#but laurent will also learn akielon at some point

[lucky-clover-gazette]

kings rising highlights & annotations

chapter 1

indented text is from the book. some quotes have commentary, some do not. some comments are serious, and some are definitely not. most of them will only make sense to people who have read the series. and, like, there are spoilers. so please read the books first if you're interested!

also: part of the reason i'm doing such a close reading is to study cs pacat's style, especially in terms of how she does romance and erotica. there are "craft notes" that might seem weird, like i'm being redundant or restating something rather than analyzing, but those are more things that i want to remember/take away from the writing!

i'm going to tag these longer posts with "sam reads capri" in case anyone wants to read them all at once.

this is a google doc i wrote with overall content warnings for the captive prince series. it's not perfect, but i do think it's important to include.

A hiss of a rock, thrown. Nikandros came up off his knees, drawing his sword. Damen flung out a hand in a motion for halt, stopping Nikandros instantly, his sword showing a half-foot of Akielon steel.

nik. it's a rock. chill the fuck out.

Damianos, prince-killer. His mind, used to battlefield decisions, took in the sweep of the courtyard, and made the commander’s choice: to minimise losses, to limit bloodshed and chaos, and to secure Ravenel. The Veretian guards were beyond his orders, and the Veretian people . . . if these bitter, furious emotions could be soothed among the Veretian people, he was not the one to soothe them. There was only one way to stop what was about to happen, and that was to contain it; to lock it down, to secure this place once and for all. Damen said to Nikandros, ‘Take the fort.’

i like how the book starts immediately with a very clear example of how the status quo has irreversibly changed. damen has no choice but to act as akielion (akielon? whatever) prince/commander, because that’s how everyone sees him now. even if he hasn’t changed at all from how he’d been five minutes ago

Guymar purposefully spat, and for his trouble was backhanded hard across the face with a mailed fist by the Akielon soldier. Damen let it happen, aware of what would have happened if a man had spat on the ground in front of his father.

i think what i said at the end of book 2 holds true here - damen spent prince’s gambit in the romance genre with interruptions from the war/politics genres, but with laurent’s (presumed accidental) outing of him as prince he’s now forced to live in the same world that laurent’s been in for the past two books. like “yep gotta let my former friend and ally get slapped because politics. man if only laurent had known that i was the prince, we could have avoided this :/“

‘We don’t stand together,’ said Guymar. ‘You betrayed our Prince.’ And then, as though he almost couldn’t bear to say it, ‘You had him—’

in all senses of the phrase, laurent very much had damen

Damen said, ‘I made him a promise.’ ‘And when he learns who you are?’ said Jord. ‘When he learns that he is facing Damianos on the field?’ ‘Then he and I meet each other for the first time,’ said Damen. ‘That was also a promise.’

damen reclaiming his princely authority while being so profoundly wrong… embarrassing

He had a sense of holding on, as though if he just held the fort, held these men together long enough to reach Charcy, then what followed— He couldn’t think about what followed, all he could do was keep to his promise.

he is so devoted to laurent that he doesn’t even stop to think that he’s been screwed over. me too damen, as a first-time reader. and even now, on a second read, i'm not sure how much i trust laurent. i've forgotten the intricacies of his plan and i didn't do a close-reading the first time around, so there are certain things i just can't say for sure at this point.

anyway, i actually think d&l have a ton in common in terms of how they express and demonstrate devotion. they both have bleeding hearts, it’s just that laurent’s has had a much longer time to harden. the way he assesses and handles situations is with a detachment he believes is necessary, so he doesn’t lose control, while damen throws himself wholeheartedly into everything he cares about. they have the same fierceness and passion, and while working together they help to balance out their approaches while applying that passion. starting the book out like this, with damen's devotion on full display and laurent's being majorly questioned, is very smart. because they both need to evolve from this point, in order to be good kings and good partners to each other.

like honestly, they both just need to sit the fuck down and tell the truth and accept that they both care about each other and they don’t have to be avoidant freaks about it. not that either of them (mostly laurent, but also damen in a different way) actually wants to do that. and that’s what the first like 1/3 of the book is about, as i recall: their petty divorce drama until they both give in and decide to figure out their shit.

The ghost of his father seemed to prickle over his skin. It was his father’s title, but his father no longer sat on the throne at Ios. Looking at the bowed head of his friend, Damen realised it for the first time. He was no longer the young prince who had roamed the palace halls with Nikandros after a day spent wrestling together on the sawdust. There was no Prince Damianos. The self that he had been striving to return to was gone.

“with real power comes real responsibility, and i don’t want any of that shit” - dennis reynolds, it’s always sunny in philadelphia

Damen took in Nikandros’s familiar, classically Akielon features, his dark hair and brows, his olive face and straight Akielon nose. As children, they had run barefoot together through the palace. When he’d imagined a return to Akielos, he’d imagined greeting Nikandros, embracing him, heedless of the armour, like digging in his fingers and feeling in his fist the earth of his home.

so they've definitely fucked right

Damen thought of the soldiers bursting into his rooms, of being lashed down in the slave baths, of the dark, muffled journey by ship to Vere. He thought of being confined, his face painted, his body drugged and displayed. He thought of opening his eyes in the Veretian palace, and what had happened to him there. ‘You were right about Kastor,’ Damen said. It was all he said.

nice vs. good theme breakthrough!

He heard of his own body, wrapped and taken in the processional through the acropolis, then interred beside his father.

okay so which dead palace employee/slave got to posthumously cosplay as damen’s corpse

He heard Kastor’s claim that he had been killed by his own guard.

copying the regent's homework

To the Kyros of Delpha, Nikandros, from Laurent, Prince of Vere.

"hey girl,"

The letter was old. The writing was old. Laurent must have sent the letter from Arles.

see my previous breakdown from book 2 chapter 21 about how laurent literally failsafed losing the only living person who loves him with this gambit

It made tactical sense, in a horrifying way, for Laurent to have made an alliance with Nikandros. Laurent had always been capable of a kind of ruthless pragmatism. He was able to put emotion aside and do what he had to do to win, with a perfect and nauseating ability to ignore all human feeling.

i mean i think there was feeling there. making the alliance also was a way for laurent to dispose of damen, returning him to his people so the regent couldn’t use him to torture laurent. because at that point i’m not sure if laurent wanted damen dead, but he definitely wanted him gone. and he’d assumed that damen would want that too

In return for aid from Nikandros, the letter said, Laurent would offer proof that Kastor had colluded with the Regent to kill King Theomedes of Akielos.

okay yeah THAT’S GOOD. and it explains how laurent gets himself in his situation in the next chapter, he’s following up on the promise by trying to get the info from govart/guion

The straightforward ease of it left him without words. He had forgotten what home felt like. He had forgotten trust, loyalty, kinship. Friends.

i’m glad nikandros is a real one. but damen please don’t regress so much that you forget straightforwardness and ease =/= truth and loyalty. oh fuck he can’t hear me

‘Your friend [Nikandros, talking about himself] is a fool and courts treason for a keepsake.’

yeah it makes sense that these two are besties

To gain everything and lose everything in the space of a moment. That is the fate of all princes destined for the throne.

this or a kingdom. guess he’ll kingdom

‘Kastor made me a slave. Laurent freed me. He gave me command of his fort and his troops, an act of trust for an Akielon he had no reason to elevate. He doesn’t know who I am.’

oh honey

‘The Prince of Vere freed you,’ said Nikandros. ‘You have been his slave?’ His voice thickened with the words. ‘You have served the Prince of Vere as a slave?’

this isn’t an hr complaint quite yet but it is a “nikandros takes out his phone and bitches on his private twitter moment” moment. which i think should be a tally as well. nikandros private twitter venting moment #1

He knew what they saw—a hundred images of slaves, submitting, bending at the hip, parting their thighs, the casual ease with which these men would have taken slaves in their own households.

back in book 1, when assessing the state of erasmus in torveld’s possession, i recall that damen assumes that veretians think that “there is no honour in submission.” implying that to damen in book 1, and akielons in general, there IS honor in a slave’s submission. but here, when their prince—a person they respect—is revealed to have been made a slave, they definitely don’t perceive it as an honor. so which one is it? whatever submission damen shows/showed laurent is voluntary and honorable by his own moral code. he hasn’t been groomed or brainwashed into submitting his own free will. get on his level or keep your judgment to yourselves, hypocrites

‘Does it shock you? I was a personal gift to the Prince of Vere.’ He had bared his whole forearm. Nikandros turned to Makedon, his voice harsh. ‘You will not speak of this. You will never speak of this outside this room—’ Damen said, ‘No. It can’t be hidden.’ He said it to Makedon.

i think damen can at least subconsciously see the hypocrisy here. and he’s indignant about it >:)

‘You were the Prince’s slave?’ Revulsion was stamped on Makedon’s face, whitening it. ‘Yes.’

'and tbh i’d drop the past tense i had the blacksmith keep this thing on me'

‘You—’ Makedon’s words echoed the unspoken question in Nikandros’s eyes that no man would ever say aloud to his King. Damen’s flush changed in quality. ‘You dare ask that.’ Makedon said, thickly, ‘You are our King. This is an insult to Akielos that cannot be borne.’

and now damen’s piiiiiisssssssed. i think partially because he knows it was the best night of his life and doesn’t want to be shamed for it, lol

‘You will bear it,’ said Damen, holding Makedon’s gaze, ‘as I have borne it. Or do you think yourself above your King?’ Slave, said the resistance in Makedon’s eyes. Makedon certainly had slaves in his own household, and made use of them. What he imagined between Prince and slave stripped it of all the subtleties of surrender. Having been done to his King, it had in some sense been done to him, and his pride revolted at it.

okay yeah damen’s totally ending the institution of slavery once he's king and the gradual development of changing his mind has been both demonstrated effectively and completely earned throughout the past two books. i think this is why some of the cruelest things in book 1 happen to damen in the first place—they had very little to do with the development of his relationship with laurent, and everything to do with this personal arc for damen’s character. moments like this are the payoff to all of that subtle and consistent work. damen’s wake-up call of being treated like a slave and realizing it’s not what he thought, now transferring to his fellow slave-owners like a moral salve (not a typo for slave. like medicine).

The plan he had developed with Laurent was simple,

ARE YOU SURE

Damen’s men were the bait.

damen sees those red flags and just keeps pushing forward

It struck its front hoof on the cobbles, as though seeking to overturn a stone, arching its neck, perhaps sensing, in the manner of all great beasts, that they were on the cusp of war.

do you think damen and laurent’s horses miss each other

But Jord and Huet. Lazar. Scanning their faces, Damen saw who they were. These were the men of the Prince’s Guard, with whom Damen had travelled for months. And there was only one reason why they had been released from confinement. Damen held up a hand, and Jord was allowed through, so that for a moment their horses circled each other. ‘We’ve come to ride with you,’ said Jord. Damen looked at the small clump of blue now gathered before the rows of red in the courtyard. There weren’t many of them, only twenty, and he saw at once that it was Jord who had convinced them, so that they were here, mounted and ready. ‘Then we ride,’ said Damen. ‘For Akielos, and for Vere.’

<3

The uncertain terrain was a valley of doubt, fringed by trees and dangerous slopes.

“the uncertain terrain was a valley of doubt” great line

Damen would never bring men into this kind of disadvantage without a counter plan.

SSFGHYSUDGFYSUDF

If he just did that, just kept to his promise, then after—

now damen’s the one being controlled by his emotions and desperation. oops!

‘If we do that, and your Veretian doesn’t arrive, we’ll all be killed.’ ‘He’ll be here,’ said Damen.

cringe

Laurent had never planned to come. That was what the scout was screaming, right before an arrow took him in the back. ‘This is your Veretian Prince exposed for what he is,’ said Makedon.

so i know that having akielos show up was laurent’s plan, but i forget if laurent had EVER intended to show up at charcy, or if the plan was always to screw damen over. like laurent tells damen that was the plan, after the fact, or at least doesn’t apologize. because he's a petty bitch and mad at damen for lying and doesn't want to talk about the fact that he got tortured. but i still think that laurent could have intended to be there, just with the twist of damen being exposed, if he hadn’t been held up and injured. after all, the akielos allyship plan has been a thing since vere, but the charcy plan was in response to something laurent 100% did not see coming. laurent couldn't have ended the snowball effect of his own gambit by the time he realized he liked and trusted damen, but he could only have planned charcy after they bonded for almost an entire book. they're two different plans, by two slightly different laurents. not that damen can really see that right now.

i don’t know, i always tend to give laurent more grace than he probably deserves. i WANT him to do better than he sometimes does, because he is a character i'm rooting for, and i know that he cares about being honorable in his own messy imperfect way. (me 🤝 damen).

but even if we're just looking at it without any kind of emotional attachment, it simply isn't characteristic of laurent to leave so many of his own people to die, if he can avoid it. so it would make sense for him to at least try to keep his promise of showing up. but then again, when he’s overwhelmed by emotions he does make uncharacteristically stupid choices. and he is pissed at damen, kind of, although i do think he feels much more endeared to him now than he’d been when he sent nikandros the letter from arles. so he must have meant to be there. but then AGAIN, maybe laurent still somehow assumes that damen was just using him as a fuck, especially since damen didn’t tell the truth even when they started having sex. because laurent is an idiot about feelings, and he doesn’t want to see that damen cares, so he convinces himself that damen deserves to be abandoned on the battlefield.

i don't knowwwwww, my heart says one thing and my literary analysis brain tentatively agrees (laurent meant to be there but couldn't make it), but i hate getting things wrong and laurent is a slippery bitch. and again, this is on a SECOND READ. i just don't remember, for sure, if laurent meant to be at charcy. i don't know if it's even ever said, or just meant to be read between the lines. this may seem negligent or shallow, but listen, the first time i read this book was a binge-read. i read it in a night, right after reading a good chunk of prince's gambit in the afternoon. i was paying a lot less attention to the war/plan stuff and just focusing on the dysfunctional gay people. what i didn't realize, in my haste, is that the war/plan stuff adds an entire new dimension to the gay people's dysfunction. which is why i firmly believe that this is a series that needs to be read twice, at least. these are not romance books, they're a fucking psychological experience. they're like an escape room for your brain that just happens to have horny gay people inside.

Damen had no time to think before the situation was on him.

laurent in book 2: “i can’t think”

There was a dark logic to it. Have your slave convince the Akielons to fight. Let your enemies do your fighting for you, the casualties taken by the people you despise, the Regent defeated or weakened, and the armies of Nikandros wiped out.

and if it was laurent of book 1 or early book 2, that would have made perfect sense. but he made the charcy plan at the end of book 2 come onnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn. it can't be as simple as "laurent fully meant to screw you over," even if he didn't manage to show up as a result of his own plans that nobody else knew about. laurent took two steps forward at the end of book 2, trusting damen enough to emotionally and physically be intimate with him AND making this charcy plan with him. i think it makes sense for him to have taken one step back, in not actually telling damen the full truth about the alliance or laurent's own sidequest that ends up getting him captured and injured, but i just don't think he took TWO entire steps back, by putting damen and his men in a deadly situation with zero intention to help. that's too simple for him, both in an in-universe sense and in a "this is how good storytelling (which pacat can at this point be reasonably trusted to do) works" sense. it has to be something in between, even if damen and laurent assume/claim otherwise.

Damen found himself alongside Jord. ‘If you want to live, ride east.’ White-faced, Jord took one look at his expression and said, ‘He’s not coming.’

jord stays losing

[altruistic-meme]

i am both technically writing and technically not writing at the same time, which is interesting

[themarchrabbit]

68. A hoarse whisper of "kiss me." - Captive Prince 😈

It's a slow day.

Laurent takes a turn through the gardens at the end of it, after the sun has hit the horizon, the heat of the day receding. It's summer, but close to autumn, the gardens mostly green now, insects gone. He walks, Jord and another guard following at a distance. The other is Akielon, and seems to be enjoying his lesson to Jord on the finer points of Akielon swearing, Jord returning with the Veretian equivalent.

They're occupied, is all that matters. Laurent is left to his own mind.

He holds up a hand, and they both stop. "Stay," he directs, and descends the steps to the pavilion that overlooks the sea. Unless an assassin has learned to fly, or he's overcome with the urge to throw himself over the edge, there's no danger. So neither argue.

The sunset has painted the water gold and white and burning orange and black. Laurent leans against the wall, and looks out on it.

This land, fought over between Vere and Akielos for so long, now the site of the royal palace. The kingdoms joined again at last. It was a good decision, politically speaking. For now, this works. Forever, who knows. It might all come to naught after his and Damen's deaths.

Even over the sound of the sea, he hears the polite acknowledgement of Damen's presence. Without looking, he knows both Jord and the guard will keep their eyes off the pavilion now. Jord especially, and that amuses Laurent a little, in a harmless way.

Damen greets him with his hands on Laurent's hips, body against Laurent's back. The heat of the day was unbearable, but with the night comes a chill, and Damen is very useful where he is right now. His mouth against Laurent's neck is not useful at all, but it is pleasurable. His low, "You look very fine in this light," also serves no purpose but to tell Laurent something he already knows. He's heard enough about his beauty over the years to be very assured of it. And he has the bruises from Damen's mouth on his skin to prove it, should he ever doubt it.

Laurent reaches back, hooks a hand around Damen's head, so he stays where he is. Kissing Laurent's neck, hands pulling Laurent tighter to him. "Macedon has invited us out for the hunt," Laurent says. He did last year as well, and Laurent ended up covered in mud, but with a pelt for their sitting room. And more of Macedon's seemingly endless praise. "You have to attend with me this year."

Damen huffs. "You can't go a month without me?" He's not hard against Laurent, but stirring. Laurent presses himself against him, mind already working through the logistics of what they could do. Not much, not without scandalizing all of Akielos even more. Laurent cannot fathom how a people so at ease with going about their lives half-naked can be so conservative about sex, but it is what it is.

Still, Damen is easily persuaded in these matters. So easily, allowing Laurent to guide one of his hands to where Laurent's shirt is open, unlaced in concession to the weather.

"You would have me here?" Damen teases. "I do believe Jord has suffered enough of your games."

Jord is Veretian, and has no business being so at home with Akielon culture. It's disloyal, in some way Laurent will puzzle out later. "Then take me to our bed," Laurent orders, irritated that he can feel exactly what he wants, and can't have it. He turns in Damen's arms and encourages him down. "Kiss me," he whispers, hoarsely, the damn salt air and his own arousal giving him away.

Damen gives him that much, at least.

[thickenmyblood]

I’ll confess my sins. When I skipped the first chapters of Capri I got stuck on Laurent’s description as spoiled and similar to overripe fruit. So i was like ah. Royal Dudley Dursley with a blonde curly wig. Sounds about right. I finally saw some fan art and was like??? Who is this anemic Victorian vampire legolas persona?? Honestly tho in an alternate universe where Auguste doesn’t die and Laurent still dislikes sports but enjoys Veres sweet meats and his metabolism is only the slightest bit slower Laurent is absolutely getting chubby. And Damen. Smh he manages to be shadiest bitch while also being appreciating. Would he insult an overweight courtier who never touched a sword? Absolutely. Would he respect a meaty sumo ringer able to throw Damen around like a rag doll? Absolutely. He seems to appreciate multiple types of bodies just fine (muscled gladiators, frail slaves, sturdy vaskian women) so I feel like he’d also appreciate curvier partners as long as they. Well know how to use their body yk. Oh and what about chubby jokaste? We don’t know enough about akielon beauty standards at all. Sure slaves are probably mostly slender and frail to add to the submissive aesthetic (tho I do remember damens fixation on his female slaves big boobs, dude is far from subtle as always). But if it’s Ancient Greek inspired beauty standards jokaste most definitely rocks some tummy rolls. Either that or she’s got super toned abs from the Pilates classes she visits with the other trophy concubines. and akielon man are properly ripped but is it king-Leonidas-washboard-abs ripped?? Or more chunky functional muscle mass ripped? Perhaps akielon noble women are even trained like Spartan women and egeria was the one with the washboard abs. Also there absolutely was a time in Vere where the chubbier the pet = the wealthier it’s owner. Im so so sorry for rambling but your post got me t h i n k i n g

This is not only hilarious but also one of the best takes I’ve ever read. There is so much to unpack here that I truly don’t know where to start.

You mentioned Dudley, whose weight and fat (derogatory) tendencies are accentuated throughout the entire Harry Potter saga. I think—and this is my personal belief, it is not something anyone else has to agree with—that part of what makes Laurent interesting and redeemable to many readers has to do with the fact that he’s beautiful*. I don’t think many people would be willing to admit that, but Laurent’s pretty privilege as a fictional character is similar to Draco Malfoy’s (in fanon) or other morally grey villains/characters’. Ugly characters are harder to forgive, for some reason.

