Knights of Darkness - Group RP - 18+

[SqueezeBabe]

A few years ago

 

Ben shifted uncomfortably in his seat, and tugged at his collar with a finger. It was too hot to be outside waiting for the Academy to finish making their announcements. It was the last day of the year, and the last day for him, as today was the day he supposedly graduated. If I pass he thought gloomily. His best friend Neil nudged him and winked, mouthing at him "Top Honours". Ben made a face at him, as if he would get top honours, there were people who had worked much harder than him, whilst he may have consistently gotten the highest marks and won all the tournaments, getting Top Honours was based on much more than academic achievement and excelling in combat, you had to uphold the Knights Code of Honour, be chivalrous and all that, which Ben found hard because he didn't particularly like girls and always felt uncomfortable around them. He tried his best though, as in everything in the Academy, he tried his best.

 

"And now we come to announce who received Top Honours..." the headmaster coughed, building suspense just a little. He looked out at all the eager faces and settled on Ben's face. Ben as usual looked gloomy. The boy needs to have more faith in himself he thought The whole Academy knows he's getting this, except for him. The headmaster cleared his throat once more. "Benjamin Montgomery Frost!"

 

 

A few years later

 

Ben sat astride his horse, his blue armour glinting in the sun. He was on his way to the Knights Conclave. The gathering where the King announced which Knights were doing what duties. Ben had been lucky so far, he had his modest castle, and somewhat more than modest land holding which he ran efficiently and fairly. There had been an influx of people onto his lands, refugees from other lands, escaping the tyranny of their own Knights. Ben sighed. Bad knights? It shouldn't be possible but there were those that had a penchant for cruelty and then there were others that just didn't know how to run a castle and let it fall into ruin.

 

Ben was lucky, and unlucky in some respects. His holdings had been passed to him by his father, who then had died in a freak hunting accident, and his mother had passed away not soon after, of a broken heart, they said. He was more than capable of the smooth running of his castle, but at times it seemed a bit sad and empty. He had no siblings, and at 20, he didn't feel the need to rush out and find himself a wife. He told himself that he was too busy for such things. Not that this deterred the mothers of all the surrounding holdings from parading their daughters in front of him.

 

Sure he was good looking, with blonde hair and eyes the colour of sapphires, and tall, broad and well-muscled (you needed to be if you were carrying 50 pounds of armour all the time), but he didn't understand the fascination that the girls had with him, or the women for that matter. Women were such delicate things, and he was so terrified of breaking something, so he just found it best to stay away from them.

 

The Conclave wasn't far, and Ben soon reached the castle, letting the stable boy take his mount and made his way to the Great Hall. The Hall was already filling up, and he was one of the last to arrive. As he took his seat, he eyed of a group of Knights opposite him whom he'd never seen before, but before he could get a proper look in the King arrived and the Conclave began.

 

--------------

 

Ben wearily exited the Great Hall. Why me? he thought bitterly. The King had thought it "fit" to grant him more lands to go with his additional title. Benjamin Montgomery Frost, the Frost Knight, was now peacekeeper of the realm. Ben was going to be busier than ever.

[Lady.Taser]

Carmine Lledowan had a few things he hated, and a few things he loved. Firstly he hated his name, though he did enjoy torturing and disposing of those he called him Carly. He was born holding a blood clot in one hand, not an omen of good luck and the woman had murmured the words under her breath and to his great dismay his mother liked the sound of it. Given to him not by his parents but by the midwife attending his birth. According to the midwifes daughter who was a maid at his parents property the word described a shade of red... and one incredibly annoyed Knight.

 

Said knight was now sat angrily in the entrance way to his parents home, he didn't like coming back here, but they kept sending him marriage propositions from 'single women'. He had repeatedly sent messengers informing them he did not need a women, now or ever as he found them such a bore and so very fragile. They would never survive what was in store if they were anywhere near his side. He was expecting some story such as the messenger never arrived... the problem is his parents were not clever, and the messengers always returned to his own property saying the message had been delivered.

 

He stormed across the entrance way and swung the doors open, his frame barely filling the space between the hinges, he wasn't small or skinny the doors were just very large, he always wondered what his parents were compensating for, probably their lack of ability to seem powerful without things like big doors. The doors banged open loudly, the noise echoing around the room, turning to face into the building and then proceeded to yell.

 

"I AM GOING NOW. I HAVE BLOODY CONCLAVE TO GET TO!! NO I AM NOT INTERESTED IN ANY WOMEN YOU SEND MY WAY" He couldn't see his parents but he knew they could hear him, so he gathered his breathe to yell extra loudly for the last part. "I DO NOT LIKE WOMEN, AND THE NEXT TIME YOU SEND ME A MARRIAGE PROPOSAL I WILL KILL THE MESSENGER!" Leaving the threat hanging in the air he turned and marched down the stairs, mounting his stallion and galloping off.

 

Now Carmine also had a few things he was addicted to, one of these being tangled up in the limbs of his nights lovers when he woke up. He was addicted to the sex, and would often have 3 or 4 people sharing his bed with him, and there was almost never no one sharing the bed with him. Memories from the night before flooded back and he sighed, both visiting his parents and the conclave had meant he had to leave early and there was no time for another round that morning. He was only going to the conclave to gather some information, after all, Carmine grinned, they couldn't proceed with the plan if they didn't know who to attack.

