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The world had turned on its axis. With the king now dead, Athenia had plunged itself into uncertainty. Somehow, the King had made it so that the eldest of his daughters would take the throne once he passed, rather than the crown passing to the next eligible male family member. Ordinarily, this would have been Alehandros, Evi’s father, but she knew full well how little interest Alehandros had in ruling the nation. Next, then, was Elias of Stravos, though the new law stated Persephone of Xanthos was to be the next ruler, a Queen in her own right without need for a king by her side.
It wasn’t an understatement to say that many were unsure of this. Evi, for her part, quite liked the idea of a female ruler - the archaic laws that said only men could inherit titles was rather backwards, and what was to say that a woman couldn’t be just as good as a man in the world of politics. Evi imagined herself to be a rather good leader on her own little patch of land, just like Elias, she could easily imagine herself building something up from scraps, if only she were given the chance to do so.
But it meant that Elias’ birthright had been snatched away from him by the whims of an ailing man.
So much had happened, much of which Evi failed to understand. People weren’t talking about it, and if they were, there were contradictory statements being flown left right and centre. One thing she knew for certain, Elias was currently under house arrest, his family’s titles stripped and he was accused of treason. Evi had no idea what he had done to receive this accusation: so much had happened… She’d heard the rumours, and she had no idea what was true and what was false.
She had left her family home under the guise of heading to the market. Evi went alone, with no servant to chaperone her this time. Instead of heading to the market, she was intent on seeing Elias. The girl draped a light shawl over her head in a half-hearted attempt at not being recognised by anyone she passed in the streets as she made her way over to Archontikó Stravos. It didn’t take long, their two homes being in the same district of the city. In keeping with her efforts to keep her identity hidden, the girl debated scaling the walls of the garden and laying in wait for Elias to hopefully appear so that she may have a word with him. Glancing at said walls, she quickly decided against such a ridiculous idea; her body was not built for acrobatics, and her clothing, whilst not the one of her most expensive outfits, was not something she wanted to rip and ruin.
And who cared if the servants knew she was here? If they were loyal to the family they served, they would know when to keep their mouths shut. She approached the main entrance and, when she knocked for entrance, was welcomed in by one such servant. “I am here to see Lord Elias,” she announced, removing the shawl from her head and allowing it to rest on her he shoulders and arms. The servant nodded and scurried away, presumably to fetch the disgraced Lord.
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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The world had turned on its axis. With the king now dead, Athenia had plunged itself into uncertainty. Somehow, the King had made it so that the eldest of his daughters would take the throne once he passed, rather than the crown passing to the next eligible male family member. Ordinarily, this would have been Alehandros, Evi’s father, but she knew full well how little interest Alehandros had in ruling the nation. Next, then, was Elias of Stravos, though the new law stated Persephone of Xanthos was to be the next ruler, a Queen in her own right without need for a king by her side.
It wasn’t an understatement to say that many were unsure of this. Evi, for her part, quite liked the idea of a female ruler - the archaic laws that said only men could inherit titles was rather backwards, and what was to say that a woman couldn’t be just as good as a man in the world of politics. Evi imagined herself to be a rather good leader on her own little patch of land, just like Elias, she could easily imagine herself building something up from scraps, if only she were given the chance to do so.
But it meant that Elias’ birthright had been snatched away from him by the whims of an ailing man.
So much had happened, much of which Evi failed to understand. People weren’t talking about it, and if they were, there were contradictory statements being flown left right and centre. One thing she knew for certain, Elias was currently under house arrest, his family’s titles stripped and he was accused of treason. Evi had no idea what he had done to receive this accusation: so much had happened… She’d heard the rumours, and she had no idea what was true and what was false.
She had left her family home under the guise of heading to the market. Evi went alone, with no servant to chaperone her this time. Instead of heading to the market, she was intent on seeing Elias. The girl draped a light shawl over her head in a half-hearted attempt at not being recognised by anyone she passed in the streets as she made her way over to Archontikó Stravos. It didn’t take long, their two homes being in the same district of the city. In keeping with her efforts to keep her identity hidden, the girl debated scaling the walls of the garden and laying in wait for Elias to hopefully appear so that she may have a word with him. Glancing at said walls, she quickly decided against such a ridiculous idea; her body was not built for acrobatics, and her clothing, whilst not the one of her most expensive outfits, was not something she wanted to rip and ruin.
And who cared if the servants knew she was here? If they were loyal to the family they served, they would know when to keep their mouths shut. She approached the main entrance and, when she knocked for entrance, was welcomed in by one such servant. “I am here to see Lord Elias,” she announced, removing the shawl from her head and allowing it to rest on her he shoulders and arms. The servant nodded and scurried away, presumably to fetch the disgraced Lord.
The world had turned on its axis. With the king now dead, Athenia had plunged itself into uncertainty. Somehow, the King had made it so that the eldest of his daughters would take the throne once he passed, rather than the crown passing to the next eligible male family member. Ordinarily, this would have been Alehandros, Evi’s father, but she knew full well how little interest Alehandros had in ruling the nation. Next, then, was Elias of Stravos, though the new law stated Persephone of Xanthos was to be the next ruler, a Queen in her own right without need for a king by her side.
It wasn’t an understatement to say that many were unsure of this. Evi, for her part, quite liked the idea of a female ruler - the archaic laws that said only men could inherit titles was rather backwards, and what was to say that a woman couldn’t be just as good as a man in the world of politics. Evi imagined herself to be a rather good leader on her own little patch of land, just like Elias, she could easily imagine herself building something up from scraps, if only she were given the chance to do so.
But it meant that Elias’ birthright had been snatched away from him by the whims of an ailing man.
So much had happened, much of which Evi failed to understand. People weren’t talking about it, and if they were, there were contradictory statements being flown left right and centre. One thing she knew for certain, Elias was currently under house arrest, his family’s titles stripped and he was accused of treason. Evi had no idea what he had done to receive this accusation: so much had happened… She’d heard the rumours, and she had no idea what was true and what was false.
She had left her family home under the guise of heading to the market. Evi went alone, with no servant to chaperone her this time. Instead of heading to the market, she was intent on seeing Elias. The girl draped a light shawl over her head in a half-hearted attempt at not being recognised by anyone she passed in the streets as she made her way over to Archontikó Stravos. It didn’t take long, their two homes being in the same district of the city. In keeping with her efforts to keep her identity hidden, the girl debated scaling the walls of the garden and laying in wait for Elias to hopefully appear so that she may have a word with him. Glancing at said walls, she quickly decided against such a ridiculous idea; her body was not built for acrobatics, and her clothing, whilst not the one of her most expensive outfits, was not something she wanted to rip and ruin.
And who cared if the servants knew she was here? If they were loyal to the family they served, they would know when to keep their mouths shut. She approached the main entrance and, when she knocked for entrance, was welcomed in by one such servant. “I am here to see Lord Elias,” she announced, removing the shawl from her head and allowing it to rest on her he shoulders and arms. The servant nodded and scurried away, presumably to fetch the disgraced Lord.
The state of affairs disgusted Elias.
He'd known -- or suspected -- for long enough that Minas of Xanthos intended to put his daughter on the throne. It'd all been a scarcely veiled secret, a pitiful farce to keep a decrepit dynasteia from falling into obscurity. Elias convinced himself that the late King was manipulated, that the whispers in his ear were that of his daughter, a woman who was determined to follow in his footsteps, confusing benevolence for effective rule. Elias, in order to avoid such a turn of events, made his decisions. He needed to make Athenia suffer, to sink ships and bring ruin, to cast the responsibility of it all on the Xanthos house so as to discredit their progeny and to assume the position of monarch that the Gods and traditions of Athenia dictated he take.
But, it was all for naught. He'd been undone, apprehended, and accused. Though Elias of Stravos languished within Archontiko Stravos, he was not yet found guilty. While King Minas lived, he'd been told he'd have a trial, to prove his innocence and restore the allocations of the Stravos lineage to their rightful possessors. However, it wasn't meant to be. Instead, the king fell to his illness, and while Elias might've once cared for the man, the sixteen days he'd spent within his ancestral home in waiting for the trial burned any sort of sentiment he'd once had for his mother's family. Persephone, Emilia, Minas... all of them were possessors of that same disgusting sentiment that was ill-suited to power. At least, that's what he'd thought.
Father and daughter had turned his accusation into a means of overthrowing the entire tradition of monarchy. Rather than demanding Lord Alehandros to take the throne against his will, Persephone and the ailed Minas overtook tradition, casting it aside as if worthless. In retrospect, while Elias disagreed with the sentiment to his very core, he could respect the shrewd machinations that brought them into effect. However, that respect turned to ire, to rage, to an overwhelming desire to see the whore-queen burn in her palace, or to see the ocean's water run red as the bottom feeders tore her inert carcass to shreds. Of course, neither of these were the arrangements he'd made, which were far more practical.
Nonetheless, Elias of Stravos wandered his house, which by the day grew more and more barren as the ostentatious decorations of the archontiko were sold away in order to keep the family, the servants, and the affairs of the estate in place. The rest? Tended to by the same filth that had ousted him from his position of Head of House, who dared remove him from the line of succession. Anger, at last, gave way to hatred, and the belief that Persephone of Xanthos was a witch, a fiend, a daemon from Tartarus wearing a woman's skin in order to lull Athenia into falling under her spell. The Headlord of Stravos refused half of his meals, mulling over again and again what he'd done until his palpable intellect wrapped around the severity of his mistakes.
Defeat humbled Elias of Stravos, to an extent. But, it also turned his heart to flame and his soul charred black.
He took a bottle in his hand, making no effort to find a goblet as he drank directly from it. Sip after sip poured down his throat in an effort to lessen the... sensation. The heartbreak of disinheritance. The disaster of losing himself in the midst of it all. Without the mantle of Head of House, who was Elias of Stravos? Without the barony, without the claim to the throne, what was he worth? Fierce intellect and divine beauty was nothing without the covetous power that he commanded. One was worthless without the other.
The guards did not stop the woman when she arrived. It'd been long enough in isolation that the disgraced lord, while unable to leave, was allowed to take on visitation. She waited, watched by a pair of guards who were present to ensure the Stravos remained in his home. And he did. There was no longer a reason for him to resist his arrest. Everything was in order and soon, with luck, the newly crowned queen would be dead and Elias could use the chaos to tie himself off from the silly accusations (true, but silly nonetheless).
Not yet drunk, but with breath caught with the scent of wine, the lord left the bottle with the servant. The servants of the archontiko Stravos weren't so learned or intelligent as to know who they were speaking to, and merely briefed him on the visit of a rather lovely guest. Whether they presumed her a courtesan or a love-stricken noble, he didn't know -- or care. The servants were irrelevant as he made his path and identified Evi of Antonis as the visitor. She'd lowered a shawl and was waiting for him to arrive. Elias was rather ill-dressed to receive such a guest. His time in seclusion had him bathed regularly, and all of the divinely-ordained beauty that was so familiar was present about him. However, there were faint red lines in his eyes, his honeyed hues fogged with the ill sleep and the inebriation he'd taken to over and over.
Evi? he mused, his hand rising to brush against the stubble that built against his chin. His other hand smoothed at the loosely-tied chiton, made of heavier fabric than he'd take if he were permitted to venture outside the bounds of his home. He drew closer still, taking hold of her hand and gesturing for them to move away from the entrance, not yet daring to speak anything lest she be identified and her arrival within the archontiko become a rumour stirred by the few servants that were left. He took her to his bedroom and pulled the wooden plank that served as the rudimentary lock
"Lady Evi? Why... what are you doing here?" he wondered. It was perhaps rude for him to ask in such a way, but so heavy was his surprise at the daring it took for her to arrive. It'd been long enough in isolation, and he figured that his good graces with the exquisite daughter of the Antonis were exterminated by the fires of his disgrace.
"Not that I'm displeased to see you..." he clarified before moving right along.
"Why would you risk so much for so little?"
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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The state of affairs disgusted Elias.
