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It wasn't often that Vangelis allowed himself to fall apart in such a manner or view - through his own eyes - his failures as something anything more than what could be learnt from in the future... eradicated from the process of repetition.
Yet, this time, he knew that he had entirely screwed up. And in a manner that could not be put right.
This time, his failures to perform his duties as he should have done - his failure to rein in his emotions and his grief over what (ironically) had turned out to be no real loss of a father - had resulted in a conclusion that he could neither eradicate nor deny. A conclusion that still had his mind feeling suspended... drowning in a space of confusion and uncertainty.
His first instinct, whenever lost, was to go to his father.
Vangelis honoured and obeyed his father in all the ways that he could, hoping to grow up in a manner that would develop into his following in the great king's footsteps. All he had ever wanted to be in his life was a king that could follow on from Tython in a way that honoured the legacy he was taking onto his shoulders.
That was why he couldn't speak with Tython now. Couldn't reveal the human weakness that he had buckled under. Couldn't admit to the screwed-up situation that he had made for himself and those around him; people whom he cared for.
Sitting at the little desk in his own chambers, Vangelis' elbows rested on the table top and his fingers were knitted together at the back of his head as he stared down upon his writing utensils. He hadn't been working, and he wasn't sitting at the desk for any particular reason other than the fact that he needed to sit down. Needed to try and create for himself an environment of action that he knew well and could adjust back into his normal rhythm through.
It wasn't working.
Instead of calm, Vangelis was simply staring into spare, his eyes downcast but unfocused and his mind lost to him; inaccessible in regards to any thoughts that were of use to him.
All that seemed to swim in his mind was the fact that Thea was going to have a child. That, if he survived this next coming war... he would likely be a father when he returned. Whether a princess for the family or a crown heir for the throne, neither really mattered at this point, for Vangelis was still trying to simply put together the concept of he as a father and Thea as the mother of his future children.
He rubbed the palm of his hand over his features.
For all their complimentary elements in the bedroom department, not to mention their intellect and ideals... Vangelis had just never considered Thea as the potential to be a bride. Firstly, because his father would have never wanted to open the doors to the throne any wider for the Thanasi bloodline and secondly, because neither he nor Thea wanted it. Not in all the years they had been on and off lovers had either wished to offer any form of commitment to the other.
Despite the facts on the surface seeming appropriate for a union between two - albeit antagonistic - Houses, Vangelis felt a growing panic over the fact that it was all wrong. It was all contrary to what he had always laid out and set in his mind.
With a snarl at himself, Vangelis looked up to note that it was dark and wondered how many hours it had been since the sun had set without him noticing.
It had been late afternoon when he had brought Thea to the Kotas manor. He had informed none of his family - only the staff that would cater to her care - and he had insisted that she not leave her rooms until he could settle matters over the next twenty-four hours. And then he had gone to staring down the wood grain of his desk.
Pushing himself out of his chair and away from his perch of melodramatic self-loathing, Vangelis took a moment to glance around the room, seeking an answer for how to be productive over the situation. Deciding that he had no idea how to handle it himself and that he could not disappoint his father as the first born son by seeking aid in how to untangle the mess he had made, Vangelis decided on another who would be able to play comrade without holding a disappointment that Vangelis' shame could not permit.
Leaving his rooms, dressed in a rumpled over shirt and tunic, his feet bare and his hair on end from the number of times he had run his hands through the locks, Vangelis headed for his brother Zanon's rooms. His feet were silent down the corridors as bare sole hit the long rug runners of the hallways and he still had no idea what part of the night it was by the time he reached his brother's door.
"Zanon." He called softly through the door, the side of his fist coming to buffer against the wooden frame in a soft and muted knock.
As soon as his brother opened the door it was clear that there was something wrong. The usually calm Vangelis looked harried and haunted, his skin sallow and a little green around the gills.
"I don't suppose you have any drink?" The normally sober Vangelis asked with a hint of dry and empty humour.
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He was a mess.
It wasn't often that Vangelis allowed himself to fall apart in such a manner or view - through his own eyes - his failures as something anything more than what could be learnt from in the future... eradicated from the process of repetition.
Yet, this time, he knew that he had entirely screwed up. And in a manner that could not be put right.
This time, his failures to perform his duties as he should have done - his failure to rein in his emotions and his grief over what (ironically) had turned out to be no real loss of a father - had resulted in a conclusion that he could neither eradicate nor deny. A conclusion that still had his mind feeling suspended... drowning in a space of confusion and uncertainty.
His first instinct, whenever lost, was to go to his father.
Vangelis honoured and obeyed his father in all the ways that he could, hoping to grow up in a manner that would develop into his following in the great king's footsteps. All he had ever wanted to be in his life was a king that could follow on from Tython in a way that honoured the legacy he was taking onto his shoulders.
That was why he couldn't speak with Tython now. Couldn't reveal the human weakness that he had buckled under. Couldn't admit to the screwed-up situation that he had made for himself and those around him; people whom he cared for.
Sitting at the little desk in his own chambers, Vangelis' elbows rested on the table top and his fingers were knitted together at the back of his head as he stared down upon his writing utensils. He hadn't been working, and he wasn't sitting at the desk for any particular reason other than the fact that he needed to sit down. Needed to try and create for himself an environment of action that he knew well and could adjust back into his normal rhythm through.
It wasn't working.
Instead of calm, Vangelis was simply staring into spare, his eyes downcast but unfocused and his mind lost to him; inaccessible in regards to any thoughts that were of use to him.
All that seemed to swim in his mind was the fact that Thea was going to have a child. That, if he survived this next coming war... he would likely be a father when he returned. Whether a princess for the family or a crown heir for the throne, neither really mattered at this point, for Vangelis was still trying to simply put together the concept of he as a father and Thea as the mother of his future children.
He rubbed the palm of his hand over his features.
For all their complimentary elements in the bedroom department, not to mention their intellect and ideals... Vangelis had just never considered Thea as the potential to be a bride. Firstly, because his father would have never wanted to open the doors to the throne any wider for the Thanasi bloodline and secondly, because neither he nor Thea wanted it. Not in all the years they had been on and off lovers had either wished to offer any form of commitment to the other.
Despite the facts on the surface seeming appropriate for a union between two - albeit antagonistic - Houses, Vangelis felt a growing panic over the fact that it was all wrong. It was all contrary to what he had always laid out and set in his mind.
With a snarl at himself, Vangelis looked up to note that it was dark and wondered how many hours it had been since the sun had set without him noticing.
It had been late afternoon when he had brought Thea to the Kotas manor. He had informed none of his family - only the staff that would cater to her care - and he had insisted that she not leave her rooms until he could settle matters over the next twenty-four hours. And then he had gone to staring down the wood grain of his desk.
Pushing himself out of his chair and away from his perch of melodramatic self-loathing, Vangelis took a moment to glance around the room, seeking an answer for how to be productive over the situation. Deciding that he had no idea how to handle it himself and that he could not disappoint his father as the first born son by seeking aid in how to untangle the mess he had made, Vangelis decided on another who would be able to play comrade without holding a disappointment that Vangelis' shame could not permit.
Leaving his rooms, dressed in a rumpled over shirt and tunic, his feet bare and his hair on end from the number of times he had run his hands through the locks, Vangelis headed for his brother Zanon's rooms. His feet were silent down the corridors as bare sole hit the long rug runners of the hallways and he still had no idea what part of the night it was by the time he reached his brother's door.
"Zanon." He called softly through the door, the side of his fist coming to buffer against the wooden frame in a soft and muted knock.
As soon as his brother opened the door it was clear that there was something wrong. The usually calm Vangelis looked harried and haunted, his skin sallow and a little green around the gills.
"I don't suppose you have any drink?" The normally sober Vangelis asked with a hint of dry and empty humour.
He was a mess.
It wasn't often that Vangelis allowed himself to fall apart in such a manner or view - through his own eyes - his failures as something anything more than what could be learnt from in the future... eradicated from the process of repetition.
Yet, this time, he knew that he had entirely screwed up. And in a manner that could not be put right.