This got me thinking that had Pacat written Laurent as canonically fat, there would be a lot of stuff going on in Damen’s head that I don’t think we’d be able to excuse as easily as we excuse other (quite horrible) thoughts of his. But also, like I mentioned above, I think Laurent would have a harder time proving to some readers that he’s not Dudley, that he’s not just a stereotype of selfishness and greed and other things fatness is associated with (like childishness or an inability to take accountability for one’s actions). This would happen not because he’s fat, but rather because we see the world through Damen’s eyes. And Damen is. . . Quite opinionated.

You mentioned Damen would be judgmental of someone’s weight based on their ability to fight. So, like you pointed out, he’d make fun of a useless in battle courtier but not of a Sumo wrestler. I think in Book 1 Damen would make fun of anything and everyone, but I do understand where you’re coming from with that statement. It makes me wonder what Damen would think of people with a mobility/physical disability. Or even with learning difficulties. Or just about anyone that, according to him, doesn’t contribute to society. If you can’t be a warrior or a bed slave, and if you’re not in a condition to be a peasant and plow fields, and if you don’t have royal blood in your veins. . . I have a hard time picturing Damen being sympathetic.

Chubby Jokaste. . . I think I’ve always thought of her as a muscled woman, given the fact that Laurent can pose as her in Book 3. There’s been a lot of discourse lately on whether Laurent is muscled or a twigly twink, which I will not get into because I. . . do not know enough about gender and/or gender expression to add anything to any argument. I am also not a gay man, so I don’t know what could be considered offensive. I am also very stupid. I also do not know what the word 'twink' means anymore.

Your ask has made me think a lot about many things I’m usually not interested in. I think it would be interesting to see a chubby Laurent who still knows how to fight, who trains, who does things other than eat and hate. Canon Laurent is slender, and yet he never manages to beat Damen in combat, so I don’t think his ability to fight would suffer much from gaining some pounds. It would be interesting to see chubby Jokaste too, even though I don’t particularly enjoy the parallels between her and Laurent in canon. It would also be interesting to see. . . different types of bodies. You mentioned the Vaskian ladies, which I like a lot, but I don’t think I’ve read or come across any fics that focus on them. I think Vannes’ pet is also described as muscular and big, but I’m afraid I don’t remember the quote and I don’t own the books, so I can’t be sure.

What I liked the most was the ending of your ask, where you went on to add little worldbuilding details. Like I said yesterday, I wish canon was more detailed so we could maybe have something to hold onto when we make certain claims. It’s hard to say which parts of Damen’s thought process are entirely his (as a prince with a lot of privilege) and which ones have to do with his culture. Pacat has pointed out some to us, like the fact that Akielons don’t enjoy certain “spectacles” of the body, like pet rings or public sex, but they do enjoy staring at bodies when they’re wrestling or performing physical activities unrelated to sex. Other things remain little mysteries, in my opinion. Do all bed slaves have the same body type? Do women wrestle? How does marriage work in Akielos? What is everyone else’s opinion on fat people? I’m sure not everyone is like Damen, who we speculate cares about having a healthy body so he can fight and. . . stuff.

I am not saying Damen is the only character who, in the historic period where Captive Prince is set, would have fatphobic thoughts. If Damen was fat, Laurent would be the first one to use that against him, especially in Book 1. I just think Damen fits the fatphobic mold better because he’s described as this hypermasculine character, very into war (I think the blurb of the book calls him a warrior prince?) and manly things. Which is not to say war is inherently manly. Which is not to say Laurent isn’t manly. Which is not to say. . . whatever.

Captive Prince is a fantasy trilogy, set in. . . the past. Concepts such as fatphobia or toxic masculinity are not exactly applicable, but I think it’s fun to explore Damen’s character through his flaws. Laurent has a lot of flaws, but Damen’s are sometimes confused with virtues. In my opinion, they’re at their best when they’re being disgustingly horrible to each other.

I’m sorry for writing you a 90 paragraph response.

* He's almost universally beautiful in the Captive Prince world. Damen finds him pretty, and Torveld, and Jord (we've read that 'cute' quote where he describes Laurent at 15 to Aimeric). Not saying fat = ugly. I'm saying it seems like the 'hegemonic' body type for pretty is Laurent's, otherwise. . . why would everyone he comes in contact with comment on his pretty looks?

[not-a-coral-snake]

for @lamenweek Day 8 prompt: “It was one kingdom once”

"Their support is . . . tennous," Berenger says. He shifts his weight. "Your majesty, if I may be so bold . . . You retain their support because they think you are young and tractable. They think they can sway you, if not into abandoning the alliance with Akielos entirely, into minimizing its priority. If you proceed as you plan, you will lose their support entirely."

It’s like this sometimes. His nobles, or Damianos’s, dangling promises of support before them, of difficulties that could be amicably smoothed over, if only the king would be reasonable. The three nobles Berenger is referring to today hold between them a significant portion of Toutaine, rich in timber and mineral resources, and in Lord Mitry’s case, along a strategically-important stretch of the border with Vask. Appease them, and Laurent will have a significant amount more funds and men for fighting the more directly-belligerent of his uncle’s remaining supporters and pursuing the various domestic projects he has planned. Refuse, and Laurent will be likely be faced with years of delayed and short tax payments, a haven for smugglers that will sharply reduce tariff revenue from Vaskian goods, perhaps even a breeding ground for more direct rebellion. 

It comes as little surprise. Laurent knows it would be difficult to find broad support for his plans with Akielos even if he had political capital to spare. Knows how little political capital surviving his uncle's court has left him. Knows whatever tolerance, whatever grudging deference, he has wrangled out of his court by virtue of their nearly executing him on false charges is fleeting.

“Invite the Toutainais nobles to court for the snowmelt festivities,” Laurent says. “We can give them an opportunity to attempt to convince me of the wisdom of their position. It will be as much a chance for me to reassure them of the logic of mine.”

Berenger nods, jots down a note. “Shall I delay the announcement of the new trade policy with Akielos until after their visit, then?” he says.

Laurent pauses, shakes his head. There is only so much to be gained by stringing the Toutainais nobles along for a few weeks longer. “We cannot allow the reservations of a handful of northern lords to dictate our policies for the nation,” he says. “Announce the trade policy as planned.”

*    *    *

It had been an impulsive proposal, uniting the kingdoms, born out of high emotion rather than logic. Laurent is reminded of this every time he is faced with its costs. He had been dehydrated, had not slept in thirty hours. Damianos had lost rather a lot of blood. It was one kingdom once.

They do not plan to unite it into one kingdom again immediately or all at once. They had announced, in those early days in Ios, simply an alliance. In the negotiations that followed, they had laid out a stronger, more intimate alliance than was usual. They plan, over the next several years, to strengthen the terms of the alliance still further, the alliance’s existing success hopefully serving as an argument in favor of further entanglement. 

In the meantime, they plan to harmonize the workings of their respective governments, to increase trade and cultural exchange. They will join the kingdoms later, when Akielons and Veretians are no longer strangers to each other, when laws and governments can be joined without friction, when trades and interdeallings have grown to a point that union seems more natural than not. 

Moving the capital of each kingdom to Marlas has been an early success. Veretians are proud to once again rule over Delfeur, and see the court at Marlas as a literal and obvious symbol of their reign. Akielons, aware that Veretians possesses the province on paper, are glad of the new capital as evidence that Akielos still, in the ways that matter, holds Delpha. 

Damen smiles fondly at the gracefully shifting narratives Laurent employs when speaking of the two countries’ decision to form a court at Marlas, the flexible, carefully-chosen explanations he uses that allow everyone, Veretian or Akielon, to view the new capital as a win for their side. Laurent, for his part, never denies outright that greater unity with Akielos was his main goal in moving the capital.

*    *    *

There are costs for Damen too, among the kyroi and the powerful noble families of the Akielon court. 

Even with the lingering doubts and resentment left in the wake of Kastor’s coup, Damen’s position in his own court upon taking the throne was stronger than Laurent’s was. The rumors meant to delegitimize Damen after his return from Vere had never really had time to take root, and few of Kastor’s supporters had been truly loyal to Kastor himself, rather than Theomedes’s bloodline. Damen is a beloved warrior, a hero, triumphantly returned from supposed death to claim his rightful throne. He has the support of his people for whatever grand and improbable project he might wish to take on. 

The first grand and improbably project Damen takes on, however, is ending slavery. He and Laurent agree: ending slavery as early in Damen’s reign as possible is a moral imperative, as well as a practical one. Whatever chance there is of winning broad acceptance in Akielos to ending slavery, it will be the greatest while the knowledge of the king of Akielo’s time as a slave is still a raw wound, while that king’s survival and seeming return from death still seems like a miracle. In the days of still-unsettled emotion at the beginning of Damen’s reign, ending slavery becomes a way of channeling the people’s fervor, allowing all the shock and outrage and gratitude and shame the people feel upon learning his story to be converted into action.

It is also probably for the best that the people of Akielos do not associate the end of slavery with growing Veretian influence in Akielon affairs.

When the project to end slavery succeeds, it is in the eyes of both kings a monumental triumph. If I do nothing else of worth during my reign, Damen thinks, I can nonetheless be proud of my achievements, having accomplished this.

As things stand, though, Damen has other plans as well. And as he begins the process of moving Akielos towards unification with Vere, he finds he has a steeper uphill battle ahead of him now than before. There is talk that the young king is trying to change too much, too fast. Overconfident, perhaps. There are enough of Kastor’s more subtle supporters left at court to become a focus point for the murmurs of discontent that arise. Damen’s throne is hardly in danger, but building support for his policies is increasingly a matter of strategic effort rather than easy assurance. 

Unfortunately, Laurent’s presence at court has a tendency to exacerbate these weaknesses. When Laurent attends meetings with the kyroi, he becomes a proxy for criticism the kyroi would not dare direct at Damen himself. In one meeting concerning defense against Vaskian raids, the pace of the meeting slows to a crawl as the kyroi present Laurent with objection after objection. They argue with Laurent, try to pick open holes in his logic, even ask for confirmation his sources of information are reliable and his calculations correct. Damen would be outraged on Laurent’s behalf, except that Laurent is clearly unbothered by their rudeness. He seems to be enjoying himself even, sidestepping their traps easily and demolishing each objection almost as quickly as it’s raised. He’s anticipated nearly every one of the arguments the kyroi fling at him, Damen notices. So instead, Damen sits back and watches appreciatively as Laurent wins endless battles of words. 

In private, after the meeting ends, Nikandros is livid. “They have no business speaking to a king like that,” he says. “Even a foreign one. To ask you if you were certain about the timing—they had no place—”

Laurent is silent for a while, reassessing, as Nikandros paces the room. “That wasn’t normal political discourse, then,” he says finally. “Akielon protocol does not allow for direct critique of a king’s line of reasoning.” 

“You let people speak to you that way in your own country?” Nikandros says, amazed. 

Laurent shrugs noncommittally, but Damen has attended enough meetings with the Veretian council and nobility to know that yes, this sort of back-and-forth is relatively common in Vere. And not merely a product of Laurent’s previously-tarnished reputation with the court, but instead a result of the different ways Veretians demonstrate power and deference. 

But later, after Nikandros has left, Laurent says, “I am a weakness to you here in more ways than I thought.” He bites his lip.

“I did not think you minded their questioning,” Damen says.

Laurent says, “I knew, being here, that more people would claim that I wield undue influence over you. That some would dismiss our ideas as too Veretian, that some would whisper that you were thinking with your cock. But most of those people would be saying as much anyway even if I were not in Ios in person.

“But by being here, in person, I have become a proxy for all the criticism they would make of you, and cannot. They can criticize me, and in criticizing me they can make you appear weak. Perhaps I should return to Marlas.”

There is a truth to Laurent’s words, for all that Damen’s mind rebels against it. Knowing now the typical deference afforded a king in policy meetings, Laurent can adjust his own behavior. Damen knows without any doubt that Laurent, if he wanted to, could make any man who questions him instantly regret being born.

But he will be a proxy for criticism not just in meetings, where he is present to defend himself, but in every conversation resentful nobles have with each other. Kastor’s former supporters will complain of Laurent, instead of Damen, and nobles who would never dare criticize Damen will feel comfortable joining in. The more Laurent is present in Ios, the more he is seen to have a direct hand in any particular issue, the more policies the court will find it safe to disparage.  

Damen could agree, could let Laurent return to Marlas and remain in Ios alone. They could correspond by letter, could still shape policy together at a distance. It could work that way. It might even work better that way. And yet—

“You should stay,” Damen says. Whatever the tradeoffs, it’s worth it to have Laurent here, to have Laurent in meetings observing the kyroi’s behavior himself, to be able to consult with him every day, to be able to spend evenings together making plans and picking their way through problems. 

Laurent raises an eyebrow, but some of the tension is already leaving his shoulders. “I work better when you’re here,” Damen says. “The kyroi will have to get used to you.”

*    *    *

There is a set of reasons Laurent uses with the Veretian court to argue in favor of alliance: easier and more lucrative trade, a relaxing of border defenses that allows greater resource use elsewhere, cultural exchange that will improve Veretian knowledge of medicine, engineering, crafts. And it is true that there are indeed advantages of unification for Vere. But Laurent sees on the faces of the Council and the more politically-inclined nobility, at times, that they know, as Laurent himself does, that these advantages are not great enough to justify gambling on such a radical change. It is the same, Damen tells him, with the kyroi. 

With the common people of the two kingdoms, the kings take a different approach. An unlikely romance between enemy princes makes for a good story, and tales spread across the countryside with little effort on Damen and Laurent’s part. Before long, seemingly every village poet and traveling minstrel has their own version of the story, all of them full of battles and adventure and heart-wrenching sentimentality. The common people of Akielos and Vere know the truth: the kings are bringing the kingdoms together out of love. It’s easy to become invested in their love story. It’s easy to hope for it to have a happy ending. In the north of Vere and the south of Akielos, where the common people can safely assume alliance will have little effect on their own lives, that’s for the most part enough to build broad support for the kings’ plans. 

For the people who live near the border, things are a lot less abstract. The border people have the strongest opinions, both in favor of the alliance and against it. Some are very glad of the chance of a lasting peace. Some are very, very nationalist. But the people of the border are also the closest to the court at Marlas, and thus have the greatest opportunity to see the alliance working, the joint court working. Laurent and Damen are optimistic that distrust and resentment are declining in Delfeur, that casual interactions between Akielons and Veretians are on the rise. 

It will be difficult to build enthusiasm among the nobility for full unification, Laurent knows. He considers, some days, whether it was a mistake to attempt to present them with compelling practical reasons. There is no logic-based way to convince them, because unification is not, at its heart, a decision rooted in logic. He imagines sometimes what it would be like, to tell the court that he is going to unite Vere and Akielos because he is madly in love. The idea is amusing, and in equal parts frightening and tempting in its vague transgressiveness. He’s not really sure he can carry off such a thing convincingly, for all that it is the truth: he has not yet lost his reputation as icy-blooded. And if he could convince them, well. He has only barely lost his reputation as petty and selfish. He would not like to give the court reason to once again heed his uncle’s words.

Still, he and Damen have undeniably learned the importance of emotion in politics. When it comes time to transition from alliance to unification, they plan to draw upon the reservoirs of nationalist and expansionist fervor that had persisted in Akielos and Vere for centuries and had been cultivated so strongly by Theomedes and Aleron. The dream of empire still sleeps in each court. Damen and Laurent plan to wake that dream, to persuade their people that in unifying with their historic enemy, they are not losing their national identity but becoming part of something greater. Returning to a former greatness that was always their destiny.

“And then some meddlesome baron will probably come up and start lecturing you that restoring the Artesian Empire for the first time in a thousand years is increasing the incidental expenses of tax collection by six and a half percent,” Damen says, trying to hide his smile. 

“And it would serve me right, too, I suppose you mean,” Laurent says, smiling too. 

*    *    *

“A trying day, love?” Damen asks when Laurent enters their chambers one night, as Laurent had somehow known he would. Laurent’s posture, he fancies, is straight-backed as ever, but Damen can always spot the tension Laurent tries not to show. 

“Lords Becquet and Merault and Lady Daumont still oppose the new legal code,” he says, hand absentmindedly beginning work loosening the laces on one sleeve. Damen has crossed the room already, is starting work undoing the laces on the back of Laurent’s jacket. “They’ve got the ear of Councillor Mahiet, and I fear they may convince her to change her mind again and withdraw her support.” As king, Laurent no longer requires the Council to approve his actions, but their support is still important to lend his policies an air of legitimacy. 

“Their objection was that there was too large a difference in penalty for violent and non-violent offenses?” Damen says, and Laurent sighs.

“So they claim. I met with Merault and Daumont today to discuss their objections, and they have little real interest in amendments or adjustments. Their real objection, I suspect, is that the proposed system is too Akielon.” It’s a setback, and against the background of the ongoing situation with the Toutainais nobles, a disappointing one.

The proposed legal code is, by design, neither excessively Akielon nor excessively Veretian. In cases where Veretian and Akielon laws had been too disparate to be blended smoothly and retain any kind of internally-consistent logic, there are sections with distinctly more influence from one country or the other. But care had been taken, both by the kings and their advisors in drafting the overall structure of the code and the bureaucrats who had written the actual language, to create a system that prioritized neither country’s existing laws. 

They had also sought to create a system that was more modern, easier to understand, and more just than the existing systems, with the unfortunate result that some new policies originating from neither Akielon nor Veretian law were occasionally mistaken for additional foreign influence. 

“Too Akielon,” Damen repeats. “If only my nobles felt the same way.” Laurent lets out a sigh that is half laugh.

“It’s a thornier problem to solve,” Laurent says. The legal code needs broad support in order to succeed, from the thousands of nobles, mayors, town headsmen, and bailiffs who will be responsible for following it as they mete out justice across two kingdoms. “For many of my nobles, any Akielon influence is too much, and no amount of reasoning will convince them that I am not being somehow taken advantage of.”

“The problem is not that the code is too Akielon-influenced, only that they perceive it to be so,” Damen says, musing. He lifts the open jacket from Laurent’s shoulders. 

“You want to make a spurious proposal so that I can publicly shoot you down?” Laurent guesses. They’ve used this maneuver and its inverse before.

“It’s worked pretty well in the past.” 

“We need Akielon nobles to support and enforce the new laws too.”

“Yes, but the code seems more popular there at the moment. The nobility appreciate the simplified approach to entail and inheritance laws. And Veretian influence in the new code has effectively lowered Akielon agricultural taxes.”

“Yes, I suppose if your spurious proposal is an attempt to keep your nobles’ taxes high, avarice will temper their resentment of me somewhat,” Laurent says. A pause. “It may still make you look weak at your own court, for a time.” It’s becoming easier for Laurent, to admit his own weaknesses, to ask for help, but it’s always hardest when that help comes at a cost for Damen.

“I’m not worried about that at the moment, not so soon after destroying that pirate haven that was menacing Isthima.”

Laurent is silent for a while, considering. “Well then, I will await your proposed changes with pleasure and profound skepticism,” Laurent says. Damen laughs, and they continue getting ready for bed.

“And Damen?” Laurent says, after they’re tucked under the blankets together. “Thank you.”

*    *    *

Laurent does lose the support of the Toutainais nobles. Damen loses the support of the kyros of Kesus and much of the nobility from Aegina. Sometimes almost as concerning as the supporters they lose is the supporters that they do have. They each have untrustworthy allies—people whose power at court they would very much rather minimize, but who throw themselves into organizing support for the alliance in order to try to make themselves essential. Chelaut, who is far less innocent of the regent’s plans than he would have the court believe, retains his council seat by making himself one of the earliest and most vocal supporters of the alliance. In the same way, Damen finds himself publicly overlooking Heston’s former support for Kastor’s faction after Heston begins work organizing support for stronger ties with Vere.

For each mote of progress they make towards unification, it sometimes seems, there is another trade-off or setback. Mostly they weather the challenges well together. Often, the challenges bring them even closer together. They learn more about each other’s strengths and weaknesses and manners of thinking, grow to appreciate each other more, learn to rely upon each other without question. But there are nonetheless times when they struggle to understand each other’s point of view, days when they bicker constantly about one policy or another, days when they fight bitterly about them. 

Worst is when distance or work has kept them from really seeing each other for days or weeks, and then a fight ruins the long-anticipated time they do have to see each other. On days like that, Laurent hates the unification project for stealing so much of the time he and Damen might have spent together, and then poisoning what time they have left. 

There are times when Laurent has been alone in Arles or Marlas for so many weeks or months he finds himself settling into routine, finds himself growing half-convinced that he could be content like this: Ruling alone. Living a quiet, useful life, returning each night to empty rooms with a book for company.