He'd known -- or suspected -- for long enough that Minas of Xanthos intended to put his daughter on the throne. It'd all been a scarcely veiled secret, a pitiful farce to keep a decrepit dynasteia from falling into obscurity. Elias convinced himself that the late King was manipulated, that the whispers in his ear were that of his daughter, a woman who was determined to follow in his footsteps, confusing benevolence for effective rule. Elias, in order to avoid such a turn of events, made his decisions. He needed to make Athenia suffer, to sink ships and bring ruin, to cast the responsibility of it all on the Xanthos house so as to discredit their progeny and to assume the position of monarch that the Gods and traditions of Athenia dictated he take.
But, it was all for naught. He'd been undone, apprehended, and accused. Though Elias of Stravos languished within Archontiko Stravos, he was not yet found guilty. While King Minas lived, he'd been told he'd have a trial, to prove his innocence and restore the allocations of the Stravos lineage to their rightful possessors. However, it wasn't meant to be. Instead, the king fell to his illness, and while Elias might've once cared for the man, the sixteen days he'd spent within his ancestral home in waiting for the trial burned any sort of sentiment he'd once had for his mother's family. Persephone, Emilia, Minas... all of them were possessors of that same disgusting sentiment that was ill-suited to power. At least, that's what he'd thought.
Father and daughter had turned his accusation into a means of overthrowing the entire tradition of monarchy. Rather than demanding Lord Alehandros to take the throne against his will, Persephone and the ailed Minas overtook tradition, casting it aside as if worthless. In retrospect, while Elias disagreed with the sentiment to his very core, he could respect the shrewd machinations that brought them into effect. However, that respect turned to ire, to rage, to an overwhelming desire to see the whore-queen burn in her palace, or to see the ocean's water run red as the bottom feeders tore her inert carcass to shreds. Of course, neither of these were the arrangements he'd made, which were far more practical.
Nonetheless, Elias of Stravos wandered his house, which by the day grew more and more barren as the ostentatious decorations of the archontiko were sold away in order to keep the family, the servants, and the affairs of the estate in place. The rest? Tended to by the same filth that had ousted him from his position of Head of House, who dared remove him from the line of succession. Anger, at last, gave way to hatred, and the belief that Persephone of Xanthos was a witch, a fiend, a daemon from Tartarus wearing a woman's skin in order to lull Athenia into falling under her spell. The Headlord of Stravos refused half of his meals, mulling over again and again what he'd done until his palpable intellect wrapped around the severity of his mistakes.
Defeat humbled Elias of Stravos, to an extent. But, it also turned his heart to flame and his soul charred black.
He took a bottle in his hand, making no effort to find a goblet as he drank directly from it. Sip after sip poured down his throat in an effort to lessen the... sensation. The heartbreak of disinheritance. The disaster of losing himself in the midst of it all. Without the mantle of Head of House, who was Elias of Stravos? Without the barony, without the claim to the throne, what was he worth? Fierce intellect and divine beauty was nothing without the covetous power that he commanded. One was worthless without the other.
The guards did not stop the woman when she arrived. It'd been long enough in isolation that the disgraced lord, while unable to leave, was allowed to take on visitation. She waited, watched by a pair of guards who were present to ensure the Stravos remained in his home. And he did. There was no longer a reason for him to resist his arrest. Everything was in order and soon, with luck, the newly crowned queen would be dead and Elias could use the chaos to tie himself off from the silly accusations (true, but silly nonetheless).
Not yet drunk, but with breath caught with the scent of wine, the lord left the bottle with the servant. The servants of the archontiko Stravos weren't so learned or intelligent as to know who they were speaking to, and merely briefed him on the visit of a rather lovely guest. Whether they presumed her a courtesan or a love-stricken noble, he didn't know -- or care. The servants were irrelevant as he made his path and identified Evi of Antonis as the visitor. She'd lowered a shawl and was waiting for him to arrive. Elias was rather ill-dressed to receive such a guest. His time in seclusion had him bathed regularly, and all of the divinely-ordained beauty that was so familiar was present about him. However, there were faint red lines in his eyes, his honeyed hues fogged with the ill sleep and the inebriation he'd taken to over and over.
Evi? he mused, his hand rising to brush against the stubble that built against his chin. His other hand smoothed at the loosely-tied chiton, made of heavier fabric than he'd take if he were permitted to venture outside the bounds of his home. He drew closer still, taking hold of her hand and gesturing for them to move away from the entrance, not yet daring to speak anything lest she be identified and her arrival within the archontiko become a rumour stirred by the few servants that were left. He took her to his bedroom and pulled the wooden plank that served as the rudimentary lock
"Lady Evi? Why... what are you doing here?" he wondered. It was perhaps rude for him to ask in such a way, but so heavy was his surprise at the daring it took for her to arrive. It'd been long enough in isolation, and he figured that his good graces with the exquisite daughter of the Antonis were exterminated by the fires of his disgrace.
"Not that I'm displeased to see you..." he clarified before moving right along.
"Why would you risk so much for so little?"
The state of affairs disgusted Elias.
He'd known -- or suspected -- for long enough that Minas of Xanthos intended to put his daughter on the throne. It'd all been a scarcely veiled secret, a pitiful farce to keep a decrepit dynasteia from falling into obscurity. Elias convinced himself that the late King was manipulated, that the whispers in his ear were that of his daughter, a woman who was determined to follow in his footsteps, confusing benevolence for effective rule. Elias, in order to avoid such a turn of events, made his decisions. He needed to make Athenia suffer, to sink ships and bring ruin, to cast the responsibility of it all on the Xanthos house so as to discredit their progeny and to assume the position of monarch that the Gods and traditions of Athenia dictated he take.
But, it was all for naught. He'd been undone, apprehended, and accused. Though Elias of Stravos languished within Archontiko Stravos, he was not yet found guilty. While King Minas lived, he'd been told he'd have a trial, to prove his innocence and restore the allocations of the Stravos lineage to their rightful possessors. However, it wasn't meant to be. Instead, the king fell to his illness, and while Elias might've once cared for the man, the sixteen days he'd spent within his ancestral home in waiting for the trial burned any sort of sentiment he'd once had for his mother's family. Persephone, Emilia, Minas... all of them were possessors of that same disgusting sentiment that was ill-suited to power. At least, that's what he'd thought.
Father and daughter had turned his accusation into a means of overthrowing the entire tradition of monarchy. Rather than demanding Lord Alehandros to take the throne against his will, Persephone and the ailed Minas overtook tradition, casting it aside as if worthless. In retrospect, while Elias disagreed with the sentiment to his very core, he could respect the shrewd machinations that brought them into effect. However, that respect turned to ire, to rage, to an overwhelming desire to see the whore-queen burn in her palace, or to see the ocean's water run red as the bottom feeders tore her inert carcass to shreds. Of course, neither of these were the arrangements he'd made, which were far more practical.
Nonetheless, Elias of Stravos wandered his house, which by the day grew more and more barren as the ostentatious decorations of the archontiko were sold away in order to keep the family, the servants, and the affairs of the estate in place. The rest? Tended to by the same filth that had ousted him from his position of Head of House, who dared remove him from the line of succession. Anger, at last, gave way to hatred, and the belief that Persephone of Xanthos was a witch, a fiend, a daemon from Tartarus wearing a woman's skin in order to lull Athenia into falling under her spell. The Headlord of Stravos refused half of his meals, mulling over again and again what he'd done until his palpable intellect wrapped around the severity of his mistakes.
Defeat humbled Elias of Stravos, to an extent. But, it also turned his heart to flame and his soul charred black.
He took a bottle in his hand, making no effort to find a goblet as he drank directly from it. Sip after sip poured down his throat in an effort to lessen the... sensation. The heartbreak of disinheritance. The disaster of losing himself in the midst of it all. Without the mantle of Head of House, who was Elias of Stravos? Without the barony, without the claim to the throne, what was he worth? Fierce intellect and divine beauty was nothing without the covetous power that he commanded. One was worthless without the other.
The guards did not stop the woman when she arrived. It'd been long enough in isolation that the disgraced lord, while unable to leave, was allowed to take on visitation. She waited, watched by a pair of guards who were present to ensure the Stravos remained in his home. And he did. There was no longer a reason for him to resist his arrest. Everything was in order and soon, with luck, the newly crowned queen would be dead and Elias could use the chaos to tie himself off from the silly accusations (true, but silly nonetheless).
Not yet drunk, but with breath caught with the scent of wine, the lord left the bottle with the servant. The servants of the archontiko Stravos weren't so learned or intelligent as to know who they were speaking to, and merely briefed him on the visit of a rather lovely guest. Whether they presumed her a courtesan or a love-stricken noble, he didn't know -- or care. The servants were irrelevant as he made his path and identified Evi of Antonis as the visitor. She'd lowered a shawl and was waiting for him to arrive. Elias was rather ill-dressed to receive such a guest. His time in seclusion had him bathed regularly, and all of the divinely-ordained beauty that was so familiar was present about him. However, there were faint red lines in his eyes, his honeyed hues fogged with the ill sleep and the inebriation he'd taken to over and over.
Evi? he mused, his hand rising to brush against the stubble that built against his chin. His other hand smoothed at the loosely-tied chiton, made of heavier fabric than he'd take if he were permitted to venture outside the bounds of his home. He drew closer still, taking hold of her hand and gesturing for them to move away from the entrance, not yet daring to speak anything lest she be identified and her arrival within the archontiko become a rumour stirred by the few servants that were left. He took her to his bedroom and pulled the wooden plank that served as the rudimentary lock
"Lady Evi? Why... what are you doing here?" he wondered. It was perhaps rude for him to ask in such a way, but so heavy was his surprise at the daring it took for her to arrive. It'd been long enough in isolation, and he figured that his good graces with the exquisite daughter of the Antonis were exterminated by the fires of his disgrace.
"Not that I'm displeased to see you..." he clarified before moving right along.
"Why would you risk so much for so little?"
There were many changes in Elias since the pair had last seen each other. He was clean, of course, but he did not look nearly as well put together as he normally looked. There was something lost about him, though his bearing didn’t indicate that he was confused, he seemed more angry than anything. It wasn’t hard to guess what he had to be angry about. The whole circus at court was all anyone could talk about, even if the truth of the story was lost somewhere along the way. Evi didn’t know what to believe from regular courtgoers, and that was why she had come to see him. She needed to hear Elias’ story from his own mouth.
But, as she took him in, she wondered if she was right to come here. Elias looked rather unbalanced, with red-rimmed eyes and stubble growing on his face. Something about his eyes, the way he looked at her was not the same way he had when she had visited him out in Lyncestia.
The man did not speak, instead gesturing for her to follow him though the archontiko to his private rooms, presumably away from the waggling ears of his servants. It was a sad state of affairs when Elias felt he couldn’t even trust his servants with the true identity of his guest. For their part, the Antonis servants where reliable an trustworthy. Was it that these servants had been placed here by the court, here to keep an eye on their master for others. Or did Elias simply have so little faith in anyone around him?
“Oh, I was meandering through the markets and got distracted by a butterfly. It led me to your door,” the girl responded, the sarcasm in her voice evident as she turned to examine the room. It should have been obvious to the man why Evi would come. Though she was a socialite, with the luck of being able to call many people of the court friends, Evi had a select few who she truly liked unconditionally. Given the nature of their relationship, the time spent with Elias was often time spent out of the company of others. And Evi craved that time more than anything else. During their time apart, since the scandal and Elias’ arrest, some things changed, and it almost looked like something disappeared during that time. Evi's world was slowly losing its colours.
She turned back to look at her lover, remembering that first night as she tried to find the man she loved in those eyes. He was there, just hidden beneath this… whatever this was. But the light brown pupils still shone and twinkled. They danced through the shroud of sadness and Evi wanted to revel in the beauty of them. She admired the strength that they had to keep shining even though she knew that Elias himself was dull and dim inside.
But then again, stars always shine the brightest when they’re dying.