 

-----

 

Many hours later he left the conclave, a smile on his face and his deep blue eyes shining with anticipation. Not only was he now free to go home and indulge himself and feel the strong fingers of his lover running through his long chestnut hair. He was excited by their opponent, Frost had just been given more land by the king, not taken from carmine's own of course. His family was old and had always held land, two separate bits of land actually, which worked as there only ever seemed to be two generations of rulers in his family. The king couldn't take his land under any circumstances except treason, so his taxing of his people meant he didn't risk losing land, and those fleeing just made it harder on those remaining. He quickly made it to a pub that was just outside the castle and also their meeting place. Carmine had asked that they attend the conclave separately, no need to draw too much attention to themselves, it was too early for that. Ordering a drink at the bar he settled down into a seat in the corner of the room and watched the door.

[Phanto77]

The Duncan had always been a quiet man. Large, brooding and sullen, his life was dedicated to duty. Little time he had for pleasure. Despite what others who look upon him say, he did not think himself a handsome man. His hair and eyes were brown, a plain colour he thought it. No matter how long his hair was, and no matter how expressive his eyes were, plain they were. A plain brown.

 

His dear mother had persuaded him to shave his beard for the trip. “You must look presentable”, she had said. She thought the beard hindered her son’s ‘breathtaking’ looks. Mothers, he thought. If anything else, his eyes had one unique quality to them. His eyelids were low, on deep pupils that expressed a certain melancholia. He couldn’t say why, he had no cause to be sorrowful. He was lonely, as a man of his circumstance would be, but loneliness was now a companion in itself.

 

He rode to his destination on his own, for three days and two nights. Had he brought his guard with him, he would have protected them, not the other way around. His castle was far and it was quite the journey, but he was quite the traveler too. He was a great warrior. And lover of men, as well. A sword swallower through and through, one would say. Only one day past, he had come across a band of merry musicians and entertainers. A young man caught his eye. A pretty lad, not yet come upon his 18th. He was gentle, at first. But what can one do? Passion is a possessing force from which little are worthy of escape. He smiled to himself as he remembered the young Adonis’s goodbye. Refusing a stout purse of gold, he had kissed Iain chastely and walked away, looking back once for a final glance at the taker of his maidenhead, Lord Iain the Duncan.

 

As he walked out, disgruntled, he thought it strange, however, that he was summoned to Conclave now. His family had done enough for this kingdom. They now took solace in the comfort they found within the towering walls of their castles. They owed this kingdom no more. But he had decided to attend in good nature. But of that nature he had little left. Being Warden of the Reach, was no easy feat, and he told the King so, boldly. Barbarians, riff raff, and countless troublemakers plagued his lands, merely because they are far. And still, they had saddled him with more duties. He must meet with the Frost Knight. Aye, well, he thought, upset, Frost can wait.

 

He approached a pub. He was incredibly thirsty. He dismounted and gave Dunham to a stable boy, squeezing the boy’s arm to wordlessly warn him of the consequences should he take mediocre care of his prized, chestnut stallion. He stopped at the pub door, and wondered if it would be wise to enter, considering this was but a lowlife’s dive. He ignored his own musings and entered.

 

The pub was lively enough, filled mostly with peasants and possibly cutthroats, to whom he paid no heed. He stopped a large young man who would be ugly on a good day and asked for their finest bread, meat, and wine. The man smiled, revealing one rotted tooth, and welcomed him, beckoning him to a chair on his alleged ‘best table’, which was not best and was barely a table. The man had, in length, eyed the crest on his fine garb. The rampant lion of the Duncan was golden on the red, velvet cloak he wore over his golden, ornate armour, plated with the finest gold and nicked not once. Although the man was eying the cloak with no subtlety, he said nothing, most likely fearing its intimidating owner. As he sat down, the chair creaked under his weight. With his height and his muscles, he thought nothing of it, but the man serving him certainly took notice. He had his blade, a broadsword by the name of Lionheart, by his side. He never let his family heirlooms out of his sight, not the blade and certainly not the ring.

 

As he supped, he felt eyes upon him. Ones that he may not altogether care for. But all were ignored, for he was the Duncan, and he was hungry.

[Noctis]

The wide double doors slowly closed behind him with a soft click. The soft voices of his parents were barely audible from within the large room where they sat at the large table surrounded by several others they had invited to the meeting. It went well in his opinion. Plans were made and set into action for his family's kingdom. Ah, yes... The thrill of what was about to come coursed through his veins and curled his pale lips into a wicked grin. He was born into a family where nothing was more important than power and making their mark. Everything was theirs. Land was power and they had a lot of it. Such a corrupted and cruel family who plagued the people with fear. But nothing was able to stop them.

 

Nothing at all.

 

Leaning against the door for a second, we raised his gloved hand to run his fingers through the thick mass of black hair that swept across his face; hiding shadowy gray eyes that glinted with excitement. He was still wearing his glistening black armor that complimented his pale skin tone and body structure. He was well build with just the right amount of muscles from years of training as the Black Knight. Skilled with the sword, he was a pure demon on the battlefield. Shedding blood was nothing to him. No remorse, no regret ever held him back from what he desired. He was the Black Knight. The silent shadow that loomed over his enemies with a onyx black blade that matched his armor and fitted him well. It was his treasured possession given to him by his father. A deadly sword passed down from the noble line had a bloody history.

