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phoenixmaiden-reading · 4 years ago

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Kings Rising Book Review

Kings Rising by C.S. Pacat

Read: April 20, 2020 – April 29, 2020

Wow! That’s all I can say. It was so much better than what I was expecting. With the truth finally out about who Damen was, all that was left was for him and Laurent to get together and of course, take down his uncle. It was a long road to get there because of their feuding countries and the fact that Damen killed Laurent’s brother. But they eventually got over that, and they are so perfect with each other. Laurent is such a love-starved person and Damen was more than willing to show him, and he certainly did, often it seemed. And I have to say, Laurent is really smart and knows how to get what he wants. Though it took him a while to realize what he wanted was Damen, he just fought it so hard because of their past. But once that was out of the way, they were happy and Laurent was open to having a relationship with Damen and looking to the future and what they could do together when everything was over. It was a nice change to when Laurent was pushing him away, but after it was like a natural thing. They just had to win the war against his uncle in one piece.. And ugh, his uncle! I hate him. What a manipulative son-of-a-bitch. But at least Laurent and Damen were able to overcome him and Kastor and now they can be happy. All in all, the book was well written and given a perfect end to tie everything together. This series will always be my guilty pleasure.

Stars: ★★★★★

Warning! Spoiler Summary ahead!!

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It picks right up where the last book left off with the Akielon army kneeling to their King, Damianos. While they were shocked and happy to find him still alive, the opposite was true for the Veretians. They were outraged and were starting to rebel in having the Prince-Killer inside their walls. In order for Damen to keep the fort under control, he had Nikandros take the fort. Once it was done, Damen met with Guymar and Jord to see of their loyalty. Guymar was livid and refused to fight with Akielons, he was removed from the room. Jord was more forthcoming because he already knew who he was. Damen said he had made Laurent a promise even after he learned who he was. Afterward, he met with Nickandros who was happy to see him and said he had mourned him. He also told him that he had been there when Kastor was crowned and how he had said that Damen’s guards had killed him and in turn he had the guards killed. Nikandros then showed him a letter that had been from Laurent written some time ago requesting aid to take down his uncle in return he would provide proof that Kastor had colluded with the Regent to kill King Theomedes of Akielos. Nikandros also gave him a golden lion pin that he had taken the night Damen had died; it was treason to do so but he wanted something to remember his friend by. But it belonged to him as a mark of the King of Akielos. Nikandros saw Damen’s golden cuff and knew immediately that it was a mark of a slave and was horrified. Damen admitted that Kastor had made him a slave and he had been given to Laurent who has since freed him, but he doesn’t know who he is. But Nikandros was still in shock that his King had been a slave to the Prince of Vere. To make things worse, Makedon overheard and was just as disgusted and horrified at the revelation; he knew what he did with slaves and the fact that Damen had done those things for their enemy was the most degrading and an insult to Akielos. Damen wanted to hide it but that would be the wrong thing, so instead, he told them that yes he had been a slave to the Prince but he will not hide it. They will have to bare the knowledge just as he had. And it was not like he could hide it anyway, it was common knowledge around the fort. Nikandros wasn’t sure if they could be able to control the actions of the men, so Damen said that if they pledged to fight the men will follow. That morning, Damen made his announcement to the Akielon army saying he was alive and he was there to fight as their King. He didn’t try to hide his slave cuff either. They then set out for Charcy and the Prince Guard: Jord, Huet, Lazar, and more men in blue came with them to fight for their prince. The plan was that Laurent was to go a day early to approach from the north while they left a day later to go south and block in the Regent’s army from both sides. When they got close to Charcy, the soldiers could see how bad the ground was to fight and they were getting nervous, but Damen had to trust that Laurent would come. But something was wrong. The Regent’s men were there early and his men were coming from the north. It was suddenly clear that Laurent wasn’t coming. A scout was yelling coming toward them that the Prince wasn’t coming. Makedon knew they should never have trusted a Veretian. Damen had no time to think and ordered the men to fight even though they were outnumbered, they had to fight.

For once there was a chapter not in Damen’s POV. It was Laurent’s. He woke up in a cell at Fortaine and Govart was there. But he would be easy to deal with, the trouble was that the deadline for the battle had come and gone, the slave along with the Akielons would think he had betrayed them but knew that somehow he would win. Laurent then focused on what was going in and took in that he was injured and tied up. Govart gloated that they were all alone and no one would come to help him and proceeded to hit him. But Laurent just took it and said that he wondered what Govart had on his uncle that allowed him to keep him around. They had only put them in the same cell in hopes that one will take out the other, not that it mattered when his uncle became King. He could make Govard disappear and that would be it. But Govart wasn’t threatened and advanced and proceeded to beat him for an hour. He ended up with a knife in his shoulder, an inconvenience but a victory since it meant he wouldn’t remove his tongue like Govart had threatened. Guion came eventually and Laurent asked if he knew what Govart had on his uncle. It was clear that Guion didn’t know and he opened the cell door and demanded to know. While Govart was distracted, Laurent was able to get out of the ropes binding his hands and took out the knife from his shoulder. His grunt of pain made Govart notice but he was pleased that he could play with him now. Laurent felt a little weak from blood loss but was strong enough to lift the chair he had been sitting in and break it on Govart’s head. He went down and didn’t move. Laurent escaped the room and closed it, leaving Guion trapped inside the cell. Their positions now reversed. Guion tried to plead his way out of the cell, but Laurent wasn’t going to hear it and threatened to stab him with the knife. Guion said that the Akielons will not trust him and will want to kill him for letting them die because he missed their meeting time, but Laurent knew that. Laurent told him that there was a man that tried to stop him from doing the wrong thing but he wasn’t here now. He then said he wondered what the Regent will think when he hears that Guion had helped him kill Govart and let him escape…it didn’t really happen, but who knows what happens with rumors. Laurent could leave and Guion would be stuck here because this had been a private arrangement, no one was to know Laurent was there so no one would know to look for Guion. So Guion had no choice but to ask what he wanted.

Oof this chapter was rough. Damen was fighting on the front line with his men at Charcy. He lost half his men and Nickandros was angry that Laurent didn’t show. The battle lasted hours until Damen took out the leader but it wasn’t the Regent, it was simply a puppet put in his place. The Akielons were looking at him in awe and Damen looked around and saw why, he had simply been killing the ones in front of him to get to the Regent decoy and he had taken out a lot of them in the process. But they had won. At the edge of the field, a herald came wearing blue, Laurent’s colors with a message. Damen was angry and wanted to know where Laurent was, but the herald just gave him a scroll that said Damen had Charcy and he had Fortaine and to meet him at the fort. So Damen had everyone gather and they left for Fortaine. When they got there, Laurent’s banner was raised and tents were lining the front of the fort. Nickandros was angry that Laurent had been safely in his fort while their men fought and died in his battle. Damen just made his way to the main tent alone, leaving his men to set up camp. Inside the tent, Laurent was waiting for him unsurprised that they had won at Charcy. Damen told him that the men think he is a coward, but Damen didn’t believe he was. He wouldn’t break a promise to him. Damen also noticed that Laurent’s shoulder was injured and understood that had to do with his absence. Damen then said that he was there to tell him who he really was, but Laurent already knew. He knew from the first day that Damen had been brought to him- his brother’s killer. Damen was stunned with the new information and the sudden venom in Laurent’s voice. Yet he couldn’t understand why, if he knew, had he allowed him to live and why he had slept with him. Laurent just said he was using him, that he suffered through his touch in order to secure victory at Charcy. Damen couldn’t believe what Laurent was saying, he had to be lying, what they had shared at Ravenel hadn’t been Laurent using him, he had surrendered to him fully, not as a slave, but as a man. Laurent denied it again and mocked him and said that he had lied when he said Damen was his slave, he had never been a slave, not really. Damen finally admitted that no, he was not a slave, he was the King of Akielos, they were equal. So now that was out in the open, Damen wanted to know why he was brought here and Laurent said that his uncle was in Akielos.