And sometimes, Laurent finds himself thinking that if this could be enough on its own, maybe unification won’t be worth it. Maybe it would be better to leave things as they are, the kingdoms apart but at peace. For him and Damen to rule their separate courts, lives simpler without the constant uphill struggles that come from strengthening the alliance. To use the leisure that uncomplicated reigns would bring to see each other a few times each year, their time together limited by distance but unmarred by stressful days and fights over policies and strategy. Perhaps that could be enough. Perhaps that would be for the best. 

And then he sees Damen again, and knows that this is worth it. A lantern may be considered bright in the darkness, Laurent thinks, but it would never compare to the sun. The contentment he might have had with an easier reign alone is nothing compared to the happiness he has ruling alongside Damen. Anyway, it’s not in his nature or in Damen’s to turn their back on a commitment once made or a challenge once taken on.

In the darkness of the Ios palace baths, sleep deprived and dehydrated and losing blood, Laurent and Damen had made a choice. Now, with ample time to consider, in the comfort of study and council chamber and throne room, they make it again and again and again. It will be one kingdom, someday.

[wiltking]

I heard a lot that the book romanticized slavery, and I can see that point as fair, it's a tricky subject and I think any good book can stand on its own legs and defend itself, I don't need to try and justify the inclusion of those things. However I don't think that just because an author writes a fantasy world with a lot of slavery in it means they're trying to justify it. I get the sense that the first book, standing alone, explores sexual domination and submission, and a setting where sexuality is very much at the forefront of the story makes sense. It is a sexual drama first, and a political drama second, in my eyes, because the courtly intruige was very good imo! It's actually what kept me reading in some parts. I also think on a character driven level, the book does a great job selling Why Damen would cling politically to Laurent despite how vicious he had been. The sexuality is so in your face sometimes, I have to believe the book knows what it's about here. Plus, it started to touch on the difference between people who want to serve, those forced to serve, etc. In character conversations between Damen and that slave that was being trained for him potentially.. The sexual institutions in the different societies are at the forefront. It's a subject matter so rarely covered. I think its brilliant in sone ways because it's totally unique...I kind of wish there were sone less brutal dissections of this subject matter in other books lol, because I couldn't recommend this book to most.

i see what you're saying! its been so long since i fully read the first book, i only skimmed it during my reread at the start of this year and read my favorite parts, but i agree it makes some interesting points at the very least. it does start a conversation about sex work, if we can call it that, in a way, and how it functions in these two very different cultures/societies. and while it does express these concepts in a way that is brutal and not very nice, its very interesting how the series allows us to view sex from so many different viewpoints. we get the veretian pets, the akielon slaves, the vask women, the tender, consensual, passionate joining between bi damen and gay laurent. like, the contrast there is elevated so much because we've seen how else it could be. we've seen the brutal environment laurent grew up in and the easy submission damen was raised to expect. and how they each find something different in each other? and learn that that's what they want above all else? anyway anyway i'm getting sidetracked.

it's so different from any other book that focuses on sexuality by showing these different cultures in plain light and how they might clash, and overlap, and how one isn't necessarily better than the other at its core. this is definitely something i want to examine more in my next full reread. it is a tricky subject but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be explored, or dismissed entirely on the basis that it may or may not romanticize slavery. i read a different gay book recently that took 'inspiration' from capri and it was one of the worst books i've ever read, it made me so upset how it entirely missed the point of being interesting, thought-provoking, multi-faceted and morally gray. anyway, captive prince good. but i still can't recommend it to the general public either <3

[phoenixmaiden-reading]

Captive Prince Book Review

Captive Prince by C. S. Pacat

Read: March 16, 2020 – March 26, 2020

After hearing about the characters on Tumblr for a while, I had to read the book to see what everyone was talking about. It wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, but I enjoyed it nevertheless. I don’t read LGBT+ books mostly because I just never really looked. But this one hooked me right away, I couldn’t put it down. Nothing sexual happened between the main characters, Damen and Laurent, not that there weren’t some scenes where it did. Damen is captured and turned into a slave and sent into enemy territory where he has to learn to survive and try to get back. Yet while he is there he learns and sees the way Veratians live and honestly, it’s messed up. The way they use their slaves as entertainment, the hidden games, the backstabbing, and agendas going on behind the scenes between Laurent and his uncle. And Laurent…he is very smart and clever. He thinks several moves ahead to outwit anyone he meets. Damen is confused about him because when he thinks he has figured him out he goes and does something that surprises him. We don’t see Laurent’s side of the story but I can tell that he is just as confused with this slave that is not like the submissive ones and doesn’t back down or follow orders. I could see what would happen next, it was easy to guess, but it was still surprising when it did happen. I really can’t wait to start on the sequel.

Stars: ★★★★★

Warning! Summary spoilers ahead!!

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It starts with an Ambassador of Vere, Guion, viewing the slaves to be picked up for his Prince from the country of Akielos. One of them is a man who is kept gagged and bound, big and a bit frightening, unlike the others who are obedient and have been trained. His name was “Damen” and looked like he would give the Prince a hard time to be tamed. It then cuts to the Prince of Akielos, Damianos or just Damen. He gets surrounded by guards from his own household. He fights but is soon overpowered. But they don’t kill him. Instead, he is taken to the slave baths where he is cleaned and oiled. Damen doesn’t know what is going on, but soon the Lady Jokaste told him that it was his half-brother, Kastor, who had ordered his capture. They did not kill him because it would be to easy and quick. Instead, keeping him alive and as a slave will haunt him forever and remind him that he, Kastor, had won. The Keeper of Slaves, Adrastus, said that as of that moment, Prince Damianos was dead and he was a slave, worth nothing.

Damen is now in a room but he doesn’t remember how he got there, yet it comes back to him in stages. He had attempted to get free when he heard the bells ringing in the new king but they had managed to contain him and after they had him drugged to keep him compliant. He had then been on a ship and taken somewhere. He could hear people talking but it was a different language, yet he recognized it. He was in Vere, enemy territory. He was still alive and from the conversation he overheard from his handler and a guard, they didn’t know who he was. This country held no love for Prince Damen, so if they found out there was no telling what they would do, so if he wanted to survive he would have to play along and wait for an opportunity to escape. But first, he had to get through his presentation to the Prince of Vere, Laurent, who he could tell was a spoilt brat. Laurent didn’t like people from Akielos and thought it fitting to have one on his knees, but didn’t have any use for him and was just going to have him broken in on a cross, but changed his mind and instead welcomed him into his harem. So Damen was taken to a slave quarters where he was chained and guarded by the Prince’s orders. There was no opportunity to break free yet, so he will have to play the obedient slave, so he rested…and was woken up later by guards and Laurent, who was a bit drunk. Damen remembered to make sure he restrain himself, yet Laurent wanted obedience. He wanted him to crawl, yet Damen still had his pride. So a guard had to throw him to the floor and started to beat him. Laurent noticed that Damen had a scar and he said he had been a soldier, that he had somehow angered the king, though he doesn’t know how. The Regent then came in who was Laurent’s uncle and the ruler of Vere until Laurent becomes of age. He told Laurent to treat the King of Akielos’s gifts with respect. They had a treaty with Akielos and King Kastor and to not jeopardize it. They then left.

The next day, Damen was set before the Overseer, Radel. He said that he was lucky to have a position in the Prince’s household and he must cast aside his pride and former life forgotten to serve him. If he didn’t behave, he will be drugged again. He was then blindfolded and taken through the pet residence and to a natural hot spring where he was washed and then allowed to soak for 5 minutes. As he soaked, he remembered how he got the scar Laurent had seen. During the battle at Marlas, he had fought and killed Laurent’s older brother Auguste. He had another scar lower on his body when Kastor had run him through during training when they were younger. Now he was not so sure it was an accident. Once his bath was done, he was dressed, restrained and blindfolded and taken to an amphitheater. There were courtiers and pets among the benches waiting for the entertainment. He was placed in front of Laurent who was gloating about Damen’s injuries from the night before. He asked by King Kastor sent him here, did he beat him at something, fuck his mistress, Jokaste, or did he stray after Kastor fucked him? Each thought was horrifying to Damen and it showed, but it was just funny to Laurent. Guion and two others came, Vannes and Estienne and they gossiped as they waited for the entertainment, and it wasn’t the normal sort either, it was rape disguised as so. Two pets (slaves) would wrestle each other and try to mount the other until the victor climaxed. The audience was captivated by it and would be pleasured by their own pets as they watched. Damen was appalled by the Veretian court, in Akielos this sort of behavior was done in private, but here it was on display. But what was next horrified him more. He was suddenly grabbed by a guard and pulled into the ring opposite a brute of a man, clearly, a mercenary brought in because of his size to pin Damen down and rape him. So the wrestling began with the mercenary and Damen soon found himself bring pinned down. But it was because something was wrong, he felt weak and dizzy and soon understood that in the bath they had some perfume wafting in the air while he was in there, he had been drugged. Even so, he managed to force the man off him and punched him to unconsciousness. He had won, but he wasn’t like them to rape an unconscious man. So instead he knelt before Laurent and prostrated himself to him. Laurent then told him to kiss his boot. Damen hated the idea but did it anyway. Despite his winning, the audience still wanted a performance. Another man came over and offered his pet, a child, as a reward so they could see the Prince’s pet really perform. Damen refused to rape a child. When asked why he hold Laurent in his language that he wasn’t like him who take pleasure in hurting those weaker than him. Laurent said to the others that Damen had refused his services and he then left the hall. Damen was surprised that Laurent had let it go just like that. He was then dressed and got ready to return to the harem.

Damen was kept in his room for 6 days, only seeing the servants who came with his meals and the guards who escorted him to the bath. During that time, he tried to make light conversation with them but they wouldn’t speak to him. He did get out of a guard that the man he had beaten in the ring had been the Regent’s thug who had been kicked out of the King’s Guard. So not only did he win against the man Laurent had put him up against, but he had also slighted the Regent. It was clear that Laurent held no love for his uncle and was trying to spite him. On the sixth day, he was taken to his bath as usual but Laurent was there. He said that his uncle was away on a hunting trip, he had waited so they could be alone. He tried to goad Damen into a reaction so that his guards could storm in, but he didn’t rise to the bait. So instead Lauren told Damen to wash him, so he did. Only as he did, his mind wandered to the slave in Akielos that looked like Laurent, blonde and fair-skinned, who had not been shy when cleaning him. His body reacted to it and Laurent assumed it was because of him. As a reaction, Laurent tried to slap him, but Damen instinctively caught the hand to stop him and wouldn’t let go until he commented that he was only interested because he was not a young boy. He then called in the guards and they took Damen to the cross. The cross was a flogging pole. Some of the guards were wary about doing it because the Regent said to not harm the slave, but Laurent said that his uncle wasn’t here and to listen to him, so they did. Laurent didn’t give a set number of lashes and Damen could do nothing but take it. Once they stopped, Laurent said that he should have done this in the beginning but didn’t because he wanted to know what kind of man he was. He then had the guard begin again. But the guard didn’t want to because he may die. Laurent then bet him a gold coin that he wouldn’t, so the guard began hitting him again. When it was over, Damen was on the verge of passing out. Laurent then said that he had been on the field of Marlas, but hadn’t been let on the front lines. He knew what Akielon honor was, once given the chance they will stab you in the back. It was Prince Damianos who taught him that.

At some point, Damen had been removed from the flogging post and taken to his rooms to be treated. It seemed that Veretian way of treatment was different from what he was used to. They made him comfortable so that he could lay on his stomach and not antagonize his back. The good thing that came out of this was that the other pets and guards were not so wary around him. It was like a spell had been lifted and he was now one of them. In this way, Damen was able to get some information. The guards that were placed at his door were Laurent’s guards and didn’t have an affiliation to the Regent and they didn’t seem to like each other, something they had picked up on with the feud going on between the Regent and the Prince. He also learned that in Vere there were a lot more same-sex relationships because it would breed bastard that they don’t want. So high born men kept male pets, and female high born’s kept female pets. It was better that way. Damen himself preferred women but was not opposed to fucking a man if he was attracted to him. Vere was just complicated. Damen also learned that pets were not slaves and therefore not guarded. The harem didn’t have guards, except the ones placed on his door. So once he got past them, he wouldn’t encounter anyone. He filed the information later. Seven days later, the Regent returned. Guards came into his room, ones he didn’t recognize, dressed in red. With them, the Regent came in with the two Councillors Guion and Audin. They were appalled by what happened to Damen’s back. The Regent said that Laurent disobeyed him. He had told him to treat King Kastor’s gift with respect and yet had him almost flogged to death. This was what he thought of the negotiations with Akielos. Laurent had to be punished, but how? Especially with him coming of age in 10 months, but his actions couldn’t be ignored. So the Regent asked Damen, as a soldier in Akielos, what would he do if someone from the army disobeyed orders. Damen said a public flogging and let go. They couldn’t do that since he was a Prince, but the Councillors said they would support what the Regent decided. The then left to discuss what to do. Left alone, Damen remembered the past during the battle at Marlas 6 years ago. The King of Vere had been killed by a stray arrow and Damen had killed Prince Auguste. But with the death of the King and heir, Laurent had been too young to inherit the throne, so the King’s brother had stepped in until Laurent became of age. During the battle, Laurent had been about 14 years old and Damen had been 19. Laurent hadn’t been on the front lines because he was young, so he wouldn’t know what Damen looked like, even if he did he would have been covered in blood and mud, unrecognizable. But there was what Laurent said when they first met…He had a scar…Later, Radel came in demanding to know what he had said to the Regent. Damen hadn’t said anything but the truth. Besides Laurent wasn’t King yet, so he had to follow what the Regent said. Turns out he had been summoned to court. Damen then was washed, painted in gold except for his back, and given jewelry. Then he was taken to a lavish room that was all red, the Regent’s colors. Laurent’s blue clashed with it. Yet he stood up straight and faced his uncle in what was only a public flogging on a political scale.  Laurent tried to sweet-talk his way out of it, but the Regent wasn’t fooled. The proof was in Damen’s back. So the Regent took away part of Laurent’s army, land, and money and essentially told him to do his job. The Regent then told Laurent to “embrace the slave” to show that all was forgiven. Laurent did but was obviously not happy about it because he said Damen looked like a whore. When everyone was leaving. Laurent took Damen’s leash and led him out of the hall.

Laurent ended up leading him to the gardens after talking to several sympathizers. When they were alone, Laurent told him that siding with his uncle was a mistake, all the guards that he had made friends with will be against him now that he wasn’t loyal to the Prince. He then broke the Damen’s chain, so when Councillor Herode came, he thought that Damen had broken free and had his guards pin him to the floor and chain him up to a fence. Laurent and Herode then went to talk. Damen was left alone for a while until Audin’s pet, Nicaise, came looking for the Prince. Nicaise wasn’t as sweet as he had been before; he spat in Damen’s face and said he wasn’t important because he was a slave and his master (Laurent) had his money and land taken away. When Damen told him Laurent was back in the audience chamber- a lie, but Damen got satisfaction out of it, -he left to go look leaving behind an Akielon slave. The slave didn’t recognize him. The slave’s name was Erasmus and he helped clean the spit off Damen’s face. Vannes, a few noblemen, and a red-haired pet, Ancel, came upon them. They commented on how Damen had performed in the ring, but they didn’t get to see him mount anyone. Vannes said that Damen wasn’t trained to perform as a pleasure slave, but he may have a natural talent. Laurent made an appearance then and joined in the conversation. The pet, Ancel, offered to perform with Damen, to tie him up first so he wouldn’t cause harm. It was apparent he was trying to get into Laurent’s good graces, but Laurent wasn’t having it and was going to disagree until Vannes said it would do good for Damen to learn his place. Laurent then had Damen placed on a bench and tied into place, and Ancel sucked Damen off at Laurent’s direction. Damen was humiliated but couldn’t stop his body’s reaction. Ancel performed until Damen climaxed, then Damen was taken to his knees in the dirt and he just glared angrily at Laurent for allowing it to happen. Nicaise came and asked for the Prince, saying that his uncle wanted to see him. Laurent didn’t go right away, not caring that he was making his uncle wait. Instead, he toyed with Nicaise saying it was almost time and asked what he was going to do after. That his body was going to betray itself if it hasn’t started already. Basically, his master liked young boys and got rid of them when they got too old. Laurent said he could offer for him, but Nicaise sneered at him and said he didn’t need him, his master said he was going to keep him, he promised. Nicaise then was horrified that Laurent was going to tell him he wanted him. It would ruin him (I don’t understand why), but Laurent said he wouldn’t do that. They then went off to see his uncle, leaving Damen behind.

Once alone, Damen and Erasmus could talk. Damen was concerned that he and the other Akielon slaves were being treated right. It was especially hard when they don’t know the language of Vere. Damen said that he hadn’t been trained to be a slave, he had been a soldier and sent her by Kastor as punishment. Erasmus told him that he had been in training to be a pleasure slave in Akielos in a separate area, so he had never been to the main palace. He had been in training to possibly pick to serve the Prince, which was Damen. But now he was in Vere and serving the Regent. It was very different from how it was in Akielos where the act of submission was an art. Here in Vere it was ownership. As soon as Erasmus had gotten here on the ship, in a cage, he had been put through a test of obedience by some guards who put a hot poker on his legs and told him not to make a sound. With the Regent busy, the guards took liberties with him and came up with all sorts of “tests” as entertainment. It made Damen sick to think of what his countrymen were going through, and he couldn’t do anything. He was especially helpless when the mercenary from the ring, Govart came to pick up the Regent’s slave. He manhandled Erasmus by his collar so that he couldn’t breathe. Damen told him to stop, but Govart said he could do whatever he wanted. He then proceeded to rape Erasmus in front of Damen while the guard did nothing. But when Damen tried to yank at his chains the guard told Govart to take the slave and go, so he did. Eventually, Damen was taken back to his room, moved now with funds low to the Prince’s wing. He tried to think of a way to help, but he was powerless. He wanted to be free, but he couldn’t leave his countrymen here to live with this cruelty. When Radel came, he asked to see Laurent. He, of course, said now, but he was obligated to pass it along. Damen thought it would take a while, but in the morning Laurent was there when he woke. Damen bowed his head and then asked him for a favor. To look after the slaves from Akielos in the Regent’s care because he believes they are being mistreated, in exchange for his obedience. Laurent seemed surprised as to why he cared about others and not himself. Damen just told him that he was stuck in this cage and couldn’t help them himself, so if he must sacrifice his pride, so be it. But Laurent thought it was a scheme by his uncle and called the guards to question them if anyone had come to see the slave, no one had, except Govart in the gardens after he had left. Laurent thought it was a scheme.

Before Laurent could leave, Damen said that he thought he could appeal to Laurent’s better nature but he had been wrong. He was just like Govart who took pleasure in harming those weaker than himself. It was then revealed what Govart had been doing, but Laurent didn’t react. It was like he didn’t care, which he said he didn’t. He had no control over the Regent’s men, they can do whatever they like. Laurent then asked why he gave him the advantage of knowing he cared for something. They don’t like each other and now, Laurent had a way to hurt him and get his obedience by threatening to hurt any of the Akielos slaves. Damen hadn’t realized he had done it. Having won, Laurent left. The next day, Damen was sent for and brought to Laurent’s chambers. He was taking him to a trade negotiation with Torveld of Patras. The country had good relations with Akielos and was quite similar to them. Laurent said that Torveld could be persuaded to take the Akielos slaves as part of negotiations with his uncle. Damen didn’t know why Laurent changed his mind and wasn’t sure if he should believe him, but he didn’t have a choice. But if the slaves could get out… Laurent told him to keep his mouth shut about the plan and to watch out for Nicaise; he may be a child, but mentally he is a lot older. So they went to the negotiations, but it wasn’t until later. First was a reception, then entertainment, then the negotiations. Laurent met Torveld and the Patras Prince was captivated. While they were talking, Laurent asked about what was going on in Akielos and Torveld said that the country was still in mourning of their king and prince. There were beginnings of conflict, Kastor’s legitimacy was the issue. There was also a rumor that the Prince’s death wasn’t an accident, but Torveld said that Kastor’s grief was real. The reception was to start and they went inside. The Regent pulled Laurent aside for a minute and said that Laurent hadn’t been invited to the negotiations, he had never shown interest in it, but Laurent said that it was he who said he should make an effort to be more involved, that was what he was doing. The Regent just said to behave himself.

