Deception

"Ideally, unless you want to walk up all those stairs? Even I dread doing that, so at least accept the offer of resting while I'm struggling up them," he snorted, easily hitching the woman up into his arms and, despite wanting to do much more, managing to restrict himself to a single kiss on her forehead before leaving the study. He could have chosen to be a tad jealous when the handmaid was mentioned, but a) he would have been a raging hypocrite to do so when he was taking advantage of their open relationship too, and b) he really didn't care. Anyone that made Imogen happy was perfectly fine in his books.

"So which handmaid has taken your fancy, then? You do have a few, Imogen. Not that I'm going to steal her from you, darling. I'm just curious. Besides, I doubt I'd be her type," he laughed, smiling to himself at the continuation of the playful conversation. "Hey, if she makes you happy, I'm happy. i'm still your number one though, aren't I? A cute woman hasn't taken my place completely, hm?"
 
"Vanessya," she answered easily as she clung to the King, her nails trailing his neck before running through his hair. "She's lovely, really. She knows how to be more fragile for me when I'm craving... some intimacy," she Explained, offering a wink.

"I may sleep most days and can't swallow sometimes but I'm just as gross as you are, even now. I'm just not as demanding as you," she continued in a quiet drawl before coughing hard into her arm, groaning when the fatigue really started to hit.
 
"Well, at least someone's making you happy. I'm annoyed that it's not me, but it really is best we wait until you're stronger, Imogen--" he began, pausing abruptly at her sudden coughing fit. It was something he had noticed was happening more frequently and, worryingly, growing more severe, which made him think that part of her illness was to do with her lungs. He wasn't so sure that was groundbreaking or a revelation in the slightest, but the more information he gave Themus and Neotoma, the better.

He only spoke again when he had climbed the various staircases it took to reach Imogen's room, carefully placing her down on the bed while he began to run the bath and prepare it as romantically as he could. There wasn't much he could do other than light some candles, set out some wine and spread some bath salts and bubble bath in the water, but he decided the effort was enough.

"Now, you know I said that I don't want to be intimate with you in case you get hurt? Try and keep that in mind, Imogen-- it'll be hard when I get undressed and you inevitably get all hungry for me, but try and relax, yeah? I'm not that special," he snorted, sitting on the edge of the large bathtub t keep an eye on the temperature of the water though, as demons, the two could withstand water that would normally burn others. "I also can't promise I won't feel that way when you get undressed, hm~?"
 
"You dont have to do much to make me hungry, don't be ridiculous," she countered with a roll of her eyes, her legs crossing as she watched from her bed. She was ill and it was something she was told constantly but that didn't mean she didn't want to be sexy, especially to the man she would love to marry in the near future.

"I may not look as great as I did when we were younger but including still one of the most beautiful demons in this kingdom," she dared to declare with a toothy smile, her sharp row of teeth on full display. Once deciding the bath was full enough, she took her time to sit opposite of the bath. "Hurry up, then. I want to see you all."
 
"If you weren't, do you think I'd be planning to marry you? I'm superficial; I want to marry someone beautiful. It's just a bonus to me that you're also as amazing as you are. I'm pretty lucky," he shrugged, playing it off casually to avoid sounding as soppy as he knew, at heart, he was. He couldn't exactly help sounding soppy and lovestruck when he was - it was difficult not to gush when it came to Imogen, after all. He only ever acted that way around her, which, to him, was a testament to how much he cared for her.

He discarded his shirt easily enough, taking more time with his belt to avoid breaking it - it was made with pure gold and he knew the value of it would be lost if he tossed it aside carelessly. Once it was placed aside gently, he hurried out of the rest of his clothing and slid into the bubbled water with a sigh of content at how steaming and hot it was.

"Are you getting in or not?" He smiled playfully as he reached to pour himself out some wine. "We haven't done this in months, I really don't understand why. I've been busy, but that's hardly an excuse for neglecting you, hm?"
 
"It really isn't," she agreed in a murmur, hesitating. In her eyes, she was disgusting - too skinny, her bags were heavy and her hands shook more often than not. She had always been one to flaunt her body, loving upcoming fashion that accentuated her curves. Unfortunately, you can't flaunt something you don't have.

Slipping out of the nightgown she now wore, she slipped into the water with a deep sigh, that of which ended in a rattling cough. Once clearing her chest, she didn't hesitate to lean against Lysander, more than happy to spend their time together forcthe first time in months.

"So, while I know your heart is set on me... I want to know who you've been shagging up with," she admitted though only after soaking in the warmth. Offering a cheeky grin to show that it was all casual, she nudged the king teasingly. "I saw you watching this Harenaen freak, is he your latest snack? Do try to avoid my brother next time, love."
 