This time, his failures to perform his duties as he should have done - his failure to rein in his emotions and his grief over what (ironically) had turned out to be no real loss of a father - had resulted in a conclusion that he could neither eradicate nor deny. A conclusion that still had his mind feeling suspended... drowning in a space of confusion and uncertainty.
His first instinct, whenever lost, was to go to his father.
Vangelis honoured and obeyed his father in all the ways that he could, hoping to grow up in a manner that would develop into his following in the great king's footsteps. All he had ever wanted to be in his life was a king that could follow on from Tython in a way that honoured the legacy he was taking onto his shoulders.
That was why he couldn't speak with Tython now. Couldn't reveal the human weakness that he had buckled under. Couldn't admit to the screwed-up situation that he had made for himself and those around him; people whom he cared for.
Sitting at the little desk in his own chambers, Vangelis' elbows rested on the table top and his fingers were knitted together at the back of his head as he stared down upon his writing utensils. He hadn't been working, and he wasn't sitting at the desk for any particular reason other than the fact that he needed to sit down. Needed to try and create for himself an environment of action that he knew well and could adjust back into his normal rhythm through.
It wasn't working.
Instead of calm, Vangelis was simply staring into spare, his eyes downcast but unfocused and his mind lost to him; inaccessible in regards to any thoughts that were of use to him.
All that seemed to swim in his mind was the fact that Thea was going to have a child. That, if he survived this next coming war... he would likely be a father when he returned. Whether a princess for the family or a crown heir for the throne, neither really mattered at this point, for Vangelis was still trying to simply put together the concept of he as a father and Thea as the mother of his future children.
He rubbed the palm of his hand over his features.
For all their complimentary elements in the bedroom department, not to mention their intellect and ideals... Vangelis had just never considered Thea as the potential to be a bride. Firstly, because his father would have never wanted to open the doors to the throne any wider for the Thanasi bloodline and secondly, because neither he nor Thea wanted it. Not in all the years they had been on and off lovers had either wished to offer any form of commitment to the other.
Despite the facts on the surface seeming appropriate for a union between two - albeit antagonistic - Houses, Vangelis felt a growing panic over the fact that it was all wrong. It was all contrary to what he had always laid out and set in his mind.
With a snarl at himself, Vangelis looked up to note that it was dark and wondered how many hours it had been since the sun had set without him noticing.
It had been late afternoon when he had brought Thea to the Kotas manor. He had informed none of his family - only the staff that would cater to her care - and he had insisted that she not leave her rooms until he could settle matters over the next twenty-four hours. And then he had gone to staring down the wood grain of his desk.
Pushing himself out of his chair and away from his perch of melodramatic self-loathing, Vangelis took a moment to glance around the room, seeking an answer for how to be productive over the situation. Deciding that he had no idea how to handle it himself and that he could not disappoint his father as the first born son by seeking aid in how to untangle the mess he had made, Vangelis decided on another who would be able to play comrade without holding a disappointment that Vangelis' shame could not permit.
Leaving his rooms, dressed in a rumpled over shirt and tunic, his feet bare and his hair on end from the number of times he had run his hands through the locks, Vangelis headed for his brother Zanon's rooms. His feet were silent down the corridors as bare sole hit the long rug runners of the hallways and he still had no idea what part of the night it was by the time he reached his brother's door.
"Zanon." He called softly through the door, the side of his fist coming to buffer against the wooden frame in a soft and muted knock.
As soon as his brother opened the door it was clear that there was something wrong. The usually calm Vangelis looked harried and haunted, his skin sallow and a little green around the gills.
"I don't suppose you have any drink?" The normally sober Vangelis asked with a hint of dry and empty humour.
A massage from Ariah had soothed his muscles enough that Zanon had turned to his bed earlier than perhaps would have been normal in the past few months of turmoil. With Evras in a separate chamber he had the entirety of the bed to himself, and he had been tempted not for the first time to offer Ariah a place in it, but for the sake of his attempts at behaving he had bit his tongue and let her go. The knocking had brought him out of his doze, and he wrapped a robe around himself to preserve dignity as he limped to the door, blinking in surprise at the sight of his brother.
Vangelis did not look well, and for a moment of terror Zanon was afraid that somehow more poison might have found its way into his brother’s system. He had just been able to wrap his head around having both father and elder brother securely back in place as his barrier between the Thanasi desire to have Dion on the throne. With two of them there it made less sense to try to murder him as well. There was no telling what the snakes would do now though, with all of them under one roof and the chaos that had happened in Taengea and Athenia, perhaps they would be emboldened to take on the Kotas family. Especially with the comfort they were keeping the old traitor Dionysios in.
”Vangelis, what’s wrong? You look a mess.”
The request for drink sent the second prince’s eyebrows shooting up his forehead so far they might have vanished into his hairline had it been any lower. There was something wrong if the eldest Kotas was at his door asking for drink, and he gave a nod before standing back to let him in. Gesturing to the table and chairs, he limped in stubborn refusal to take up the cane he had been using on occasion. The wine was easily found with two cups and he made his way to the table with the items, pouring generously for them both before sitting with his sibling.
”What ails you?”
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A massage from Ariah had soothed his muscles enough that Zanon had turned to his bed earlier than perhaps would have been normal in the past few months of turmoil. With Evras in a separate chamber he had the entirety of the bed to himself, and he had been tempted not for the first time to offer Ariah a place in it, but for the sake of his attempts at behaving he had bit his tongue and let her go. The knocking had brought him out of his doze, and he wrapped a robe around himself to preserve dignity as he limped to the door, blinking in surprise at the sight of his brother.
Vangelis did not look well, and for a moment of terror Zanon was afraid that somehow more poison might have found its way into his brother’s system. He had just been able to wrap his head around having both father and elder brother securely back in place as his barrier between the Thanasi desire to have Dion on the throne. With two of them there it made less sense to try to murder him as well. There was no telling what the snakes would do now though, with all of them under one roof and the chaos that had happened in Taengea and Athenia, perhaps they would be emboldened to take on the Kotas family. Especially with the comfort they were keeping the old traitor Dionysios in.
”Vangelis, what’s wrong? You look a mess.”
The request for drink sent the second prince’s eyebrows shooting up his forehead so far they might have vanished into his hairline had it been any lower. There was something wrong if the eldest Kotas was at his door asking for drink, and he gave a nod before standing back to let him in. Gesturing to the table and chairs, he limped in stubborn refusal to take up the cane he had been using on occasion. The wine was easily found with two cups and he made his way to the table with the items, pouring generously for them both before sitting with his sibling.
”What ails you?”
A massage from Ariah had soothed his muscles enough that Zanon had turned to his bed earlier than perhaps would have been normal in the past few months of turmoil. With Evras in a separate chamber he had the entirety of the bed to himself, and he had been tempted not for the first time to offer Ariah a place in it, but for the sake of his attempts at behaving he had bit his tongue and let her go. The knocking had brought him out of his doze, and he wrapped a robe around himself to preserve dignity as he limped to the door, blinking in surprise at the sight of his brother.
Vangelis did not look well, and for a moment of terror Zanon was afraid that somehow more poison might have found its way into his brother’s system. He had just been able to wrap his head around having both father and elder brother securely back in place as his barrier between the Thanasi desire to have Dion on the throne. With two of them there it made less sense to try to murder him as well. There was no telling what the snakes would do now though, with all of them under one roof and the chaos that had happened in Taengea and Athenia, perhaps they would be emboldened to take on the Kotas family. Especially with the comfort they were keeping the old traitor Dionysios in.
”Vangelis, what’s wrong? You look a mess.”
The request for drink sent the second prince’s eyebrows shooting up his forehead so far they might have vanished into his hairline had it been any lower. There was something wrong if the eldest Kotas was at his door asking for drink, and he gave a nod before standing back to let him in. Gesturing to the table and chairs, he limped in stubborn refusal to take up the cane he had been using on occasion. The wine was easily found with two cups and he made his way to the table with the items, pouring generously for them both before sitting with his sibling.
”What ails you?”
