The war council had already stretched on for an hour longer than they had intended it to, and still no result had come of it.
Hux was of course assuming it had been an hour, he was watching the shadow of the tall candlestick at the tables centre, using it like a sundial, and trying to guess how much it had to move for it to mean that an hour had passed.
With every passing moment as an old man interrupted another, or as someone would ask a question, only to be quickly overruled, the lord grew more and more agitated.
He was so sick of old men and their petty squabbles, talking of battlefields they had not only never visited, but would likely never have the chance to see before their imminent deaths.
Hux may have been a lord, but he was a young man, and he saw no point ruling a place if he wasn't going to fight for it too. He was more than prepared to join his men in war, to wield his sword, with the threat of death all about him. To be in the cold and dirt, splattered in blood, both his own and that of other men.
On the battlefield, blood was blood, it didn't matter if you were a lord or not.
All men bled.
As the cup bearer, a young boy of nine, made another circuit of the table and filled every golden cup a little higher, the lord's nostrils flared with rage.
They weren't just senile old men, they were drunk senile old men.
At that moment, captain Phasma spoke out, loudly silencing one particularly goat-like gentleman, who was making a stupid comment about cutting the supplies to the soldiers, and Hux was able to take a slight breath of relief.
Captain Phasma was the best of his captains, and a close confidant as of recent years. Despite the fact that he had of course been questioned and jibed at for appointing a woman not only to the war council, but to the very army where she had been allowed her to escalate to such a high rank, Hux still stood by his decision, and considered her a vital addition to the group, in fact he saw her as far more valuable than any other person sat at the table at current.
And not just because she held all the same opinions as he.
"What is your opinion my lord?"
Hux looked up from his joined hands and glared at the man who had addressed him, a stout old speck of a man whose white hair, beard and moustache joined into one large mass,
"I think-" the redhead began, standing from the table, his movements dangerously slow and calculated, like that of some cruel predator, as all his anger bubbled to the surface,
"-that I need a new war council!" he shouted, suddenly slamming his fist down onto the wooden surface before him, making the small markers that represented troops, jump and shudder on the map,
"You sit here and suggest that we cut our army, half their supplies and withdraw them from battle! But I, unlike the likes of you, am no coward. We will persist in this war, I will fight the final battle myself, we will win the territories and I will enlist every man, woman and child in this city if I need to, to do so"
By now each man about him looked startled, but Phasma was as straight faced as always, watching her lord with silent agreement.
"Mark my words gentlemen, I will be king, and I will happily sacrifice each of you to every God there is to see to it, if I see necessary",
Pulling the long end of his jacket away from the legs of his chair, Hux then stormed from the room, staring straight ahead as he went, disregarding each of his 'advisors' in passing.
The redhead quickly made his way from the council room to a small private chamber off to the side.
The room was small, eight sided and airy. It was below the guard's post atop the west tower, and it usually stood empty, perhaps playing host to a spare bouquet of wild flowers on occasion. There were three large windows in three of the walls, and with the setting sun, the space was filled with pink and orange light. Hux had taken to retreating to the chamber as of late, as it was close to the council room and gave him a space to think and to work out his frustrations.
He walked to the centre window and looked out to the garden below. It was early spring, and some eager flowers were already blooming, filling the place with life.
Hux was not feeling so blissful however.
They were nearing the end of an eight-year long campaign that sought to make him king, presiding over all seven kingdoms. It had started with the death of a king, as these things usually did, and the question of his heirs' claims to the thrones.
It was all messy politics that was now forgotten, as was often the case in wars. By the end of them, people usually did not remember why they had started.
Through a series of battles and alliances, two strongholds remained.
Hux's kingdom which had grown inexplicably over the campaign, and the North hold, which had shrunk considerably.
But obviously, through these conflicts both sides had lost men and resources, and now Hux's advisors were questioning how realistic victory at the final battle would be.
As far as he was concerned though, they were too far gone to call it off now, and giving up was not only not in his nature, but it would also be a great insult to his people, his family name, and his own pride.
He sighed and lowered his face to his open palm, squeezing his eyes shut in frustration as he did,
As he revelled in the silence that he had finally found, a solid knocking came from the door behind him.
Hux tensed and his shoulders raised in anger and precaution, "Yes?" he asked, clenching his jaw,
"It's Captain Phasma my lord" came the response.
The redhead immediately lowered his guard and turned to cast his gaze on the door, his arms folded in front of his chest, and his face holding a look of cynicism, as it often did, "Enter",
The door opened and the woman entered the small room, making it feel instantly all the smaller with her great height and muscular frame, "The council has dispersed my lord" she then announced once the door had closed, and she had folded her own hands behind her back.