"...Are you going to constantly remind me about your brother? I told you categorically that it won't happen again. It wasn't planned," he grunted from behind his wine glass, taking a hefty glug of wine to relax himself from the guilt that threatened to rise up at the reminder of his and Themus' brief fling. He hadn't regretted being with anyone until now, detesting the fact he had even initiated anything romantic with him when, really, he felt he should have known better given that it was Imogen's older brother.

"As for the Harenaen... don't call him a freak, hm? He's smart, he's incredibly valuable to our plans and succeeding in them, and I know he doesn't take too well to insults. Far too sensitive, but I think that's rather sweet-- so yes, he's definitely in my sights," he confirmed - not that it needed any verbal confirming, his desire for Neotoma being relatively obvious to those that knew him best.

"He's my type, you know? Shy, awkward, petite... It'd be insane for me not to find him as a potential partner. I doubt he's interested - his work is clearly his main priority, and I don't want to scare him off by, y'know, trying to initiate something. I need him for the plans and for information, and for your potions-- I can't scare him away before we've even begun working properly with him."
 
"He is puny, isn't he?" She snorted, her hand laying flat to emphasize his height. "In his defense, we can be notoriously large. My cousin is 7' flat. You remember him, right? Anyway, I'm trusting you on your decision with this all, Lysander. I probably shouldn't, but I am." Imogen teased before leaning in to offer a peck on the cheek.

"He better be as good as you're making him seem, Lysander. You've made some poor decisions in the past... like those tattoos," she continued to tease, though winked. "I'm kidding, love."
 
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"I take offence to that - they're art, Imogen. And they're traditional, representative of our kingdom's culture and history. Let's be honest though, I only got them to piss my parents off when I was younger. My mother almost fainted when I came home after I had them done. It was worth the pain and the money just to see her so horrified," he hummed, casting a glance down at said tattoos in approval of the reaction they had garnered - and the attention they still managed to receive. It was at least a conversation starter when, inevitably, he was questioned about his appearance and how contradictory that might be to the way a King ought to look.

"Puny isn't the word I'd use," he continued, one arm resting against the tub as the other moved to wrap around his girlfriend's waist, his hand settling itself on her hip with a wink of his own. "...I mean, sure, he's puny, but it's hardly a compliment that'll convince him to get into bed with me, is it? I'd prefer to say he was cute, which he is. I'm sure I'll win him over in the end, I always do."
 
"You're right, you do seem to have a way of seducing cute people. After all, I'm living proof of that," she drawled before nestling close into the other's arm, her head resting on his shoulder. She soaked in the warmth of the water, the aches of her body ebbing away. Her main issue was her lungs more often than not but her body screamed in pain most days as well, so to enjoy a nice bath with the man she loved was a nice experience.

"It will be fun to watch, no matter what happens. Maybe you'll finally meet your match and he won't even bat an eye when you try to flirt with him next, huh? I really don't mean to be rude but he doesn't seem the most socially adjusted fellow. What matters is that he can make me feel better, I don't care how much you fuck him. Ultimately, once I get better there won't be much of s need for him, huh?"
 
"Of course there's a need for him. I really do think you're underestimating how highly I value him, Imogen. He'll be an important adviser during the war and when we succeed, as I know we will, I want him to continue advising me. And I know Themus is eager to work alongside him, so I'm sure he'll continue to be a physician here, too. He's here as long as he wants to be, don't downplay his importance," he warned with relative seriousness, his body and tone relaxing once he felt that he had made his point clear. As dearly as he loved Imogen, he didn't want Neotoma's position downplayed and his presence in the kingdom existing only until Imogen was healed, because that wasn't the case. Naively, he trusted Neotoma and wanted him around as long as the Harenaen cared to be around...and the demon hadn't made a secret of the fact that he hoped he would choose to stay permanently in Ignis.

"Can we stop talking about issues that cause arguments between us? I don't want to bicker with you; I want to bring pleasure to you," he purred, turning on the flirtation as easily as a button being switched as he pressed up closer to the woman and, gently, proceeded to kiss her. Perhaps it was the combination of wine and the heated bathroom, or perhaps it was simply the fact he hadn't had affection from Imogen like this in months, but the eagerness to take things further was unquestionably impossible to turn down.

He wasn't great when it came to refusing himself temptation, almost always following it, and now was no different as his lips trailed down her neck and his arms pulled her body up to his. He did manage to pull away just long enough to lock eyes with her, brow arched as if expecting her to tell him to stop. "...Is this alright? I don't-- want to continue refusing us this, Imogen. We need it."
 