“I would have assumed it would be obvious why I have come here, Elias,” she said, expression lost of its normal inquisitive nature as she understood the gravity of the situation. “I need to know the truth. Your truth. I hear rumours all over court, many of which contradict each other. I believe some, I refuse to believe others. Actually…” she considered her position in earnest, “I don’t think I will believe anything unless I hear it from your lips, Elias.” She hadn’t spoken very loudly, but there was definitely an edge of command in her voice. Even if it was the once-future king she was speaking to, her tone was uncompromising, a sight Elias had probably never seen in Evi. She was a lady of the court, after all, and used to being obeyed.
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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There were many changes in Elias since the pair had last seen each other. He was clean, of course, but he did not look nearly as well put together as he normally looked. There was something lost about him, though his bearing didn’t indicate that he was confused, he seemed more angry than anything. It wasn’t hard to guess what he had to be angry about. The whole circus at court was all anyone could talk about, even if the truth of the story was lost somewhere along the way. Evi didn’t know what to believe from regular courtgoers, and that was why she had come to see him. She needed to hear Elias’ story from his own mouth.
But, as she took him in, she wondered if she was right to come here. Elias looked rather unbalanced, with red-rimmed eyes and stubble growing on his face. Something about his eyes, the way he looked at her was not the same way he had when she had visited him out in Lyncestia.
The man did not speak, instead gesturing for her to follow him though the archontiko to his private rooms, presumably away from the waggling ears of his servants. It was a sad state of affairs when Elias felt he couldn’t even trust his servants with the true identity of his guest. For their part, the Antonis servants where reliable an trustworthy. Was it that these servants had been placed here by the court, here to keep an eye on their master for others. Or did Elias simply have so little faith in anyone around him?
“Oh, I was meandering through the markets and got distracted by a butterfly. It led me to your door,” the girl responded, the sarcasm in her voice evident as she turned to examine the room. It should have been obvious to the man why Evi would come. Though she was a socialite, with the luck of being able to call many people of the court friends, Evi had a select few who she truly liked unconditionally. Given the nature of their relationship, the time spent with Elias was often time spent out of the company of others. And Evi craved that time more than anything else. During their time apart, since the scandal and Elias’ arrest, some things changed, and it almost looked like something disappeared during that time. Evi's world was slowly losing its colours.
She turned back to look at her lover, remembering that first night as she tried to find the man she loved in those eyes. He was there, just hidden beneath this… whatever this was. But the light brown pupils still shone and twinkled. They danced through the shroud of sadness and Evi wanted to revel in the beauty of them. She admired the strength that they had to keep shining even though she knew that Elias himself was dull and dim inside.
But then again, stars always shine the brightest when they’re dying.
“I would have assumed it would be obvious why I have come here, Elias,” she said, expression lost of its normal inquisitive nature as she understood the gravity of the situation. “I need to know the truth. Your truth. I hear rumours all over court, many of which contradict each other. I believe some, I refuse to believe others. Actually…” she considered her position in earnest, “I don’t think I will believe anything unless I hear it from your lips, Elias.” She hadn’t spoken very loudly, but there was definitely an edge of command in her voice. Even if it was the once-future king she was speaking to, her tone was uncompromising, a sight Elias had probably never seen in Evi. She was a lady of the court, after all, and used to being obeyed.
There were many changes in Elias since the pair had last seen each other. He was clean, of course, but he did not look nearly as well put together as he normally looked. There was something lost about him, though his bearing didn’t indicate that he was confused, he seemed more angry than anything. It wasn’t hard to guess what he had to be angry about. The whole circus at court was all anyone could talk about, even if the truth of the story was lost somewhere along the way. Evi didn’t know what to believe from regular courtgoers, and that was why she had come to see him. She needed to hear Elias’ story from his own mouth.
But, as she took him in, she wondered if she was right to come here. Elias looked rather unbalanced, with red-rimmed eyes and stubble growing on his face. Something about his eyes, the way he looked at her was not the same way he had when she had visited him out in Lyncestia.
The man did not speak, instead gesturing for her to follow him though the archontiko to his private rooms, presumably away from the waggling ears of his servants. It was a sad state of affairs when Elias felt he couldn’t even trust his servants with the true identity of his guest. For their part, the Antonis servants where reliable an trustworthy. Was it that these servants had been placed here by the court, here to keep an eye on their master for others. Or did Elias simply have so little faith in anyone around him?
“Oh, I was meandering through the markets and got distracted by a butterfly. It led me to your door,” the girl responded, the sarcasm in her voice evident as she turned to examine the room. It should have been obvious to the man why Evi would come. Though she was a socialite, with the luck of being able to call many people of the court friends, Evi had a select few who she truly liked unconditionally. Given the nature of their relationship, the time spent with Elias was often time spent out of the company of others. And Evi craved that time more than anything else. During their time apart, since the scandal and Elias’ arrest, some things changed, and it almost looked like something disappeared during that time. Evi's world was slowly losing its colours.
She turned back to look at her lover, remembering that first night as she tried to find the man she loved in those eyes. He was there, just hidden beneath this… whatever this was. But the light brown pupils still shone and twinkled. They danced through the shroud of sadness and Evi wanted to revel in the beauty of them. She admired the strength that they had to keep shining even though she knew that Elias himself was dull and dim inside.
But then again, stars always shine the brightest when they’re dying.
“I would have assumed it would be obvious why I have come here, Elias,” she said, expression lost of its normal inquisitive nature as she understood the gravity of the situation. “I need to know the truth. Your truth. I hear rumours all over court, many of which contradict each other. I believe some, I refuse to believe others. Actually…” she considered her position in earnest, “I don’t think I will believe anything unless I hear it from your lips, Elias.” She hadn’t spoken very loudly, but there was definitely an edge of command in her voice. Even if it was the once-future king she was speaking to, her tone was uncompromising, a sight Elias had probably never seen in Evi. She was a lady of the court, after all, and used to being obeyed.
Rumours and conjecture followed Elias everywhere he went. Now that he was nowhere to be found, the rumours certainly persisted without him. Normally, such conjecture around him was a source of pride, an emblem he bore proudly for so well-deserved and naturally given was his clout that to do anything else was to bring dishonour to himself. Once, Elias of Stravos was at the top of the world, the most eligible bachelor in all of the kingdom, the head of the wealthiest house. Now? He was a prisoner in a shamble, a lord given to the depression that followed his own grave mistake. There was no one to blame for himself, for he allowed Lukos of Magnamea to live after his utility waned.
If the murderous pirate fiend was killed when he had the opportunity to, once the impact had begun to be felt, he could've avoided the fallout of it all. Worse still, he brought the fall to the rest of his family. Defeat was poison, festering conflicting emotions he'd felt only seldomly before and it wedged even an inkling of self-doubt in his mind. The doubt extended to all of those around him, with even his parents the recipients of his ill faith. The world collapsed around Elias of Stravos, and the paranoia began to materialize within him in earnest. He even had his inkling doubts about the nature of Evi's visit. That was until the sarcasm dripped from her voice and he was properly able to look at her without the servants he had his doubts of loyalty about.
Time alone with Evi of Antonis were some of the highlights of the limelight of his rule over Lyncestia. He relished in her presence, and the memories poured into his mind as the honeyed hues drifted along the expanse of her features. Then, she spoke about the reasons of her arrival, and he nodded in understanding. Of course, she was the first that was permitted visitation, and while Elias of Stravos relished in her company he worried for the fact that she was here. The manor was under sharp vigil, with the guards at the entryway not his own. Elias of Stravos never placed much value in loyalty, but he found in the absence of those under his banner, he was...
What was he?
She asked for his truth, not the facts that were submitted to the court and placed for all ears to disgrace him with. She asked for him to tell her what was only conjecture and supposition. What would she think, if Elias of Stravos truly was the traitor to his lands? The man who commissioned death and suffering to the worms beneath his feet to oust she who bore a false mantle acquired through nefarious means that threw disgrace to the very history of the kingdom of Athenia? But, he wouldn't deny her right to have answers. She was his lover, a woman whose wit and embrace elicited feelings of an uncertain and frankly entirely too alluring nature from the depths of his rotten soul.
But, was Elias of Stravos the same man as the one who'd stepped into the Senate council that day? Or had the accusations, the house arrest, the reality of his fall from grace rendered him into something else?
Elias of Stravos drew closer to the woman who held that uncertain grasp on his heart. His fingers sifted into ther tresses and wound softly against her scalp as the other arm curled about her waist in an embrace. He sought to claim her lips with his own, a momentary lapse of desperation that he put an end to all too quickly. For, she did deserve answers and she had not asked for distraction with his proximity. What was reflex and instinct was muted and allowed to wither away as he pulled away from her just enough for the warmth of her body to not espouse thoughts of an altogether different nature from him.
"Are you asking if the accusations against me are true? That I am a murderer and a fiend that suffocated Athenia through the medium of a pirate charlatan?" he began, his eyes narrowed for but a moment before he said,
"I employed Lukos. I knew that the people of Athenia would be manipulated by the King Minas and his wretched daughter one way or the other. I brought the end to the lives of many sailors and ship hands in my effort to make the Xanthos monarchy suffer. This queen is a witch and her father a fraud given to the flight of fancy that she deserves to rule in place of the traditions that have kept Athenia the power that it has been for generations," he explained, the anger evident in his tone as he continued onward.
"If I hadn't done it, then someone else would have. There are many who support my position and there is no end to this conflict between royal families that will result in the preservation of lives."
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Rumours and conjecture followed Elias everywhere he went. Now that he was nowhere to be found, the rumours certainly persisted without him. Normally, such conjecture around him was a source of pride, an emblem he bore proudly for so well-deserved and naturally given was his clout that to do anything else was to bring dishonour to himself. Once, Elias of Stravos was at the top of the world, the most eligible bachelor in all of the kingdom, the head of the wealthiest house. Now? He was a prisoner in a shamble, a lord given to the depression that followed his own grave mistake. There was no one to blame for himself, for he allowed Lukos of Magnamea to live after his utility waned.
If the murderous pirate fiend was killed when he had the opportunity to, once the impact had begun to be felt, he could've avoided the fallout of it all. Worse still, he brought the fall to the rest of his family. Defeat was poison, festering conflicting emotions he'd felt only seldomly before and it wedged even an inkling of self-doubt in his mind. The doubt extended to all of those around him, with even his parents the recipients of his ill faith. The world collapsed around Elias of Stravos, and the paranoia began to materialize within him in earnest. He even had his inkling doubts about the nature of Evi's visit. That was until the sarcasm dripped from her voice and he was properly able to look at her without the servants he had his doubts of loyalty about.
Time alone with Evi of Antonis were some of the highlights of the limelight of his rule over Lyncestia. He relished in her presence, and the memories poured into his mind as the honeyed hues drifted along the expanse of her features. Then, she spoke about the reasons of her arrival, and he nodded in understanding. Of course, she was the first that was permitted visitation, and while Elias of Stravos relished in her company he worried for the fact that she was here. The manor was under sharp vigil, with the guards at the entryway not his own. Elias of Stravos never placed much value in loyalty, but he found in the absence of those under his banner, he was...
What was he?
She asked for his truth, not the facts that were submitted to the court and placed for all ears to disgrace him with. She asked for him to tell her what was only conjecture and supposition. What would she think, if Elias of Stravos truly was the traitor to his lands? The man who commissioned death and suffering to the worms beneath his feet to oust she who bore a false mantle acquired through nefarious means that threw disgrace to the very history of the kingdom of Athenia? But, he wouldn't deny her right to have answers. She was his lover, a woman whose wit and embrace elicited feelings of an uncertain and frankly entirely too alluring nature from the depths of his rotten soul.
But, was Elias of Stravos the same man as the one who'd stepped into the Senate council that day? Or had the accusations, the house arrest, the reality of his fall from grace rendered him into something else?
Elias of Stravos drew closer to the woman who held that uncertain grasp on his heart. His fingers sifted into ther tresses and wound softly against her scalp as the other arm curled about her waist in an embrace. He sought to claim her lips with his own, a momentary lapse of desperation that he put an end to all too quickly. For, she did deserve answers and she had not asked for distraction with his proximity. What was reflex and instinct was muted and allowed to wither away as he pulled away from her just enough for the warmth of her body to not espouse thoughts of an altogether different nature from him.
