Elia took both of his hands in hers. It looked like a child trying to hold their parents hands with how large his were. She brought his hands to her lips, kissing each of them.
"You are brave. You ride off into criminal ridden cities and eliminate the crime. You are a savior. You saved dozens of children from a terrible fate. You saved Lily and Calvin from that brothel. You've saved countless others from slavery or being forced as Where's for the rest of their lives. You saved me. You care. You care what happens to people. You want to make this world better and I believe that you can. Sometimes, things aren't going to work out the way that you want them to. Plans will fail and fall through. A friend might betray you. But you will prevail. You are strong. I believe in you. You do not have an easy road ahead of you but if anyone can do it, it's you." Her voice raised as she emphasized her words. She needed them to sink into him. "You have earned the term 'darling.' You deserve it and so much more."
Romulus looked up at her and made eye contact.
"Elia, you don't believe that… you've been very clear how you feel about me…"
That was all nice, and if he thought for a second she meant it… his heart would soar on that praise for months, but… she'd been clear she thought he was a selfish snake in the grass. Likely, she was just trying to be nice because he was out of it. Because she, despite being an adder, was a kind person. A gentle person.
A person who doesn't get others killed…
"I do believe that, though." Elia stressed. "This is a big change in my life, Romulus, and I have taken it out on you. But that doesn't mean that is my true feelings about you. I know you now, darling. I know what kind of man you are. You are a good man. I believe in you. I believe that you will do great things. And I know this was a loss. I know this is terrible, but you can't let this stop you from what you were meant to do. Mourn now, mourn for those you lost, but you need to bounce back from this. And you will. I know you will because you care and you will stop this from happening to anyone else. You won't let anyone suffer. It's not in your nature. Please don't let this be the end."
Romulus stared at her, his blue eyes searching for something. He wasn't even sure what, just some sign that she wasn't just trying to buoy him up.
"… My father's going to try to break my neck…" He looked down again. "I got a lot of people killed today. Children burned in those buildings. There are families sleeping on the streets tonight because their homes got burned. I'm leaving Calegon a mess, and my father doesn't actually care. He won't do much about it, but when we get back tomorrow, he'll likely try to kill me, one way or another." His hands, still in hers, began to shake. "I've been at this for 10 years and I've never screwed up this bad. I've never left a place in worse shape than I found it. But I'm being summoned home, and he's angry….."
The entire situation caught up with him all at once, and Romulus fell apart.
The shakes in his hands spread up his arms and across those massive shoulders, and suddenly he was trembling violently. The tears that had been sitting in his eyes, threatening to fall, suddenly flowed freely. His breathing hitched, and he managed to keep from sobbing only by sheer force of will.
Elia's lips parted in shock. She was at a loss for words. What sort of father would want to kill his own son? Better yet, why would a king that had already committed horrendous acts on his people be so concerned that his son made a mistake that cost people their lives?
"You can't go home then," she said frantically, "You can't. Don't let him treat you like this."
She stood suddenly and pulled him to her, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him into an embrace. She kept her arms loose so she didn't cause any more pain to him. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry." She repeated over and over again, trying to soothe and calm him down as she tried to think of a plan. Her poor prince had suffered enough, at the hands of his father, at the hands of the world. He made a mistake and people died for it. that should be punishment enough for him. Not this.
No.
He needed a plan. He needed something.
What if he gave the king something else to take his mind off of this?
What if Romulus gave her to him?
She would lay down her life, she realized, for Romulus. He would be a good leader. He cared for people, her people. They would do so much better under his rule than hers if she ever tried.
"What if you gave him something to distract him from this? Something big."
(NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO)
Romulus shook his head slowly. "If I don't go back, he'll come after me, and the people around me will suffer. Besides, I've survived everything so far, I just… I don't enjoy it."
Her hug caught him off guard, but it was more than welcome, and he entirely melted into it. She held him loosely; he, on the other hand, squeezed her as tight as he dared, being careful not to hurt her. He put his face in the crook of her neck, trying to stifle the unwanted tears. He still couldn't stop shaking, but this was better.