During the meal, Damen was seated at the high table with Nicaise next to him and Laurent with Torveld on his other side. With no master to curb him, Nicaise proceeded to try to goad Damen into a reaction, including stabbing him with a fork. It caught Laurent’s attention. Nicaise said that whatever he was planning wasn’t going to work, Laurent bet that it would, so they came to an agreement with Nicaise’s earring as the bet. So Laurent continued to talk to Torveld while Nicaise continued to get a rise out of Damen, but it didn’t work. When Torveld and Laurent started talking about Torveld taking a look at the Akielon slaves, Nicaise perked up and quickly left. Damen asked why he was goading Nicaise when he was the one that told him to be careful with him. Laurent ended up silencing him with his fingers, caressing his face which was not something that Laurent did because the couriers all went silent and were truly stunned when he fed Damen some meat. It was not done for a master to fed a slave, always the other way around. But then Laurent captured Torveld in conversation again and things moved on. After the meal, Damen went in search of Nicaise but was unable to find him. Instead, he ran into Vannes who introduced a pet named Talik, she was a warrior of Ver-Tan. They got to talking about Ancel and she said that his contract was almost up and was in search of a higher bidder. But Prince Laurent didn’t take in pets, Damen was the exception. Damen spotted Nicaise and when we cornered him, he said he was too late. And that the Regent wanted to see him, he had sent him ages ago. So Damen left to meet with the Regent.  The Regent asked if they had slept together, and Damen said no. He was only doing what he was told because the last lesson was still upon his back. The Regent said that Laurent could use a steadying influence and who could not be swayed by him. Damen didn’t think he had any influence over him at all. That Laurent didn’t have any love for Akielos or its people. The Regent was glad that he was honest and had him go get Laurent. Damen was grateful to leave because he had to be careful what he said at least until his people were safely away from Vere. Damen found Laurent and Torveld out on the balcony, he heard them talking intimately. Torveld was talking about being distracted by beautiful men. He was getting closer to Laurent by the time Damen stepped in. Laurent left to go see his uncle and Damen and Torveld went back to court for the entertainment. It turned out to be Ancel doing a fire dance that was truly an art; Damen was impressed and gained a little respect for the pet. After he was done, Nicaise came in claiming to have an Akielos slave perform next. A handler was dragging in a petrified Erasmus who wasn’t acting like himself. Nicaise was trying to show how the Akielos slaves were untrained and it almost didn’t work as Torveld said he couldn’t take untrained slaves to Bazal with him. But Damen said that Erasmus had been burned before and was scared of the fire. Nicaise tried to play it off, but Torveld had the fire put out and Erasmus was able to calm down. After speaking with him, Torveld had Erasmus sit next to him for the remainder of the night. He was enamored by the blonde slave, mostly because he was similar to Laurent but more vulnerable. Beside him, Niscaise was having a silent fit and accusing Laurent of having tricked him and he was going to tell him, but Laurent wasn’t worried since Nicaise was the one who helped him, unknowingly or nor, it wouldn’t go over well. Niacaise just left in a huff without giving him the earring Laurent had clearly won. After, the negotiations went underway. Damen watched Ancel serving the Regent and thought he had gotten a high offer for himself.  Also, Laurent had gotten the Akielos slaves out of Vere with no difficulty even if he lied and cheated to do it. Once everything was done, Laurent asked why Damen smiled earlier. When he mentioned that Ancel may be bought by the Regent, Laurent said that it was just an act for the court. He then said that Niacise was not Councillor Audin’s pet. And that Ancel was too old for his uncle’s taste…meaning Niacise belonged to the Regent.

In the morning, Damen was taken to see Torveld to answer some questions regarding the Akielos slaves. Erasmus was clearly a favorite of Torveld now as he was now welcome into his bed-chamber. Torveld asked what had happened to Erasmus and Damen told him. Torveld thanked him and wanted to give him a gift but Damen didn’t wear jewelry. So instead Damen asked what the state of the Prince of Akielos household. Torveld said that it had disbanded and the slaves had slit their throats in grief. Kastor had been furious and had killed the Keeper of Slaves, Ardrastus. Basically, Kastor had been covering his tracks of everyone who knew what had really happened. He also said that Jokaste, Kastor’s mistress, was pregnant and the child would most likely be named heir. Torveld had been watching him closely and commented that he looked like Kastor a little. Damen told him not to tell Laurent that because he had no love for Akielos royalty and Torveld understood. It was well known. The Regent wanted a friendship with Akielos, but not Laurent. Especially with Akielos fractured, Kastor wouldn’t want Laurent on the throne right now. Later, before Torveld left for Patras, they had a hunt. Damen was brought along to attend to Laurent and wait. It also gave Damen a time to think. He was still reeling from learning Nicaise was the Regent’s pet, yet it explained a lot with how he acted better than everyone else. While the hunt was on, he also spoke to Erasmus who was grateful that Damen had somehow arranged for him to be taken to Bazal. Damen also learned that Laurent had spoken to him before the negotiations to learn of what happened to him and what would happen during the entertainment at court. Damen was surprised that Laurent would even care to do so. Erasmus said that he was glad he was going with Torveld, he liked him. He had been taught being a slave was sacred but here in Vere is was shameful, he wouldn’t last here because it wasn’t in his nature to not be submissive so being with Torveld was a godsend. When the group came back from the hunt, Laurent was in a bad mood. He had gotten the boar but his horse had been injured and had to be put down. The Regent told him that his brother had more finesse in tracking a mark without slaughtering his horse. Then confronted him about how Laurent had influenced Torveld to take the slaves and why. Laurent just said that it wasn’t fair that he could harm his slaves and yet he got in trouble when he did the same to his (Damen). The Regent just said he wasn’t going to talk to him when he was acting like a child. A few days later, Damen was summoned in the middle of the night to Laurent’s “bed” by the Prince’s Guard. Damen was stunned because he never summoned him like this but he was forced out of his room at knifepoint when he resisted, so he had no choice but to go along.

The walk to Laurent’s chambers was long and Damen tried to think of why he would be summoned to be bedded, it felt wrong. Plus, all the guards that had been in the hallway before were gone. When Damen got to Laurent’s chambers, the guards unchained him and pushed him into the room. Laurent was reading and drunk. Laurent briefly looked surprised to see them and was clearly not expecting them, nor did he recognize the guards that were supposed to be from his own household. Suddenly everything moved very fast as the two of the guards suddenly attacked Laurent. Damen was moving before he realized it and helped Laurent in taking the guards down. Damen had one still alive and Laurent killed him. Damen noticed that Laurent’s fight had been messy and Laurent tried to attack him but Damen was able to make him drop the knife. Damen said had not come here to help them, they had brought him here, but didn’t know why. But before he could say more the Regent’s Guard came in. They had found 2 of the Prince’s Guard dead and they had rushed over. They then proceeded to arrest Damen. Laurent said he wasn’t the one responsible, but the guards said that the weapons used had been Akielon, he had to be in on it. Damen understood that he had been brought here to be blamed for Laurent’s death, though it was obvious that the attackers hadn’t expected to die. They would have blamed everything on him. Yet what was surprising was that Laurent didn’t take the easy way to get rid of him, he defended him saying that the guards had been here to attack the slave not him. He then had the Regent Guard leave after cleaning up.  After they left, Damen noticed that Laurent was injured, but he wasn’t drunk like he had first thought. He had been poisoned, but upon checking the water that had been spilled he recognized it as an Akielon drug used during training for pleasure slaves, an aphrodisiac. So he wasn’t hurt, he was being affected by the drug and clearly holding on by sheer will. Damen then became aware that he was unchained with no guards and Laurent in no condition to stop him from leaving. It was his chance to escape. Laurent tried to stop him by saying that if he left, he couldn’t protect him. He had saved his life even though he hated to be indebted to anyone, but he had to trust him. Damen could only stare at him in shock and then just told him that Laurent had him flayed, lied and cheated to every person he encountered. He is the last person he could trust. Damen then left.

Damen had to make sure to take measured steps so that he wasn’t stopped. Along the way, he ran into Nicaise who was clearly there to see if Laurent was dead and trying to get passed him, but Damen said that Laurent was in a bad mood and didn’t want to be disturbed. He said he didn’t care and was leaving, yet Nicaise didn’t move and only left when Damen didn’t leave. Once he was gone, Damen continued on and was able to get passed the Regent’s guard. He then went through the empty hallways and to the garden’s where the cross was. It was there that he found old discarded clothes that he put on to replace his slave's outfit. He then headed to the roof and set out to wait until dawn when people were starting to come out so he could blend in. An hour before dawn the Regent’s Guard came out of the palace to go out on patrol. They were clearly looking for him, so someone may have alerted that he was missing. Waiting for his change, Damen climbed down from the roof at a dead-end alley and ran into the last person he wanted to, Govart. He had been coming out of an underground Brothel. The woman then screamed and alerted the patrol and he was cornered and captured. His freedom was so close and he was debating just trying to make a break for it when the Prince’s Guard came and claimed him saying he was taking him back by order of the Council. Damen was then taken to the courtroom where Laurent was facing the Council and his uncle. Apparently, Laurent had been defending him despite having run away. The Regent said that Damen must have some sort of charm for his nephew to defend him, but Laurent was disgusted at the thought of sleeping with an Akielon. The Regent said that if there had been an Akielon attack he had to know, but Laurent denied any such thing. Nor was he an Akielon sympathizer, he hated them. The Regent then asked why he was refusing to do his duty at the Delfeur border if there wasn’t any collusion. Laurent really didn’t have an answer and the Counsellors agreed that it was suspicious, a contradiction that he was defending an Akielon slave and yet he hated them. Where was his loyalty? So Laurent didn’t have a choice but to agree to go to the border.

Once everyone left, Damen asked Laurent why he would lie to his uncle, not that he wasn’t grateful, but he didn’t understand. But Laurent didn’t want his thanks. Their debt was now clear. Laurent said that they will be rid of each other now that he will be riding to Delfeur. Damen was then taken to his room and was able to try to think about what had happened. He was angry because he had been so close to freedom an now he was not to leave his room for anything and dressed again in slave attire. He also thought about the night of his escape. The Veretian guards with Akielon knives, him being brought to be blamed and Laurent lying about it all. Why? But then he understood and requested to talk to the Prince. Only the first one to come was not Laurent, but the Regent. He wanted to know the truth of that night, but Damen before he could say anything, Laurent arrived. Laurent said they had already been through what happened that night, but the Regent wanted to hear from Damen. Yet Laurent asked if the slave's word was worth more than his. The Regent just said that Laurent’s brother could be trusted and yet Laurent wasn’t. He hoped time on the border will improve him and he left. Laurent asked what Damen wanted and he told Laurent he knew what happened last night. He had killed the survivor so he wouldn’t talk. It was supposed to look like Kastor had sent those men to kill Laurent, but Kastor can’t afford war right now so he couldn’t have done son. So whoever had sent the assassins had been aiming for war between Akielos and Vere. It would be the perfect time for it with Akielos so weak with discontent. Yet Laurent had stopped it, he had survived. Damen just asked why he couldn’t get along with his uncle and just talk. But Laurent couldn’t because the would-be murderer was his uncle.

Damen was shocked and suddenly knew that Laurent going to Delfeur was a death trap. If he left the city, then his uncle would take the capital. Damen then realized that his uncle had already cut off his supply line when he was “flogging” him and took away some of his land, money, and troops. If there was to be war, Laurent would be targeted to get him out of the way of the throne. Laurent wasn’t safe. So he told Laurent to take him with him, he needed someone he could trust, but Laurent said no. He had no reason to do so when he had just tried to run away and he might do it again out in the open and close to his homeland. Laurent just said that didn’t need him and wanted him to rot here and he left. The next day, Damen listened to the noise of everyone getting ready for Laurent’s departure the next day. He felt helpless. It was clear that the Regent was aiming for the throne to two kingdoms. But didn’t understand why he hadn’t gotten rid of Laurent before now. All he knew was that the Regent had to be stopped. In order to save his people in Akielos, Laurent had to survive, but he wasn’t sure if Laurent could do it alone and he couldn’t do anything chained up in his room. In the early morning, Radel came and had Damen change into Vertian clothing. He didn’t know what was going on, but all Radel said was that the Prince had requested that he join him and be dressed to ride. In the courtyard, Damen was given armour and a sword; it was strange to be wielding one again. Radel also gave him his duties that he was to do. He was to report to the Captain of the Guard as a member of the company, as well as report to the Prince as his attendant. Around the courtyard, everyone was preparing but there was not very of the Prince’s Guard and some of them may have turned traitor for the Regent. Damen also thanked Jord in helping him in the night of his escape, but Jord just said that he was just following orders. Laurent then made an appearance and said that he had just had them follow the Regent’s Guard, but he knew what direction he would have gone, yet didn’t. Damen also saw that Gorvart was there as well as Captain of the Guard, not a good sign. Nicaise also came, but he had only come to give him the earring Laurent had won, he didn’t want it because it made him think of him. The Regent then came and they had a little ceremony to send them off and then they left the palace, heading south.

 The Training of Erasmus Short Story

This story followed the Akielon slave before he was brought to Vere. In the years before, Erasmus lived in the gardens of Nereus until he had his first wet dream. He was then deemed ready for training as a slave, it happened late for Erasmus, but he was overjoyed it had finally happened. He could finally catch up with his friend Kallias. After being cleaned and dressed, he was taken out of the gardens and to the Palace for training, he was to be groomed for the Prince, a gold lion pin a mark of his status upon his silks. He spent his day's training in different forms of submission and learning languages and etiquette. He also found his friend Kallias who was in training to be the slave of Prince Kastor. In between lessons, Erasmus and Kallias spent time together; talking about anything and everything, getting close. Kallias told him that he was to be Kastor’s welcome gift when he gets back from Delfeur, so he has begun training for the First Night. Erasmus was being trained to be the Prince Damianos’s slave, he learned his favorite songs, and foods, everything. Having the golden lion pin meant he was certain to be in a royal bed. It was a privilege and many would want that position. Even Aden, another slave would want the pin even though he was being trained for the King, yet the King was sick and likely not to last, so his training would be for nothing. Yet Erasmus had been groomed for this since he was young and not it was upon him. It made him shiver in delight at the thought. Even though it was rare for the Prince to take a man to bed, it wasn’t unheard of. Erasmus had the right coloring- light-skinned and blonde – that the Prince liked, so it was possible. He really couldn’t wait. He wanted to be with the Prince and imagined what it would be like to be pinned down by him, but he couldn’t touch himself; that was only for those special retainers that washed him and for the Prince. During the night of the Fire Festival, Kallias told him that Kastor had returned early and he was leaving tomorrow. Erasmus was saddened his friend was to leave, but happy for him. They will see each other soon, each of them serving a Prince together. Kallias didn’t seem too happy though and told him he wished he could be his first. The words surprised him and yet at the same time thrilled him. Kallias then asked for Erasmus to put his arms around his neck, which he did. They got close, too close, there was something there between them, an attraction, but it wasn’t allowed. They both knew it. They most likely would have kissed, but Kallias pushed him away. The next morning Kallais was sent away to serve Prince Kastor. One night Aden woke him and said that Kallias was here and wanted to see him. So Erasmus got dressed quickly and made his way to the garden overlooking the ocean. Kallias was there, his face covered in the paint of a pleasure slave. Erasmus was glad to see him, he had missed him. But Kallias was acting strangely. Then suddenly Kallias was kissing him. Erasmus couldn’t pull away, he was too shocked as to what was happening and he was trying to hold his silks up because Kallias had torn his golden pin off. He then said that Erasmus couldn’t serve the Prince now, he was tainted. Then the lead instructor came and Kallais was saying that Erasmus had kissed him and Aden told him it was true even though Aden had left and not seen anything. Erasmus was stunned as his whole world fell apart because of Kallias’s lie and he didn’t understand why. The instructor was furious and said he had ruined himself and thrown everything away. He was then taken into confinement. After 3 days, he was collared and brought to a white room where there were other slaves. He then became aware that something was going on outside, but no one knew what. Another slave said that something has been going on all morning. Soldiers had come and had asked for the slaves that belonged to Prince Damianos and they had all been taken away. But the ones in this room were being sent across the water to Vere. Then the screaming started.

**I didn’t want to spoil it at the top, but I believe that Kallias found out what Kastor was up to and went to save Erasmus. If he had been the Prince Damianos’s slave he would have been killed along with the others. That was why he tainted him. Sad way to do it, but he didn't want his friend to die.

[mfingenius]

Can you write some soft angsty lamen with a happy ending? I really like the other one you did!!!

Thank you so much babe :DD

This is set in the war and therefore not really romantic bc of the age difference, but it’s still angsty with a happy ending!

————–

Damen isn’t supposed to be out here, but he needed a break from the military camp. He’s fighting Crown Prince Auguste tomorrow, and he needs his nerves to settle if he wants to win the war, so he’d thought it wise to go for a walk in the forest near the camp.

He thought he’d be alone.

He was supposed to be alone.

It’s evident he’s wrong, however, when he hears a choked sound.

He looks around, tries to see anything between the thick vegetation, and almost think he’d imagined it when another sound reaches his ears. A sob. 

Then another. And then another.

He follows the sounds. The first thing he sees is the dead body; a Veretian, dressed in red, with a knife between his ribs. A boy, pale blonde hair shining, hands covered in blood, kneeling over the body.

“Hello,” He calls cautiously in Veretian, because the boy is laced into Veretian clothing.

“I - “ The boy doesn’t even look at him. “I - I killed him.”

Damen approaches him cuatiously.

“He - he - tried to - to kill me and - and - I killed him.” In a split second, the boy is on his feet, and, for a moment, Damen thinks he’s going to try and run away. The only thing he does, however, is turn away and vomit.

Damen pities him, despite being Veretian. He remembers the first time he killed someone, and the haze that followed it afterwards. He knows every soldier has experienced that, but this boy isn’t a soldier, he’s a child.

A child, who is now staring at the body with a bloodless face looking like he might faint at any given moment.

Damen tightens his lips as he grabs the knife and pulls it out. He wipes it on the grass and stands. He presses the hilt of it into the boy’s hand, and, when he doesn’t react, still staring at the body, horrified, he closes the boy’s fingers around it.

“My name is Damianos.” He says. “What’s your name?”

“Laurent,”

“Alright, Laurent,” Damen says gently. “Is there someone I can message for you?”

“My brother,” Laurent says, voice hollow. “Auguste.” 

Damen’s brain stops for half a second.

Auguste. As in Crown Prince Auguste.

Fuck, but this boy doesn’t even know what he’s done, does he? If King Theomedes, or even Kastor had been the one to find him, this war would be over. He’d hold him hostage until King Aleron surrendered. Damen could do the same.

But he won’t.

He leads Laurent back to his camp - the kid must be in a hell of a shock if he’s just allowing himself to be taken into an Akielon military camp, by the Akielon Crown Prince - and sneaks him into his tent, lest someone figure out he is the Crown Prince’s younger brother. Laurent still seems to be in shock; he only moves when Damen specifically tells him to, otherwise staring into nothing with a haunted look on his face.

Damen washes the blood off his hands, and then gives him a chiton to change into. A boy dressed in Veretian clothing in an Akielon military camp will drag too much attention, more than his face already will.

“Who is he?” Nikandros asks when he steps into Damen’s tent. Damen had sent one of the slaves to go get him, and he expected he’d have longer to come up with a reasonable explanation. As it is, he has nothing, so he decides to tell the truth.

“That’s Prince Laurent of Vere.” He says in a low voice, to ensure no one outside hears. “Auguste’s brother. I found him in the forest.”

Nikandros looks over at Laurent - sitting, pale, looking like he might be sick - and his frown deepens.

“What are you going to do?” he asks, and Damen is thankful for the lack of judgement in his voice, even if it still hangs between them, unsaid. You know what the King would want you to do.

“I’ve already sent a messanger to Auguste,” Damen says. At the sound of Auguste’s name, Laurent’ brain seems to kick into overdrive again.

“Auguste,” he says, stunned. He stands. “I - I need to warn Auguste - that was one of my Uncle’s guards, it - it has to be him, I - I need to let him know I’m fine-”

“Laurent,” Damen says, staying sitting so as to be less intimidating. “I’ve already sent a messanger to Auguste. He knows you’re here.” Which, in hindsight, should’ve been a longer message, because ‘I have Prince Laurent in my military camp’ holds a wide field of interpretation, many of those as a threat. “We’re just awaiting for his response. I - I’ll get you back to him, I promise.”

Nikandros’s frown deepens, and Damen knows he’s aware that that is a promse he most definitely can’t be sure he’ll keep, but it returns a little bit of the color to Laurent’s face, so Damen will stand by it.

“I promse,” he repeats, when Laurent looks uncertain. 

“You’re Akielons.” Laurent says. “We’re at war. You could demand anything for my return.”

Damen tilts his head in agreement. “I could.”

“The King would.” Laurent says, accusatory. “Any soldier with a brain would.”

Damen laughs and shakes his head, and Laurent evidently didn’t expect that reaction, because he frowns tightly. 

“I’m insulting you.” He protests.

“I know,” Damen says, unable to quite wipe the smile off his face. “Do you have any experience in military strategics?”

