A Rose In The Wind

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Killako

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Pushing his dark brown hair out of his eyes, Lycus looked into the mirror with a sigh. He considered his fate once again. Look into his father's eyes and explain why he was not courting anyone yet, or enter into his mother's room and listen to her attempt to snare him into a relationship that would be beneficial for the kingdom.

Uuuugh. Lycus hated those words. "For the kingdom."

He was human too. Why was it that he was expected to be better than any other. Just take a look at Ariadne, for example. His little sister was the most spoilt b.... brat in the world, but he couldn't blame her. One look at his father and King Roland Tiberius Stark became Daddy, and he could not refuse her anything. She knew it.

Their mother was no better. She was the daughter of Grandpa Felix, the most generous man in all Toveth. But she used his generosity against the others of the land, often forcing other to do her bidding, lest she call in their debts. She is now happily married to Roland and they share a happy marrige with three happy children whose lives she wants control over every aspect of.

Ahh. But, as usual, the talk now turns to Lysander. Big Bro Lys, now there was a man to look up to, and nearly break it doing so. He had the kindest heart, and the most forgiving nature. Some question "This is the man to rule our kingdom next?" But they have not seen his dark side. When those precious to him are threatened, he pulls no punches, not an ounce of mercy. When a foreign ambassador tried to humiliate his father by bringing up all his past relationships(ones from before Roland was 22 and mature), he laughed it off. He then systematically tracked down every prostitute that the ambassador had ever had relations with, and gutted them, sending the opposing nation a box of bleeding hearts. That slight was not forgotten and humbled the kingdom of Wiraketh, but left them seething.

Surely he would understand Lycus' predicament.

Yes, Lycus was stuck. His father wanted him to marry soon, in order to solidify relations between Toveth and Zemond. His mother wanted him to marry so that he could be out of the way and she could push her agenda, which he tried to block her from instituting. And that girl Yuvette of Zemond. Well, lets just say, he did not like the crazed look in her eyes as she nearly cut of a lock of his hair as a souvenir.

@Beautiful-Disaster
 
Ah, first day on the job.

Elizabeth was dressed in her new official uniform bounced a little behind the head serving woman. The woman was talking away, telling her rules and such, but Elizabeth was not paying much attention. She just couldn't believe she was in here. She spent many days looking up at this castle and now she was here. Inside! Mother would be so proud. It wasn't every day that a girl from the bad side of town got a job in the castle. Grated, mother probably wasn't really excited about her being a maid though. Mother always imagine her taking over the shop, but after her passing, Elizabeth could not take care of it on her own. So this was the next best thing.

"Are you even listen?" barked the head woman, who has stopped. Elizabeth was snapped out of her trance and stopped short from running into her.

"Yes, ma'am!" she spit out quickly. She wasn't really but she didn't want to seem like a slacker. The head woman gave her a glare but continued her speech.

"Now, we are about to meet the prince. Don't look him directly in the eye, but don't be rude. Address him as "My Lord" or "Your Majesty". Speak only when spoken too. You are a serving girl in this castle so remember your place." she said sternly. Elizabeth nodded her head quickly. She was worry about meeting the royalty. Were they strict? Were they mean? The king seemed like a good man, but granted he didn't deal with poor peasants like her. She gripped her skirt and took a deep breath. "Are you ready?" the head woman asked. Elizabeth nodded and the head severing woman opened the door.

"Good morning, my Lord." the head woman said with a beam....
 
"Ah, good morning, Miss Francine," Lycus replied, startled. "And who is this young lady? Is she a new girl here?" He pushed his chair back and stood up. "I hope that you aren't telling her to 'Watch out for his mood swings' or 'He's a strange one. I never know what to expect'. It's far more fun when they find out themselves."

"Hello, my dear," he said abruptly. "How are you on this fine day? What brings you to our castle today?"
 
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Elizabeth just stood there wide eyed. He was hansom. Even more handsome then she imagined. He looking nothing like the boys from the poor district where she was from. She wasn't quite sure what to say to him. She could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks.

"No, no, I would not say such a thing." Miss Francine laughed off. "This is Elizabeth, she is our new handmaiden of the castle, I was just-" She was cut off by the prince. Elizabeth was still a little awe struck from her first interaction with the prince and was froze in place. Miss Francine cleared her throat and nudged her, knocking her back to reality.