"What are you sorry for, Elia? You haven't done anything…" he murmered, his lips against her neck.
Her sudden idea made him nervous. "…..What do you mean?"
Elia stroked his hair back. She kissed the side of his head, trying to show him every bit of her love and affection. She wanted him to feel loved and wanted. She wanted him to know what it was like. "No father should ever treat you like this. You should not have to suffer anything of this. You need to stop him."
She closed her eyes as she took a deep breath. She couldn't believe she was about to do this. Twelve years she kept this secret from anyone. Twelve years she hid herself and her identity. Twelve years she has suffered. And it was all crashing down at this moment. Because she felt something for a man she shouldn't. Because she could feel herself falling for the man in her arms. Because she knew he would be a better ruler than she ever hoped to be. Everything she had gone through, and now she was going to offer herself up on a platter to save this man.
"Your father didn't kill everyone that night." Her eyes were squeezed shut. "The youngest princess escaped. I-I escaped. Give me to the king as a trophy. I am the only thing that could take his legitimatey from him. Spin a lie that I was found in the city, that they burned the city because they would rather I die than end up in your hands. You should be rewarded, not punished. And I-"
(hehehehehe)
(Mwahahahaha)
"No."
The Prince cut her off. He sat back, and looked her in the eyes. "I'm not trading you for me."
He swallowed. "I have stopped him from doing things to others by letting him do them to me. I can survive this."
He leaned forward and kissed her cheek.
"Lear had you pegged a couple nights ago as a Callistar. I'm not sacrificing you, Elia."
Elia opened her eyes. "You don't deserve this, Romulus. Let me help you. Let me do this. The kingdom will be better off with you than with me anyways."
She leaned her forehead against his. Her eyes closed once more, tears freely running down her cheeks. It pulled at her heart to think of him in pain. She couldn't bear to witness his father attempt to kill him. He deserved so much more than that.
She huffed out a cruel laugh. "Of course he did. You could have said something."
(heh, sorry, missed that her eyes were closed)
"If you want to help me, stay alive. But giving you to my father does nothing."
He gave a small smile."Lear is smart, and it wasn't ours to bring up to you. If you never wanted us to know, we weren't going to tell you our suspicions and scare you off."
Her forehead against his broke his control, and he kissed her, his arms tightening around her. His body protested, the burns causing him pain, but he didn't care.
"I probably would have never told you. I shouldn't have but…I just want to help."
Elia let out a quiet squeak as he kissed her suddenly. For once in her life, it wasn't something she had been expecting. Her arms were around his neck and a hand threaded through his hair. She didn't take it any more or any less than he gave, letting him lead. She trusted him. She trusted him with her life and her body. She knew he would take care of her and he wouldn't hurt or force her into anything. He was good. Better than she was.
Romulus kissed her with a hunger that had been completely missing from their previous kisses. Of course, he was fully awake for this one, with no raging head injury, and she'd just torn down one of his last walls by trusting him so deeply. She was showing him she cared, validating every part of himself he was unsure of, and had made a decision to be open with him.
He'd have taken on the world just then if she'd asked him to.
He pulled back after a moment, wanting more but not wanting to push her. She wasn't someone to be pushed, and he didn't want to trigger her. His body also hurt, and though he might be able to do this right, it would pain him. He was furthermore Still shaking, which reminded him where his headspace was. Not an ideal time to meet his intimacy needs. He didn't let go of her though, keeping his hands around her waist as she stood between his legs, leaning against his chest.
"… I can understand your hesitancy about coming to court." The Prince said softly. He wouldn't have wanted to either. "And I will leave that to your choice. Whatever you choose, I will support financially. But…" His eyes pleaded with her. "Elia, there is so much good you can do, even while not on the throne, and that's to say nothing of the chance of maybe putting you back on the throne one day. I implore you… I'm begging you, Elia… please let me help you live comfortably. Take the land and the title, and one day, when my father is gone, I won't be lifting some random girl from the gutter, I'll be revealing that a trusted noble was a Royal all along."