Shifting his body away from the door, he let a soft chuckle escape his lips. He was called in from training his men that morning to discuss a very important topic. Recently, his parents had set their eyes on a particular kingdom. Nothing new at all. But as always, he was summoned to start an invasion and plan it out carefully to cover all angles to insure their victory. He was ready for another game to be won. Another piece of the puzzle to fit in the big picture he and his family painted for themselves. As he walked steadily toward his room with the black armor lightly clinking as he moved, a thought ran across his mind. 'Ah' he thought as his hand pressed against his door. He knew where to go to get information and another like minded person who shared the same twisted darkness. With that final thought, he pushed the door open and slipped inside; locking it behind him with a click.

 

 

It had been several hours after his little visit at the Conclave. It was a perfect opportunity suggested by Carmine who insisted they go to the Conclave separately to insure no attention was drawn to themselves. It worked of course and as soon as it was over, he waited a few hours before meeting up with Carmine.

Once the pounding of Aztec's hooves came to a halt, he slipped off the black stallion's back and ran his fingers through his beloved stallion's silky mane as he gave him a swift pat on the neck before he handed the reigns off to the young squire boy who followed him into town on a small brown pony. The boy quickly grabbed the reigns and placed a hand on the horse's neck. Seeming unimpressed, Aztec snorted and gazed after his owner with glittering black eyes before lowering his head and stepping forward to knock his heavily muscled body against the boy who stumbled and grabbed on harder to the reigns to regain his balance.

 

“Ow... mind your manners... “ the boy muttered, fumbling with his own horse's reigns as he led them both over to a small patch of grass.

 

It was late into the afternoon. The weather was nice with a slight breeze brushing through Cedric's hair; sweeping strands across his eyes as he pushed the door to the pub open. He still had on his light armor he wore earlier that day with his treasured sword at his side. The pub was not busy tonight so it was easy to spot the person he came to meet sitting in the corner with a drink. Closing the distance between them, he slid into the seat across from him and linked his own fingers together on the table as he leaned in; his voice low with a hint of amusement. “Tsk. Shame. Drinking before I arrive. Have you no manners?”

[SqueezeBabe]

Ben was in his private library, thumbing through history books. One long leg crossed over the other as he settled into the large armchair. He slowly turned a page, reading through the family notes. The book was an old book, passed down. It contained all the legends and "stories" of each of the families of Knighthood, a Knight family tree of sorts. Who had married whom, killed, "absorbed" took-over he mentally corrected himself. It contained the Family crest and colours of each Knight. He was "researching" - being the protector of the realm, he was preparing himself for the inevitable backlash from certain Houses.

 

A few Houses had caught his eye, and he wrote them down, Those were the ones that he might have to be wary of. Sure there were border disputes and the like, but very few Houses actively attempted to take over other Houses. Ben sighed, surely the world was a big enough place that everyone could just... get along. He rubbed his face, mentally chiding himself for such naive notions. There was a knock on the door.

 

"Enter" he called softly, and smiled as his Steward entered. The little man cleared his throat. "Sir, will you be taking your dinner in here?" Ben blinked. Dinner? Was it that late already? The Steward gave a small smile, he'd known Ben since he was a small child, and it was very much like him to lose track of the time when he'd picked up book. "Uh, Here is fine Reggie" The Steward winced slightly. "Reginald!" Ben quickly corrected himself. Ben might have called him "Reggie" as a small child, but he still needed to get in the habit of addressing the Steward properly. Reginald smiled kindly. "It's fine Sir, a mere slip of the tongue and a reminder of more carefree days."

 

Ben rubbed his face again, "Uh, yes, dinner in here will be fine.." he waved at a stack of papers, "Can you please take care of them for me? They're just the new titles and requests and whanot. The scroll on top is the official acceptance of the Peacekeeper, that will have to be delivered to all the other Houses for their seal. That way no one can claim that they didn't know.." The acceptance scroll would have to go to each individual House, another reason why Ben was in here reading up on their families, he needed to be on his guard for those that would be... difficult.

[Lady.Taser]

Carmine grinned wordlessly, the expression slowly covering his face before he drank the rest of his pint quickly before signalling to the bar keep for two more pints of the same. It wasn't busy, but the bar keep was nervous around him and not that long ago had tried to avoid serving him. This only caused Carmine to make extra sure it was his attention he got and not one of the bar maids. He still didn't speak until the bar keep brought two mugs of drink, almost overflowing to the table. Sliding one over to sit in front of Cedric.

 

"well you say no manners.." his grin widened and he waved his hand around the room casually, "but honestly you are lucky i didn't get so bored i felt the need to entertain myself with one of these less than appetizing men." He started on his own drink and looked over at his.. friend? He wasn't exactly sure how to classify Cedric, neither of them were the type to have friends, but he had known the man for a while, a long while and every time he saw him, especially with such meager competition he wanted to drag the man to bed, but then he wanted to do that with every good looking man he met. Cedric was the only good looking man in the room apart from himself, the rest of the bar patrons were made up of local farmers, thugs and shop keepers. Slowly Carmine ran his tongue along his lower lip before speaking again. "You should remember not to keep an addict waiting too long, or they may disappear for their fix."

 

He leaned back against the chair with his drink in his hand, occasionally sipping it and listening to the noise from the pub around him. No one was paying them any mind, still he had a private room booked for the more... sensitive information topics, just to avoid any prying ears, so for now he started on the more mundane topis, the kind of conversation you would expect two knights to be talking about after a conclave.

 

"Frost." A wicked smile hinting at plans and lust graced his face as he spoke the name. "what do you think of the king's appointment of Frost? For one... i at least will sign the acceptance scroll with little arguments, keep any attention on those houses that do choose to argue it."