Laurent told him that his uncle knew who he was from the beginning too and gave him to Laurent waiting for Damen to fuck him so he could rub it in Laurent’s face that he had slept with his brother’s killer and watch him implode. But that didn’t work out, yet Laurent had slept with him anyway. Damen didn’t want to believe that it had meant nothing, but Laurent kept throwing his words while they had made love in his face, mocking him. Laurent then said that his uncle had planned Charcy as a diversion and had set sail for Ios days ago. He then said that he will give Damen supplies and troops to set out to the south in exchange for Delpha. Damen was shocked that Laurent would ask that of him especially because Delpha belonged to his close and loyal friend, Nickandros. It was clear Laurent had planned all this from the beginning. Damen said he would form an alliance with him and help him go against his uncle, but he will not give him Delpha. Laurent said that was fine, but he had Guion who had a letter with his confession of the deal between the Regent and Kastor. If he rejected his offer, he will kill Guion and burn the letter. Yet Damen knew Nickandros would never give up Delpha, but that was why Laurent said he will when they gave him Ios instead. Damen was cornered and when he tried to see if Laurent had any sort of connection with him, he found Laurent impassive. So Damen didn’t have any choice and he agreed. When Damen left the tent he felt lost and vulnerable, and feelings that he had thought he had shared with Laurent had been a lie. He felt the loss even though Laurent hadn’t been his to lose, to begin with. The relationship between them didn’t have any right to exist in the first place, even if he had hoped that there would be. But Damen was a King and couldn’t wallow in anything that could have been. So he headed to the Akielon camp and had Nickandros brought to him in the command tent and told him of the deal and of his decision to give Delpha to Laurent. Nickandros was understandably upset and said that Laurent was trying to put them against each other, yet Damen already knew that. Nickandros said that this action would make him lose men, Makedon, and Straton most prominently. The men will talk also about Damen being a slave and what that meant especially with the new alliance, but Damen refused to take off the cuff. Yet despite all that, Nickandros said that he will stay because he wanted Ios- like Laurent knew he would. Laurent always thought of everything. Damen told Nickandros that even though Laurent hated him and Akielos, he hated his uncle more and he needed them, just as they needed him. They had to work together to take down the Regent, he was doing it for Akielos. Nickandros just said that if he was wrong and Laurent betrayed them, there will be no Akielos. Later, Damen finally went back to his tent and found a slave, a woman, naked waiting for him, sent there by Nickandros, knowing his tastes. If it had been before all of this, he would have gladly taken her to his bed, but now he just found it awkward. It was like he had forgotten how to command a slave now that he had been one himself. He just couldn’t do it. So he told her to leave and that he will require no slaves during the campaign and will be attended to by a squire.

The next morning both sides, Akielon and Veretians gathered together for a big announcement where Damen and Laurent sat on twin thrones and announced that they were forming an alliance. Laurent then said that it was customary in Vere to give a gift to a companion and then gave him a whip…the same one he had been whipped with back in Arles. No one else knew the meaning of the gift, but Damen did. But that wasn’t all he brought, he also had whipping posts brought in where he had the men who had attacked the Akielon village strapped to them and whipped to pay for their crimes. Damen didn’t like it, reminded of his whipping, yet he watched it all. After the men were dragged away, Damen gave Laurent a gift of his own. The matching gold slave cuff to his own. Damen said that he would wear it to mark them as equals. He didn’t think Laurent would wear it but after a moment, he had Damen put it on him. Damen then said that if Laurent helped him get his kingdom back, he will see him crowned as King of Vere. After, there were display fights to commemorate the occasion. While they were watching, Damen could feel Makedon watching them, it was clear he was not happy allying with Veretians, he hated them. When Makedon approached, he wanted to see a contest between Akielos and Vere, specifically between Laurent and Damen; Makedon didn’t think much of Laurent and didn’t think he could fight, but Damen knew better. Yet Laurent said that they were like brothers, meaning, brothers were not supposed to fight. Not long after, their alliance was signed and the company went their separate ways. Later, Nickandros came to confront Damen. He recognized Laurent as his type, blonde and blue-eyed, like the women he had been interested in before. Nickandros thought he was a fool and was trying to go after Laurent because he was his type, it was like he was giving Laurent Delpha as a bedding gift. So he told him to just bed him already and move on. Yet he could see in Damen’s face that it had already happened. Damen just told him it had only happened once and yes, he did want him, but he was the King of Akielos, he had to think of his people. What they had now, was just an alliance that was it. Nickandros didn’t believe it, at least not for Damen, he knew him, knew that once he trusts someone, he will give his loyalty and fight until his dying breath for that person. Damen then said that Nickandros was doing the same thing with him. If he was wrong, Nickandros could lose everything, yet he still chose to follow Damen. Nickandros just warned him that the Prince of Vere could not be trusted. Damen just replied that he already didn’t trust Laurent just being with him for one morning, just wait until he spent a whole day with him.

Damen spent his days with a routine. He would do work- making plans and having meetings with the Captains, both Akielon and Veretian. Meaning Laurent was there too, just as smooth-talking and confident as always. They had agreed to have their camps separate since both sides didn’t like the other, especially the Veretians who thought the Akielons were barbarians walking around half-naked, yet that was their style. In Akielos, they were freer in their clothing while the Veretians were more restricted with their laces and sleeves. Damen also refused to take a slave to bed which started rumors among the men, but he couldn’t, not after being one himself and because of Laurent. Always Laurent. He couldn’t stop thinking about him and the friendship they no longer had. So he threw himself into work, and at night, he trained with his sword until he was sore only to do it again the next day. Damen also went to go see Guion who had not changed sides though it wasn’t like he had a choice since the Regent wouldn’t forgive him for failing to kill Laurent. He had asked how Laurent got hurt and learned that Guion had put Govart in a cell with Laurent and had a little accident. (yeah right) But as a result, Govart had died after Laurent hit him over the head. Not a huge loss though. He then asked Guion if the Regent knew who he was. Guion wasn’t sure but if he did he made a mistake in sending him to Laurent. The plan probably would have been that Laurent would have recognized him and made a mistake or he wanted Laurent to sleep with him and be ashamed after he realized he had slept with his brother's killer. Either way, it would be a win for the Regent. Damen just said that he was supposed to swear loyalty to the throne and his Prince, and yet he had turned on him for power and personal gain, yet it had gained him nothing. Guion just said that Laurent killed his son, but Damen disagreed saying Guion did by putting him in the path of the Regent. The other thing he had to deal with was the divided troop; he was used to it because it had been the same at the beginning from Arles, only this time it was between two warring factions that had been fighting each other for years. And Makedon was not making it easy either, he kept trying to one-up Laurent and would lose before it would begin. He first refused to take the extra food from Fortaine, the Akielons didn’t need pampering. Yet Laurent said that everyone in the troop will have the same amount of food depending on how much Makedon got. So he lost that round to Laurent. The second time was when a fight happened between an Akielon and Veretian, Makedon passed it off as friendly competition. So Laurent said that the next time a Veretian attacked an Akielon would be executed; that only a coward hit someone who couldn’t fight back. Every time Makedon tried to show Laurent up, Laurent would outmaneuver him. Damen remembered what that was like. In the meantime, they made plans to move to Marlas where they will hold an okton along with a feast to celebrate the pledge between the countries. One night while Damen was out practicing, he caught some of Makedon’s men making sport of throwing spears at a target with a Veretian that was tied to the center. Damen revealed himself and they stopped, scared that their King had caught them. Makedon was sent for and Damen told him that his soldiers had broken the peace and Makedon said that they will be executed for it. Nikandros then took the Veretian boy back to his camp and find the physician to tend to him and to let Laurent know what had happened. Damen then told Makedon that he respected his loyalty to his father, but if his soldiers step out of line again, he will have to face him. Later, Damen went to Paschal to see how to young Veretian man was doing, he was fine but he had taken more than a beating; the soldiers had raped him as well. Damen then apologized for not telling Paschal who he was. Paschal just said that he should prepare himself for what the Regent was planning to do in Akielos. Guion had said he didn’t know what he was planning, but Paschael said that all Veretians knew that he was planning to rule Akielos.

The next morning, Makedon’s men were executed for breaking the peace. While it was the rule, Makedon wasn’t happy and he and his men left ahead of everyone else. Then both companies set out for Marlas, Damen, and Laurent rode side by side as was expected because of the alliance. As they rode through the villages bordering Akielos, there were a lot of people coming out to see their King, and it wasn’t Damen, these villages had been Veretian before Akielos won the war. They reached Marlas and it had no mark of that fateful day, but Damen remembered the fallen soldiers and the scorched, blood-soaked earth, even as he saw the lush grass that had taken over. When they were inside the walls of Marlas, they were greeted by the attendants and there was a Slave Keeper there with fresh slaves to serve the Prince of Vere since Damen did not take slaves. The one Laurent chose was an unbeded slave, who was shy and submissive, named Isander. As a test to the slave, he had Isander kiss his boot, but while he was doing that, Laurent was watching Damen. Laurent was trying to get a rise out of Damen to use the same tactic he had used on him. Damen didn’t let it show, but he was jealous of what Laurent could be doing with the slave…attending him the way Damen did. Later, the two factions met in the hall, and Damen and Laurent sat on twin couches. It was there that they asked for the bannermen to pledge their support. Yet before they did so, one of the bannermen wanted to make sure that Vere wasn’t controlling Akielos by affirming if Laurent was Damen’s lover. Laurent answered by showing that he still wore the other gold cuff that had been Damen’s, then asked if he was really the type of person to sleep with the man who killed his brother (except he had…). The bannerman said that someone would have to be cold blooded to do that. With that said, the bannermen said their pledge. After the food was served and both countries mingled together, or rather they tolerated each other as they started drinking. At one point Jord came over to Aimeric’s mother and gave his respects. He then told Damen he was glad he and Laurent were friends now, he had thought that he would have killed him when he found out. Damen told him that Laurent had known the entire time, but Jord was still glad since he had someone to trust For the rest of the meal, Damen had to keep himself busy from watching Laurent were his slave, Isander, was attending to him- he didn’t like it. But after a while, he saw him leave with the slave and Damen tried to follow but was stopped by people from the party. By the time he made it to the corridor, Laurent was gone…but Isander had been left behind. Isander was confused about why he hadn’t been taken to the bedroom and said that Laurent had gone to the stables. Damen knew where he went and headed out to the field where he had killed Laurent’s brother years ago. He found him sitting on a rock and Laurent clearly didn’t want to see him, yet Damen approached anyway and said he was here if he wanted to talk. Laurent just said that Damen didn’t want to talk, he wanted to fuck him, that he had been thinking about it since Ravenel. While it was true that Damen thought about it a lot, it wasn’t what he came to talk about, Laurent was just saying words to make him hurt, and it worked, yet Damen didn’t let it show. Instead, he said that Auguste’s death had been quick. Before they could talk more, they heard horses coming and Damen pushed Laurent against the rock to hide as they passed and there were a lot. An entire troop was going off to some unknown destination and they weren’t their men and they didn’t know how they had slipped past their scouts. And so they went back to Marlas.