"Are you asking if the accusations against me are true? That I am a murderer and a fiend that suffocated Athenia through the medium of a pirate charlatan?" he began, his eyes narrowed for but a moment before he said,
"I employed Lukos. I knew that the people of Athenia would be manipulated by the King Minas and his wretched daughter one way or the other. I brought the end to the lives of many sailors and ship hands in my effort to make the Xanthos monarchy suffer. This queen is a witch and her father a fraud given to the flight of fancy that she deserves to rule in place of the traditions that have kept Athenia the power that it has been for generations," he explained, the anger evident in his tone as he continued onward.
"If I hadn't done it, then someone else would have. There are many who support my position and there is no end to this conflict between royal families that will result in the preservation of lives."
Rumours and conjecture followed Elias everywhere he went. Now that he was nowhere to be found, the rumours certainly persisted without him. Normally, such conjecture around him was a source of pride, an emblem he bore proudly for so well-deserved and naturally given was his clout that to do anything else was to bring dishonour to himself. Once, Elias of Stravos was at the top of the world, the most eligible bachelor in all of the kingdom, the head of the wealthiest house. Now? He was a prisoner in a shamble, a lord given to the depression that followed his own grave mistake. There was no one to blame for himself, for he allowed Lukos of Magnamea to live after his utility waned.
If the murderous pirate fiend was killed when he had the opportunity to, once the impact had begun to be felt, he could've avoided the fallout of it all. Worse still, he brought the fall to the rest of his family. Defeat was poison, festering conflicting emotions he'd felt only seldomly before and it wedged even an inkling of self-doubt in his mind. The doubt extended to all of those around him, with even his parents the recipients of his ill faith. The world collapsed around Elias of Stravos, and the paranoia began to materialize within him in earnest. He even had his inkling doubts about the nature of Evi's visit. That was until the sarcasm dripped from her voice and he was properly able to look at her without the servants he had his doubts of loyalty about.
Time alone with Evi of Antonis were some of the highlights of the limelight of his rule over Lyncestia. He relished in her presence, and the memories poured into his mind as the honeyed hues drifted along the expanse of her features. Then, she spoke about the reasons of her arrival, and he nodded in understanding. Of course, she was the first that was permitted visitation, and while Elias of Stravos relished in her company he worried for the fact that she was here. The manor was under sharp vigil, with the guards at the entryway not his own. Elias of Stravos never placed much value in loyalty, but he found in the absence of those under his banner, he was...
What was he?
She asked for his truth, not the facts that were submitted to the court and placed for all ears to disgrace him with. She asked for him to tell her what was only conjecture and supposition. What would she think, if Elias of Stravos truly was the traitor to his lands? The man who commissioned death and suffering to the worms beneath his feet to oust she who bore a false mantle acquired through nefarious means that threw disgrace to the very history of the kingdom of Athenia? But, he wouldn't deny her right to have answers. She was his lover, a woman whose wit and embrace elicited feelings of an uncertain and frankly entirely too alluring nature from the depths of his rotten soul.
But, was Elias of Stravos the same man as the one who'd stepped into the Senate council that day? Or had the accusations, the house arrest, the reality of his fall from grace rendered him into something else?
Elias of Stravos drew closer to the woman who held that uncertain grasp on his heart. His fingers sifted into ther tresses and wound softly against her scalp as the other arm curled about her waist in an embrace. He sought to claim her lips with his own, a momentary lapse of desperation that he put an end to all too quickly. For, she did deserve answers and she had not asked for distraction with his proximity. What was reflex and instinct was muted and allowed to wither away as he pulled away from her just enough for the warmth of her body to not espouse thoughts of an altogether different nature from him.
"Are you asking if the accusations against me are true? That I am a murderer and a fiend that suffocated Athenia through the medium of a pirate charlatan?" he began, his eyes narrowed for but a moment before he said,
"I employed Lukos. I knew that the people of Athenia would be manipulated by the King Minas and his wretched daughter one way or the other. I brought the end to the lives of many sailors and ship hands in my effort to make the Xanthos monarchy suffer. This queen is a witch and her father a fraud given to the flight of fancy that she deserves to rule in place of the traditions that have kept Athenia the power that it has been for generations," he explained, the anger evident in his tone as he continued onward.
"If I hadn't done it, then someone else would have. There are many who support my position and there is no end to this conflict between royal families that will result in the preservation of lives."
Feeling the man’s hand carding through her hair was like returning home. The other hand snaked its way around her back and pulled her close, and the girl sighed into his embrace. It was, she mused, the most magical place to be. Then he kissed her, and Evi, for the slightest moment, forgot herself, melting into her lover’s kiss. She came back to herself and, as Elias pulled away, she also pushed at him. She wasn’t here to fall into his arms like an imprinted duckling, she was here for answers. He didn’t move far, though, and for that Evi was immensely pleased. She wondered if he was receiving as much positive feedback as she was from his closeness.
When he spoke, he confirmed some of the rumours. Athenia knew that Elias had been accused of treason, though no one seemed very clear on what he had done to deserve that charge. She had heard tell of pirates too, but they were attacking foreign ships in Athenian waters, rather than Athenian ships. As long as trade still came in, which it mostly did, Evi’s life hadn’t really been affected by the pirates, so she hadn’t made the link between the two events until Elias told her.
“Why-” she paused, that wasn’t the question she wanted to ask. She knew why Elias had done it. With King Minas’ ailing health, he had proposed a change to the laws of inheritance. He wanted the princess, Persephone, as his heir, rather than it fall to her father (who would abdicate) and then Elias. Evi wasn’t clear on why Minas had wanted to change the law. Did he think Elias would be such an awful ruler, or did he just want his daughter to be offered the chances men were afforded?
It didn’t really matter why he did it either. The fact was that, while the name of Stravos was dragged through the mud and their status as nobles was frozen, so that investigations can be made, power over the Stravos provinces were brought into the power of the crown. That meant that, when the question of the inheritance law change was brought to discussion, Xanthos technically managed over half of the provinces. They all voted in favour of the law change.
It was just too convenient, that the house of Xanthos would have that much power, all by besmirching the name of another noble house. Up until now, Evi had assumed the accusations against Elias of Stravos had been false, a way to hold the Stravos lands and force through a vote that would see the daughter of Minas in a favourable light. Now, it turned out that Elias had brought about ruin on himself.
“If you hadn’t have done it, the vote would never have been passed,” was what she finally said in response. She didn’t judge Elias for what he had done. She was surprised to discover that he had done it, yes. But her shock was more about how Elias had been foolish enough to effectively walk straight into the trap of what Minas had been preparing to do all along. They had needed control of Stravos lands to pass the damned vote, how could he be so blind not to see it? This, more than anything else, cemented Evi’s belief in Elias’ right to rule Athenia.
“What did you hope to gain from using pirates? Surely there were more sensible ways to the crown, rather than this foolish endeavour to injure our own trading agreements? If you say someone else would have done it, then you should have left them to it, rather than risk your status.”
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Feeling the man’s hand carding through her hair was like returning home. The other hand snaked its way around her back and pulled her close, and the girl sighed into his embrace. It was, she mused, the most magical place to be. Then he kissed her, and Evi, for the slightest moment, forgot herself, melting into her lover’s kiss. She came back to herself and, as Elias pulled away, she also pushed at him. She wasn’t here to fall into his arms like an imprinted duckling, she was here for answers. He didn’t move far, though, and for that Evi was immensely pleased. She wondered if he was receiving as much positive feedback as she was from his closeness.
When he spoke, he confirmed some of the rumours. Athenia knew that Elias had been accused of treason, though no one seemed very clear on what he had done to deserve that charge. She had heard tell of pirates too, but they were attacking foreign ships in Athenian waters, rather than Athenian ships. As long as trade still came in, which it mostly did, Evi’s life hadn’t really been affected by the pirates, so she hadn’t made the link between the two events until Elias told her.
“Why-” she paused, that wasn’t the question she wanted to ask. She knew why Elias had done it. With King Minas’ ailing health, he had proposed a change to the laws of inheritance. He wanted the princess, Persephone, as his heir, rather than it fall to her father (who would abdicate) and then Elias. Evi wasn’t clear on why Minas had wanted to change the law. Did he think Elias would be such an awful ruler, or did he just want his daughter to be offered the chances men were afforded?
It didn’t really matter why he did it either. The fact was that, while the name of Stravos was dragged through the mud and their status as nobles was frozen, so that investigations can be made, power over the Stravos provinces were brought into the power of the crown. That meant that, when the question of the inheritance law change was brought to discussion, Xanthos technically managed over half of the provinces. They all voted in favour of the law change.
It was just too convenient, that the house of Xanthos would have that much power, all by besmirching the name of another noble house. Up until now, Evi had assumed the accusations against Elias of Stravos had been false, a way to hold the Stravos lands and force through a vote that would see the daughter of Minas in a favourable light. Now, it turned out that Elias had brought about ruin on himself.
“If you hadn’t have done it, the vote would never have been passed,” was what she finally said in response. She didn’t judge Elias for what he had done. She was surprised to discover that he had done it, yes. But her shock was more about how Elias had been foolish enough to effectively walk straight into the trap of what Minas had been preparing to do all along. They had needed control of Stravos lands to pass the damned vote, how could he be so blind not to see it? This, more than anything else, cemented Evi’s belief in Elias’ right to rule Athenia.
“What did you hope to gain from using pirates? Surely there were more sensible ways to the crown, rather than this foolish endeavour to injure our own trading agreements? If you say someone else would have done it, then you should have left them to it, rather than risk your status.”
Feeling the man’s hand carding through her hair was like returning home. The other hand snaked its way around her back and pulled her close, and the girl sighed into his embrace. It was, she mused, the most magical place to be. Then he kissed her, and Evi, for the slightest moment, forgot herself, melting into her lover’s kiss. She came back to herself and, as Elias pulled away, she also pushed at him. She wasn’t here to fall into his arms like an imprinted duckling, she was here for answers. He didn’t move far, though, and for that Evi was immensely pleased. She wondered if he was receiving as much positive feedback as she was from his closeness.
When he spoke, he confirmed some of the rumours. Athenia knew that Elias had been accused of treason, though no one seemed very clear on what he had done to deserve that charge. She had heard tell of pirates too, but they were attacking foreign ships in Athenian waters, rather than Athenian ships. As long as trade still came in, which it mostly did, Evi’s life hadn’t really been affected by the pirates, so she hadn’t made the link between the two events until Elias told her.
“Why-” she paused, that wasn’t the question she wanted to ask. She knew why Elias had done it. With King Minas’ ailing health, he had proposed a change to the laws of inheritance. He wanted the princess, Persephone, as his heir, rather than it fall to her father (who would abdicate) and then Elias. Evi wasn’t clear on why Minas had wanted to change the law. Did he think Elias would be such an awful ruler, or did he just want his daughter to be offered the chances men were afforded?
It didn’t really matter why he did it either. The fact was that, while the name of Stravos was dragged through the mud and their status as nobles was frozen, so that investigations can be made, power over the Stravos provinces were brought into the power of the crown. That meant that, when the question of the inheritance law change was brought to discussion, Xanthos technically managed over half of the provinces. They all voted in favour of the law change.
It was just too convenient, that the house of Xanthos would have that much power, all by besmirching the name of another noble house. Up until now, Evi had assumed the accusations against Elias of Stravos had been false, a way to hold the Stravos lands and force through a vote that would see the daughter of Minas in a favourable light. Now, it turned out that Elias had brought about ruin on himself.
“If you hadn’t have done it, the vote would never have been passed,” was what she finally said in response. She didn’t judge Elias for what he had done. She was surprised to discover that he had done it, yes. But her shock was more about how Elias had been foolish enough to effectively walk straight into the trap of what Minas had been preparing to do all along. They had needed control of Stravos lands to pass the damned vote, how could he be so blind not to see it? This, more than anything else, cemented Evi’s belief in Elias’ right to rule Athenia.
“What did you hope to gain from using pirates? Surely there were more sensible ways to the crown, rather than this foolish endeavour to injure our own trading agreements? If you say someone else would have done it, then you should have left them to it, rather than risk your status.”