Vangelis gave no care to his appearance, nor what his brother might think of it when he opened the door to witness his eldest brother - so often a tower of strength - practically weaving on his feet in his doorway. There was no poison in his system or even a lack of sleep upon his mind, for he had yet to reach his bed since Nethis had so delighted in dropping the news upon him that morning. Instead, his general demeanour and appearance of weakness came from the emotional and mental toll that he had taken since discovering a truth that threw all of his carefully calculated plans into the air. Left to scatter uselessly at his feet.
When his brother opened the door to him, permitting him inside and not arguing when Vangelis suggested the need for drink, Vangelis knew that he had come to the right place to seek some kind of understanding of his situation. His brother was open to fault and understanding of issue. But he was also loyal and able to see when simple provision was required for Vangelis' nerves.
Within a few minutes Vangelis had found himself to a high backed and carefully padded chair by one of the rare fireplaces in the manor. Zanon occupied one of the chambers within their home that was positioned well enough within the mountain to sustain a flue. Whilst the fire was not currently lit, it still held a sense of comfort, positioned between the two chairs with a table sat before its hearth. It was onto this piece that Zanon set two goblets and poured a general dose of wine into each, asking his brother point blank, in the blunt manner native to Colchians, what was wrong.
Vangelis took up the cup, his long fingers wrapping around the body of the vessel as he stared down into the bloodlike wine. Breath from his nose set the surface rippling as he took a sip from the very edge of the rim.
With a moments lick to his upper lip, Vangelis simply looked towards his brother and spat the revelation clean from his mouth, forgetting entirely that Zanon might not understand the significance of it, in regards to himself.
"Thea of Thanasi is with child."
The words left him like the proclamation of a death sentence, leaving an equally pregnant pause in their midst when the sound of his voice faded into nothing.
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Vangelis gave no care to his appearance, nor what his brother might think of it when he opened the door to witness his eldest brother - so often a tower of strength - practically weaving on his feet in his doorway. There was no poison in his system or even a lack of sleep upon his mind, for he had yet to reach his bed since Nethis had so delighted in dropping the news upon him that morning. Instead, his general demeanour and appearance of weakness came from the emotional and mental toll that he had taken since discovering a truth that threw all of his carefully calculated plans into the air. Left to scatter uselessly at his feet.
When his brother opened the door to him, permitting him inside and not arguing when Vangelis suggested the need for drink, Vangelis knew that he had come to the right place to seek some kind of understanding of his situation. His brother was open to fault and understanding of issue. But he was also loyal and able to see when simple provision was required for Vangelis' nerves.
Within a few minutes Vangelis had found himself to a high backed and carefully padded chair by one of the rare fireplaces in the manor. Zanon occupied one of the chambers within their home that was positioned well enough within the mountain to sustain a flue. Whilst the fire was not currently lit, it still held a sense of comfort, positioned between the two chairs with a table sat before its hearth. It was onto this piece that Zanon set two goblets and poured a general dose of wine into each, asking his brother point blank, in the blunt manner native to Colchians, what was wrong.
Vangelis took up the cup, his long fingers wrapping around the body of the vessel as he stared down into the bloodlike wine. Breath from his nose set the surface rippling as he took a sip from the very edge of the rim.
With a moments lick to his upper lip, Vangelis simply looked towards his brother and spat the revelation clean from his mouth, forgetting entirely that Zanon might not understand the significance of it, in regards to himself.
"Thea of Thanasi is with child."
The words left him like the proclamation of a death sentence, leaving an equally pregnant pause in their midst when the sound of his voice faded into nothing.
Vangelis gave no care to his appearance, nor what his brother might think of it when he opened the door to witness his eldest brother - so often a tower of strength - practically weaving on his feet in his doorway. There was no poison in his system or even a lack of sleep upon his mind, for he had yet to reach his bed since Nethis had so delighted in dropping the news upon him that morning. Instead, his general demeanour and appearance of weakness came from the emotional and mental toll that he had taken since discovering a truth that threw all of his carefully calculated plans into the air. Left to scatter uselessly at his feet.
When his brother opened the door to him, permitting him inside and not arguing when Vangelis suggested the need for drink, Vangelis knew that he had come to the right place to seek some kind of understanding of his situation. His brother was open to fault and understanding of issue. But he was also loyal and able to see when simple provision was required for Vangelis' nerves.
Within a few minutes Vangelis had found himself to a high backed and carefully padded chair by one of the rare fireplaces in the manor. Zanon occupied one of the chambers within their home that was positioned well enough within the mountain to sustain a flue. Whilst the fire was not currently lit, it still held a sense of comfort, positioned between the two chairs with a table sat before its hearth. It was onto this piece that Zanon set two goblets and poured a general dose of wine into each, asking his brother point blank, in the blunt manner native to Colchians, what was wrong.
Vangelis took up the cup, his long fingers wrapping around the body of the vessel as he stared down into the bloodlike wine. Breath from his nose set the surface rippling as he took a sip from the very edge of the rim.
With a moments lick to his upper lip, Vangelis simply looked towards his brother and spat the revelation clean from his mouth, forgetting entirely that Zanon might not understand the significance of it, in regards to himself.
"Thea of Thanasi is with child."
The words left him like the proclamation of a death sentence, leaving an equally pregnant pause in their midst when the sound of his voice faded into nothing.
He still wasn't entirely sure his brother wasn't already drunk or poisoned by something, the way the older man moved was so unlike the usual steadiness Zanon was used to seeing he half expected to have to catch him. Sighing as he sat across from Vangelis, he stretched out his injured leg with a wince, watching the unusual way the crown prince drank and leaving his own wine untouched as he waited in silence for the words to come. Perhaps there was something wrong with Selene, some sort of issue with the army, or their father. Maybe he had heard that the Egyptians were advancing on them too quickly and they would be on Colchian shores.
Blinking in confusion as Vang finally spoke, Zan frowned as the name left his lips. "Thea of Thanasi? I can't say I'm surprised, I hear she's rather loose with her pleasures." He chuckled, not cruelly, at the thought of his favorite of his wife's sisters being with child. She would be an interesting mother to say the least, but the news certainly wasn't enough to have Vangelis staggering in here as if he'd been struck dumb. Unless.
"Tell me you don't care for her. You could have married her any time in years and if you've been dragging Selene through this only to now be jealous, you are more a fool than I thought you could be, Vang."
His tone was still light, almost teasing though there was the undercurrent of a warning. Nowhere in his mind could he ever consider the possibility that Vangelis had taken a lover, much less one of Thanasi blood after the fuss that had been kicked up surrounding Zanon's own marriage almost twelve years ago. "Leave the snakes to deal with their own messes. You've a better woman in your life."
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He still wasn't entirely sure his brother wasn't already drunk or poisoned by something, the way the older man moved was so unlike the usual steadiness Zanon was used to seeing he half expected to have to catch him. Sighing as he sat across from Vangelis, he stretched out his injured leg with a wince, watching the unusual way the crown prince drank and leaving his own wine untouched as he waited in silence for the words to come. Perhaps there was something wrong with Selene, some sort of issue with the army, or their father. Maybe he had heard that the Egyptians were advancing on them too quickly and they would be on Colchian shores.
Blinking in confusion as Vang finally spoke, Zan frowned as the name left his lips. "Thea of Thanasi? I can't say I'm surprised, I hear she's rather loose with her pleasures." He chuckled, not cruelly, at the thought of his favorite of his wife's sisters being with child. She would be an interesting mother to say the least, but the news certainly wasn't enough to have Vangelis staggering in here as if he'd been struck dumb. Unless.
"Tell me you don't care for her. You could have married her any time in years and if you've been dragging Selene through this only to now be jealous, you are more a fool than I thought you could be, Vang."
His tone was still light, almost teasing though there was the undercurrent of a warning. Nowhere in his mind could he ever consider the possibility that Vangelis had taken a lover, much less one of Thanasi blood after the fuss that had been kicked up surrounding Zanon's own marriage almost twelve years ago. "Leave the snakes to deal with their own messes. You've a better woman in your life."
He still wasn't entirely sure his brother wasn't already drunk or poisoned by something, the way the older man moved was so unlike the usual steadiness Zanon was used to seeing he half expected to have to catch him. Sighing as he sat across from Vangelis, he stretched out his injured leg with a wince, watching the unusual way the crown prince drank and leaving his own wine untouched as he waited in silence for the words to come. Perhaps there was something wrong with Selene, some sort of issue with the army, or their father. Maybe he had heard that the Egyptians were advancing on them too quickly and they would be on Colchian shores.