Damen and Laurent took some men and rode out after the riders and came upon a burned village. It was clear that the villagers had no time run and barricaded themselves inside, but they had to come out when the houses were set on fire. Only one building was untouched and inside they found a girl, a woman, and a man who was dying from a spear wound having tried to defend the village. When Damen asked the girl who did this, she said it was Daminos sending a message to Kastor. It made him sick. Soldiers came in the dead of night shouting his name as they killed innocent people all to hurt Damen’s political standing. When Damen went off to the edge of the village for air, he spotted a body of a soldier, one of the ones who had attacked the village and he had a notched belt, a mark of one of Makedon’s men. Damen went to Makedon and challenged him to a fight for what he had done. It didn’t help Makedon that he didn’t care that Veretian’s were dead. So they went to blows until Laurent came and ordered them to stop. Damen just barely stopped his sword from slicing into Laurent’s neck, who had pulled Makedon out of the way and had put himself between them. Laurent said that they were playing right into his uncle’s hands and that anyone could put a notch on a belt. Someone had framed Makedon in order to put a rift between him and his people, and it wasn’t Kastor…no someone else was pulling the strings on this. The Regent. It wasn’t the first time either, Damen remembered the attack on Laurent in the palace in Vere when the assassin’s had Akielon weapons. Later, Damen was at the training grounds working off his anger and frustration when he spotted Laurent watching him. He didn’t know how long he had been standing there. Then Laurent said that he should fight an equal if he was that angry, meaning himself and he took up a sword. Damen knew it was a bad idea, there was still so much unsaid between them, but he didn’t say no instead giving him a warning. Fighting Laurent was irritating because every move was calculated, but he already knew that as he remembered the fight with Govart. The fight started off light, Laurent not even exerting himself, until he taunted Damen, and then they really started fighting. They each blocked each other’s attacks, but Laurent was struggling with the force of Damen’s blows and was now panting with excursion. At one point, Damen had knocked Laurent down and told him to yield, but instead, he flung dirt into Damen’s eyes and was able to get back up to continue the fight, this time with everything he had, using anything in his path to throw in Damen’s way to try to win. In the end, it wasn’t enough. Damen was able to pin Laurent to a wall, but he continued to fight, kicking and punching him, trying to go for a knife, but Damen didn’t let go and wrestled him to the floor until Laurent yielded. Damen then told him that he could have done this when he was a slave, but he didn’t. He can’t beat him, he wasn’t good enough, not when he was coming at him for revenge. And asked him if that was what he wanted between them. Laurent said yes because his brother was all he had. He knew he wasn’t good enough, but Auguste would have stopped him, yet he laughed because that wasn’t true either. Damen then gave him a knife and pointed it at his stomach and told him to stop him. Yet Laurent didn’t kill him, though Damen could see him warring with himself. The air around them shifted to something else, and the knife dropped to the floor. Damen just left the hall.

The next morning Damen and Laurent had to act like nothing had happened the night before and had to sit next to each other in an arena where the day's games and festivities were to take place. There was an awning above them to protect Laurents fair skim who was dressed head to toe in traditional Veretian style while Damen was the opposite with arms and legs bare with only a chiton pinned around him. Their armies were dressed much the same as their kings, though much of Damen’s army, mainly Makedon was noticeably absent. Despite this, the games began. Each side fought fairly and won several games. One soldier, Pallas, won three an won the right to challenge Damen to a wrestling match, traditionally fought naked. Damen accepted and disrobed and joined the young soldier in the ring where they wrestled in the mud until Pallas gave in. Damen had enjoyed himself; it had been a while since he had participated in a game. When he was cleaned off he joined Laurent back on the dais. Nickandros asked him to join him in inspecting the weapons for the okton. Once they were alone, Nikandros advanced on him and turned him around and pull off the fabric covering him to look at his back, specifically the scars left there from his whipping. Nickandros was horrified and asked who did it to him. Laurent answered from behind them that he did, or at least he had his man do it while he watched, he had wanted to kill him, but his uncle didn’t let him. Nickandros wanted to attack Laurent especially when Laurent continued to give more details, but Damen held him back and told him to leave. When they were alone, Damen said he didn’t have to say those things, he would defect, but Laurent said he wouldn’t, he was loyal. Damen then caught Laurent looking at the scars on his back in the mirror and asked if he was admiring his handiwork. Laurent just said he was due back in the stands, hiding that he had been caught looking and they returned to the stands. The okton was now set up and ready for the main event and everyone was waiting for it to start when Makedon finally made his appearance with his men. He said that a village had been attacked in his name and he wanted a requital. He said he will pledge himself to Damen if the Prince of Vere proved himself on the field as they have yet to see. Damen wasn’t sure since Veretians didn’t train in the okton. Makedon said that their King will take the field and asked if the Prince of Vere lacked the courage to do the same. Laurent agreed and mounted up. The Okton was simple enough, there were 5 riders that had their own colored spears that they had to throw at targets while they rode in a figure eight without stopping. There had to be precision and athleticism with a risk of injury. Damen had trained for months as a boy to participate and while he knew Laurent was good on horseback and knew he knew how to throw a spear, but both at the same time with others doing the same…men have died from it. And Damen couldn’t help him wither. So he only had to hope for the best. The game started off well, Pallas, Laurent, and Damen each hitting bullseye on the target while outmaneuvering the other riders and missed spears hitting the ground. Then one of the riders knocked the target down and Pallas and Lyros threw at the same time as it fell and each of the spears was heading for the other on the opposite side. The one Lyros threw was heading to either Laurent or Pallas and the one Pallas threw was heading straight toward Damen’s chest. There was no way to dodge it, so he adjusted his stance and caught the spear in mid-air. On the other side, Pallas was frozen, if he moved it would risk killing the Prince or he would die. Laurent had seen what was about to happen and lept from his horse to Pallas’s and kept him low in the saddle so the spear passed over their heads. Laurent then took Pallas’s spear and bullseye it on the opposite side and Damen did the same with his caught spear. The crowd went wild. Both Damen and Laurent were crowned the winners and the festivities continued and the men were starting to get along as the night wore on. Makedon came out and sat down across from Laurent and offered to drink with him. It was a huge step on Makedon’s part, but Damen knew Laurent didn’t drink and thought he would turn him down. Instead, Laurent drank and Makedon did too. And they continued to do so, getting drunk in the process and Makedon reminisced of old oktons. It seemed like Makedon had now accepted Laurent and even invited him for a king’s hunt. He eventually left leading his men weaving out into the night. Laurent was done too and needed help getting up, so Damen helped him to his room. Along the way, Laurent talked, nonsense mostly, he just didn’t shut up. Laurent said that he rarely drank because he had no alcohol tolerance even though he knew he may have to. Damen said that the night they met, Laurent had been drunk and Laurent said he had to be because he had to deal with Damen…an Akielon bed slave named after his brother’s killer…but of course Laurent knew it was the real deal. It pained Damen to hear that Laurent hadn’t been able to be sober to deal with him. Damen guided Laurent to his room and ignored what that may imply to anyone who saw them. He told the guards to not let anyone enter the room knowing that Laurent wouldn’t want anyone to see him working off a night of drinking. Laurent, drunk, told Damen to attend him without thinking and Damen did so for old time's sake. Laurent in his drunken haze said he missed him and their conversations. That made Damen happy and he could barely restrain himself especially when he told Laurent to go to bed and Laurent replied with “then take me” giving it a different implication. Seeing Laurent laying on the bed vulnerable and wanton was torture, but he didn’t do anything. He wasn’t himself and he would kill him when Laurent sobered up. So he left him to sleep it off.

