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A week before, Keikelius had left the princess' company feeling rather like he had a shot. His interest had been expressed in taking the woman's hand in marriage, but he was loathe to request it of the King and his own family lest he knew for sure that she would be the perfect bride for him. Words were words. Keikelius preferred action and unless she proved that she, too, wanted what he wanted and that she would take it with both hands, he would not yield to either hers or his own desires.
That was why, from the moment he had left the Palati grounds a week before, Keikelius had not given so much as a hint or a letter to the princess. No contact. As if he had cut that tie as soon as he stepped back onto the Athenian streets.
His mind was filled with her, however. Her words still rang clear in his mind. Her assertions of being a woman of substance and action had left him wanting. He did not like meek and demure, but strong willed and willing to challenge him at every turn? His father thought he was insane to favor a woman who would fight with him or so freely give her opinion. Even if she was the princess, Karkos had been less than pleased with the description of the princess' temperament. According to the eldest Lord Stravos, that would behavior would need to be removed from the princess. No matter what it took.
Keikelius had not listened to the man, calmly insisting that he would persue his love life on his own. Without the archaic input from his heavy-handed father. His father's brand of training and punishment were not to Keikelius' liking. His methods would not transfer into Keikelius' household.
To pass the time waiting for his bride-to-be to gather the courage and fire to hunt him down, Keikelius had taken to working one of his family's ships. The one ship his father had given him control of in order to bring him back into the family business. It needed repairs and it needed to be stocked with supplies and cargo for its next voyage. Much of his time was spent in the cabin, sorting through the paperwork that the captain would need once he landed in Taengea.
The clamouring and movement of the men atop the deck, fixing sails, making rope, doing every little tiny chores that Keikelius had assigned. It was like music to his ears. Being in a state of sensory awareness that allowed him knowledge of what was and was not getting done. The men in the hold of the ship were pitching it once more. It would need to stay waterproof, after all.
With his quill scrawling across papyrus, Keikelius soon found himself lifting his head at the shifting of sound above him. Most of his workers had paused, almost as if they had been shocked or ordered. Karkos was not the type to wrangle control from his son, especially when Keikelius was doing an admirable job already. However, the activity started once more, with a different sound atop the wooden boards.
The sharp movement of feet, lighter steps than any of the hard muscled sailors on deck. So this was it. Keikelius very easily set his work and his quill aside, standing up from the small Captain's desk and moving around the other side. He leaned against the wood with his arms crossed against his chest, his dark eyes on the open doorway, waiting for the delicate frame of the princess to appear.
She was intelligent... but she was also wildly predictable and furiously wild. Keikelius had long gathered that much about the princess...
He was absolutely elated that she was finally playing into his plan. His test.
She was his.
And he was very aware that it was not an assumption, but a fact.
Keikelius had won Princess Circenia.
Elation wasn't even the correct word.
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This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
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A week before, Keikelius had left the princess' company feeling rather like he had a shot. His interest had been expressed in taking the woman's hand in marriage, but he was loathe to request it of the King and his own family lest he knew for sure that she would be the perfect bride for him. Words were words. Keikelius preferred action and unless she proved that she, too, wanted what he wanted and that she would take it with both hands, he would not yield to either hers or his own desires.
That was why, from the moment he had left the Palati grounds a week before, Keikelius had not given so much as a hint or a letter to the princess. No contact. As if he had cut that tie as soon as he stepped back onto the Athenian streets.
His mind was filled with her, however. Her words still rang clear in his mind. Her assertions of being a woman of substance and action had left him wanting. He did not like meek and demure, but strong willed and willing to challenge him at every turn? His father thought he was insane to favor a woman who would fight with him or so freely give her opinion. Even if she was the princess, Karkos had been less than pleased with the description of the princess' temperament. According to the eldest Lord Stravos, that would behavior would need to be removed from the princess. No matter what it took.
Keikelius had not listened to the man, calmly insisting that he would persue his love life on his own. Without the archaic input from his heavy-handed father. His father's brand of training and punishment were not to Keikelius' liking. His methods would not transfer into Keikelius' household.
To pass the time waiting for his bride-to-be to gather the courage and fire to hunt him down, Keikelius had taken to working one of his family's ships. The one ship his father had given him control of in order to bring him back into the family business. It needed repairs and it needed to be stocked with supplies and cargo for its next voyage. Much of his time was spent in the cabin, sorting through the paperwork that the captain would need once he landed in Taengea.
The clamouring and movement of the men atop the deck, fixing sails, making rope, doing every little tiny chores that Keikelius had assigned. It was like music to his ears. Being in a state of sensory awareness that allowed him knowledge of what was and was not getting done. The men in the hold of the ship were pitching it once more. It would need to stay waterproof, after all.
With his quill scrawling across papyrus, Keikelius soon found himself lifting his head at the shifting of sound above him. Most of his workers had paused, almost as if they had been shocked or ordered. Karkos was not the type to wrangle control from his son, especially when Keikelius was doing an admirable job already. However, the activity started once more, with a different sound atop the wooden boards.
The sharp movement of feet, lighter steps than any of the hard muscled sailors on deck. So this was it. Keikelius very easily set his work and his quill aside, standing up from the small Captain's desk and moving around the other side. He leaned against the wood with his arms crossed against his chest, his dark eyes on the open doorway, waiting for the delicate frame of the princess to appear.
She was intelligent... but she was also wildly predictable and furiously wild. Keikelius had long gathered that much about the princess...
He was absolutely elated that she was finally playing into his plan. His test.
She was his.
And he was very aware that it was not an assumption, but a fact.
Keikelius had won Princess Circenia.
Elation wasn't even the correct word.
A week before, Keikelius had left the princess' company feeling rather like he had a shot. His interest had been expressed in taking the woman's hand in marriage, but he was loathe to request it of the King and his own family lest he knew for sure that she would be the perfect bride for him. Words were words. Keikelius preferred action and unless she proved that she, too, wanted what he wanted and that she would take it with both hands, he would not yield to either hers or his own desires.
That was why, from the moment he had left the Palati grounds a week before, Keikelius had not given so much as a hint or a letter to the princess. No contact. As if he had cut that tie as soon as he stepped back onto the Athenian streets.
His mind was filled with her, however. Her words still rang clear in his mind. Her assertions of being a woman of substance and action had left him wanting. He did not like meek and demure, but strong willed and willing to challenge him at every turn? His father thought he was insane to favor a woman who would fight with him or so freely give her opinion. Even if she was the princess, Karkos had been less than pleased with the description of the princess' temperament. According to the eldest Lord Stravos, that would behavior would need to be removed from the princess. No matter what it took.
Keikelius had not listened to the man, calmly insisting that he would persue his love life on his own. Without the archaic input from his heavy-handed father. His father's brand of training and punishment were not to Keikelius' liking. His methods would not transfer into Keikelius' household.
To pass the time waiting for his bride-to-be to gather the courage and fire to hunt him down, Keikelius had taken to working one of his family's ships. The one ship his father had given him control of in order to bring him back into the family business. It needed repairs and it needed to be stocked with supplies and cargo for its next voyage. Much of his time was spent in the cabin, sorting through the paperwork that the captain would need once he landed in Taengea.
The clamouring and movement of the men atop the deck, fixing sails, making rope, doing every little tiny chores that Keikelius had assigned. It was like music to his ears. Being in a state of sensory awareness that allowed him knowledge of what was and was not getting done. The men in the hold of the ship were pitching it once more. It would need to stay waterproof, after all.
With his quill scrawling across papyrus, Keikelius soon found himself lifting his head at the shifting of sound above him. Most of his workers had paused, almost as if they had been shocked or ordered. Karkos was not the type to wrangle control from his son, especially when Keikelius was doing an admirable job already. However, the activity started once more, with a different sound atop the wooden boards.
The sharp movement of feet, lighter steps than any of the hard muscled sailors on deck. So this was it. Keikelius very easily set his work and his quill aside, standing up from the small Captain's desk and moving around the other side. He leaned against the wood with his arms crossed against his chest, his dark eyes on the open doorway, waiting for the delicate frame of the princess to appear.
She was intelligent... but she was also wildly predictable and furiously wild. Keikelius had long gathered that much about the princess...
He was absolutely elated that she was finally playing into his plan. His test.
She was his.
And he was very aware that it was not an assumption, but a fact.
Keikelius had won Princess Circenia.
Elation wasn't even the correct word.
It hadn’t taken long for Circenia to learn Keikelius’s whereabouts, a few well-placed questions and discreet snooping gave her the name and location of the vessel he would be aboard that day. She was done waiting around for him. It had been a week since their first meeting, which she thought had gone very well. By the end of it, he’d expressed his interest, and she was sure he would be approaching her brother the very next day. With each day that passed and she heard nothing, however, the princess was growing more impatient and even angry that he would dare to ignore her in such a way.
No one ignored Circenia of Xanthos. No one.
Had she misread things? She didn’t think so. That was what had particularly struck her about Keikelius; his interest had seemed very genuine, something that was all too lacking in the Athenian nobility. So, where the hell was he? Why hadn’t he reached out to her or the King? Had she been wrong, after all?
The princess was a ball of fire and fury as strode down the dock toward the Stravos ship, royal blue chiton brushing the wood beneath her. The nerve of such a man… to lead her on and then go silent was nigh unforgiveable in her mind. What man would dare? Circenia was a woman that always got what she wanted, no matter what lengths she had to travel to reach it. And soon, she would get what she wanted.