"Oh, I 'm sorry. I am Elizabeth. I am doing fine today." she said, almost spitting out the words and give a quick, slightly clumsy curtsy. "Miss Francine was allowing me to follow her around during her duties to learn about the place. You have a wonderful home and I thank you and your family for graciously allowing me to work in your home. Please, take care of me." she kept her curtsy until the end of her ramblings. She must look like a idiot, getting all flustered at the prince by just meeting him. How was she going to be able to handle him everyday? Miss Francine gave her a look telling her to stop making a fool of herself. Elizabeth quickly straighten herself up, but kept her head down.

"It is just as she says. I am letting her watch my duties to get a sense of her daily duties when she officially starts tomorrow." Miss Francine said, turning her gaze back at the prince.
 
He turned back to Miss Francine. "Ha, ha, no, of course not. Silly me." He said quickly. Elizabeth's quick, liting voice had thrown him for a moment. He played it off and looked at her again. She was...really quite pretty. And her curtsy was elegent, in its own way. Hmm. "Very well, then. Miss Francine is a good teacher I expect. And be careful that this wonderful home not get too wonderful for a lady such as yourself. I'm sure you understand what I mean. And good luck with your duties. I expect we will be seeing a lot more of each other."

(OOC: Trying to imply here to stay safe.)

He looked once more into her crystal blue eyes. He was careful not to stare for too long. One could get caught in those quite easily, and lose themselves. Her coppery-brown hair glinted in the light as it framed her adorable heart-shaped face, and came down to little longer than shoulder length hair. Her white dress was quite appropriate and fit her small frame very nicely. He blinked again. This was crazy. Anyways. He turned around and sat back down at his mirror, then muttered, "Mrs. Francine, a word please."

After Elizabeth had left the room, Lycus stood up abruptly. "What game are you playing here?" He questioned.

"None at all, sir," she smirked. "Why, should I be playing one?"

"No, ma'am. Very well. I seem to be having more stuff to keep track of and more elegant clothes to wear that require more assistance than just myself. After a few days of basic rounds in the castle, see to it that she is assigned as my personal handmaiden." he stated.

"Is that all, sir?" she bowed.

"No, one more thing. Do you know where my brother is?" He asked.

"Same as always, sir." she replied. "The meditation room."

After she left and he heard the footsteps recede, he got up and changed quickly into his semi-formal tunic and overtunic, and left, searching for his brothers council.
 
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Elizabeth blinked a little when she was dismissed from the room. Did she do something wrong? Miss Francine dismissed to the hall and she did what she was told. When the door closed, she tried to listen in by pressing an ear to it, but it did not work. She backed away and let out a sigh. What did she do? Was her curtsy wrong? Did she say something to informal? Did she forget to address him as 'My Lord'? She did, didn't she? Oh, this was terrible. She had just gotten this job and she was really looking forward to it. How could she have messed it up already. Elizabeth paced back and forth worrying about what they were talking about when Miss Francine came out. Elizabeth opened her mouth to speak, but she quickly receded, fearing that being too disparate to know might make her hate her more. Miss Francine smiled at her.

"Well, girl. You must have done something right. The prince wishes to make you his personal handmaiden." she said, beaming. Elizabeth's jaw dropped a little.

"M-me? His personal handmaiden? But, I'm new! Why would he pick me?" she stammered out. Miss Francine just sighed and turned away.

"Seems the prince has a soft spot for pretty girls," Miss Francine said quietly under her breath.

"What?"

"Nothing, dear. Come along, we need to finish our rounds and then we can focus on your new duties as the prince's personal handmaiden." Miss Francine said, as she start back down the hallway. Elizabeth, who had zone out a little in shock, snapped back into reality and quickly followed her lead.....

---------

The rest of the tour didn't take very long. She was shown the main areas. The kitchen, the wash rooms, where everyone's bedrooms where, the dinning room, and various other areas. Elizabeth wasn't paying much attention though. She was still thinking on the prince. Her? His personal handmaiden? Why? Surely, she wasn't that impressive. All she did was curtsy and greet him. Was it because of her looks? Was he some kind of pervert? What was he thinking? Questions and thoughts swam through her head. Miss Francine seemed to have started to like her more as the day went on, treating her a little less of a pest and more like one of her employees. Soon, the two have found their way back to the prince's room.

