#Nef: the gods themselves couldn't fix me

[facelessxchurch]

RE: Young thing falls in love with Nefarian Serpine Playlist

Ever since the lanky boy he once was grew up to be a tall, handsome man, Nefarian had been using his good looks and charm to get what he wants and, occasionally, what Mevolent wants. A smile and a wink spelt out a promise he didn't intend to keep, but -dear gods- did it make it easier to fool people. And a few broken hearts along the way only helped to fuel his ego.

That was until Mevolent rose enough in power that not only he was an eligible bachelor for a social climber, but so was his right-hand man. It's all fun and games until the daughter of an Old Blood family whose support Mevolent needs falls for Nefarian and he is forced by his master and lover to marry this stranger.

It did not end well.

His first wife had fallen for his looks. Plenty of men in positions of power were old or ugly or both, so Nefarian was quite the catch in her eyes. Certainly, it would make the duty of producing an heir for her family less of a chore. He wasn't loyal to her, but frankly neither was she. His lack of interest in her and her jealousy turned the marriage spiteful and toxic. And once Mevolent no longer needed her family she had a quite unfortunate accident during a carriage ride to her parents. Nefarian was in a different country handling diplomatic affairs for Mevolent, so it could not be pinned on him.

His second wife was a social climber and too ambitious for her own good. She was loyal to him, ignored his affairs, and pretended to share his interests. She was like a shadow to him in an attempt to use him to gain Mevolent's favour. Finally, after pulling Nef into the bedroom any chance she got, she became pregnant. She fully intended to use the child to secure her position as his wife and to force him to behave more in a way she deemed suitable for a husband. Unfortunately, she and the child died during the birth. Mevolent was furious since he'd rather liked this one and he beat the living hell out of Nef despite him swearing up and down he had nothing to do with it. Mev already hadn't believed in his innocence when the first wife had met her demise, he believed him even less now since Nef had been present when she died. Nef insisted that of course he was present for the birth of his first child but Mev was having non of it. He warned him that if his next wife were to die too all Hell would break loose.

His third wife actually did love him. She had been a sweet, innocent thing that had fallen for his devilish charms. This was the only one Nef had bothered to warn that he'd be her ruin, that she should run as long as she still could considering divorces weren't allowed in the Faceless Church. She did not heed his warning and instead mistook it as a sign that he fancied her too. This time Nefarian actually tried to make it work, half bc she good and sweet and he could tell she actually did adore him, half bc he was afraid of what Mevolent would do if this marriage was to fail too. But that was exactly her folly, she was too sweet. Her parents had sheltered her too much and failed to prepare her for the cruelty of the church and its followers. Tho he supposed he couldn't expect better considering that while her family was wealthy and influential, and owned land in a few key positions Mevolent wanted to station soldiers, they were new converts to the church. Nef had been kind to her, at least he tried to be. The devil in him was easier to hide when he had to be among people for only a few hours, but since they were living together he kept letting things slip. The glee in his smile when he talked about torture and death, the glimmer in his eyes when he was covered in blood, the disdain in his voice when he spoke about fellow nobles, the hatred in his heart when things didn't go his way. Kindness is not stupidity and she came to understand that the man she loved was a monster. But he ensured her he would let no harm befall her, including from himself. She came to understand the other higher-ups were just as bad and would sell them both out if it meant gaining Mevolent's favour. But he ensured her he would not let it come to that for he was twice as clever as them. She came to understand that Mevolent was the worst of them when she tended her husband's wounds from prior 'punishments'. He insisted that he deserved this and not to worry, he would not fail their master again, but she knew that he loved him, it wasn't hard to tell by the excuses he kept making for him. She came to understand that the Sanctuaries were just as bad when her parents died during an attack on the family castle that Mevolent had been using as an outpost. He tried to comfort her as best he could, but he lacked the humanity to do so in any meaningful way. She came to understand that she didn't want to live in a world filled with monsters. And he wasn't there to stop her, he was in Mevolent's castle worshipping his master in the bedroom. Nefarian found her hanging from the ceiling of their shared bedroom when he returned home one day with a suicide note on the nightstand that spoke of the cruelties of the world.

After that Mevolent gave up trying to wed Nefarian. For even when he's trying, he can't keep his wives alive. Either he despises them because they are as wicked as he is, or they are too sweet and he'll ruin them by being himself.