Masquerade - These Masks We Wear

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

Caden accepted the pain, laying where Riva slapped him. He spoke between trembling gasps, "if I love her, then I'll only bring more pain." He grimaced as he gabbed his gut, "why can't I command my own heart! I know what's best, so why do I still feel for her? Help me," he looked towards Riva with pleading eyes, but he seemed to be seeing beyond her, "I have nowhere else to go."

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

1 minute ago, xinoehp512 said:

"The sword will further our goals," admitted the specter. "But none can wield it except the heir."

"Okay..." He nodded. 

Just now, The Ward's Guard said:

Caden accepted the pain, laying where Riva slapped him. He spoke between trembling gasps, "if I love her, then I'll only bring more pain." He grimaced as he gabbed his gut, "why can't I command my own heart! I know what's best, so why do I still feel for her? Help me," he looked towards Riva with pleading eyes, but he seemed to be seeing beyond her, "I have nowhere else to go."

She raised her syringe to stab him, arm trembling. "Caden Praetorium, you swore an oath." Tears streamed down her face. her heart couldn't take much more. "You said you'd be true to me. But you... you..." With a shake of her head, she fell to her knees beside him. "I was starting to fall for you... You made my life worth living."

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

Caden watched tearfully for a moment, hardly noticing the syringe before leaning forward to try and embrace her. He took another breath that caused his very core to tremble, and tears now silent rolled down his cheek. "Don't leave," he softly begged, "I can't go on without you . . ."

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Riva tossed aside the syringe and hugged him back, desperately. "You mean that?"

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

"I . . . I don't know," Caden tightened his grip, "I want to, but I shouldn't . . . Right?"

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"Oh, forgot those stupid ideals of manhood your father put through your thick skull, for one second." She kissed his face all over. "I was stupid to hate you, I... I'm just... I just lost my job. I'm distraught."

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

"Forgive me," was the only thing Caden could force out of his mouth, his body leaning into Riva as exhaustion overtook him. He held her in his arms, but mostly laid on top of her, too weak and drained to move. "I don't know what to do," he said with his eyes clenching shut.

Edited July 29, 2021 by The Ward's Guard

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"Oh!" Riva exclaimed. "Uh.." She tried to squirm out from under Caden, but was unable to. Her breathing was constricted by his muscular flesh. "Caden?"

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

Caden's body stopped shivering, and his breathing started to even out. He could hardly whisper as the world turned dark around him, but the unexpected warmth caused him to sigh in relief just a little bit.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"Caden..." Riva breathed. "Caden, get off."

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

Caden shifted slightly, but held his position while he drifted off into sleep.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Riva could not sleep. She had tried for the last few minutes to free herself from under Caden’s great weight, but now knew it was hopeless. She would be stuck here all night. Of course, she dared not wake him; he’d proven to have quite the temper on him and she’d already been beaten twice in the last few hours. Tempting fate a third time had no appeal. And so, there she lay, breathing as evenly as she could, hushing her husband whenever he started his sobbing in his sleep again. He was really quite child-like despite his size. Riva had very little experience with children, but…

Long-awaited darkness falls, she sang. Casting shadows on the walls. Riva rubbed the man’s back gently. Outside, rain fell with a calming, incessant hush.

In the twilight hour I am alone
Sitting near the fireplace,
Dying embers warm my face
In this peaceful solitude,
All the outside world subdued
Everything comes back to me again,
In the gloom
Like an angel passing through my room
Half awake and half in dreams,
Seeing long forgotten scenes
So the present runs into the past
Now and then become entwined
Playing games within my mind
Like the embers as they die,
Love was one prolonged goodbye
And it all comes back to me tonight
In the gloom
Like an angel passing through my room
I close my eyes
And my twilight images go by
All too soon
Like an angel passing through my room

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

Quote

Timeskip

Disclaimer as written by Zephrun's Imperium

"This morning scene is a short one, y'all go about your ball buisness."

With a shift of his shoulder, Caden groaned softly as consciousness slowly seeped into his mind. He wanted to bat away thoughts of getting up for just a moment, as his position was filled with warmth that he welcomed with open arms. It was only then that he stirred, the warmth causing his mind to feel as if something was off. He tried to lift himself up.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Riva groaned as Caden's weight shifted. She hadn't slept a wink. 

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

Caden paused at the unexpected sound, his eyes shooting open to see what was there.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Riva - an ugly mess - looked up at him. "Please get off of me," she said miserably.

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

Caden leaped back from her, hand grabbing his heart. "What the blazes! Were we- Did you- What?"

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"We weren't making love if that's what you're thinking." She moaned, standing and putting a hand to her head. "Oh, finally I can breathe. I have an awful headache..." 

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

Caden forced himself to take several breaths, the Raveness's appearance being the least of his worries. "Were you sleeping with me?"

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"You grabbed me!" Riva pulled her scanty dress up, realizing her chest was a little more out in the open than she'd like. 

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

"I did no-" Caden cleared his throat, and stood up despite the countless sores and aches from sleeping on the floor that plagued his body. "I would never," he asserted.

Edited July 29, 2021 by The Ward's Guard

[Channelknight Fadran]

1 hour ago, DramaQueen said:

Leina went to the ball because it sounded better than latrine duty, but she'd spent her whole time by the food table. Not that anyone could blame her; royal food was good.

Striding over, Wendy started sopping up some spilled water. "Y'know, I get that you're new here, but generally us waitresses are supposed to be working instead of eating."

Edited July 29, 2021 by Channelknight Fadran

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"Well, you did." She held herself high. "You also told me that you couldn't live without me right before you did it."

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

"I-" The odd sensation of his face growing hot returned when the words she said felt true to Caden, he stomped his foot. "You- you took advantage of me!" He turned and dashed towards the door, knowing how fake that lie sounded.

Edited July 29, 2021 by The Ward's Guard

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"Oh, please. If I wanted to do something like that, I'd have been on top." She walked after him.