viceofvoices | Of Courts and Courting

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hild,
roleplay

Of Courts and Courting

Traveling beyond enemy borders is no easy feat no matter who you are. It takes some finesse and knowledge and maybe even a generous amount of luck. And if you're trying not to be found? Doubly tricky! But Hild managed. After all, her love life was on the line.

Since their botched wedding, Hild and Krichevskoy went about life much the same way they did before, only now the tensions between their two clans of demons was focused primarily on a third threat: the monsters and lesser demons who had risen up much earlier than anticipated thanks to Hild's secret meddling. And while that meant Hild and Krichevskoy no longer had to get married, it seemed she had less and less time to even spend time with him out of her own free will. War councils and spell preparations, magic training and scouting missions...really, all she wanted to do was sneak away and spend time with...

Pausing under a tree in the forest lining this border of Krichevskoy's kingdom, the cloaked Hild paused and grinned to herself, swept up in the memory of their last encounter. He'd actually kissed her back, which was more than he'd ever done before. Hands to her cheeks, one of the most powerful demons in the universe squirmed in bashfulness as she recalled the event, oblivious to her surroundings.

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"I..." she wheezed, lurching to her feet with her hand pressed against her side. "It reacted...defensively. A firewall of sorts, I didn't --!" Hild broke off with a gasp, snapping her head up as she caught sight of his present struggle.

Quickly, she dashed to his side. "Krichevskoy...! Hold on!" She grabbed hold of his head with both her hands and forcefully broke through the seals on her power. Her eyes changed hue from the usual light purple to a deep, glowing magenta. The force of clashing power stirred the air within the tower, their clothing and hair flapping in the wind as she once again tried to force the curse back, only this time simultaneously attempting to break through the defensive wall that tossed her back before.

The curse was spreading too fast, the darkness tainted as fast as she cleansed. Gritting her teeth, there was only one solution she could see before her -- taking some of that diseased black into herself. Shared between them, perhaps its power could lessen, allowing her more time to destroy it.

Noise and wind all around them, the occasional crackle of red light bursting in the air, she lowered her lips to his in the hopes of sucking the magic out directly.

He didn't know what she was doing when she brought her lips to his--whether it was something to save him, a last romantic gesture, or both--but he pressed his lips back to hers in a kiss, shutting his eyes and hoping for something to be done to force the curse--

The wound pulsed with shadows and on Krichevskoy's end, and his eyes opened, slightly glazed and filled with confusion.

Had he been thinking about a curse? Why was he kissing someone? What was this light? And why did he feel so strange?

His eyes darted around the room and he tried to pull away.

Her lips curved into a smile as she felt him kiss her back, but then an echo of power pulsed through her and she cried out in pain against his lips. Dizzy, her head throbbing, she felt him pull away. She stumbled back, one hand pressed to her temple.

"A-Ah...Krichevskoy? Are you...alright?"

"Kri... chevskoy?" he echoed. "That is my name, correct?" His voice warped a little as he spoke and he sat straight, startled. "My voice.. should not sound like that, should it?"

His heart beat a little faster, fear bubbling up within him. "M, Miss, what is going on?"

Something was not right. She didn't feel any of the curse within herself, as she'd hoped, and now...this? Slowly she sank to her knees, her energy depleted, despair rising within her.

"...yes. Your name is Krichevskoy. I'm your..." Weary, she bowed her head and covered her eyes with her hands. "...I'm your friend. My name is Hild." It felt like her heart was breaking. How long had it been since she'd felt like this? The price of love, as she'd always known, was always thus. A strong connection and a terrible weakness.

"You've been injured." She removed her hand and looked up at him, smiling. "It'll be alright. At least now I know it's not killing you."

He frowned. She looked sad, didn't she? "Friend" didn't sound right to him somehow, though he wasn't sure what it was about her using that word instead of another that bothered him, and the more he tried to think about it, the more the answer seemed to elude him.

