his eyes. Maleos’s tone of voice had been far too heavy for such a light observation. No, he was clearly speaking about everything other outward sign of how exhausted Timaeus was. He couldn’t even protest Maleos’s words either. He was drained. Physically. Mentally. Emotionally. Timaeus was simply at his wit’s end and it showed. He no longer carried himself in the same way that he had just a scant two years ago. Back then he was a proud man who effortlessly conveyed the strength that it took to lead a military unit. Now he was trapped in a miserable job whose stresses were grinding him down day after day. His attempts to bring the rigid discipline that Maleos and Daxos had known under his leadership now looked like pathetic attempts to keep some sort of semblance of control. Or at least that’s how it felt to Timaeus who was quite literally beginning to go gray from all the worries he bore.
This sort of thing shouldn’t happen to a man at twenty-four.
Just like how men his age shouldn’t be Barons or dealing with the strifes that their younger relatives caused. That was the true root of Timaeus’s problems and it was something that he made clear to the Captain in his next statement. “ In strictest confidence? Yes, my friend. I am.” His words were deflated and his shoulders physically slumped as he confessed how taxing the life he led had been. “ It’s more than just Silanos… but between him and everything else… I would give anything for it to be like how they used to be. You know, before all of this,” He said, gesturing lightly to the signet ring bearing his family’s crest, “ Fell into my lap.”
He shook his head lightly as he lost himself in his own thoughts. Curses of the present day and wistful longing for the carefree days of his past both swirled about in his head. Back then, life had been easy. He could spend all day on the training ground without needing to worry about anything else. Nowadays he felt guilty for spending the morning in the courtyard, training to keep his skills in their peak condition.
But there was nothing that his friend could do any of that. Timaeus just needed to learn to accept that those days were gone. It was hard to do, but he didn’t have a choice in the matter. Instead, he tried to bring the conversation back to a topic that Maleos could advise him on; the little thorn in their sides named Silanos.
“ I don’t know what I’m going to do with him if this doesn’t work. I’ve exhausted all other options.” His expression matched his grave tone, conveying the severity of his words, “ The boy can’t even have wine with his meals and yet he’s still drunk at all hours. He’s been under house arrest for weeks. He fled from Eubocris when I tried to place him there and Daxos brings me word that he’s been scaling the walls in order to get a pint at a tavern.” Granted this barely scratched the surface of Silanos’s crimes, some of which were so grave that Timaeus couldn’t repeat them to the man he trusted most in the world. It was far too much of a risk, but that didn’t stop him from detailing from some of the smaller misdeeds of his brother, “ Every excursion of his ends with a bill in my name being sent to the manor or some angry whore pounding on our door, demanding payment for Sil’s night of revelry. He doesn’t care about the damage he’s doing our house and refuses to take on any form of responsibility. For gods’ sake, he’s twenty and it’s only now he’s taking up training.” His voice was pained as he said these words and if Maleos looked carefully, he might have seen the slightest mist in Tim’s eyes as he confessed his worries over what the future might hold for Silanos.
Timaeus cared for his brother. Truly. Everything he did from taking away the boy’s access to wine to confining him to his rooms was an action that Tim took out of love for the boy. He thought that if he brought the strict punishments of the unit upon his brother, he would learn the errors of his ways and finally become the nobleman that fae decided that he would be. Yet the boy seemed to become only more firm in his rebellion. Nothing was working, nothing was changing. Timaeus didn’t know what to do if the military regiment failed too.
“ Maleos,” He said lowly, his voice barely above a whisper due to how severe his next words were, “ I fear that if things do not change, he will leave me no choice. I will have to disown him if keeps to this path.” It was not an option that Timaeus wanted to explore. Silanos was his brother, his only brother, but as the head of his house, he had a duty to protect the legacy built by all the men that came before them. If Silanos did not step up quickly, he would lose all the privileges that allowed him to be so careless in his endeavors. His eyes glanced up at Maleos showing his friend a vulnerability that no one else in Colchis ever got to see with the young Baron. Timaeus was near hopelessness at this point. He was running out of options and Silanos didn’t seem to care.
He never seemed to care.
However, before the men could discuss this revelation any further there was a knock at the door. In an instant, almost as if a switch had been flipped, Timaeus straightened in his seat and his expression hardened to one of stone. The Baron of Eubocris had returned to his indomitable self.
It was a good thing that he had hardened himself so as soon as he door opened, Timaeus was confronted with the man of the hour; his brother, Silanos. He resisted the urge to stand and question the boy on how he had fared. (Which was a truly difficult thing to do as that ever familiar feeling of paranoia regarding his family’s well-being crept up within him.) Instead, he remained silent as Maleos greeted the pair first, as was his right given that this was his office.
Once the pleasantries were out of the way, Timaeus turned to Daxos and said rather firmly, “ Sir Daxos, thank you for your efforts in making this day possible. However, when you return tomorrow, remember that you are only charged with waking my brother and not my entire household.” Had Silanos not been there, he might have thrown in some sort of joke into the chastizement for how loud the soldier had been, but the Baron decided against it. He knew that it was important that Silanos did not see any cracks in his brother’s resolve. He could show no emotion beyond stern indifference if the men wanted this plan to change the nobleman’s way to work. If Silanos suspected that he could somehow break his brother, he’d focus all his effort into that task instead of learning the lesson that was supposed to come from the day’s events.
Especially now as Timaeus’s words made it clear that the punishment was not meant to end when the sunset that day, but instead it would continue until the young lord changed his ways. It didn’t matter if it took ten years, Silanos would not be released from such duties until a new demeanor emerged. Timaeus simply had no other options at this point.
However, the fallout that would come from such a revelation would be dealt with later as the temptation grew too large to look over Silanos and ensure that the injuries he had sustained were not too severe. His worry was shown only by a light bounce in his leg; an action out of sheer nervousness that came to a sheer halt as Timaeus rose from his seat. With an expression of cold neutrality written across his face, he moved across the room to where his brother stood.
He didn’t ask for permission before he lightly grabbed Silanos by the chin so that he might inspect the bruises blooming on his face. Due in part to Timaues’s grip, Sil’s mouth was forced to close as he turned the boy’s head left and right slowly, taking note of the damage that had been done to his heir. It was almost bone-chilling how indifferent the action was as Timaeus checked him over like he was some sort of possession that had been damaged. He looked at his brother as if he was a slave or a horse, not his own brother. Tim couldn’t be sure when it came to the likes of his brother, but the Baron knew that if the roles were reversed, he would find the heartless way he inspected Sil to be demoralizing… which was exactly Tim’s point in the action. He needed to grind his brother down and show him once and for all that this was his new reality. That Timaeus would not relent or even consider changing his mind.
This was only solidified as Tim let go of the boy and turned back to say to his friend with a slight hint of joviality, “ You really put him through the wringer, didn’t you?” The words weren’t accusatory, but instead carried a sense of admiration that Maleos could inflict such nasty marks onto his brother and still have him returned to Tim in one piece. With such nasty bruises, it seemed impossible to Tim that Sil would forget the lessons of the day.
Though, knowing Silanos, he would probably find a way.
Moving away from his brother, Tim continued by asking the Captain, “ What is his itinerary for the afternoon? Do you think he’s capable of holding his own with the new recruits yet?” Tim was not foolish enough to believe that Sil was ready to stand toe to toe with the men of the unit. But the twelve-year-olds? That should be reasonable.
But even if he couldn’t Tim might insist on it anyways. This day was about humiliating his brother and seeing him being bested by a child would certainly do that.
That was if Silanos didn’t lose his head from anger first…
A small wave of relief washed over the Baron when Maleos confirmed that Silanos had not been seriously harmed during the course of the day. “ That is good news a least...” Timaeus affirmed as the tenseness in his shoulders visibly lessened as his closest friend went over the events of the day. In truth, Timaeus had been somewhat worried about whether or not Sil would be able to take the beatings that came with training with the unit. It was irrational, he knew, but it still had been a concern of his and one that stemmed from the trauma of what had happened to Nico; so it was impossible to shake in the days leading up to this event. He was more than relieved to see that it had been misplaced though.
Now reassured to his brother’s health, Timaeus listened intently to the report that Maleos gave his Baron. He remained silent through most of it as the only things the Colchian could add were variations of what he had already said. He did, however, chime in when Maleos confirmed that the men had been told to disregard his brother’s noble status. “ Good. Any man who forgets or disregards that order should be reprimanded harshly. Tell him to call him Silanos of Eubocris if you must, the boy cannot take any comfort in thinking that his name will protect him.” He paused for a moment to shake his head lightly though and mutter harshly under his breath, “ Only Zeus could rival that boy’s arrogance, I swear to the gods.”
When the topic shifted to Timaeus’s own well being, Timaeus nervously shifted in his seat. “ You have your man to thank for that,” Timaeus said, trying to reassure his friend with the slightest hint of a smirk, “ You’d think he was trying to rouse Endymion with the racket he made this morning.” It was true, Sir Daxos had not given much consideration to the methods used to wake the younger Valaoritis. As soon as Timaeus had a moment alone with the man, he would be sure to tactfully inform the man that he should find a new method of gathering the delinquent. After all, it was not Tim who was meant to be punished with his bellowing cries about maggots and trips through the city.
But Timaeus knew that his friend was not speaking of the fresh bags under his eyes. Maleos’s tone of voice had been far too heavy for such a light observation. No, he was clearly speaking about everything other outward sign of how exhausted Timaeus was. He couldn’t even protest Maleos’s words either. He was drained. Physically. Mentally. Emotionally. Timaeus was simply at his wit’s end and it showed. He no longer carried himself in the same way that he had just a scant two years ago. Back then he was a proud man who effortlessly conveyed the strength that it took to lead a military unit. Now he was trapped in a miserable job whose stresses were grinding him down day after day. His attempts to bring the rigid discipline that Maleos and Daxos had known under his leadership now looked like pathetic attempts to keep some sort of semblance of control. Or at least that’s how it felt to Timaeus who was quite literally beginning to go gray from all the worries he bore.