Romulus had every intention of putting her back on the throne.
"Thank you for trusting me with that information, by the way. That must have taken a lot…" He trailed off, and it clicked that she had told him specifically so he could sacrifice her for his own well-being. He wasn't going to, of course, but she'd been willing for him to…
His heart ached to show her how much that meant to him, but his head was not in the right place to try to do this carefully. Instead, he raised a hand to caress her face gently.
"I'm not giving you up to my father. Anything he throws at me, I can endure. I have every other time, and I will this time."
Elia whimpered softly into the kiss. She followed his every lead. Her fingers dug in his hair, gripping it firmly, but not uncomfortable. She regained herself when he pulled away. He was hurt. Badly. They couldn't do this. Not yet. And apart of her wasn't ready for it either. She finally had a say in what she did with her body. Part of her wanted to wait.
"Elitia. Say my name. My true name." She wanted to hear it. She wanted to hear someone say her name. Something other than a whisper in her head. She hadn't heard anyone say it in twelve years. The last time she heard it was her maid telling her she to run.
His words were beginning to confuse her. Lifted noble. What was he planning on doing? She had no intention of coming out of hiding. It was risky to reveal her secret, yes, but she trusted Romulus with her whole being. She trusted he would keep her identity safe for as long as they may live. She wanted to avenge her family yes. She wanted to watch the king die a horrible death. But she had no intention of wanting to ascend the throne.
She nodded her head, however, agreeing to his words. "I will be wherever you need me, darling. Whether that be at court or stuffed into some lord's house waiting for you. Whatever you need." She kissed his temple gently.
"You should not have to endure this, darling. No one should." Her lips pursed, wishing she could do something.
The Prince generally didn't have any kind of an accent on his Common Westron. However, with words that were strictly Venian, like names of people and places, his accent came through and gave them a lilt, a slight tonal adjustment. It certainly happened when he smiled and did as she asked.
"Elitia."
He said it gently, happy that she would trust him with such a sacred thing. He continued to caress her face,
She reassured him that she would be where he needed her, but something about the look on her face told him they would need to talk about this again later. Drop it for now. Focus on tomorrow.
He took a deep breath, and steeled his nerves. He managed to stop shaking, finally. His tears had begun to dry already, so that was the last sign of how much he was carrying.
"I will be alright. I don't like it either but…" He sqaured his shoulders. "I'm built like this for a reason."
As much as he was still unsettled, he felt much better than he had about 10 minutes ago. Part of it was her trust, part of it was her care for his wounds, and part of it was definitely her touch.
Elia, Elitia, smiled widely at hearing her name. She couldn't stop the small laugh bubbling inside her nor the tears that vegan flowing anew down her cheeks. It was a relief, a burden being lifted off of her shoulders. She leaned into the hand in her cheek and couldn't stop herself from kissing his lips once more. Light. Thankful. And it was over as soon as it started.
She moved one of her hands to his wrist. Her thumb massaged the area. She wanted to be as close to him as possible but she didn't want to risk hurting him. He was covered in burns. And if he thought she was a mother hen before, just wait. She was going to be running after him, trying to reapply burn salve, until all of his wounds faded.
"You weren't built like this to withstand your father, Romulus. You were built like this because the gods saw greatness in you and you needed to be strong to fulfill this. Your father is a cunt and a coward. You shouldn't have to endure this just because he's throwing a temper tantrum and decides to take it on you."
The king needed to die, that much was certain. But what lengths would she yo to, what would she risk to put Romulus on the throne. To get caught killing the king would very well be her own death sentence. No, this would be something she had to think about.
Romulus watched her reaction to her name, kissing her back, just as gently, and smiling at her. "Would you mind if I call you that in private?" If it made her smile like that every time, he'd never say 'Elia' again if he could avoid it.
Her praise made his smile turn sad. "My father is many things. He wa a great man once, but…" He looked down. "Everything changed when my uncle ascended the Harad throne…"
He could vividly remember the day his father expressed his frustration at the land his uncle had promised them. It hadn't been long before he'd disappeared, only to show back up saying he'd claimed a kingdom.