"God, you're right," she admitted, her hands absently resting on the other's back as she eagerly accepted the kisses. Hopefully much like Lysander, Imogen wanted nothing more than for her boyfriend to be intimate with her. Her handmaid was lovely and got the job done but there wasn't anything there past friendship, but with Lysander? This was the man she wanted to marry, and to be lacking in romance when she was a very sexual person was beyond frustrating. She knew it wasn't a good idea but she couldn't care less.

"We really do, yeah. I haven't been this close to you in months, love," she reminded quietly, biting her lip as a hand moved to the King's hair, going as far as to push him back to her chest to continue the kisses. She wasn't in the right state to do so but she always enjoyed being the more dominant one in the relationship. To see Lysander, who was obviously more fit than her, doing as she wished was more of a power trip than being the Queen would ever give her. "We can be safe, right?"
 
"Safe-- oh god, yeah. I can be gentle and... we'll be fine, Imogen. I know you're sick but... I can't go on not being with you, so of course we'll be safe and we can stop if it gets too much, but... how will we know how much you can take if we don't even attempt to give this a go?" He pointed out with a smile, happy with himself for the logic. It was mildly irritating that it had taken him months to realise that being cautious, whilst respectful, might all be useless if Imogen was capable of having sex without it being too much of a problem - though at least it hadn't taken him years. That was at least one bright side to all of this.

When his sister didn't return to where he had been waiting at the dinner table, Themus naturally presumed that she and Lysander had managed to work things out and headed to bed. He had no idea what they were doing, but it didn't take him long to realise that they had decided to try and be intimate with one another, whether that meant sex or not. He wasn't jealous whatsoever, having no feelings for Lysander other than those that were platonic. If anything, he was delighted that things seemed to be getting back to normal - or as normal as things could be, given the changes ahead of them when Lysander's plans finally went into action.

Until then, it was his duty to simply keep up his work, which was what he had decided to do to waste a few hours, bringing Neotoma along to try and get his insight while he had him to himself, without Lysander dragging him off for international affair advice.

He had only been working for a few minutes, carefully tending to his plants, when a servant arrived and handed across a scroll. Despite it containing information about Neotoma, Themus was the senior of the two and, thus, handed the note. His curious smile pricked up as he took in the note, only glancing up when he had finished. "...You're expected at the tavern in the kingdom in half an hour to meet with someone - they didn't leave a name on the note. I didn't know you'd made friends here already. I suppose I can allow you to take the rest of the night off if you have a little date to get to."
 
"I- oh, I didn't know I did either," Neotoma admitted in shock, looking up from inspecting and sniffing the various ingredients that Themus had about. They were simple and common amongst the demons but just the sight of these new things made his eyes sparkle. Standing up and adjusting his admittedly horrible posture, he tapped his claws together anxiously. It was most likely someone from his former job - one that he was realizing he hated more and more. Here, he could at least do something he enjoyed with people.

"... I'm sure it'll be fine. Does it say to go alone? 'Cuz if I'm going to be honest with you, Themus, I'm kind of scared," he admitted through a laugh. "This place is so new to me, I might fall into a pit of lava. Or maybe I won't - I don't know. I'm... sure I'll be fine."
 
"Why are you scared? A tavern full of drunk, rowdy demons looking for a fight to cool off doesn't sound scary, what are you talking about? You are a weird boy, Neotoma," he sarcastically drawled, his dry humour making him smile to himself. He wouldn't let the smile show to the other, coughing into his closed fist quietly to ensure that his neutral expression remained when he turned back to glance at him. He didn't know who the note was from, assuming that a servant in the castle had sent it for him so they could share their break together.

He was hardly expecting anyone from Pruina to have made the trek. Whist Ignis' borders were now open, the place was hardly overrunning with interested visitors, eager to soak up a sight of the kingdom that had been locked away for generations. Their reputation preceded them, and, fearful of it, nobody bar Neotoma had taken advantage of the open borders yet. The idea that the note was from someone beyond their walls hadn't occurred to Themus.

He certainly wouldn't have guessed that Aloria herself would have made the trek, unbeknown to her own kingdom and the guards employed to keep her safe. She knew the risk of entering Ignis without anyone to protect her, but she was determined that she would be safe, given no demon knew what anyone from Pruina looked like, let alone the Queen. She couldn't draw attention to herself, which having guards would undoubtedly do, so, bravely, she had taken the trip herself underneath a long cloak and entered the tavern to await Neotoma.