One way or another.
At last, she spotted the ship she was looking for, the proud crimson and gold sigil of House Stravos snapping in the summer breeze. Surprised sailors hastily moved out of her way as she boarded the vessel, the look on her face silencing their half-uttered arguments. Most of them could guess who she was, if not by sight, then by reputation—the tiara situated in her elaborately coifed hair combined with the pernicious scowl on her face were both pretty clear indicators of her identity.
“Keikelius,” she snapped, glaring at the first man within her eyesight. “Where is he?”
“Your Highness, I-I don’t believe he was expecting c-company…” the unfortunate deck hand started to stammer, regretting his decision as soon as an impatient fist was caught up within the front of his shirt.
“That wasn’t my question,” Circenia forced out through gritted teeth, her fingers tightening in the salt-stiffened fabric. “I asked where he was.”
“B-below deck, Your Highness,” the man replied with a deep swallow, the princess releasing him with a tight nod. Not another word was spared for the lot of them before she found her way to the stairs leading to the cabin beneath.
Circenia didn’t bother with knocking or any other such niceties, throwing open the door and barging her way in. Letting it slam behind her, she approached Keikelius in four long strides and stood before him visibly simmering with rage. There was a flush to her cheeks and a glassiness to her eyes as she defiantly met his gaze, crossing her arms over her chest to keep herself from slapping him. In contrast, the young man across from her was cool and composed, watching her with an unreadable expression that tempted her to claw it off his very face.
“You’ve got lot of fucking nerve, Keikelius of Stravos,” the princess growled, taking another step closer so that there was a barely a hand’s-breadth left between them. “Disappearing on me like that! How dare… Do you know how foolish I’ve felt watching the palace foyer for flashes of crimson? Watching every courier that passed and hoping to see the Stravos anchor stamped on one of their missives?” Her pretty face was twisted in a mask of fury, glaring at him without a trace of remorse. “And to think, I was actually going to accept your proposal! A merchant’s son marrying a princess…what a ludicrous thought! More fool I, it would seem!”
His stoicism was maddening, his expression calm and stony as ever as she railed at him. It somehow only made her angrier that she couldn’t seem to spark a reaction, leaning forward and poking him hard in the middle of the chest.
“Well, haven’t you got anything to say for yourself?! Or are you just going to stand there and stare like a halfwit?!”
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Check out their information page here.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
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It hadn’t taken long for Circenia to learn Keikelius’s whereabouts, a few well-placed questions and discreet snooping gave her the name and location of the vessel he would be aboard that day. She was done waiting around for him. It had been a week since their first meeting, which she thought had gone very well. By the end of it, he’d expressed his interest, and she was sure he would be approaching her brother the very next day. With each day that passed and she heard nothing, however, the princess was growing more impatient and even angry that he would dare to ignore her in such a way.
No one ignored Circenia of Xanthos. No one.
Had she misread things? She didn’t think so. That was what had particularly struck her about Keikelius; his interest had seemed very genuine, something that was all too lacking in the Athenian nobility. So, where the hell was he? Why hadn’t he reached out to her or the King? Had she been wrong, after all?
The princess was a ball of fire and fury as strode down the dock toward the Stravos ship, royal blue chiton brushing the wood beneath her. The nerve of such a man… to lead her on and then go silent was nigh unforgiveable in her mind. What man would dare? Circenia was a woman that always got what she wanted, no matter what lengths she had to travel to reach it. And soon, she would get what she wanted.
One way or another.
At last, she spotted the ship she was looking for, the proud crimson and gold sigil of House Stravos snapping in the summer breeze. Surprised sailors hastily moved out of her way as she boarded the vessel, the look on her face silencing their half-uttered arguments. Most of them could guess who she was, if not by sight, then by reputation—the tiara situated in her elaborately coifed hair combined with the pernicious scowl on her face were both pretty clear indicators of her identity.
“Keikelius,” she snapped, glaring at the first man within her eyesight. “Where is he?”
“Your Highness, I-I don’t believe he was expecting c-company…” the unfortunate deck hand started to stammer, regretting his decision as soon as an impatient fist was caught up within the front of his shirt.
“That wasn’t my question,” Circenia forced out through gritted teeth, her fingers tightening in the salt-stiffened fabric. “I asked where he was.”
“B-below deck, Your Highness,” the man replied with a deep swallow, the princess releasing him with a tight nod. Not another word was spared for the lot of them before she found her way to the stairs leading to the cabin beneath.
Circenia didn’t bother with knocking or any other such niceties, throwing open the door and barging her way in. Letting it slam behind her, she approached Keikelius in four long strides and stood before him visibly simmering with rage. There was a flush to her cheeks and a glassiness to her eyes as she defiantly met his gaze, crossing her arms over her chest to keep herself from slapping him. In contrast, the young man across from her was cool and composed, watching her with an unreadable expression that tempted her to claw it off his very face.
“You’ve got lot of fucking nerve, Keikelius of Stravos,” the princess growled, taking another step closer so that there was a barely a hand’s-breadth left between them. “Disappearing on me like that! How dare… Do you know how foolish I’ve felt watching the palace foyer for flashes of crimson? Watching every courier that passed and hoping to see the Stravos anchor stamped on one of their missives?” Her pretty face was twisted in a mask of fury, glaring at him without a trace of remorse. “And to think, I was actually going to accept your proposal! A merchant’s son marrying a princess…what a ludicrous thought! More fool I, it would seem!”
His stoicism was maddening, his expression calm and stony as ever as she railed at him. It somehow only made her angrier that she couldn’t seem to spark a reaction, leaning forward and poking him hard in the middle of the chest.
“Well, haven’t you got anything to say for yourself?! Or are you just going to stand there and stare like a halfwit?!”
It hadn’t taken long for Circenia to learn Keikelius’s whereabouts, a few well-placed questions and discreet snooping gave her the name and location of the vessel he would be aboard that day. She was done waiting around for him. It had been a week since their first meeting, which she thought had gone very well. By the end of it, he’d expressed his interest, and she was sure he would be approaching her brother the very next day. With each day that passed and she heard nothing, however, the princess was growing more impatient and even angry that he would dare to ignore her in such a way.
No one ignored Circenia of Xanthos. No one.
Had she misread things? She didn’t think so. That was what had particularly struck her about Keikelius; his interest had seemed very genuine, something that was all too lacking in the Athenian nobility. So, where the hell was he? Why hadn’t he reached out to her or the King? Had she been wrong, after all?
The princess was a ball of fire and fury as strode down the dock toward the Stravos ship, royal blue chiton brushing the wood beneath her. The nerve of such a man… to lead her on and then go silent was nigh unforgiveable in her mind. What man would dare? Circenia was a woman that always got what she wanted, no matter what lengths she had to travel to reach it. And soon, she would get what she wanted.
One way or another.
At last, she spotted the ship she was looking for, the proud crimson and gold sigil of House Stravos snapping in the summer breeze. Surprised sailors hastily moved out of her way as she boarded the vessel, the look on her face silencing their half-uttered arguments. Most of them could guess who she was, if not by sight, then by reputation—the tiara situated in her elaborately coifed hair combined with the pernicious scowl on her face were both pretty clear indicators of her identity.
“Keikelius,” she snapped, glaring at the first man within her eyesight. “Where is he?”
“Your Highness, I-I don’t believe he was expecting c-company…” the unfortunate deck hand started to stammer, regretting his decision as soon as an impatient fist was caught up within the front of his shirt.
“That wasn’t my question,” Circenia forced out through gritted teeth, her fingers tightening in the salt-stiffened fabric. “I asked where he was.”
“B-below deck, Your Highness,” the man replied with a deep swallow, the princess releasing him with a tight nod. Not another word was spared for the lot of them before she found her way to the stairs leading to the cabin beneath.
Circenia didn’t bother with knocking or any other such niceties, throwing open the door and barging her way in. Letting it slam behind her, she approached Keikelius in four long strides and stood before him visibly simmering with rage. There was a flush to her cheeks and a glassiness to her eyes as she defiantly met his gaze, crossing her arms over her chest to keep herself from slapping him. In contrast, the young man across from her was cool and composed, watching her with an unreadable expression that tempted her to claw it off his very face.
“You’ve got lot of fucking nerve, Keikelius of Stravos,” the princess growled, taking another step closer so that there was a barely a hand’s-breadth left between them. “Disappearing on me like that! How dare… Do you know how foolish I’ve felt watching the palace foyer for flashes of crimson? Watching every courier that passed and hoping to see the Stravos anchor stamped on one of their missives?” Her pretty face was twisted in a mask of fury, glaring at him without a trace of remorse. “And to think, I was actually going to accept your proposal! A merchant’s son marrying a princess…what a ludicrous thought! More fool I, it would seem!”
His stoicism was maddening, his expression calm and stony as ever as she railed at him. It somehow only made her angrier that she couldn’t seem to spark a reaction, leaning forward and poking him hard in the middle of the chest.
“Well, haven’t you got anything to say for yourself?! Or are you just going to stand there and stare like a halfwit?!”