This sort of thing shouldn’t happen to a man at twenty-four.
Just like how men his age shouldn’t be Barons or dealing with the strifes that their younger relatives caused. That was the true root of Timaeus’s problems and it was something that he made clear to the Captain in his next statement. “ In strictest confidence? Yes, my friend. I am.” His words were deflated and his shoulders physically slumped as he confessed how taxing the life he led had been. “ It’s more than just Silanos… but between him and everything else… I would give anything for it to be like how they used to be. You know, before all of this,” He said, gesturing lightly to the signet ring bearing his family’s crest, “ Fell into my lap.”
He shook his head lightly as he lost himself in his own thoughts. Curses of the present day and wistful longing for the carefree days of his past both swirled about in his head. Back then, life had been easy. He could spend all day on the training ground without needing to worry about anything else. Nowadays he felt guilty for spending the morning in the courtyard, training to keep his skills in their peak condition.
But there was nothing that his friend could do any of that. Timaeus just needed to learn to accept that those days were gone. It was hard to do, but he didn’t have a choice in the matter. Instead, he tried to bring the conversation back to a topic that Maleos could advise him on; the little thorn in their sides named Silanos.
“ I don’t know what I’m going to do with him if this doesn’t work. I’ve exhausted all other options.” His expression matched his grave tone, conveying the severity of his words, “ The boy can’t even have wine with his meals and yet he’s still drunk at all hours. He’s been under house arrest for weeks. He fled from Eubocris when I tried to place him there and Daxos brings me word that he’s been scaling the walls in order to get a pint at a tavern.” Granted this barely scratched the surface of Silanos’s crimes, some of which were so grave that Timaeus couldn’t repeat them to the man he trusted most in the world. It was far too much of a risk, but that didn’t stop him from detailing from some of the smaller misdeeds of his brother, “ Every excursion of his ends with a bill in my name being sent to the manor or some angry whore pounding on our door, demanding payment for Sil’s night of revelry. He doesn’t care about the damage he’s doing our house and refuses to take on any form of responsibility. For gods’ sake, he’s twenty and it’s only now he’s taking up training.” His voice was pained as he said these words and if Maleos looked carefully, he might have seen the slightest mist in Tim’s eyes as he confessed his worries over what the future might hold for Silanos.
Timaeus cared for his brother. Truly. Everything he did from taking away the boy’s access to wine to confining him to his rooms was an action that Tim took out of love for the boy. He thought that if he brought the strict punishments of the unit upon his brother, he would learn the errors of his ways and finally become the nobleman that fae decided that he would be. Yet the boy seemed to become only more firm in his rebellion. Nothing was working, nothing was changing. Timaeus didn’t know what to do if the military regiment failed too.
“ Maleos,” He said lowly, his voice barely above a whisper due to how severe his next words were, “ I fear that if things do not change, he will leave me no choice. I will have to disown him if keeps to this path.” It was not an option that Timaeus wanted to explore. Silanos was his brother, his only brother, but as the head of his house, he had a duty to protect the legacy built by all the men that came before them. If Silanos did not step up quickly, he would lose all the privileges that allowed him to be so careless in his endeavors. His eyes glanced up at Maleos showing his friend a vulnerability that no one else in Colchis ever got to see with the young Baron. Timaeus was near hopelessness at this point. He was running out of options and Silanos didn’t seem to care.
He never seemed to care.
However, before the men could discuss this revelation any further there was a knock at the door. In an instant, almost as if a switch had been flipped, Timaeus straightened in his seat and his expression hardened to one of stone. The Baron of Eubocris had returned to his indomitable self.
It was a good thing that he had hardened himself so as soon as he door opened, Timaeus was confronted with the man of the hour; his brother, Silanos. He resisted the urge to stand and question the boy on how he had fared. (Which was a truly difficult thing to do as that ever familiar feeling of paranoia regarding his family’s well-being crept up within him.) Instead, he remained silent as Maleos greeted the pair first, as was his right given that this was his office.
Once the pleasantries were out of the way, Timaeus turned to Daxos and said rather firmly, “ Sir Daxos, thank you for your efforts in making this day possible. However, when you return tomorrow, remember that you are only charged with waking my brother and not my entire household.” Had Silanos not been there, he might have thrown in some sort of joke into the chastizement for how loud the soldier had been, but the Baron decided against it. He knew that it was important that Silanos did not see any cracks in his brother’s resolve. He could show no emotion beyond stern indifference if the men wanted this plan to change the nobleman’s way to work. If Silanos suspected that he could somehow break his brother, he’d focus all his effort into that task instead of learning the lesson that was supposed to come from the day’s events.
Especially now as Timaeus’s words made it clear that the punishment was not meant to end when the sunset that day, but instead it would continue until the young lord changed his ways. It didn’t matter if it took ten years, Silanos would not be released from such duties until a new demeanor emerged. Timaeus simply had no other options at this point.
However, the fallout that would come from such a revelation would be dealt with later as the temptation grew too large to look over Silanos and ensure that the injuries he had sustained were not too severe. His worry was shown only by a light bounce in his leg; an action out of sheer nervousness that came to a sheer halt as Timaeus rose from his seat. With an expression of cold neutrality written across his face, he moved across the room to where his brother stood.
He didn’t ask for permission before he lightly grabbed Silanos by the chin so that he might inspect the bruises blooming on his face. Due in part to Timaues’s grip, Sil’s mouth was forced to close as he turned the boy’s head left and right slowly, taking note of the damage that had been done to his heir. It was almost bone-chilling how indifferent the action was as Timaeus checked him over like he was some sort of possession that had been damaged. He looked at his brother as if he was a slave or a horse, not his own brother. Tim couldn’t be sure when it came to the likes of his brother, but the Baron knew that if the roles were reversed, he would find the heartless way he inspected Sil to be demoralizing… which was exactly Tim’s point in the action. He needed to grind his brother down and show him once and for all that this was his new reality. That Timaeus would not relent or even consider changing his mind.
This was only solidified as Tim let go of the boy and turned back to say to his friend with a slight hint of joviality, “ You really put him through the wringer, didn’t you?” The words weren’t accusatory, but instead carried a sense of admiration that Maleos could inflict such nasty marks onto his brother and still have him returned to Tim in one piece. With such nasty bruises, it seemed impossible to Tim that Sil would forget the lessons of the day.
Though, knowing Silanos, he would probably find a way.
Moving away from his brother, Tim continued by asking the Captain, “ What is his itinerary for the afternoon? Do you think he’s capable of holding his own with the new recruits yet?” Tim was not foolish enough to believe that Sil was ready to stand toe to toe with the men of the unit. But the twelve-year-olds? That should be reasonable.
But even if he couldn’t Tim might insist on it anyways. This day was about humiliating his brother and seeing him being bested by a child would certainly do that.
That was if Silanos didn’t lose his head from anger first…
He could see Tim relax a little at the news that his brother hadn’t suffered more than minor bumps and scrapes. Maleos knew better than to see him to any major harm, especially not anything life threatening. He just hoped to keep Silanos in the dark as to whether the Captain would do him serious harm or not. The more danger he thought he might be in, the more the lessons might stick with him, though Maleos doubted this would do him any good anyways. He wasn’t about to say no to Tim when the idea had been suggested.
“You need not worry, none of my men will address him as a Lord while he remains under my roof. He is a man, like any other, title and wealth stripped away, he stands as anyone else.” He said, knowing that his men would know better than to defy what they had been instructed, even if it was something as simple as disregarding Silanos’ title. He had hoped the same as Tim, that it would show him that he was the same as any man, and the thin veil that separated him from the common folk was all too easily gone.
Maleos laughed a little as Timaeus spoke of Daxos’ over eager attempt at waking Silanos this morning.
“He’s a good man, but he was been waiting for a moment like this since he was assigned to your brother. I am sure he meant well, if he was just a bit over excited.” He said, he would speak to Daxos, but no real punishment was warranted, Timaeus didn’t seem actually angry about being woken, though he did look like he could have used the extra rest that morning.
Maleos nodded when Tim spoke to him less formally about his exhaustion. He could understand, having to deal with Silanos for one morning was more than enough for the Captain, he couldn’t even imagine how it made Tim feel. The man looked well beyond his years, though he was younger than Maleos, to look at them, one likely wouldn’t guess as such.
“I share sentiment with you, at least in some moments. The fun we had while you were yet a man of the military, and I a fresh Lieutenant under your command. Those are the days I like to recall in my free moments, what few free moments I enjoy. Things have changed so much since then.” He agreed, though he would never give up his rank, he sometimes wished that he had enjoyed those moments more, when neither of them had known that this is where they would end up, when they were simply two young men forging a friendship in battle and laughter.
He listened as Timaeus got out his frustrations about Silanos, and how his younger brother just didn’t seem to understand that he was leaving the baron with no choice but to take such drastic measures.
Maleos opened his mouth once more to reply to Tim, but before he could, there was a knock at the door, signaling the return of the very brother the two had spoken of.
“Come.” Maleos called. He wondered if Silanos had actually eaten or not, knowing that the man would need it if he had any hope of not collapsing before their next meal. The soldiers would not eat any earlier than they were commanded to, including Silanos. And if his attitude continued, his next meal would be even further delayed.
He waited silently, watching the two brothers interact from behind his desk.
“Daxos. You are dismissed. See yourself to some rest and water until I call for the continuation of the day’s drills.” He said, and the soldier nodded, turning to take his leave of the room, closing the door behind him.
“I do not think him fit to hold his own with the recruits. He could not handle a simple run this morning without pausing to vomit.” He said, in the most unimpressed way possible.
