forum I have crossed oceans of time to find you. //OxO// Closed, Stalkers get sweets

Started November 11, 2021 by @knightinadream group

tune

"That would be nice." The queen carefully ran her hands over her skirts, making sure the wrinkles were smoothed out, before looking up at him, a calm expression on her face. She had to control what she said and did. She couldn't let anything escape, she couldn't let him die because of her again. Or… whoever this was. Judging from his expression, he didn't recognize her.

Maybe it was better that way.

"Alright, Captain. I'll just continue to call you that, then. There is a meeting with some of the delegates from the Island Nation in a few hours. Do you-" she stopped her words, almost moving to casual speech before she corrected herself. "You will be coming with me to the meeting room. They haven't been taking us seriously, and if we can intimidate them enough, we might be able to trade with them. They respect a show of strength."

Jeno lightly smiled at her words. He hoped that the queen was alright. He hoped that he did not do anything or messed up already. So much had already happened in a matter of seconds that he is left with more worry than before. All he could do was take some deep breaths and continue on.

Taking ahold of the cup again, he poured some water into it. His eyes flickered over to the queen as he handed it over. After setting the pitcher down, he took a step back with his gaze still fixated on her. It probably was not right; he felt as if someone had told him about staring at the queen. Out of caution though, he lowered his chin.

He took each word that she said with care. There shouldn't be a single moment that goes by where he is not paying attention, even despite the stranger things going on. When the queen paused, he glanced up at her, but nodded at her words.

Strength. If he isn't good at showing it, then he doesn't know what else to do. Strength is what brought him here and is the reason why he's still alive. "Of course, Your Majesty. I will do everything that I can in order to get them on our side. Strength is something that I know better than the back of my hand."

His words were firm, to the point, shoulders straight, eyes assessing her worriedly. It was so much like- like him that her eyes stung for a moment. She mentally rolled her eyes at herself. What was wrong with her? Why was she acting so weak? She had survived this long without feeling an emotional attachment to someone, she could last longer.

She didn't even remember how she was supposed to break her curse anymore.

His words made her smile slightly, the corner of her mouth quirking up into a little smirk. "I hope you know it better than the back of your hand, Captain. Not many people know the back of their hands well." Even the simple teasing made her wonder where her self control went.

Isa stood, her skirts rippling like water at the movement. She glanced at the massive clock in her rooms and rang one of the bells to summon a servant. When one appeared, she said, "I need to get ready for the meeting with the delegates." She glanced over at Jeno, keeping her emerald eyes firmly on his face, not allowing a hint of emotion to pass through them. "Show the Captain to his room, and bring him a uniform. One that makes him look…" She tapped her chin, thinking of the word. "Impressive," she finished.

"Oh, believe me, Your Majesty," He mused, holding up his hand, revealing the back of it. "I can assure you that I am not one of those people." Somehow, he found himself looking at her as she smirked. He felt one of his own creeping up, but he forced himself to stop.

The moment she stood up, be hesitated to take a step. Some of the nerves from before still remained, but at least the queen was alright. At first he was confused on what she did, then he heard a faint bell ring then the door opening.

Impressive? Jeno looked down at what he was wearing. It's just his regular combat uniform, it doesn't need to be special or anything. Although, he is supposed to be near the queen at all times and he really does not want to stand out more than Her Majesty.

And yet, he found himself not saying a word. Instead, he gave the queen a bow then followed the servant who showed him the way there. Even when they arrived, the servant showed him his new uniform and explained what was needed.

"Impressive….." Jeno walked up to the bed, running the side of his fingers against the coat. Funny how this must be one of the first times he's ever touched something of nice material. Well….as long as the queen likes it, he supposes.

Although the meeting with the delegates wasn't for another four hours, Isadyra needed as much time as she could get to get ready. It was one of the downsides of being a queen, and a female; getting ready meant a complete makeover, makeup, hair, jewelry, and dresses. The entire process was exhausting, but if she wanted to make the right first impression, she had a job to do.

With only twenty minutes left until the meeting, she was done. She felt like a plucked bird and re-plumaged bird, but at least she looked confident and cold, as she should. She took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders, smoothed her skirts for the umpteenth time, and stepped out of her rooms.