He shook his head, trying to clear it. "I am built like this to stand between the evil of this world, and my people, whoever that may be." He looked back up at her. "I don't give oaths, Elitia. But I ask you to believe that I will need to be killed before I stop standing between you and everything that comes at you. You're safe."
Elitia nodded her head, her smiling widening. "Please. It pleases me to hear you say it."
She wasn't sure he believed his words. Her prince thought he deserved this treatment, that this was his purpose in life, to act as a buffer. She didn't see it that way. She saw a strong man who has tasked himself with protecting the innocent. He was strong and brave. She only wished he could see himself as she did. Her kingdom would be safe in his hands when he finally inherited the crown. She only hoped it was sooner, rather than later.
"I believe you." And she did. She believed he would protect her to his dying breath and even then some. It worried her, then. She didn't want him to die for her. The guilt of just thinking about it was already flooding her.
"Put your shorts back on. Let's get you back to your tent and get you dressed and to get some sleep." She was already slipping his shift one as she spoke. Her clothes were too damaged to put on, it was no use. And his shirt fit her like a dress, falling to her knees. She was swallowed in it. It would look a bit ridiculous but it would keep her covered.
The Prince nodded at her permission to use the name. It was pretty, and rolled off the tongue with more flourish than 'Elia'.
He gave another small smile, happy she trusted him. It didn't mean they could be careless, but he was glad she didn't feel threatened by him anymore.
He didn't say anything as he slid back into his shorts. With his burns treated, it wasn't so bad. He glanced at his armor, deciding to leave it for the morning.
When Romulus looked up and saw Elitia wearing his shift, he froze for just a moment, staring. He got control of himself quickly, his smile growing, and turned to head out.
He made sure she was slightly behind him, shielded from curious eyes.
There weren't many, just a few of the teens who were more interested in ogling the mostly-naked Prince. A few of the guards saw him and their eyes also locked on his body, noting the burns instead of the muscles.
They made it back to his tent, where Lear was inside. He looked bone tired and on the verge of tears. He stood from where he was sitting on his cot and stepped towards the Prince. "Romulus, I-"
Romulus held up a hand to cut him off, before reaching out and squeezing his shoulder. "I'm glad you waited."
He went to his pack and dug out clean clothes, his last set. He handed Elitia the clean shift and turned his back. Lear stepped over to him and did the same, giving her a little privacy to change.
Elitia followed behind him, keeping her hand locked in his. The staring didn't bother her, she was used to it. She did, however, watch the prince's reaction in case he seemed off put by any of it.
She lingered back in the tent once they entered, noting Lear was there and wanted to give them a bit of privacy. She just gave Lear a small smile, trying to tell him it would be alright. Or as alright as it could be given the circumstances.
She just grinned and shook her head as they both turned their backs to her. It didn't bother her if they saw her but she appreciated it anyways. She stripped herself of the shirt and her undergarments and quickly dressed in the garment Romulus had handed to her. She sat down on the cot when she had finished, pulling a blanket in her lap. Now that the hard part was over, she was exhausted and just about ready to pass out. But…she had to make sure everything was okay.
Romulus had mostly had his head down as they walked through, so it hadn't fazed him.
He took the opportunity while their bakcs were turned to lean over to Lear. "You were right."
The Lieutenant looked at him, before what he meant clicked, and Lear's eyebrows shot up. He immediately put together that Romulus and Elia had talked, and that she'd told him, or admitted it at least, and that they were still good.
What a relief.
They heard her sit, the sheets rustling a little, and they turned. Romulus again felt the tug on his heart at seeing her wearing his clothes.
Lear, on the other hand, stepped towards her and knelt. "You'll have to forgive me for grilling you these last few days… But know, that you can consider me a friend, regardless of your identity. Your secret is safe with me." He kept his voice down.
Romulus took the opportunity to change his shorts while Lear was speaking. The clean cloth felt so much better on his skin, he let out a small sigh of relief.