“My lord, if I may make a suggestion. I think that it would be better suited to have Silanos remain under my roof. There is room in the barracks, and clearly he will not learn his lesson from a day or two of drills. Perhaps a bit more of a permanent solution might work to clear his mind and have him seeing things clearer.” He said, both referring to him learning his lesson, as well as sobering up.
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He could see Tim relax a little at the news that his brother hadn’t suffered more than minor bumps and scrapes. Maleos knew better than to see him to any major harm, especially not anything life threatening. He just hoped to keep Silanos in the dark as to whether the Captain would do him serious harm or not. The more danger he thought he might be in, the more the lessons might stick with him, though Maleos doubted this would do him any good anyways. He wasn’t about to say no to Tim when the idea had been suggested.
“You need not worry, none of my men will address him as a Lord while he remains under my roof. He is a man, like any other, title and wealth stripped away, he stands as anyone else.” He said, knowing that his men would know better than to defy what they had been instructed, even if it was something as simple as disregarding Silanos’ title. He had hoped the same as Tim, that it would show him that he was the same as any man, and the thin veil that separated him from the common folk was all too easily gone.
Maleos laughed a little as Timaeus spoke of Daxos’ over eager attempt at waking Silanos this morning.
“He’s a good man, but he was been waiting for a moment like this since he was assigned to your brother. I am sure he meant well, if he was just a bit over excited.” He said, he would speak to Daxos, but no real punishment was warranted, Timaeus didn’t seem actually angry about being woken, though he did look like he could have used the extra rest that morning.
Maleos nodded when Tim spoke to him less formally about his exhaustion. He could understand, having to deal with Silanos for one morning was more than enough for the Captain, he couldn’t even imagine how it made Tim feel. The man looked well beyond his years, though he was younger than Maleos, to look at them, one likely wouldn’t guess as such.
“I share sentiment with you, at least in some moments. The fun we had while you were yet a man of the military, and I a fresh Lieutenant under your command. Those are the days I like to recall in my free moments, what few free moments I enjoy. Things have changed so much since then.” He agreed, though he would never give up his rank, he sometimes wished that he had enjoyed those moments more, when neither of them had known that this is where they would end up, when they were simply two young men forging a friendship in battle and laughter.
He listened as Timaeus got out his frustrations about Silanos, and how his younger brother just didn’t seem to understand that he was leaving the baron with no choice but to take such drastic measures.
Maleos opened his mouth once more to reply to Tim, but before he could, there was a knock at the door, signaling the return of the very brother the two had spoken of.
“Come.” Maleos called. He wondered if Silanos had actually eaten or not, knowing that the man would need it if he had any hope of not collapsing before their next meal. The soldiers would not eat any earlier than they were commanded to, including Silanos. And if his attitude continued, his next meal would be even further delayed.
He waited silently, watching the two brothers interact from behind his desk.
“Daxos. You are dismissed. See yourself to some rest and water until I call for the continuation of the day’s drills.” He said, and the soldier nodded, turning to take his leave of the room, closing the door behind him.
“I do not think him fit to hold his own with the recruits. He could not handle a simple run this morning without pausing to vomit.” He said, in the most unimpressed way possible.
“My lord, if I may make a suggestion. I think that it would be better suited to have Silanos remain under my roof. There is room in the barracks, and clearly he will not learn his lesson from a day or two of drills. Perhaps a bit more of a permanent solution might work to clear his mind and have him seeing things clearer.” He said, both referring to him learning his lesson, as well as sobering up.
He could see Tim relax a little at the news that his brother hadn’t suffered more than minor bumps and scrapes. Maleos knew better than to see him to any major harm, especially not anything life threatening. He just hoped to keep Silanos in the dark as to whether the Captain would do him serious harm or not. The more danger he thought he might be in, the more the lessons might stick with him, though Maleos doubted this would do him any good anyways. He wasn’t about to say no to Tim when the idea had been suggested.
“You need not worry, none of my men will address him as a Lord while he remains under my roof. He is a man, like any other, title and wealth stripped away, he stands as anyone else.” He said, knowing that his men would know better than to defy what they had been instructed, even if it was something as simple as disregarding Silanos’ title. He had hoped the same as Tim, that it would show him that he was the same as any man, and the thin veil that separated him from the common folk was all too easily gone.
Maleos laughed a little as Timaeus spoke of Daxos’ over eager attempt at waking Silanos this morning.
“He’s a good man, but he was been waiting for a moment like this since he was assigned to your brother. I am sure he meant well, if he was just a bit over excited.” He said, he would speak to Daxos, but no real punishment was warranted, Timaeus didn’t seem actually angry about being woken, though he did look like he could have used the extra rest that morning.
Maleos nodded when Tim spoke to him less formally about his exhaustion. He could understand, having to deal with Silanos for one morning was more than enough for the Captain, he couldn’t even imagine how it made Tim feel. The man looked well beyond his years, though he was younger than Maleos, to look at them, one likely wouldn’t guess as such.
“I share sentiment with you, at least in some moments. The fun we had while you were yet a man of the military, and I a fresh Lieutenant under your command. Those are the days I like to recall in my free moments, what few free moments I enjoy. Things have changed so much since then.” He agreed, though he would never give up his rank, he sometimes wished that he had enjoyed those moments more, when neither of them had known that this is where they would end up, when they were simply two young men forging a friendship in battle and laughter.
He listened as Timaeus got out his frustrations about Silanos, and how his younger brother just didn’t seem to understand that he was leaving the baron with no choice but to take such drastic measures.
Maleos opened his mouth once more to reply to Tim, but before he could, there was a knock at the door, signaling the return of the very brother the two had spoken of.
“Come.” Maleos called. He wondered if Silanos had actually eaten or not, knowing that the man would need it if he had any hope of not collapsing before their next meal. The soldiers would not eat any earlier than they were commanded to, including Silanos. And if his attitude continued, his next meal would be even further delayed.
He waited silently, watching the two brothers interact from behind his desk.
“Daxos. You are dismissed. See yourself to some rest and water until I call for the continuation of the day’s drills.” He said, and the soldier nodded, turning to take his leave of the room, closing the door behind him.
“I do not think him fit to hold his own with the recruits. He could not handle a simple run this morning without pausing to vomit.” He said, in the most unimpressed way possible.
“My lord, if I may make a suggestion. I think that it would be better suited to have Silanos remain under my roof. There is room in the barracks, and clearly he will not learn his lesson from a day or two of drills. Perhaps a bit more of a permanent solution might work to clear his mind and have him seeing things clearer.” He said, both referring to him learning his lesson, as well as sobering up.
Sil had fixed his gaze on some nondescript part of the nondescript Captain’s office, because he didn't trust himself to hold his tongue if he had to look at his brother. It was working fairly successfully up until the point that Timaues addressed Daxos, made some mention of tomorrow like this nightmare was something Silanos had any intention of repeating. That had him scowling even harder, and the look he shot his elder brother as the man approached him was accusatory.
“I’m not doing this again,” he said sharply, only to recoil back from the proprietary grip Timaeus took on his jaw, gobsmacked at the casual way in which the other looked him over. Spots of colour crested high on Sil’s cheeks, and his fingers itched to slap his brother’s hand away. Eventually, he leaned back far enough for Tim’s hand to fall away, but his pride was wounded, not made any better when his stupid brother carried on talking about him as if he wasn’t there. This was getting stale pretty quickly.
When Daxos left, it continued in much the same vein, and Silanos rolled his eyes to the skies. There were limits, and he felt like the pair of them were enjoying this at his expense, not easy to swallow when he was fucking exhausted and hurting. There was an unamused snort at Maleos’ disparaging remarks, but Sil was less reserved in the next instant, as the conversation took a turn that he was in no way fond of.
“Absolutely fucking not!” The protest was out of his mouth despite him knowing that he was probably supposed to be being silent and respectful and whatever other bullshit mindless soldiers were supposed to be, but the younger Valaoritis was keen to squash that stupid idea before it took root. He took a step forward towards his brother, ignoring the Captain. This wasn’t any of his business anyway.
“Tim, no. I get it, I’ll stop pratting around or whatever, but I’m not staying here. It’s a stupid idea”
Silanos wasn’t messing. The last fucking thing he wanted was to have to deal with Maleos and Daxos for all the hours in a day, and there was not a chance in Hades that he would get any sleep sharing quarters with soldiers. He was lucky when he managed a couple of hours at home, and then that was with the benefit of copious amounts of wine, or maybe a little poppy. He wouldn’t have the things he needed here, never mind the fact that it would be like being in the most miserable, torturous existence he could imagine. He couldn’t do it.
“I’ll go back to Eubocris. Mother could do with some company. I don’t care, but I won’t stay here.”
The lesser of two evils, Sil would choose rocks and not a lot else over the notion of being stuck in more days like the one he was enduring.
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Sil had fixed his gaze on some nondescript part of the nondescript Captain’s office, because he didn't trust himself to hold his tongue if he had to look at his brother. It was working fairly successfully up until the point that Timaues addressed Daxos, made some mention of tomorrow like this nightmare was something Silanos had any intention of repeating. That had him scowling even harder, and the look he shot his elder brother as the man approached him was accusatory.
“I’m not doing this again,” he said sharply, only to recoil back from the proprietary grip Timaeus took on his jaw, gobsmacked at the casual way in which the other looked him over. Spots of colour crested high on Sil’s cheeks, and his fingers itched to slap his brother’s hand away. Eventually, he leaned back far enough for Tim’s hand to fall away, but his pride was wounded, not made any better when his stupid brother carried on talking about him as if he wasn’t there. This was getting stale pretty quickly.
