Kiero spat at the wall, creating a darkness and even a bubble that clung to the try-hard wallpaper.
He took a moment to find satisfaction in the way it dripped slowly downward. Finn let disappointment edge his sigh. Keiro refused to look back at him, already knowing the look his oath brother would be making. Re-annoyed, Kiero leaned back and with an even greater vengeance and spat again, then twice more on the floor.
"Are you done?" asked Finn, in a way that wasn't really a question, looking over his shoulder to see if anyone from other room was coming to check on them. No one had entered the cluttered front room of Sir Andrewik's manor. Honestly, it wasn't really a manor but since the technology that had provided him with lavish hallucinations had been disabled and he's been stripped of all his power and employees- Sir Andrewik was clinging to the idea that he still had status by calling the two story house with one bathroom he lived in , his manor. A lot of the former wealthy who had survived this long tried to do this.
Most of the corrupt and gallant officials were now dead. A few were killed by past employees or slaves rising to take vengeance but most had never adjusted to working or never figured out how to feed themselves. Those who remained were well adjusted families who found a closeness in trying to adapt and were now functioning citizens but a few of them were still pretending at grandeur. Andrewik was one of the latter. And what a pain in the Ass he was.
Finn left his leaning place and reached out to hold hands with Claudia as she entered the room. With a silent nod, Claudia walked over to stand next to Kiero as Finn went back to 'the Sala' to keep those inside entertained.
Keiro glanced at Claudia for a second before glaring at the wall. He had to hand it to Claudia, between her and Finn they had rebuilt a kingdom from ruins and ashes. They had been so blatantly for the rights of the people that anarchy and chaos had turned to production. And now that they had finally built a system that could offer something for worldly trade- they were faced again with dealing with idiots. The country had been isolated for the past hudred years and the only connections they had to other countries... were the smugglers. The idle rich who had seen fit to build connections to serve thier own flamboyant needs- these were the people who they had to relay on. Keiro wanted to spit again but he knew how much Claudia would mind so he just harrumphed to her.
"I know. I hoped we wouldn't have to deal with them again, but.."
"grrr."
"I hear you. But listen, don't worry, we'll never let them take you out of office."
Seizing the opportunity to reclaim their status, they had all come together with demands- refusing to divulge their contacts unless they were met. They wanted commissions off of each import and export , tax cuts, land from the state, along with their old status in the monarchy.
Finn had immediately given them their titles and they were all very smug about that, not yet realizing that the title didn't give them anything but the extra prefix in front of their name.
Claudia had been the one to really handle them, ever the politician, she agreed to everything while promising nothing and in moment of genius she said one could only make money ff tier own contacts, there would be no commission given collectively. Only one of them realized that she was setting them all against each other and tried to protest. But the others were to happy over getting commissions to hear him.
There was only one topic that they were till fighting about. They were fighting about Kiero. Finn and Claudia couldn't trust a bunch of ambitious lords and ladies to import and export all the people needed, so supervising every detail would be the duty of the king's right hand man- 3rd in line to the thrown- Kiero.
They flat out refused to follow him, obviously they had their own agendas as they insisted on electing their own superior from among themselves. No amount of suger coating from Claudia could help as Finn had to bluntly say "No". They threatened not to go though with it, Kiero had threatened them with charges of treason- and now they were all on time-out, like the bunch of spoiled kids they were.
"Kiero."
Looking at Claudia, he took in her expensive dress and composed stance- the very image of a queen- and could feel himself being 'handled' like the others had been.
So before her silver tongue could emit another word, Keiro grabbed her, making her stagger closer. Leaning on her, her slung an arm over her shoulders, and his gauntlet digging ever-so -slightly into her throat. "Are you really about to ask me to kiss the fat ass of these former-glory obsessed opportunists?"
Claudia sighed. After all this time, she actually thought of Keiro as a friend (Don't tell him, though) and she knew he wasn't mad at her. She patted the arm that was strangling her, a bit maternally. "I'm sorry Keiro. I'm afraid I am."
Keiro loosened his grip around her neck and they stood side by side, glaring at the wall paper. At least she'd had the dignity to be straight with him instead of tangle him in her pretty words. "I'm not saying I will.. but what would I have to do?"
"These people-" She began but Claudia abruptly felt irritated on Keiro's behalf and spat on the wall before them. Keiro chuckled. She was turning into Real person these days.
"These people", she began again, a little ashamed of herself- was she spending too much time with the boys?-, "They like people like them, now some things you already have going for you. You can get through a conversation without swearing now.
"Damn right I can," Said Keiro, turning to watch the door with a chuckle.
She rolled her eyes as she continued, "And you're good looking, they like that. Thier argument was that you're too young, but what they Really think... is that you're un-tethered."
"I like being un-tethered!" He threw his hands up and a small arrow shot out of the crossbow up his sleeve and buried itself in the ceiling. He smiled up at it, "Oops."
Claudia looked around to see if anyone else was watching, then she hitched up her dress and stepped up onto a table, leaving mud smears on the white cloth as she tugged the arrow out of the wood. As she did, she kept talking, "Now, the quickest way to get them on your side would be to get married. Not that that actually makes people more grounded."
"As someone who's slept with these so called married women, I can attest to that."
The arrow came out in her hand and Claudia looked down at Kiero, for a moment the bratty superior she was raised to be, "Do shut up."
Keiro smiled and kicked the table. Claudia stumbled off of her pedestal.
"As I was saying-" Keiro said, cracking his neck.