"Thank the gods" Hux growled, "I despise each of those old cretins",
"As do I my lord" the blonde agreed, her short hair falling slightly out of place as she nodded, "But they are the specially formed council, representing each of the kingdoms that have already fallen under your rule",
"And remind me if you might Phasma, how many of the seven kingdoms are represented in my territory?",
She faltered for a moment, before swallowing, "Five of the seven-" she replied, "-my lord",
"Five of the seven" Hux repeated, beginning to pace across the floor between the windows, "And help me to recall, how long did it take us to gain the first of those kingdoms?",
"Eight months",
"Eight months" he nodded, "And the second?"
Phasma sighed, already realising what he was insinuating, "Just over a year, fourteen months",
"And the next?",
"Nineteen months",
"And then?",
"Twenty-four",
"That's a total of sixty-five months, that's five and half years by my count. Now remind me, how long have we been attempting to conquer the final stronghold?",
Phasma licked her lips, her eyes now on the ground as she spoke, "Just a week away from thirty-one months",
"Just a little less than half of the time our entire campaign has taken!" Hux spat, "With each addition to my council, the territories become more and more difficult to win! These elders from the fallen kingdoms are only weakening our battle tactics and our army!" he insisted, now just as angry as he had been during the meeting with the council in question.
His captain flinched a little at his passionate rant, feeling a little responsible herself, as she was not only a member of the council, but a member of the army too, "I'm very sorry my lord" she said, her eyes still on her feet,
"No, no. It's not your fault Phasma, the morons simply outnumber us" the redhead grumbled, finally coming to a stop.
A drawn-out silence then settled between the two, and the temperature seemed to rise a little, perhaps as the sun had just gotten to the perfect height to funnel directly into the room,
"Might I make a suggestion my lord?", Phasma finally asked, clearly speaking with caution, as she looked up to him,
Hux glanced up from his white knuckles and gave a curt nod, trying to not unleash his anger on his best captain once again,
"Excuse my frankness, but perhaps you should take on a concubine", she replied,
"What?", the redhead snapped, entirely taken aback,
"A concubine my lord, you might find that the-" she paused, attempting to find the appropriate word, "-company, relaxes you during the final stretch of the war",
When Hux did not answer, she took that as a sign to continue.
"If you were to give me an idea of your preferences, I would be happy to arrange it for you, entirely discreetly of course" she concluded, nodding and gazing once more at the wooden floor,
"Very well" the lord nodded after a quiet moment of thought, much to Phasma's surprise, "Tall, a muscular build, hair a little long, and- and a big cock. Not necessarily large in length, but in girth" he said, his expression steely as he spoke,
"It'll be done my lord" the blonde nodded, equally as cool,
Hux looked to his captain, searching for any hint of an emotion other than calm on her face, but when he was sure that there was none, he quickly dismissed her.
0o0o0
Hux entered his chambers with a deep sigh, one of his cool palms pressed against his forehead.
He removed his thick grey jacket and placed it carelessly atop a bookcase by the door, planning on collapsing fully clothed onto his bed to sleep, as the exhaustion following a day of frustrations had caught up with him,
That was, until he looked up to his bed, and found that he was not alone.
A pale young man lay naked amongst the dark covers, a coy smile on his full lips.
His skin was not as light as Hux's of course, and he was undoubtedly younger, but he was also taller, and far more muscular. He had thick, dark locks of hair that fell around his face, down to his collar, smatterings of dark moles across his skin, and the most incredible nose Hux had ever seen.
"Good evening my lord" the man said with a broad smirk, his head resting on his tabled palm,
"Good evening" the redhead nodded, approaching the bed, and watching as the dark-haired Adonis sat up to greet him, the silken bed covers falling away to reveal more cream coloured skin.
Hux came to a stop by the side of the bed, inches away from the other man, and placed his hand on his own collar, loosing the first button, as he continued to observe the smirking ravenette before him,
"Let me do that" the man said, reaching for the fastens,
The lord allowed him to do as such, and only spoke once more when the shirt was being slipped from his shoulders,
"What's your name?",
"Ben my lord" the man answered, before he reached forward, his back arching, as he began to place kisses down Hux's chest, his hands now working at removing the other man's belt.
The redhead took in a deep breath as he felt the tough leather strap be pulled from his hips, and the hot breath of the other man against his abdomen, accompanied by wet lips and the scorching tip of what was sure to be a talented tongue,
His eyes closed and his head fell back, as his knees soon met with the edge of the bed, and his hands found their way into Ben's thick hair.
He then pulled the man's mouth away from his body, and tilted his face up, his palm resting on his smooth, angular jaw,
"Yes, my lord?" the ravenette asked, raising an eyebrow and curling his lips up into a smile again,
But Hux did not answer, he instead guided Ben's lips up further still, until they finally met with his own, with a deep, desperate breath, and a surge of lust.