Was Keikelius sick for having wanted to see this anger on the princess' features? The hit to her pride that was so great that she would break all code of propreity and storm onto his ship and into his space without so much as a warning? He told himself he was sick for delighting in that expression, that alluring flush to her cheeks and that fiery anger in her eyes that told him he was in trouble. He found that he liked being in trouble with the princess.
He also found that he could quite like to be in trouble with her in the future, too, if her temper was any indication of anything at all.
But it was the closeness with which she stood that tipped him off to how she really felt. Were she simply trying to make a show of things, of being scorned, she would have not settled in this close. No, this was the closeness of attraction. Something that had both felt in their first meeting. When he had showed his interest in every word and action he took in her presence. This was a feeling he was testing. It was one thing to be a match in personality and worldview.
It was something completely different to be compatible in attraction and intimacy.
Keikelius refused to sacrifice personality for sexual attraction and vice versa. It was everything or nothing for him. Thus far, things were working exactly how he wanted them to, and once she realized what his end goal had been... Keikelius was quite sure the princess would calm and yield her anger for a different emotion. Understanding.
She spat her words in his face and he lifted an easy eyebrow, his arms not uncrossing from his chest. He did not try and cut in on her speech, nor did he show any other emotion other than pure, unfiltered amusement at the level of anger and wrath she showed toward him. It was her filthy mouth that made him nearly grin, his dark eyes never leaving her face. It was a rare day in Hades that Keikelius ever smiled so genuinely.
It was her prodding him in the chest that put him into action. This could get him into a lot of trouble, but he didn't particularly care. Grabbing her wrist as she finished insulting him, he turned them around slowly, using her chosen proximity to his advantage until she was boxed in against the desk, both of his hands resting on the wood. He used his position to keep them close so that he could speak to her just as she had to him.
"If you would care to breathe, my princess," Keikelius said easily, dragging his gaze down and then back up her form until he was locking his gaze back to her face. "Firstly, save your filthy language for the bed chamber," he said firmly, a smirk turning the corner of his mouth. "Second, I would not send a courier to do what I would be better suited to do myself. Third, you did exactly what I was hoping you would."
Here, he nudged her closer to the desk, pressing so close that their bodies brushed close and his lips almost grazed her cheek as he leaned into her ear, "I told you before. I require a woman who will take action and not sit by content to act a trophy," he rumbled easily, pulling back just enough to meet her gaze. "And you have done just that, Circenia," he murmured, dropping her title completely to see how she reacted to him.
"But more a fool you will be if you deny my proposal after you've worked so hard for it," the man all but purred at her, his gaze dropping to her lips for a single moment before flicking back up to hold her gaze.
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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Was Keikelius sick for having wanted to see this anger on the princess' features? The hit to her pride that was so great that she would break all code of propreity and storm onto his ship and into his space without so much as a warning? He told himself he was sick for delighting in that expression, that alluring flush to her cheeks and that fiery anger in her eyes that told him he was in trouble. He found that he liked being in trouble with the princess.
He also found that he could quite like to be in trouble with her in the future, too, if her temper was any indication of anything at all.
But it was the closeness with which she stood that tipped him off to how she really felt. Were she simply trying to make a show of things, of being scorned, she would have not settled in this close. No, this was the closeness of attraction. Something that had both felt in their first meeting. When he had showed his interest in every word and action he took in her presence. This was a feeling he was testing. It was one thing to be a match in personality and worldview.
It was something completely different to be compatible in attraction and intimacy.
Keikelius refused to sacrifice personality for sexual attraction and vice versa. It was everything or nothing for him. Thus far, things were working exactly how he wanted them to, and once she realized what his end goal had been... Keikelius was quite sure the princess would calm and yield her anger for a different emotion. Understanding.
She spat her words in his face and he lifted an easy eyebrow, his arms not uncrossing from his chest. He did not try and cut in on her speech, nor did he show any other emotion other than pure, unfiltered amusement at the level of anger and wrath she showed toward him. It was her filthy mouth that made him nearly grin, his dark eyes never leaving her face. It was a rare day in Hades that Keikelius ever smiled so genuinely.
It was her prodding him in the chest that put him into action. This could get him into a lot of trouble, but he didn't particularly care. Grabbing her wrist as she finished insulting him, he turned them around slowly, using her chosen proximity to his advantage until she was boxed in against the desk, both of his hands resting on the wood. He used his position to keep them close so that he could speak to her just as she had to him.
"If you would care to breathe, my princess," Keikelius said easily, dragging his gaze down and then back up her form until he was locking his gaze back to her face. "Firstly, save your filthy language for the bed chamber," he said firmly, a smirk turning the corner of his mouth. "Second, I would not send a courier to do what I would be better suited to do myself. Third, you did exactly what I was hoping you would."
Here, he nudged her closer to the desk, pressing so close that their bodies brushed close and his lips almost grazed her cheek as he leaned into her ear, "I told you before. I require a woman who will take action and not sit by content to act a trophy," he rumbled easily, pulling back just enough to meet her gaze. "And you have done just that, Circenia," he murmured, dropping her title completely to see how she reacted to him.
"But more a fool you will be if you deny my proposal after you've worked so hard for it," the man all but purred at her, his gaze dropping to her lips for a single moment before flicking back up to hold her gaze.
Was Keikelius sick for having wanted to see this anger on the princess' features? The hit to her pride that was so great that she would break all code of propreity and storm onto his ship and into his space without so much as a warning? He told himself he was sick for delighting in that expression, that alluring flush to her cheeks and that fiery anger in her eyes that told him he was in trouble. He found that he liked being in trouble with the princess.
He also found that he could quite like to be in trouble with her in the future, too, if her temper was any indication of anything at all.
But it was the closeness with which she stood that tipped him off to how she really felt. Were she simply trying to make a show of things, of being scorned, she would have not settled in this close. No, this was the closeness of attraction. Something that had both felt in their first meeting. When he had showed his interest in every word and action he took in her presence. This was a feeling he was testing. It was one thing to be a match in personality and worldview.
It was something completely different to be compatible in attraction and intimacy.
Keikelius refused to sacrifice personality for sexual attraction and vice versa. It was everything or nothing for him. Thus far, things were working exactly how he wanted them to, and once she realized what his end goal had been... Keikelius was quite sure the princess would calm and yield her anger for a different emotion. Understanding.
She spat her words in his face and he lifted an easy eyebrow, his arms not uncrossing from his chest. He did not try and cut in on her speech, nor did he show any other emotion other than pure, unfiltered amusement at the level of anger and wrath she showed toward him. It was her filthy mouth that made him nearly grin, his dark eyes never leaving her face. It was a rare day in Hades that Keikelius ever smiled so genuinely.
It was her prodding him in the chest that put him into action. This could get him into a lot of trouble, but he didn't particularly care. Grabbing her wrist as she finished insulting him, he turned them around slowly, using her chosen proximity to his advantage until she was boxed in against the desk, both of his hands resting on the wood. He used his position to keep them close so that he could speak to her just as she had to him.
"If you would care to breathe, my princess," Keikelius said easily, dragging his gaze down and then back up her form until he was locking his gaze back to her face. "Firstly, save your filthy language for the bed chamber," he said firmly, a smirk turning the corner of his mouth. "Second, I would not send a courier to do what I would be better suited to do myself. Third, you did exactly what I was hoping you would."
Here, he nudged her closer to the desk, pressing so close that their bodies brushed close and his lips almost grazed her cheek as he leaned into her ear, "I told you before. I require a woman who will take action and not sit by content to act a trophy," he rumbled easily, pulling back just enough to meet her gaze. "And you have done just that, Circenia," he murmured, dropping her title completely to see how she reacted to him.
"But more a fool you will be if you deny my proposal after you've worked so hard for it," the man all but purred at her, his gaze dropping to her lips for a single moment before flicking back up to hold her gaze.
Circenia wasn’t sure how to react, caught between a desire to rage even further, to march him off the side of his ship and push him into the salty depths below and another, far more conflicting desire to grab his face and kiss him until he couldn’t breathe. She settled somewhere in between, dropping her hand and meeting his dark gaze with own clear blue.
So he hadn’t been rejecting her. Good. But the fact that he would play such a game with her, would taunt and tease her into finding him and losing her temper… she wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or a bad one. While she appreciated a man who was not willing to just lay down and be cowed before her, what sort of indicator were these games for their marriage? Did he mean to goad her every time they had an argument? Would he sit back and watch her destroy everything in her path before informing her in that infuriatingly cool voice that it had all just been a joke the whole time?
At least she knew he could keep up with her.
His hand around her wrist was warm and calloused, the princess’s gaze briefly flicking to his hold before looking back at his face. Backed against the desk, her heart picked up its pace at his dizzying proximity. Some of the anger still remained on her face, appalled at how bold he presumed to be, but she lapsed into silence, morbidly curious to see just how far he would go.
When he reprimanded her language and dared to call her by her first name, Circenia’s mouth hung open in shock. The sheer audacity he showed in such simple gestures made her want to rip that smug look right off his face, but somehow she just couldn’t bring herself to do more than look at him with a dumbfounded stare.
She was attracted to him, it was true. Extremely. Had she not been, the princess would never have bothered wasting her time. It was a well-known fact throughout the Court of Athenia that Circenia was a vain creature, and if she were to finally tie her life to someone else’s, it would certainly not to be some hideous provincial lord. Circenia was a woman of taste, and that applied to her romantic entanglements, as well.