Laurent nods mutely.

“Come, then.” Damen says. “Sit. You can tell us where a neutral meeting would be best.”

Laurent comes closer to the maps - Nikandros is most definitely judging Damen now, but Damen ignores his friend - and points out various flaws on the placing of Akielon troops and defences with a reserved, wary look at Damen, and when Damen only encourages him, he proceeds to correct and entirely change all of their military strategies, dragging Nikandros into - begrudging - conversation of Military tactics.

When Nikandros is dismissed, Damen turns to Laurent to ask him if he’d like to eat, but the blond is already asleep in Damen’s bed.

Damen shakes his head fondly and takes the floor.

*

“We are not attacking them.” Auguste snaps, for what feels like the thousandth time that night. After an Akielon messanger had arrived with news about Laurent - possibly the worst news short of ‘we’ve killed him’ - he had immediately stormed into his father’s tent, and now him, the King, and his uncle are arguing over the best course of action. “If they even see us coming they could kill Laurent in a heartbeat.”

“If they have Laurent, they hold all the cards.” His uncle points out. “They can ask for anything. They could kill him, anyway.”

Auguste knows that. There’s a terrifying, suffocating chance that Laurent may already be dead, but he can’t think about that, because if Laurent’s dead, then this is it. Auguste doesn’t want any more war, any more anything without his brother.

“Then they ask for whatever they want.” He says. “I don’t care. I’m not leaving Laurent there.”

“One of my soldiers was guarding him.” his Uncle says. “He’s not back, which means he’s dead.” he doesn’t look very bothered. “Which means the Akielons killed him to take Laurent. Gods know what they will do to Laurent, if they killed a meaningless soldier.”

His father, King Aleron, has been utterly silent while his brother pushes for more war and Auguste for peace. Now, he speaks.

“I agreed to give Auguste command.” He says. Laurent always believed his father didn’t care for him, and though Auguste did not truly believe it, King Aleron does look minimally worried at the fact that his youngest son is in an Akielon military camp in the middle of a war. “We will proceed how he thinks is best.”

His Uncle looks resentful - Auguste knows there’s something odd going on, but he can only think of Laurent - and Auguste finally exhales.

“We’re doing this peacefully.” He says with finality.

*

Crown Prince Auguste’s messanger arrives the next day. He allows Damen to set time, place, and terms, and Damen tells him to meet at Marlas, at midnight - he needs to sneak Laurent out unseen - and tells him to come alone. He doesn’t want this to turn into a full out battle, and it will if his soldiers find out he’s handing over the prince of Vere without asking for anything.

He also allows Laurent to write to his brother - he tells him he’s fine, that he’s with Prince Damianos, and assures him that he hasn’t been mistreated in any way - and then sends the messanger off.

Laurent, though he was wary of Damen - and all others - at first, seems to be having a good time. He’s endlessly curious, always asking questions and wanting to know everything, staring at things with wide blue eyes and speaking a mile a minute.

Damen’s grown oddly fond of him. 

Since Laurent was getting restless cooped up in Damen’s tent with nothing to do, Damen offered him the books that were brought - not many, and all on military strategies or politics - not interesting in the slightest to a thirteen year old boy - or at least a thirteen year old Damen - but Laurent reads them all with avid interest, settling in Damen’s bed like he owns it.

Damen can’t bring himself to be bothered.

*

His father wants to send troups with him, even though the messanger clearly stated for Auguste to come alone.

Auguste won’t risk anything happening to Laurent, so he lies on what time and place the meeting is, and then sneaks out of his tent at night to go alone.

He gets there before midnight, so he can hear when Damianos’s horse approaches. Damianos is massive, even at nineteen, and, for a second, Auguste thinks Laurent isn’t with him. However, when he gets off his horse, Laurent is revealed to be in the saddle - previously hidden by Damianos’s form - and he looks… unharmed. Happy, Auguste would say, did he not think that was impossible.

“Laurent,” Auguste breathes, relieved, and hugging him as soon as he’s withing arm’s range. He kneels by his brother and grabs his face, checking him over quickly to make sure he’s unharmed.

“I’m fine, Auguste,” Laurent says, rolling his eyes and smiling. “You would not believe all the things I learned. Damianos let me see his military maps - not like father - and their strategics are horrendous, but I helped him fix it.”

Auguste blinks at his brother, who’s smiling proudly, seemingly not seeing a single problem with seeing the enemy’s military strategies, discovering they’re bad, and fixing them.

“I-” There are a lot of things he could say right now, but he merely shakes his head and breathes out relieved. “I’m glad you’re alright, Laurent.”

He remembers something his uncle said. 

“There was a guard with you.” he says. “Did they kill him?”

He doesn’t understand why the Akielons would kill a guard to kidnap Laurent and then treat him well.

A sorrowful look passes over Laurent’s face. “No. I did.”

“What?” 

Laurent’s never killed anyone. Laurent isn’t supposed to have to kill anyone, he is thirteen. 

“Uncle has committed treason.” Laurent says, solemnly. “The guard tried to kill me. He told me, before I killed him, that he was also planning to kill you and father.”

He’d told the guard he’d be beheaded for killing the prince, and the guard had laughed and told him that no one would do anything once his Uncle killed the King and Auguste as well.

Auguste seems stunned, first, then furious. “He’ll get what he deserves.” he kisses the top of his brother’s hair lighlty and stands. “It’s time to get you home.”

He turns to Damianos, wary but respectful, and extends a hand.

“Thank you,” he says. “For getting him back to me.”

Damianos nods, and shakes his hand. “It was the right thing to do.”

He walks to his horse, ready to mount, and notices Laurent lingering with a blush on his cheeks, digging his heel into the dirt. Damianos smiles kindly and kneels in front of Laurent.

“I’ll push for peace,” Laurent offers. “I don’t know if they’ll listen to me, but - I - Akielons aren’t as bad as I thought they were.”

Auguste thinks that’s as close to a compliment as he’s heard Laurent say to anyone who isn’t him. It’s… unsettling.

“Oh, I think you can convince them,” Damianos smiles. “And if they don’t listen to you, they’re fools. You improved our military in three hours, anyone who doesn’t see how bright you are does not deserve your advice.”

Laurent’s blush gets brighter, and Auguste very nearly drops his jaw. Laurent likes him, he realizes.

Laurent seems to realize he’s not being proper, because he straightens and offers his hand. “Goodbye, Prince Damianos.”

Damianos laughs lowly. “Goodbye, Prince Laurent.”

He shakes Laurent’s hand, and, after chewing on his lower lip, Laurent speaks.

“You’ll visit?” he asks, lashes fluttering and Auguste doesn’t know whether to laugh - this is the first crush Laurent’s ever gotten - or to freak out because this is the Akielon prince.

Damianos sends an uncertain look at Auguste, who busies himself with adjusting his horse’s rein.

“Whenever you want me to,” he promises.

Laurent hugs him - something that’s even rarer than him giving a compliment - and then runs towards Auguste. They both get on the horse, and Auguste finally stops trying not to smile.

“Goodbye, Prince Damianos.” He says as they leave.

After they’re far enough, he turns slightly to Laurent, whose cheek is pressed against his back. Auguste can feel the heat of it even through his clothes.

“So,” he says. “Damianos?”

“Don’t, Auguste, please,” Laurent pleads, blush intesifying, and Auguste laughs richly.

*

The peace treaty is signed less than a week later. True to his word, Laurent had pushed for peace - incessantly - and, after their Uncle was imprisioned, not many people were people were opposed. Everyone was tired of fighting.

The King doesn’t seem to take Laurent’s opinion very seriously, so Auguste pushes for peace, too. He believes in his brother, and, though having Delfeur under his reign would be delighting, he thinks the cost of continuing this would not be worth it.

After the peace treaty is signed - agreeing that Delfeur will be both under the reign of Vere and Akielos - Laurent spends the evening speaking excitedly to Damianos, and, though most people seem to find it annoying when Laurent speaks as he is now, Damianos seems to be listening with rapt attention, actually commenting on things Laurent says and not getting angry when Laurent tells him he’s wrong and proceeds to explain, in detail, why.

It’s… odd.

Auguste thinks that, when they’re older, Damianos might actually want to court Laurent, and the thought sends an odd feeling through his stomach. 

He’s going to need another few drinks to come to peace with the idea.

———————————————

Okay so this was a LOT longer than originally planned hehe :D hope you enjoyed :DD

[failes-xtra-bits]

Review: Prince's Gambit Ch 1

Prince’s Gambit

Review Chapter 1:

So we start off this book with our characters riding towards Chastillon. What I really like about the beginning is that we see Damen becoming more friendly with the other men. 

“It’s hunting country,’ said Orlant, mistaking the nature of his gaze. "Dare you to make a run for it.”

This piece of dialogue is half joking, half wary (if that makes any sense) which I absolutely love and sets the foundations for the trust the builds as we go through the book. 

After a while Damen is summoned by Paschal, the physician:

It was fine. His back had healed enough that new scars had replaced new wounds. Damen craned for a glimpse but, not being an owl, saw almost nothing. He stopped before he got a crick in his neck.

  The physician rummaged in the satchel and produced one of his endless ointments.

  ‘A massage?’

  ‘These are healing salves. It should be done every night. It will help the scarring to fade a little, in time.’

  That was really too much. ‘It’s cosmetic?’

  The physician said, ‘I was told you would be difficult. Very well. The better it heals, the less your back will trouble you with stiffness, both now and later in life, so that you will be better able to swing a sword around, killing a great many people. I was told you would be responsive to that argument.’

  ‘The Prince,’ said Damen. But of course. All this tender care of his back, like soothing with a kiss the reddened cheek you have slapped.

I always found this exchange interesting (side note I found the owl thing kinda amusing.) The question “is it cosmetic” hearkens back to what we know about Akielon culture and how while male nudity is not reviled using cosmetics on the male body is. Damen’s reluctance is not just him being rebellious but is coloured by this cultural view and his reluctance is only assuaged by the physician propounding its practical value. 

Further the last bit is also very interesting, it serves to remind the reader of all the brutalities Laurent has inflicted upon Damen, but also symbolises the beginning of Laurent trying to remedy all of it. 

As they talk we find out that Paschal served the king and tended to the fallen at Marlas. 

“If you served the King,’ said Damen, ‘how is it you now find yourself in the Prince’s household, and not his uncle’s?’

  ‘Men find themselves in the places they put themselves,’ Paschal said, closing his satchel with a snap.”

This exchange is interesting because it really hones in the idea that there are people who serve Laurent out of sheer loyalty. Up until this point the reader is positioned to hate Laurent, so it's a surprise to see that there a people willing to be on his side. Slowly our hatred for him is unraveling. 

After this Damen goes to the courtyard and meets Jord who tells him to go to the armoury. Once there we meet Aimeric (who was briefly introduced at the end of Captive Prince) who was getting his ass beat. When Damen enters he tells the three men to stop. 

“It wasn’t Damen’s size that stopped them. It wasn’t the sword he held casually in his hand. If these men really wanted to make a fight out of it, there were enough swords, flingable armour pieces, and teetering shelves to turn this into something long and ludicrous. It was only when the leader of the men saw Damen’s gold collar that he shoved out an arm, holding the others back.

  And Damen understood, in that moment, exactly how things were going to be on this campaign: the Regent’s men in ascendancy. Aimeric and the Prince’s men were targets because they had no one to complain to except Govart, who would slap them back down. Govart, the Regent’s favourite thug, brought here to keep the Prince’s men in “and the Prince’s men were targets because they had no one to complain to except Govart, who would slap them back down. Govart, the Regent’s favourite thug, brought here to keep the Prince’s men in check. But Damen was different. Damen was untouchable, because Damen had a direct line of reportage to the Prince.”

I always think it must be weird for Damen (a prince, future king, war hero, etc) to see that his power doesn’t come from he himself this time but rather because of Laurent. I don’t really have much commentary on this other than it must feel weird for him. 

Anyway the men leave, Damen and Aimeric talk to each other for the first time. We learn that Aimeric is young, 19. Once again we are presented with notion of loyalty. 

“Aimeric didn’t budge. ‘You couldn’t take a flogging like a man. You opened your mouth and squealed to the Regent. You laid hands on him. You spat on his reputation. Then you tried to escape, and he still intervened for you, because he’d never abandon a member of his household to the Regency. Not even someone like you.’

Damen had gone very still. He looked at the boy’s young, bloody face, and reminded himself that Aimeric had been willing to take a beating from three men in defence of his Prince’s honour. He’d call it misguided puppy love, except that he’d seen the glint of something similar in Jord, in Orlant, and even, in his own quiet way, in Paschal/ him. 

“Damen thought of the ivory and gold casing that held a creature duplicitous, self-serving and untrustworthy.

‘You’re so loyal to him. Why is that?’

‘I’m not a turncoat Akielon dog,’ said Aimeric.

It’s kinda of interesting in hindsight now that we know Aimeric is on the regents side. I’m not going to comment on this bc idk what I can say. 

Anyway after this Damen delivers the inventory to Rochert as promised. It’s mentioned that the preparations should have happened a lot earlier and out of the 150 men the regent sent only less than two dozen are actually helping. 

Jord then approached Damen and says that Aimeric won’t foment any more tension which Damen knows is a lie. Damen asks where the Captain is and we find out that: 

“The Captain is in one of the horse stalls, up to his waist in the stableboy,”

And that Damen is going to be the one to fetch him. When Damen finally arrives at the stables we see Govart fucking the stable boy. When told that he his to see the Prince, Govart is adamant in wanting to finish his business and says Laurent is just 

“ really just a tease who wants cock”

This provokes an interesting reaction in Damen 

“Damen felt anger settle inside him, a tangible weight. He recognised an echo of the impotence Aimeric must have experienced in the armoury, except that he was not a green nineteen year old who had never seen a fight. His eyes passed impassively over the half-unclothed body of the stableboy. He realised that in a moment he was going to return to Govart in this small, dusty stall all that was owed for the rape of Erasmus.”

While we know that Damen and Govart have some history but its interesting that this reaction is provoked when Govart insults the Prince. Does it imply that Damen feels a weird sense of loyalty? Perhaps. Or perhaps he just really hates Govart. 

Eventually Govart gives in to the Prince’s orders. 

Finally it is time for Damen to report to the castellan and he is led to to the bedchamber. Here we get another crumb about the regent and Laurent’s relationship.

“The Prince stays here often?’

The castellan mistook him to mean the keep, not the rooms. ‘Not often. He and his uncle came here a great deal together, in the year or two after Marlas. As he grew older, the Prince lost his taste for the runs here. He now comes only rarely to Chastillon.”

While most of us picked up on their relationship, its a surprise Damen does not. Once again this serves to reveal Damen’s  naivety which stems from his trusting nature  and the straightforwardness of his culture. 

Food is brought and Damen waits for Laurent while pondering on the political situation the regent has created for Laurent. He intends to tear the group apart. 

Laurent finally arrives:

“'I have saved you till last'….Laurent calmly helped himself to goblet and pitcher, pouring himself a drink. Damen couldn’t help glancing at the goblet, remembering the last time they had been alone together in Laurent’s rooms.

Pale brows arched a fraction. ‘Your virtue’s safe. It’s just water. Probably.’ Laurent took a sip, then lowered the goblet, holding it in refined fingers. He glanced at the chair, as a host might offering a seat, and said, as though the words amused him, ‘Make yourself comfortable. You are going to stay the night.’

‘No restraints?’ said Damen. ‘You don’t think I’ll try to leave, pausing only to kill you on the way out?’

‘Not until we get closer to the border,’ said Laurent.

He returned Damen’s gaze evenly. There was no sound but the crack and pop of the banked fire.

‘You really do have ice in your veins, don’t you,’ said Damen.”

“Laurent placed the goblet carefully back on the table, and picked up the knife.

It was a sharp knife, made for cutting meat. Damen felt his pulse quicken as Laurent came forward. Only a handful of nights ago, he had watched Laurent slit a man’s throat, spilling blood as red as the silk that covered this room’s bed. He felt shock as Laurent’s fingers touched his, pressing the hilt of the knife into his hand. Laurent took hold of Damen’s wrist below the gold cuff, firmed his grip, and drew the knife forward so that it was angled towards his own stomach. The tip of the blade pressed slightly into the dark blue of his prince’s garment.

‘You heard me tell Orlant to leave,’ said Laurent.

Damen felt Laurent’s grip slide down his wrist to his fingers, and tighten.

“Laurent said, ‘I am not going to waste time on posturing and threats. Why don’t we clear up any uncertainty about your intentions?’

It was well placed, just below the rib cage. All you would have to do was push in, then angle up.

He was so infuriatingly sure of himself, proving a point. Damen felt desire come hard upon him: not wholly a desire for violence, but a desire to drive the knife into Laurent’s composure, to force him to show something other than cool indifference.

He said: ‘I’m sure there are house servants still awake. How do I know you won’t scream?’

‘Do I seem like the type to scream?’

‘I’m not going to use the knife,’ said Damen, ‘but if you’re willing to put it in my hand, you underestimate how much I want to.’

‘No,’ said Laurent. ‘I know exactly what it is to want to kill a man, and to wait.”

 This scene here is interesting. We are once again reminded of the assassination attempt and Laurent and Damen's tenuous relationship. They are clearly not friends, there is still hate between them yet a weird sort of trust is forming. Further last bit hints at what we know in hindsight is Laurent’s almost life long obsession with wanting to kill Damen in retribution for Auguste’s death. 

“Laurent said, ‘When this campaign is over, I think—if you are a man and not a worm—you will attempt to gain retribution for what has happened to you. I expect it. On that day, we roll the dice and see how they fall. Until then, you serve me. Let me therefore make one thing above all clear to you: I expect your obedience. You are under my command. If you object to what you are told to do I will hear reasoned arguments in private, but if you disobey an order once it is made, I will send you back to the flogging post.”

The terms of their relationship are now set and now Laurent reveals why Damen is here. 

“You said you knew the territory,’ ”

[behind-the-hood]

The Book

-Part four of The Bet-

A kiss is pressed to his neck, under his ear. His hair is brushed to the side and the kisses continue down, lower. Down his spine. A huff of breath, purposeful. Laurent does not move. His focus wholly on the text between his hands. Mostly.

A sharp bite on his cheek has him flinching, clenching. He tucks his lip between his teeth and makes no sound.

There's a deep chuckle, dark and tantalizing. Then a kiss to the smarting flesh. Tongue.

Laurent fights a shudder as he's spread apart and examined, his hole wanting and aching, holding tightly to the plug inside. Some get too excited to start; Laurent has learned his lesson.

A tug. A tease. Not meant to remove, but to provoke.

"Damianos," Laurent sighs, breathless.

Laurent wakes with a gasp. Hard in his pants and hot in his shirt.

Too many nights he wakes this way. He'd hoped sleeping with the man would settle the fire in his loins. It had only stoked the flames.

Damianos. All his mind seems to think about anymore, when given time to wander.

He'd gathered his allies, he'd explained the plan. All he needs now is perfect execution.

And Halvik is not a woman of halves.

Oh sure, Laurent has the Vaskian tribes of men as well, but he needed a leader, and she fit the bill. The men hadn't been overly happy, but a night of bonfires and hakesh can soothe any angry spirit.

Damen drank from his mug and avoided his father and brother. Nik had arrived the night before with several hundred men, awaiting Damen's orders. They were Damen's men after all, given to him by his father.

He'd sent Nik many letters of longing, all about Laurent. He did not get many replies.

Now they sit, with the soldiers at the front, ale in hand and fire heating their bodies.

It's colder this close to Vere in winter. Damen had went out of his way to avoid it during his trips. He'd prefer to be in Arles now if it meant this war had never come about.

Even with the beautiful blond slipping between Damen's fingers as he grasped those pale, slender hips.

"Auguste is worried," Damen says quietly, a secret between he and Nik. Not for the men around them.

Nik spares a glance, then his eyes are back on the fire. "You speak to him often?"

Damen gives a nod. "Every night."

Nik looks into the tree line then. Smart.

"He has a bad feeling about Laurent, but he won't say what."

Nik does not comment.

Laurent and his allies ride through the morning, Halvik at his side, his equal.

Her bird returns, with a new ribbon around the note tied to its leg. A reply.

"He has agreed."

The bird caws, and Laurent smiles. Two down, one more to go.

When they reach the clearing, a sole rider meets them.

"Hello Nicaise."

Damen is preparing for another long day of useless fighting, both with his father and on the field, when the flap to his tent opens. He needs more attentive guards.

A child, small and cherubic, a cloak over his shoulders and hood over his head. A scowl on his face.

He holds up a small, folded piece of paper between his fingers.

Damen takes it gingerly. He keeps his distance as well. No telling what the child is hiding under those layers.