He looked down at himself and a chill went up his spine at his jet black skin. That must have been why he felt so strange. It certainly didn't feel right, and that sick feeling welling up in his stomach was probably related.

"This does not seem normal for an injury." It was a little frightening, to be honest. "But you said I was not in danger, correct?"

"It is not a normal injury, no. But, at least for now, your condition has been...stabilized." With a sigh, she got to her feet and reached out to touch his arm. "Yet I would be a fool to feel relieved. Memory loss is difficult enough to deal with, but it appears as if you've somehow merged with the curse into...whatever this is."

She put her hand to her chin in thought. It would be far too easy to give in to her sadness now. If he lost his memory of their relationship, such as it was, she would simply have to start over, as many times as it took. This vaguely incorporeal state of his, however, was the real issue.

"...we'll need to take you to an old friend of mine. Someone far better versed at healing than I am." She turned and lifted up her cloak, swinging it over her shoulders.

"Merged with...?" He sighed. "I suppose I have little other explanation for this." It seemed he would just have to go with what Hild suggested for now. He didn't have any idea how to proceed nor any idea of what had occurred, but he would like to think that he had enough sense to kiss someone trustworthy, especially since he was fairly certain it had been mutual when he realized what was going on.

Krichevskoy noticed another cloak on the floor, and noticing that Hild had put hers on, tried to put this one on as well.

It was difficult, considering how his hand seemed to keep going through the material, but eventually he concentrated hard enough to pull it around himself.

She watched him struggle for a moment, obviously depressed. When he finally succeeded, she smiled sadly. "Yes, that's for the best...if your subjects saw you in this state, it's only a matter of time before they try to usurp you."

Hild lead the way out of the tower and out under the sun. She shielded her eyes and looked up with a frown. "We'll have to go by foot. In your condition, any magical interference like a dimensional gate might cause you to go haywire again."

Krichevskoy suddenly perked up. "Subjects?" Well... There were some good things to be learned after all. He, a king... He didn't know how he could imagine himself as anything else.

Looking considerably happier, he made his way to the door, but stopped just at the edge of the sunlight. With a grimace, he skirted the edge of the shadows of the room, and, finally noticing Hild's shadow "connecting" somewhat with the rooms, he moved to stand there.

"Mm," she murmured in the affirmative. "Both our situations are complicated, politically speaking. I believe any wrong turn on our part could lead to a nasty ending, so I --" Hild broke off, finally noticing his odd movements.

"...what are you doing?"

"It is too bright," he replied, as though it made perfect sense. He wasn't sure why it was too bright, but something told him it was better to be safe than sorry, especially if he had already been injured once.

"What is our political situation?" he asked, a little too excited about the potential mess.

"..." She had no words for his explanation, rubbing her temple with a sigh. Instead, she simply began to walk, crossing her arms under her cloak to hug herself as they went. "We are the defacto leaders of our individual clans, by birth and by power, but only so long as we are strong and capable. Allies are few and far between and it is often the ones who smile sweetest who have the sharpest dagger at your back."

Hild gazed off into the distance as they walked. "You and I have been...rivals, I suppose you could say. In theory, we should be warring and vying for control, but you were never interested in such pettiness." Her voice took on a soft note of affection. "You have only ever fought to protect, not to take. Seeing your courage, I, too, wanted to set aside the battles. In my own clumsy way, I tried to be your friend."

A small smile appeared on his face. "My... you give me such praise, but it sounds as though you were quite brave as well." He would happily accept her praise, but if she was attempting the same things, then she was worth praise as well.

It was a bit daunting, though. How was he supposed to live up to the idea of a king, or to the things Hild had said of him? It might be easier to toss it away and act as he pleased, especially while he was in this state, but doing so without even trying didn't seem right. It was an attractive ideal. Why not do his best to become it?

"Friends and rivals... it sounds like something out of a story, does it not?"