“You know, I could have your hand removed for touching me in such a way,” the princess finally remarked, her words acidic, though there was no real bite to her threat. A part of her even enjoyed this, a challenge she hadn’t realized she’d been longing for dangling just within her grasp. “And I could have your tongue cut out for daring to speak to me so.”
Her eyes narrowed defiantly as she stared him down, the scent of lavender perfume lingering in the scant space between them. She remained silent for a few moments longer, the heat of her anger slowly cooling to something else—a languid desire that she kept carefully hidden behind a veil of irritation.
“So, are you telling me that had I not stormed onto your ship, you would have stayed away? You would have just left me wondering what happened and simmering with resentment?” Leaning back on the desk, one of her hands slunk casually toward his, the tip of her littlest finger bushing over one of his knuckles. “That’s not very lordly of you, Keikelius.”
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Circenia wasn’t sure how to react, caught between a desire to rage even further, to march him off the side of his ship and push him into the salty depths below and another, far more conflicting desire to grab his face and kiss him until he couldn’t breathe. She settled somewhere in between, dropping her hand and meeting his dark gaze with own clear blue.
So he hadn’t been rejecting her. Good. But the fact that he would play such a game with her, would taunt and tease her into finding him and losing her temper… she wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or a bad one. While she appreciated a man who was not willing to just lay down and be cowed before her, what sort of indicator were these games for their marriage? Did he mean to goad her every time they had an argument? Would he sit back and watch her destroy everything in her path before informing her in that infuriatingly cool voice that it had all just been a joke the whole time?
At least she knew he could keep up with her.
His hand around her wrist was warm and calloused, the princess’s gaze briefly flicking to his hold before looking back at his face. Backed against the desk, her heart picked up its pace at his dizzying proximity. Some of the anger still remained on her face, appalled at how bold he presumed to be, but she lapsed into silence, morbidly curious to see just how far he would go.
When he reprimanded her language and dared to call her by her first name, Circenia’s mouth hung open in shock. The sheer audacity he showed in such simple gestures made her want to rip that smug look right off his face, but somehow she just couldn’t bring herself to do more than look at him with a dumbfounded stare.
She was attracted to him, it was true. Extremely. Had she not been, the princess would never have bothered wasting her time. It was a well-known fact throughout the Court of Athenia that Circenia was a vain creature, and if she were to finally tie her life to someone else’s, it would certainly not to be some hideous provincial lord. Circenia was a woman of taste, and that applied to her romantic entanglements, as well.
“You know, I could have your hand removed for touching me in such a way,” the princess finally remarked, her words acidic, though there was no real bite to her threat. A part of her even enjoyed this, a challenge she hadn’t realized she’d been longing for dangling just within her grasp. “And I could have your tongue cut out for daring to speak to me so.”
Her eyes narrowed defiantly as she stared him down, the scent of lavender perfume lingering in the scant space between them. She remained silent for a few moments longer, the heat of her anger slowly cooling to something else—a languid desire that she kept carefully hidden behind a veil of irritation.
“So, are you telling me that had I not stormed onto your ship, you would have stayed away? You would have just left me wondering what happened and simmering with resentment?” Leaning back on the desk, one of her hands slunk casually toward his, the tip of her littlest finger bushing over one of his knuckles. “That’s not very lordly of you, Keikelius.”
Circenia wasn’t sure how to react, caught between a desire to rage even further, to march him off the side of his ship and push him into the salty depths below and another, far more conflicting desire to grab his face and kiss him until he couldn’t breathe. She settled somewhere in between, dropping her hand and meeting his dark gaze with own clear blue.
So he hadn’t been rejecting her. Good. But the fact that he would play such a game with her, would taunt and tease her into finding him and losing her temper… she wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or a bad one. While she appreciated a man who was not willing to just lay down and be cowed before her, what sort of indicator were these games for their marriage? Did he mean to goad her every time they had an argument? Would he sit back and watch her destroy everything in her path before informing her in that infuriatingly cool voice that it had all just been a joke the whole time?
At least she knew he could keep up with her.
His hand around her wrist was warm and calloused, the princess’s gaze briefly flicking to his hold before looking back at his face. Backed against the desk, her heart picked up its pace at his dizzying proximity. Some of the anger still remained on her face, appalled at how bold he presumed to be, but she lapsed into silence, morbidly curious to see just how far he would go.
When he reprimanded her language and dared to call her by her first name, Circenia’s mouth hung open in shock. The sheer audacity he showed in such simple gestures made her want to rip that smug look right off his face, but somehow she just couldn’t bring herself to do more than look at him with a dumbfounded stare.
She was attracted to him, it was true. Extremely. Had she not been, the princess would never have bothered wasting her time. It was a well-known fact throughout the Court of Athenia that Circenia was a vain creature, and if she were to finally tie her life to someone else’s, it would certainly not to be some hideous provincial lord. Circenia was a woman of taste, and that applied to her romantic entanglements, as well.
“You know, I could have your hand removed for touching me in such a way,” the princess finally remarked, her words acidic, though there was no real bite to her threat. A part of her even enjoyed this, a challenge she hadn’t realized she’d been longing for dangling just within her grasp. “And I could have your tongue cut out for daring to speak to me so.”
Her eyes narrowed defiantly as she stared him down, the scent of lavender perfume lingering in the scant space between them. She remained silent for a few moments longer, the heat of her anger slowly cooling to something else—a languid desire that she kept carefully hidden behind a veil of irritation.
“So, are you telling me that had I not stormed onto your ship, you would have stayed away? You would have just left me wondering what happened and simmering with resentment?” Leaning back on the desk, one of her hands slunk casually toward his, the tip of her littlest finger bushing over one of his knuckles. “That’s not very lordly of you, Keikelius.”
He'd won her already. He could see it in her eyes, the form her lips took as she considered whether to have him killed or whether to act on some buried desire. He had to remind himself not to seem to brash, too forward. But the best way to combat the princess was to act as she did. He was going to fan her flame with his own frigid pyre. Keikelius had already won her. Now he just needed to keep her on the edge.
On the edge of her wanting him and the need that seemed to simmer silently in her gaze.
Keikelius could not help but let his lips curve back into a smile and he glanced anywhere but her face for a moment as she spoke. Threatening the removal of his hand and his tongue. His mind did not drift into particularly sensible topics, but he sensed that the princess didn't need it to be sensible. Circenia needed, wanted someone who could and would keep up with her at every instance.
But it was the brush of her finger along the top of his hand that distracted him so completely. His dark gaze trailed languidly toward her hand, the smile fading from his features on the slow journey from her face to those beautiful fingers. Keikelius made his choice in that moment. Sensibilities be damned, he was going to solidify this union that she had not outright refused or accepted as of yet.
The opposite hand of the one she touched slid off the desk and slowly brushed the princess' waist. Then his fingers trailed her lower back. Using his own body and the hand at her back as leverage, Keikelius lifted the princess up onto the desk as if she weighed nothing at all. Settling her against the wood, he moved strategically closer, moving his other hand up to trail against her jaw.
His dark gaze drank her in and he smirked down at her, not having said a word to any of her taunts. "And you're telling me that you might have stayed away, my princess?" he murmured in a gravely tone, keeping one hand on her lower back and the other trailing temptingly against her jaw line. "Why are you fighting over things we both know would not have happened?" he chuckled deeply, "Maybe I wanted you to come find me so that I could be in your presence without the prying eyes of your ladies or guards. Maybe I wanted you to find me because women can be fickle and I needed to know that a life married to a businessman is something that you want," he tilted his head and shrugged once.
His fingers had trailed toward her chin, but his thumb had brushed against her bottom lip as if he was deep in thought. "Maybe I tire of being lordly, Circenia," Keikelius hummed in reply, "I know you would not have my hand cut off, for then how could I do this?" he added, amusement lighting his eyes. "And you would not have my tongue removed else you would find yourself bored to tears for the entirety of your lifetime. Marriage or not, you and I both know you'd seek out the one person who is equal to none other."
Was it prideful, absolutely. But he'd known from the moment that she'd stepped into this room that the princess was not leaving this cabin as a woman with many suitors. Only one.
With his thumb trailing down and away from her lip, he trailed his fingertips down against the front of her throat before slipping the hand against the back of her neck. Then he guided her closer, wanting to see if she'd put him in his place and completely humiliate him, or if she would yield and give him the answer he wanted to hear.
The very slight, barely-there brush of his lips against hers was purposeful. Because he was really only giving her a single choice.
"Princess Circenia of Xanthos. I wish to take you as my wife."
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He'd won her already. He could see it in her eyes, the form her lips took as she considered whether to have him killed or whether to act on some buried desire. He had to remind himself not to seem to brash, too forward. But the best way to combat the princess was to act as she did. He was going to fan her flame with his own frigid pyre. Keikelius had already won her. Now he just needed to keep her on the edge.
On the edge of her wanting him and the need that seemed to simmer silently in her gaze.
Keikelius could not help but let his lips curve back into a smile and he glanced anywhere but her face for a moment as she spoke. Threatening the removal of his hand and his tongue. His mind did not drift into particularly sensible topics, but he sensed that the princess didn't need it to be sensible. Circenia needed, wanted someone who could and would keep up with her at every instance.