When Daxos left, it continued in much the same vein, and Silanos rolled his eyes to the skies. There were limits, and he felt like the pair of them were enjoying this at his expense, not easy to swallow when he was fucking exhausted and hurting. There was an unamused snort at Maleos’ disparaging remarks, but Sil was less reserved in the next instant, as the conversation took a turn that he was in no way fond of.
“Absolutely fucking not!” The protest was out of his mouth despite him knowing that he was probably supposed to be being silent and respectful and whatever other bullshit mindless soldiers were supposed to be, but the younger Valaoritis was keen to squash that stupid idea before it took root. He took a step forward towards his brother, ignoring the Captain. This wasn’t any of his business anyway.
“Tim, no. I get it, I’ll stop pratting around or whatever, but I’m not staying here. It’s a stupid idea”
Silanos wasn’t messing. The last fucking thing he wanted was to have to deal with Maleos and Daxos for all the hours in a day, and there was not a chance in Hades that he would get any sleep sharing quarters with soldiers. He was lucky when he managed a couple of hours at home, and then that was with the benefit of copious amounts of wine, or maybe a little poppy. He wouldn’t have the things he needed here, never mind the fact that it would be like being in the most miserable, torturous existence he could imagine. He couldn’t do it.
“I’ll go back to Eubocris. Mother could do with some company. I don’t care, but I won’t stay here.”
The lesser of two evils, Sil would choose rocks and not a lot else over the notion of being stuck in more days like the one he was enduring.
Sil had fixed his gaze on some nondescript part of the nondescript Captain’s office, because he didn't trust himself to hold his tongue if he had to look at his brother. It was working fairly successfully up until the point that Timaues addressed Daxos, made some mention of tomorrow like this nightmare was something Silanos had any intention of repeating. That had him scowling even harder, and the look he shot his elder brother as the man approached him was accusatory.
“I’m not doing this again,” he said sharply, only to recoil back from the proprietary grip Timaeus took on his jaw, gobsmacked at the casual way in which the other looked him over. Spots of colour crested high on Sil’s cheeks, and his fingers itched to slap his brother’s hand away. Eventually, he leaned back far enough for Tim’s hand to fall away, but his pride was wounded, not made any better when his stupid brother carried on talking about him as if he wasn’t there. This was getting stale pretty quickly.
When Daxos left, it continued in much the same vein, and Silanos rolled his eyes to the skies. There were limits, and he felt like the pair of them were enjoying this at his expense, not easy to swallow when he was fucking exhausted and hurting. There was an unamused snort at Maleos’ disparaging remarks, but Sil was less reserved in the next instant, as the conversation took a turn that he was in no way fond of.
“Absolutely fucking not!” The protest was out of his mouth despite him knowing that he was probably supposed to be being silent and respectful and whatever other bullshit mindless soldiers were supposed to be, but the younger Valaoritis was keen to squash that stupid idea before it took root. He took a step forward towards his brother, ignoring the Captain. This wasn’t any of his business anyway.
“Tim, no. I get it, I’ll stop pratting around or whatever, but I’m not staying here. It’s a stupid idea”
Silanos wasn’t messing. The last fucking thing he wanted was to have to deal with Maleos and Daxos for all the hours in a day, and there was not a chance in Hades that he would get any sleep sharing quarters with soldiers. He was lucky when he managed a couple of hours at home, and then that was with the benefit of copious amounts of wine, or maybe a little poppy. He wouldn’t have the things he needed here, never mind the fact that it would be like being in the most miserable, torturous existence he could imagine. He couldn’t do it.
“I’ll go back to Eubocris. Mother could do with some company. I don’t care, but I won’t stay here.”
The lesser of two evils, Sil would choose rocks and not a lot else over the notion of being stuck in more days like the one he was enduring.
The Baron of Eubocris was not known to be the most trusting of figures. It was simply impossible after the past two years of his year being marked by such extreme paranoia in regards to his family and their well-being. However, if there was one man on this earth that he could trust, he was glad it was Maleos. The Captain was a man of his word. So, when the older leader reassured Tim that he did not need to worry about how the men would treat Silanos or how Daxos would be in his task; the Baron trusted him. Maleos did not cut corners or offer false promises he did not intend to keep, especially to his closest friend as Tim would do the same for him. Both men knew this. When Maleos said that Tim should not worry about something, he should not worry about it. The reassurance of this caused Timaeus to breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that both of those issues were now firmly off of his chest.
That made it easier at least to move onto lighter topics. He smirked at the mention of how things used to be. It was true, it had been quite a different time when Timaeus spent the majority of his day in the barracks and within the company of men like Maleos. They had certainly been far less stressful on the Baron, that’s for sure. “ If only we could settle disputes in the Senate with war games like we did with the men when they got too rowdy.” He said with a light chuckle. With all the leaders for the Men of the Heights being so young just a short two years ago, it was easier for them to get away with the sort of antics that happened in the unit. Of course, the men had been serious when they had to be, but friendships like the one between Timaeus and Maleos had been formed through laughter from crude pranks and other forms of light misbehavior.
Those days for Timaeus were gone. His current position demanded a level of refinement from the Baron that his old self couldn’t provide. There was no room for giggles when Timaeus was responsible for so many people, including his own family. What made matters worse was how unprepared he had had been for the role, forcing him to overcompensate in his seriousness when approaching the title of Baron of Eubocris and Head of the House of Valaoritis.
Would his younger self even recognize the man that sat Maleos today?
The men were about to move into the discussion Timaeus had started regarding Silanos and the slim options that the Baron had regarding him. However, the interruption at the door brought that to a screeching halt. Perhaps later Maleos might be able to give his insight into how dire the situation with his brother really was?
Timaeus remained silent as Maleos dismissed Daxos, instead choosing to look over his brother as the man that both Timaeus and the current Captain had pegged to be a future Lieutenant retreated from the space for his momentary respite from the young man who was the source of far too many troubles: Silanos.
Timaeus shot the boy a warning glare when he spoke out about the plans for Silanos to return to the Barracks again the following day. The boy was just wasting his breath after all. He could protest all he wanted, but at the end of the day, he had no choice in the matter. When Timaeus had signed the orders that had given Daxos the right to rouse his brother that morning, it had not been down with the intention of it being a single day punishment. No, the boy would go through drills until he learned the discipline necessary to fulfill his duties as a nobleman. His days of lounging about during the day and partying well into the evening were over as far as Timaeus was concerned. He didn’t quite care if his brother liked it or not.
Silanos had long ago lost the privilege of that.
The Baron didn’t do anything when the boy pulled out of his grip, clearly having enough of being inspected like he was a horse at market rather than Tim’s own brother. It just wasn’t worth kicking up such a fuss over the action, especially when the two recognized leaders within the room began to discuss the boy’s skills -- or lack thereof. Timaeus snorted at the mention of Silanos being unable to keep his stomach within himself during the run. That was such a routine part of the drills that it seemed incredulous that any man would lose his breakfast during its course. This was true even for Silanos for a reason that Timaeus was sure to point out in his next joking statement, “ Really? After everything this boy has put in himself, a run is what makes him lose his stomach?”
He glanced at the boy in question with a disbelieving look upon his face. Timaeus had truly thought his brother would have done better than that. If he had failed that badly… well, the youngest Valaoritis was truly in more trouble than Timaeus had previously thought. “ No, clearly not. Even the children are capable of completing the run with no issue.” Timaeus affirmed with the look of disbelief morphing into one of disgust. His brother couldn’t even be on par with a twelve-year-old.
How pathetic was that?
That realization forced Timaeus to give pause when Maleos suggested that Silanos move into the barracks for the time being, at least until the message sunk in. He could see the logic in it and he did not doubt that it would be somewhat more effective than keeping Silanos isolated in relative comfort… However, Timaeus had his reservations as he knew that the barracks might not be able to maintain the same level of security he had on the boy at the manor. It would be far easier for Silanos to obtain access to the drugs and alcohol when there weren’t men nearby who were hired for the sole purpose of keeping such things out of Silanos’s hands. That alone almost brought the Baron to kindly reject the offer, preferring the lockdown that he had enstated within his household…
… but then Silanos had to open his mouth.
As the shrill profanity bounced through the room, Tim immediately whirred about on his feet, turning from the Captain to the disobedient delinquent who seemed to be under the impression that he had a say in the matter. This was not his choice to make as he was neither head of his house or the leader of the unit who had made the offer. He was an incorrigible nobleman who didn’t know the first thing about respect.
That was quickly about to change. Without so much as a warning glare, the Baron took the two paces that separated him from his brother and slapped the boy hard[/b] across his most heavily bruised cheek. Timaeus was seeing red as Silanos pulled back from his brother. He was surely in a severe amount of pain as not only would the sting of his palm reawaken the fresh bruises blooming across his check, but the signet ring that Timaeus wore had turned inward and he had done nothing to correct it before bringing his palm to the boy’s face. As a result, the slightest indentation of a pair of keys could be seen on the boy’s cheek. It was ironic. The boy was momentarily marked as a Valaoritis but had done nothing to deserve the family title he bore. It was almost an insult to see that staring at Timaeus like that.
Maybe that was what encouraged Tim to sneer at the boy as he said lowly, “ You are to hold your tongue and watch your language when higher-ranking men are talking. Do you understand me?” Steam was practically billowing out of Timaeus’s ears at this point. He was embarrassed that Silanos would speak to Maleos in such a way; not only as Maleos was a man who’s rank demanded Silanos’s respect, but also he was Timaeus’s friend. No one would address Maleos in such away. Timaeus would not tolerate a Kotas speaking to Maleos like that. Silanos was lucky that Timaeus didn’t make him grovel at the Captain’s feet, begging for forgiveness.
He was about to turn back to Maleos to accept the man’s offer and begin discussing the necessary arrangements for moving Silanos into the barracks. Before he even had the chance to open his mouth however, his brother began to spout off the closest thing to an apology that Timaeus had ever heard come from his brother’s mouth.