A procession of guards was waiting, including Captain Jeno. He looked handsome and put together in his new uniform, but she didn't let herself look at him for too long. She mentally rehearsed what she was going to say when she got there, knowing that it would all vanish when she arrived, and came to the meeting hall doors. Captain Jeno opened the door for her, and she froze her face, entering the room before she could admit that this was a bad idea.

The delegates were waiting, sitting around at a long table. There were about half a dozen of them, as compared to her own four-man council of worrywarts. They rose to their feet when she entered, and she didn't tell them to sit until she had arrived at the throne-like chair at the head of the table. "Sit, gentlemen," she said to them, in that cold, polite voice of hers that made people unsure if they should be at ease or if they were being threatened.

They sat.

"Why do you think we'd ever trade with a queen?" One of the delegates asked, before she could say anything else.

She ignored him, which she knew would make him see red. The Island Nation was a sexist place, because they valued strength above all else. It had stopped making her feel offended more than two centuries ago, and so she could react like this. She waved her hand. "Bring the gentlemen some refreshments," she ordered one of the nearby servants.

At first, Jeno had no idea what was going on. Well, ever since he had entered the palace and first met with the queen, he really was not sure of his current situation. On the other hand, he never really imagined himself wearing such an elegant uniform. The man probably spent at least five minutes picking clothes up and examining it closely. These looked similar to what the royal messengers and palace guards wore, but this is different. He has to admit that he is a bit excited about it though, especially since his was a bit different to signify his position.

Once he had it on, he realized that there was a problem with it. The jacket and shirt do not completely cover the scar on his neck. Sure there were plenty of strong rulers and fighters who showed off their scars, but his was not one to show off. His was meant to be covered. So, Jeno covered it with his hand while asking one of the servants if he could have a scarf that would match with his uniform. The servant gave him a funny look but eventually returned with one.

It was a nice blue silk one that was actually a scrap from one of the seamstresses, though he believed that no one would really notice. After tying a sophisticated knot, he did his best to fix his hair then went out to where he was instructed to be. Eventually he will know everything, yet for now, he will just have to stand back and learn as much as he can. All the other guards were there, standing straight, looking ahead as they waited for the queen. He walked in front of them all and stood.

Time had passed by quicker than he thought. By the time he heard the guards taking steps to standing against the side of the walls, he turned to notice that it was Her Majesty. There was not much time for him to look at her. With his hands at his sides, he bowed then took a step back to open the door. He waited a few more moments after she had walked in before going himself.

Jeno stood at the wall parallel to where the queen was sitting. His eyes were staring straight across at the wall on the other side of the room. The one delegate's words made his blood boil. He fought off the urge to do something. Naturally he would have rolled his eyes then whisper some sort of insult he most likely cannot say around the queen. His body tensed up as he felt his palms itched. Nevertheless, he sighed and continued to look straight ahead while biting the inside of his lip.

The delegate the queen had ignored was fuming, which she noticed out of the corner of her eye, a small smirk, barely perceptible, dancing across her lips. She waited until the servants had brought some snacks and refreshments - mixes of both Island Nation foods and her own country's meals - and bit in to a cake as she looked around the table at the men sitting there, cool eyes assessing.

Her look was enough to make them squirm, something she knew would only prick their ego and make them more annoyed and hard to deal with. Then again, that was her point. There was only one way to talk with men like these, and that was strength.

"Why won't you trade with my country?" She asked quietly, after a few moments of growing silence. "We have the money you need, as a newly created nation, and you have resources that could be useful to us. Starting a trade could be beneficial to both of us."

The men looked at each other, clearly having expected this question, or something along the lines, at least. The first man, who appeared to be the leader, spoke. "Because, in the history of the kingdom we split off from, women in history were weak. They caused more harm than good, causing the fall of our great armies. We haven't recovered from this loss since. If we were to trade with you, your weak, womanish mind would cause something to go wrong, and we would lose the only chance we have at connecting with such a rich country. But," he said, as if expecting her to protest, "if you were to marry our king and let him take over, or let us put one of our people on the throne as a Regent, we might be able to come to an agreement."

