Deception

With a deep breath, the demon came to a stop just outside the castle entrance, glancing upwards at the reddening sky in an effort to remain calm. He could lose his patience and exclaim again that the other had been a spy initially, which was enough of a reason to be mad at him, but he didn't want to perpetuate the same argument when it was clear the two disagreed about the anger in the first place. Instead, he forced a smile and headed into his home, desperate to put the night's events to the side and attempt to move on from it. He doubted that he and Neotoma would go back to the place they had been in before everything exploded, but he at least hoped to work closely with him... especially when he had decided, abruptly, that he wanted to go ahead with his plans of war as soon as possible.

He didn't wait to direct Neotoma, mostly indifferent to what he chose to do with his time until lunchtime, and so made the journey up the several flights of stairs to Imogen's bedroom. Not only did he need to inform her about her brother (a conversation he was still braving himself for) but he knew that of all the people in the kingdom, his girlfriend was the only one who he felt like talking to. Besides, even if he didn't feel like talking to anyone, there were pressing matters he needed to discuss with her that couldn't wait for him to feel better about himself first.

"...I found Neotoma. That's the good news, assuming you even care about him," he began as he carefully shut the door behind himself, a smile naturally growing as he made his way across to the bed, the stress and upset only showing itself once he was settled beside the woman. "On the downside, your brother's a traitor to the kingdom, if we're going to speak technically - he had a secret house and it looks like he's gathered up all his belongings and hightailed it out of Ignis, s-so... so that's the bad news. I... can't spend too much time being upset about that, Imogen. It's disappointing and I know you're as upset as I am, more so because he's your twin brother, but-- I want to press ahead with the war at midnight and I can't... keep talking about Themus, it'll distract me. So this is the last conversation we have about him. If only because I won't be here come midnight; I have to fight with the troops, right? I can't direct them into war from my throne, that'd be fucking disgusting of me. I have to be... physically involved, live up to my promises and all that shit."
 
To be waken by her boyfriend from a bout of fatigue wasn't something she wanted to begin with, so to be woken up to such bad news like her brother abandoning his post didn't make her feel fantastic. She didn't react for a moment, only focusing on sitting up a bit and stop the dizziness from her blood sugar being low. Her handmaid had made her cookies so she took a bite in the hopes of both feeling better and not vomiting it all up. It wasn't until Lysander was laying beside her that made her focus on what the other said.

"... you're not playing a cruel joke, are you? You know I don't like your pranks, Lysander," Imogen replied slowly, her face twisting into anger that quickly dissolved into upset and sadness. "He wouldn't do that to us - he's my b-brother, he knows hes the only one who I'm okay with being up here. This... is cruel," she whispered, her voice cracking and lip trembling. It was the last thing she needed for her health at the moment, and she could feel a migraine coming on quickly. She held her forehead, avoiding Lysander's eyes to hide her watery eyes and trembling hands.

"Lysander - think reasonably," she continued through her cracked voice. "Don't let this be the reason you go to war. Not only that, b-but - I don't want to lose you, not after losing my brother. Can't you - speak to the other rulers, first? I don't know. This - don't be unreasonable."
 
"I am being reasonable. Either I strike first and maintain my element of surprise, catching them all unprepared, or I sit back, wait, and allow that idiot brother of yours to rush around, warning civilians about an oncoming war. He planned this all with us, Imogen - if he's had a change of heart and abandoned you and me, I think it's plausible that he'll go and try to help other kingdoms, don't you?" He countered slowly, making sure not to let his own rising upset affect him - he didn't want to start crying or getting emotional when Imogen was already in that state. He never felt he needed to hold back his emotions around her but in this case, over something as upsetting as her brother's abandonment, he figured he ought to stay as strong and supportive as he could.

Her health was already in a much more precarious position now her brother had left, and he needed to comfort her to prevent any coughing fit or panic attack given the lack of a trusted, competent physician at the helm.

"...Which brings me onto another important point. We sort of-- need to get married, Imogen. Obviously I always planned on it but it's-- important we get married tonight. If I get torn apart by an orc, I don't have anyone to pass the throne to, it'll be a crisis. If we marry, you'll at least have a legal claim to it. So we'll need to do that," he admitted, resting one hand behind his head as the other moved around her waist, pulling her gently towards him with a faint smile. "Trust me, this isn't how I wanted to get married to 'ya, but we haven't got a choice. Unless you want the kingdom going to shit in someone else's control, we'll need to marry and have you as second in line-- assuming I die. Which I doubt I will, let's be honest here, but it's just a security thing."
 