But it was far too little, far too late.
The Baron held his tongue for a moment, hoping that the boy would just shut up so he could speak to Maleos without any more input from the boy. He was just too irate with him to even attempt to counter his brother’s opinions on the idea. They didn’t matter, after all, he didn’t have a say. However, that went out the window when Silanos mentioned the idea of retreating to Eubocris to spend time with the boy’s mother.
Did he mistake Timaeus for an idiot?
Turning quickly on the boy the Baron snarked at the fool before him, “ Keeping mother company? Keeping her company? May I remind you how you abandoned her the last time I had sent you home for your misbehavior?” He was sure to emphasize how heartless Sil’s action had been when he had fled from the Kalospiti Aetou not too long ago. Timaeus had brought him there for the sole purpose of keeping him under lock and key, but Silanos had barely spent an hour there before running away back to Midas. Was he daft enough to believe that Timaeus would make the same mistake again?
“ You do not have a say in this matter. Now will you shut your mouth or must I strike you again?” Timaeus warned the boy as he had made it clear that Silanos had lost the right to decide his own fate. He had lost it when he kissed Evras on the Kotas doorstep, when he snuck out of Eubocris, and especially when he made the mistake of disrespecting Maleos in front of his closest friend. Silanos had made poor decisions in his life. Now he was done making them at all.
However, guessing that the threat of violence would not be enough to shut the boy up, Timaeus decided to add a new tactic to the mix.
Humiliation through humbling.
“ Feel that mark upon your cheek, boy. Can you feel the keys of our house beneath your fingers?” Timaeus spat at the boy with a low growl, “ Have you forgotten what they stand for? Loyalty and Honor. We swore ourselves to our liege house and we hold ourselves to the promise that our great-grandfather made. All Valaoritis men find their glory through the path of a soldier. Two simple ideals that have defined us for generations.” It was a history lesson that Timaeus knew Silanos knew well enough. Seven hades, even Maleos would be able to spout back the story. Everyone knew the tale of how Karpas of Valaoritis had put his loyalty to the king above his duty to his baron and won the siege of Eubocris all those years ago; the only time the province ever fell to an invader as their commander had come from within. The details may be twisted depending on who conveyed the story, but Silanos knew the truth just like Tim. He knew how it was the family’s duty to live up to the standards set by the first Valaoritis to ever serve as Captain for the Men of the Heights.
Silanos would also know of how he had failed to live up to Karpas’s legacy.
Even if he didn’t, Timaeus was sure to make that clear to him in his final hurtful statement to the boy, “ As you have yet to do either of those things, you do not get to benefit from the legacy all the men before us have built.” Although, this statement was geared more towards informing Silanos that he was to be moving out the manor and into the barracks, it could also be taken as Tim effectively disowning Sil. He wasn’t ready to accept such drastic action just yet, but if Silanos did not change soon, that would be the only option Tim would have left.
Finally turning back to Maleos, the Baron said to the Captain, “ We accept your gracious offer. Surely my brother will benefit from the discipline you can instill in him.” His voice was as level as the Baron could make it given the sheer amounts of rage coursing through his veins. “ What do you need from us to make this happen? The compensation you’ll receive will be generous, of course.” He was sure his friend didn’t care for money, but this was such a massive undertaking that Timaeus wouldn’t feel right without providing some sort of reward for putting up with Silanos.
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The Baron of Eubocris was not known to be the most trusting of figures. It was simply impossible after the past two years of his year being marked by such extreme paranoia in regards to his family and their well-being. However, if there was one man on this earth that he could trust, he was glad it was Maleos. The Captain was a man of his word. So, when the older leader reassured Tim that he did not need to worry about how the men would treat Silanos or how Daxos would be in his task; the Baron trusted him. Maleos did not cut corners or offer false promises he did not intend to keep, especially to his closest friend as Tim would do the same for him. Both men knew this. When Maleos said that Tim should not worry about something, he should not worry about it. The reassurance of this caused Timaeus to breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that both of those issues were now firmly off of his chest.
That made it easier at least to move onto lighter topics. He smirked at the mention of how things used to be. It was true, it had been quite a different time when Timaeus spent the majority of his day in the barracks and within the company of men like Maleos. They had certainly been far less stressful on the Baron, that’s for sure. “ If only we could settle disputes in the Senate with war games like we did with the men when they got too rowdy.” He said with a light chuckle. With all the leaders for the Men of the Heights being so young just a short two years ago, it was easier for them to get away with the sort of antics that happened in the unit. Of course, the men had been serious when they had to be, but friendships like the one between Timaeus and Maleos had been formed through laughter from crude pranks and other forms of light misbehavior.
Those days for Timaeus were gone. His current position demanded a level of refinement from the Baron that his old self couldn’t provide. There was no room for giggles when Timaeus was responsible for so many people, including his own family. What made matters worse was how unprepared he had had been for the role, forcing him to overcompensate in his seriousness when approaching the title of Baron of Eubocris and Head of the House of Valaoritis.
Would his younger self even recognize the man that sat Maleos today?
The men were about to move into the discussion Timaeus had started regarding Silanos and the slim options that the Baron had regarding him. However, the interruption at the door brought that to a screeching halt. Perhaps later Maleos might be able to give his insight into how dire the situation with his brother really was?
Timaeus remained silent as Maleos dismissed Daxos, instead choosing to look over his brother as the man that both Timaeus and the current Captain had pegged to be a future Lieutenant retreated from the space for his momentary respite from the young man who was the source of far too many troubles: Silanos.
Timaeus shot the boy a warning glare when he spoke out about the plans for Silanos to return to the Barracks again the following day. The boy was just wasting his breath after all. He could protest all he wanted, but at the end of the day, he had no choice in the matter. When Timaeus had signed the orders that had given Daxos the right to rouse his brother that morning, it had not been down with the intention of it being a single day punishment. No, the boy would go through drills until he learned the discipline necessary to fulfill his duties as a nobleman. His days of lounging about during the day and partying well into the evening were over as far as Timaeus was concerned. He didn’t quite care if his brother liked it or not.
Silanos had long ago lost the privilege of that.
The Baron didn’t do anything when the boy pulled out of his grip, clearly having enough of being inspected like he was a horse at market rather than Tim’s own brother. It just wasn’t worth kicking up such a fuss over the action, especially when the two recognized leaders within the room began to discuss the boy’s skills -- or lack thereof. Timaeus snorted at the mention of Silanos being unable to keep his stomach within himself during the run. That was such a routine part of the drills that it seemed incredulous that any man would lose his breakfast during its course. This was true even for Silanos for a reason that Timaeus was sure to point out in his next joking statement, “ Really? After everything this boy has put in himself, a run is what makes him lose his stomach?”
He glanced at the boy in question with a disbelieving look upon his face. Timaeus had truly thought his brother would have done better than that. If he had failed that badly… well, the youngest Valaoritis was truly in more trouble than Timaeus had previously thought. “ No, clearly not. Even the children are capable of completing the run with no issue.” Timaeus affirmed with the look of disbelief morphing into one of disgust. His brother couldn’t even be on par with a twelve-year-old.
How pathetic was that?
That realization forced Timaeus to give pause when Maleos suggested that Silanos move into the barracks for the time being, at least until the message sunk in. He could see the logic in it and he did not doubt that it would be somewhat more effective than keeping Silanos isolated in relative comfort… However, Timaeus had his reservations as he knew that the barracks might not be able to maintain the same level of security he had on the boy at the manor. It would be far easier for Silanos to obtain access to the drugs and alcohol when there weren’t men nearby who were hired for the sole purpose of keeping such things out of Silanos’s hands. That alone almost brought the Baron to kindly reject the offer, preferring the lockdown that he had enstated within his household…
… but then Silanos had to open his mouth.
As the shrill profanity bounced through the room, Tim immediately whirred about on his feet, turning from the Captain to the disobedient delinquent who seemed to be under the impression that he had a say in the matter. This was not his choice to make as he was neither head of his house or the leader of the unit who had made the offer. He was an incorrigible nobleman who didn’t know the first thing about respect.
That was quickly about to change. Without so much as a warning glare, the Baron took the two paces that separated him from his brother and slapped the boy hard[/b] across his most heavily bruised cheek. Timaeus was seeing red as Silanos pulled back from his brother. He was surely in a severe amount of pain as not only would the sting of his palm reawaken the fresh bruises blooming across his check, but the signet ring that Timaeus wore had turned inward and he had done nothing to correct it before bringing his palm to the boy’s face. As a result, the slightest indentation of a pair of keys could be seen on the boy’s cheek. It was ironic. The boy was momentarily marked as a Valaoritis but had done nothing to deserve the family title he bore. It was almost an insult to see that staring at Timaeus like that.
Maybe that was what encouraged Tim to sneer at the boy as he said lowly, “ You are to hold your tongue and watch your language when higher-ranking men are talking. Do you understand me?” Steam was practically billowing out of Timaeus’s ears at this point. He was embarrassed that Silanos would speak to Maleos in such a way; not only as Maleos was a man who’s rank demanded Silanos’s respect, but also he was Timaeus’s friend. No one would address Maleos in such away. Timaeus would not tolerate a Kotas speaking to Maleos like that. Silanos was lucky that Timaeus didn’t make him grovel at the Captain’s feet, begging for forgiveness.
He was about to turn back to Maleos to accept the man’s offer and begin discussing the necessary arrangements for moving Silanos into the barracks. Before he even had the chance to open his mouth however, his brother began to spout off the closest thing to an apology that Timaeus had ever heard come from his brother’s mouth.
But it was far too little, far too late.
The Baron held his tongue for a moment, hoping that the boy would just shut up so he could speak to Maleos without any more input from the boy. He was just too irate with him to even attempt to counter his brother’s opinions on the idea. They didn’t matter, after all, he didn’t have a say. However, that went out the window when Silanos mentioned the idea of retreating to Eubocris to spend time with the boy’s mother.
