Fubuki no Kaen
Authors: Xan and Vallen
Rating: R
Warnings: One thing. Or, lots of things: This is a story with
yaoi/shounen ai/slash, whatever you want to call it. If that sort of stuff
isn't your thing, then don't read it. But we hope you do.
Disclaimer: The characters Marth and Roy, plus "Altea," do not belong to
us. We just use them for our pleasure.
Feedback: Yes. (That means we would love to hear from you and what you
think!)
Notes:
Vallen: [wasn't available for comment]
Xan: *gasps* Look, it can't be! But it is! A new chapter! Oh my God! Sorry about the delay over this one- it was hell at school lately, but it's over now! Yay!! We even managed to live through our finals for you guys! This is just a little end-of-school present from us. ^_^ P.S. I did the thankyous this time.
Thanks to: Asudem (Heh! Creepy? Whatever could you mean? And it's fun to write them crossdressing, so all of you who don't like it are stuck for the next little bit, I'm afraid), Sake Girl Duelist (*blinks at her running off* I don't think it's all that scary. I can also all-too-easily picture them in girl's clothes. They may not be doing it WILLINGLY, per se, but it works, right? ^_^), LilFilipinoGurl (Thank you! At least SOMEBODY likes them in drag. And God knows WHY Marth knows how to put on makeup, but he does. *shrugs* He's a weird one, that Marth guy.), Rayestar Ikina (Oooh! Good suggestions! Why didn't I think of Maria?! *hits self on head* Rowena's a pretty name, but we already have Rowen, so it may have confused people and we don't want to do that. Anyways, Vallen really wanted to name Roy Margaret for some strange reason and I wanted Marth to have an "M" name, so Miranda was the first thing that came to mind.), tikimoof (Okay, we can't possibly expect Marth and Roy to pull of a Nuriko on such short notice, so give 'em a break. We're glad you like it though! And what's so bad about watching Kenshin? {Xan and Vallen both are Kenshin fans}), Pichu*Star (AWW! Do you have a friend who could scan it for you? We LOVE fanart! We're so glad you think that the story is coming along so well. I certainly HOPE it's coming along, considering that it's almost done. Yes, we like action and the humor is mostly due to my part since it's my forte while Vallen's is angst. We're a good combination that way. *giggles* A dorky Marth- I must see! *runs off to find the FE anime*), YoshiMars (Yes, this was a cute chapter, wasn't it? *smile* A little cuteness is good every once in a while, but not too much or else it gets stupid. PLEASE draw it for us and post it online! We'd love to see what you see! *excited*), Sherrilyn (Yay, another person who likes it! Never thought of Marth and Roy crossdressing? Well, we're glad that we planted the seed within your brain. Sorry this update came so late!! School and crap to attend to.), hooshi (Gah! The evil cliffhangers! But there wasn't one on that chapter! *shrugs* Oh well! Doesn't really matter, does it? ^_^), Elsalhir Erestar (Yes, crossdressing swordsmen ARE highly amusing! *evil laughter* Ha! You won't kill us or you'll NEVER know what happens! And then all the OTHER readers will come and kill you! Bwahaha! Oh and thanks! I had a lot of fun writing the makeup part. ^_^ I'm so bad.), Ryuke-Naoe (Yaiiiiiiiiiiii! CHIBI MARTH AND ROY CROSSDRESSING! That is one of the cutest things I've ever seen! Please draw it and scan it for us! *puppy eyes*), Dark Comet (Yay, more people who want to draw for us! *happy xan dance* *winces as well* Geesh I hope not too. That would be unfortunate. ^_^), Sinnatious (Hey, don't apologize! It made us grin too! Heh, as for the borrowing, it's not as if they have MORALS or anything, right? They're only the future king and high general of a nation. ^_^;; The ends justify the means, right? And yes, they ARE becoming much more comfortable with one another, which is good. And no, no cliffhanger. We can't do them ALL the time, unfortunately. And yes, fear the sequel! We're even MEANER to them in THAT one! *runs off cackling like a maniac* BWAHAHAHA!), Spectrum (This was a lighter chapter, as far as ours go, but it was welcome for us too. Even we need a break sometimes to write lighter stuff. But never fear, it doesn't stay like this for long. Bwaha! Oh you pointed out one of my favorite scenes too! Aren't they cute? I love them to death. ^_^ I'm often surprised at how much they changed as well and I'm WRITING the damn fic! How's that for sad? And thank you about the compliment on the dialogue- we have fun writing it and we hope you have fun reading it too.), pannybaby123 (Hee! I want a picture of them in drag on my wall too! Maybe if somebody does a really good fanart, I'll print it out and stick it on there. I had some fanart in my locker and people kept asking me about it. It was really funny.), Li Kayun (Machiavelli fan yes! Marth probably is too. Perhaps I should make him read The Prince [that is the book, right? History was a long time ago.])