"Take that to King Theomedes. Do not read it."

Then he leaves, and Damen cannot even ask who he is.

Damen looks at the paper between his fingers, sorely tempted to read it if only to spite the sprite who entered his tent. He does not.

He does sniff to check for poison. He may like Auguste and Laurent well enough, but most Veretians would sooner stab you in the back with a smile on their faces.

He is allowed entry to his father's tent, and slips him the note. Makedon and Kastor are already here and he does not wish to cause a scene.

A scene is had regardless.

Theomedes looks thunderous as he reads whatever is scrawled.

Then he turns his glare on Damen.

"That whore of yours is turning the tide against us boy," Theomedes seethes. Damen has never been so afraid of his father. Or anyone. "He's brought the Vaskian border tribes and now I'm to be informed that Prince Torveld is provided troops for Vere as well?!"

Vask and Patras. Damen would be impressed if he weren't busy regretting everything he has ever done in his life. Including being born.

Makedon looks impressed enough for the both of them at least.

Damen is sent out of the tent, his father's face burning red.

"They'll have us on our flank!" he hears shouted from inside.

Damen retreats with his tail between his legs.

Laurent feels rather pleased with himself as they crest the hills over Marlas. They can see the white canvas just on the horizon.

"You are proud," Halvik states, a smirk to her lips. She gives an approving nod. "You should be. It is a fine day to win a battle."

Laurent smiles. "You will likely see no fighting today. We have Akiekos cornered. You will see us treat, and then you will see nightfall and campfires and hakesh and many Akielon cocks."

Halvik laughs, more pleased with that outcome than the battle she'd orginally been talked into.

"I'd have taken you as my second the night I met you. How unfortunate for you to turn out with a penis."

Laurent can't help his chuckle. "I've found those who appreciate it."

She shakes her head, still smiling. "They appreciate what's behind it."

Damen is talking with Nik at the front when the cavalry arrives. Quite literally. And Laurent is at their helm. Hundreds of Vaskian tribesmen and women ride out behind him, each on their own horse.

Damen can see Auguste already riding out on his white stallion, racing to meet him.

Damen grabs the nearest horse and plans to do the same but Nik's firm hand and firmer head shake halt him.

Nik's right of course. His father is already more than displeased with him; to be seen riding out the meet with the enemy could have him hanged for treason. Damen waits. Impatient.

Theomedes' horse storms passed them, with the king atop. Kastor and Makedon follow.

Laurent sits steady on his horse as they all wait for his father to arrive. The last to make their impromptu meeting.

Laurent is resolute, and finally decided. He knows what he must do.

"Laurent! What is the meaning of this?" Aleron yells at him.

Theomedes looks mildly bewildered, as much as he is willing to show in front of the enemies at least. "You did not send him for reinforcements?"

Auguste looks worried and meets Laurent's eyes. But Laurent sees no betrayal within them. Good. Auguste still does not believe as their father does that Laurent is out for the crown. He is only worried for Laurent.

Laurent clears his throat to be heard over the bickering kings. "Gentlemen, I have come with my own allies to this fight and would like to propose my own terms."

He looks to Theomedes. "I believe an alliance of marriage between Damianos and myself is a splendid idea." When Theomedes opens his mouth to refuse, Laurent cuts him off first. "If you are so worried about heirs, I hear Kastor has a woman on his arm. Let them make the children."

Laurent turns to his own father. "I will not, however, be leaving court until I can be assured of my brother's safety. You may think me the threat, and I will no longer attempt to change your mind, but I will see this mess cleaned before my departure."

He offers Auguste a look, something private between only them even amongst the crowd, before continuing on. "King Theomedes, I am under the impression you recieved my note?"

Theomedes frowns and his anger is palpable. Warmonger.

Kastor has not spoken up, though his glare says enough, but the general with them looks amused from where his horse stands behind the main party. He sends a wink to Halvik.

"What is it you wish?" Theomedes asks, his voice grit. "The Akielon throne? So you can run us into the ground and prove Vere is superior?"

Laurent composes his face to nothingness. "I was more than happy to advise my brother during his rule and meet Damianos in the middle of the night for secret moonlit rendezvous. My father wouldn't allow me much else with any men I found to hold my interest.

"You and your ilk sought war and brought this upon yourselves. You saw that Vere was weak and you thought to take ground. Vere may be weak for now, but I am not. You'd do well to remember that."

Laurent will not be treated as a pawn any longer. He has played his hand to it's true height. He holds the power here.

He leans forward, threatening. "I have two future kings who would do anything I ask, a Patran prince in my debt, and the loyalty of the Vaskian border tribes. You are outmatched."

Loyalty is a strong word, but Theomedes backs down easily enough after that, though the vein on his forehead looks near to bursting. Auguste looks awe inspired. Aleron...shows nothing.

Aleron turns his horse without a word and walks away. But the fight is called off with the blow of a horn soon enough.

Halvik ticks her horse forward and she and her women split camps to ease all the soldiers of their burdens. For a night.

Some of the men follow, others return home. Laurent knew without himself on offer there was much left to be desired, so he's promised trade goods gifted and heading for meeting points of their encampments. He owes Charls a large sum of money.

Auguste pulls Laurent into a hug. Laurent allows it. "I dare say you are the most powerful man I have ever met."

"I may have also bluffed. Torveld only owes me at a max of maybe twenty men. But troops are troops."

Auguste laughs.

Two riders come out to meet them over the hill. One is clearly Damianos, the other Laurent has yet to meet.

Damen comes to a stop beside Laurent, and doesn't know what to say to him.

Auguste pulls his horse away with a roll of his eyes. Nik follows, a gagging sound escaping his lips. Dick. He did not have to follow Damen up here.

"Hello, lover."

Damen swallows. He does not know what has transpired between his father and Laurent, but Theomedes had calmed from his earlier rage by the time he made it back to camp. He almost looked surprised and not entirely displeased with the turn of events.

"Laurent."

Laurent curls his finger and beckons Damen closer. Soft lips press to his ear.

"You wish to know why I seek you out? I dream of you, of what we started but I cut short. I dream of how that night might have played out had I not grown nervous and banished you from my rooms.

"I thought of it last night Damianos. Of you."

Laurent licks his ear, playful, and Damen's fists tighten around his horse's reins.

Laurent's eyes are flirty, his tone sensual. "If you are so inclined, I'd be delighted to try again."

Damen is inclined. Damen is very inclined.

Auguste finds a note tucked into his chest plate fluttering to the ground as he's removing his armor. He picks it up and bids his servants to leave him. Laurent's usual style of hiding notes, so clearly from him, he thinks with a smile.

He doesn't like what he finds inside however.

'Uncle has returned.'

[nikanndros]

The Arranged Marriage AU Part 13 [Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12]

Laurent is typically a heavy sleeper, but for some reason that morning he wakes up with the sun. Slivers of light break through the gaps in the curtains, and kiss the skin of his lovers. He feels very warm. Damen is sleeping on his stomach, one arm thrown across Laurent’s waist. He is exceedingly beautiful like this, dark eyelashes prominent on sharp cheekbones.

Nik is on Laurent’s other side, but Laurent doesn’t have the opportunity to admire him, as his husband’s face is pressed into the crook of Laurent’s neck. It is a surprise that he can breathe at all like that.

Clingy, Laurent thinks, and then he smiles privately to himself.

It doesn’t take long before Nik, a consistently early riser, starts to stir. He picks up his head, obscured by his mess of dark, wavy hair, and blinks blearily at Laurent.

“Good morning,” Laurent says, quietly so as not to wake Damen.

The corners of Nik’s lips tilt up. “Hello.”

“Did you sleep well?” Laurent asks him, gently tucking his hair behind one ear.

Nik makes a noise of assent. “It is late,” he says. Only Nik can see the barely risen sun as a sign of overindulgence. “I should train.”

“Yes,” Laurent replies. “I won’t love you anymore if you lose all of those ridiculous muscles.”

Nik laughs, quietly.

When he makes an attempt to get up though, Laurent stops him with a hand on his shoulder. “Stay,” Laurent says.

Nik lies back down, and presses a kiss to the side of Laurent’s face.

It doesn’t take Damen long to wake up after that, and when he opens his eyes, he smiles at them automatically. Laurent smiles back.

“Don’t you have training to rush off to, Nik?” he asks, voice rough.

“Laurent is being sweet this morning,” Nikandros replies. “It must be savoured.”

Laurent frowns. “I’m always sweet.”

“You kicked me out of bed once because you wanted to steal my pillow.”

Damen laughs. He looks so happy and comfortable in their bed that Laurent feels a little light headed. He wonders what it would take to trap him here forever.

-

It’s an odd relationship in the way that Laurent and Nikandros are exclusively sleeping with each other and Damianos; while Damianos is… well, Laurent doesn’t ask. Obviously Damen needs to have a wife eventually, and while he seems to like them both very much, Laurent can’t imagine that changing.

Nikandros isn’t a stranger to this. “That’s just who he is,” Nik says one evening, smiling. They’re watching Damianos flirt with a Kyros’ daughter across the hall. “He loves all of his subjects.”

“Yes,” Laurent agrees. “But you’re different, aren’t you?”

“How so?”

“You’ve been together for years. He talks to you like a lover.”

“Hmm,” Nikandros takes a peach from the table and bites into it. “Not really.”

“What do you talk about then?”

“Sports, duty, hunting,” he brushes a strand of hair back from Laurent’s face. “How lovely you are.”

“So nothing of substance then? Even when you were younger you never spoke of being - I don’t know - his primary lover? Or something?”

“You mean like Lady Hypermenestra to King Theomedes?”

“Yes!”

“No,” Nikandros says. He looks away. “I’m more useful to the kingdom as a Kyros than a mistress.”

He puts his loyalty to Akielos before his own personal happiness. Laurent suddenly realises what a mistake his father has made, marrying Laurent off to someone with such good morals. He is glad he tore that letter, he thinks. He will see Auguste and his mother again one day but, not on his father’s call. His own loyalties have to be different now.

“What are you talking about?” Damianos says, seating himself next to Nikandros. He takes Nik’s own chalice of wine and sips from it.

“We were taking bets on whether you’d actually remember the name of the girl you were flirting with,” Nikandros says.

Damianos laughs, then looks over at the girl and back to them. “Kyra?”

“Are you asking me?”

“Kyrina?”

“Kassandra,” Nikandros says.

“I was close!” Damianos declares, somehow not at all embarrassed.

“I’m not sure Kassandra would have felt the same way when you said the wrong name at your climax.” Here, Nikandros gives Laurent a look.

Laurent kicks his ankle under the table, while Damen laughs, oblivious.

“No,” he says. “I was only speaking to her because her father kept dropping hints that she’s of a marriageable age. Did you know she has four older brothers? Apparently that means she’s likely to give me a strong son.” There’s a hint of annoyance in Damen’s voice. His mother died during childbirth - people must remind him of that a lot when trying to sell their daughters to him.

“A strong son,” Nikandros repeats in a light voice. “Perhaps you should marry a Vaskian then, if that’s your goal.”

Damen is smiling again at that. “Oh, didn’t you hear? Apparently the Empress has asked to marry Kastor to her eldest daughter. Apparently his diplomatic efforts in Vask have been impressive.”

“Is King Theomedes going to allow that?” Laurent asks.

Damen shrugs. “I think if Kastor wants it, father will let him.”

“Maybe a leopard will eat him,” Nikandros considers.

Damen playfully punches Nik in the shoulder. “Stop.”

“Why don’t you like him?” Laurent asks.

“I’ll tell you later,” Nikandros says with a frown.

Damianos laughs. “He once cut off Nik’s ponytail when he wasn’t looking. We were children.”

“We were children. Kastor was old enough to know better.”

“Even I was tempted to cut that thing off. You barely combed it.”

“This isn’t about me.” Nik frowns.

“You’ve seriously held a grudge for, what, upwards of ten years?” Laurent says. “What if I cut your hair while you slept?”

“I’d sell you back to the highest bidder.’

“Who would be me,” Damen cuts in, grinning triumphantly. “You should do it, Laurent.”

“It was a mistake letting you two spend time together,” Nik says.

“So you don’t want an invitation to my quarters tonight?” Damen asks.

Nikandros looks to Laurent. Laurent smiles.

“Come to our room tonight,” he says.

Damianos smiles, bright and beautiful. “Until tonight then,” he replies. And then he kisses them both on the head and goes back to talking to his people.

-

Two weeks later, and Damen is spending more nights in their bed than not. Laurent starts to learn new things about him. Like that he is an early riser like Nik, but much easier to convince to stay in bed for longer. He’s also clingy in his sleep, which Laurent finds he quite likes.

One day, Laurent is watching Nik and Pallas have a practice duel in the courtyard, when a group of visitors arrive. Nik approaches Laurent, while the newcomers get off their horses and out of their carriages.

“That’s a small Lord from Aegina, Bemus,” Nikandros murmurs, because he has apparently made it his business to know everyone in Akielos that is even slightly noteworthy. “He’s a friend of the Kyros. He must have business with the King.”

Bemus dismounts from his horse and then waits for the carriage to be opened up by a servant. Out steps a beautiful woman, tall and honey blonde, her skin is almost as pale as Laurent’s. She must avoid the hot Akielon sun religiously.

“Ah,” Nik says, upon sight of her. He gestures Laurent closer. “Damen tends to get distracted a lot by people like her. Don’t take it to heart when it happens; he’ll come back to us.”

Laurent frowns.

-

It turns out not to be a problem, as when the woman - Jokaste - is introduced to Damianos before dinner, he greets her politely, and then spots Laurent and Nik at the table and excuses himself to approach them.

“I have missed you both,” he says brightly, confidently pushing his way in to sit between them. “I wanted us to go riding today, but father is planning a hunt for next week and he wanted my opinion on it.”

“Did that really just happen?” Nikandros asks, sounding shocked.

“What’s wrong?” Damen asks.

“That,” Nik says, gesturing in the direction of where Damen came from. “The woman, Jokaste, she is exactly your type.”

Damen looks confused for a moment and then he looks to where Nikandros had gestured. “Oh. Yes. She’s beautiful.” He turns to Laurent. “I heard that there’s a merchant in the marketplace selling books from all different kingdoms. Would you like to come pay him a visit tomorrow?”

“I’d love to,” Laurent says, smiling.

“Wonderful,” Damen says, signalling a servant for some wine.

Laurent looks at Damen’s comfort sitting between him, and then to Nik’s still shocked face. “I am rather tired tonight,” Laurent says. “Nikandros made me duel him and he wouldn’t even let me cheat.”

“That’s because you keep throwing dirt in my face,” Nik comments, dryly.

“Your actual enemies will fight dirty too, it’s better if you’re prepared for it,” Laurent comments. “But that’s beside the point. I am tired tonight, but if you would like to come to our chambers, Damen, to sleep, you are more than welcome.” Damen only sleeps in their bed on the nights that they all have sex. Laurent wonders whether he’s ever just slept with someone companionably.

“Oh.” Damen smiles. “Yes, alright.”

Laurent takes in his and Nik’s pleasantly surprised expressions and grins at them. After that, Laurent is almost certain that Damianos isn’t fucking anyone else but them because he is in their bed every night.

[caravanslost]

27 - War

Characters: Damen/Laurent.

Tags: Several years post-canon; Laurent unearths a plot; Damen is so Done he’d make Nikandros proud; flirting husbands. [The prompt sounds dark, but the fic isn’t. Promise].  Written for @capri-month​.

Without looking up from his papers, Laurent said, “Ambassador Sabinus is very handsome, don’t you think?”

A note: Archive Of Our Own Link here.

A note #2: I have received several excellent prompts that my fingers are itching to write. My inbox is still open, in case anything further takes your fancy.

It had been a lengthy day of diplomatic engagements, and the reception for the new ambassador from Asmea had lasted well into the night. Ambassador Sabinus was the youngest nephew of the Asmean King, a fiercely bright young man of no more than twenty-three. His retinue was small in number, but the five of them roused enough mirth, and downed enough wine, to equal the entire Artesian court.

Damen felt his energy falter around midnight. Although the revelry continued unabated around him, he struggled to keep his eyes awake as Councillor Itmar schooled him on the finer points of grain taxation. By two in the morning, Damen formally drew an end to proceedings, and weathered all of Laurent’s jests about old age. Laurent, for his part, had kept Sabinus company for most of the night.

Damen couldn’t have cared less about his lost youth. Shedding his chiton and climbing between the fresh sheets felt like sinking into a warm cloud. He turned onto his stomach, buried his face in the lavendar scent of the pillow, and stretched every muscle in his body as far as it would go. It felt delicious. He opened one bleary eye to look for Laurent.

Laurent was on the other side of the room, and hovered near his desk, sifting through a stack of papers in his long sleepshirt. It hung mid-thigh, and he had left the front unlaced. It opened wide around his neck and sat on him asymmetrically, the left side of it almost falling off his shoulder. Damen felt a useless stir at the sight of him, but it was far too late to do anything about it.

Without looking up from his papers, Laurent said, “Ambassador Sabinus is very handsome, don’t you think?”

He spoke with a practiced casualness that he reserved only for particular conversations. Damen had heard it enough times by now to recognize the gravity belying its seemingly indifferent tone. He lifted his head off the pillow, to properly examine him.

Damen was also just alert enough to recognize the trap masquerading as Laurent’s innocent question. The new ambassador had golden hair and eyes the colour of the ocean on a bright day. He wore his hair long, and it tumbled artfully down the front of his chiton, curling where it sat at his hips.

In short, he resembled exactly one another person in the court. The similarity had not been lost on anyone in the expansive room—and clearly, least of all on the person to whom the resemblance was borne.

But it was too close to morning to play lengthy games, so Damen asked him directly: “What do you mean?”

“At tomorrow’s tourney, during the wrestling, Sabinus will to announcing his participation. It will seem spontaneous, and I imagine the crowd will be dazzled, which is precisely what he hopes to achieve. Then he will challenge you to a match.”

It was a detailed prediction, and Damen resigned himself to a night spent unpacking it. He pushed the covers off himself with some difficulty, and sat up in bed. He said, “That’s a detailed guess, even by your standards,” and had a strong suspicion of what Laurent would say in response.

“It wasn’t a guess, Damen. I’ve intercepted his correspondence.”

“Of course you have.”

Laurent left his papers and unlocked a compartment to the left of the desk. He knelt, and when he rose again, he held in his hand a walnut box of ornate decoration. Damen watched him bring it to the bed and lay it on the sheets, and press a finger to something at the back of the box that he could not see.

A hidden compartment slid out, lined in crushed green velvet. It revealed a small stack of letters held together by a thin leather strap. The parchment was of a deeper hue and coarser texture than anything produced in Akielos or Vere, or indeed in Artes. He counted five letters in all, and the blue wax seal on each of them was visibly broken.

They had been married for six years now, and together for longer, and Damen had slept in this chamber for half that time. He had never seen that box before. He studied it carefully before looking back up at Laurent.

“How many other things in this room have hidden compartments?” He asked lightly.

“If I told you,” said Laurent, eyes dancing, “They wouldn’t be hidden compartments anymore.”

He took the letter at the top of the pile and offered it to Damen, who accepted it and stared down at the broken royal seal of the King of Asmea. The letter was unmistakably an original copy.

Damen said, “If you’re found in possession of this, you’ll start a war.”

“No one will know that it’s missing. Our royal brother in Asmea writes with an easily-imitated script, and his seal is simple to duplicate as well.” Laurent said, the corner of his mouth quirking. Damen had always found it endearing, how much he enjoyed his own intelligence. “I have the copies delivered, and the originals brought to me. You should read the one in your hand. Its contents might amuse you.”

Damen looked down and scanned the first few lines. And then he stopped, and blinked, and re-read from the beginning, just to confirm what he had seen. He finished the first page, and then skim-read the rest.

Flatly, he said, “This is all about me.”

Him, and only him. The letter was a detailed portrait of his habits and his preferences, and every mundanity of his day, laid out in detail that could only have come with the benefit of first-hand accounts. It listed everything from the names of the councils that he chaired, to the names of his most trusted advisors, to the frivolous matters of his preferred sports and breakfast preferences, and everything in between. At the very end of the letter, and of greatest concern to Damen, was a respectable outline of his typical daily routine.

None of the information itself was private, or indeed, particularly revealing. It was knowledge that was inherent to spending time at the Artesian court. But seeing it all collected together, meticulously organized, with all the care of a scholar towards a subject—that, more than anything, begged the question of its purpose.

“Does Sabinus mean to assassinate me?” Said Damen.

“No. I believe he means to seduce you.”

Damen went still. Laurent had said it with all the involvement of a man describing the weather.

In the moments that followed, Damen examined his own reaction. He found himself unable to decide whether assassination would have been a more merciful risk.