"Well, then, I guess this is it." Isa didn't even bother to look at the contract paper that had been slid across the table to her. She motioned to several guards. "Show these gentlemen out. I think our meeting is done."

This was clearly not what they were expecting, and the men's faces grew crimson with anger. Isadyra's own council members looked relieved that these prigs were leaving.

"How dare you!" The leader shouted, standing and shaking off the hands of the guards. There was a shing as swords were pulled from sheathes. "We're giving your kingdom the ability to trade with a prosperous nation. Why aren't you taking it?"

"I don't have to explain my reasons to the likes of you," she said sweetly.

He raged, casting around for something to say, when he spotted the knife in the holster of the guard who was trying to take hold of him. He grasped it, turned, and threw it at the queen, who just stood there calmly, watching as it flew toward her face.

In all honesty, Jeno was sick and tired of this leader bastard or whatever he is. He's hears drunkards speak with better manners than this noble who's worthy enough to be here and to see the queen. Actually, he might have rolled his eyes at least three times if they were not glued to the man.

Something is not right, he felt it. The way the conversation was going and the way the man was acting, he looked at all the other guards. He almost sprung forward when the leader was shouting. No matter what though, Jeno continued to stare until he noticed the fool reach for the one guard's knife. In seconds, he ran out to stop it from reaching Her Majesty.

With widened eyes, he glanced over at his right hand. His fingers squeezed the knife as the blade sank into his skin. It was only seconds after when he began to see blood coming out. The fact that his body was tense did not help the situation.

Glancing back at the queen then down at her skirts, he stepped away from her. He wanted to let go of the knife, but he knew he had to relax his entire body before that could happen. Whether it was out of pure spite or because of the imbecile of a delegate's words, he trudged over to the leader.

As he walked, his hand held the other with the knife still in his palm. When he finally stood in front of the leader, he yanked the knife out above the leader's shoes. "Your king must have forgotten to teach you that knives are not toys! You disgrace of a man!" He shouted.

Glancing at the guard, he gave them a nod before motioning for another to help hold the leader back. "You are currently walking on the thinnest rope that dead men have walked," He whispered. "You as a, superior, man must understand that throwing a weapon at Her Majesty is a tremendous act that results in the highest of punishments. Now you are a foreign official and you have injured one of Her Majesty's men which shall also play into what will happen to you. Impressive, you must have thought all of this out within seconds…..my friend."

As he spoke, he used his left index finger to take some blood from his palm and wrote the word 'fool' on the leader's forehead. "Now, tell your king that the Kingdom of Odryae will be fine on their own, without the Island Nation, because of Queen Isadyra and her amazing strength and leadership."

Looking over his shoulder, he turned to face the queen. Holding the wounded hand, he bowed to her then did his best to motion the guards to usher the men out.

The Queen Isadyra mentioned just watched with a faint smile on her lips. It was the only sign that she had actually planned for this entire thing to happen; baiting the delegate, making him lose his temper, almost killing her in the process. Not only did it make a good start for Captain Jeno's reputation as her new bodyguard, making the castle members act more favorably to him, it also gave her the chance to almost get hurt, thus making the king of the Island Nation have to pay her, or they would go to war.

It was a trick she had played many times over the years, and it was met with success almost every single time.

She leaned back against her throne-chair, watching her councilmen talking amongst themselves, occasionally sending her side-long looks. She knew that they were wondering why she would commit such a dangerous venture, but then again… some of them were too ancient and cautious to do anything like what she did.

I'm older than all of them, she thought, with a surge of amusement at the thought.

And then Isa looked to Jeno. Her eyes lingered for a moment on the scarf around his neck, before she nodded her head shallowly. "Thank you, Captain. I see that barely five hours into your new post, you've already saved my life." Her lips curled into a tiny smile, although it didn't reach her eyes. "You should get some medical attention for that wound there." She motioned to his hand.

You've already saved my life… The words resonated within him. A shiver ran down his spine. His eyes lingered on her a second until he snapped out of whatever was overcoming him then gave a head bow. "It is my honor, Your Majesty. I am grateful to be serving you, though I apologize for needing to step out for a moment."