Roy grabbed a long paddle and began stirring the linens in the steaming water, the fiery, determined look upon his face once again. 'These would get cleaner if the water was hotter...' He infused the already-growing fire with his power and bowed his head, smirking a little. 'Cheater.' Marth said into Roy's mind. Already, the Prince was sweating slightly as a result of the massive fires and the amount of heat in the room. The auburn-haired teen scowled slightly and stirred with more strength. He could not reply. He had not mastered the patience and concentration it took to use mindspeech, for he had been working too hard with his other powers. Perhaps it was better that he could not speak into Marth's head yet. At the end of the day, the two of them were shown back to the barracks, where they would live with the other exhausted serving girls. As Marth and Roy were handed sets of bedclothes, the Prince had the strange feeling that he was being watched. Or worse, the feeling that
he was being recognized. 'Roy,' he sent as he glanced around covertly, looking for the eyes that were upon him. 'Do you feel that?' Roy nodded sharply, turning around to search the crowed of servant girls. He met a familiar pair of green eyes. 'You!' He exclaimed mentally, trying to hide his surprise. The owner of the eyes gasped and bowed her head, dropping to her knees on the floor. The other girls stared at her - most went to their
bunks, but a few stayed behind. "Gwen? What's wrong?" The boy-general moved over to Marth, his eyes widened. He gripped Marth's arm tightly. "It's that girl..." 'Sh. Don't act so obvious. We'll talk to her later.' Marth turned away and busied himself with preparing his and Roy's bunks.
Roy rolled into a bottom bunk, still dressed in the girl clothes. It wasn't safe to change in here. He let out an exasperated sigh. "This is going to keep me up all night..." He whispered, looking to where Gwen was. The girl was gone. 'Which is precisely why we're not going to wait until tomorrow.' Marth's eyes darted to Roy. 'I know the girl's mind - she won't reveal us, but it is imperative that we speak to her. Come on, we're doing this now.' "Won't the other girls get suspicious? Should you just go alone?" Roy hissed back, folding his arms over his chest in a tense gesture. Marth paused. 'Yes. Then stay here, I won't be long.' The blue-haired Prince stood and walked off, following the magical "scent" of the girls' mind.
The former slave girl was huddled in a storage closet, obviously frightened and surprised by the sight of the two young men. She looked up at Marth with her large, fearful eyes as he found her.
"F-forgive me. I did not mean to disturb you or attract your attention."
"Gwen," Marth spoke quietly in a soothing, yet commanding tone. "Do not be afraid of us please. I only wish to speak to you." He paused. "I'm very happy that you managed to escape from Trave's."
"Oh. I. Yes sir," the girl answered, kneeling before Marth out of habit. She had worked around women for so long, but the presence of a man still sent shocks down her spine.
"You saved the two of us at Trave's manor - helped us escape. For that we are grateful." Marth paused. "Gwen, do you know who I am? Who I was before I became Trave's pleasure slave?"
"I don't know. But whatever you tell me, I'll keep quiet, I promise," she answered.
The blue-haired man paused for a long moment, scrutinizing her before speaking again,
"I am Prince Marth, come back to the capital to reclaim my kingdom and seize my throne. My companion is Roy, High General of Altea."
"My." She breathed, holding her face in her hands and then bowed deeper, pressing her palms and face to the floor. "I'll help you. Just tell me what I can do."
Marth shifted his weight, unused to being bowed to after so many months.
"You have helped us already. Just keep our secret. When I am restored to my kingship, you will be justly rewarded, Gwen. I promise you that."
"I will keep the secret." Gwen said softly. "I don't need a reward, though. What do you need to do?"
"We need to get close to Gaimen, to observe him." Marth answered.
"Oh, Master Gaimen. He is very strange and erratic in his movements around the castle. Never keeps to the same schedule."
"Damn bastard." Marth hissed. "Where does he go?"
"His chambers, the council room, the. h-harem area and other places like the courtyard, banquet hall." The girl answered.
Marth felt his face pale.
"He's created a harem?"
The green-eyed girl did not answer, but sat up, her face flushed.
Marth was silent for a very, very long time before he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Thank you, Gwen. Go to bed - you're very tired." He spoke, his voice and eyes soft. He gave her a small enchantment that would help her get to sleep more quickly and sleep more soundly before returning to his and Roy's bunk.
'Roy, are you awake?'
The teen gave a grunt of affirmation, but did not move. He lay on the bunk, completely still with his eyes closed. A bit of the paint had worn off during the day, but the faintest tinges upon his lips, cheeks and eyes were still present.
'Roy, what do you think of being harem girls?'