But it was the brush of her finger along the top of his hand that distracted him so completely. His dark gaze trailed languidly toward her hand, the smile fading from his features on the slow journey from her face to those beautiful fingers. Keikelius made his choice in that moment. Sensibilities be damned, he was going to solidify this union that she had not outright refused or accepted as of yet.
The opposite hand of the one she touched slid off the desk and slowly brushed the princess' waist. Then his fingers trailed her lower back. Using his own body and the hand at her back as leverage, Keikelius lifted the princess up onto the desk as if she weighed nothing at all. Settling her against the wood, he moved strategically closer, moving his other hand up to trail against her jaw.
His dark gaze drank her in and he smirked down at her, not having said a word to any of her taunts. "And you're telling me that you might have stayed away, my princess?" he murmured in a gravely tone, keeping one hand on her lower back and the other trailing temptingly against her jaw line. "Why are you fighting over things we both know would not have happened?" he chuckled deeply, "Maybe I wanted you to come find me so that I could be in your presence without the prying eyes of your ladies or guards. Maybe I wanted you to find me because women can be fickle and I needed to know that a life married to a businessman is something that you want," he tilted his head and shrugged once.
His fingers had trailed toward her chin, but his thumb had brushed against her bottom lip as if he was deep in thought. "Maybe I tire of being lordly, Circenia," Keikelius hummed in reply, "I know you would not have my hand cut off, for then how could I do this?" he added, amusement lighting his eyes. "And you would not have my tongue removed else you would find yourself bored to tears for the entirety of your lifetime. Marriage or not, you and I both know you'd seek out the one person who is equal to none other."
Was it prideful, absolutely. But he'd known from the moment that she'd stepped into this room that the princess was not leaving this cabin as a woman with many suitors. Only one.
With his thumb trailing down and away from her lip, he trailed his fingertips down against the front of her throat before slipping the hand against the back of her neck. Then he guided her closer, wanting to see if she'd put him in his place and completely humiliate him, or if she would yield and give him the answer he wanted to hear.
The very slight, barely-there brush of his lips against hers was purposeful. Because he was really only giving her a single choice.
"Princess Circenia of Xanthos. I wish to take you as my wife."
He'd won her already. He could see it in her eyes, the form her lips took as she considered whether to have him killed or whether to act on some buried desire. He had to remind himself not to seem to brash, too forward. But the best way to combat the princess was to act as she did. He was going to fan her flame with his own frigid pyre. Keikelius had already won her. Now he just needed to keep her on the edge.
On the edge of her wanting him and the need that seemed to simmer silently in her gaze.
Keikelius could not help but let his lips curve back into a smile and he glanced anywhere but her face for a moment as she spoke. Threatening the removal of his hand and his tongue. His mind did not drift into particularly sensible topics, but he sensed that the princess didn't need it to be sensible. Circenia needed, wanted someone who could and would keep up with her at every instance.
But it was the brush of her finger along the top of his hand that distracted him so completely. His dark gaze trailed languidly toward her hand, the smile fading from his features on the slow journey from her face to those beautiful fingers. Keikelius made his choice in that moment. Sensibilities be damned, he was going to solidify this union that she had not outright refused or accepted as of yet.
The opposite hand of the one she touched slid off the desk and slowly brushed the princess' waist. Then his fingers trailed her lower back. Using his own body and the hand at her back as leverage, Keikelius lifted the princess up onto the desk as if she weighed nothing at all. Settling her against the wood, he moved strategically closer, moving his other hand up to trail against her jaw.
His dark gaze drank her in and he smirked down at her, not having said a word to any of her taunts. "And you're telling me that you might have stayed away, my princess?" he murmured in a gravely tone, keeping one hand on her lower back and the other trailing temptingly against her jaw line. "Why are you fighting over things we both know would not have happened?" he chuckled deeply, "Maybe I wanted you to come find me so that I could be in your presence without the prying eyes of your ladies or guards. Maybe I wanted you to find me because women can be fickle and I needed to know that a life married to a businessman is something that you want," he tilted his head and shrugged once.
His fingers had trailed toward her chin, but his thumb had brushed against her bottom lip as if he was deep in thought. "Maybe I tire of being lordly, Circenia," Keikelius hummed in reply, "I know you would not have my hand cut off, for then how could I do this?" he added, amusement lighting his eyes. "And you would not have my tongue removed else you would find yourself bored to tears for the entirety of your lifetime. Marriage or not, you and I both know you'd seek out the one person who is equal to none other."
Was it prideful, absolutely. But he'd known from the moment that she'd stepped into this room that the princess was not leaving this cabin as a woman with many suitors. Only one.
With his thumb trailing down and away from her lip, he trailed his fingertips down against the front of her throat before slipping the hand against the back of her neck. Then he guided her closer, wanting to see if she'd put him in his place and completely humiliate him, or if she would yield and give him the answer he wanted to hear.
The very slight, barely-there brush of his lips against hers was purposeful. Because he was really only giving her a single choice.
"Princess Circenia of Xanthos. I wish to take you as my wife."
Circenia’s mouth opened to protest the movement as Keikelius’s hands slipped around her body, lifting her up onto the desk without so much as a hint of strain. Even as her brow furrowed and she took a breath to speak, somehow no objections were forthcoming. Instead, it felt like her skin had caught fire, her heart thudding in rumbling palpitations that she was nearly certain he could hear in his proximity. Her mouth closed of its own accord, the slow, sure brushes of his hand silencing her and pulling her in. She wasn’t sure how he’d managed to subdue her so easily, her inner voice shouting at her to push him off, to remind him of his place, even as she leaned into his touch.
For once in her life, the princess couldn’t find it within her to be mad.
“You’re a brave man to keep talking to me like that,” Circenia informed him in a soft, husky voice. There was an undercurrent of a threat there, but what manner of threat was open to interpretation. “To test me like I’m some sort of project, to see if I’d come running to your will…” Her hand trailed from the desk to his own waist with the lightest of touches, slender fingers idly caressing the fabric until they stopped at his chest. Balling her fist in the cloth, she tugged him sharply forward.
“I could ruin your life with just a few words, you know.” Her whisper was warm, her free hand trailing up his thigh as she pulled him closer. “Some subtle tugging of a few different strings and the Stravos name would be sullied forever.” Lips curled in a sultry smile, her fingers unclenching from the front of his shirt. That hand reached to cover the one caressing her face, the ball of her thumb brushing over his skin. “But you knew that, didn’t you? And yet you still dared.”
Circenia didn’t speak again for several long moments as his fingers trailed down her throat, listening to the deep intonation of his quiet voice as it vibrated through her. He went so far as to tease her, the amusement in his words clear even through his more stoic demeanor. To come upon a man that would deign to laugh at her rage and her threats was a rare find, indeed, and the princess found herself that much more fascinated. When his thumb trailed down across her lip, she drew in a sharp breath and shuddered.
He was alarmingly bold, almost foolishly so.
She loved it.
As his mouth brushed hers in a gossamer touch, Circenia’s lips parted with another gasp, longingly leaning forward as he pulled back. His next words froze her to her seat, ice blue eyes meeting and holding his.
Princess Circenia of Xanthos. I wish to take you as my wife.
They were the words she wanted to hear, but words that paralyzed her, nonetheless. To commit to one man was no casual undertaking, especially in her position. The family she married into would be catapulted into the upper echelons of society with the royal-blooded children of such a union potentially standing one day to gain the throne. She would raise no weak-willed or idiotic offspring. She needed a strong mate who could ensure such a thing never happened.
Circenia couldn’t imagine a man with more potential than Keikelius.
Her silence stretched over the space of several long moments, her breath held in anticipation. Both hands reached to cup his face, drawing gently across bearded cheeks as her eyes dropped to his mouth. She glanced up to meet his gaze again for the briefest instant before she leaned forward and closed the distance again, her lips colliding with his as her fingers reached to tangle in his hair. She cared little for propriety any more, having destroyed any remnants of such a thing with her intrusion into his cabin, pulling him in closer as she deepened the kiss. It was a fiery and passionate caress, even if it was too brief for her liking, nipping his lip before pulling back to fix him in her regard.
Pushing her hair back from her face, Circenia smiled.
“Lord Keikelius of Stravos. Nothing in this world would please me more.”
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Circenia’s mouth opened to protest the movement as Keikelius’s hands slipped around her body, lifting her up onto the desk without so much as a hint of strain. Even as her brow furrowed and she took a breath to speak, somehow no objections were forthcoming. Instead, it felt like her skin had caught fire, her heart thudding in rumbling palpitations that she was nearly certain he could hear in his proximity. Her mouth closed of its own accord, the slow, sure brushes of his hand silencing her and pulling her in. She wasn’t sure how he’d managed to subdue her so easily, her inner voice shouting at her to push him off, to remind him of his place, even as she leaned into his touch.
For once in her life, the princess couldn’t find it within her to be mad.
“You’re a brave man to keep talking to me like that,” Circenia informed him in a soft, husky voice. There was an undercurrent of a threat there, but what manner of threat was open to interpretation. “To test me like I’m some sort of project, to see if I’d come running to your will…” Her hand trailed from the desk to his own waist with the lightest of touches, slender fingers idly caressing the fabric until they stopped at his chest. Balling her fist in the cloth, she tugged him sharply forward.