He felt his exhaustion, then, in the marrow of his bones. There was too much wine in his blood for this. He had lost count of how many turns the conversation had taken, and resigned himself to being led in whichever direction Laurent would take it.

“You can’t know for certain that he means to seduce me,” he said, although it came out as more of a hope than a conviction.

“I was rather hoping you’d say that. As a matter of fact, I can.”

This time, Laurent pulled up the whole pile of letters into his hand. He began flicking through them and settled on the third letter from the bottom, pulling it out with dramatic relish. He held it up in the air, rigid between two fingers.

It seemed that Laurent was rather enjoying himself.

“A number of your former lovers have been found, and questioned. With the information they’ve provided, our royal brother in Asmea has developed something of a library of your tastes, all ready for his nephew.” Laurent said, waving the piece of paper in the air. He arched a brow and added, “I must say—it’s most comprehensive. I learned a thing or two myself.”

Damen felt the colour as it spread across his chest, and up to his neck, and warmth as it washed over his cheeks. He reached out for the letter but Laurent pulled it away from him, and promptly filed it back amongst its brethren.

When he looked back up at Damen, his eyes were bright. “Oh, I don’t think you would have liked reading that one.”

“I’m almost beginning to hope for an assassination.” Said Damen. “What purpose can there be in seducing me?”

“I’m close to answering that. For now, I suspect that the ambassador is instructed to sow discord in the royal bed.”

”Yes, but to what end?”

Laurent paused and said, “I hear they’re building warships in Asmea.”

He fell quiet, then, but remained firm under Damen’s inquiring gaze.

Damen watched him carefully, and with a mounting sense of wonder. It shouldn’t have been a surprise, after all these years, that Laurent had unearthed a plot so shortly after it had been sown. The instincts honed in the youth had clearly not rusted in the man.

Damen said, “Are they foolish enough, to think they can come between us?”

“I can see a weak logic in the thought that Artes will only survive if we’re happy together.’ Said Laurent. And then—quietly, possessively: “But they don’t know how we are.”

He followed his declaration with a silence, and Damen did not interrupt it.

Laurent’s comfort with bare-faced declarations had improved, even though he still treated such private truths like diamonds, as things to be protected, and kept hidden from public view. When he did occasionally bring them out into the open air, the very act took something out of him.

Laurent busied himself with tidying the bundle of letters, and tying the thin leather strap around them. Damen watched the careful, delicate motions of his hands.

“Shall I decline his offer of a match tomorrow?”

“No. You’re going to accept it.” Said Laurent. He looked up, his guard newly eased by the talk of more practical matters. “I want you to fight him, naked in the Akielon style. I want you both to writhe against each other for as long as you can before besting him, and when you eventually help him off the floor, I want you to praise his valiant effort.”

“And where will you be?”

“Watching from my throne,” he said, “poorly concealing my displeasure.”

Damen said, suddenly pleased “You’re going to pretend to be jealous over me, in public?”

“I assure you, I won’t be pretending.”

Damen knew better than to give in to a smile, but he found his chest warming with pleasure at the thought of Laurent parading any degree of envy before the court. His affection was only ever practiced in private, his public displays limited to a brief brush of hands or a quiet word in the ear.

Damen also knew that he should be more concerned by the revelations about Asmea. He had lived long enough to know that the worst kind of enemies were those who played at being friends. But the truth was this: he couldn’t help where his attention fell.

He said, “You intend for him to think that his plan is working.”

“Only briefly. Just long enough to draw out the other players in his game.” Laurent answered. He paused and then added, “I must admit – I thought news of a looming war might disturb you more than it has.”

“They don’t have you on their side. I do. ” Said Damen. He allowed a bold streak of affection to colour his voice. “Let the King of Asmea try what he will. Sabinus can do his worst.”

Laurent placed the box on his bedside table, and failed to bite back his smirk.

“If I recall correctly from that letter,” he said, “I suspect you might enjoy what ‘their worst’ entails.”

Damen’s mind turned to it, and he found himself scowling—at the letter, and its forged twin, and all the documents that must exist in Asmea which led to their existence. His trust had been breached by lovers, and Damen resisted the urge to dwell on who might have spoken. It was the most personal and intimate of attacks.

“If you love me, you’ll burn that letter and every single one of its copies.”

“Oh, I will.” Laurent said, and his eyes danced so brightly that Damen knew a condition was coming. “I’ll destroy everything to do with it—after we’ve worked through its contents.”

[greenisbestcolorfightme]

Captive Prince (Trilogy)

P. S. Pacat

Then he took Damen’s other hand in his own, clasping their fingers together and holding his hand like it was the most important thing in the world. Damen thought that if Laurent was holding his hand, he must be dying.  -Kings Rising

Spoilers under the cut! 

I’m putting all three together, because in my opinion, they don’t really stand on their own. I don't know if they should have been squished together, but if you just read the first one, it’s not satisfying enough because the story is only just starting. The whole story is a wonderful adventure, and I could not put it down. I enjoyed these books, but this review addresses both the ups and downs of this trilogy.

This book series is exactly as it’s described: about a prince, Damianos (Damen) of Akielos, taken captive and sold into slavery. Specifically as a pleasure slave. (I’m not usually the type to read… this, but I promised a friend I would.) Damen is sold to the prince of his kingdom’s rival, Laurent of Vere. Damen has to hide his identity, as he killed Laurent’s older brother in combat, and Laurent hates him for it. Understandably.

Before I really begin, I want to address that I won’t be talking about any of the more sexual content: I’m ace and I skipped over most of it, because that’s just not for me. 

Let’s do a quick run down of the plot.

Book 1: Damen’s half-brother, Kastor, wants the throne, so after their father, the king, dies, Kastor pretends to murder Damen but instead sells him into slavery to the Prince of Vere. Damen has to hide his identity from Laurent, because if Laurent finds out, he’ll kill him.

Laurent is in a power struggle with his uncle, the regent. I’m not sure why Laurent hasn’t been crowned yet: he’s a young man now, so I’m sure that he is about to/months away from his coronation (I’m sure the book addresses this; I just don’t remember). Most of the first book centers around politics. Laurent is awful to Damen. But Damen still really wants to fuck him because he’s hot.

Book 2: Since Kastor has risen to power, Laurent sets out with Damen in tow to secure their borders and prep for whatever war might be coming. Prince’s Gambit was probably my favorite of these books. Damen gets to see Laurent out of his element: instead of trapped in the fripperies of court, he’s out in the wild. They start to appreciate one another: Damen sees Laurent’s tactical skills and his trickery in a pinch, and Laurent sees Damen’s charisma and charm that brings their group of ragtag soliders together. During this book they share a lot of cute moments togther, and we actually see a meaningful relationship start to form. Laurent shows the softer side of himself to Damen. Damen wants to fuck him because he’s in love.

Book 3: Lots of battles as the war wages. Damen is fighting for the other team against his own people. Then an Akielon troop recongizes Damen, and it’s all over. There’s awkwardness and disharmony, but the two armies join together to take down Kastor and the Regent. Laurent reveals to Damen that he knew who he was the whole time. They have strange tension but still start dating. Laurent has a showdown with his uncle, sacrificing himself to save his country and Damen’s. Of course, Damen comes to the rescue.

When it seems like things are almost resolved, Damen faces down Kastor. Kastor stabs him, but Laurent shows up and kills Kastor in a cicular manner to how Damen killed Laurent’s brother. They share a tender moment where they get engaged. The end.

Let’s talk about some wonderful things first!

The World: It was a really fun world to be in. The descriptions of places and exciting castles were great, and I enjoyed imagining these places throughout the book. There’s even a map, which brings me so much joy.

The Ending: I loved the ending! Having Laurent and Damen’s lives parallel each other’s was a smart move, and for me it was so satisfying, because suddenly they didn’t have that whole issue hanging over their heads anymore. And they’re clearly in love and ready to combine their kingdoms. Hell yeah.

Diversity: All the Akielons are people of color! Their society is a lot like Greece, but it’s clear that it’s on the same technological advancement as the other, more European-based countries. So one of our main characters is a PoC. Also, everyone is gay! Not joking, everyone is gay. While there are some hetero relationships, it’s pretty clear that same-sex relationships are accepted and no one really cares who you’re doing.

Character Chart: They put the guide to the characters at the beginning of the book! Exactly where it should be, so that we all know that it exists rather than discovering it at the end, after we’ve been trying to follow characters around for a whole novel. Thank you for this!

Laurent and Damen are, of course, pretty cute. They have a lot of moments where they look out for each other and have each other’s backs. The support they build is sweet and I was really rooting for them the whole story. 

Now for the part where I go kinda hard on these books. 

Part I: Point of View

The novel is told from Damen’s point of view. with only a few sections from Laurent’s perspective. The chapters featuring Laurent throw me. Laurent is my favorite character, but his chapters weren’t to show his development as a character, but rather to move the plot along or show how Laurent did something. In my opinion, I feel like this isn’t information that readers needed to know at that moment. We could have just learned this information along with Damen and gotten the same overall experiance. Laurent’s voice during these scenes also wasn’t very distinct.

Which brings me to one of my bigger issues with the narrition: Damen’s voice. This book is in third person limited (we only see Damen’s thoughts), but the tone is very formal. This might be because Damen is nobilty, so this might have been a choice the author made, but I feel like I wanted a closer connection with Damen.

Damen himself was problematic for me. When I think to myself of Damen’s personality, nothing really comes up aside from golden boy, naive, action driven, and really wants to fuck Laurent. By the end of the novel, he’s more respectful and compassionate to those beneath him, but his attitude toward other slaves in the first book shows that this isn’t much of a change. He’s always been the kind of good guy. We don’t get a lot of backstory for him. We know he’s been through battles, yet Damen brushes any blood on his hands off (minus the death of Laurent’s brother). We know he has a rocky relationship with his half-brother (who sold him into slavery!), yet he doesn’t dwell on this much. In the second and third books, he’s literally having to fight against his own people, and it doesn’t bother him as much as it probably should. It isn’t necessarily bad to have a simple main character, but Damen doesn’t have a whole lot of personality traits (and those he does have are swallowed by Laurent’s presence), that are allowed to shine.

He’s a pretty passive protagonist. For the majority of the novels, he kind of gets dragged around by the situation and Laurent. There’s a few times where Damen takes action, but those times usually end up with him listening to Laurent or ending up in the same place he was before. This same story, told from Laurent’s perspective, would be far more engaging, as Laurent is a highly active character. He’s the ideal protagonist, making decisions and driving the plot rather than letting it drive him.

Part II: Argument for Laurent

So, let’s talk about Laurent.

It’s obvious he’s my favorite character. Not only is he an extremely active and narrative-driving character, he’s complex and intricate in a way no other character is. Laurent noticeably changes throughout the books in two ways.

1. Through Damen’s eyes: he sees who Laurent actually is under his exterior. Some of Laurent’s actions that didn’t make sense to him in the past are cleared up for him later. He finds out Laurent was trying to help the other victims of his uncle in the few ways that he could. While not every action Laurent has taken in the past can be redeemed, many of them are revealed to be for a better purpose than orginally assumed.

2. Laurent does change as a character. Throught the books, Laurent lets Damen past his defenses and lets him see his vulnerabilities in many ways. Allowing Damen to teach him the Akielon language and letting Damen see him mess up, talking about some of his fears in the future, his sexuality, talking about his dead brother and his childhood, his guilt about loving Damen because Damen killed his brother, giving more and more trust to Damen to watch his back and protect him as they grow closer.

Laurent is introduced to us as a complete prick, but by the end of the trilogy, we know the heart of a very complex character, and we can’t help but root for him. Laurent brims with personality compared to every other character in this series. I feel like I should mention that while Laurent is the most complex character, I think more could have been done with him. We don’t see Laurent ever fail. Even when he sacrifices himself, it’s still on his own terms. I think I’d like to see Laurent dealing with plans going wrong rather than having him just overcome obstacles with little resistance, so we could see him respond to those issues.

Damen fails many times throughout these books. But that doesn’t actually add anything to the story, because he doesn’t really learn or change because of those experiances. I am under the firm belief that this story would be far better if told through Laurent’s eyes, as he has far more underneath the surface than Damen.

Part III: Where are my girls?

One of my biggest issues with these books is the lack of female characters. The main female character is Jokaste, who sleeps around the royal family and betrays Damen, who’s in love with her. She attempts to use her own baby to blackmail Damen, telling him it’s his. Ironically, she’s compared to Laurent, who is very much redeemed and hailed as heroic by the end of the books, but she gets no such redemtion. The other female characters are very minor. One of which is the leader of a tribe that helps Damen and Laruent out while trying to reclaim the Akielon throne. She only wants to use Damen for sexy times with her tribe. Also, there are female prostitutes in the second and third book. Not super great representation. The only other woman featured is the mother of Aimeric, who risks her life to call out the Regent for what he did to her son. While this helped in the Regent’s downfall, it wasn’t quite the tipping point it could have been.

Damen has a lot of interactions with other slaves; there’s no reason why one of them couldn’t have been female. In the court, men only pair with male slaves, and women only with female slaves. We don’t meet a single f/f pair (I’m not in any way promoting slavery, nor do I condone these relationships, but since this is fiction and the book is filled with m/m couples and tells us there’s f/f couples, we could have at least seen one. Again, in no way am I condoning these kinds of relationships, I’m simply making a point for the lack of female characters), nor do we see any meaningful queer women. Instead, we only meet male couples, and male characters.

Part IV: Poor Nicaise

One huge, major issue I had with the books was the pedophilia. Laurent’s uncle, the regent, keeps underage slave boys. While it’s not celebrated in the books (most people in-book disapprove), there’s not really as much hatred or disgust as I think there should have been. It’s hinted at, and later revealed, that Laurent was a victim to sexual abuse at the hands of his uncle after his brother’s death. Because it was hinted at so early on, I was surprised it wasn’t addressed further. We as readers were cued in as early as book one, but Damen seems oblivious until it’s spelled out for him. In one scene, Laurent sleepily addresses Damen as his uncle, and Damen has no reaction to this. No red flags, Damen’s just like “wow what good sex i love this boi” and that’s it.

And, out of all the deaths in these books, I was more horrified by Nicaise’s death than any other. Since Laurent and Damen both had a relationship with this character (Laurent almost parental and Damen slightly antagonistic) I was suprised that they didn’t display more grief at his death. I think I’m just disappointed that these characters didn’t show the range of emtions I would expect from a book that deals with such heavy themes.

Part V: Themes

I can’t tell if this book hates slavery or not. While Laurent is apparently anti-slavery (this is said by Damen, however, I feel like Laruent is more anti-pedophilia than anti-slavery), these books don’t celebrate slavery, but they don’t condemn it either. Does a book dealing with themes like this and using them as a plot device have to address the narrative of slavery? I don’t know.

Slavery is used as a device to set up a romantic narrative. So what about consent? In the first book, Damen is almost raped, and has a sexual encounter he doesn’t want. (Let’s add that to the list of things Damen isn’t traumatized about but should be.) He also makes a move on Laurent. In later chapters, he does sleep with Laurent, but he’s still a slave. Since Damen is a slave, is it actually consensual? Should that be addressed in a romance novel? In a fictional world, is this okay? Are the topics brought up in this book still harmful outside of the pages? I don’t know.

Part VI: Me Being Nitpicky

One last thing that’s really, really nitpicky: I got really annoyed with the formatting in these books. I borrowed all of them from the library, and they were all of the same design (covers matching), but the text inside was different on the first book vs the second two. Book 1 was 1.15 spacing and used double quotations for speaking, while books two and three were 1.50 spaced (I’m not exactly sure, it could be 1.00 vs 1.15, but either way, they were spaced differently) and used single quotations for speaking. I don’t mind this spacing or single quotations, but it was aggravating to have that form switch.

FAN-ART

I will say that the fan-art for these books is absolutely beautiful. Please, if you read this and have a moment, look at some of the lovely art people have made: it’s mind blowing and super cute.

Final Statements

I did really enjoy these books, however harsh this review sounds. I spent so much time typing this up because I loved them, and I while I do feel like they could have been better or improved, I did love them. It was wonderful to get some LGBT+ content in a more fantastical setting! I really hope we get to see more books like this in the future!

[blue-eyed-korra]

Captive Prince/Proposal AU

Ok first of all, I’ve seen this idea be mentioned once or twice in the tag before, but seriously people how do we not have one of these yet? It practically writes itself.

I’ve been thinking this over for awhile and I think I’ve got a solid plot figured out but I don’t think I have the patience or talent to write this.

Hell maybe I will eventually but for now I want all my amazing capri fandom to picture this:

Damen is an overworked yet ambitious wanna-be book editor who works for Laurent, the intolerable, bitchy and ‘sadistic’ editor in chief, a cast iron bitch if you will.

Damen takes it because he’s hoping that Laurent will be a stepping stone to his goal but Laurent seems bent on personally antagonizing him in particular. (spoiler alert: its cause Laurent finds him attractive but doesn’t wanna deal with ~feelings~ and just stays perpetually pissed at him)

Anyways, Laurent fires Guion because he lost a big deal they were supposed to get with Torveld, which Laurent salvaged, and we get the whole ‘poisonous bitch’ speech.

Then at a meeting later that day Laurent’s bosses (basically council members) tell him that he work visa was denied because he violated a requirement and he’ll have to quit his job in Delpha and be deported back to Vere, where he’d have no choice but to work for his uncle’s publishing house and Guion will take his place as editor in chief. 

Cue Damen interrupting Laurent’s internal panic attack to remind him about a client calling about ~something~ but Damen told them that Laurent was engaged at the moment. Cue light bulb going off in Laurent’s head and the announcement that to the board that they’re getting married.

Damen’s confused face here is priceless too just pointing that out.

After a bunch of arguing Laurent blackmails him so that Damen will marry then divorce Laurent after a year but if Damen doesn’t agree then all the time he put into working for Laurent would be for nothing. 

They go to the Akielon embassy to tell them the situation, but the immigration worker got a tip from Guion saying that the marriage is a scam to get Laurent citizenship, so they’ll need to be quizzed on each other, and that their friends, relatives neighbours etc. and if it doesn’t line up they would have committed fraud. Laurent would be deported to Vere and Damen would be fined and be put into jail for 5 years. 

Damen hesitates but then says they didn’t tell anyone because of his promotion to editor (Cue pretending-not-to-be-confused Laurent who goes with it). When the officer asks if their families know Laurent says that his family’s dead but they’re actually gonna tell Damen’s when they visit them that weekend for Uncle Makedon’s birthday, which Damen says is gonna be in Isthmia (Laurent’s surprised as hell cause Isthmia is the summer getaway for the rich and powerful of Akielos). Their interview is set for Monday.

When they leave Laurent compliments him on the whole ‘editor’ thing but Damen says he wasn’t joking considering the stakes. Laurent grudgingly agrees to make him editor and to publish his manuscript and we get the scene where Laurent proposes officially kneeling on the sidewalk.

The rest is under the cut!

Next day they’re flying to Ios then Isthmia, going over the questions and Damen talks about how he already knows everything about Laurent including the tattoo he supposedly has. Laurent brushes it off and they suffer through a smaller flight to Isthmia.

Damen’s mom and uncle are there to greet them and take them through the main town where Laurent notices that many of the businesses have his family name on it. Turns out that they’re big real estate moguls in Akielos and own many of the businesses on Isthmia as well. Aka: They basically rule Akielos ;).

They have to take a boat to the family’s huge summer villa that looks more like a palace than a villa ;) and we get the ‘hand off ass’ scene.

There’s a big party later and Laurent meets Jokaste who he’s immediately curious about cause of her looks and the fact that Damen’s all tense around her (also how she looks like a female Laurent). They reveal that they’re engaged and everyone begins asking questions and they both use it as an opportunity to embarrass each other.

Everyone wants them to kiss in front of everyone and at first they do and awkward peck but then Uncle Makedon insists Damen ‘give him a real kiss’ and they do and they both get confused af cause it feels good…?

They share Damen’s old room which is huge and has a gorgeous view of the sea off the balcony and a massive bed (with a fertility blanket courtesy of Makedon). Laurent claims the bed while Damen has to take the floor and blanket.

Turns out there’s a big rift between Damen and his Father cause he gave up the family business to pursue his passion for publishing in Delpha, amoung other things we learn about later.

Nikandros appears a few times to give Damen lectures about how he shouldn’t rush into a relationship again because of a blonde cause look at what happened last time. I also want Pallas, Lazar, Jord, Aimeric, Nicaise and Erasmus to show up at some point.

We get the bachelorette scene with the stripper and the discussion between Laurent and Jokaste about how they were engaged but Damen left cause she cheated on him with his brother and he caught them together.

Then we get the whole naked scene in all its glory. People who’ve seen the move know what I’m talking about ;) But Damen does catch a glimpse of the starburst tattoo between his shoulder blades.