[Phanto77]

As he finished his meal, Iain beckoned the young man from earlier in order to pay his due. He took out a golden coin and the man’s eyes widened, for that would be more that he made in a month. He stood up, and as he did so, the chair he was sitting on toppled. He gave the man the golden coin, but all the while he was frozen in his place. Iain asked the man for directions to the Frost estate, in a low, clipped tone. After he got his directions in installments, he made his way to the door.

 

Two men, one large and one small, blocked the way to his door. Their accent betrayed their low birth. He did not speak as they came closer, telling him to take off his cloak. “We don’ want te ge’ any blood on tha’ pretty thing, now do we?”

 

His face hardened. Any other day, he’d have let this go. Not today, though. They’d caught him in a bad mood. He straightened his leather gloves, pulling them down into his hand. His breathing even, he stepped forward and suddenly backhanded the larger man, still smaller than he, across the face. The larger man went down and did not get up again. Wise, thought Iain. Although amused at the smaller man’s expression, a mixture of shock and fear, he said nothing and walked out of the pub.

 

As low as his voice was, his bark at the boy to bring Dunham was met with immediate and panicked obedience. Any other day, he’d have humored the child. Not today, though. He, however, gave the stable boy a copper coin as he mounted his horse and without looking back at the thankful recipient, he galloped off. To all but himself, in his golden armor and his fine cloak, light chestnut hair glistening in the sunlight and flying in the wind, he looked like a knight in shining armor. Iain the Duncan, pride of his clan, scourge and Warden of the Reach, rode three hours on the orders of his ancestor’s usurper.

 

He approached the Frost castle, a high, sturdy stone building. He approached the open drawbridge. His stallion suddenly stopped and started to hoof the dirt beneath him. He ignored Dunham’s protests against going forward and did just that. He entered the courtyard and spotted a little man by the large castle door. Had they been standing face to face, the top of the man’s head would’ve been at the middle of Iain’s chest. He looked harmless, almost kindred.

 

With Dunham’s still hoofing the dirt, refusing to stay still, he looked at the little man. Iain’s voice, deep and booming, rumbled as he broke the silence, “Boy, tell your Master, the Duncan is here to see him.” The man’s eyes flashed with recognition as he did as he was bid.

[Noctis]

As the drink was slid in front of him, Cedric ignored the contents of the cup sloshing over the rim and onto the table; pooling around the cup. He picked it up and pressed it to his lips to take a large gulp of the cold beverage. It washed down his throat and quenched the thirst he had from the long ride here to this little pub to meet his friend. Placing the now half empty cup down, he licked his pale lips and glanced up at Carmine with dark eyes.

 

“You and your hobby,” he grinned, raising an eyebrow up. “Keeping an addict waiting, aye? I'm pretty sure you would not pass up a chance for a nice conversation with someone such as myself. Now would you?” With that being said, he leaned back in his seat. He knew exactly how Carmine worked. Hell, he has known him for years, and he was in fact, pretty quick to catch up on people's behaviors and the little things they seem to do, which they might not even be aware of themselves.

 

As the name left Carmine's lips, his own gray eyes locked on Carmine's and with a grin, he nodded slightly; black hair falling across his face.

 

“Aye. Frost. Has he captured your fancy?” he chuckled quietly but his face hardened and the light laughter came to a sudden stop as he leaned forward; those smokey gray eyes glittering dangerously in the dimly lit pub as Carmine mentioned signing the Scroll of Acceptance.

 

“You're signing it?” he flashed him an annoyed look before continuing. “I refuse to. Simply because I can. That paper is more than likely only good for firewood in my family's home. Granted, I be under close eye, but then again, my blade is quite eager for a little action on the battlefield. What do you think?”

[SqueezeBabe]

Reginald knocked on the door to the library once more. "Master Frost, it seems that we have a visitor... A rather large and loud visitor..." Ben glanced up from the tome he was leafing through. "At this late hour?" he asked with a puzzled expression. "Were we expecting anyone?" Reginald shook his head and waited for Ben to get up and follow him out. "I'll receive this... large and loud did you say?" Ben chuckled at Reginald's expression, "I'll receive them in the drawing room," Ben said, hurrying past the steward, he would at least need to change into something slightly more authoritative than his plain brown tunic, otherwise Reggie would never forgive him for not making a "proper impression".

 

Ben quickly ran into the study and inspected the blue tunic that was already there. His steward at least understood that Ben didn't like to go about wearing finery all the time, so prepared clothes in each of the receiving rooms so that he could get changed without having to run back to his bedroom. Ben didn't care about what he looked like, despite his Stewards protests, but he did care if he was tardy. He quickly got changed and sat down behind his desk a few moments before there was a knock on the door. "Master Frost?" Ben cleared his throat. "Enter." he said as authoritatively as possible.

[Lady.Taser]

He grinned manically, "my Hobby keeps me and good looking men well entertained for a while." Carmine leaned forward on the dirty table in front of him and looked up at Cedric, " Though i would never miss a conversation with you, so interesting. Though rejecting my offers of joining me with my hobby, such a shame." He laughed lightly as Cedric sat back in his chair, watching the grin on the man's face from his words.

 

"Frost has this... Naive aura about him." Carmines eyes started to glint mischievously, "it makes me want to dirty him, pull him down and destroy all that he knows." pausing he stood up and wandered around the table to the same side as Cedric. "That and i never miss a chance to add the name of another gorgeous victim to my list."