Did he mistake Timaeus for an idiot?
Turning quickly on the boy the Baron snarked at the fool before him, “ Keeping mother company? Keeping her company? May I remind you how you abandoned her the last time I had sent you home for your misbehavior?” He was sure to emphasize how heartless Sil’s action had been when he had fled from the Kalospiti Aetou not too long ago. Timaeus had brought him there for the sole purpose of keeping him under lock and key, but Silanos had barely spent an hour there before running away back to Midas. Was he daft enough to believe that Timaeus would make the same mistake again?
“ You do not have a say in this matter. Now will you shut your mouth or must I strike you again?” Timaeus warned the boy as he had made it clear that Silanos had lost the right to decide his own fate. He had lost it when he kissed Evras on the Kotas doorstep, when he snuck out of Eubocris, and especially when he made the mistake of disrespecting Maleos in front of his closest friend. Silanos had made poor decisions in his life. Now he was done making them at all.
However, guessing that the threat of violence would not be enough to shut the boy up, Timaeus decided to add a new tactic to the mix.
Humiliation through humbling.
“ Feel that mark upon your cheek, boy. Can you feel the keys of our house beneath your fingers?” Timaeus spat at the boy with a low growl, “ Have you forgotten what they stand for? Loyalty and Honor. We swore ourselves to our liege house and we hold ourselves to the promise that our great-grandfather made. All Valaoritis men find their glory through the path of a soldier. Two simple ideals that have defined us for generations.” It was a history lesson that Timaeus knew Silanos knew well enough. Seven hades, even Maleos would be able to spout back the story. Everyone knew the tale of how Karpas of Valaoritis had put his loyalty to the king above his duty to his baron and won the siege of Eubocris all those years ago; the only time the province ever fell to an invader as their commander had come from within. The details may be twisted depending on who conveyed the story, but Silanos knew the truth just like Tim. He knew how it was the family’s duty to live up to the standards set by the first Valaoritis to ever serve as Captain for the Men of the Heights.
Silanos would also know of how he had failed to live up to Karpas’s legacy.
Even if he didn’t, Timaeus was sure to make that clear to him in his final hurtful statement to the boy, “ As you have yet to do either of those things, you do not get to benefit from the legacy all the men before us have built.” Although, this statement was geared more towards informing Silanos that he was to be moving out the manor and into the barracks, it could also be taken as Tim effectively disowning Sil. He wasn’t ready to accept such drastic action just yet, but if Silanos did not change soon, that would be the only option Tim would have left.
Finally turning back to Maleos, the Baron said to the Captain, “ We accept your gracious offer. Surely my brother will benefit from the discipline you can instill in him.” His voice was as level as the Baron could make it given the sheer amounts of rage coursing through his veins. “ What do you need from us to make this happen? The compensation you’ll receive will be generous, of course.” He was sure his friend didn’t care for money, but this was such a massive undertaking that Timaeus wouldn’t feel right without providing some sort of reward for putting up with Silanos.
The Baron of Eubocris was not known to be the most trusting of figures. It was simply impossible after the past two years of his year being marked by such extreme paranoia in regards to his family and their well-being. However, if there was one man on this earth that he could trust, he was glad it was Maleos. The Captain was a man of his word. So, when the older leader reassured Tim that he did not need to worry about how the men would treat Silanos or how Daxos would be in his task; the Baron trusted him. Maleos did not cut corners or offer false promises he did not intend to keep, especially to his closest friend as Tim would do the same for him. Both men knew this. When Maleos said that Tim should not worry about something, he should not worry about it. The reassurance of this caused Timaeus to breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that both of those issues were now firmly off of his chest.
That made it easier at least to move onto lighter topics. He smirked at the mention of how things used to be. It was true, it had been quite a different time when Timaeus spent the majority of his day in the barracks and within the company of men like Maleos. They had certainly been far less stressful on the Baron, that’s for sure. “ If only we could settle disputes in the Senate with war games like we did with the men when they got too rowdy.” He said with a light chuckle. With all the leaders for the Men of the Heights being so young just a short two years ago, it was easier for them to get away with the sort of antics that happened in the unit. Of course, the men had been serious when they had to be, but friendships like the one between Timaeus and Maleos had been formed through laughter from crude pranks and other forms of light misbehavior.
Those days for Timaeus were gone. His current position demanded a level of refinement from the Baron that his old self couldn’t provide. There was no room for giggles when Timaeus was responsible for so many people, including his own family. What made matters worse was how unprepared he had had been for the role, forcing him to overcompensate in his seriousness when approaching the title of Baron of Eubocris and Head of the House of Valaoritis.
Would his younger self even recognize the man that sat Maleos today?
The men were about to move into the discussion Timaeus had started regarding Silanos and the slim options that the Baron had regarding him. However, the interruption at the door brought that to a screeching halt. Perhaps later Maleos might be able to give his insight into how dire the situation with his brother really was?
Timaeus remained silent as Maleos dismissed Daxos, instead choosing to look over his brother as the man that both Timaeus and the current Captain had pegged to be a future Lieutenant retreated from the space for his momentary respite from the young man who was the source of far too many troubles: Silanos.
Timaeus shot the boy a warning glare when he spoke out about the plans for Silanos to return to the Barracks again the following day. The boy was just wasting his breath after all. He could protest all he wanted, but at the end of the day, he had no choice in the matter. When Timaeus had signed the orders that had given Daxos the right to rouse his brother that morning, it had not been down with the intention of it being a single day punishment. No, the boy would go through drills until he learned the discipline necessary to fulfill his duties as a nobleman. His days of lounging about during the day and partying well into the evening were over as far as Timaeus was concerned. He didn’t quite care if his brother liked it or not.
Silanos had long ago lost the privilege of that.
The Baron didn’t do anything when the boy pulled out of his grip, clearly having enough of being inspected like he was a horse at market rather than Tim’s own brother. It just wasn’t worth kicking up such a fuss over the action, especially when the two recognized leaders within the room began to discuss the boy’s skills -- or lack thereof. Timaeus snorted at the mention of Silanos being unable to keep his stomach within himself during the run. That was such a routine part of the drills that it seemed incredulous that any man would lose his breakfast during its course. This was true even for Silanos for a reason that Timaeus was sure to point out in his next joking statement, “ Really? After everything this boy has put in himself, a run is what makes him lose his stomach?”
He glanced at the boy in question with a disbelieving look upon his face. Timaeus had truly thought his brother would have done better than that. If he had failed that badly… well, the youngest Valaoritis was truly in more trouble than Timaeus had previously thought. “ No, clearly not. Even the children are capable of completing the run with no issue.” Timaeus affirmed with the look of disbelief morphing into one of disgust. His brother couldn’t even be on par with a twelve-year-old.
How pathetic was that?
That realization forced Timaeus to give pause when Maleos suggested that Silanos move into the barracks for the time being, at least until the message sunk in. He could see the logic in it and he did not doubt that it would be somewhat more effective than keeping Silanos isolated in relative comfort… However, Timaeus had his reservations as he knew that the barracks might not be able to maintain the same level of security he had on the boy at the manor. It would be far easier for Silanos to obtain access to the drugs and alcohol when there weren’t men nearby who were hired for the sole purpose of keeping such things out of Silanos’s hands. That alone almost brought the Baron to kindly reject the offer, preferring the lockdown that he had enstated within his household…
… but then Silanos had to open his mouth.
As the shrill profanity bounced through the room, Tim immediately whirred about on his feet, turning from the Captain to the disobedient delinquent who seemed to be under the impression that he had a say in the matter. This was not his choice to make as he was neither head of his house or the leader of the unit who had made the offer. He was an incorrigible nobleman who didn’t know the first thing about respect.
That was quickly about to change. Without so much as a warning glare, the Baron took the two paces that separated him from his brother and slapped the boy hard[/b] across his most heavily bruised cheek. Timaeus was seeing red as Silanos pulled back from his brother. He was surely in a severe amount of pain as not only would the sting of his palm reawaken the fresh bruises blooming across his check, but the signet ring that Timaeus wore had turned inward and he had done nothing to correct it before bringing his palm to the boy’s face. As a result, the slightest indentation of a pair of keys could be seen on the boy’s cheek. It was ironic. The boy was momentarily marked as a Valaoritis but had done nothing to deserve the family title he bore. It was almost an insult to see that staring at Timaeus like that.
Maybe that was what encouraged Tim to sneer at the boy as he said lowly, “ You are to hold your tongue and watch your language when higher-ranking men are talking. Do you understand me?” Steam was practically billowing out of Timaeus’s ears at this point. He was embarrassed that Silanos would speak to Maleos in such a way; not only as Maleos was a man who’s rank demanded Silanos’s respect, but also he was Timaeus’s friend. No one would address Maleos in such away. Timaeus would not tolerate a Kotas speaking to Maleos like that. Silanos was lucky that Timaeus didn’t make him grovel at the Captain’s feet, begging for forgiveness.
He was about to turn back to Maleos to accept the man’s offer and begin discussing the necessary arrangements for moving Silanos into the barracks. Before he even had the chance to open his mouth however, his brother began to spout off the closest thing to an apology that Timaeus had ever heard come from his brother’s mouth.
But it was far too little, far too late.
The Baron held his tongue for a moment, hoping that the boy would just shut up so he could speak to Maleos without any more input from the boy. He was just too irate with him to even attempt to counter his brother’s opinions on the idea. They didn’t matter, after all, he didn’t have a say. However, that went out the window when Silanos mentioned the idea of retreating to Eubocris to spend time with the boy’s mother.
Did he mistake Timaeus for an idiot?