"Please don't." Claudia interjected, as she collected herself.
"Their more anxious for it than single women-"
Claudia snickered before she could quite help herself, her humor had gotten more base - the more time she spent with Keiro and Finn. Not that she would stop. Shaking her head, she continued, "This is exactly why being married to you could never be convenient. So since that's out of the question... we'd need to work on your.. look."
"I look fine." Keiro said, preening a bit.
Claudia lowered her voice, hearing footsteps in the hall, "You know what I meant."
Keiro held his tongue, but he couldn't plaster a smile on his face like Claudia did when Lord Andrewick entered the room.
"We... the board of international trade concede to let Sir Kiero..."
"Duke." Kiero coughed. Claudia elbowed him sharply but Andrewick's eyes widened. He'd only rejoined the monarchy for 5 minutes and already rank meant something to him.
"Duke Keiro? Of course! Well, we'd be more than willing to permit him to supervise us... until someone more suitable can be appionted." he said, uncertain whether to kiss up to Keiro or further detest him.
"How Generous of you!" Claudia practically coo'd. "And if such a person more suitable to serve his majesty in this role, of course a re-appointment can be made." But no one will serve with Finn like his brother.
With 'the board of International Trade' properly buttered, they returned to the royal castle where- despite the fact that Keiro and Attia had thier own land and forts- the four of them still lived together. Claudia tried to pitch more ideas to Keiro but he kept snorting in disgust at all of them- then Keiro sat up, his expression electric.
Finn had seen this look before. When Keiro had made up his mind and heaven or hell wouldn't change it. Keiro looked Claudia in the eye and said firmly, "I'll handle this."
Claudia cocked an eyebrow, silently asking for details. But when none came, she didn't push it.
Keiro then strides through the castle. Servants swerve out of his way, bowing as he passed, whispering when they thought he couldn't hear. Finally he reached the chambers that belonged to Attia. As usual the maids tried to stop him , but he just forged through. "I dopn't need to be announced- I'm already going in." he said as he swung open the doors to her office.
It was empty. And his eyes automatically fixed on the other connecting doors. Pearl encrusted double doors that would lead to her bedroom. He hesitated.
"My lord?"
His eyes turned to the left, and then downward. Sitting, with a book in hand, was Attia's lady in waiting, Mab. She hadn't been orginally but she'd been Attia's favorite. Keiro was a bit fond of her too. She was the only one who wouldn't spring into a curtsy when they entered the room. She never tried to insert formality where they never wanted it.
"Are you quite alright my lord?" Mab said, setting her book down.
"Why shouldn't I be?" He snapped. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the other maidens flinch in the doorway he'd come through.
"Well" said Mab meeting his glare with a tilt of her head, "Usually you just go right in."
Keiro looked at the door, nervous energy radiating off him, "I... am about to do something stupid."
"Oh?"
He muttered under his breath, "It would jeopardize Everything."
Mab snorted, "I highly doubt that."
"Yeah it would!" He snapped, sounding like a child.
Mab shrugged, "Well maybe. But whatever it is, probably not. After all, she's your best friend."
And world seemed to right itself, Keiro felt his habitual smirk spread across his lips. The maidens in the doorway swooned. He nodded to Mab before marching to the bedroom doors and kicking them open.
"Attia!" he yelled.
"What?!" she yelled back, voice full of exasperation. Her glare was terrifying, despite the fact that she was in her 'house' clothes, lying on her stomach on her bed, with documents and books surrounding her like confetti. But Keiro just smiled, the momentary terror turning into excitement in his belly.
Attia shuddered and looked back to her books, trying to ignore the way his eyes were asking for a fight and his smile seemed too wide, almost blood-thirsty. He missed getting in fights. Not fighting for his life was great, but now he had all this extra energy. And few were willing to spar with Keiro- as 'untrained' as he was- he was a killer.
He jumped onto the bed, crushing a few papers under him. She protested and kicked at him but in the end allowed him to wriggle his way next to her. He read over her shoulder, all the time criticizing her. "What is with these shorts? There's a stain on your shirt. You've been reading this book for weeks, are you still not finished yet?"
She kept hitting him, harder and harder with each passing comment. There was pause when she turned the page in her book and they both took in a diagram. Then Keiro started studying Attia instead and she snapped, "What?"
"Did you shower, Dog-Slave."
"I did. Unlike you." she said, wrinkling her nose at him.
He stuck his tongue out at her, flashing a silver piercing. But the impudence of the gesture was forgotten as Keiro's fingers tucked a damp lock of hair behind her ear. Attia froze, watching his face for tells... tells of violence, mischief, ...something.
"You're hair curls when it's wet."
It wasn't a question, it wasn't a criticism. Something was wrong. "What do you want, Keiro?"
Keiro rolled off the bed and stood. He shut the bedroom doors and Attia sat up on her haunches. He had never shut her doors before, not that they purposely kept them open- but he'd never anted privacy with her. For a wild moment, Attia thought he would force himself on her. But Keiro wasn't Jomanric, he wasn't a prisoner of incarceron anymore... and he was leaning against her doors, not coming any closer to her.
"Atts..."
"...What?"
His throat felt too dry, what had he been planning to say again?
"Attia..."
"What?!" Her exasperation, actually seemed to make things easier and in the middle of forming a snappy remark and smirking two all important words just slipped out.
"Marry me."
I cannot believe I finished this. Story goes on. please review! If you liked it or was it confusing? tell me!