 

He leaned his weight against the chair that Cedric was sat on, facing away from the man he was speaking to and eyeing the room around them while lowering his voice. "I sign it because i can, because the false sense of security will be one of the things that ruins Frost. Imagine him setting up to fight on the field, then half of his army is suddenly an enemy, the massacre would be glorious to watch." He turned again leaning over Cedric's shoulder instead.

 

"Though i guess that will take some of the fun away from fight, and i don't think even the fireplace has done enough wrong to deserve that piece of paper."

[Phanto77]

When the little man came for him, Iain dismounted. The man called a stable boy, with quite a spotty face, to take his horse. Agitated, Dunham neighed and reared back. Instantly, Iain put a calming hand on the stallion’s neck and stroked it gently. He whispered calming words into its ears and allowed the horse to take in his familiar scent. Now that the horse was calm, Iain looked at the stable boy, who would one day be quite large, to be careful, for Dunham can be quite aggravated. But he also warned him that should anything happen to his animal; the boy would surely answer for it. He didn’t mean it in the severity he implied, but being feared waved aside many problems he’d rather not deal with.

 

All the while, the little man watched, half amazed at how Iain had handled the situation. Iain did not turn around. He waited until the stable boy ushered Dunham into the stables under the battlements. Even then Iain did not move, and the man despaired at how to attract the attention of the seemingly brooding and possibly irritable man. Standing there, Iain memorized the inside of the courtyard, the size and direction of the battlements, the distance between the door and the stables, the height of the walls. His train of thought was interrupted by a cough and the young man’s, “Milord”. He held up a gloved hand, not looking at the man, and continued surveying the premises. He stayed so for around 15 minutes, then good-naturedly turned around, not quite smiling, but no longer frowning either. The man was truly small, or was Iain truly large? Laughing inwardly, he admitted he couldn’t tell.

 

“Your name”, said Iain, catching the man surprised. At his puzzled expression, he repeated what he said. “Your name, man. What do I call you by?” he asked, amused at the smaller man’s expression. His voice was polite and quite pleasant, “Reginald, milord”. Iain did nothing but nod. Pausing for a few seconds, he wondered if Reginald forgot that they were standing at the door, and so he gestured towards the door, the gesture saying, “Lead the way”. Reginald turned around and led him into the castle. The castle was ornate with blue, expertly engineered and betraying fine architecture. As they walked, Reginald’s light footsteps could barely be heard next to Iain’s purposeful gait, his footsteps almost reverberating off the walls. Although he was wearing armor and his sword and dagger, he had, over the years, perfected his walk as to not have them clanking together. Not much use, since his footsteps could be mistaken for earthquakes, and so stealth was out the window. However, in gracefulness and stealth when needed, Iain was matchless, despite his size.

 

As they approached the room, Reginald turned to face Iain, and said, “If you’d excuse me for a moment, milord”. Nodding courteously, Iain waited as he was announced. He a murmur he couldn’t discern, but then Reginald immerged to usher him in, after a muffled “Enter”. He thanked Reginald and entered the room. Standing in the doorway, his low voice was calm and neutral, “Benjamin”.

[Noctis]

Raising an eyebrow at Carmine as he leaned in close, he breathed out a soft laugh and shook his head. “I'm aware of that. Thus why I told you to meet me here without fears of you wandering off after your next prey and skipping.” With that being said, he raised his glass to his lips and took a rather large gulp.

 

Placing it back on the table, he stared up at Carmine with narrowed eyes as he leaned against his chair. The mention of the scroll had really annoyed him but it didn't take long at all for a grin to curl his lips once Carmine mentioned the betrayal of Frost's army. The man would never suspect the underlying intentions of the men he thought so high of and trusted and this is exactly why he chose to be the cause of Frost's attention kept away from the demise he had right under his very nose.

 

“Take the fun away from the fight? Not at all, my dear friend. For the fun will be the sight of Frost crumbling down along with his kingdom into a cloud of red dust. Now that will be the most glorious sight of all. My family will reign over this country.” A small laugh escaped through pale lips as his fingers curled themselves around the handle of his cup. “I'll be the distraction.”

[SqueezeBabe]

Ben blinked a few times as the mountain of a man in the doorway. Whilst he was quite tall himself, this man was taller than him again by a few inches. He stood and indicated the seats in front of the ornate oaken desk. "Please, take a seat... Sir...?" Ben looked questioningly towards Reginald, hidden behind the massive figure in the doorway, who shook his head silently to indicate that they had not been formally introduced. The coat of arms on the cloak was vaguely familiar, perhaps he'd just seen it in one of the books he'd been reading in the library... the man certainly hadn't been at the conclave meeting so he was momentarily at a loss. The man knew who he was, but then that wasn't a really a feat - he was the only knight in the realm to have blue armour, and he'd already distinguished himself in many ways right from the time when he was young to now, especially with the recent title of "Protector of the Realm".

 

"Uh, would like some refreshment? I can get my Steward to go and get something to your liking? I'm sure you must have travelled far and thus be tired from your journey. I'll have rooms arranged for you and your entourage in the guest wing. Do you have any servants with you that need to be shown to the servants quarters? I assure you that Reginald is a quite capable Steward and will see to your every need whilst you are here under my roof."

[Lady.Taser]

Carmine laughed loudly, momentarily drawing the attention of other occupants of the pub. While a man sleeping with another man wasn't an uncommon occurrence, it was not well thought of and most peasants such as those filling the pub tending to avoid anything to do with it, so the image of Carmine leaning against the back of Cedric's chair rang alarm bells and many quickly averted their gaze.