Blinking in confusion as Vang finally spoke, Zan frowned as the name left his lips. "Thea of Thanasi? I can't say I'm surprised, I hear she's rather loose with her pleasures." He chuckled, not cruelly, at the thought of his favorite of his wife's sisters being with child. She would be an interesting mother to say the least, but the news certainly wasn't enough to have Vangelis staggering in here as if he'd been struck dumb. Unless.
"Tell me you don't care for her. You could have married her any time in years and if you've been dragging Selene through this only to now be jealous, you are more a fool than I thought you could be, Vang."
His tone was still light, almost teasing though there was the undercurrent of a warning. Nowhere in his mind could he ever consider the possibility that Vangelis had taken a lover, much less one of Thanasi blood after the fuss that had been kicked up surrounding Zanon's own marriage almost twelve years ago. "Leave the snakes to deal with their own messes. You've a better woman in your life."
Had he been thinking straight, Vangelis wouldn't have blamed his brother for not immediately cottoning on to his revelation. It was true that Vangelis had never hidden his distaste for the Thanasi family. He had never felt the need to. With clear antagonism between the two households, there was no particular need to spread falsities of conciliation or polite affection for the family that his brother called his in-laws. Secondly, he and Thea had been careful not to reveal their connection to anyone, using one another for the physical release that became necessary through the longevity of the unwed and little else. He had never broken his loyalty to his household in revealing to her what he should not, and she had never done the same in return. He had never asked her to. Theirs was an arrangement of convenience born out of a coincidental enjoyment of the other's body and the ability to pleasure one another privately. It was hardly a relationship and even less so a connection that their families had to be concerned with. Until now.
He had therefore never spoken of it, hidden it aware where no-one would query, question or suspect something that was not the threat that they imagined and now that he revealed it to his brother, he was forced to live with the consequences of the man not understanding the meaning of his words; not immediately recognising the significance of what he was saying.
Instead, Zanon took Vangelis state of tension and anxiety to be symptoms of a broken heart. That he was somehow mooning of Thea of Thanasi and her state of pregnancy now declared her as unavailable to his interests. He wasn't sure, in that moment, if he wanted to punch his brother for assuming him to have been so dismissive of his connection to Selene but perhaps that was an accusation he deserved, even if it wasn't in the way that Zanon was thinking.
When Zanon confirmed just what a superior woman Vangelis was currently betrothed, the older of the brothers felt like vipers were curling in his belly. He felt a little nauseous and took from the cup once more a mouthful a little larger than he probably should have.
"I care not for Thea." Vangelis insisted, his stare firm and unyielding upon his brother's face. "But that hasn't stopped me from bedding her on and off the last eight years."
The words fell into a now hushed room of quiet shock, as the confession rang with a truth of solidity but also brought with it the significance to his first statement. He had been gracing Thea's bed. And now she was pregnant. And he looked like a wreck. Even his brother, with all of his blindsiding from Vangelis' apparent distaste for the snake family couldn't miss the significance of such a declaration. For Vangelis was due to change his intended, remove one woman from his home and install another, and become a father, producing an heir that would otherwise be considered illegitimate.
It was a fucking mess.
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Had he been thinking straight, Vangelis wouldn't have blamed his brother for not immediately cottoning on to his revelation. It was true that Vangelis had never hidden his distaste for the Thanasi family. He had never felt the need to. With clear antagonism between the two households, there was no particular need to spread falsities of conciliation or polite affection for the family that his brother called his in-laws. Secondly, he and Thea had been careful not to reveal their connection to anyone, using one another for the physical release that became necessary through the longevity of the unwed and little else. He had never broken his loyalty to his household in revealing to her what he should not, and she had never done the same in return. He had never asked her to. Theirs was an arrangement of convenience born out of a coincidental enjoyment of the other's body and the ability to pleasure one another privately. It was hardly a relationship and even less so a connection that their families had to be concerned with. Until now.
He had therefore never spoken of it, hidden it aware where no-one would query, question or suspect something that was not the threat that they imagined and now that he revealed it to his brother, he was forced to live with the consequences of the man not understanding the meaning of his words; not immediately recognising the significance of what he was saying.
Instead, Zanon took Vangelis state of tension and anxiety to be symptoms of a broken heart. That he was somehow mooning of Thea of Thanasi and her state of pregnancy now declared her as unavailable to his interests. He wasn't sure, in that moment, if he wanted to punch his brother for assuming him to have been so dismissive of his connection to Selene but perhaps that was an accusation he deserved, even if it wasn't in the way that Zanon was thinking.
When Zanon confirmed just what a superior woman Vangelis was currently betrothed, the older of the brothers felt like vipers were curling in his belly. He felt a little nauseous and took from the cup once more a mouthful a little larger than he probably should have.
"I care not for Thea." Vangelis insisted, his stare firm and unyielding upon his brother's face. "But that hasn't stopped me from bedding her on and off the last eight years."
The words fell into a now hushed room of quiet shock, as the confession rang with a truth of solidity but also brought with it the significance to his first statement. He had been gracing Thea's bed. And now she was pregnant. And he looked like a wreck. Even his brother, with all of his blindsiding from Vangelis' apparent distaste for the snake family couldn't miss the significance of such a declaration. For Vangelis was due to change his intended, remove one woman from his home and install another, and become a father, producing an heir that would otherwise be considered illegitimate.
It was a fucking mess.
Had he been thinking straight, Vangelis wouldn't have blamed his brother for not immediately cottoning on to his revelation. It was true that Vangelis had never hidden his distaste for the Thanasi family. He had never felt the need to. With clear antagonism between the two households, there was no particular need to spread falsities of conciliation or polite affection for the family that his brother called his in-laws. Secondly, he and Thea had been careful not to reveal their connection to anyone, using one another for the physical release that became necessary through the longevity of the unwed and little else. He had never broken his loyalty to his household in revealing to her what he should not, and she had never done the same in return. He had never asked her to. Theirs was an arrangement of convenience born out of a coincidental enjoyment of the other's body and the ability to pleasure one another privately. It was hardly a relationship and even less so a connection that their families had to be concerned with. Until now.
He had therefore never spoken of it, hidden it aware where no-one would query, question or suspect something that was not the threat that they imagined and now that he revealed it to his brother, he was forced to live with the consequences of the man not understanding the meaning of his words; not immediately recognising the significance of what he was saying.
Instead, Zanon took Vangelis state of tension and anxiety to be symptoms of a broken heart. That he was somehow mooning of Thea of Thanasi and her state of pregnancy now declared her as unavailable to his interests. He wasn't sure, in that moment, if he wanted to punch his brother for assuming him to have been so dismissive of his connection to Selene but perhaps that was an accusation he deserved, even if it wasn't in the way that Zanon was thinking.
When Zanon confirmed just what a superior woman Vangelis was currently betrothed, the older of the brothers felt like vipers were curling in his belly. He felt a little nauseous and took from the cup once more a mouthful a little larger than he probably should have.
"I care not for Thea." Vangelis insisted, his stare firm and unyielding upon his brother's face. "But that hasn't stopped me from bedding her on and off the last eight years."
The words fell into a now hushed room of quiet shock, as the confession rang with a truth of solidity but also brought with it the significance to his first statement. He had been gracing Thea's bed. And now she was pregnant. And he looked like a wreck. Even his brother, with all of his blindsiding from Vangelis' apparent distaste for the snake family couldn't miss the significance of such a declaration. For Vangelis was due to change his intended, remove one woman from his home and install another, and become a father, producing an heir that would otherwise be considered illegitimate.
It was a fucking mess.
Vangelis' declaration that he cared nothing for Thea had Zanon raising a brow, a mocking smile on his lips as he was about to ask why on earth his brother would care otherwise. And then it all slammed into him at once. Eight years. His brother and sister-in-law had been fucking for eight years and he had somehow never known, never noticed, never suspected a damn thing. If Evras knew about this relationship he would be having words with her as well, because how dare they keep this from him. Since youth he had always looked up to his elder brother, his future king and commander, never in his life had he thought such a mistake would come from him. Certainly not after Zanon had made the same mistake twelve years ago with consequences that had not been hidden from anyone else.