Turning quickly on the boy the Baron snarked at the fool before him, “ Keeping mother company? Keeping her company? May I remind you how you abandoned her the last time I had sent you home for your misbehavior?” He was sure to emphasize how heartless Sil’s action had been when he had fled from the Kalospiti Aetou not too long ago. Timaeus had brought him there for the sole purpose of keeping him under lock and key, but Silanos had barely spent an hour there before running away back to Midas. Was he daft enough to believe that Timaeus would make the same mistake again?
“ You do not have a say in this matter. Now will you shut your mouth or must I strike you again?” Timaeus warned the boy as he had made it clear that Silanos had lost the right to decide his own fate. He had lost it when he kissed Evras on the Kotas doorstep, when he snuck out of Eubocris, and especially when he made the mistake of disrespecting Maleos in front of his closest friend. Silanos had made poor decisions in his life. Now he was done making them at all.
However, guessing that the threat of violence would not be enough to shut the boy up, Timaeus decided to add a new tactic to the mix.
Humiliation through humbling.
“ Feel that mark upon your cheek, boy. Can you feel the keys of our house beneath your fingers?” Timaeus spat at the boy with a low growl, “ Have you forgotten what they stand for? Loyalty and Honor. We swore ourselves to our liege house and we hold ourselves to the promise that our great-grandfather made. All Valaoritis men find their glory through the path of a soldier. Two simple ideals that have defined us for generations.” It was a history lesson that Timaeus knew Silanos knew well enough. Seven hades, even Maleos would be able to spout back the story. Everyone knew the tale of how Karpas of Valaoritis had put his loyalty to the king above his duty to his baron and won the siege of Eubocris all those years ago; the only time the province ever fell to an invader as their commander had come from within. The details may be twisted depending on who conveyed the story, but Silanos knew the truth just like Tim. He knew how it was the family’s duty to live up to the standards set by the first Valaoritis to ever serve as Captain for the Men of the Heights.
Silanos would also know of how he had failed to live up to Karpas’s legacy.
Even if he didn’t, Timaeus was sure to make that clear to him in his final hurtful statement to the boy, “ As you have yet to do either of those things, you do not get to benefit from the legacy all the men before us have built.” Although, this statement was geared more towards informing Silanos that he was to be moving out the manor and into the barracks, it could also be taken as Tim effectively disowning Sil. He wasn’t ready to accept such drastic action just yet, but if Silanos did not change soon, that would be the only option Tim would have left.
Finally turning back to Maleos, the Baron said to the Captain, “ We accept your gracious offer. Surely my brother will benefit from the discipline you can instill in him.” His voice was as level as the Baron could make it given the sheer amounts of rage coursing through his veins. “ What do you need from us to make this happen? The compensation you’ll receive will be generous, of course.” He was sure his friend didn’t care for money, but this was such a massive undertaking that Timaeus wouldn’t feel right without providing some sort of reward for putting up with Silanos.
As was expected, Silanos attempted to argue with his brother, unaware of the fact that Timaeus was already set on Silanos training with Maleos until some semblance of a lesson set in. Though the Captain had his doubts that any would, Silanos could be stuck with him for the next few years and the idiot would probably still try to hold his head high and act as if none of it was his fault. The Captain made no comment, it was not his place, it was Timaeus’.
Again the Captain remained silent as Silanos made a scene about the idea of having to stay under his roof. He knew his Baron, and knew that he would deal with his brother, and Maleos would stay quiet out of respect for his best friend and former Captain, knowing when it was a good time to pitch in his opinion and when he should remain a silent observer.
Maleos did not flinch as Silanos was slapped, the noise it caused made even the Captain feel the sting upon his cheek. With the bruises and abuse that Silanos had already taken that morning, it would hurt more than usual as well. He certainly did not envy the Lord. He couldn’t remember ever seeing Tim so angry, not in any of the years that the two men had known each other. This was a new side of Timaeus, one that had emerged out of stress and desperation. Maleos hoped that Silanos would soon understand just what he was doing to his brother with his recklessness and disregard.
Maleos felt a little swell of pride and thankfulness towards his friend as he told his brother he would not speak to the Captain in such a way. Not that Silanos seemed to care, but Maleos’ rank of Captain held the same weight as his title of Lord. Silanos cared for no one but himself though, and anyone else’s titles seemed to hold little care in the man’s mind.
Maleos waited in silence for his Baron to turn back to him and address him. He stood from the chair he had been sitting in, giving Timaeus a respectful bow, he held the man’s gaze with his own as he listened before answering.
“I expect no compensation, save for what will be necessary to feed and clothe him.” He said, he didn’t expect payment for it, not from Timaeus. He would only need the funds to house another man within his barracks, a sum that was of little worry when supplies were acquired in the large amounts required to feed and house the men already under his roof.
“If I may, my Lord, I will take my leave and see to the arrangements for a bed in the barracks and equipment for his use during training. My office is yours to deal with any unfinished business. If you require anything at all, my men will stand guard just outside the door, and will be at your full command.” He said, his words formal in front of Silanos, but he knew that Timaeus would sense the deeper meaning of Maleos’ sentiments.
“When you are finished with him, I will have him escorted back to training.” He said, and with Timaeus’ blessing, and one more respectful bow, he left his office, closing the door behind him. He told his men to wait for Silanos and Timaeus outside, and to listen to any command given by Tim before he headed down the corridor and outside to see his own men back to their drills, the tension in the room seeming to haunt him as he walked, the image of how enraged his best friend had been following along with him.
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As was expected, Silanos attempted to argue with his brother, unaware of the fact that Timaeus was already set on Silanos training with Maleos until some semblance of a lesson set in. Though the Captain had his doubts that any would, Silanos could be stuck with him for the next few years and the idiot would probably still try to hold his head high and act as if none of it was his fault. The Captain made no comment, it was not his place, it was Timaeus’.
Again the Captain remained silent as Silanos made a scene about the idea of having to stay under his roof. He knew his Baron, and knew that he would deal with his brother, and Maleos would stay quiet out of respect for his best friend and former Captain, knowing when it was a good time to pitch in his opinion and when he should remain a silent observer.
Maleos did not flinch as Silanos was slapped, the noise it caused made even the Captain feel the sting upon his cheek. With the bruises and abuse that Silanos had already taken that morning, it would hurt more than usual as well. He certainly did not envy the Lord. He couldn’t remember ever seeing Tim so angry, not in any of the years that the two men had known each other. This was a new side of Timaeus, one that had emerged out of stress and desperation. Maleos hoped that Silanos would soon understand just what he was doing to his brother with his recklessness and disregard.
Maleos felt a little swell of pride and thankfulness towards his friend as he told his brother he would not speak to the Captain in such a way. Not that Silanos seemed to care, but Maleos’ rank of Captain held the same weight as his title of Lord. Silanos cared for no one but himself though, and anyone else’s titles seemed to hold little care in the man’s mind.
Maleos waited in silence for his Baron to turn back to him and address him. He stood from the chair he had been sitting in, giving Timaeus a respectful bow, he held the man’s gaze with his own as he listened before answering.
“I expect no compensation, save for what will be necessary to feed and clothe him.” He said, he didn’t expect payment for it, not from Timaeus. He would only need the funds to house another man within his barracks, a sum that was of little worry when supplies were acquired in the large amounts required to feed and house the men already under his roof.
“If I may, my Lord, I will take my leave and see to the arrangements for a bed in the barracks and equipment for his use during training. My office is yours to deal with any unfinished business. If you require anything at all, my men will stand guard just outside the door, and will be at your full command.” He said, his words formal in front of Silanos, but he knew that Timaeus would sense the deeper meaning of Maleos’ sentiments.
“When you are finished with him, I will have him escorted back to training.” He said, and with Timaeus’ blessing, and one more respectful bow, he left his office, closing the door behind him. He told his men to wait for Silanos and Timaeus outside, and to listen to any command given by Tim before he headed down the corridor and outside to see his own men back to their drills, the tension in the room seeming to haunt him as he walked, the image of how enraged his best friend had been following along with him.
As was expected, Silanos attempted to argue with his brother, unaware of the fact that Timaeus was already set on Silanos training with Maleos until some semblance of a lesson set in. Though the Captain had his doubts that any would, Silanos could be stuck with him for the next few years and the idiot would probably still try to hold his head high and act as if none of it was his fault. The Captain made no comment, it was not his place, it was Timaeus’.
Again the Captain remained silent as Silanos made a scene about the idea of having to stay under his roof. He knew his Baron, and knew that he would deal with his brother, and Maleos would stay quiet out of respect for his best friend and former Captain, knowing when it was a good time to pitch in his opinion and when he should remain a silent observer.
Maleos did not flinch as Silanos was slapped, the noise it caused made even the Captain feel the sting upon his cheek. With the bruises and abuse that Silanos had already taken that morning, it would hurt more than usual as well. He certainly did not envy the Lord. He couldn’t remember ever seeing Tim so angry, not in any of the years that the two men had known each other. This was a new side of Timaeus, one that had emerged out of stress and desperation. Maleos hoped that Silanos would soon understand just what he was doing to his brother with his recklessness and disregard.
Maleos felt a little swell of pride and thankfulness towards his friend as he told his brother he would not speak to the Captain in such a way. Not that Silanos seemed to care, but Maleos’ rank of Captain held the same weight as his title of Lord. Silanos cared for no one but himself though, and anyone else’s titles seemed to hold little care in the man’s mind.
Maleos waited in silence for his Baron to turn back to him and address him. He stood from the chair he had been sitting in, giving Timaeus a respectful bow, he held the man’s gaze with his own as he listened before answering.
“I expect no compensation, save for what will be necessary to feed and clothe him.” He said, he didn’t expect payment for it, not from Timaeus. He would only need the funds to house another man within his barracks, a sum that was of little worry when supplies were acquired in the large amounts required to feed and house the men already under his roof.