“I could ruin your life with just a few words, you know.” Her whisper was warm, her free hand trailing up his thigh as she pulled him closer. “Some subtle tugging of a few different strings and the Stravos name would be sullied forever.” Lips curled in a sultry smile, her fingers unclenching from the front of his shirt. That hand reached to cover the one caressing her face, the ball of her thumb brushing over his skin. “But you knew that, didn’t you? And yet you still dared.”
Circenia didn’t speak again for several long moments as his fingers trailed down her throat, listening to the deep intonation of his quiet voice as it vibrated through her. He went so far as to tease her, the amusement in his words clear even through his more stoic demeanor. To come upon a man that would deign to laugh at her rage and her threats was a rare find, indeed, and the princess found herself that much more fascinated. When his thumb trailed down across her lip, she drew in a sharp breath and shuddered.
He was alarmingly bold, almost foolishly so.
She loved it.
As his mouth brushed hers in a gossamer touch, Circenia’s lips parted with another gasp, longingly leaning forward as he pulled back. His next words froze her to her seat, ice blue eyes meeting and holding his.
Princess Circenia of Xanthos. I wish to take you as my wife.
They were the words she wanted to hear, but words that paralyzed her, nonetheless. To commit to one man was no casual undertaking, especially in her position. The family she married into would be catapulted into the upper echelons of society with the royal-blooded children of such a union potentially standing one day to gain the throne. She would raise no weak-willed or idiotic offspring. She needed a strong mate who could ensure such a thing never happened.
Circenia couldn’t imagine a man with more potential than Keikelius.
Her silence stretched over the space of several long moments, her breath held in anticipation. Both hands reached to cup his face, drawing gently across bearded cheeks as her eyes dropped to his mouth. She glanced up to meet his gaze again for the briefest instant before she leaned forward and closed the distance again, her lips colliding with his as her fingers reached to tangle in his hair. She cared little for propriety any more, having destroyed any remnants of such a thing with her intrusion into his cabin, pulling him in closer as she deepened the kiss. It was a fiery and passionate caress, even if it was too brief for her liking, nipping his lip before pulling back to fix him in her regard.
Pushing her hair back from her face, Circenia smiled.
“Lord Keikelius of Stravos. Nothing in this world would please me more.”
Circenia’s mouth opened to protest the movement as Keikelius’s hands slipped around her body, lifting her up onto the desk without so much as a hint of strain. Even as her brow furrowed and she took a breath to speak, somehow no objections were forthcoming. Instead, it felt like her skin had caught fire, her heart thudding in rumbling palpitations that she was nearly certain he could hear in his proximity. Her mouth closed of its own accord, the slow, sure brushes of his hand silencing her and pulling her in. She wasn’t sure how he’d managed to subdue her so easily, her inner voice shouting at her to push him off, to remind him of his place, even as she leaned into his touch.
For once in her life, the princess couldn’t find it within her to be mad.
“You’re a brave man to keep talking to me like that,” Circenia informed him in a soft, husky voice. There was an undercurrent of a threat there, but what manner of threat was open to interpretation. “To test me like I’m some sort of project, to see if I’d come running to your will…” Her hand trailed from the desk to his own waist with the lightest of touches, slender fingers idly caressing the fabric until they stopped at his chest. Balling her fist in the cloth, she tugged him sharply forward.
“I could ruin your life with just a few words, you know.” Her whisper was warm, her free hand trailing up his thigh as she pulled him closer. “Some subtle tugging of a few different strings and the Stravos name would be sullied forever.” Lips curled in a sultry smile, her fingers unclenching from the front of his shirt. That hand reached to cover the one caressing her face, the ball of her thumb brushing over his skin. “But you knew that, didn’t you? And yet you still dared.”
Circenia didn’t speak again for several long moments as his fingers trailed down her throat, listening to the deep intonation of his quiet voice as it vibrated through her. He went so far as to tease her, the amusement in his words clear even through his more stoic demeanor. To come upon a man that would deign to laugh at her rage and her threats was a rare find, indeed, and the princess found herself that much more fascinated. When his thumb trailed down across her lip, she drew in a sharp breath and shuddered.
He was alarmingly bold, almost foolishly so.
She loved it.
As his mouth brushed hers in a gossamer touch, Circenia’s lips parted with another gasp, longingly leaning forward as he pulled back. His next words froze her to her seat, ice blue eyes meeting and holding his.
Princess Circenia of Xanthos. I wish to take you as my wife.
They were the words she wanted to hear, but words that paralyzed her, nonetheless. To commit to one man was no casual undertaking, especially in her position. The family she married into would be catapulted into the upper echelons of society with the royal-blooded children of such a union potentially standing one day to gain the throne. She would raise no weak-willed or idiotic offspring. She needed a strong mate who could ensure such a thing never happened.
Circenia couldn’t imagine a man with more potential than Keikelius.
Her silence stretched over the space of several long moments, her breath held in anticipation. Both hands reached to cup his face, drawing gently across bearded cheeks as her eyes dropped to his mouth. She glanced up to meet his gaze again for the briefest instant before she leaned forward and closed the distance again, her lips colliding with his as her fingers reached to tangle in his hair. She cared little for propriety any more, having destroyed any remnants of such a thing with her intrusion into his cabin, pulling him in closer as she deepened the kiss. It was a fiery and passionate caress, even if it was too brief for her liking, nipping his lip before pulling back to fix him in her regard.
Pushing her hair back from her face, Circenia smiled.
“Lord Keikelius of Stravos. Nothing in this world would please me more.”
Keikelius had won and it took everything in him not to gloat. To every single person that he would come across from this ship to the Palati. The man had watched the princess with a look of cool calculation, silently elated over her reaction toward him. The silence he had instilled and the way that her anger appeared to melt into something wholly different. He was honestly stunned that she didn't force him away from her, but she seemed to accept the touching. The delicate brushing of his hands against her lower back and against her jaw.
What did surprise him was the way she fisted her hand in his shirt, jerking him closer as she returned the favor. The lord found his lips so close to hers, his gaze devolving into something both primal and wanting. Though he would not allow himself such a relinquishment. He could not allow the entire purpose of this meeting be lost with the loss of his faculties. The princess was enticing, bold. The Stravos lord favored a woman such as this.
It meant that life would never be boring in her company. The adrenaline rush of the last few moments seemed to pay off, because she was threatening him again. A glutton for punishment, Keikelius let his gaze drop to her lips once more, his own parted slightly and his nose brushing just lightly against hers as he considered kissing her to silence the sultry, heady words she threw his way.
"Bravery has nothing to do with it," Keikelius challenged the princess, leaning more over her, especially when her hand wandered its way up his thigh. He had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep himself from giving her the satisfaction of a response. "Maybe I just wanted to see how you acted when things didn't go the way that you wanted them to," the man chuckled deeply.
When she fell silent at the feeling of his fingers on her skin, Keikelius smirked, enjoying the sharp, din of silence that he had created. Not that he liked her quiet or demure. But he enjoyed the look in her eyes. The one that kept telling him he was doing and saying absolutely everything right in that moment. She seemed to enjoy his bold temperament. Just as she was a woman who would take steps to get what she wanted, he was a man that would do the same. He'd wanted her since the offer for courtship was raised. Before he'd even met her. It was just a wildly happy happenstance that she was entirely his type.
His proposal, with his lips so, so close to hers, seemed to go over equally well. The Lord Stravos took the movement of her hands to his cheeks and the passionate brush of her lips against his as a good sign. A firm sign that, yes, he had won the princess' hand far faster than any of her other suitors could have. Meeting her kiss with equal fire and passion, his hands tugged her closer, but one flew out to rest sharply against the desk as he leaned her back, nearly putting her on her back across the top of the desk.
Keikelius couldn't stop the groan that escaped his lips, the protest, really, when she pulled back, nipping at his bottom lip as if to tease him. Narrowing his gaze, he gave a true smile for the first time at the verbal acceptance of his proposal. "I'm pleased to hear this," he murmured, reaching his free hand up to help brush some of her hair from her face. "And you thought I was going to leave you to suffer in silence," he chuckled teasingly. "I would have come looking for you in... probably a few hours from now. But thank you. For doing my job for me, my princess."
A rare grin, then. And then he was kissing her again, only to be interrupted moments later by a sharp knock at the door to the cabin. Keikelius broke the kiss, willing his breathlessness not to betray him. "What is it?" he barked at the door, turning his head slightly to glower at the wood.
"M-My lord, is everything al-"
"Get back to work. I pay you to mind your business, not mine," he said savagely and promptly heard the stumping of boots back up to the top deck. Breathing deeply through his nose, he fixed Circenia with a dark gaze once more.
"I'm surrounded by idiots. I think you're the only sensible one on this ship right now, Circenia," he mused affectionately.
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Keikelius had won and it took everything in him not to gloat. To every single person that he would come across from this ship to the Palati. The man had watched the princess with a look of cool calculation, silently elated over her reaction toward him. The silence he had instilled and the way that her anger appeared to melt into something wholly different. He was honestly stunned that she didn't force him away from her, but she seemed to accept the touching. The delicate brushing of his hands against her lower back and against her jaw.
What did surprise him was the way she fisted her hand in his shirt, jerking him closer as she returned the favor. The lord found his lips so close to hers, his gaze devolving into something both primal and wanting. Though he would not allow himself such a relinquishment. He could not allow the entire purpose of this meeting be lost with the loss of his faculties. The princess was enticing, bold. The Stravos lord favored a woman such as this.