Thankfully the guard had come back with the royal physician after taking care of the foreign delegates. And in a short amount of time too. Jeno gazed over at the queen while stepping back to the door. "I will be back as soon as I possibly can," He stated. The guard helped usher Jeno out of the room and into another where the physician was waiting for him.

He sat down in a chair then sat his hand on the cloth on the table. As the physician was treating the wound, Jeno's attention wavered as he stared down at it. His palm was completely covered in blood as the wound went diagonally across. It was strange; he has seen something like this before.

His right hand was pressed upon his neck. When he took it away, it was drenched in red. The smell of iron filled his nostrils. It was impossible to stop his hand from shaking as he gasped for air. Gradually, his eyes looked up to see those alluring forest green eyes staring back at him, tearing up. He dropped the bloodied hand…

Jeno shook his head, exhaling deeply while looking at his surroundings. Before he knew it, his hand was treated and wrapped up in some medical bandages, leaving his fingers exposed. The physician even took care of cleaning his other hand. After thanking the physician, he slowly got up then left to go back to the queen. The moment he stepped back inside the room, his eyes gazed at Queen Isadyra as he bowed at her.

(Gah, sorry, nb is blocked where I was and so I couldn't access it!)

The look that Jeno gave her before he composed himself made Isadyra bite her lip to push back an anguished expression. If he really was… but no. This wasn't him. This was a man who looked a lot like how he did before, but nothing more. They're not the same person, Isa, she reminded herself. Get your act together. You're a queen. You don't have time for this.

When the physician ushered the Captain out, she couldn't help but let out a small breath of relief and sit down on her chair. Even now, she was conscious of the eyes upon her, both seen and unseen, and she didn't dare slouch or show weakness.

She waved a hand to a waiting servant. "Bring some refreshments, will you?" The woman bowed, and returned shortly after with strong black coffee and some breads and cakes.

"Thank you, Lori," the Queen said, and the maid blushed in surprise that Queen Isadyra herself her her name. She bowed low and left quickly.

Isa smiled slightly and took a gulp of the coffee, which cleared her head immediately. It was bitter and made her want to gag, but it got the taste of blood from her mouth that had stayed there after it had stained Jeno's hand. It also scalded her tongue, the pain jerking her into her normal cold, calculating mind. That's right. She couldn't get distracted. She couldn't let anything thaw her.

So when he came back into the room, bowing and apologizing, all she did was smile at him the way she did everyone else. "How is your wound, Captain?" She asked politely.

(It's all good! I appreciated the response.)

Jeno kept looking around, giving apologetic looks. In all honesty, deep down, he was very proud of himself and he wouldn't mind doing something like that again. Yet, his hand hurts and the neck area where his scar is feels strange. Not necessarily itchy, but it just simply feels warm like it does whenever he has a dream or a vision.

Sweat was clenching his back. Heat had flared his cheeks. A light feeling rose in his stomach. The uniform felt weird on him. He didn't like it, but he knew that he cannot do much about that. Although, he was not able to ignore everything. Perhaps it wasn't just the uniform. Nevertheless, he has to keep on.

For a moment, he stared at Her Majesty. If he has ever seen a finer smile, he would be lying. It was familiar and soft. He almost forgot entirely what she asked. The tone of her voice was gentle.

Glancing down at his wrapped up hand, he sighed. Now he cannot really use a sword or anything with it for a while. Lifting his chin up, he gave an assuring grin. "It is alright. The physician says he will check on it again tonight, but it will be heal just fine," He responded. "Your grace is immeasurable, Your Majesty."

Your grace is immeasurable, Your Majesty. His words rang through her head, the tone and everything. It was polite, yes, and would usually be forced, but from him, it sounded like he was actually grateful.

She almost had to physically push the thought out of her head and respond. "I'm glad. It would be a pity if my new bodyguard was crippled on the first day on the job. Is it too deep?" She asked, watching as he seemed to struggle with something. Now that she noted it, in fact, she saw that sweat was dripping down his forehead, and he looked extra-sensitive, as if everything was chaffing against him uncomfortably.

She knew the feeling.

He was probably so startled from the experience that it had shocked his system. Isa hoped that he would get a grip on himself, that she wouldn't have to dismiss him right after she had just hired him.