The days melded into one another, and while Elias could count the number of times the sun had set until his world was thrown straight into it, he struggled with the notion of time altogether He was forgotten in this house, the prison in which he was confined finer than any cell, but darker and colder for the resentment he'd fostered. The phantom pain of his father's beating at that terrible Senate meeting, the cold stare of Circenia of Stravos... It was only natural that he craved human contact, and pulling Evi into his embrace before he answered her questions was an instinctive thing more than it was meant to be a distraction from her words. When he answered her, he looked her directly in the eyes.
He assessed how she absorbed the information, and was pleased as she didn't immediately lash out or seek to exit the estate. It was an encouraging notion, then as she spoke that single word he wondered where she sought to go with it. His rationale was certainly a mistake, and hindsight offered Elias of Stravos a greater amount of stability. He'd been furious, he'd been stupid, but there was the notion that the witch would have manipulated the houses regardless and caught on to the power of the thronw with or without his callous intervention. Then, there was the possibility with the king's ailing health, that Minas would beseech Alehandros to take up the throne for long enough for the abdication to work out in Persephone's favour in his own.
It wouldn't do to underestimate the Xanthos heir, and he made sure that in his future endeavors, he'd be more direct in his efforts. Rather than sending hapless fools to the underworld, he intended to offer her passage at his dime. The plans were already forming, and moreso than anything else, it was the looming excitement of it all. He hungered for Persephone of Xanthos' blood, but that wasn't the topic of this conversation. She was right, and he had no intention of giving her any inclination that his sensibilities were anything but flawed in the moment.
"If I had waited for Minas' death, then the crown would be mine instead of this hollow home filled with wailing spirits. The reasoning was flawed, and the result was worse than I could have imagined. The intention was to bend Athenia to its knee and bring it back to normalcy through my personal intervention. It was glory seeking, foolish, but leaving it to someone else might have been a graver end for the kingdom than I had the capacity to fix."
For all the faults in his ploy, he'd made sure not to bend Athenia so far that Stravos intervention on the throne couldn't fix it. He had the power, the status, and more importantly, the connections to bring prosperity back to Athenia quickly enough. Someone else, even if that someone was his mother, Circenia, wouldn't have been able to bring fruition to that ploy in that way. the alternative was snapping the kingdom's spine with someone else's efforts.
But, patience might have won him the day! It was foolish, but already, he whirled the machinations to restore himself to power. Already, he hastened the approach of Hades, calling upon the might of the Stravos, broken as it was, to end the Queen's short reign in blood and revolution.
"Someone else wouldn't have been as gentle with the kingdom. But mistakes have been made... and mistakes will be amended. Their evidence is paltry at best. They delayed the trial in order to find greater evidence than the word of a charlatan and a letter. There is none. I will be freed, and the throne will be mine to take," he completed.
He did not yet divulge what he had planned for the queen. Instead, he looked to Evi, his lips curved into a softer expression as he sat on his own bed, kicking up his feet as he let his sidelong gaze fix itself upon her,
"Athenia suffers for the false queen still does not have the heart of her people, from what I've heard. What do you think, Evi? But also, how are you faring?"
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The days melded into one another, and while Elias could count the number of times the sun had set until his world was thrown straight into it, he struggled with the notion of time altogether He was forgotten in this house, the prison in which he was confined finer than any cell, but darker and colder for the resentment he'd fostered. The phantom pain of his father's beating at that terrible Senate meeting, the cold stare of Circenia of Stravos... It was only natural that he craved human contact, and pulling Evi into his embrace before he answered her questions was an instinctive thing more than it was meant to be a distraction from her words. When he answered her, he looked her directly in the eyes.
He assessed how she absorbed the information, and was pleased as she didn't immediately lash out or seek to exit the estate. It was an encouraging notion, then as she spoke that single word he wondered where she sought to go with it. His rationale was certainly a mistake, and hindsight offered Elias of Stravos a greater amount of stability. He'd been furious, he'd been stupid, but there was the notion that the witch would have manipulated the houses regardless and caught on to the power of the thronw with or without his callous intervention. Then, there was the possibility with the king's ailing health, that Minas would beseech Alehandros to take up the throne for long enough for the abdication to work out in Persephone's favour in his own.
It wouldn't do to underestimate the Xanthos heir, and he made sure that in his future endeavors, he'd be more direct in his efforts. Rather than sending hapless fools to the underworld, he intended to offer her passage at his dime. The plans were already forming, and moreso than anything else, it was the looming excitement of it all. He hungered for Persephone of Xanthos' blood, but that wasn't the topic of this conversation. She was right, and he had no intention of giving her any inclination that his sensibilities were anything but flawed in the moment.
"If I had waited for Minas' death, then the crown would be mine instead of this hollow home filled with wailing spirits. The reasoning was flawed, and the result was worse than I could have imagined. The intention was to bend Athenia to its knee and bring it back to normalcy through my personal intervention. It was glory seeking, foolish, but leaving it to someone else might have been a graver end for the kingdom than I had the capacity to fix."
For all the faults in his ploy, he'd made sure not to bend Athenia so far that Stravos intervention on the throne couldn't fix it. He had the power, the status, and more importantly, the connections to bring prosperity back to Athenia quickly enough. Someone else, even if that someone was his mother, Circenia, wouldn't have been able to bring fruition to that ploy in that way. the alternative was snapping the kingdom's spine with someone else's efforts.
But, patience might have won him the day! It was foolish, but already, he whirled the machinations to restore himself to power. Already, he hastened the approach of Hades, calling upon the might of the Stravos, broken as it was, to end the Queen's short reign in blood and revolution.
"Someone else wouldn't have been as gentle with the kingdom. But mistakes have been made... and mistakes will be amended. Their evidence is paltry at best. They delayed the trial in order to find greater evidence than the word of a charlatan and a letter. There is none. I will be freed, and the throne will be mine to take," he completed.
He did not yet divulge what he had planned for the queen. Instead, he looked to Evi, his lips curved into a softer expression as he sat on his own bed, kicking up his feet as he let his sidelong gaze fix itself upon her,
"Athenia suffers for the false queen still does not have the heart of her people, from what I've heard. What do you think, Evi? But also, how are you faring?"
The days melded into one another, and while Elias could count the number of times the sun had set until his world was thrown straight into it, he struggled with the notion of time altogether He was forgotten in this house, the prison in which he was confined finer than any cell, but darker and colder for the resentment he'd fostered. The phantom pain of his father's beating at that terrible Senate meeting, the cold stare of Circenia of Stravos... It was only natural that he craved human contact, and pulling Evi into his embrace before he answered her questions was an instinctive thing more than it was meant to be a distraction from her words. When he answered her, he looked her directly in the eyes.
He assessed how she absorbed the information, and was pleased as she didn't immediately lash out or seek to exit the estate. It was an encouraging notion, then as she spoke that single word he wondered where she sought to go with it. His rationale was certainly a mistake, and hindsight offered Elias of Stravos a greater amount of stability. He'd been furious, he'd been stupid, but there was the notion that the witch would have manipulated the houses regardless and caught on to the power of the thronw with or without his callous intervention. Then, there was the possibility with the king's ailing health, that Minas would beseech Alehandros to take up the throne for long enough for the abdication to work out in Persephone's favour in his own.
It wouldn't do to underestimate the Xanthos heir, and he made sure that in his future endeavors, he'd be more direct in his efforts. Rather than sending hapless fools to the underworld, he intended to offer her passage at his dime. The plans were already forming, and moreso than anything else, it was the looming excitement of it all. He hungered for Persephone of Xanthos' blood, but that wasn't the topic of this conversation. She was right, and he had no intention of giving her any inclination that his sensibilities were anything but flawed in the moment.
"If I had waited for Minas' death, then the crown would be mine instead of this hollow home filled with wailing spirits. The reasoning was flawed, and the result was worse than I could have imagined. The intention was to bend Athenia to its knee and bring it back to normalcy through my personal intervention. It was glory seeking, foolish, but leaving it to someone else might have been a graver end for the kingdom than I had the capacity to fix."
For all the faults in his ploy, he'd made sure not to bend Athenia so far that Stravos intervention on the throne couldn't fix it. He had the power, the status, and more importantly, the connections to bring prosperity back to Athenia quickly enough. Someone else, even if that someone was his mother, Circenia, wouldn't have been able to bring fruition to that ploy in that way. the alternative was snapping the kingdom's spine with someone else's efforts.
But, patience might have won him the day! It was foolish, but already, he whirled the machinations to restore himself to power. Already, he hastened the approach of Hades, calling upon the might of the Stravos, broken as it was, to end the Queen's short reign in blood and revolution.
"Someone else wouldn't have been as gentle with the kingdom. But mistakes have been made... and mistakes will be amended. Their evidence is paltry at best. They delayed the trial in order to find greater evidence than the word of a charlatan and a letter. There is none. I will be freed, and the throne will be mine to take," he completed.
He did not yet divulge what he had planned for the queen. Instead, he looked to Evi, his lips curved into a softer expression as he sat on his own bed, kicking up his feet as he let his sidelong gaze fix itself upon her,
"Athenia suffers for the false queen still does not have the heart of her people, from what I've heard. What do you think, Evi? But also, how are you faring?"
“Yes! Exactly!” Evi exclaimed when Elias began his answer, “The whole endeavour shouts desperation. You didn’t think it through, did you? What was the aim - to create chaos and panic within the country by using pirates to make our waters unsafe for all other ships? How would that have landed you the throne anyway?” The girl shook her head, “Instead now Xanthos controls your lands and thus had a monopoly on the votes.”
It seemed so obvious to Evi, it had been far too easy for Persephone to get the law passed in the Senate by using those extra Stravos votes. Antonis was known for voting in favour of the Xanthos position, so with Stravos, they held an easy majority and had been able to change the law. All they needed was to have Elias and his family out of the way. “It is conjecture, that someone else might have caused more crippling damage to the nation. Maybe you speak the truth, but there is no point in dwelling over what could have been.”
She really did think the plan to be foolish, as Elias had said. Destruction on his own nation! She had no idea how he thought that would secure him the throne. And now it was lost, handed to Persephone. Evi didn’t think that the idea of a female ruler was a bad one. She was forward-thinking enough to believe that women could be just as strong as men, and not nearly as brash… as Elias had demonstrated through his deadly plan. But the whole thing just seemed so convenient. Accuse someone of treason, seize their lands, secure their votes… if Elias had not admitted what he just had, Evi might have thought the whole thing was a plot to gain the throne. It was a shame Elias played his part so well, leaving the rest of the nobility to think the worst about him.
“There is no evidence, you say? Then surely it will not go to trial, if you are sure they have nothing against you.” That would be a small victory, for Evi knew some of the nobility still wouldn’t trust Elias, even if he was never charged with the offence, this would be a black mark against his name forever more.
“How will you take the throne now? Even when you are released from your house arrest, Persephone is on the throne, the law was passed, surely it is over now? Whether she had the hearts of the people or not, it is now irrelevant: she is still Queen. What more is there to do?”
The girl sighed, pushing down the fabric of her chiton as she nudged Elias’ legs further onto the bed and took a seat next to them. She rested a hand lightly on his thigh and fell silent for a while, her eyes lowered as her thumb traced patterns over the top of his own clothing. “I am well. I am not under house arrest, of course,” she joked, forcing a smile onto her lips, “My life hasn’t really changes with all of this going on. I fear it is easy, far too easy, for a noblewoman to live in her own little cocoon and ignore the world around her, should she wish it. That’s not something I want for myself, of course, hence me coming to your door. But I wonder if life rarely changes, regardless of who sits on the throne.”
Glancing up again, she met the Lord’s gaze, “I do hope whatever you are planning, to regain the throne, I mean, is not as absurd and ill-advised as your plan to use pirates to attack ships in Athenian waters.”
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“Yes! Exactly!” Evi exclaimed when Elias began his answer, “The whole endeavour shouts desperation. You didn’t think it through, did you? What was the aim - to create chaos and panic within the country by using pirates to make our waters unsafe for all other ships? How would that have landed you the throne anyway?” The girl shook her head, “Instead now Xanthos controls your lands and thus had a monopoly on the votes.”