It meant that life would never be boring in her company. The adrenaline rush of the last few moments seemed to pay off, because she was threatening him again. A glutton for punishment, Keikelius let his gaze drop to her lips once more, his own parted slightly and his nose brushing just lightly against hers as he considered kissing her to silence the sultry, heady words she threw his way.
"Bravery has nothing to do with it," Keikelius challenged the princess, leaning more over her, especially when her hand wandered its way up his thigh. He had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep himself from giving her the satisfaction of a response. "Maybe I just wanted to see how you acted when things didn't go the way that you wanted them to," the man chuckled deeply.
When she fell silent at the feeling of his fingers on her skin, Keikelius smirked, enjoying the sharp, din of silence that he had created. Not that he liked her quiet or demure. But he enjoyed the look in her eyes. The one that kept telling him he was doing and saying absolutely everything right in that moment. She seemed to enjoy his bold temperament. Just as she was a woman who would take steps to get what she wanted, he was a man that would do the same. He'd wanted her since the offer for courtship was raised. Before he'd even met her. It was just a wildly happy happenstance that she was entirely his type.
His proposal, with his lips so, so close to hers, seemed to go over equally well. The Lord Stravos took the movement of her hands to his cheeks and the passionate brush of her lips against his as a good sign. A firm sign that, yes, he had won the princess' hand far faster than any of her other suitors could have. Meeting her kiss with equal fire and passion, his hands tugged her closer, but one flew out to rest sharply against the desk as he leaned her back, nearly putting her on her back across the top of the desk.
Keikelius couldn't stop the groan that escaped his lips, the protest, really, when she pulled back, nipping at his bottom lip as if to tease him. Narrowing his gaze, he gave a true smile for the first time at the verbal acceptance of his proposal. "I'm pleased to hear this," he murmured, reaching his free hand up to help brush some of her hair from her face. "And you thought I was going to leave you to suffer in silence," he chuckled teasingly. "I would have come looking for you in... probably a few hours from now. But thank you. For doing my job for me, my princess."
A rare grin, then. And then he was kissing her again, only to be interrupted moments later by a sharp knock at the door to the cabin. Keikelius broke the kiss, willing his breathlessness not to betray him. "What is it?" he barked at the door, turning his head slightly to glower at the wood.
"M-My lord, is everything al-"
"Get back to work. I pay you to mind your business, not mine," he said savagely and promptly heard the stumping of boots back up to the top deck. Breathing deeply through his nose, he fixed Circenia with a dark gaze once more.
"I'm surrounded by idiots. I think you're the only sensible one on this ship right now, Circenia," he mused affectionately.
Keikelius had won and it took everything in him not to gloat. To every single person that he would come across from this ship to the Palati. The man had watched the princess with a look of cool calculation, silently elated over her reaction toward him. The silence he had instilled and the way that her anger appeared to melt into something wholly different. He was honestly stunned that she didn't force him away from her, but she seemed to accept the touching. The delicate brushing of his hands against her lower back and against her jaw.
What did surprise him was the way she fisted her hand in his shirt, jerking him closer as she returned the favor. The lord found his lips so close to hers, his gaze devolving into something both primal and wanting. Though he would not allow himself such a relinquishment. He could not allow the entire purpose of this meeting be lost with the loss of his faculties. The princess was enticing, bold. The Stravos lord favored a woman such as this.
It meant that life would never be boring in her company. The adrenaline rush of the last few moments seemed to pay off, because she was threatening him again. A glutton for punishment, Keikelius let his gaze drop to her lips once more, his own parted slightly and his nose brushing just lightly against hers as he considered kissing her to silence the sultry, heady words she threw his way.
"Bravery has nothing to do with it," Keikelius challenged the princess, leaning more over her, especially when her hand wandered its way up his thigh. He had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep himself from giving her the satisfaction of a response. "Maybe I just wanted to see how you acted when things didn't go the way that you wanted them to," the man chuckled deeply.
When she fell silent at the feeling of his fingers on her skin, Keikelius smirked, enjoying the sharp, din of silence that he had created. Not that he liked her quiet or demure. But he enjoyed the look in her eyes. The one that kept telling him he was doing and saying absolutely everything right in that moment. She seemed to enjoy his bold temperament. Just as she was a woman who would take steps to get what she wanted, he was a man that would do the same. He'd wanted her since the offer for courtship was raised. Before he'd even met her. It was just a wildly happy happenstance that she was entirely his type.
His proposal, with his lips so, so close to hers, seemed to go over equally well. The Lord Stravos took the movement of her hands to his cheeks and the passionate brush of her lips against his as a good sign. A firm sign that, yes, he had won the princess' hand far faster than any of her other suitors could have. Meeting her kiss with equal fire and passion, his hands tugged her closer, but one flew out to rest sharply against the desk as he leaned her back, nearly putting her on her back across the top of the desk.
Keikelius couldn't stop the groan that escaped his lips, the protest, really, when she pulled back, nipping at his bottom lip as if to tease him. Narrowing his gaze, he gave a true smile for the first time at the verbal acceptance of his proposal. "I'm pleased to hear this," he murmured, reaching his free hand up to help brush some of her hair from her face. "And you thought I was going to leave you to suffer in silence," he chuckled teasingly. "I would have come looking for you in... probably a few hours from now. But thank you. For doing my job for me, my princess."
A rare grin, then. And then he was kissing her again, only to be interrupted moments later by a sharp knock at the door to the cabin. Keikelius broke the kiss, willing his breathlessness not to betray him. "What is it?" he barked at the door, turning his head slightly to glower at the wood.
"M-My lord, is everything al-"
"Get back to work. I pay you to mind your business, not mine," he said savagely and promptly heard the stumping of boots back up to the top deck. Breathing deeply through his nose, he fixed Circenia with a dark gaze once more.
"I'm surrounded by idiots. I think you're the only sensible one on this ship right now, Circenia," he mused affectionately.
Circenia basked in that smile, her hands gently caressing his bearded cheeks as she felt an answering smile tug at her own lips. The happiness on his face warmed her in a way she’d never experienced before, and the laugh that spilled from her was deep and genuine. “Oh, you would have come for me, would you?” she repeated in a teasing voice, leaning in to kiss him again. “I should have held out a little longer. Then I could have been the one trying not to laugh at you.”
The princess found her lips swept up in another kiss, only too happy to lean in and oblige. Pulling back for just a moment, she opened her mouth to speak again, only to have light eyes flick to the door in annoyance when she heard another man’s voice. The audacity to interrupt such a critical moment… She nearly shouted him off herself before Keikelius did that very thing, looking at him with an even deeper appreciation than she had before. He wasn’t a man who tolerated being crossed. Good. They’d make a fearsome pair, indeed.
She chuckled at his comment after the moronic intruder had departed, her thumb running gently over his bottom lip. “I find that’s often the case,” Circenia murmured in response, her amusement clear through the merriment in her gaze. “Though you’ve chosen me to be your wife. A quite sensible choice, I would say. So maybe there’s two of us, then.” She offered him a wicked grin, her fingertip tracing his jaw to stop at his chin. “Even if I know quite a few who’d argue you were mad instead.”
Married. Circenia could hardly believe it was to happen, and her luck in the partner she’d found (or more accurately, who’d found her)… she could hardly believe it. Keikelius of Stravos was handsome, he was rich, he was determined, he was ambitious, he was infuriating, but most importantly of all… he was to be hers. No longer would she be Circenia of Xanthos, but Circenia of Stravos, a name she’d be proud to be bear and pass on to her children. She could hardly wait for the day to come.
“When will you speak to my brother?” she asked, looking expectantly at her soon to be husband. Now that she had accepted his proposal in earnest, she had no wish for things to tarry along. If she could marry him tomorrow, she would, but Circenia, of all people, would not settle for anything less than the most lavish and extravagant affair money could afford. The sooner he spoke to Minas, the sooner she could start the preparations for that very thing. If she had her way, Athenia would never see another wedding of its like again.
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This character is currently a work in progress.
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Circenia basked in that smile, her hands gently caressing his bearded cheeks as she felt an answering smile tug at her own lips. The happiness on his face warmed her in a way she’d never experienced before, and the laugh that spilled from her was deep and genuine. “Oh, you would have come for me, would you?” she repeated in a teasing voice, leaning in to kiss him again. “I should have held out a little longer. Then I could have been the one trying not to laugh at you.”
The princess found her lips swept up in another kiss, only too happy to lean in and oblige. Pulling back for just a moment, she opened her mouth to speak again, only to have light eyes flick to the door in annoyance when she heard another man’s voice. The audacity to interrupt such a critical moment… She nearly shouted him off herself before Keikelius did that very thing, looking at him with an even deeper appreciation than she had before. He wasn’t a man who tolerated being crossed. Good. They’d make a fearsome pair, indeed.
She chuckled at his comment after the moronic intruder had departed, her thumb running gently over his bottom lip. “I find that’s often the case,” Circenia murmured in response, her amusement clear through the merriment in her gaze. “Though you’ve chosen me to be your wife. A quite sensible choice, I would say. So maybe there’s two of us, then.” She offered him a wicked grin, her fingertip tracing his jaw to stop at his chin. “Even if I know quite a few who’d argue you were mad instead.”