Damen later makes fun of the whole thing and the tattoo and Laurent isn’t taking it but he does open up a bit about his interests and what happened to his family. His mother died of cancer when he was 12 then a year later he was in a car accident with his father and brother and he was the only one to survive. He moved in with his uncle, got the starburst tattoo for his brother when he was 16, went to collage at 18. (Idk if to include the ‘it takes two’ scene and sub it for something else that’s equally funny and cute).

Damen sympathies since he always had his family growing up and realizes he shouldn’t have shut them out as much as he did after the whole Jokaste thing.

The next morning his parents comes and his parents ask if they’d wanna get married the next day since the whole family’s there and they agree, actually kind of acting like a couple and not realizing it lol. 

Next we get the ‘windows and walls’ scene with uncle Makedon and Laurent in the woods drinking griva as a blessing to the gods for a long and happy marriage and Damen just looking at Laurent acting all loose and funny and it’s amazing.

After Laurent’s sobered up a bit they go back to town to get some business done and Laurent sees Damen and Jokaste talking outside and gets kind of jelly but mostly feels a bit guilty since he thinks he still has feelings for her despite everything.

Then Damen’s mom and Makedon take Laurent to get fitted into a wedding outfit which has been in the family for generations (idk if to go with a suit or a chiton but I’m kind of leaning towards a chiton cause I need for Damen to see him in one, but its also a modern au but idk). And they give Laurent another heirloom, a golden broach, which was worn by Damen’s mother at her wedding. All of this obviously overwhelms Laurent since he hasn’t felt like a part of a family in years and also feels guilty about tricking these nice people.

On the boat ride back Laurent tells Damen about how good it is to have a family again and that he himself forgot what its like to have a family. They argue about their arrangement and family which distracts Damen, causing him to swerve, making Laurent fall out the boat. (btw he can’t swim). Damen jumps in and rescues him and holds him to warm him up for a bit before heading back.

There Damen’s dad takes them to meet the immigration officer and Laurent’s Uncle, who Damen’s dad flew in. The officer gives Damen a deal where if he confesses that it’s a sham he won’t be arrested and Laurent will get deported. Laurent’s Uncle of course acts like he’s concerned but also says things to him that guilt him even more. But Damen doesn’t take it and sticks with the wedding.

Later he asks Laurent why his Uncle was acting so off and he elaborates on how his Uncle actually hates him. Damen’s shocked but doesn’t think its anymore than that.

The wedding starts off as planned and Damen thinks Laurent looks gorgeous (especially if its a chiton) and Laurent thinks Damen looks devastatingly handsome in his wedding clothes. It’s in that moment he realizes he loves him and that he can’t do this to him and his family, confesses in front of everyone and leaves with the officer and his Uncle. 

When Damen looks for him in the bedroom he finds the clothes, broach and a note saying that he’s sorry and that he does think that Damen is a talented writer and will do well as editor. Jokaste fins him pissed off and he rants to her about how infuriating Laurent is and she encourages him to go after him.

The whole thing where Makedon fakes a heart attack to get Damen on a plane ensues.

Damen confronts Laurent in their office as he’s packing up his things to go back to Vere and tells him that he used to despise his existence but that he came to know his heart and that if he gave Laurent his heart he thinks he’s treat it tenderly. And the entire office is shocked but Laurent looks completely lost for words for once but then says something along the lines of ‘I didn’t realize that you’re such a sap Damianos’ and Damen’s all like ‘Well I’d say we have plenty of time to get to know each other better’ then moves forward and kisses him passionately right there in front of everyone and everyone cheers.

And because I’m also an incredible sap… Epilogue!

Damen and Laurent marry a couple months afterwards, they got through the interviews and have a gorgeous wedding at the villa, only this time they’re both glowing with happiness in the sunset and all that romantic shit I love. At the reception they’re practically glued together the whole night and we find out that Laurent pressed charges against his Uncle after finally being free of his looming control (Idk if to give his uncle’s company to Laurent but it would be fitting af but idk if to integrate how to integrate it into the story) But after Laurent’s confession many other young men and boys come up, the youngest is Nicaise, a foul-mouthed 14 year old orphan who Laurent takes to immediately and becomes his legal guardian. 

Damen and Laurent sneak off at the appropriate time and enjoy their wedding night together. All cuddled up after, Laurent talks about how he never thought he could have family and happiness again and Damen just smiles and kisses his new husband and they fall asleep together happy and content.

So yeah! That’s all I got so far but I may or may not actually write this but any interested authors feel free to message me about it if you’re interested!

The fandom deserves this au.

[king-smaurent]

So @maruboi sent me an ask the other day when i wanted Capri talk that was about Auguste walking in on Laurent pretending to be him. And while i’m not a writer or author or anything close, i do write a lot to cope with (Avoid? Ignore?) my anxiety and i couldn’t stop thinking about this (I hope you dont mind that i wrote it?) it doesnt really have any solid direction and It also includes what ive gathered as some wildly accepted HCs around the fandom? but if you want like credit yell @ me

I only read thru it like once so glhf

                                                         ....

“That will be all for today,” his father says, finally, and Auguste lets out a quiet sigh of relief and allows himself the brief reprieve of slumping in his chair. He recovers quickly, however, and stands swiftly, turning and making his way out of the throne room while a few councilors have the King distracted with lingering comments and concerns. While he understands his position as crown prince, and the burden of the crown, Auguste has no desire today to further discuss the problems of the Vaskian mountain clans to the east, or the constant tension with Akielos to the south, or taxes, with his father.

Auguste waves off his guard, “I’m going to see the little Prince,” he says with a smile and a short nod toward their bows. He quickly walks up the corridor and makes the first turn, looking to make himself scarce from any more immediate political matters for the time being.

Auguste approaches Laurent’s chambers, which are still the nursery located just off the queen’s apartments. He nods to the two guards posted on either side of the door, left open, which Auguste takes as Laurent’s nurse stepping out. He walks in and pauses in the shadow of the deep archway and smiles.

Laurent has a scene set up before him in the front play room: two chairs each with a doll sitting in them, a stuffed teddy bear with leaves on its head sat atop a box, and a large pillow wearing a hat and what looks like Laurent’s outer dress propped up against some books. They are all facing Laurent himself, who is standing on top of a short stool proudly. He’s wearing just his light under layer dressing, a throw blanket around his shoulders like a royal cape, and a crown that he and Auguste made together from cutting parchment and sealing wax. It’s a little too large and tilts just to the left on his blonde head.

           “As King Auguste, the greatest and best king there ever was,” Laurent is saying with the best kingly tone his five-year-old voice can muster, and Auguste smiles wider, leaning against the cool stone of the archway, “I declare us all friends. For always. No more fighting and no more not letting people go play wherever they want, especially on the water,” Laurent gives a pointed look to the bear, and Auguste suppresses a snort. Laurent had been quite unhappy recently when he found out he couldn’t just freely go play in the pretty blue water, or see the big white cliffs of Ios he had read about and seen drawings of in a book.  Laurent babbles on, unknowing of his live audience “AND we all have to share stuff. Like horses and honey and pastries”

He quickly hops off the stool and rushes behind the bear on top of the box, making sure to hold on to his crown as he goes. He crouches behind the bear and uses one hand to move the bear’s arm up and down. Some of the leave fall of its head “Wow so fair!” He says in a comedically deep voice and then quickly rushes back and hops back on to the stool beaming, his blue eyes bright.

Laurent continues his court and Auguste watches fondly with a bright smile. His thoughts suddenly return to the earlier council meeting and the smile falters. He thinks back of the talked about, constant threat of war from the south and his heart breaks, thinking of this sweet little boy having to grow up and exist in a world at war. That world would unfairly rob him of this innocence so quickly.  In the small archway of the nursery, Auguste makes a private promise to do all he can so that Laurent only knows what war is from books, and a time long gone.

Auguste is pulled out of his thoughts by a quiet, startled gasp and turns slightly to see Laurent’s nurse returned. She’s holding a small tray of fruits and cheeses and he smiles, taking it from her. She curtsies and turns out of the room quietly and he turns back to Laurent, who is finishing another decree about not having to wear more than one layer of clothing in the summer. Auguste makes himself known with a clearing of his throat, and a light blush fills Laurent’s cheeks when he is pulled out of his imagination, turning to the archway with eyes wide. He quickly recovers though, and smiles so bright and big, Auguste can’t help but return it in kind.

“Your Highness,” Auguste says with the best bow he can manage with the tray in his hand. He walks fully in to the room and gracefully sits down in front of the court of toys with his legs crossed. He holds the tray in his left hand and uses his right arm to pull Laurent in to his lap, who giggles loudly. Auguste removes the crown and sets it aside. Laurent settles and Auguste sets the tray in front of him, and he quickly goes for a sweet blackberry first.

“So, Auguste, introduce me to your court,” Auguste says, first gesturing to the two dolls. Laurent chews first and then answers, “That’s King Torgier from Patras,” he points to one doll, and then the next “And her highness queen Vish…kar” He says it slowly, as if having briefly forgotten the name. He points to the bear next “And that’s Dami…Damin…” Laurent struggles with the syllables.

“Damianos?” Auguste provides and Laurent nods enthusiastically. “But Damianos and not Theomedes? And why does he have leaves on his head?”

Laurent tilts his head back against Auguste’s chest and stares up at him with his big blue eyes  “Akielons wear gold leaves as a crown, I just couldn’t find any gold leaves.” He shrugs softly “And Theomedes is super old, that’s what Father says,” He changes his voice to a deep, gruff tone imitating their father “‘That old crone Theomedes’ ‘That old stubborn barbarian’ ” Auguste laughs and Laurent giggles before continuing “So Damianos will be king when you are. Which is good because he’s close to your age so you can be friends.” Laurent finishes as a matter-of-fact and turns his attention back to the tray of snacks.

“He’s close to your age to,” Auguste says and Laurent hums.

“So, we could be friends to?” He says

“Possibly,” Auguste answers and Laurent looks back to him with furrowed brows. “You’ll have to actually work on your Akielon, little brother” He teases, tickling Laurent lightly, who squirms in response and giggles. “But we will do that together, and we can all be the best of friends. Like you so royally decreed.  Now, who is this dashing fellow with the hat?” He asks, gesturing to the pillow.

“Me!”

“Me? You’re Auguste, The best and greatest king. I think you mean he’s the Prince Laurent, your smartest and most trusted advisor.” Says Auguste, and Laurent ducks his head a bit. Auguste knows he is blushing.

They sit there while Laurent eats his snack, who sticks heavily to the sweet berries and Auguste takes a piece of the disregarded cheese. Laurent babbles about a hero in a book he’s reading, then about horses from another, and then about Akielos and their Summer festival from another still. Auguste listens with a smile to the quick changes in subject, sitting quietly as Laurent excitedly shares everything he’s learned about. Soon, Laurent starts talking less and more slowly and Auguste sets the tray aside, standing swiftly and taking Laurent up with him in to his arms. He extracts a handkerchief from his pocket and wipes Laurent’s mouth and sticky fingers, then returns It back to the pocket.

“Alright, Your Highness,” Auguste shifts Laurent to his hip, who promptly yawns, and reaches down to grab the bear acting as Damianos, shaking off the leaves. “It’s time for a nap.” He says and walks to the back of the playroom and through the door leading in to the bedroom. He lays Laurent on the bed and hands him the bear which he hugs tightly to his chest. Auguste sits on the bed and gently slides a hand through Laurent’s soft blond hair, as sleepy blue eyes stare up at him. “The Patran delegation is here, so your nurse will be in to dress you for dinner later. AND” He says with some emphasis, to stop the protest before it can be voiced “Maybe if you’re good we can sneak away early to see the fireflies in the gardens. Deal?”

Laurent nods softly, the motion causing the bear’s head to nod as well under his chin, and his eyes close. Auguste continues to stroke his hair even after he knows Laurent has fallen asleep. He watches him sleep for a while, while his earlier worries return full force. If he could have his way, Laurent would never know real sadness. Would never be robbed of this pure excitement for life.

Auguste sighs, shaking his head to shake away the thoughts. He leans down to give Laurent’s forehead and chaste kiss and then stands, exiting the bedroom, closing the door quietly behind him.

[meet-me-at-kingsmeet]

a/b/o arranged marriage au

I was writing the outline for the wedding sabotage au until i got bored. So I watched one of my fave movies Marie Antionette and had this idea. Wrote this drabble in a couple hours. I’m tired but its cute. idk if u want more lemme kno of course (dnt worry i’ll still work on the other one too). As always, love you guys a lot and enjoy <<<333

It has come to my attention, after discovering a possible invasion and attempt to conquer Delfeur, that I, King Aleron de Vere, implore a disparate annex towards Vere. It would be unwise to take an area of Veretian soil and expect absolute subjection. The Delfeurean people are loyal to the crown of Vere and a war against our country will cause the death of a great many young men and would impact the taxes of both our nations. Raises in taxes will lead both our people to restless behavior and acrimony towards you, King Theomedes. For you will be solely responsible for this war. You must also take into consideration that when compelling my people under your rule, they too will remember that you are solely responsible.

I would like to make an offer that both kingdoms, Vere and Akielos, should find presentable and most suitable for avoidance in war. Prince Damianos, heir to Akielos, is of age to marry and is yet to be. It is in Vere, The Council, and my greatest interest and contentment that my youngest son, Prince Laurent de Vere, has recently come of age. From what I have heard of your most honorable son is that he prefers the physiognomy that my son bears. Prince Laurent is an intelligent young man but knows when to hold his tongue, follow orders, and sustain his duties. In my most unbiased opinion I see it as a very tolerable match and constitutes itself as a preferred one of the people when the knowledge that it keeps from war is greatly acknowledged.

I hope you take this into great consideration. For both my people of Vere and the people of Akielos have their lives in your most dignified hand.

Sincerely,

The Regent finished and looked up towards his brother, King Aleron.

“See, dearest brother, all you need is to sign the document. I’ll have it sent and we wait for King Theomedes’ answer.” The Regent gave a wicked grin and placed and pen and paper on the desk in front of King Aleron, who had his head resting gravely against his hand.

“Laurent goes off to marry some sweaty barbaric-”

“He is much more use there than he is here. Prince Auguste is the only heir we desire and Laurent wastes his time riding and reading books and when not doing that he is distracting Prince Auguste with such nonsense.”

“A royal marriage will not only be beneficial to this Kingdom but to Laurent as well. He will be forced to learn Akielon and practice the social cues of both Veretian and Akielon.”

King Aleron gave a heady sigh. “And the council agrees with this idea?”

“They admire it greatly. They appreciate not sending their sons to war and sending the surly Prince away.” King Aleron gave a boisterous laugh. His younger brother only smiled and picked up the pen to hold it out towards his brother.

“One signature and two things happen: You stop a war and are beloved by both Veretian and Akielon alike, or King Theomedes denies the fruitful request and will be blamed by every mother who lost a son. Either way, you’re golden.”

King Aleron took the pen from his brother’s gloved hand and pondered up at him for a moment, distressing “how did you conclude to this idea?”

“I saw Laurent was...of age and yet so unbecoming of a Prince of Vere. I told him punishment would rain down on him and he refused to believe me.”

“So this is a punishment towards Laurent?”

The Regent puckered his lips in thought. It took him only a second to spew “a punishment is for teaching. This is Laurent’s lesson into his becoming of a noble Prince. And is,” The regent placed his finger just above the area for King Aleron to sign. “The very future of Vere.”

Studying the paper once over, King Aleron signed his salient signaturea and handed the paper back to his brother. When The Regent went to make his leave he was stopped by a sharp grip around his wrist. He turned back and gazed upon his older brother, who flipped his wrist upside down and kissed it once. “You have done a great service to me and this Kingdom, brother.” The Regent offered only a half smile and a nod.

“You know how much I care for you and this Kingdom,” and he permanently made his leave for the night.

*****

“It’s a dirty trick.” Kastor stated, loudly. It was only after several seconds of King Theomedes finishing the letter that Kasor had made the bold and derogatory statement.

“Perhaps, King Aleron is truly offering an olive branch in an attempt to avoid war-”

“Oh Gods, Damianos you cannot actually be serious? Your blind trust in these Veretian snakes is the real reason why Akielos would lose all its land to Vere.”

“Enough, Kastor. How dare you speak to your brother that way.” Kastor had only fumed at his father’s words, but held his jaw taut and avoided saying anything else for the brief moment.

“This proposal is an interesting one,” King Theomedes rubbed at his beard in reflection. “It shows that Vere is vulnerable, and that they cannot afford to fight in the war so they are attempting

“Or they are fully prepared to fight a war and are trying to offer an unknowingly better option.”

Kastor and Damen both began to argue over each other, Kastor pronouncing “bullshit this is an obvious attempt to trick us-

“Trick us? You act as though peace is such a terrible option-

“-into bringing in their veretian whore to spy while barely missing a war they know they couldn’t win-”

“Kastor don’t you dare refer to an innocent 13 year old as a ‘whore’ and ‘spy that’s indecorous-’”

“Oh look, father! Damen is already defending the little slut. Throw the ceremonial chiton on him now there is sure to be a most congenial wedding!”

A hard slam against the mahogany desk brought both the Akielon princes to attention. Damen turned towards his father with his head down while Kastor continued to carry his ill-look of disdain towards his brother. “This is not how my sons and heirs to this throne behave.”

A nod from Damen followed by a “Yes King, I apologize for my behavior. If I were to debate with another King I would be considered uncouth and childish.” Damen continued to keep his head down.

“I appreciate your apology, Damen, and forgive you under the fact that you are 19 and still learning. Kastor?” Kastor crossed his arms and rocked on his feet, displaying that he was not going to apologize for his, what he considered, rightful outburst. “Very well then. Damen you will tell me your opinion on this, Kastor will have no word,” at this Kastor uncrossed his arms and his countenance held a mixture of disbelief and heavy indignance.

“Father this is unwise-”

“You dare tell your King and Father how to-”

“No I am simply trying to make you understand that Damen is naive when it comes to foreign affairs and should not be given to decide on such a paramount decision.”

“I’ve had enough of your insolence, Kastor,” King Theomedes held his body up in a commanding form, yet still held grace and nobility while pointing his eldest son towards the door. Damen gazed upon his father’s stance, attempting to memorize and learn from its power. “Leave now.”

“But Father!”

“I am your King and you will do as I say before I throw you over this desk and beat your ass with a stick while the council watches.”

There was a standoff between father and son in that moment. Kastor had not left and Damen was experiencing physical anxiety from the idea of disobeying his father the way Kastor was. Eventually Kstor left by stomping his feet and slamming the chamber doors. King Theomedes shook his head but gave his full attention back to Damianos.

“What is it you wish to do, Damianos?”

“I believe accepting the extended olive branch will prove most prosperous between our two kingdoms. I cannot help but feel that if we go straight to war, without seeking a different, more peaceful approach, that we would be deceptive and irresponsible with our people.

King Theomedes nodded gracefully, “Laurent is only 13. You don’t seem to become hot at the idea of a youthful boy.”

“No, I do not and never will. I was thinking to make sure the arrangement stays solidified, Prince Laurent may stay in our Kingdom. Learns our Language and culture norms, then when he comes of age I take him as my bride.”

“The council?”

“I can take my argument of why this is a more acceptable idea than war. And if you are to be on my side they would be much more willing.”

“And Kastor? He will not agree to this at all.”

“This decision is more important than what Kastor agrees with.”

“He is your brother,” King Theomedes reminded.

“Yes but this is Akielos’ and Vere’s future and I am heir to the throne not Kastor and who I pick for my bride, especially if it benefits the people is not his concern.” Damen was starting to sweat under the hot breeze and excitement from his presentation. After his father stared him down for what seemed hours, Damen received a wide smile. King Theomedes walked out from behind the desk and threw his arm around his son, pulling him in close.

“That’s the passion I love, Damianos. The passion of a true king! I will stand by your side in this decision, Damianos. Remember, it is your first major one and foretell your strength as a leader and decision maker. Do not make a mistake, son.”

“I will think thoroughly and carefully and audit any advice or grievances given to me.” Damen placed his hand on his father’s shoulder and stared into his eyes. “I am grateful for this trust you have given me, Father-King. I will not disappoint.”

King Theomedes smiled and hugged his son briefly. Once he released Damen he went towards the chamber doors to tell a guard to fetch the council at once. He halted and glanced back at Damen.

“This Prince Laurent will need to be protected and gain the people’s approval. Even I hate the idea of him being here but I’m allowing this because of you. Don’t mistake an approval of a decision, for the eradication of an on-going prejudice.” 

Damen was completely unaware of what to say as he was left alone in the King’s advisory room. But from his father’s warning, he suspected that perhaps a war might have been easier.