His jaw had gone slack with the revelation until he realized that if Thea was just now declaring her pregnancy, then Selene had already been in Colchis when it happened. Instead of shock a white hot anger filled his stomach and his teeth snapped together in a near snarl as he moved without thinking, lunging across the table with little care for anything set upon it, striking out at the man who had once been his hero. The blow was aimed for his brother's nose, any dodging would land it instead across his jaw and Zanon gave little care for his own pain from the impact. Whatever he felt would be nothing compared to the misery Selene would feel once she heard this.
The single blow was enough, and Zanon simply stared at Vangelis as if seeing him for the first time. The illusion was shattered, his perfect older brother was no longer everything he had thought him to be. How could he have done this to Selene? The woman he professed to care for and had asked to marry him, what in the name of the gods had gotten into him to think that bedding Thea for so long, that honoring her child, was the best for Colchis? Certainly the next words out of his brother's mouth would be that he needed to find someone to marry Thea, but the way he'd spoken, how horrible he looked...Vangelis was going to honor the bastard with parentage.
"You're a gods cursed fool. And not the man I thought you were. Selene is here, has been here. She has loved you more than you deserved if this is the way you treat her now." The second prince's voice was shaking with anger, disillusionment and the fierce protection and friendship he felt with Selene conflating. "If you marry her. You've played right into their hands. A Thanasi queen. A Thanasi heir. How could you be so stupid Vangelis?! There are countless maids, prostitutes, priestesses, you could have gone to. Or your fiancee!" He was trying to pace now but his leg was not cooporating, giving out so he had to sink into another chair as he stared down at the ground.
"Get out."
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Vangelis' declaration that he cared nothing for Thea had Zanon raising a brow, a mocking smile on his lips as he was about to ask why on earth his brother would care otherwise. And then it all slammed into him at once. Eight years. His brother and sister-in-law had been fucking for eight years and he had somehow never known, never noticed, never suspected a damn thing. If Evras knew about this relationship he would be having words with her as well, because how dare they keep this from him. Since youth he had always looked up to his elder brother, his future king and commander, never in his life had he thought such a mistake would come from him. Certainly not after Zanon had made the same mistake twelve years ago with consequences that had not been hidden from anyone else.
His jaw had gone slack with the revelation until he realized that if Thea was just now declaring her pregnancy, then Selene had already been in Colchis when it happened. Instead of shock a white hot anger filled his stomach and his teeth snapped together in a near snarl as he moved without thinking, lunging across the table with little care for anything set upon it, striking out at the man who had once been his hero. The blow was aimed for his brother's nose, any dodging would land it instead across his jaw and Zanon gave little care for his own pain from the impact. Whatever he felt would be nothing compared to the misery Selene would feel once she heard this.
The single blow was enough, and Zanon simply stared at Vangelis as if seeing him for the first time. The illusion was shattered, his perfect older brother was no longer everything he had thought him to be. How could he have done this to Selene? The woman he professed to care for and had asked to marry him, what in the name of the gods had gotten into him to think that bedding Thea for so long, that honoring her child, was the best for Colchis? Certainly the next words out of his brother's mouth would be that he needed to find someone to marry Thea, but the way he'd spoken, how horrible he looked...Vangelis was going to honor the bastard with parentage.
"You're a gods cursed fool. And not the man I thought you were. Selene is here, has been here. She has loved you more than you deserved if this is the way you treat her now." The second prince's voice was shaking with anger, disillusionment and the fierce protection and friendship he felt with Selene conflating. "If you marry her. You've played right into their hands. A Thanasi queen. A Thanasi heir. How could you be so stupid Vangelis?! There are countless maids, prostitutes, priestesses, you could have gone to. Or your fiancee!" He was trying to pace now but his leg was not cooporating, giving out so he had to sink into another chair as he stared down at the ground.
"Get out."
Vangelis' declaration that he cared nothing for Thea had Zanon raising a brow, a mocking smile on his lips as he was about to ask why on earth his brother would care otherwise. And then it all slammed into him at once. Eight years. His brother and sister-in-law had been fucking for eight years and he had somehow never known, never noticed, never suspected a damn thing. If Evras knew about this relationship he would be having words with her as well, because how dare they keep this from him. Since youth he had always looked up to his elder brother, his future king and commander, never in his life had he thought such a mistake would come from him. Certainly not after Zanon had made the same mistake twelve years ago with consequences that had not been hidden from anyone else.
His jaw had gone slack with the revelation until he realized that if Thea was just now declaring her pregnancy, then Selene had already been in Colchis when it happened. Instead of shock a white hot anger filled his stomach and his teeth snapped together in a near snarl as he moved without thinking, lunging across the table with little care for anything set upon it, striking out at the man who had once been his hero. The blow was aimed for his brother's nose, any dodging would land it instead across his jaw and Zanon gave little care for his own pain from the impact. Whatever he felt would be nothing compared to the misery Selene would feel once she heard this.
The single blow was enough, and Zanon simply stared at Vangelis as if seeing him for the first time. The illusion was shattered, his perfect older brother was no longer everything he had thought him to be. How could he have done this to Selene? The woman he professed to care for and had asked to marry him, what in the name of the gods had gotten into him to think that bedding Thea for so long, that honoring her child, was the best for Colchis? Certainly the next words out of his brother's mouth would be that he needed to find someone to marry Thea, but the way he'd spoken, how horrible he looked...Vangelis was going to honor the bastard with parentage.
"You're a gods cursed fool. And not the man I thought you were. Selene is here, has been here. She has loved you more than you deserved if this is the way you treat her now." The second prince's voice was shaking with anger, disillusionment and the fierce protection and friendship he felt with Selene conflating. "If you marry her. You've played right into their hands. A Thanasi queen. A Thanasi heir. How could you be so stupid Vangelis?! There are countless maids, prostitutes, priestesses, you could have gone to. Or your fiancee!" He was trying to pace now but his leg was not cooporating, giving out so he had to sink into another chair as he stared down at the ground.
"Get out."
Vangelis watched as realisation dawned on his brother's face. The way that his jaw slackened in shock, his eyes narrowed in realisation and his teeth then ground together in rage. He witnessed as it all fell into place for his brother as it had for him earlier that day. He knew what that sense of foreboding, of the sensation of a noose around his neck, felt like. But he wasn't about to let it, or Zanon realisation of it himself stir him to lie or deny the state of affairs as they stood.
Had Vangelis adapted his expression. Had he winced or whined or shown any kind of reproach or begging for help from his brother, perhaps he might have been able to stem the tide of rage that went through Zanon and head him off at the pass as he seemed determined to launch himself on a justice driven tirade. But he didn't. Vangelis remained quiet and submitting to his fate because he believed with all that he had that that was the honourable thing to do. The path that was proud and just. He had no doubts as Zanon launched himself at his brother, that such an opinion was not shared and it was within moments that Zanon's fist came up to make that difference so defiantly clear.
Vangelis hadn't meant to duck. Part of his mind knew that he had saddled the kingdom with a Thanasi heir and that he had played into the hands of a House that hated them so. He did not blame Thea - though he knew that many would, for he trusted in her attempts and desire to have been rid of the child. But he knew perfectly well that these circumstances would not be left to sit idle by her blood line. The look of satisfied planning on Nethis' face was confirmation enough of that. They would be using this opportunity to the best of their conniving ambitions and Vangelis had been the one to open that door.
He deserved the landed punch that his brother intended for him.
And, as such, Vangelis didn't duck or move or shift his body in any way, as if he welcomed the strike. Yet there was something instinctive about the human mind and the fact that it would not permit a punch to the face without turning just the slightest bit. He had not meant to, but Vangelis's jaw became exposed to Zanon's fist instead of his nose and Vang was knocked sideways in the chair, his stomach hitting its arm and his head hanging low. His hand was loos and fell down around his face and he was left to breathe heavily as the strike set fire roaring through that side of his face.