"Now, for your duties as the prince's personal handmaiden. Unless told otherwise, you will be the one to wake the Lord up. You will ask if he wishes to have breakfast in his room or if he wished to go to the dinning room. You will tell him if there any requests for his time and you will assist him in morning routine. That is whatever he needs. When he either leaves to eat or leave to attend business, you clean the room, fix the bed, take his dirty clothes and dirty dishes if there are any and clean them. You should promptly return everything to their proper place. Dishes to the kitchen, clothes back in his closet. While he is busy, you will assist the rest of the staff with their daily chores. If he calls you, you stop what you are doing and attend to him. At night, you will help him with his nightly routine and wait until he dismisses you to leave. The duties are simple enough. The prince is not the worst of them. He is kind, but can be a bit broody." Miss Francine opened the door to his room and held it open to her. "Report back to me when you are done today and good luck." she said with a smile and Elizabeth made her way into the room and started cleaning, her thoughts still swimming......
 
He walked down to his brother's "regular" place, the meditation room. Softly opening the door, he strode in and closed it behind him. In the center of the circular room, his brother sat, knees below him, shirtless, with scars across his back. Candles glimmered in a wide arc in front of him and slowly burnt themselves out. His brother made no movement to look at him.

After a few moments, a hoarse voice called out. "Come again, brother?" he said.

Lycus sighed. "Why do you keep doing this to yourself? What's done is done, now focus on the future."

"HOW?" he screamed. "How can I sleep at night knowing that I did that to them. I tore them apart with my bare hands. I am a monster. How we managed to surpress that incident, I will never know."

Lycus shouted back. "You did it for the kingdom." Lycus sighed and put his face in his hands. "Though what that means, I'll never know." he muttered. He looked up. "Look, I need your help. Mother has managed to convince Father that I should marry Yuvette of Zemond. For the kindgom of course. I need to get out of this one. Please. You managed to get the girl you wanted. You courted her for years. I just don't trust anyone with myself, being who I am, least of all outsiders. Please, Yuvette is crazy. She tried to cut a lock of my hair as a keepsake."

Lysander looked up. "Very well, but be prepared for compromise. This will not come without a price. Some sort of time limit before they pick for you or some loss of privileges. If you're unlucky enough, they may just force it anyways."

Lycus nodded. "Very well, if that's what it takes. Do it."

Lysander got up and turned around. He bent over to pick up his tunic, and pulled it on. "Well, lets get going. The longer we wait, the more we tempt fate.
__________________________________________________________________________

Together, Lysander (hereafter abbreviated as Lys) and Lycus entered the throne room. Their father, King Roland Tiberius Stark sat upon the throne, leaning back in his Throne. The room was devoid of all except one other. Her Majesty, Queen Cassandra Felix Start was leaning forward, legs crossed and her soft blonde hair falling in place around her.

"Well, well. Come to make a deal, have we, m'boy?" Roland boomed out. "Oh come now dear, don't give me that look, you knew he would never agree."

Cassandra looked at Roland quickly and they shared a thought. Or, more like, Cassandra had a thought and it was imposed upon Roland.

"Very well," He said with a sigh. "You have half a year. Six months. If you find no girl worthy of your love, we will sign this deal with the Zemondians."

Lycus looked around, chuckled and said, "Am I that much of an open book?"

Roland laughed, nodded and pointed to Lys. "There is only one reason you brought him here. And that is compromise. Those are our terms. Do you accept?"

Lycus sighed, and said. "No."

"Very well, let the negotiations begin." Cassandra sighed.

"Two years." Lys countered.

"8 months." Roland scoffed.

"18 months" Lycus relented.

"10 Months." Cassandra said, her voice full of dissaproval, obviously not a fan of this game they played.

"16 Months" Lys nodded.

"Deal. You have 16 months. So let it be written. So let it be done. Go." Roland stated, making it offical, before flicking his hands and dismissing the pair.

Lys and Lycus bowed, turned, and left.