It was the first time she had ever done anything like this, cringing at the loud, raucous laughter of the demons. Their tall, strong forms did intimidate her, especially in the environment she was unused to, but she had felt no choice but to take the plunge like this. She needed to gather information from Neotoma, and she just had a hunch that his letters weren't revealing the full truth. Talking to him in person, where she could read his facial expressions, was the only option she felt she had, however dangerous it all was for her.
 
If there was one thing Neotoma was good at, it was finding his destination. He had his ways and, while Ignis was nowhere near the same geography as Harenae, the air remained the same. He knew enough of the language to listen to passerby voices to figure out the bar he needed, though he did accept the help from Themus. Once arriving at the bar, it wasn't very difficult to spot the Queen our in the crowd.

"Oh - I wasn't expecting you," he admitted with a nervous chuckle upon seeing Aloria, his language switching immediately to fit the Queen. "I... wasn't expecting you, to be honest. We're my letters not sufficient...? I thought I was being honest and factual enough."
 
"Lower your voice, Neotoma. I'd rather these monsters around us not realise we're talking a different language; I don't want attention drawn to us. I want to blend in to avoid anything reaching Lysander's ears As for your letters... they weren't honest nor factual. At least, I felt that you were excluding information from me so I had to take extreme measures like this. I tend to know when someone is lying to me, hence my distrust in that horrid Lysander. He's hiding something and I have a hunch you've worked out what that is," she determined strictly, absently nodding towards the bartender that brought across their drinks for them, thankfully paying little notice to the fact Aloria a) didn't say thank you, which would have been impossible given her lack of understanding of Ignis' language, and b) was clearly uncomfortable being in the land and in such a close proximity to demons she really didn't trust.

She eyed the drink she'd ordered carefully, the strong spiciness making her cringe. It was nothing like the warm beverages of her kingdom, which were often creamy and smooth to counteract the freezing weather. To be served a spicy drink in an already searingly hot kingdom made little sense, though she took a sip nonetheless to calm her nerves.

"...What have you learnt, boy?" She demanded slowly, struggling to overcome how strong the alcohol was. Already, she felt a slight buzz from a mere sip, which was shocking in itself. "About Lysander. Anything will do. I just need to know whether I'm being paranoid, or if he's up to something as I suspect."
 
"I wouldn't recommend -" he began upon seeing the drink set down, only to purse his lips at the sight of the Pruinian leader going ahead anyway. Setting his hands on his lap to anxiously tap against his legs, he grew quiet as he listened to the woman speak.

"You shouldn't have come here, ma'am. If isn't safe here and the demons haven't really adjusted to other people yet. Do you honestly trust me so little as for you to travel this far? You aren't meant to stand the head, your Highness," he reminded in hushed tones, doing anything he could to avoid discussing any plans of Lysander's.

"... there's nothing to talk about, really. He's busy focusing on getting his girlfriend better right now, he isn't really putting effort into anything problematic," he 'admitted' after a long pause. "It's sad, actually, so I'm trying to help."
 
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"Oh, I distrust you immensely, Neotoma. Trust is earned and you've done very little thus far to show me that you're deserving of trust and for me to simply take your word at face value. That said, the fact Lysander has a girlfriend is very interesting. He likes to boast about his exploits to that Harenaen Queen at the meetings, it's awfully uncouth, but he has a girlfriend despite it all... and, from what you say, she's sick? How... interesting. I can certainly use that to my advantage, expose his weakness if he dares undermine me in my own kingdom again," she murmured, more to herself than to the Harenaen as she returned to the drink, finding that the initial shock at the heat it emanated and the strength of the alcohol wasn't too off-putting.

In fact, the more sips she took, the more suitable the drink became to her. Perhaps it was the alcohol taking an immediate effect, or perhaps she was genuinely starting to like the strange drink's flavour, but either way, she had sipped back half the glass in next to no time and motioned to the bartender for another when she knew she would inevitably finish her first off soon.

"...What's his girlfriend's name?" She continued as she smiled at the sight of another full glass of the unique alcohol, resting her chin in her hand as her attempts at maintaining her regal posture seemed to disappear the drunker she became. "And how sick is she? Is she dying? That'd be useful to know."
 
"Oh, yes! Um... well, I haven't learned her name yet, you see. He doesn't want me to know too much about her, so..." he lied before waving the bartender over himself, offering a small smile as he ordered a drink for himself. He had no intentions of actually drinking it, knowing how miserable he felt in the morning, but he wanted to give the air of calm.

"How... exactly do you plan on using this against him? How are you going to twist it to make it seem that I didn't tell him? I don't want to be killed in your petty little war," he admitted, his confidence building for a moment when he realized that there was no way he could be hurt by the woman and not be noticed.
 
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