Married. Circenia could hardly believe it was to happen, and her luck in the partner she’d found (or more accurately, who’d found her)… she could hardly believe it. Keikelius of Stravos was handsome, he was rich, he was determined, he was ambitious, he was infuriating, but most importantly of all… he was to be hers. No longer would she be Circenia of Xanthos, but Circenia of Stravos, a name she’d be proud to be bear and pass on to her children. She could hardly wait for the day to come.
“When will you speak to my brother?” she asked, looking expectantly at her soon to be husband. Now that she had accepted his proposal in earnest, she had no wish for things to tarry along. If she could marry him tomorrow, she would, but Circenia, of all people, would not settle for anything less than the most lavish and extravagant affair money could afford. The sooner he spoke to Minas, the sooner she could start the preparations for that very thing. If she had her way, Athenia would never see another wedding of its like again.
Circenia basked in that smile, her hands gently caressing his bearded cheeks as she felt an answering smile tug at her own lips. The happiness on his face warmed her in a way she’d never experienced before, and the laugh that spilled from her was deep and genuine. “Oh, you would have come for me, would you?” she repeated in a teasing voice, leaning in to kiss him again. “I should have held out a little longer. Then I could have been the one trying not to laugh at you.”
The princess found her lips swept up in another kiss, only too happy to lean in and oblige. Pulling back for just a moment, she opened her mouth to speak again, only to have light eyes flick to the door in annoyance when she heard another man’s voice. The audacity to interrupt such a critical moment… She nearly shouted him off herself before Keikelius did that very thing, looking at him with an even deeper appreciation than she had before. He wasn’t a man who tolerated being crossed. Good. They’d make a fearsome pair, indeed.
She chuckled at his comment after the moronic intruder had departed, her thumb running gently over his bottom lip. “I find that’s often the case,” Circenia murmured in response, her amusement clear through the merriment in her gaze. “Though you’ve chosen me to be your wife. A quite sensible choice, I would say. So maybe there’s two of us, then.” She offered him a wicked grin, her fingertip tracing his jaw to stop at his chin. “Even if I know quite a few who’d argue you were mad instead.”
Married. Circenia could hardly believe it was to happen, and her luck in the partner she’d found (or more accurately, who’d found her)… she could hardly believe it. Keikelius of Stravos was handsome, he was rich, he was determined, he was ambitious, he was infuriating, but most importantly of all… he was to be hers. No longer would she be Circenia of Xanthos, but Circenia of Stravos, a name she’d be proud to be bear and pass on to her children. She could hardly wait for the day to come.
“When will you speak to my brother?” she asked, looking expectantly at her soon to be husband. Now that she had accepted his proposal in earnest, she had no wish for things to tarry along. If she could marry him tomorrow, she would, but Circenia, of all people, would not settle for anything less than the most lavish and extravagant affair money could afford. The sooner he spoke to Minas, the sooner she could start the preparations for that very thing. If she had her way, Athenia would never see another wedding of its like again.
The young Stravos lord could not have been more proud in that moment. Proud of the fact that he had won himself a princess for a wife. But also proud that his future wife was so in tuned to his personality already. Things that he was sure she would have torn him apart for, she already forgave him for. It was a wonder why. He could be weird, manipulative, and stubborn. But if she was pleased with his temperament, who was he to judge himself? Circenia clearly enjoyed his company despite having spent so little time in it thus far.
It had taken so little time to find one another and to decide that with the other was where they wanted to be. Keikelius was pleased beyond compare. The man even found himself watching her after having sent one of his crew away in a rather rude manner. His gaze flicked from her eyes to her lips and he chuckled deeply, his gaze trailing the finger she brushed against his bottom lip. "You like being the smartest woman in the room," Keikelius concluded, hazel green eyes betraying the absolute joy in them. "If I am mad, so are you," he then noted with ease. "Because no one expected you to marry one of your lowest born suitors, my princess," he noted, brushing her lips with his own once more.
It was easy to find himself lost in her. The prospect of their marriage was now a rather bright light on his life. Something that he could constantly keep to the back of his mind and look forward to. While he had no experience in planning a wedding, he had no intention of helping. Something in him told him that Circenia was more inclined to do much of the planning herself. Should she require monetary assistance? He would gladly drop whatever amount of funds she required. She was passionate, fiery, amusing, and willing to put her best foot forward in every situation. They were a match made of the gods and Keikelius was not going to let her go for anything.
Except, you know, to declare to her brother that he wished to take Circenia's hand. That they had both agreed upon it and the match was essentially perfect in every way. Humming, Keikelius slowly helped Circenia back onto the floor, his hands resting against her hips for a moment. After pressing a tentative kiss against her temple, the man smirked down at her. "This very moment, if it would please you, Princess," he mused easily.
And that was that. Taking her arm in his, he lead her up from the cabin and to the top deck of the ship. The crew all found better things to gawk at, surprised about the difference a few minutes could make with the princess' anger. But since both the princess and their lord seemed pleased, they could only assume that things went well. Leading her down the gangplank with his hold remaining firmly on her, Keikelius and Circenia started their trek back up to the Palati.
Together. As it should be.
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The young Stravos lord could not have been more proud in that moment. Proud of the fact that he had won himself a princess for a wife. But also proud that his future wife was so in tuned to his personality already. Things that he was sure she would have torn him apart for, she already forgave him for. It was a wonder why. He could be weird, manipulative, and stubborn. But if she was pleased with his temperament, who was he to judge himself? Circenia clearly enjoyed his company despite having spent so little time in it thus far.
It had taken so little time to find one another and to decide that with the other was where they wanted to be. Keikelius was pleased beyond compare. The man even found himself watching her after having sent one of his crew away in a rather rude manner. His gaze flicked from her eyes to her lips and he chuckled deeply, his gaze trailing the finger she brushed against his bottom lip. "You like being the smartest woman in the room," Keikelius concluded, hazel green eyes betraying the absolute joy in them. "If I am mad, so are you," he then noted with ease. "Because no one expected you to marry one of your lowest born suitors, my princess," he noted, brushing her lips with his own once more.
It was easy to find himself lost in her. The prospect of their marriage was now a rather bright light on his life. Something that he could constantly keep to the back of his mind and look forward to. While he had no experience in planning a wedding, he had no intention of helping. Something in him told him that Circenia was more inclined to do much of the planning herself. Should she require monetary assistance? He would gladly drop whatever amount of funds she required. She was passionate, fiery, amusing, and willing to put her best foot forward in every situation. They were a match made of the gods and Keikelius was not going to let her go for anything.
Except, you know, to declare to her brother that he wished to take Circenia's hand. That they had both agreed upon it and the match was essentially perfect in every way. Humming, Keikelius slowly helped Circenia back onto the floor, his hands resting against her hips for a moment. After pressing a tentative kiss against her temple, the man smirked down at her. "This very moment, if it would please you, Princess," he mused easily.
And that was that. Taking her arm in his, he lead her up from the cabin and to the top deck of the ship. The crew all found better things to gawk at, surprised about the difference a few minutes could make with the princess' anger. But since both the princess and their lord seemed pleased, they could only assume that things went well. Leading her down the gangplank with his hold remaining firmly on her, Keikelius and Circenia started their trek back up to the Palati.
Together. As it should be.
The young Stravos lord could not have been more proud in that moment. Proud of the fact that he had won himself a princess for a wife. But also proud that his future wife was so in tuned to his personality already. Things that he was sure she would have torn him apart for, she already forgave him for. It was a wonder why. He could be weird, manipulative, and stubborn. But if she was pleased with his temperament, who was he to judge himself? Circenia clearly enjoyed his company despite having spent so little time in it thus far.
It had taken so little time to find one another and to decide that with the other was where they wanted to be. Keikelius was pleased beyond compare. The man even found himself watching her after having sent one of his crew away in a rather rude manner. His gaze flicked from her eyes to her lips and he chuckled deeply, his gaze trailing the finger she brushed against his bottom lip. "You like being the smartest woman in the room," Keikelius concluded, hazel green eyes betraying the absolute joy in them. "If I am mad, so are you," he then noted with ease. "Because no one expected you to marry one of your lowest born suitors, my princess," he noted, brushing her lips with his own once more.
It was easy to find himself lost in her. The prospect of their marriage was now a rather bright light on his life. Something that he could constantly keep to the back of his mind and look forward to. While he had no experience in planning a wedding, he had no intention of helping. Something in him told him that Circenia was more inclined to do much of the planning herself. Should she require monetary assistance? He would gladly drop whatever amount of funds she required. She was passionate, fiery, amusing, and willing to put her best foot forward in every situation. They were a match made of the gods and Keikelius was not going to let her go for anything.
Except, you know, to declare to her brother that he wished to take Circenia's hand. That they had both agreed upon it and the match was essentially perfect in every way. Humming, Keikelius slowly helped Circenia back onto the floor, his hands resting against her hips for a moment. After pressing a tentative kiss against her temple, the man smirked down at her. "This very moment, if it would please you, Princess," he mused easily.
And that was that. Taking her arm in his, he lead her up from the cabin and to the top deck of the ship. The crew all found better things to gawk at, surprised about the difference a few minutes could make with the princess' anger. But since both the princess and their lord seemed pleased, they could only assume that things went well. Leading her down the gangplank with his hold remaining firmly on her, Keikelius and Circenia started their trek back up to the Palati.