Damen woke up in a good mood as he remembered the night before and the fact that Laurent missed him. That mood followed him down to the war room where he met with the captains to go over their next move to take Karthas. Laurent was supporting a hangover when he came down but he now had Makedon’s approval especially with how much he had drank of his personal drink. It made Laurent uncomfortable with Makedon’s camaraderie but he bore it. They then went over an attack plan and strategies for the upcoming fight. Laurent was still suffering from a headache and Makedon said to have his slave bring him some tea. So he said “Bring me some” and instinctively Damen stood. It was awkward for a moment when both Laurent and Damen didn’t move until Nikandros had everyone clear the hall to get ready to ride. Nice cover up Nick! When they were alone, Laurent wanted to know what had happened last night, he remembered only a little of it. Damen told him he had just taken him to his rooms and attended him and nothing else. He had been drunk and he wasn’t someone who would take advantage of somone in that position. Laurent agreed that he wasn’t and then asked if he had said anything. Damen said that Laurent had said he had missed him and Laurent blushed red. Damen admitted that he missed him too and that he was jealous of Isander. Laurent said that Isander was a slave, yet Damen had been a slave. Laurent just said he hadn’t been, he had been born to rule like he was. Later, Damen went to go see the villager survivers to see how they were and to apologize for what had been done. They knew who he was now and were angry and said they wished someone else had come to Delfur and won years ago. The little girl there was getting upset and another one tried to make her feel better with a coin trick. A familiar one. Damen now knew that Laurent had been here before him. The troops then set out for Karthas. Along the way, Nikandros warned Damen to be careful ‘when’ not if Laurent let him fuck him again, he could want something. It was what he did, he did it to Makedon and he could do it to Damen; he only gave if he wanted something. Damen took this in stride and continued to the front of the line where Laurent was and continued forward. When they got to Karthas, it was empty. They thought it was a trap at first but there really wasn’t anyone there, everyone in the fort had retreated. But they had left someone behind. Jokaste. Along with a handful of handmaidens. She had been sent to a different town to give birth but hadn’t made it. She had obviously been the one to organize the attack on the village in order to slow them down. When Damen saw her, he thought she was as beautiful as ever and didn’t act like she had been surrounded by the enemy. Damen had her sent away.

Nikandros told him later that Jokaste had been confined to a cell but didn’t know what to do with her. Damen wanted it to be worse than what she had done with him, sending him to Vere as a slave. For now, he had her confined with no men about who could be lured by her. Damen now had the fort under his control and a powerful prisoner. It didn’t take long for the Regent’s heralds to come. This time Damen and Laurent were ready to receive them, unlike last time. The herald had a message from the “King of Vere” whom the Regent was now calling himself. Damen refuted that by saying the King sat beside him and that the Regent had false claims to the throne. The Herald pretended not to hear and said to Laurent that his uncle was extending him a chance to restore his good name. That his uncle doesn’t believe that Laurent has turned on his people and offers him a chance to stand trial to prove himself. That he would be returned everything that was his. Laurent made him repeat exactly what he said and then asked what would happen if he refused. The herald said he would be executed and he will be given a traitor’s death on display for all to see and his name struck from the family register and forgotten. Laurent said nothing, so Damen told the Herald to go back to the Regent and tell thim that everything will be Laurent’s when he is named King. Akielos and Vere will ride united and he will fall. A dignitary that had come with the herald spoke to Laurent, pleading with him not to side with Damen because of the things he has done; of what he had been accused of in Ios. When Damen asked what that was, the herald said in Akielon so everyone could hear that Damen had been accused of killing his father, the King Theomedes of Akielos. The hall erupted into chaos and Damen had the Herald removed from his sight. Damen’s mind was swirling at the injustice, at the fact that his brother Kastor had killed their father and lied to say that Damen had done it. It was the last straw and he knew that there was no hope in saving any relationship with his brother. Being accused of killing his father was worse than being sent to Vere as a slave. The hall had been cleared from all the shouting people and he didn’t want to believe that his people would believe the herald’s words. He now knew how Laurent felt when his uncle had taken away his support and turned his people against him. Damen was realing with just this one fight, Laurent had put up with it for years. Yet Damen wasn’t going to act out in anger, he was going to march and take the Regent out. Larent continued not to say anything and seemed to be considering the proposal, yet Damen didn’t think he would get a trial, he would kill him. Laurent said he wasn’t considering it, his uncle would have witnesses that would smear his name across the floor before he was killed. But there was something that was missing. His uncle wouldn’t extend his hand knowing it wouldn’t be taken, there had to be something else. Before he could figure it out, Pallas came in saying that Jokaste was asking to see Damen. Damen knew he couldn’t deal with her knowing now that while his father had been dying, she had been having an affair with Kastor, that she had used him. She would tear him apart in his current state, so he had Laurent go. But after a few minutes, he followed Laurent to the cells, but stayed out of sight as they talked. Seeing them side by side, Damen could see how alike in coloring they were, with blonde hair and blue eyes. They exchanged biting words about how Damen had fucked both of them. Jokaste went into detail of how it must have been for Laurent to take his enemy into his bed and enjoy it. Laurent didn’t rise to the bait. Jokaste then told him that she had information and asked for clemency where she will be released back to Kastor. Laurent said no, that once Damen was crowed king in Ios, she will be executed. He was going to leave when she said that her son had come early and had to send him away when she heard Damen’t soldiers coming. Laurent didn’t care about a bastard child, but Jokaste said he should since he was the son of a king. Damen, who had been listening, put it together. The child had been early, why she had gone so far to give birth to obscure the birth date…because it was his. Laurent was horrified to learn that Jokaste had sent Damen’s son to his uncle. Jokaste just said that she was not going to be left to rot in a cell and wanted Damen to come see him next time, not his bed boy.

Laurent had seen him when he left, but Damen didn’t care and went to his room where he could think. All he could think of was the fact that he might have a son and that he had failed his father. After a time, the door opened and Laurent was there. Damen didn’t want to really deal with him at that moment but Laurent just said that he was here. He also noticed that no one had disturbed him and that Laurent had something to do with it. Damen was going to thank him for it, but before he could he found himself in Laurent’s embrace. It was clearly an inexperienced hug, but a hug all the same. They then talked, actually talked. Damen finally admitted to himself that his father was dead and Laurent knew how it was to lose family. Damen then asked if there was no way forward for them, could they not just hold their position and rule it together, could they even be together? Damen left it out there and waited. Laurent just asked him how he could trust him after what his own brother did and Damen just said that Laurent was a good honest man and his brother was not. He then said that if he gave him his heart, Laurent would treat it tenderly. (ugh, Damen! So sweet) Laurent couldn’t take it either and said he couldn’t think when he spoke or made love to him like that, so Damen told him not to think. Laurent tried to tell him to stop but Damen just told him not to think again and Laurent blurted out to kiss him. It surprised Laurent that he admitted that but he didn’t take it back. He also admitted that it had been a long time since he had been with anyone, only one other besides, Damen. Damen just told him he would never hurt him, but he had in regards to lying who he was and killing his brother, but he was sorry about it. After that Damen made Laurent admit and see that he wasn’t a slave, he was a man. Laurent then said Damen’s name for the first time. They didn’t do much talking after that. There were no more secrets between them and Laurent accepted who Damen was and made love to Damen anyway. Their joining was beautiful and hot, I enjoyed it far too much. 😊 But it was Laurent’s acceptance of Damen that was so moving, it took a lot for him to do it, but his love for Damen won out. And Damen knew exactly how to make Laurent feel good, slow, and steady and it was amazing for both of them.