 

"While you distract, however you plan to do that, i can... make niceties with Frost. The advantages to parents who abide by the rules..." he smirked as he continued "is that no one suspects the children. Also it would raise to many questions if all of a sudden a member of the Lledowan family line refused to help. Those ancestors of mine have been loyal supporters of the king for a long time now, i have only held the land for a year since grandfather.... died..." Carmine paused, they both knew the death wasn't natural, despite what the death certificate said. "So while they will have noticed me being cruel they won't realise everything."

 

Carmine motioned to a passing bar maid to get him another drink and sat back down opposite while the barmaid brought them to the table. He waved her away quickly, despite her less than obvious attempts to flirt with them both. "what is it you plan to do as a distraction?" He took a gulp from his drink, planning to drink quite a bit more yet for the night, afterall he had friends who lived nearby who would always love a midnight intrusion, so he didn't have to travel home tonight, and could avoid the god awful accommodation at the pub.

[Phanto77]

Iain stepped into the room, giving off an aura of authority already. He looked at the man before him. So this was the Frost Knight Richard, the king, spoke to him of. Iain thought he’d be… bigger. He had a kind face, and not bad looking indeed. The people of the Reach were not necessarily Richard’s subjects, but his banner men. They wanted to be left alone and so did he.

 

“Duncan. I am Iain the Duncan, Warden of the Reach.” He did not finish his titles. Only the arrogant did that. He glossed over the Scourge of the Reach, Lord Commander of the Outer Peoples, and Keeper of the Realm’s Secrets, as well as others. The pretentiousness had plagued his clan, ever since his family was removed from the throne some hundred and fifty years ago. Besides, Iain had always been a man of little words.

 

“You are very kind, however, none of that will be necessary. I am neither hungry nor am I thirsty. I needn’t an entourage, so I do not bother with one. I am perfectly capable of travelling on my own. I will be leaving as soon as I’ve settled what I came for. Rich- the king of the Realm has asked me to come see you.” His voice was quiet, all the while.

 

He came even nearer and stopped at the seat Frost had indicated. He sat down carefully, as to keep the fine chair intact, back straight and hands on the armrest, his long legs stretching before him, but away from his host. He said in an almost calmly annoyed tone, “So, Benjamin, have you any idea why I am here?”

[Noctis]

Once Carmine's laughter rang out in the pub, Cedric's eyes flickered over to all gazes they had caught the interest of. With all the gazes quickly diverted to what they were doing, he turned his own dark gaze down at his drink. Raising it to his lips for another large gulp, and placed it down with a short sigh as the beverage cooled his senses. Drumming his slender fingers on the wooden table, he shot Carmine a look seeing as he was still behind him.

 

“Sit down,” he said, motioning to Carmine's now abandoned chair. Of course Carmine enjoys being all up close with other men but Cedric was not all that interested and only had thoughts of his plan running through his mind. His lust for battle was strong and it was not satisfied until crimson blood stained his sword.

 

“You ask what my plan is,” his voice lowered so Carmine had to lean in close to catch the whispered words the Black Knight spoke. Once the barmaid was waved away, he continued. “My plan is simple of course, my friend. I will not sign the pathetic piece of paper he sent to me. That'll become a warning for them of course to keep their eyes on me and my family. Watching my every move and perhaps try to talk about it. Or... gather their allies for an upcoming battle. Quite simple, is it not? Either way they react would still be in my favour,” he smirked wickedly as his eyes stared into Carmine. “I'm not someone to simply toy with like a harmless animal. If Frost actually looks at my family history, he'll see this.” With that, he sat back; the smirk still on his lips as he raised his mug to Carmine in a mock toast before drinking. “That shall be the distraction I have planned. And more.”

[SqueezeBabe]

Ben fought the urge to narrow his eyes. There was just something about the man in front of him, this, Iain the Duncan, that rubbed him completely the wrong way. He'd most certainly heard of the Warden of the Reach, but wasn't expecting him to be quite so.... rude. He retreated behind the mask of manners that had been drilled into him ever since he could remember, whilst the man might personally irritate him, he prided himself on his ability to not let such irritation show... it was unbecoming of a Knight such as himself, and even more so now that he'd been "given" additional duties.

 

"I can only imagine that you're here in response to my new title that Richard thought fit to bestow on me; "Peacekeeper of the Realm", though your presence was missed at the Conclave, so it can't possibly be that." Benjamin made a subtle dig. It irked him that there were a majority of Knights who's attendance was required, but hadn't bothered to show - if they'd all just been there like they were supposed to, then he wouldn't need to prepare the Scroll of Acceptance. "Though, I'm not privy to what the King thinks or does; the man is a force unto himself, all I can do is follow my lieges orders as required. So please, enlighten me as to the purpose of your visit."

[Lady.Taser]

Carmine grinned across the table. "It is such a good thing i do not desire the throne, only just want the chaos of the war. Being your enemy is not something i would enjoy Cedric." The grin reduced to a smirk as he took another gulp and looked around the room. It had started to empty and the bar keep was calling last orders. They had been talking for a while, well talking and flirting on Carmine's part, a sentiment that unfortunately but unsurprisingly wasn't returned. It was almost a game to him now and one he enjoyed.

 

"One thing though. I an unsure of how efficient Frost's spy network is, and though now is too early a time for him to be watching houses as the scrolls are being sent out tomorrow, in a week or two you will be watched. Passing information will be difficult at best and impossible at worst." Carmine's face was now serious, no evidence of the earlier flirting or laughter as he gazed directly into Cedric's grey eyes. "I will try to become his aide, the closer i am the more i know. Once i know the strength of his spy network i will inform you accordingly, likely through my own. I may also drop communications."