She met his eyes when his chin lifted, emerald meeting hazel in a clash of forest colors. Unconsciously, her voice went low and… not necessarily ordering, but full of concerned command. A voice she hadn't used in a long, long time, that she immediately cursed when she heard it emerge from her lips. "Captain, go rest. You're looking tired, and I'll need you to be in prime condition."

He shook his head. "If I may say, my queen, I can guarantee that I will not be debilitated as your bodyguard." Below, he was able to take a glance down at the bandaged hand. "The physician said it was not deep so I am lucky there. My injury will not prevent me from doing excellent at my job, Your Majesty."

Jeno tried with all his might to forget about his current state. A shiver ran down his spine. His cheeks continued to blush as his eyes met the queen's. The directness of her voice, the command, it has to be one of the most powerful things he has come across. It's amazing to him. And yet, he was not able to not feel sad after hearing her words.

Rest? He does not need such a thing at a time like now. If he does, what will she think of him? Will he already be thought badly because of his injury?The hand wound is not making him feel funny. No….well, maybe it is, but the condition is making it worse. All he needs is a few minutes to collect himself then he should be fine.

But he knew that he cannot go against Her Majesty's words no matter what. Going against the queen's orders is death and he knew that he will lose this position if he spoke of the condition that haunts him; he cannot lose this. His shoulders dropped down. A look of self-disappointment glazed over his eyes. Even as he continued to hold himself in a proper manner, his body was still telling of his woes.

Without much said, he lowered his eyes. Steadily, he backed away to the door. His body was stiff as he focused on his balance. Reaching back, his fingers wrapped around the doorknob. "I am sorry, Your Majesty, but I should be fine and fit in a moment. Please do not hesitate to call for me." A little smile appeared, though he still looked at the floor. And with that, he opened the door and disappeared into the hallway.

Captain Jeno looked almost… disappointed when she said that. The queen felt a twinge of guilt that she tried to ignore, glancing away from his dark eyes. Straightening her shoulders, she pulled the mantel of authority over herself, chin raised, power in every movement and word and action. "Thank you, Captain. I will call for you when I need."

As soon as he left, she slumped down into her chair. She was alone in the room, the Council having left when the delegates did. The only people there were a few guards by the door and a servant girl, cleaning up the mess of blood.

Isadyra let out a long breath, dragging her hands tiredly over her face. Why was she feeling so weary? Why did it seem that, no matter how hard she tried, this strange man kept tugging at her heartstrings with his familiar face and actions? It was stressing her out. She needed to step back from the situation, look at it critically and analytically. She used to be good at that… was she not now?

She massaged her temples for a moment longer before taking a long sip of the tea that had been laid before her. She couldn't let her emotions get the better of her. Jeno might look like him, but he was not.

You don't want to kill him now, do you? She reminded herself wryly.

Please… The word echoed within the depths of his soul as he closed the door behind him. He almost muttered it but did not dare to.

His feet dragged against the floor as he trudged back to his quarters. Despite passing a few of his fellow guards and servants, he did not care. All the pride that developed in him just moments prior had quickly fizzled out. Jeno could not face anyone in this current state. Not the queen or royal physician or even that fool of a delegate from earlier. A familiar sorrow washed over him. What this sorrow is or why it is familiar to him, he does not know. He knows nothing. The only thing he is sure of is that, he wants to be strong again, and he wants to be strong for the even stronger queen.

Lazily, he opened the door to his quarters and stepped inside. It creaked as he did not bother to close it; not even the realization had hit him. Jeno stared at his bandaged hand while plopping down on the bed. At least there was no blood seeping through. The stinging pain had finally numbed too.

A small mirror hung on the side wall. Slowly, he lifted his chin to look up at it. At first, he did not see his reflection. Well it was him, and yet, he was sure that it wasn't him at the same time. The man had a more softer look on him; not to mention that the guy was wearing clothes from another time. Maybe even hundreds of years ago. And whether or not he had a fever from the injury, Jeno was sure that the man in the mirror mouthed the word, "Persist"

Eventually he did see his own reflection again by the moment he blinked and shook his head. Jeno laid back onto the bed, sighing. Whatever is going on, he prays that it does not get worse.