In the morning, Laurent was still there lying next to him, a fact that made Damen very happy. He also took great pleasure in hearing Laurent saying his name. They had a bit of bittersweet pillow talk where they wondered “what if.” Damen said that he would have courted him properly if they had the time and Laurent said that he would have gotten along with his brother, been friends perhaps. Laurent then promised that he wouldn’t let his uncle hurt him or his child if it was his child. They got busy again and were interrupted by Pallas who came for instructions and caught them in the act. Laurent was not bothered in the slightest, but Damen was embarrassed. He was not used to being seen in a position except for slaves, but they were beneath him in stature, but Pallas was a soldier. After Pallas left with his instructions, Laurent asked if he was shy, which he thought was funny because he had wrestled naked earlier. Damen said that the wrestling was a sport, in Akielos they don’t do it in front of others. Laurent said that in Vere, a royal married couple consummates their marriage in front of the council. Damen was horrified. As they lay next to each other, talk turned to Govart and Laurent said that he thought Govart had something on his uncle and wanted to know what, but didn’t get a chance to find out. He told Damen how he got out of Fortaine, it was unbelievable, yet Damen believed it. He didn’t think Nikandros would though. Damen then asked if Laurent had anyone there to comfort him when Auguste died, and Laurent said he did, though he seemed stiff and uneasy in his reply. Damen was just glad that he hadn’t been alone. They still had things to do, but they spent the rest of the morning together. Later they talked and laid out their plans, or Laurent did since Damen wasn’t exactly a planner. When the servants came in to take their dishes away did the question of why Damen didn’t have slaves in his household. Damen thought it was obvious why, since he had been one himself, he now didn’t like slaves a sentiment that Laurent agreed with. And Laurent probably would have freed him on the first night if he hadn’t been who he was. When Damen questioned if Pet’s in Vere were the same, Laurent’s answer was no, Pet’s didn’t have a choice if they wanted to survive; a slave in Akielos had better options. Laurent then said that his uncle wouldn’t hurt the child, but would likely use it as leverage, so they will have to get it back. But first, they had to find out if there really was a child, so Damen had to go see Jokaste. He didn’t want to play her games and straight out asked her if there really was a child, but he knew he wouldn’t get a straight answer out of her, so he asked her handmaids. He said that Jokaste will be executed, but they can be saved if they answered his questions. None of them answered at first and Jokaste tried to get in a word or two to try and play a game with Damen, saying that Kastor will kill the child if he finds out it’s Damen’s and if she is killed, the wet nurse that is with it will tell him, but he wasn’t having it. He had a soldier come and start to take one of the handmaids and she cracked and revealed that there really was a child, it had been taken to Ios, but she wasn’t sure who the father was, yet Jokaste said it was Damen’s. She also revealed that Jokaste didn’t trust the Regent so the wet nurse had been instructed to trade the child to Damen in exchange for Jokaste’s freedom. (Wow, what a mother she is). Jokaste didn’t show it, but she was not happy that the plan had been revealed, but she took it in stride and said that the only way for the trade to work was for her to be there in person. Damen knew that he couldn’t just walk into Ios with his brother and the Regent looking for him, but there was one place where they could meet without being ambushed, the Kingsmeet. The handmaids were then separated from Jokaste with one of them to communicate with the wet nurse the plan. Now alone, Jokaste said he was a fool to trust the Prince of Vere, he had his own plans, but Damen knew that already, Laurent was always clear in his intentions. Before he left, he told her he chose the wrong brother to follow, following Kaster landed her with nothing and even her own women have turned on her. Jokaste just said that Kastor should have killed him.

Since they couldn’t just walk into the Kingsmeet, they decided to go in disguise as cloth merchants. After careful planning, they planned their route and who was going. Only the best soldiers were going, so Jord, Pallas, and another Lazar, and the doctor Paschal, and Guion and his wife so he behaved. While he watched everything come together through a window, Damen waited for Laurent to come to discuss the plan he had come up with. He was already dressed in a simple cloth merchant garb with his gold cuff hidden. Then Laurent came in…dress in Akielon clothing, something that Damen wasn’t prepared for because there was a lot of skin showing; his ankles, feet, and one shoulder. It was not something a Veretian would wear as they are always fully clothed. Damen was speechless, but all Laurent said was that everyone else was wearing Akielon clothes so he was too. They then went over the plan again. Later, Damen told Nikandros the plan and as he expected, he didn’t like it because it was dishonorable; going in disguise wasn’t their way, it was backhanded. Yet that was what they were going to do. So they set out with their two wagons and light guard and kept a lookout because there were a lot of dangers, one of which was Jokaste herself who was bound and gagged in a wagon. The first test was to get past the border guard. They were stopped and Damen told the Captain that they were escorting Jokaste to Ios after her birth and didn’t want to be disturbed. But the Captain didn’t care and wanted the wagon opened. That was a problem because Jokaste would be found, but when they forced open the front wagon, Damen could hear the Captain talking to someone and then came back and said that they can go through and they will even ride with them through the rest of the checkpoints. The Captain even told Damen that Jokaste was as beautiful as they say. Once they passed all the checkpoints and were a safe distance did they stop. Nikandros didn’t know how he got Jokaste to go along, Laurent then came out of the wagon saying she didn’t and tossed aside a blue garment to put a jacket back on. Meaning it hadn’t been Jokaste in the wagon, it had been Laurent…in a blue dress pretending to be Jokaste, a fact that was blowing Nikandros’s mind. They now had to move quickly when they realized they didn’t arrive at their destination. Jokaste was removed from the supply wagon where she had been to the front one, then they moved on, taking refuge in old child hideouts that Damen used to go to, to hide from the patrols. The next challenge was to go to Heston who was loyal to his father, but Damen had to go himself and present himself and hope he could shield them from Kastor. Damen set off and Laurent went with him as they left the wagons behind to the estate. Yet when they got there, there were too many horses in the stables, meaning Jokaste had warned the guards that they may be coming there, so that was a bust. But they still needed to find a way to hide the wagons, so Damen set off back to the wagons and Laurent went to take care of the soldiers. By way of letting loose the dog that went off on the strange horses which spooked them and they got out and ran off. Of course, the soldiers followed trying to get the horses back. With them distracted, Damen raced back to the wagons and got them to move faster and across a small stream behind some bushes. Shortly after, they heard Kastor’s men coming and move past them going to the Heston estate. They continued on and Damen just hoped that Kastor didn’t remember the stream they had found as children or that he told Jokaste about it. Laurent was able to join them at some point bearing an apricot from the orchard. They stopped the wagons by some old runes and set up a small camp where they wouldn’t be found. Camp was awkward for the Akieleons because they were not used to sitting around a fire and sharing wine with their King. It wasn’t until Laurent came in and told them of their escapade from the brothel where he got the blue dress and had them in tears from laughing. Later, Damen went to his bedroll to go to sleep and was pleased when Laurent joined him. They spoke about the runes around them that were similar to Acquitart and a bit about their childhood with their brothers. Damen said that when all of this was over, they could spend a week out here in the country and he could show him around. Laurent said he would like that.

Their luck ran out the following day when one of their wagons broke an axel. They were in the middle of repairing it when Akieloen soldiers appeared, they tried to be quiet but Laurent had a different idea. He hailed the soldiers bringing their attention to them. Damen wanted to strangle Laurent because they were outnumbered. Yet when the soldiers came, Laurent told them that they were cloth merchants making a delivery with a defective wagon. They asked for their name and Damen said Charls, since it was the only cloth merchant he knew. Turned out that Charls was a renowned Veretian cloth merchant and they didn’t believe it because clearly, Damen wasn’t Veretian. Laurent said that he was Charls and that Damen was his assistant, Lamen (basically a combination of their names. Cute!). Somehow, Laurent was able to convince the soldiers to help them with the axel and guide them to an inn. Damen wasn’t even fazed anymore, but Nikandros couldn’t even believe what was happening. They did run into a bit of a problem…because Charls the cloth merchant was already there! Charls was brought forth and he recognized Laurent as the Prince of Vere and played along saying that he was his cousin Charls and he was Charls, named after their grandfather Charls. (I was laughing at this. So funny!) With that situation resolved and “Charls” vouched for, the soldiers left and Charls brought Damen and Laurent to a private corner. Charls was glad to see his Prince again, in another disguise no less. Laurent introduced Damen as Lamen, his assistant again because they couldn’t reveal who Damen really was. They were then introduced to other merchants as Charls younger cousin and assistant. While Laurent was absorbed in conversation with the other merchants with some surprising knowledge on merchant politics, Damen spoke with Charls’ assistant Guilliame who told him that Charls had met the Prince of Vere before in disguise as a prostitute. Damen played along feigning disbelief. When it was time to retire, Damen was led to Laurent’s room where he was waiting freshly bathed. He had dismantled the bed and set it before the fire, and kissed him when he came in. Damen then went to take a bath and when he was done, he was in for a surprise because Laurent had planned a bit more by lighting candles around the room and the man himself waiting for him which he thought was sweet. Things turned uh, passionate after that and Damen got the size of his lifetime as Laurent dropped to his knees before him and, well, gave him a blow job, a good one too even with it being his first time. After, Laurent asked him to show him what it could be like if they were together. So Damen made love to him, slowly, just how Laurent liked it. When they were done and lying next to each other, Damen commented that he was jealous of whatever princess Laurent was going to marry and Laurent said that there was no princess, he was going to be the last of his line. Damen didn’t know what to say to that, so stayed silent. After a while, Laurent said that he was glad Damen was here, he thought he would have to face his uncle alone and Damen said he wasn’t alone. They traveled with Charls for a few days and didn’t have any trouble, and the journey was relaxed for everyone as they bonded with some of the merchants. During one stop, Paschal said that he was the Regent’s physician and took care of his boys, meaning the boys he took to his bed (gross). He also said that his brother used to serve in the King’s Guard before he died. When they parted ways with Charls, Guilliame said that he noticed that “Lamen” had been a slave and that “Charls” had freed him and that he and Charls have never traded in slaves. Damen said without hesitation that Damianos will end slavery when he is King. As a parting word, Laurent told Charls to mention his name to Damianos when he is on the throne, he will give him a good price on cloth. Which is funny, because he was standing right there. They then parted ways, their party heading to the Kingsmeet. When everyone was asleep, including Damen beside him, Laurent got up and went to Jokaste’s wagon. He dismissed the guards and opened it up. He was letting her go as part of his own plans. He told her that he thought it was Kastor’s child. That she knew what was coming so to save Damen’s life, she had to send him to Vere and to do it, she had to be in Kastor’s bed. Jokaste didn’t say anything nor did her expression change, but Laurent could tell he had got it right because for the first time he could tell she was afraid. Laurent continued to say that he knew it was Kastor’s child because she wouldn’t use Damen’s child against him. He said they were alike because they both gave Damen a chance to live. Jokaste asked if the only difference was between them was that she chose the wrong brother, and Laurent said that she didn’t choose. (I think that means that she didn’t have to choose, she chose Damen all along, its why she did what she did. So Damen would survive).