It seemed so obvious to Evi, it had been far too easy for Persephone to get the law passed in the Senate by using those extra Stravos votes. Antonis was known for voting in favour of the Xanthos position, so with Stravos, they held an easy majority and had been able to change the law. All they needed was to have Elias and his family out of the way. “It is conjecture, that someone else might have caused more crippling damage to the nation. Maybe you speak the truth, but there is no point in dwelling over what could have been.”
She really did think the plan to be foolish, as Elias had said. Destruction on his own nation! She had no idea how he thought that would secure him the throne. And now it was lost, handed to Persephone. Evi didn’t think that the idea of a female ruler was a bad one. She was forward-thinking enough to believe that women could be just as strong as men, and not nearly as brash… as Elias had demonstrated through his deadly plan. But the whole thing just seemed so convenient. Accuse someone of treason, seize their lands, secure their votes… if Elias had not admitted what he just had, Evi might have thought the whole thing was a plot to gain the throne. It was a shame Elias played his part so well, leaving the rest of the nobility to think the worst about him.
“There is no evidence, you say? Then surely it will not go to trial, if you are sure they have nothing against you.” That would be a small victory, for Evi knew some of the nobility still wouldn’t trust Elias, even if he was never charged with the offence, this would be a black mark against his name forever more.
“How will you take the throne now? Even when you are released from your house arrest, Persephone is on the throne, the law was passed, surely it is over now? Whether she had the hearts of the people or not, it is now irrelevant: she is still Queen. What more is there to do?”
The girl sighed, pushing down the fabric of her chiton as she nudged Elias’ legs further onto the bed and took a seat next to them. She rested a hand lightly on his thigh and fell silent for a while, her eyes lowered as her thumb traced patterns over the top of his own clothing. “I am well. I am not under house arrest, of course,” she joked, forcing a smile onto her lips, “My life hasn’t really changes with all of this going on. I fear it is easy, far too easy, for a noblewoman to live in her own little cocoon and ignore the world around her, should she wish it. That’s not something I want for myself, of course, hence me coming to your door. But I wonder if life rarely changes, regardless of who sits on the throne.”
Glancing up again, she met the Lord’s gaze, “I do hope whatever you are planning, to regain the throne, I mean, is not as absurd and ill-advised as your plan to use pirates to attack ships in Athenian waters.”
“Yes! Exactly!” Evi exclaimed when Elias began his answer, “The whole endeavour shouts desperation. You didn’t think it through, did you? What was the aim - to create chaos and panic within the country by using pirates to make our waters unsafe for all other ships? How would that have landed you the throne anyway?” The girl shook her head, “Instead now Xanthos controls your lands and thus had a monopoly on the votes.”
It seemed so obvious to Evi, it had been far too easy for Persephone to get the law passed in the Senate by using those extra Stravos votes. Antonis was known for voting in favour of the Xanthos position, so with Stravos, they held an easy majority and had been able to change the law. All they needed was to have Elias and his family out of the way. “It is conjecture, that someone else might have caused more crippling damage to the nation. Maybe you speak the truth, but there is no point in dwelling over what could have been.”
She really did think the plan to be foolish, as Elias had said. Destruction on his own nation! She had no idea how he thought that would secure him the throne. And now it was lost, handed to Persephone. Evi didn’t think that the idea of a female ruler was a bad one. She was forward-thinking enough to believe that women could be just as strong as men, and not nearly as brash… as Elias had demonstrated through his deadly plan. But the whole thing just seemed so convenient. Accuse someone of treason, seize their lands, secure their votes… if Elias had not admitted what he just had, Evi might have thought the whole thing was a plot to gain the throne. It was a shame Elias played his part so well, leaving the rest of the nobility to think the worst about him.
“There is no evidence, you say? Then surely it will not go to trial, if you are sure they have nothing against you.” That would be a small victory, for Evi knew some of the nobility still wouldn’t trust Elias, even if he was never charged with the offence, this would be a black mark against his name forever more.
“How will you take the throne now? Even when you are released from your house arrest, Persephone is on the throne, the law was passed, surely it is over now? Whether she had the hearts of the people or not, it is now irrelevant: she is still Queen. What more is there to do?”
The girl sighed, pushing down the fabric of her chiton as she nudged Elias’ legs further onto the bed and took a seat next to them. She rested a hand lightly on his thigh and fell silent for a while, her eyes lowered as her thumb traced patterns over the top of his own clothing. “I am well. I am not under house arrest, of course,” she joked, forcing a smile onto her lips, “My life hasn’t really changes with all of this going on. I fear it is easy, far too easy, for a noblewoman to live in her own little cocoon and ignore the world around her, should she wish it. That’s not something I want for myself, of course, hence me coming to your door. But I wonder if life rarely changes, regardless of who sits on the throne.”
Glancing up again, she met the Lord’s gaze, “I do hope whatever you are planning, to regain the throne, I mean, is not as absurd and ill-advised as your plan to use pirates to attack ships in Athenian waters.”
Elias hated this.
He had allowed Minas' machinations and the feeling of being passed aside in favour of Persephone take the fear he held for losing his throne and turning it to reality. He'd ruined his relationship with his family, destroyed their nobility and all that was left for him was to move forward with far graver intentions than before Evi's observations weren't lost to him. In hindsight, all things were made clear and just how foolish his plans truly were only made the wounds sting deeper. The idea of the succession was so outlandish that even someone less learned in the court like Evi of Antonis was lecturing him about it. Ordinarily, such treatment would draw ire from Elias.
But Evi ewas different. Her tones weren't berating in nature. She seemed to want to draw in, to quiz him to the logic and make him show her what had been going through his own mind But, in hindsight, his answers felt... weak at best. The logic of it all was bordering on nonsensical, and while if he hadn't been testified against, they would have resulted in the desired outcome, he could have simply done nothing and the result would've actually gone the way he wanted it to. Or, he could do what he planned now, to kill the princess witch and also wait for Minas to die. Either scenario would've been far more effective than his machinations that exacerbated everything now.
The only asset to me now is that the sacking of the palace and the death of Persephone of Xanthos will not be attributed to me with any kind of tangible way. With my known assets frozen and me under house arrest, this plan can go under the nose of the senate.
That one glimmer, the silver lining of all of this disaster was nothing by comparison. Then, Evi sought to quiz him further. She sought to inquire as to what he had planned afterward, how he would seize the throne he clearly still wanted. This, he'd keep to himself. He hadn't told his parents, his once-greatest confidants... There was no reason for him to tell Evi this. If only to keep her insulated from the truth and make her unable to be coerced into a confession. Elias shrugged his shoulders at her question, making a show for considering her question as if he hadn't been thinking about it every single moment of every day that he'd been confined. He hated it, how his disgrace poured through his mind, boiling memories that seared his brain with every rememberance.
"I intend to bide my time. An opportunity will present itself once my freedom is regained and I will take it, whatever it is. I will not be so foolish as to let anger or resentment cloud my judgement any longer."
Elias of Stravos might not admit to anyone just how much it broke him to be rendered into disgrace. He felt his chest growing cold, and it was only Evi, in the first moments of distraction from these thoughts in over a week that could seem to revitalize him in some way. Elias of Stravos shifted as she nudged him, allowing her the space she sought out on his bed. Eyes fell shut as Evi's fingers traced pattern against covered flesh. Her answer even brought a hint of a smile upon his lips, and he nodded in agreement. He hoped that his taking of the throne would result in life changing. He did not relish in stagnancy, nor in inaction. After all, in the wake of his actions Athenia was suffering, as well.
While Elias didn't care for the lower echelons of society, to be marked for his capacity to rule was to have prosperity in some form. Whether it was prosperity by suffering or by peace, it scarcely mattered when the echoes of time passed and the future of Athenia remembered the Stravos lineage's rise to power.
"I'm glad, Evi. That sinking into the shadows is so easy for you. It allowed you to come to me... And even as you berate me," he added, a hint of humour in his tone as he brought himself closer to her. With them alone in the room, he saw no reason not to bring her nearer as it was proven that her affections for him could weather the reality of his idiocy and thirst for vengeance.
"It's a pleasure to be in your company," he admitted. Elias of Stravos brought a hand to hers, raising it up to bring her digits to the opened section of his chiton so that she might meet the flesh of his chest He brought it higher still, so that her digits met his pulse before he had her touch along his jawline, his hand pressing hers to his flesh before he asked of her,
"Face me, Evi. I know that the sight of me is... perhaps fouler than it has ever been."
He hated the look of himself, for the first time in his life. However, he was quite aware that even in the midst of what was unkempt and ill by his standards, he was an exquisite creature. He did not wear this mantle with his usual swagger, but sought for Evi to match his gaze and keep it in hers. He craved her company, and it pained him greatly to have to ask her later on in the day to leave him be. He'd do it now, if only to feel the sting lessen over time.
"I'm sorry that the truth is a horrid reality. But, I ask you to worry for me no longer. I will not ask you to leave now, but when you do... it is sensible for you not to meet with me until I can see you outside of this place. The future is uncertain, but what is certain is the fact that I cannot risk your reputation any further than this. You, unlike me, still have the world on your side," he added before he raised her hand up. He placed a kiss to the woman's wrist as his other hand shifted to play along her thigh. Gentle was his touch and low was the groan that rumbled against the back of her hand.
"I missed you," he admitted.
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Elias hated this.
He had allowed Minas' machinations and the feeling of being passed aside in favour of Persephone take the fear he held for losing his throne and turning it to reality. He'd ruined his relationship with his family, destroyed their nobility and all that was left for him was to move forward with far graver intentions than before Evi's observations weren't lost to him. In hindsight, all things were made clear and just how foolish his plans truly were only made the wounds sting deeper. The idea of the succession was so outlandish that even someone less learned in the court like Evi of Antonis was lecturing him about it. Ordinarily, such treatment would draw ire from Elias.
But Evi ewas different. Her tones weren't berating in nature. She seemed to want to draw in, to quiz him to the logic and make him show her what had been going through his own mind But, in hindsight, his answers felt... weak at best. The logic of it all was bordering on nonsensical, and while if he hadn't been testified against, they would have resulted in the desired outcome, he could have simply done nothing and the result would've actually gone the way he wanted it to. Or, he could do what he planned now, to kill the princess witch and also wait for Minas to die. Either scenario would've been far more effective than his machinations that exacerbated everything now.
The only asset to me now is that the sacking of the palace and the death of Persephone of Xanthos will not be attributed to me with any kind of tangible way. With my known assets frozen and me under house arrest, this plan can go under the nose of the senate.
That one glimmer, the silver lining of all of this disaster was nothing by comparison. Then, Evi sought to quiz him further. She sought to inquire as to what he had planned afterward, how he would seize the throne he clearly still wanted. This, he'd keep to himself. He hadn't told his parents, his once-greatest confidants... There was no reason for him to tell Evi this. If only to keep her insulated from the truth and make her unable to be coerced into a confession. Elias shrugged his shoulders at her question, making a show for considering her question as if he hadn't been thinking about it every single moment of every day that he'd been confined. He hated it, how his disgrace poured through his mind, boiling memories that seared his brain with every rememberance.
"I intend to bide my time. An opportunity will present itself once my freedom is regained and I will take it, whatever it is. I will not be so foolish as to let anger or resentment cloud my judgement any longer."
Elias of Stravos might not admit to anyone just how much it broke him to be rendered into disgrace. He felt his chest growing cold, and it was only Evi, in the first moments of distraction from these thoughts in over a week that could seem to revitalize him in some way. Elias of Stravos shifted as she nudged him, allowing her the space she sought out on his bed. Eyes fell shut as Evi's fingers traced pattern against covered flesh. Her answer even brought a hint of a smile upon his lips, and he nodded in agreement. He hoped that his taking of the throne would result in life changing. He did not relish in stagnancy, nor in inaction. After all, in the wake of his actions Athenia was suffering, as well.
While Elias didn't care for the lower echelons of society, to be marked for his capacity to rule was to have prosperity in some form. Whether it was prosperity by suffering or by peace, it scarcely mattered when the echoes of time passed and the future of Athenia remembered the Stravos lineage's rise to power.