Feeling moisture in his mouth, Vangelis huffed for a moment and then with the use of his tongue, gathered and spat crimson to the floorboards below, their scarlet tint catching the firelight.
He moved back up into a seated position, his lips stained on one side with his own blood and his eyes a little glazed with pain.
Yet such pain was not solely physical, as he watched his position in Zanon's eyes disintegrate into that of a flawed mortal, accusatory words leaving his lips and sullying Vangelis' pride, intellect and honour.
He felt anger burn in his belly.
'If you marry her. You've played right into their hands. A Thanasi queen. A Thanasi heir. How could you be so stupid Vangelis?!'
"Like you, you mean?" Vangelis taunted back, unable to bite his tongue in the way he might have done with others. He ignored his brothers command to get out, just touching the corner of his mouth gingerly with the pad of his thumb, his tongue pushing from the inside as he tested the stability of his teeth. His eyes glinted as he threw back in a way that only brothers could do to one another. "At least I chose the one who didn't want to be Queen. Eight years, Zanon. Never once has she tried to entrap me. How long did it take your wife? A few months at most?"
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Vangelis watched as realisation dawned on his brother's face. The way that his jaw slackened in shock, his eyes narrowed in realisation and his teeth then ground together in rage. He witnessed as it all fell into place for his brother as it had for him earlier that day. He knew what that sense of foreboding, of the sensation of a noose around his neck, felt like. But he wasn't about to let it, or Zanon realisation of it himself stir him to lie or deny the state of affairs as they stood.
Had Vangelis adapted his expression. Had he winced or whined or shown any kind of reproach or begging for help from his brother, perhaps he might have been able to stem the tide of rage that went through Zanon and head him off at the pass as he seemed determined to launch himself on a justice driven tirade. But he didn't. Vangelis remained quiet and submitting to his fate because he believed with all that he had that that was the honourable thing to do. The path that was proud and just. He had no doubts as Zanon launched himself at his brother, that such an opinion was not shared and it was within moments that Zanon's fist came up to make that difference so defiantly clear.
Vangelis hadn't meant to duck. Part of his mind knew that he had saddled the kingdom with a Thanasi heir and that he had played into the hands of a House that hated them so. He did not blame Thea - though he knew that many would, for he trusted in her attempts and desire to have been rid of the child. But he knew perfectly well that these circumstances would not be left to sit idle by her blood line. The look of satisfied planning on Nethis' face was confirmation enough of that. They would be using this opportunity to the best of their conniving ambitions and Vangelis had been the one to open that door.
He deserved the landed punch that his brother intended for him.
And, as such, Vangelis didn't duck or move or shift his body in any way, as if he welcomed the strike. Yet there was something instinctive about the human mind and the fact that it would not permit a punch to the face without turning just the slightest bit. He had not meant to, but Vangelis's jaw became exposed to Zanon's fist instead of his nose and Vang was knocked sideways in the chair, his stomach hitting its arm and his head hanging low. His hand was loos and fell down around his face and he was left to breathe heavily as the strike set fire roaring through that side of his face.
Feeling moisture in his mouth, Vangelis huffed for a moment and then with the use of his tongue, gathered and spat crimson to the floorboards below, their scarlet tint catching the firelight.
He moved back up into a seated position, his lips stained on one side with his own blood and his eyes a little glazed with pain.
Yet such pain was not solely physical, as he watched his position in Zanon's eyes disintegrate into that of a flawed mortal, accusatory words leaving his lips and sullying Vangelis' pride, intellect and honour.
He felt anger burn in his belly.
'If you marry her. You've played right into their hands. A Thanasi queen. A Thanasi heir. How could you be so stupid Vangelis?!'
"Like you, you mean?" Vangelis taunted back, unable to bite his tongue in the way he might have done with others. He ignored his brothers command to get out, just touching the corner of his mouth gingerly with the pad of his thumb, his tongue pushing from the inside as he tested the stability of his teeth. His eyes glinted as he threw back in a way that only brothers could do to one another. "At least I chose the one who didn't want to be Queen. Eight years, Zanon. Never once has she tried to entrap me. How long did it take your wife? A few months at most?"
Vangelis watched as realisation dawned on his brother's face. The way that his jaw slackened in shock, his eyes narrowed in realisation and his teeth then ground together in rage. He witnessed as it all fell into place for his brother as it had for him earlier that day. He knew what that sense of foreboding, of the sensation of a noose around his neck, felt like. But he wasn't about to let it, or Zanon realisation of it himself stir him to lie or deny the state of affairs as they stood.
Had Vangelis adapted his expression. Had he winced or whined or shown any kind of reproach or begging for help from his brother, perhaps he might have been able to stem the tide of rage that went through Zanon and head him off at the pass as he seemed determined to launch himself on a justice driven tirade. But he didn't. Vangelis remained quiet and submitting to his fate because he believed with all that he had that that was the honourable thing to do. The path that was proud and just. He had no doubts as Zanon launched himself at his brother, that such an opinion was not shared and it was within moments that Zanon's fist came up to make that difference so defiantly clear.
Vangelis hadn't meant to duck. Part of his mind knew that he had saddled the kingdom with a Thanasi heir and that he had played into the hands of a House that hated them so. He did not blame Thea - though he knew that many would, for he trusted in her attempts and desire to have been rid of the child. But he knew perfectly well that these circumstances would not be left to sit idle by her blood line. The look of satisfied planning on Nethis' face was confirmation enough of that. They would be using this opportunity to the best of their conniving ambitions and Vangelis had been the one to open that door.
He deserved the landed punch that his brother intended for him.
And, as such, Vangelis didn't duck or move or shift his body in any way, as if he welcomed the strike. Yet there was something instinctive about the human mind and the fact that it would not permit a punch to the face without turning just the slightest bit. He had not meant to, but Vangelis's jaw became exposed to Zanon's fist instead of his nose and Vang was knocked sideways in the chair, his stomach hitting its arm and his head hanging low. His hand was loos and fell down around his face and he was left to breathe heavily as the strike set fire roaring through that side of his face.
Feeling moisture in his mouth, Vangelis huffed for a moment and then with the use of his tongue, gathered and spat crimson to the floorboards below, their scarlet tint catching the firelight.
He moved back up into a seated position, his lips stained on one side with his own blood and his eyes a little glazed with pain.
Yet such pain was not solely physical, as he watched his position in Zanon's eyes disintegrate into that of a flawed mortal, accusatory words leaving his lips and sullying Vangelis' pride, intellect and honour.
He felt anger burn in his belly.
'If you marry her. You've played right into their hands. A Thanasi queen. A Thanasi heir. How could you be so stupid Vangelis?!'
"Like you, you mean?" Vangelis taunted back, unable to bite his tongue in the way he might have done with others. He ignored his brothers command to get out, just touching the corner of his mouth gingerly with the pad of his thumb, his tongue pushing from the inside as he tested the stability of his teeth. His eyes glinted as he threw back in a way that only brothers could do to one another. "At least I chose the one who didn't want to be Queen. Eight years, Zanon. Never once has she tried to entrap me. How long did it take your wife? A few months at most?"
The intended insult landed, but with his rage burning in other places he could only manage a hollow laugh. Whatever Vangelis thought of his marriage, of his own mistakes and Thanasi wife, it paled in comparison to what revelations had just been laid at his feet. His Thanasi wife had given him a son, had loved him and forgiven him through infidelity and hurt. Evras had offered to leave court for him, to prevent herself being used as a pawn in her family's scheme. She had tried to carry so many children for him over the years and they had cried together over the loss. Twelve years of loyalty for what he had given her, and she was still a far better person than he.
"I love her. I have always loved her. And she loves me. She gets nothing but grief from everyone because of who she is, and carries herself with as much grace and dignity as our own mother. And I will never be king. My children will never sit on a throne."
His eyes were still focused on the ground, jaw grit now more in pain from his fury as the rage cooled into disappointment, and resentment. Somehow as he spoke his voice was almost calm, quieter than the burst of white fury that had blinded him, the little pool of blood on his floor might stain, but let it. Let that be a testament to the day that Colchis fell into the hands of snakes and witches.