She blinked and then laughed demurely behind one hand. "Yes. I suppose it is. Our relationship has often felt as unreal as a fairy tale to me. Even now, I --" Hild broke off, a dark look flitting over her face before she shook her head and looked down at the path at her feet. "Well. It has been something I've been incredibly grateful for, though I suppose I have not always expressed that gratitude well enough."

His smile faded a bit at her tone and he wondered if he had said something wrong. "Ah, would you prefer it if I stopped asking questions?"

Hild waved a dismissive hand. "No, no...it's fine. I shall try and tell you everything you wish to know, no worries. I'm just..." She broke off, shrugging a bit. "Not all memories are pleasant. Just keep that in mind."

Krichevskoy nodded. "I understand. If there is anything you don't want to talk about yet you do not have to respond." He had gotten a little too eager, he supposed.

Even without his memory, he was still undeniably him. She'd never doubted the genuine goodness within him, but it was still nice to see that, stripped of artifice and context, he was still so kind. Hild smiled a bit as she pushed past some foliage and headed into more forest.

"What else do you wish to know? Shall I tell you about your extensive collection of romance books and your fondness for red roses? You have a coterie of loyal vassals, though they have been known to tease you relentlessly..." She laughed. "Then again, so does everyone you meet. It's simply too easy to get a reaction from you."

He frowned a little, though it seemed more like the petulant pout of a child. "They do not seem very loyal if they are so quick to tease." If he was supposed to be a ruler, he had hoped he would be more respected than that.

"If that is the case, I shall endeavor to give no reaction to any teasing I endure."

"Isn't it good?" She turned to smile at him over her shoulder. "They care for you deeply and treat you as a friend. Formality and pomp might seem like a good time, but there's more to be said for subjects who see you as a person rather than a symbol." Hild turned away again, and by the gentle and wistful tone of her voice, it seemed she might have been speaking from experience.

"It seems better than being feared," he conceded, "though I think I would prefer a little more respect. ...But I suppose thinking of what I would like in theory does me no good when I don't remember the fact."

Krichevskoy was quiet a moment, studying Hild's back in silence. She seemed rather sad when she spoke, but he had the feeling that at least she respected him--or her memory of him, at least.

"What was your life like?" he asked, suddenly wanting to pull the subject off himself for a little while.

"My life...?" Hild stopped walking abruptly, one hand on the rough bark of a tree next to her. After a second, she began walking again. "Mm...well, I didn't have the upbringing you did, precisely. No father or mother to shelter me from the world, nor castle or servants to tend to me." Her voice was distant as she spoke, as if her mind was a million miles -- or years -- away. "I have been left to my own devices for as long as I can remember. Those who have claimed a familial tie to me have only done so once it became apparent that I had no intention of quietly fading away."

They were in denser woods now, the light dim as it barely broke through the canopy. Hild stopped in front of a thorny bush of wild flowers, gently running her fingers over the satiny dark petals. "For years I did whatever I had to in order to survive. My hands were stained with filth and blood. But as is so often the case, when under such pressure, one either is crushed to dust or polished and made pristine in the tempering."

She slid her fingers from the blossoms to the thorns below, forcefully pushing her thumb into the sharp points. "As I matured, I made a vow to rise up and show the world that would push me down just what sort of strength I had. And it would be a more lasting strength than simple brute force...I would gather the sort of strength that meant never having to dirty my hands again."

So she had had a long, difficult life while he had had a good one. But, more than that... "You were alone the whole time?" he asked, voice soft as he took a step forward. He wondered if he should be more disturbed or saddened that she had to kill, wound, and destroy to survive, but the loneliness that he could imagine that accompanied the life she described seemed so much worse to him.

"...no. Not for all of it." She dropped her hand and closed her eyes, memories filling her heart. "I have had my share of love and loss, even in that darkness." Hild then turned to face him, hands behind her back, and smiled sweetly.

"But that is a tale for a different time. Already I have told you far more than I ever did when you were yourself." She laughed a bit, her expression sly. "Perhaps it is your naked guileless gaze that has stripped me of all my defenses?"

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