Outside, the two brothers turned to each other and nodded. Lycus owed him one now.

In order to get away from it all, Lycus turned and left, heading for the gardens. Perhaps some gardening would clear his head.

__________________________________________________________________________

After a couple hours of plucking weeds, watering roses and other menial chores, Lycus left the greenhouse and headed to the armory, where he practiced archery for another 2 hours. They sound of arrows hitting their mark never failed to clear his head.

After cleaning his swords and making sure all was in order, Lycus left to go back to his room.

"Ah, good. You're here." he said as he opened the door and saw Elizabeth cleaning. His next words died in his mouth as he once again admired Elizabeth's slight frame and copper hair, along with her... shall we say... "assets". Shaking his head again, he continued. "Welcome to the Royal Family. I will require a room temperature bath drawn up, as well as a semi-formal tunic and breeches. Oh, right I almost forgot."

He reached over into his drawer, and pulled out a case. Inside were 5-6 pins and rings of different kinds. He pulled out the one on the right, a small golden pin with a wolf head, surrounded by a white flame circle. This was his symbol. Lycus became the wold and the white flame circle was the Stark crest. He walked over to Elizabeth and pinned this onto her dress, looking directly at her dress and attempted to focus, nearly pinching her a couple of times. He ignored his pounding head and his breechers tightening slightly.

He pinned it, stepped back and said. "There, that marks you as my personal handmaiden. Make that a cold bath please. Any questions?" he asked as he turned back to his case which he shut and put away. He turned back to her.
 
Elizabeth spun around when he entered the room. She opened her mouth to say something but he had already beat her. He was staring at her. Why was he staring? She could feel her ears burning. He was handsome. Tall, built, dark hair and eyes. Most of the men from where she was from were twisted, dirty and ugly. But he....he was perfection. She hoped he was a kind as he was handsome. She had realized that she was staring too when he welcomed her to the royal family. She simply nodded at each of his request, making note of what he needed. She was going to have to draw him a bath. Did that mean she may see him naked. More red burned onto her face. She looked up when he mentioned he had forgot something and saw him coming at her. She braced herself for what was to come just to realize that he was just trying to pin his symbol on her. This, however, did not help her now completely red face. He was so close. Why was she getting so worked up? Was this how a professional acted? She held her breath, trying not to make noise when he pinched her. When he stepped away, she released it, slowly as to hide the fact she was holding her breath. He asked if she had any questions and she shook her head.

"No, si-I mean, my Lord. I will run one for you right away." she said, giving a slight curtsy. She set his dirty clothes aside for now and went to fetch some water. She made a few trips, carrying as much water as she could, even getting a little on herself (which made things a little interesting with her white dress). She filled the tub quickly. He asked for it cold but she hoped that it wasn't too cold. She didn't want him to get sick. Once the bath was pulled, she started to go through his closet to look for what he could wear next.....
 
Soon after Elizabeth nodded, Lycus began stripping. After taking off his soiled tunic and outer breechers he blushed as he realized that she was still in the room. She quickly left to get the water from the bath, and he took a moment to compose himself. What was wrong with him? Why was he so intimidated by her? He quickly stepped outside to take a break of fresh air and calm down his...pants. She was doing something to him alright. But he could tell that he was doing something to her as well. She was so embarrassed when he came closer to her. Why? Why was he feeling this way with her? He was very conflicted. As soon as he heard the bath being filled he re-entered the room and quickly turned around. She had noticed the... extra baggage in his pants. It didn't help that her dress was becoming clearer as an effect of spilled water on it.

He cleared his throat and walked swiftly to the bath. Dropping his pants, he entered the bath, and sighed. Not too cold, but not too warm either. He felt himself calming down slightly and he then turned to look around the room. Big mistake. As he caught sight of her, his eyes were instantly drawn to her shapely rear and the cute panties she wore undeneath. Her dress was very clear, and the blood drained from his head again. Blinking rapidly, he could not tear his eyes of her ass and was becoming more and more aroused as time passed. After a few moments, he finally tore his eyes away and reached for the soap. Lathering up and washing off, his skin was soon grime free, and he safely exited the bath, his erection at full mast. "Soo, what am I wearing, Miss El-iz-a-beth." He said, drawing out her name as he reached for a towel.
 