When Zanon finally tore his eyes from the ground, he found Vangelis' gaze with his own, the brown depths filled with a matching disappointment to his tone, a hatred that he had never known for his brother dulling any shine of sympathy. For twelve years he had struggled with his mistakes, but the comfort of knowing Vangelis and his children would be between himself and Dion had kept him sane. Now there was nothing. All it would take would be a well placed arrow, a cut on the battlefield, and a Thanasi mother would rule through her son. They would want to get rid of him and his brothers, of course. Anything he took from now on would have to be tested first for poison. He would not be able to look at his brother the same.
"I told you to get out. Go lay with your whore."
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The intended insult landed, but with his rage burning in other places he could only manage a hollow laugh. Whatever Vangelis thought of his marriage, of his own mistakes and Thanasi wife, it paled in comparison to what revelations had just been laid at his feet. His Thanasi wife had given him a son, had loved him and forgiven him through infidelity and hurt. Evras had offered to leave court for him, to prevent herself being used as a pawn in her family's scheme. She had tried to carry so many children for him over the years and they had cried together over the loss. Twelve years of loyalty for what he had given her, and she was still a far better person than he.
"I love her. I have always loved her. And she loves me. She gets nothing but grief from everyone because of who she is, and carries herself with as much grace and dignity as our own mother. And I will never be king. My children will never sit on a throne."
His eyes were still focused on the ground, jaw grit now more in pain from his fury as the rage cooled into disappointment, and resentment. Somehow as he spoke his voice was almost calm, quieter than the burst of white fury that had blinded him, the little pool of blood on his floor might stain, but let it. Let that be a testament to the day that Colchis fell into the hands of snakes and witches.
When Zanon finally tore his eyes from the ground, he found Vangelis' gaze with his own, the brown depths filled with a matching disappointment to his tone, a hatred that he had never known for his brother dulling any shine of sympathy. For twelve years he had struggled with his mistakes, but the comfort of knowing Vangelis and his children would be between himself and Dion had kept him sane. Now there was nothing. All it would take would be a well placed arrow, a cut on the battlefield, and a Thanasi mother would rule through her son. They would want to get rid of him and his brothers, of course. Anything he took from now on would have to be tested first for poison. He would not be able to look at his brother the same.
"I told you to get out. Go lay with your whore."
The intended insult landed, but with his rage burning in other places he could only manage a hollow laugh. Whatever Vangelis thought of his marriage, of his own mistakes and Thanasi wife, it paled in comparison to what revelations had just been laid at his feet. His Thanasi wife had given him a son, had loved him and forgiven him through infidelity and hurt. Evras had offered to leave court for him, to prevent herself being used as a pawn in her family's scheme. She had tried to carry so many children for him over the years and they had cried together over the loss. Twelve years of loyalty for what he had given her, and she was still a far better person than he.
"I love her. I have always loved her. And she loves me. She gets nothing but grief from everyone because of who she is, and carries herself with as much grace and dignity as our own mother. And I will never be king. My children will never sit on a throne."
His eyes were still focused on the ground, jaw grit now more in pain from his fury as the rage cooled into disappointment, and resentment. Somehow as he spoke his voice was almost calm, quieter than the burst of white fury that had blinded him, the little pool of blood on his floor might stain, but let it. Let that be a testament to the day that Colchis fell into the hands of snakes and witches.
When Zanon finally tore his eyes from the ground, he found Vangelis' gaze with his own, the brown depths filled with a matching disappointment to his tone, a hatred that he had never known for his brother dulling any shine of sympathy. For twelve years he had struggled with his mistakes, but the comfort of knowing Vangelis and his children would be between himself and Dion had kept him sane. Now there was nothing. All it would take would be a well placed arrow, a cut on the battlefield, and a Thanasi mother would rule through her son. They would want to get rid of him and his brothers, of course. Anything he took from now on would have to be tested first for poison. He would not be able to look at his brother the same.
"I told you to get out. Go lay with your whore."
Disappointment was a feeling found on both sides of the altercation between brothers. Not only was Zanon witnessing the crumbling of a pedestal that Vangelis had never asked to be placed upon, but Vangelis was witnessing the true colours of his brother as if he were a newly exposed stranger. Unlike Zanon, whose eyes flashed and lips curled, Vangelis’ realisations were kept behind closed doors, his expression remaining calm and almost effortless in the manner in which he insulted the younger man.
Words he had been unable to restrain or hold back, as personal hurt lowered his usual reserve. For this was how it was, it would seem? A single mistake and all love was lost, the power of loyalty and brotherhood reduced to dust.
Vangelis swallowed back his emotions, refusing to let them show upon his face. He had been taught to keep his weaknesses, his most sensitive wounds locked away. Even from his brother, he would keep such hurts. But they burnt their way through his gut and throat all the same.
This man before him... Vangelis had stood by him. He had supported him in his wedding to Evras regardless of his feelings towards the Thanasi. He had fought by his brother’s side in countless battles, carried him emotionally, mentally and sometimes physically wherever needed. He had stepped in to prevent unforgivable harm against his child not so long ago and even now defended him by ensuring that he wouldn’t start a Court war with Valaoritis over a kiss. He had determined for years that, despite all his own doubts and hang ups, Zanon would be a fine king to follow in his stead should such a happenstance occur.
Yet, apparently, the reverse was not true. One mistake. One glimmer of the human, of his mortal flaws and he wasn’t fit to be within ten feet of a brother who swam in wine and women on a regular basis.
It was the first time that Vangelis had ever doubted his brother.
Hypocrite.
Standing and refusing to be baited into an argument over his lack of bedding Thea anymore - whore or not - Vangelis turned his back on his brother, leaving the wine glass on the side and pausing at the door. His thumb rested upon his now split lip before straightened, nudged the hair from his face and looked back upon the man whom he would give his life for.
“I find it interesting, Zanon, that an insult to the woman you claim to love gives you only amusement.” He said, referring to his snort of empty laughter. “Whilst a disregard for the feelings of Selene turn you violent.” His eyes narrowed with antagonism. “What bothers you more, brother? That I am not marrying Selene...? Or that you are not available to?”
And with a curl of distaste to his lips and the first glance of sympathetic disappointment in his brother that he had shown that evening, Vangelis left the room, leaving Zanon with his angry musings. In return, he kept company with his own thoughts - thoughts he had wanted his brother’s help with - that still milled in his mind, resentful and unyielding.
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Disappointment was a feeling found on both sides of the altercation between brothers. Not only was Zanon witnessing the crumbling of a pedestal that Vangelis had never asked to be placed upon, but Vangelis was witnessing the true colours of his brother as if he were a newly exposed stranger. Unlike Zanon, whose eyes flashed and lips curled, Vangelis’ realisations were kept behind closed doors, his expression remaining calm and almost effortless in the manner in which he insulted the younger man.
Words he had been unable to restrain or hold back, as personal hurt lowered his usual reserve. For this was how it was, it would seem? A single mistake and all love was lost, the power of loyalty and brotherhood reduced to dust.
Vangelis swallowed back his emotions, refusing to let them show upon his face. He had been taught to keep his weaknesses, his most sensitive wounds locked away. Even from his brother, he would keep such hurts. But they burnt their way through his gut and throat all the same.
This man before him... Vangelis had stood by him. He had supported him in his wedding to Evras regardless of his feelings towards the Thanasi. He had fought by his brother’s side in countless battles, carried him emotionally, mentally and sometimes physically wherever needed. He had stepped in to prevent unforgivable harm against his child not so long ago and even now defended him by ensuring that he wouldn’t start a Court war with Valaoritis over a kiss. He had determined for years that, despite all his own doubts and hang ups, Zanon would be a fine king to follow in his stead should such a happenstance occur.
Yet, apparently, the reverse was not true. One mistake. One glimmer of the human, of his mortal flaws and he wasn’t fit to be within ten feet of a brother who swam in wine and women on a regular basis.
It was the first time that Vangelis had ever doubted his brother.
Hypocrite.
