Masquerade - These Masks We Wear

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Riva licked her lips, the smell of blood riling her up. "I'll dissect him," she said. "Finally have something fresh to work on..."

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

"Anything for you, love." He raised his arm and wiped the blade before wrapping his other arm around his wife. "You must have hated him to be so eager to work on his corpse."

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"Well, he was a good assistant." Riva kissed Caden deeply for a second. "But he was creepy as Mal."

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

"I picked up on that rather quickly," he said just before he kissed her back, "and you're sure you want the body? I can have some men bury it."

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

“Darling, cadavers are among the best gifts you could give me! In fact, if you ever leave me to go fight, feel free to bring back a few,” she remarked with a wink. “Science never stops progressing!” She knelt down, as if you drag the corpse away, then paused. “Uh…. Daku usually carried the bodies. Mind doing his job for him and dropping him off at my workplace? I can carry the head.”

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

"You're telling me that getting you a body would have been better than those flowers?"

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Riva nodded. “Well, yes. But the flowers were lovely.”

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

Caden smiled, "you're a strange woman, Riva."

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

“I was raised by an insane woman and have been torturing people in the dank solitude of the dungeons since I was eleven. What do you expect?”

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

"Not the woman I have for a wife."

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

She raised an eyebrow. "What, I'm not scary and cruel enough for you?"

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

"You're all that and more, Riva." He kissed her lightly on her forehead, "I just always find out something new about you."

Edited August 13, 2021 by The Ward's Guard

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Riva blushed. She didn't feel like, "All that and more." She felt like... "I'm an old fool not worth the hair on your chin, Caden Praetorium..."

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

"Says the woman who came back to me," he glanced towards the door that a pair of his personal guard stood outside of. "Loyalty means more to me than anything. But you know that you didn't have to look so beautiful, right? It's almost over the top."

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Her face fell and she looked away. "I've never been beautiful. You don't have to lie."

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

Caden lifted her chin gently so he could meet her dazzling blue eyes, as piercing as the sun, and as captivating as the Stars themselves. How he had ever feared them was entirely beyond him. "I'd never lie to you."

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Riva shook, twin tears trailing down her cheeks. But she kept her eyes on his.

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

He leaned down and kissed her gently before meeting her eyes again, "do you believe me?"

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

She shook her head. "I can't." Memories.

"Riva, you ugly little bastard!" Mother pulled her away from the cabinet, her nails digging into the little girl's ribs. "Get out of there!" 

"But I wanna wear your makeup too! I wanna be pretty."

She was slapped and found her face on the wooden floor. "Maybe if you were pretty, you'd be worth keeping around. Maybe if you were pleasant to look at, you'd be a PRINCESS and I'd be your father's queen and we'd live in the castle. But we're here in this Malhole, rotting away. No one will ever want you, Riva, you little maggot, I just hope you live long enough for me to get some decent experiments out of you."

In the present, Riva found herself sobbing into Caden's chest. It was so long ago. Why did it still hurt?

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

Caden found himself wrapping his arms around Riva, then swaying softly side to side as he hushed her. Not knowing what else to say, he whispered softly into her ear. "I love you."

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"That means she was wrong," Riva whispered. "I can be loved."

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

"You can be," Caden affirmed, "and you are." He took deep breaths, keeping them rhythmic and consistent. 

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

A simple, "thank you," escaped her lips. She didn't care about the blood pooling at her feet. She didn't care about the things her mother had drilled into her, she didn't care about the things Caden had done on the night of the ball, and she didn't care she'd been fired. Maybe Ivian was right. Maybe it was time to retire. Settle down.

"It's no secret that you've grown old and neglected to choose a successor for your position."

"My age has not hindered me from delivering results and when it does, I will tell you as much. But that is not your concern. I will not settle down, not with that brute of a man!"

Stars, that interaction seemed silly now. How could she ever have not wanted Caden? He was a dream come true.

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

Caden smiled, "do you want to sit down?"

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"Yes, that... that would be nice." She smiled. "I'm old, too much standing isn't good for me."