 

All tables near them were now empty so he spoke quietly, the bar keep had been well paid to keep his mouth shut about anything he or his staff might overhear. It was amazing what the promises of death threats could keep at bay. "I also need a scapegoat. If his network is weak enough then he will likely notice things have been compromised and search out the spy. This is when i will drop communications. What you need to do is gain other allies and get them to at least be near to Frost and communicate with them.." carmine paused before slightly rewording his sentence. "Get your aides to communicate with them constantly so that if Frost needs to uncover a spy we have someone expendable. Do not let them know anything about me. In fact i do not want any of the expendable men to trust me. Say whatever you need to so that they feel i am well and truly on Frost's side."

 

He paused and took another sip of his drink letting what he had said so far sit between them. While they had known each other for a time communication was on and off anyway, especially in a time of peace such as this. "Oh and one last thing, communications must be directly though us. No one on either end can know we are communicating other than us and our head spys. In fact this can help us greatly. I shall use my spy network to ... help Frost." the edge of his lip curled up as the words dripped in sarcasm. "when my best spy goes to, well spy he will leave my messages in what ever place you say is suitable. When you send someone to spy on me any messages can be left under the dragon claw sculpture in my rooms. And so that neither of our messages can be traced by our seals i had these made." Pulling out two rings he placed them on the table. Both had different, but intricate designs on them and Carmine passed one of the over to Cedric.

[Phanto77]

Iain looked at the man before him for quite the while, before he answered. He couldn’t see the sinister in the man’s face, and the Duncan was no poor judge of character. He was well masked; he could give the man that. But Frost was no fiend, the exact opposite in fact, he felt.

 

The Duncan had always acted superior, and rightfully so. Little did others know of the Reach. It was not a mere region of the Realm. It was a principality. A shut-up present from the Royal family. Something to keep the Reach quiet, subdued, if you will. He could tell the Frost Knight did not know that. No, he thought, the nice man did not. He did not know that the Duncan was not eldest. He did not know Richard had summoned him to Conclave, in private, or why for that matter.

 

Benjamin had a frost to his words. He laughed inwardly. Ironic, eh? He should not say what he truly thought of the man, or Richard for that matter. And he never will. He never will say the first thought that crossed his mind when he knew that the blue armor now protected the Realm.

 

He finally spoke, in an almost irritatingly calm voice. “You are new to this post, Frost. Learn to hold it. I was not at Conclave, for your sake. Aye, for your sake. My audience with King Richard was of the private kind.” Iain truly was annoyed at the assumption that he was summoned as the rest of the knights were. Iain then stood up to look around the office. It was good architecture and craftsmanship, as was the rest of the castle. His temper was getting the better of him, but he tried his best to keep it in check, although he could do nothing about it rising in his throat. “You, my young Benjamin, are the reason I am not at The Far Reaching Walls, my castle, with my consorts at my side, and a fire warming my chambers. I care not who protects this Kingdom, you or the bloody ghouls from the stories. Richard is worried, Benjamin. Worried that I may try to take back my ancestors’ throne, despite the knowledge that I have no want of it. I want to be left alone. My people and I, both. I am to be your cavalry, should you need it. That his why I was sent to you by his Majesty.” He said the last word with dripping sarcasm. He sat back down.

 

“What have you to say to that, Frost Knight? Before I take my leave, and return to my sanctuary?” As he waited for an answer, he looked at Benjamin Frost with his sad eyes, his drooping eyelids, and an exhaustion from life to rival the suicidal.

[Noctis]

He placed the mug down once more and slid his gaze back around the room. The discussion before them settled in the air between them like dust and as it all sank in, he chuckled. Eyes now locked on nothing in particular across the room, he shifted his head slightly so Carmine was just far enough in his peripheral vision that he had no trouble glimpsing the man's expressions.

 

“I have no trouble at all with being under watchful eyes. Do as you wish while keeping an eye on his spy networks but you must inform me as much as you can,” he paused for a second; fingers drumming on the table as he pondered. Allies. With his family being so well known on the battlefield, he had no need to simply 'find' allies. How can he find something he already had to begin with? He rolled his eyes and locked his gaze with Carmine's.

 

“Allies. I won't have issues with that. You should know that, friend. But of course, I'll have someone extendable on our side should things become unstable behind Frost's defenses.” His gaze hardened as he lowered his voice more to a whisper. “But surely Frost won't become aware of this, correct? Let's try and keep it that way so we won't be discovered.”

 

Downing the the remaining few gulps of his drink, he placed the mug back down. “Of course. I would prefer communication be directly through us, anyway.” Eyes darting to Carmine's hands as he shifted, he raised an eyebrow and held out his hand, palm up to receive the small ring onto his palm. Rolling it over in his hand, he flipped it over so the designs were visible. “Ah, you took the liberty to have these created. Very wise, Carmine.” He flashed Carmine a grin before slipping the ring into pocket. “I'll leave breaking Frost's inside defenses to you. I'll handle keeping his eye on me. I can't wait...” his voice trailed off as he slid out of his chair. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out two gold coins and laid them on the table. “Shall we?”