Standing and refusing to be baited into an argument over his lack of bedding Thea anymore - whore or not - Vangelis turned his back on his brother, leaving the wine glass on the side and pausing at the door. His thumb rested upon his now split lip before straightened, nudged the hair from his face and looked back upon the man whom he would give his life for.
“I find it interesting, Zanon, that an insult to the woman you claim to love gives you only amusement.” He said, referring to his snort of empty laughter. “Whilst a disregard for the feelings of Selene turn you violent.” His eyes narrowed with antagonism. “What bothers you more, brother? That I am not marrying Selene...? Or that you are not available to?”
And with a curl of distaste to his lips and the first glance of sympathetic disappointment in his brother that he had shown that evening, Vangelis left the room, leaving Zanon with his angry musings. In return, he kept company with his own thoughts - thoughts he had wanted his brother’s help with - that still milled in his mind, resentful and unyielding.
Disappointment was a feeling found on both sides of the altercation between brothers. Not only was Zanon witnessing the crumbling of a pedestal that Vangelis had never asked to be placed upon, but Vangelis was witnessing the true colours of his brother as if he were a newly exposed stranger. Unlike Zanon, whose eyes flashed and lips curled, Vangelis’ realisations were kept behind closed doors, his expression remaining calm and almost effortless in the manner in which he insulted the younger man.
Words he had been unable to restrain or hold back, as personal hurt lowered his usual reserve. For this was how it was, it would seem? A single mistake and all love was lost, the power of loyalty and brotherhood reduced to dust.
Vangelis swallowed back his emotions, refusing to let them show upon his face. He had been taught to keep his weaknesses, his most sensitive wounds locked away. Even from his brother, he would keep such hurts. But they burnt their way through his gut and throat all the same.
This man before him... Vangelis had stood by him. He had supported him in his wedding to Evras regardless of his feelings towards the Thanasi. He had fought by his brother’s side in countless battles, carried him emotionally, mentally and sometimes physically wherever needed. He had stepped in to prevent unforgivable harm against his child not so long ago and even now defended him by ensuring that he wouldn’t start a Court war with Valaoritis over a kiss. He had determined for years that, despite all his own doubts and hang ups, Zanon would be a fine king to follow in his stead should such a happenstance occur.
Yet, apparently, the reverse was not true. One mistake. One glimmer of the human, of his mortal flaws and he wasn’t fit to be within ten feet of a brother who swam in wine and women on a regular basis.
It was the first time that Vangelis had ever doubted his brother.
Hypocrite.
Standing and refusing to be baited into an argument over his lack of bedding Thea anymore - whore or not - Vangelis turned his back on his brother, leaving the wine glass on the side and pausing at the door. His thumb rested upon his now split lip before straightened, nudged the hair from his face and looked back upon the man whom he would give his life for.
“I find it interesting, Zanon, that an insult to the woman you claim to love gives you only amusement.” He said, referring to his snort of empty laughter. “Whilst a disregard for the feelings of Selene turn you violent.” His eyes narrowed with antagonism. “What bothers you more, brother? That I am not marrying Selene...? Or that you are not available to?”
And with a curl of distaste to his lips and the first glance of sympathetic disappointment in his brother that he had shown that evening, Vangelis left the room, leaving Zanon with his angry musings. In return, he kept company with his own thoughts - thoughts he had wanted his brother’s help with - that still milled in his mind, resentful and unyielding.
"Your insults mean nothing, for they ring false. You simply can't accept that your error has put your family and kingdom at risk. You may mock me for my emotions, but your failure to think with heart what will be best over whatever honor you hold will send you to ruin."
His own tone was match for Vangelis' for a moment, as the rage burned away and his frustration was replaced with pity. It was a shame to see the mighty fall. Especially when it would only lead to more death. His entire family was now at risk, as soon as Thea of Thanasi birthed the child. Who would they try to be rid of first, he wondered. Perhaps another attempt on his father's life, or one on his own. With all but him off at war, it would be the perfect time for an ill fated arrow to strike at those fighters, or to corner him into a place where he had no chance of escape.
"Were I able, I would happily marry Selene. She is everything a queen should be, and a good friend besides. I am saddened most to lose a friend who would have brought life to this court. And to see that you never cared for her, never loved her. Any man who loved truly could not do what you have done or spoke as you have. I pity you, Vangelis. And the life you choose to lead."
Zanon turned away, slowly pushing himself up with the aid of the chair he had been sitting in. Evras had chosen to retire by herself to sleep early and ensure that the baby was well, but he wanted more than ever to wrap her up in his arms and hold her close. It could have been minutes or an hour after Vangelis left as the second prince wrapped himself up in a robe and took up the cane he had been using, slipping through the halls to his wife's separate quarters. Seeing her curled up, dark hair spread over the pillows and soft swell of the growing life inside of her, he felt the calm he'd had break, and tears slid down his cheek. Laying beside her he wept into her hair, for his brother's loss, for the kingdom, for Selene, and for fear of what would happen to those he loved with a Thanasi pawn even closer to the throne.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
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"Your insults mean nothing, for they ring false. You simply can't accept that your error has put your family and kingdom at risk. You may mock me for my emotions, but your failure to think with heart what will be best over whatever honor you hold will send you to ruin."
His own tone was match for Vangelis' for a moment, as the rage burned away and his frustration was replaced with pity. It was a shame to see the mighty fall. Especially when it would only lead to more death. His entire family was now at risk, as soon as Thea of Thanasi birthed the child. Who would they try to be rid of first, he wondered. Perhaps another attempt on his father's life, or one on his own. With all but him off at war, it would be the perfect time for an ill fated arrow to strike at those fighters, or to corner him into a place where he had no chance of escape.
"Were I able, I would happily marry Selene. She is everything a queen should be, and a good friend besides. I am saddened most to lose a friend who would have brought life to this court. And to see that you never cared for her, never loved her. Any man who loved truly could not do what you have done or spoke as you have. I pity you, Vangelis. And the life you choose to lead."
Zanon turned away, slowly pushing himself up with the aid of the chair he had been sitting in. Evras had chosen to retire by herself to sleep early and ensure that the baby was well, but he wanted more than ever to wrap her up in his arms and hold her close. It could have been minutes or an hour after Vangelis left as the second prince wrapped himself up in a robe and took up the cane he had been using, slipping through the halls to his wife's separate quarters. Seeing her curled up, dark hair spread over the pillows and soft swell of the growing life inside of her, he felt the calm he'd had break, and tears slid down his cheek. Laying beside her he wept into her hair, for his brother's loss, for the kingdom, for Selene, and for fear of what would happen to those he loved with a Thanasi pawn even closer to the throne.
"Your insults mean nothing, for they ring false. You simply can't accept that your error has put your family and kingdom at risk. You may mock me for my emotions, but your failure to think with heart what will be best over whatever honor you hold will send you to ruin."
His own tone was match for Vangelis' for a moment, as the rage burned away and his frustration was replaced with pity. It was a shame to see the mighty fall. Especially when it would only lead to more death. His entire family was now at risk, as soon as Thea of Thanasi birthed the child. Who would they try to be rid of first, he wondered. Perhaps another attempt on his father's life, or one on his own. With all but him off at war, it would be the perfect time for an ill fated arrow to strike at those fighters, or to corner him into a place where he had no chance of escape.
"Were I able, I would happily marry Selene. She is everything a queen should be, and a good friend besides. I am saddened most to lose a friend who would have brought life to this court. And to see that you never cared for her, never loved her. Any man who loved truly could not do what you have done or spoke as you have. I pity you, Vangelis. And the life you choose to lead."
Zanon turned away, slowly pushing himself up with the aid of the chair he had been sitting in. Evras had chosen to retire by herself to sleep early and ensure that the baby was well, but he wanted more than ever to wrap her up in his arms and hold her close. It could have been minutes or an hour after Vangelis left as the second prince wrapped himself up in a robe and took up the cane he had been using, slipping through the halls to his wife's separate quarters. Seeing her curled up, dark hair spread over the pillows and soft swell of the growing life inside of her, he felt the calm he'd had break, and tears slid down his cheek. Laying beside her he wept into her hair, for his brother's loss, for the kingdom, for Selene, and for fear of what would happen to those he loved with a Thanasi pawn even closer to the throne.