"I'm glad, Evi. That sinking into the shadows is so easy for you. It allowed you to come to me... And even as you berate me," he added, a hint of humour in his tone as he brought himself closer to her. With them alone in the room, he saw no reason not to bring her nearer as it was proven that her affections for him could weather the reality of his idiocy and thirst for vengeance.
"It's a pleasure to be in your company," he admitted. Elias of Stravos brought a hand to hers, raising it up to bring her digits to the opened section of his chiton so that she might meet the flesh of his chest He brought it higher still, so that her digits met his pulse before he had her touch along his jawline, his hand pressing hers to his flesh before he asked of her,
"Face me, Evi. I know that the sight of me is... perhaps fouler than it has ever been."
He hated the look of himself, for the first time in his life. However, he was quite aware that even in the midst of what was unkempt and ill by his standards, he was an exquisite creature. He did not wear this mantle with his usual swagger, but sought for Evi to match his gaze and keep it in hers. He craved her company, and it pained him greatly to have to ask her later on in the day to leave him be. He'd do it now, if only to feel the sting lessen over time.
"I'm sorry that the truth is a horrid reality. But, I ask you to worry for me no longer. I will not ask you to leave now, but when you do... it is sensible for you not to meet with me until I can see you outside of this place. The future is uncertain, but what is certain is the fact that I cannot risk your reputation any further than this. You, unlike me, still have the world on your side," he added before he raised her hand up. He placed a kiss to the woman's wrist as his other hand shifted to play along her thigh. Gentle was his touch and low was the groan that rumbled against the back of her hand.
"I missed you," he admitted.
Elias hated this.
He had allowed Minas' machinations and the feeling of being passed aside in favour of Persephone take the fear he held for losing his throne and turning it to reality. He'd ruined his relationship with his family, destroyed their nobility and all that was left for him was to move forward with far graver intentions than before Evi's observations weren't lost to him. In hindsight, all things were made clear and just how foolish his plans truly were only made the wounds sting deeper. The idea of the succession was so outlandish that even someone less learned in the court like Evi of Antonis was lecturing him about it. Ordinarily, such treatment would draw ire from Elias.
But Evi ewas different. Her tones weren't berating in nature. She seemed to want to draw in, to quiz him to the logic and make him show her what had been going through his own mind But, in hindsight, his answers felt... weak at best. The logic of it all was bordering on nonsensical, and while if he hadn't been testified against, they would have resulted in the desired outcome, he could have simply done nothing and the result would've actually gone the way he wanted it to. Or, he could do what he planned now, to kill the princess witch and also wait for Minas to die. Either scenario would've been far more effective than his machinations that exacerbated everything now.
The only asset to me now is that the sacking of the palace and the death of Persephone of Xanthos will not be attributed to me with any kind of tangible way. With my known assets frozen and me under house arrest, this plan can go under the nose of the senate.
That one glimmer, the silver lining of all of this disaster was nothing by comparison. Then, Evi sought to quiz him further. She sought to inquire as to what he had planned afterward, how he would seize the throne he clearly still wanted. This, he'd keep to himself. He hadn't told his parents, his once-greatest confidants... There was no reason for him to tell Evi this. If only to keep her insulated from the truth and make her unable to be coerced into a confession. Elias shrugged his shoulders at her question, making a show for considering her question as if he hadn't been thinking about it every single moment of every day that he'd been confined. He hated it, how his disgrace poured through his mind, boiling memories that seared his brain with every rememberance.
"I intend to bide my time. An opportunity will present itself once my freedom is regained and I will take it, whatever it is. I will not be so foolish as to let anger or resentment cloud my judgement any longer."
Elias of Stravos might not admit to anyone just how much it broke him to be rendered into disgrace. He felt his chest growing cold, and it was only Evi, in the first moments of distraction from these thoughts in over a week that could seem to revitalize him in some way. Elias of Stravos shifted as she nudged him, allowing her the space she sought out on his bed. Eyes fell shut as Evi's fingers traced pattern against covered flesh. Her answer even brought a hint of a smile upon his lips, and he nodded in agreement. He hoped that his taking of the throne would result in life changing. He did not relish in stagnancy, nor in inaction. After all, in the wake of his actions Athenia was suffering, as well.
While Elias didn't care for the lower echelons of society, to be marked for his capacity to rule was to have prosperity in some form. Whether it was prosperity by suffering or by peace, it scarcely mattered when the echoes of time passed and the future of Athenia remembered the Stravos lineage's rise to power.
"I'm glad, Evi. That sinking into the shadows is so easy for you. It allowed you to come to me... And even as you berate me," he added, a hint of humour in his tone as he brought himself closer to her. With them alone in the room, he saw no reason not to bring her nearer as it was proven that her affections for him could weather the reality of his idiocy and thirst for vengeance.
"It's a pleasure to be in your company," he admitted. Elias of Stravos brought a hand to hers, raising it up to bring her digits to the opened section of his chiton so that she might meet the flesh of his chest He brought it higher still, so that her digits met his pulse before he had her touch along his jawline, his hand pressing hers to his flesh before he asked of her,
"Face me, Evi. I know that the sight of me is... perhaps fouler than it has ever been."
He hated the look of himself, for the first time in his life. However, he was quite aware that even in the midst of what was unkempt and ill by his standards, he was an exquisite creature. He did not wear this mantle with his usual swagger, but sought for Evi to match his gaze and keep it in hers. He craved her company, and it pained him greatly to have to ask her later on in the day to leave him be. He'd do it now, if only to feel the sting lessen over time.
"I'm sorry that the truth is a horrid reality. But, I ask you to worry for me no longer. I will not ask you to leave now, but when you do... it is sensible for you not to meet with me until I can see you outside of this place. The future is uncertain, but what is certain is the fact that I cannot risk your reputation any further than this. You, unlike me, still have the world on your side," he added before he raised her hand up. He placed a kiss to the woman's wrist as his other hand shifted to play along her thigh. Gentle was his touch and low was the groan that rumbled against the back of her hand.
"I missed you," he admitted.
This man before her was not the same person she had met in Lyncestia, or any other time they had shared time together. If his outward appearance weren’t enough, Evi could now see from the way he held himself, the way he talked, that he was lost. Lost in his own thoughts, lost in his own world, lost in the quagmire of politics that he had fell into when he paid pirates to sack the ships in Athenian waters. The disgrace of his family name did not sit well on his shoulders, that much was obvious.
Evi wished there was a way to soothe away all of that ill feeling, to make everything right in his little world again. She prayed silently to any God who would listen that there would be a quick and easy resolution to Elias’ situation. Even if his accusation did go to trial, if he turned up at it looking like he did now, there was little chance he could win his title and lands back. If it weren’t for the clothing, Evi would have thought she was meeting with a beggar man, so small and insignificant he seemed.
“I do try,” she quipped back, a smile on her face as she did so. She didn’t really think of herself as someone who could skulk in the shadows. As someone who loved to be the centre of attention in any gathering, she was so used to being seen by the world. But if that was what Elias needed of her, she knew that she would spend the rest of her life sticking to the shadows. Just for him.
“Well it’s not your best look, I have to say,” Evi replied, turning to face him bodily as he took her hand and wound it up through to meet his bare chest. She had missed this part of him… not just his chiselled, gods-blessed body, but the part who could let go and forget his worries for a short time. “I’m glad it is you who recognise that, at least. I was afraid to say anything,” she teased, trying to make light of the situation they found themselves in.
She twisted her body again, bringing her legs up onto the bed as she nudged Elias over even more with her hips. She leaned down, there to steal a kiss from the man’s chapped lips, indicating what she wanted from him, now that they had finished talking.
It was horrible news that Elias had shared with her. She hadn’t thought him capable of effectively waging war against his own nation, but she wasn’t horrified by the knowledge she now held. She wondered what she would do, were she in Elias’ place. The simplest solution would be to assassinate the Queen and her sister, that way even the new law dictated that the crown would pass to her father and then on to Elias when Alehandros abdicated. The girl shook her head, ridding her mind of the treasonous thoughts. Could she ever act so brashly against her Queen? Probably not. If anything, Evi obeyed the law, and there must be a lawful way for Elias to secure the crown. She just couldn’t think of what it was.
Her kiss deepened, spreading her lips slightly to allow her tongue passage through to meet the man’s. “As much as it pains me to be apart from you, I will follow your instructions if that is what you wish. Given the choice, I would spend every second of every day in your company; just being near you is a thrill in and of itself, I could spend every moment of the rest of my life learning all your flaws and still... I would imagine I could love you despite them.”
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This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
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This man before her was not the same person she had met in Lyncestia, or any other time they had shared time together. If his outward appearance weren’t enough, Evi could now see from the way he held himself, the way he talked, that he was lost. Lost in his own thoughts, lost in his own world, lost in the quagmire of politics that he had fell into when he paid pirates to sack the ships in Athenian waters. The disgrace of his family name did not sit well on his shoulders, that much was obvious.
Evi wished there was a way to soothe away all of that ill feeling, to make everything right in his little world again. She prayed silently to any God who would listen that there would be a quick and easy resolution to Elias’ situation. Even if his accusation did go to trial, if he turned up at it looking like he did now, there was little chance he could win his title and lands back. If it weren’t for the clothing, Evi would have thought she was meeting with a beggar man, so small and insignificant he seemed.
“I do try,” she quipped back, a smile on her face as she did so. She didn’t really think of herself as someone who could skulk in the shadows. As someone who loved to be the centre of attention in any gathering, she was so used to being seen by the world. But if that was what Elias needed of her, she knew that she would spend the rest of her life sticking to the shadows. Just for him.
“Well it’s not your best look, I have to say,” Evi replied, turning to face him bodily as he took her hand and wound it up through to meet his bare chest. She had missed this part of him… not just his chiselled, gods-blessed body, but the part who could let go and forget his worries for a short time. “I’m glad it is you who recognise that, at least. I was afraid to say anything,” she teased, trying to make light of the situation they found themselves in.
She twisted her body again, bringing her legs up onto the bed as she nudged Elias over even more with her hips. She leaned down, there to steal a kiss from the man’s chapped lips, indicating what she wanted from him, now that they had finished talking.
It was horrible news that Elias had shared with her. She hadn’t thought him capable of effectively waging war against his own nation, but she wasn’t horrified by the knowledge she now held. She wondered what she would do, were she in Elias’ place. The simplest solution would be to assassinate the Queen and her sister, that way even the new law dictated that the crown would pass to her father and then on to Elias when Alehandros abdicated. The girl shook her head, ridding her mind of the treasonous thoughts. Could she ever act so brashly against her Queen? Probably not. If anything, Evi obeyed the law, and there must be a lawful way for Elias to secure the crown. She just couldn’t think of what it was.
Her kiss deepened, spreading her lips slightly to allow her tongue passage through to meet the man’s. “As much as it pains me to be apart from you, I will follow your instructions if that is what you wish. Given the choice, I would spend every second of every day in your company; just being near you is a thrill in and of itself, I could spend every moment of the rest of my life learning all your flaws and still... I would imagine I could love you despite them.”
This man before her was not the same person she had met in Lyncestia, or any other time they had shared time together. If his outward appearance weren’t enough, Evi could now see from the way he held himself, the way he talked, that he was lost. Lost in his own thoughts, lost in his own world, lost in the quagmire of politics that he had fell into when he paid pirates to sack the ships in Athenian waters. The disgrace of his family name did not sit well on his shoulders, that much was obvious.
Evi wished there was a way to soothe away all of that ill feeling, to make everything right in his little world again. She prayed silently to any God who would listen that there would be a quick and easy resolution to Elias’ situation. Even if his accusation did go to trial, if he turned up at it looking like he did now, there was little chance he could win his title and lands back. If it weren’t for the clothing, Evi would have thought she was meeting with a beggar man, so small and insignificant he seemed.