In the morning, Laurent said it was best to not disturb Jokaste before the exchange so he and Damen went off alone to the Kingsmeet. It was a beautiful place made of white marble where pilgrims came to pay tribute to the Kingstone and a place where enemies could parlay. So Damen and Laurent went in as pilgrims. They had to pass through the gates first that were guarded by KIngsmeet guards dressed in white and take a pledge to not break the rules of peace. Damen had last been here when he was an infant when he was brought to be presented as the heir. No one spoke about how Kastor had been there, having been passed over, if he hadn’t been born, Kastor would have been the one presented. Damen told Laurent that Nikandros had served here at the Kingsmeet for 2 years, but he hadn’t been allowed because his father had said he was supposed to lead not follow. As they passed through the halls, Damen pointed out the different statues of past King’s and Queen’s of Akielos, one of which was the First King. He had unified the Kingdom and everything Damen has now has been passed from him. When they entered the inner chamber the Regent was waiting for them. Damen thought there was an ambush, but no one came, he was alone. Laurent and his uncle faced each other and exchanged sharp retorts each trying to get under each other’s skin. That was until the Regent said that Laurent knew he was going to be here and had come to give himself up for the child. Damen didn’t believe it at first but Laurent didn’t deny it. He had come to give himself up because Laurent knew that Damen wouldn’t fight if the Regent had his child, so he was going to give himself up so that Damen could win. Damen wanted to do the exchange instead, but the Regent wasn’t interested in making a deal with him, he wanted Laurent to stand trial before the Council. Laurent wanted him to leave, but Damen wouldn’t and said that Laurent would never kneel for him. Yet the Regent said he had, that he should have turned him away…(That pervert! Him and Laurent! He took advantage of a child!) Damen couldn’t control himself and drew his sword on the Regent but in that moment, Damen had broken the pledge and was swiftly taken down by the white sentries in the chamber. He didn’t go down without a fight of course, but they managed to pin him down and they told him his life forfit to the King. And the Regent said he was a King and wanted Damen killed. Laurent pleaded with his uncle to stop, to take him instead, but the Regent didn’t want him. So Laurent said he will go with him to Ios and stand trial if they let Damen go. Yet the Regent wasn’t going to make it easy. He wanted him to beg. For a man like Laurent, it was an utterly humiliating position but he did it. He got down on his knees and begged. Damen could scarcely believe what was happening. The Regent accepted and the next thing Damen knew Laurent was leaving with him and Damen left behind.

They didn’t let Damen go until the morning just as they said. By then Laurent was long gone. He was met outside the Kingsmeet by Jord and Nikandros and the former wanted to know where Laurent was, so he told him. Jord was understandably upset about the news and blamed Damen for leaving him there with his uncle. But there had been nothing he could have done. Laurent would be taken to Ios to stand trial where he would be branded a traitor and killed. Damen couldn’t let that happen. Laurent thought he was alone, but he wasn’t. He wasn’t going to just leave him. So Damen went to Ios alone and turned himself in. As he walked through the town, no one stopped him, no one seemed to even recognize him until he announced himself at the gates to the palace. Once everyone knew who he was they stared in shock because their King was alive and they were so happy to see him. But the guards had to bring him in despite this and had to manhandle Damen into the palace. They put him in a cell and tried to figure out what to do with him, when they did, they put him in cuffs and took him to the great hall where there was already a ceremony going on. The Regent was there with Kastor sitting next to him on a dasis, soldiers, both Veretian and Akielon alike sat around the room, as was the Council and right in front in chains was Laurent. He was still alive, a little worse for wear, but alive. Kastor was smug and clearly didn’t know what he had brought into the palace. When Laurent saw Damen, he was shocked and it took a moment to control himself. The Regent announced to everyone that Damianos of Akielos, the one responsible for the death of King Thromedes, had been captured. But Damen hadn’t been brought to face his crimes, he was the final piece of evidence against Laurent. That they were working together and that Laurent was sleeping with his brother’s killer. Then the Regent asked with false concern if Damen had forced him, that he was safe and could tell the truth, but Laurent said that he lay with him of his own volition and that Damen was innocent of any charges against him, that he was a good man. Damen understood that Laurent was trying to protect him, so he tried to do the same, and told the court that Laurent was wrongly accused and they will hear him if this was a fair trial. The council immediately tried to interrupt, but Damen was adamant that he will be heard. And the Regent, confident, let him. So he told the truth, how when they first met, Damen didn’t like him, that he was blinded by prejudice and didn’t understand who Laurent was and who he was fighting alone. That Laurent had more honor than any man he had ever met and he was proud to be his lover. The Regent said that while it was a heartfelt decoloration but there was no proof of this. Damen replied that the Regent was the architect of it all and he did have proof.

Damen then called Guion to come and speak. So he was sent for and with him the rest of his party; Guion’s wife Loyse, Paschal, Nikandros, and Jord. But it didn’t go as planned. Guion lied. He said that Laurent was guilty of everything he was charged with. That he had been a prisoner for months and had seen what he had been up to, bedding the Akielon every night, and chose him over his country. Damen was understandably angry that he was lying when he swore to tell the truth about the Regent’s group in Akielos. Guion just said that the Regent was innocent and his only crime was that he trusted his nephew. The Council had enough after that and were ready to pass their sentence. Damen and Laurent were pushed to their knees and a black cloth was brought out a symbol of death. Laurent pushed forward so that he was standing in front of asking his uncle if he wasn’t going to give him any last advice. The Regent just said that he had so much promise. That it hurt him that he hated him so when all he wanted was what was best for him. And that he should have known better to use Guion against him. Laurent then said that he wasn’t who he brought with him and Loyse, Guion’s wife stood up and said it was her and she had something to say. Guion tried to stop her, but she ignored him and said that the Regent had brought ruin to her family and killed her son, Aimeric. She said that the Regent would come to Fortaine and her husband allowed him to visit their youngest son’s bedroom in exchange for land and a position on the Council. He also made Guion the Ambassador to Akielos and was the go-between for the Regent and Kastor. Aimeric had killed himself because he had been an accomplice in the Regent and Kastor’s plot to kill King Theomedes and take his country. She then brought out a signet ring of Vere, (I think the same one that Laurent sent off before with the messenger) Loyse finished by saying that Kastor had assassinated his father in exchange for Veretian troops that he wanted to use to take Ios. Kastor denied the claims and wanted her arrested, but the Council had heard it all and they were disgusted. They already didn’t like that the Regent took young boys to his bed, and that a council member’s son had been used didn’t sit well with them. But it still didn’t clear Laurent’s name, but it did absolve Damen’s crime of being accused of killing the King. Damen tried to think of how to save him, Govart had known something about the Regent, but he was dead now. Nicaise had known, and he was killed too. There had to be a conection…. Damen pushed forward and said that there was someone else who can testify, but he hasn’t come forward. He is a good man and maybe he would if he was free to do so if he did not fear repercussions. But he said to the room that he had a duty to his country. Paschal came forward with a bundle of letters from his brother who had died. They were carried by Govart and stolen by Nicaise and was killed for it. Paschal said his brother Langren was an archer and he a physician and they came to the capital together. Langren rose in the ranks and into the King’s Guard quickly. Then the war came with Akielos; talks fell through so the King took his army to Marlas to force Theomedes away. Paschal said that his brother had been nervous before the fight, speaking strangely and didn’t find out why until years later. The Regent had advised the King to leave the safetly of the fort saying it was safe as they launched a surprise attack on the Akielons. But instead Veretians fell and Prince Auguste died. In his grief, the King took off his helm and was hit by a stray arrow in the throat. With the King and heir dead, the Regent ascended the throne. Paschal looked for his brother and found that he had fled the battlefield and had died several days later in a village and the people told him that a young Govart had been with him. He didn’t know if Govart had killed his brother, but the soldier had suddenly rose in power and was given money and slaves. It wasn’t until he read the letters that Nicaise gave to him did he understand. It was what he had used to blackmail the Regent and why his brother had fled. His brother had killed the King Aleron of Vere on orders from the Regent who promised him money, but instead had him killed to keep him quiet. It was proof that the Regent had conspired to kill his brother in order to claim the throne for himself. There was silence around the room as Paschal passed the letters to the Council. Damen looked at Laurent and he was white as a sheet, not having expected this outcome. It also now made sense to Damen why the Veretian army had attacked that day in the open when it had been obvious that they shouldn’t. Guion tried to deny all of it but Herode of the Council said that a Nicaise had been more loyal than the Council. Then he knelt in front of Laurent and said that they had failed him as their King. Then one by one the Council knelt in front of Laurent who was in shock that he was now King. The Regent said that the Council has been deceived into treason and wanted them arrested, but no one moved, even the Regent’s Guard didn’t move. One soldier ripped his insignia off his clothes and stood by Laurent and then the rest followed. The Regent tried to talk his way out of it, until Laurent told him he had lost. The Council then passed judgement. He was charged with treason and sentenced to death. His body will be displayed on the city gates and not with his family. As soldiers grabed him, the Regent said he couldn’t sentence him, he was King. Herode said he was never King. In a last ditch effort, the Regent said that he’ll kill Daminos’s child, but Laurent said no he won’t. Because he didn’t have the child and also that Damen knew it wasn’t his. He had found the scrap of paper that morning from Jokaste saying it wasn’t his and he was safe. The Regent was then brought forward and the sentence brought down, by a beheading. Now in charge, Laurent gave orders to have his uncle’s body displayed on the gates and his flag put out to let the people know. Then he ordered to have Damen unchained. The Akielon soldiers were confused now having been following Kastor all this time, and Kastor himself was gone having taken off with his guard in the confusion. Laurent came forward and said that if he needed an army to take the capital, he now had one. Damen just said to find him after…he had something to do.