"If we're being honest, what would be the point?" She replied, her hand tracing Lysander's chest slowly. "If you die, then there will only be me and we both know I won't last much longer without a competent doctor. Then comes the fact we don't have a successor to the throne after me, then what? I can't be a ruler, I have no control over any of this sort of thing - but I won't deny marrying you, you know this," she whispered, letting her head rest back on the pillow.

"Have you had any luck with that halfling? I know you threw him in the cell and all of this has happened, but is there any update on possibly carrying a baby? We need to keep the rule along unless we want a full-on riot, that's the only way I can think of. We could... adopt, but I don't know about it. I wouldn't be able to pick one out without you by my side..."
 
"...I don't think Neotoma is interested in even being in the same room as me right now. He's upset, perhaps rightly so, and your brother's absence has made things worse. But I did bring the topic up and he didn't immediately shut me down, so who knows. Maybe he'd be up for it. Obviously he'll need to make his mind up tonight; I'm more or less determined to leave tomorrow morning. If he refuses, you'll have to just... adopt a kid. I'll leave my written agreement so it's legitimate if we have to resort to that, I... I'm sure you'll do fine picking someone," he admitted as he forced a smile, refusing to spend too long thinking about the other's failing health. For years now, it had been deteriorating without any signs of improvement, with Themus only being able to ensure his sister continued to survive as painlessly as possible. With him gone, the likelihood of her condition improving was nigh-on impossible, and Lysander wasn't so oblivious to delude himself into thinking she would survive without a doctor at her beck and call.

"Neotoma will take over from your brother, I... I'll make him if I have to. He's a good guy, he's smart and has knowledge of Themus' work. Your brother left all his research here, I imagine, so Neotoma will take over and-- you'll be okay. I'll get back from the war, when I've been successful in taking the other kingdoms, and you'll still be here, Imogen. Hopefully we'll have an heir by then, just to be on the safe side, but I... I'm certain you and I will be alive and well when this war is over," the demon continued, forcing another grin as if that alone would convince her that all would be as well as he was determined to believe. He couldn't predict anything of the sort - he could die in battle, Imogen could succumb to an incurable infection, they might not even have an heir to take over from them, but he was so focused on the positives for both their benefits that he refused to even mention the very possible disasters that could lie ahead.

"Just-- it'll be okay. When have I ever let you down, hm? We've planned this since we were kids, since my parents were alive - I'm not gonna fuck this up or allow myself to get killed, Imogen."
 
Imogen chose to say nothing for a moment, her eyes subtly rolling at her boyfriend's confidence. She wrapped her arms as tight as she could, taking in the King as much as possible when it seemed nothing was going to convince him otherwise. She often criticized Lysander's plans out of love, never out of malice, but she knew when to let Lysander do what he needed to, even ofc he found them ridiculous.

"We have all day, Lysander. Let's... just get things sorted, and then I just want to spend some time with you. You've been all busy and after leaving Themus, you're the only person I have left. This could take months or this could take years, but it won't just take a few weeks. I want to be able to spend as much time with you as I can, since I won't have anyone around. Neotoma will be here, but he isn't a friend of mine, Lysander, he's just a smart halfling who just so happens to have decided to show up. I know I try not to be too emotional, but... I'm going to be alone. That's stressful for me," she explained slowly, her voice low as she pressed her face in the other's shoulder. "I love you, I know I can't show you that as much as I used to be."
 
"You have your handmaid, don't you? You won't be alone nor will you be devoid of affection - if she makes you happy, you know I'm fine with whatever you two get up to. And I want you to have someone at your side because... it might take years until I'm home. A few weeks is a tad optimistic, I guess," he admitted tiredly, the closeness and the fact Imogen could see right through the attempt at comforting her with lies making him relent and lose the forced smile on his face. He had absolutely no issue in the other's closeness to her handmaid - Neotoma and his family in Harenae might not understand the open dynamic of the King's relationship but it worked for him and Imogen, and that was all that really mattered. Knowing she had someone to look out for her and to share some affection with during his absence made him far happier than if she was alone waiting for him. What he hated was the fact she had to rely on the handmaid in his absence, wanting nothing more than to be around to help care for his girlfriend himself.

That was obviously impossible when he did leave for the war, a fact that now started to make him anxious. He trusted that she would be cared for but he hated spending even a day away from Imogen; the prospect of a few years away from her was devastating for the both of them.

"You know that I don't remotely care about any of that, right? You showing affection to me in a certain way-- it would be nice, I won't lie, but it's not the be-all and end-all to me," he shrugged, moving to lay on his side to properly face her, moving to cup her cheek in his hand. "...I need to go and talk to Neo - or do you want to be present too? Maybe he'll realise how desperate we are for an heir once he realises the... circumstances."
 
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