“If I may, my Lord, I will take my leave and see to the arrangements for a bed in the barracks and equipment for his use during training. My office is yours to deal with any unfinished business. If you require anything at all, my men will stand guard just outside the door, and will be at your full command.” He said, his words formal in front of Silanos, but he knew that Timaeus would sense the deeper meaning of Maleos’ sentiments.
“When you are finished with him, I will have him escorted back to training.” He said, and with Timaeus’ blessing, and one more respectful bow, he left his office, closing the door behind him. He told his men to wait for Silanos and Timaeus outside, and to listen to any command given by Tim before he headed down the corridor and outside to see his own men back to their drills, the tension in the room seeming to haunt him as he walked, the image of how enraged his best friend had been following along with him.
The slap caught Silanos by surprise, snapped his head to the side with the force of it and left a sharp ringing in his ear that made him feel sick. Timaeus voice sounded sort of muffled and disjointed as Sil watched his mouth move through eyes that watered. He nodded mutely, too stunned to do anything else. The entire right side of his face was throbbing, and he pressed his hand to it, flexing his jaw even as he stared wide-eyed at his brother.
It was not the first time his brother had struck him. They were siblings, had fought enough in their youth to drive their mother to distraction. But Timaeus was not his brother then, in that room, Sil realised. He was Head of House, Baron, an idea that the younger had still not grown accustomed to. It shocked him, the blow, shook him out of the defiant mood he’d found upon seeing Tim there.
Still, he could not stop the last ditch attempt to dissuade the man from accepting the Captain’s unlooked for suggestion. But he got that wrong too it seemed, as his brother turned on him again and Sil backed up, wary of the anger that poured off the older of the two Valaoritis lords. He didn’t really have a lot to offer in his defence either, dropping his gaze at that recounting of his last -brief- return to Eubocris. He had not exactly lingered, it was true.
“That was different….” he muttered, even though he had to admit to himself that maybe it wasn’t. He’d managed to burn a lot of bridges with his brother, that much was being made clear and Silanos folded his arms across his chest, making his protest a silent one so as not to antagonise the man any more. He was painfully aware of the Captain sitting silent witness to all of this, his pride already taking a bashing even without Tim dredging up what he did next.
He hadn’t realised the ring had left a mark - his whole face hurt - and at his brother’s words Silanos glanced towards Timaeus’ hand and then back to the baron’s face.He let his thumb drift over his cheekbone where, sure enough, he could feel a raised, tender area in a more vast tender area, and his gaze locked on to Tim’s as the man recited all too familiar tales.
Loyalty and Honor. The Valaoritis men were soldiers by birth. He felt a sickening sort of realisation that maybe he’d outrun that fate as long as he was going to be able to, his future suddenly seeming very narrow. And he visibly flinched when his brother looked to Maleos and confirmed such a happening, some innate sense of self preservation stopping him from protesting again.
Instead, Silanos listened as he was once again subject of discussion as if he were not even present. He didn’t look at Maleos as the Captain stood and took his leave, and there was a long reaching silence even beyond the door clicking shut behind him. That it had come to this - his own brother shoving him off to be treated like some commoner, had rattled the young lord more than he was prepared for, and Silanos didn’t know how close he walked to Timaeus just being done with him altogether. He missed Nico, and how much simpler everything had been before he’d died. He missed Taengea and the easy existence hed found there, before he’d come home and managed to dig himself into a fine hole. And Timaeus didn't even know...He felt his stomach twist up in knots at the idea of admitting the Asia fiasco, thinking how his brother would react to that. Maybe he was safer here.
With his face a throbbing reminder of both his brother’s anger and the morning that had been but a taster of what his future now looked like, Sil felt defeated and trapped. Half-afraid of setting Timaeus off again, the words he might have said did not come.
Perhaps there was just nothing left to say.
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The slap caught Silanos by surprise, snapped his head to the side with the force of it and left a sharp ringing in his ear that made him feel sick. Timaeus voice sounded sort of muffled and disjointed as Sil watched his mouth move through eyes that watered. He nodded mutely, too stunned to do anything else. The entire right side of his face was throbbing, and he pressed his hand to it, flexing his jaw even as he stared wide-eyed at his brother.
It was not the first time his brother had struck him. They were siblings, had fought enough in their youth to drive their mother to distraction. But Timaeus was not his brother then, in that room, Sil realised. He was Head of House, Baron, an idea that the younger had still not grown accustomed to. It shocked him, the blow, shook him out of the defiant mood he’d found upon seeing Tim there.
Still, he could not stop the last ditch attempt to dissuade the man from accepting the Captain’s unlooked for suggestion. But he got that wrong too it seemed, as his brother turned on him again and Sil backed up, wary of the anger that poured off the older of the two Valaoritis lords. He didn’t really have a lot to offer in his defence either, dropping his gaze at that recounting of his last -brief- return to Eubocris. He had not exactly lingered, it was true.
“That was different….” he muttered, even though he had to admit to himself that maybe it wasn’t. He’d managed to burn a lot of bridges with his brother, that much was being made clear and Silanos folded his arms across his chest, making his protest a silent one so as not to antagonise the man any more. He was painfully aware of the Captain sitting silent witness to all of this, his pride already taking a bashing even without Tim dredging up what he did next.
He hadn’t realised the ring had left a mark - his whole face hurt - and at his brother’s words Silanos glanced towards Timaeus’ hand and then back to the baron’s face.He let his thumb drift over his cheekbone where, sure enough, he could feel a raised, tender area in a more vast tender area, and his gaze locked on to Tim’s as the man recited all too familiar tales.
Loyalty and Honor. The Valaoritis men were soldiers by birth. He felt a sickening sort of realisation that maybe he’d outrun that fate as long as he was going to be able to, his future suddenly seeming very narrow. And he visibly flinched when his brother looked to Maleos and confirmed such a happening, some innate sense of self preservation stopping him from protesting again.
Instead, Silanos listened as he was once again subject of discussion as if he were not even present. He didn’t look at Maleos as the Captain stood and took his leave, and there was a long reaching silence even beyond the door clicking shut behind him. That it had come to this - his own brother shoving him off to be treated like some commoner, had rattled the young lord more than he was prepared for, and Silanos didn’t know how close he walked to Timaeus just being done with him altogether. He missed Nico, and how much simpler everything had been before he’d died. He missed Taengea and the easy existence hed found there, before he’d come home and managed to dig himself into a fine hole. And Timaeus didn't even know...He felt his stomach twist up in knots at the idea of admitting the Asia fiasco, thinking how his brother would react to that. Maybe he was safer here.
With his face a throbbing reminder of both his brother’s anger and the morning that had been but a taster of what his future now looked like, Sil felt defeated and trapped. Half-afraid of setting Timaeus off again, the words he might have said did not come.
Perhaps there was just nothing left to say.
The slap caught Silanos by surprise, snapped his head to the side with the force of it and left a sharp ringing in his ear that made him feel sick. Timaeus voice sounded sort of muffled and disjointed as Sil watched his mouth move through eyes that watered. He nodded mutely, too stunned to do anything else. The entire right side of his face was throbbing, and he pressed his hand to it, flexing his jaw even as he stared wide-eyed at his brother.
It was not the first time his brother had struck him. They were siblings, had fought enough in their youth to drive their mother to distraction. But Timaeus was not his brother then, in that room, Sil realised. He was Head of House, Baron, an idea that the younger had still not grown accustomed to. It shocked him, the blow, shook him out of the defiant mood he’d found upon seeing Tim there.
Still, he could not stop the last ditch attempt to dissuade the man from accepting the Captain’s unlooked for suggestion. But he got that wrong too it seemed, as his brother turned on him again and Sil backed up, wary of the anger that poured off the older of the two Valaoritis lords. He didn’t really have a lot to offer in his defence either, dropping his gaze at that recounting of his last -brief- return to Eubocris. He had not exactly lingered, it was true.
“That was different….” he muttered, even though he had to admit to himself that maybe it wasn’t. He’d managed to burn a lot of bridges with his brother, that much was being made clear and Silanos folded his arms across his chest, making his protest a silent one so as not to antagonise the man any more. He was painfully aware of the Captain sitting silent witness to all of this, his pride already taking a bashing even without Tim dredging up what he did next.
He hadn’t realised the ring had left a mark - his whole face hurt - and at his brother’s words Silanos glanced towards Timaeus’ hand and then back to the baron’s face.He let his thumb drift over his cheekbone where, sure enough, he could feel a raised, tender area in a more vast tender area, and his gaze locked on to Tim’s as the man recited all too familiar tales.
Loyalty and Honor. The Valaoritis men were soldiers by birth. He felt a sickening sort of realisation that maybe he’d outrun that fate as long as he was going to be able to, his future suddenly seeming very narrow. And he visibly flinched when his brother looked to Maleos and confirmed such a happening, some innate sense of self preservation stopping him from protesting again.
Instead, Silanos listened as he was once again subject of discussion as if he were not even present. He didn’t look at Maleos as the Captain stood and took his leave, and there was a long reaching silence even beyond the door clicking shut behind him. That it had come to this - his own brother shoving him off to be treated like some commoner, had rattled the young lord more than he was prepared for, and Silanos didn’t know how close he walked to Timaeus just being done with him altogether. He missed Nico, and how much simpler everything had been before he’d died. He missed Taengea and the easy existence hed found there, before he’d come home and managed to dig himself into a fine hole. And Timaeus didn't even know...He felt his stomach twist up in knots at the idea of admitting the Asia fiasco, thinking how his brother would react to that. Maybe he was safer here.
With his face a throbbing reminder of both his brother’s anger and the morning that had been but a taster of what his future now looked like, Sil felt defeated and trapped. Half-afraid of setting Timaeus off again, the words he might have said did not come.