The halls were in chaos when Damen set off to find Kastor. Kastor’s men were defending his retreat and he had to get to him before he left the palace to regroup with an army, it would turn into full out war. Laurent’s soldiers were not going to be any help because they were in an Aklieon palace and didn’t know the place like he did, but so did Kastor. So Damen went after him using a shortcut through the slave viewing rooms to the baths. The last time he had been there was when he was caught and stripped down to be sold. It didn’t take long for him to wait and soon Kastor was in front of him and alone. Now that they were face to face, they finally talked as Damen went up the stairs to confront him. Kastor basically blamed him for being born because he had everything that should have been his. Kastor said that when he was captured, the Regent had wanted him and at first he had refused, but Jokaste had convinced him to send him to Vere. When Damen got close enough, Kastor told him to kill him and let his sword go so that he was defenseless. But Damen couldn’t do it, he was going to take him in and have him live the rest of his life under house arrest in Ios. Kastor said thank you…then stabbed him with a knife. Damen fell backward down the stairs and landed at the bottom the wind knocked out of him and Kastor advanced on him with this sword that he had dropped to kill him because there couldn’t be 2 Kings of Akielos. Then miraculously Laurent appeared having followed Damen through the halls. He instructed Damen to staunch the blood, then used the gold cuff on Damen’s wrist to chain him to the floor. Laurent said that Damen won’t kill Kastor, but he will. Damen didn’t want him to because it was his brother, but he didn’t listen. Kastor was confident he was going to kill Laurent and then Damen. Damen knew how Laurent fought, he was good, yet Kastor was good too and had more experience. Last time Laurent and Damen had fought, Laurent had been still injured and clouded by anger, but this time he was at his best and clear-headed. Kastor and Laurent faced each other and fought, Laurent parrying each of Kastor’s attacks until Laurent stumbled. Kastor went in for the kill, but it had been a feint and Laurent drove his sword into Kastor’s chest, killing him. Then Laurent was by his side. Damen just felt relieved that Laurent was okay, and even if his brother was now dead, the brother he had known had been lost to him years ago. Later he will mourn the loss of his brother and inter him with his father. But for right now, he focused on Laurent. Laurent said he had killed his brother, but Damen wasn’t mad, instead, he understood him now. They were now both orphans. Laurent said they now held Ios, the center of both their lands and it had been one kingdom at some point. Damen agreed. They just had to wait for a physician to come, but he wasn’t too badly hurt. He just let Laurent fuss over him and looked to the future with Laurent by his side.

#phoenix be reading #Kings Rising #C.S. Pacat #Book Review #reading #books #literature #book lover #2020 books

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entirely-erika · 8 years ago

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Y’all…Charleston did not disappoint. It tried to, by raining almost EVERY DAY we were there, but little did she know we can make and rainy day a sunny one! The drive from Georgia {Athens area} was a breeze. We left around 6:00 am and arrived around 10:30, pretty good time!

One tip, if you are coming from our area, bring toll money! Luckily, Steven is always prepared so we were good. The tolls are between $1.50-$1.75 EACH! We were stopped by two toll roads. Make sure to check your route or have change on hand when you make the drive! There is nothing worse than having to turn around to find cash!

Once we arrived, we could not check into our condo until 3:30 so we had to dillie-dallie around Charleston. Torture, right? Ha! We decided to scope out the French Quarter by car and scratch off one of our restaurants off our list.

In this first installment, I will give you the ins and outs of where to we chose to eat and the outcomes. Remember these are all my husband and my opinions, given to you without any compensation or reimbursements from the restaurants.

In my previous post, where we planned what we would be doing, I told you, my husband, was at an obsessive point of using Yelp. You can check that post out {HERE}. Along with Yelp, we also checked to see if there were any restaurants in Charleston that were visited by Guy Fieri…boy were there, check those out {HERE}!

We always find it fun to see if this guy knows what he is talking about when we travel. Our fist stop and only restaurant on his list was delicious! Guy got it right this time!

Early Bird Diner

This was one of Guy’s picks and I am glad we decided to stop here on the way in! As you can see from the picture, there isn’t much to this place. Real talk, one thing I was not fond of when pulling up was finding a parking spot.

There are minimal “normal” spots and you MAY have to dig deep and remember how to use those parallel parking skills. They also have a very narrow area to pass through in the back to get to the other side of the parking area, I drive a 4-Runner and there were some close calls coming around the building due to others parking all willie-nillie.

But, don’t get me wrong, we didn’t have to look for over 5 minutes, I was just impatient and wanted to eat after our 4-hour car ride.

Upon pulling up, the sign made me laugh and sing {this song} in my head. I jumped out and took this picture…please pause to look at the gorgeous sky in the background. That sight didn’t last long. :[

It took a good 30 minutes to be seated. There were a few larger parties who were already seated {and wouldn’t leave even though they were done eating…instead decided to yell and laugh in this semi-tiny restaurant} and we were hangrily patiently waiting while giving the place a look over.

When waiting, patiently, I loved how many different characters were also waiting. There were businessmen; moms with their babies; teens with blue hair and tattoos; older couples drinking gallons of coffee; and many more varieties all there for delicious foods.

Entertainment area: kids books, coloring books, crayons, and toys. They also have adult literature for that possibly long wait…but only about 3 chairs to sit while you wait. This and the bathroom {YES, I SAID ONE BATHROOM} are points needing to be addressed…but that has nothing to do with the deliciousness that was on our plates.

They proudly hung their Guy Fieri sign {above the kitchen door}, as they should, signifying that they were indeed visited by this frosty haired food connoisseur. As you can see, this place loves to stick a sticker on something and promote local artists. Loving the arts myself, I found this to be an awesome and eclectic, way to decorate this space.

The art on the walls were from many mediums. The most predominant were graphic/comic style prints, followed secondly by good ol’ acrylic on canvas.

This place has some interesting hours. Make note!

Since we got there at 10:45, we were kind of at the turnover time from breakfast to lunch. Steven decided to get the meatloaf sandwich with a side of sausage. We started this trip pretty strong with our Ketogenic ways, skipping the bread on this one. As you will see when this post gets going, we slowly lost our Keto way and planned to start fresh when we returned home.

I got the blackened chicken sandwich with collard greens. This came with bacon, avocado, and chipotle mayo.

Check out Early Bird Diner’s social medias and other’s reviews:

Early Bird Diner Website

Facebook

Trip Advisor

Yelp!

Blossom

This was Steven’s favorite restaurant, hands down. I enjoyed this restaurant as well, but I was still in the Keto mindset. I feel that when we travel back to Charleston, there are a few other things on the menu I will try.

The overall feel is very laid back but with a sophisticated feel. When you first walk in, you are greeted by a host who can find your reservations {which are highly recommended during peak hours} or seat you at their beautifully designed restaurant.

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Once we sat down, these pretty little flowers greeted us. I love that they matched my newly-dyed hair, ha! Another added touch was with the menus and the black acrylic backer they were attached to, keeping it classy! The architecture was also superb!

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We started off with the “Holy City Sampler” appetizer. This AWESOME dish consisted of pimiento cheese, boiled peanut hummus, flatbread to scoop them up with. It also came with deviled eggs and pickled okra {yum!}. I believe the stars on this plate were the okra and the pimento cheese. I would totally get this dish again.