“I do try,” she quipped back, a smile on her face as she did so. She didn’t really think of herself as someone who could skulk in the shadows. As someone who loved to be the centre of attention in any gathering, she was so used to being seen by the world. But if that was what Elias needed of her, she knew that she would spend the rest of her life sticking to the shadows. Just for him.
“Well it’s not your best look, I have to say,” Evi replied, turning to face him bodily as he took her hand and wound it up through to meet his bare chest. She had missed this part of him… not just his chiselled, gods-blessed body, but the part who could let go and forget his worries for a short time. “I’m glad it is you who recognise that, at least. I was afraid to say anything,” she teased, trying to make light of the situation they found themselves in.
She twisted her body again, bringing her legs up onto the bed as she nudged Elias over even more with her hips. She leaned down, there to steal a kiss from the man’s chapped lips, indicating what she wanted from him, now that they had finished talking.
It was horrible news that Elias had shared with her. She hadn’t thought him capable of effectively waging war against his own nation, but she wasn’t horrified by the knowledge she now held. She wondered what she would do, were she in Elias’ place. The simplest solution would be to assassinate the Queen and her sister, that way even the new law dictated that the crown would pass to her father and then on to Elias when Alehandros abdicated. The girl shook her head, ridding her mind of the treasonous thoughts. Could she ever act so brashly against her Queen? Probably not. If anything, Evi obeyed the law, and there must be a lawful way for Elias to secure the crown. She just couldn’t think of what it was.
Her kiss deepened, spreading her lips slightly to allow her tongue passage through to meet the man’s. “As much as it pains me to be apart from you, I will follow your instructions if that is what you wish. Given the choice, I would spend every second of every day in your company; just being near you is a thrill in and of itself, I could spend every moment of the rest of my life learning all your flaws and still... I would imagine I could love you despite them.”
Even crumbled to ashes as his sense of self became in this luxurious prison, he looked on ahead for the day that his power returned to him.
Never forget your power...
Over and over again, the single greatest lesson that Circenia of Stravos thrust upon her son blared through the pass of the ages. In the prison of his own making, the Headlord knew his foolishness, and he knew the cruelty that was in the making of this plan of his. It reeked of desperation, but that desperation need not leave him as he rose up from the ashes, reborn as the phoenix that bathed Dynasteia Xanthos in flame.
Never forget your power...
He remembered it in the pits of his despair, hatching the machinations that might bring again the love that the bearer of those words had once given to him so freely. Elias of Stravos had no intention of this farce going to trial. The king was dead and his bitch of a daughter sat on the throne, victorious and bloated in her innumerable victories against him. His heart, always unyielding and dismissive, grew colder still. The man who condemned so many peasant scum to their deaths, who ensnared Athenia and sought its downfall to secure his own rise with flawed reasoning...
No longer. Where I was once foolish, I will be cautious. Where I once allowed hatred to rule my actions, I will allow logic to temper it. Persephone of Xanthos will --
His thoughts were interrupted, the cold ruthlessness that was needed in the future was dismissed. Even as he was reborn, he did not forget the way that Evi made him feel. He did not forget the sound of her laughter, nor the pleasure that it brought to him. He did not forget the way her features bloomed with the heat of a blush at the sight of him. He recalled that day in the library... it felt so very long ago, a different lifetime. And yet, while Elias himself crumbled in his disgrace, the sight of Evi of Antonis only grew more radiant.
The kiss she enrolled him in was of her own making, something he'd never quite felt from her and he allowed himself to be wound up into it. His tongue tangled with her own, his hands shifting to her shoulders. Easily, he felled the fibulae that kept the garment closed, intent upon exposing the woman to him. The Stravos allowed her to do the same, so that when that feverish kiss wilted away, she spoke to the both of their chests pressed to one another, his arm looped about her waist to bring her flush against his form.
Then, she spoke to him, she agreed however reluctantly to the advice he gave her, the counsel that ripped into his chest with its utterance. He needed to be cautious, but every fibre of his being wanted to let do as she pleased, to spend every moment of his house arrest with him, and each moment beyond. However, it was impossible. Elias of Stravos needed to dip his hands within the pitch, to write the dark writs that sought to lure Persephone of Xanthos into the clutches of Hades. This was a path that Elias could not bring her on.
But, he'd return from this path if only to bring himself back to her embrace, to her lips, to the comfort of her company that nothing else could rival. As she finished speaking, the feeling only grew stronger. Only Evi of Antonis could make Elias want to waver from the path ahead. If Elias of Stravos, as the world thought of him, lived entirely for himself, he'd throw the path ahead aside and campaign for his innocence. He'd lower his sword and allow the new regime to continue as it would. But, he wasn't. The same voice that informed him of his power called for him to use it. The family he'd thrown through the dirt required him to stain his hands with blood.
But, he left it behind. For the moment. For the evening, he could forget the world and lay with his lover. He could throw his cautions away and answer the love for him that she bore.
"We can never live for ourselves, Evi... It is the tragic reality in which we live... But, given the choice, I'd abandon it and run off with you to the end of the world. Even in this hell, your embrace brings me back from the ledge of insanity. You give me the strength I need to push you away. Whatever follows, love is what will bring us back together, again."
He claimed her lips in a kiss before he used the leverage he had round her waist to switch their positions. Elias of Stravos threw his lover against his bed, and the world fell away once more.
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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Even crumbled to ashes as his sense of self became in this luxurious prison, he looked on ahead for the day that his power returned to him.
Never forget your power...
Over and over again, the single greatest lesson that Circenia of Stravos thrust upon her son blared through the pass of the ages. In the prison of his own making, the Headlord knew his foolishness, and he knew the cruelty that was in the making of this plan of his. It reeked of desperation, but that desperation need not leave him as he rose up from the ashes, reborn as the phoenix that bathed Dynasteia Xanthos in flame.
Never forget your power...
He remembered it in the pits of his despair, hatching the machinations that might bring again the love that the bearer of those words had once given to him so freely. Elias of Stravos had no intention of this farce going to trial. The king was dead and his bitch of a daughter sat on the throne, victorious and bloated in her innumerable victories against him. His heart, always unyielding and dismissive, grew colder still. The man who condemned so many peasant scum to their deaths, who ensnared Athenia and sought its downfall to secure his own rise with flawed reasoning...
No longer. Where I was once foolish, I will be cautious. Where I once allowed hatred to rule my actions, I will allow logic to temper it. Persephone of Xanthos will --
His thoughts were interrupted, the cold ruthlessness that was needed in the future was dismissed. Even as he was reborn, he did not forget the way that Evi made him feel. He did not forget the sound of her laughter, nor the pleasure that it brought to him. He did not forget the way her features bloomed with the heat of a blush at the sight of him. He recalled that day in the library... it felt so very long ago, a different lifetime. And yet, while Elias himself crumbled in his disgrace, the sight of Evi of Antonis only grew more radiant.
The kiss she enrolled him in was of her own making, something he'd never quite felt from her and he allowed himself to be wound up into it. His tongue tangled with her own, his hands shifting to her shoulders. Easily, he felled the fibulae that kept the garment closed, intent upon exposing the woman to him. The Stravos allowed her to do the same, so that when that feverish kiss wilted away, she spoke to the both of their chests pressed to one another, his arm looped about her waist to bring her flush against his form.
Then, she spoke to him, she agreed however reluctantly to the advice he gave her, the counsel that ripped into his chest with its utterance. He needed to be cautious, but every fibre of his being wanted to let do as she pleased, to spend every moment of his house arrest with him, and each moment beyond. However, it was impossible. Elias of Stravos needed to dip his hands within the pitch, to write the dark writs that sought to lure Persephone of Xanthos into the clutches of Hades. This was a path that Elias could not bring her on.
But, he'd return from this path if only to bring himself back to her embrace, to her lips, to the comfort of her company that nothing else could rival. As she finished speaking, the feeling only grew stronger. Only Evi of Antonis could make Elias want to waver from the path ahead. If Elias of Stravos, as the world thought of him, lived entirely for himself, he'd throw the path ahead aside and campaign for his innocence. He'd lower his sword and allow the new regime to continue as it would. But, he wasn't. The same voice that informed him of his power called for him to use it. The family he'd thrown through the dirt required him to stain his hands with blood.
But, he left it behind. For the moment. For the evening, he could forget the world and lay with his lover. He could throw his cautions away and answer the love for him that she bore.
"We can never live for ourselves, Evi... It is the tragic reality in which we live... But, given the choice, I'd abandon it and run off with you to the end of the world. Even in this hell, your embrace brings me back from the ledge of insanity. You give me the strength I need to push you away. Whatever follows, love is what will bring us back together, again."
He claimed her lips in a kiss before he used the leverage he had round her waist to switch their positions. Elias of Stravos threw his lover against his bed, and the world fell away once more.
Even crumbled to ashes as his sense of self became in this luxurious prison, he looked on ahead for the day that his power returned to him.
Never forget your power...
Over and over again, the single greatest lesson that Circenia of Stravos thrust upon her son blared through the pass of the ages. In the prison of his own making, the Headlord knew his foolishness, and he knew the cruelty that was in the making of this plan of his. It reeked of desperation, but that desperation need not leave him as he rose up from the ashes, reborn as the phoenix that bathed Dynasteia Xanthos in flame.
Never forget your power...
He remembered it in the pits of his despair, hatching the machinations that might bring again the love that the bearer of those words had once given to him so freely. Elias of Stravos had no intention of this farce going to trial. The king was dead and his bitch of a daughter sat on the throne, victorious and bloated in her innumerable victories against him. His heart, always unyielding and dismissive, grew colder still. The man who condemned so many peasant scum to their deaths, who ensnared Athenia and sought its downfall to secure his own rise with flawed reasoning...
No longer. Where I was once foolish, I will be cautious. Where I once allowed hatred to rule my actions, I will allow logic to temper it. Persephone of Xanthos will --
His thoughts were interrupted, the cold ruthlessness that was needed in the future was dismissed. Even as he was reborn, he did not forget the way that Evi made him feel. He did not forget the sound of her laughter, nor the pleasure that it brought to him. He did not forget the way her features bloomed with the heat of a blush at the sight of him. He recalled that day in the library... it felt so very long ago, a different lifetime. And yet, while Elias himself crumbled in his disgrace, the sight of Evi of Antonis only grew more radiant.
The kiss she enrolled him in was of her own making, something he'd never quite felt from her and he allowed himself to be wound up into it. His tongue tangled with her own, his hands shifting to her shoulders. Easily, he felled the fibulae that kept the garment closed, intent upon exposing the woman to him. The Stravos allowed her to do the same, so that when that feverish kiss wilted away, she spoke to the both of their chests pressed to one another, his arm looped about her waist to bring her flush against his form.
Then, she spoke to him, she agreed however reluctantly to the advice he gave her, the counsel that ripped into his chest with its utterance. He needed to be cautious, but every fibre of his being wanted to let do as she pleased, to spend every moment of his house arrest with him, and each moment beyond. However, it was impossible. Elias of Stravos needed to dip his hands within the pitch, to write the dark writs that sought to lure Persephone of Xanthos into the clutches of Hades. This was a path that Elias could not bring her on.
But, he'd return from this path if only to bring himself back to her embrace, to her lips, to the comfort of her company that nothing else could rival. As she finished speaking, the feeling only grew stronger. Only Evi of Antonis could make Elias want to waver from the path ahead. If Elias of Stravos, as the world thought of him, lived entirely for himself, he'd throw the path ahead aside and campaign for his innocence. He'd lower his sword and allow the new regime to continue as it would. But, he wasn't. The same voice that informed him of his power called for him to use it. The family he'd thrown through the dirt required him to stain his hands with blood.
But, he left it behind. For the moment. For the evening, he could forget the world and lay with his lover. He could throw his cautions away and answer the love for him that she bore.
"We can never live for ourselves, Evi... It is the tragic reality in which we live... But, given the choice, I'd abandon it and run off with you to the end of the world. Even in this hell, your embrace brings me back from the ledge of insanity. You give me the strength I need to push you away. Whatever follows, love is what will bring us back together, again."
He claimed her lips in a kiss before he used the leverage he had round her waist to switch their positions. Elias of Stravos threw his lover against his bed, and the world fell away once more.