The fact that he stripped while she was getting water made her burn. This was ridiculous. What was wrong with her? She was practically shaking. She had never seen a naked man before and now the most handsome man she had ever seen was taking a bath in the same room as her. She took his clothes from wear he had set them and she added them to the pile. Feeling his used trousers, she was starting to make some realizations of why he must of made her his handmaiden. Was he interested in her? She had been told that she is was attractive, but she never really believed it. Should she be flattered? She pulled out a tunic and breeches that matched his request. She picked something blue, knowing it would look good on him. She turned to realized that he was still fully naked and he was very excited to see her. Her face must have looked like a tomato. She quickly looked away and hid behind the clothes holding them out to him.

"I-I think these will suit you very well, my Lord. Now, if you excuse me. I must wash your clothes. Do you need me for anything else?" she said. She didn't want to seem rude but she knew her place and didn't want intrude....
 
She was blushing. She was so cute and he was falling for her. He didn't know it at the time, but this was it, when he fell for her officially. He reached out to take the clothes. Their hands met and a tingle wnd down his spine. He cleared his throat and said. "Yes, hold on one moment. Tell me about yourself." He took the clothes from her grasp, and turned to the mirror, applying cologne and wearing the clothes give. He had some problems, especially with his pole sticking up the way it was, but managed to get them on. He walked over to the bed and sat down, patting the bed next to him in an invitation to sit down.
 
When their hands touched, she quickly pulled back. This was bad. No, no, no...She hid among the dirty clothes until he told her to tell him about herself. Glancing back, she saw that he wanted her to sit next to him. She really shouldn't do it. It wasn't like she was exactly against the idea of him, it just wasn't right and it was her first day. She didn't want to give a bad impression. She hesitated to join him. Not following his request would be rude and may cause her to be removed. She took a step forward, still fighting whether she should sit or not.

"There isn't much to know about me, my Lord. Just a poor girl from the slums who needed a job." she said, not really looking at him. "I don't want to intrude or anything. I really should just clean these clothes."
 
He stared up at her, and told her. "Drop those clothes and sit down. Listen to me. You are not intruding. Listen now and listen well. I need there to be some open communication between us. So sit down now, and start talking Miss Elizabeth, or may I call you Liz?" He smirked. "Or do I need to put you across my lap and spank you until you listen?"
 
Elizabeth leapt a little at his forceful manner. She made him mad, didn't she? Dropping the clothes, she sat down next to him, still not quite looking at him. "Elizabeth is fine. Liz is too informal." she said, placing her hands in her lap. Her eyes darted around, trying to figure out what to say. "I uh...." she stammered, "I'm from the slums, my mother just pasted, I don't know who my father was. I use to work as an herbalist with my mother in our shop but after her pasting, I lost the shop. Now, homeless, I looked for a job where they would provide rooming as well. So....I'm here...." She must seem like some unclean being to him. Born of wedlock, no trying in manners, sure not as beautiful as some of the women he has met. She stared down at her hands, hoping he would kind to her.
 
"Very good," he said as he looked down at her. He reached under her chin and slowly pushed her head up so that she was staring into his eyes. He struggled to maintain his composure, but remained steady. "Look at me. Now you are a part of the Royal Family. Hold your head up with pride and know that you are a part of something bigger. Be who you want to be. We are not forcing you to leave your old identity, but if you want to, we are here for you. Know this. We are here for you. Now just sit here for a moment, and breathe it in and out."

He continued to stare at her and then found himself unable to speak. She was breathtaking, she really was. She was a bit nervous, but as he looked at her, it was he who also needed to breath in and out.
 
She looked him in the eyes when he spoke to her. Such deep dark eyes. They seemed just to look straight through her. It made her nervous. He could probably feel the heat from her face. She nodded a little and turned away. Closing her eyes, she took in a few deep breaths. She must have just over reacted. He seemed not too bad. Elizabeth just needed to calm down. "I'm sorry. It's just my first day, and I didn't think I would be instantly picked to have such an important job. My nerves are getting the best of me." she said, looking back at him. "Forgive me for my clumsiness, my Lord."
 
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