I decided to stay on the Keto wagon and got the grilled chicken caesar salad with possibly the best dressing I have ever had! I did not eat the croutons, but they were interesting…they were baby cornbread cubes!

Steven is more of a seafood lover than I and got the grilled sea scallops, accompanied by wild caught shrimp in creamy white grits with mushrooms, spinach, lobster butter. This was his favorite meal of the entire trip, it was a little pricey but we will return!

Check Blossom’s social media and other’s reviews:

Blossom Website

Facebook

Trip Advisor

Yelp!

Page’s Okra Grill

This was my favorite restaurant but, like most of the places, we ate it was not in walking distance from our condo. We had to take a quick drive across the Ravenel Bridge…please note the overcast sky.

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Once we arrived at Page’s Okra Grill, it began to sprinkle and thankfully they have a great covered porch to wait and eat, when the weather is better. They also had a fun adirondack chair for a photo opportunity, there were a ton of people jumping off and on so I could only snap this quick photo.

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Once we sat down, we were greeted by an awesome waiter, Alban! He was very attentive and knew his stuff about the menu. After he took our order, he spun around, made a joke {one of many} and sped off to put our order in. While we were waiting, we noticed the music and how awesome it was as well. They played Jimmy Eat World, Semisonic, Nine Days, and some other 90’s and 00’s alternative rock bands. We were constantly singing and tapping our feet. While the atmosphere was great, the food was even better.

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The menus here in Charleston always need extra flair. That was no different, even though this restaurant was not as “fancy” as Blossom, they added a nice touch to the ambiance. Okay, on to the part you really care about…the food described clockwise.

Steven couldn’t resist the shrimp, crab and bacon chowder with the toasted cracker. After this appetizer, he decided to trick his body and up his carb intake and indulge in the chicken and waffles with delicious honey butter. I have to admit that had a nibble. I am not sure if it is because I have not had sweets in a month or so, but this was one of the best waffles I have ever eaten.

Next, I built my own burger. Now, with the Keto lifestyle, I have eaten a ton of burgers and I can say this was the best burger I have ever eaten. Their menu states their burgers are “a blend of ground chuck, brisket & rib-eye steak, ground fresh daily in-house & cooked to order”. I added all the Keto-friendly toppings they had to offer: pepper jack cheese, bacon, grilled mushrooms, jalapenos, and avocado. I was in Keto paradise!

Check Page’s Okra Grill social media and other’s reviews:

Page’s Okra Grill Website

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Trip Advisor

Yelp!

Fleet Landing

Y’all…we literally walked through the storm to eat at this place. In that walk, we came to the conclusion that when you visit on a rainy day/week, you need to pack a small umbrella. The sidewalks of Charleston are extremely narrow and when you have tons of people trying to pass each other, it is like a game of chicken. We were bobbing and weaving to get around people and jumping in and out of puddles.

Once we arrived, pretty soaked, we had about a 20-minute wait and took in the views.

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As you could tell from the picture, Fleet Landing is right on the water so we were able to see all of the wildlife and the ships passing by. I also love that the inside is nautical and their use of space, because it is on the smaller side, is great.

The photo below shows exactly what our view was like…cloudy but gorgeous! We were on the outside of the restaurant and they were prepared to pull down a shade to keep the rain out.

Keeping all things real, I didn’t really see much on the menu I wanted…other than appetizers. That is not saying you won’t like the menu, that is your call. Steven had his fill of seafood by this time and nothing really jumped out at me…other than these apps.

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Once again, the best way to describe the delicious foods is clockwise. The first, and most delicious in my opinion, were the seared blackened shrimp with pimento cheese grits and sweet creamed corn. The shrimp were HUGE and delicious. These grits too y’all were the bomb.com and I will have them again, ha!

Next, I had a simple Fleet Landing’s house salad, but whoa, that creamy pepper parmesan though! One of the best dressings {along with the Blossom’s caesar} I have ever had. Those cheese stick looking things in the top right aren’t what you would expect them to be.

These are actually crispy “steak” calamari sticks with an apricot glaze and spicy red pepper remoulade. Oh, my squid…it didn’t even taste like squid. I highly recommend these if you love calamari or even if you are toying with the idea of trying it. You can tell from the photo that they give you a hefty portion too, we couldn’t even finish them!

Lastly, Steven ordered the pan-fried Carolina lump crab cake with pickled corn relish, red pepper sauce, and crispy fried onions. I have never seen a crabcake with so much crab. I am not a huge eater of crab, but I did take a bite to say I tried it. Steven ate it quickly, so I am assuming it was delicious, ha!

Overall, I am not sure if I would return when we travel back to Charleston. It may have also been that this was not one of the first places we visited so I was not wanting what I could have eaten at the other places.

Check Fleet Landing’s social media and other’s reviews:

Fleet Landing Website

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Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit

This is possibly the smallest restaurant I have ever been inside but whoa, big taste. You might me saying to yourself, “Aren’t all biscuits the same?”. Um, no.

When we were walking down King Street {tons of pictures below} we walked right past this little shop. I wish they had an actual sign that sticks out from the building to alert people looking for this gem.

When you first walk in, you might be sticking out the door or becoming best friends with the person in front and behind you. It was packed like sardines y’all! They are smart and made all things white to help make the room feel larger.

Once we looked over the menu, we decided to eat brunch here to fuel our walk all over the city. Buh bye staying under 20g of carbs…we needed fuel.

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While waiting, I took a ton of photos and Steven sipped on his many liquids. I have to warn you the wait was pretty long, but it was well worth it!

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Okay, so the left picture shows what we really went to get…sausage, egg, and pimento cheese biscuit. They were absolutely delicious. If you know me, you know I love a good Golden Pantry biscuit and that is what this made me think of. All of their ingredients are fresh and made to order, that is why it takes a good minute to get these “hot little biscuits”.

The little biscuits to the right were a little sampler to taste some of the other flavors. We decided upon the black pepper bacon filled biscuit, plain and cinnamon filled {this was my personal fave}.

One of the best things is that these little biscuits are also available in Atlanta…closer to me than Charleston. One hour and 15 minutes from my house to be exact! That is a lot better than 4 hours!

Check Callie’s Hot Little Biscuits social media and other’s reviews:

Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit Website

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Hominy Grill

This was not a restaurant that was on our original list, but we threw Keto to the wind by this time and were resetting our bodies. We decided to splurge a little and hit this place on the way out of Charleston.

The parking situation was limited, on a Friday at 11am…that shows you how popular it is. Thankfully, we are not a large party so we were sat fairly quickly…this place was packed!

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I absolutely love the decor, simple and clean. They had flowers on the table were great, a running theme here in Charleston. The building {shown in the top left } is only on the lower floor, the second and third floor are apartments.One flaw was that there was no guest wifi, most places had this. While it wouldn’t make me not ever go back, it would have made it easier for me to take more IG storied and pretty much give them free advertisements!

One flaw was no guest wifi, most restaurants in the area had this. While it wouldn’t prevent me from going back, it would have made it easier for me to take more IG storied and pretty much give them free advertisements!

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Look at all of these people! This was about 1/3 of the people in the entire restaurant, we were packed like sardines!

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I’ve said it before and I will say it again…I keep it real, with my views here at entirelyerika. While I love the aesthetics; the waitstaff was wonderful; the food tasted great… the portions were smaller for the huge price. Can we also talk about how this place was NOT in the immediate downtown Charleston area? You couldn’t walk there like some of the other places with comparable pricing. That should account for slightly lesser pricing…just my opinion.

To give you an example, I ordered the shrimp and grits with sautéed shrimp, scallions, mushrooms & bacon over cheese grits on a plate larger than a tea saucer, but smaller than a regulation dinner plate for $17. Steven ordered the “Charleston Nasty Biscuit” with fried chicken breast, cheddar cheese & sausage gravy for $13.

Now, $30 for two people in Charleston is not terrible, but this biscuit size was comparable to the ones we ate at Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit {CHLB}. Keeping all things real, the biscuit we ate at CHLB were better.

Both tasted great, but I think I can honestly say when we travel back to Charleston, this will not be on our list. Check out what others have said below.

Check Hominy Grill social media and other’s reviews:

Hominy Grill Website

Facebook

Trip Advisor

Yelp!

I hope these recommendations help you plan as you travel to Charleston and eat your way around the city!

Do you have a favorite place to eat? Have you eaten at these places?

[bctt tweet=”Check out @entirely.erika and her favorite restaurants to visit in #Charleston !” username=”entirely_erika”]

CHECK OUT PART TWO: WHAT TO SEE COMING SOON!

Charleston, South Carolina Travel Guide Part One: Where to eat Y'all...Charleston did not disappoint. It tried to, by raining almost EVERY DAY we were there, but little did she know we can make and rainy day a sunny one!

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