[SqueezeBabe]

Ben blinked a few times, not quite sure of what to make of the Duncans words. It had felt like a lecture of sorts, the kind a grizzled old veteran would give to his newest batch of greenhorns. Despite his relatively young age, Ben was not green to the hardships of life, and as far as he was aware, the Duncan wasn't that much older than him... was there something about the Reach that prematurely aged a man? Benjamin swallowed and licked his lips, taking the time to choose his words as carefully as he could. "What you speak of, some may consider treason. I am certainly not in a position to speculate the inner machinations of my sovereigns mind. To question his judgement is most certainly treason, but I'm sure his advisors counsel him well..." he paused suddenly as a thought occured to him. There had certainly been some talk, quiet and hidden in the shadows, that perhaps Richards counsel was not as sound as it should have been. He felt a cold shiver run through him at the implications of such a thing...

 

"However, I am not one to buy into theories and speculation, I only work with evidence I have at hand. If you say you don't want the throne, and your actions in the Reach support this, then Richard should have no reason to question your motives." Perhaps the Duncan hadn't told him everything... but men were entitled to some secrets.

[Lady.Taser]

The remainder of the words were left unspoken. After so long they knew how the other worked. THere was no point Carmine assuring Cedric that Frost wouldn't find out as he was always going to do his best to not be found but there was always a risk and Frost wasn't stupid. Just as it was obvious that Carmine had preprapared the rings, in such a situation if even this one meeting was leaked then it could ruin everything but had he not spoken to Cedric he didn't believe the man would simply trust a letter on such a sensitive topic.

 

Standing he raised his eyebrows at the amount placed on the table but didn't say anything, matching the amount with a chuckle. He wasn't going to be outdone even if they were overpaying the rundown pub for cheap beer. It kept mouths from flapping and that was very important. "I'll see you to the stables. I need to get my horse even though I am only going a short distance to Harley's." Smiling wistfully he hoped that Harley had one of his other lovers there and that they didn't mind the intrusion of a thrid person in the bed. When they had reached the stable his blue eyes scanned Cedric before mounting his stallion. "One week. Let me know how things stand in one week and I will tell you what I have found after that."

[Phanto77]

Iain’s face was somber at first. His face then began to widen its cracks. It was mutating. His malleable features were not as he had displayed before. The Duncan was… smiling. The first bark reverberated off the walls of Frost’s office, and subsequent to that came a crescendo of mirth. He looked at the other man with dancing eyes, with an underlying danger that was not at all subtle. He was telling the man to reign himself in. While the Frost Knight may be a match to his skill and speed, as befitting his reputation, he can never, without a shadow of a doubt, handle Iain’s simple and overwhelming force. Or in his estimation, at least. As his laughs ran dry, the Duncan’s general disposition remained joyful, if anything.

 

“Treason?” he wondered loudly. He said the word several more times, as if testing its weight. Iain’s face suddenly sobered, and he let out a breath. “Our sovereign’s advisors are frankly the most intolerable herd of arse-licking, political climbers I have ever had the misfortune of meeting, with their constant tutting and backbiting, and their obsessions with their puny little person and what they believe is owed to them. I wouldn’t trust them to sit the right way on a chair.” He sat back and eyed the younger man, for quite a while. “My… intentions are as I said they are. However, I ask you this, when has Richard ever been reasonable? He knows that although a conflict with me would be a depletion of your capital of catastrophic proportions, I would still lose. My numbers are small.” He sighed and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. He could feel a headache coming on. Eyes still closed, he addressed the man again:

 

“You have not yet answered my inquiry, Frost. How many do you need, if any?” He looked at the man. “And by God, call me by my name.”

[Wolfenone]

The man that relaxed on the bed with another male had just finished telling a story, the other male has his mouth a bit full with Harley’s member. There was a grin in the dark skinned man’s face as he looked towards the occupied chair. The one sitting there was completely dressed, unlike the other two people in the room. He wore simple leather and cotton, a sword rested against the side of the back of the chair, two daggers rested on his hips in cloth sheaths, there was also a smaller dagger against each boot and his forearm guards were made of metal.

 

“As amusing as that story was, that isn’t what I asked Harley,” he replied smoothly, his leg crossing over the other. He looked to the other male as he stopped his attention on the darker skinned male to look to the one in the chair. “You have good connections; I just asked if you can get me contacts.”

 

“Contacts are harder to get than just requesting them,” said the pale skin male as he moved back down.

 

Frowning he looked to Harley and then pulled one of his daggers from its sheath. “I asked for information, I will get information, I know you’re known to keep your tongue tight Harley, but unlike the rest of the court I am well prepared to get it how I want. Be it pleasure or pain, prefer pleasure as you do.”

[SqueezeBabe]

Ben blinked a few times. Use the man's name? There was no denying that the thought made him uncomfortable. "I wouldn't consider us on familiar enough terms to be using your given name, so until then I shall continue to use your title..." The man spoke like he was expecting a war, and this in itself was enough to make Benjamin feel on edge, "If you wish to escort me on my journey through the realm to get the scroll of acceptance signed, then I would welcome your company, and your... expertise and experience in these sorts of matters" Ben was not a fool; any help in his new appointment would be more than welcome, no matter who it came from.

 

In the pause of silence that followed, Ben suddenly felt very weary, he was sure that the hour was late, "Please, Sir, avail yourself of my hospitality for the night. I feel that most of this discussion is best had in the light of day after a good nights sleep when you are perhaps not so travel weary." It was a lame excuse, even to his own ears, but he didn't feel as if he had the right to request the Duncan leave his office so that he could think and mull over everything that had already been discussed. Ben's mind wasn't so quick this late at night and he was afraid that he would say something wrong and jeopardize their already precarious relationship.