"This is ridiculous... I can not believe I let you talk me into this," Roy hissed at Marth as they crept down the halls of the giant castle. The plan was to encounter a guard and inform them that they were the newest additions to the harem and had gotten lost. Then they would be taken there... Dressed in the most infuriating, maddening clothes ever, Roy was having great trouble walking in a short red skirt and a white and grey blouse - all still in his female persona. Actually, they both had taken care of the hair on their legs and painted their faces again. Marth was wearing a dark blue bodice of crushed velvet (they had gotten Gwen to help them "borrow" more women's clothing) and loose puffy white sleeves. His skirt, unlike Roy's was long and a silvery grey color. He had also revealed another secret from the last time that he had been made to play the girl in his youth - pierced ears. The Prince now worse small silver earrings as well as a small sapphire pendant around his throat. "You didn't have to agree." Marth murmured, eyeing the door ahead of them through his long lashes, keeping his eyes half-closed demurely. If this was where he thought it was... 'He's turned my old rooms into his harem-quarters' Marth told Roy mentally, suppressing a snarl. "He's a snake, what can you expect? You weren't due back any time soon..." Roy whispered back. The guard let them in and locked the door behind them. "We're in." There must have been over thirty boys and girls in the open, decorated room. The pretty creatures lounged around, waiting to be wanted. Marth's eyes blazed cold fire and he forced himself to not to blow the place apart right then and there. 'Roy, we need to get into my bedroom.' He walked over to a door and found it locked. "We're not allowed to go in there - Master forbids it." A harem girl told them. "I didn't think you were that forward, Miranda," Roy said stiffly, but was in reality trying to crack a joke. It didn't work, so he just gave Marth an inquisitive look. Marth was under so much tension that he actually laughed, his nerves cracking. "I don't think Master will mind what we do in there." He said in a sultry voice, curling an arm around Roy's waist and giving his fellow "harem girl" a deep kiss on the lips. The other girl reddened and left stiffly. Marth placed his hand on the door handle, breaking the lock with his powers and slipped inside, pulling Roy in behind him. "Nice exit," the teen commented dryly, pulling down his skirt more - but that only made it seem shorter. He was not in the mood for kissing and the like in an atmosphere like this, but was wondering what they were doing in here.
"Sorry, but if they think that we're lovers, they're more likely to leave us to ourselves for the most part." Marth told his general softly, observing his surroundings.
His bedroom had changed little, much to his relief. Sparsely and expensively decorated, it reflected his simple, elegant tastes. 'Gaimen probably likes to come in here and remember what he used to do to me.' Marth thought with a sneer. 'That would explain why he never changed it. So he can still smell my scent.'
"There are things in here that will help us." Marth told Roy aloud, going over to one of the walls and inspecting the stones.
"Fine, I'll trust you on this one." Roy answered quietly. They both had to speak in soft tones, lest they be heard. ".Can I tell you something?"
"Yes. What is it?" Marth pulled out one of the stone, pleased and relieved to feel it slide out smoothly.
"I won't let you get hurt." Roy started, beginning to stammer. "I- I'll. protect you."
Marth turned and to Roy, a strange look in his eyes, a look that in anybody else's gaze would be called love.
"I know you will. But will you allow me to protect you in return?"
"No way," the auburn-haired general answered quickly, looking uncomfortable. "I can. I can look after myself."
"I know that you can. Just let me have the illusion that I'm as strong as you are." Marth replied softly, turning his gaze back to the hole in the wall. Out of it, he pulled two well-made swords.
"I always kept extra arms hidden here in case of emergencies. Not even my bodyguards know, so there's no way that my uncle could have found out about them."
"Smart." Roy remarked, glancing at Marth, then at the swords. "But yes, you can pretend. I do envy you for your height, though."
"It isn't really that much of an advantage when your opponent makes full use of your weaknesses." Marth replaced the weapons. "They'll stay here safely until we need them."
The prince's eyes traveled once again around the room, stopping at the framed miniature of his mother. His eyes became sad for a moment, then darkened once again.
"Let's get out of here," he spoke, his voice strangely thick as he walked over to the door.
"We're going to stay in there with the other girls?" The other teen asked, astounded. "What if Gaimen comes in? It's almost after supper."
"The point is to see him, is it not?" Marth asked, going back into the main room.
"But that could ruin everything!" Roy hissed back, looking wary. "What exactly are you trying to do?"
'If he picks one of us to be with him for the night, what better opportunity to attack him? You'll be alone in an enclosed bedchamber, probably locked, in the dark and he won't be expecting an attack, much less from a highly extensively trained warrior who also has magepowers. And if he doesn't, then we still have an excellent opportunity to observe him.' Marth sent to Roy, mussing both of their hair a bit to give the appearance that they had been doing much more in the locked room than just talking.
"We probably won't get chosen - I mean, we're not the most beautiful girls here. Although we did give ourselves fairly generous assets." The boy-general said, his cheeks turning pink as he laid out on a couch. "I don't like this though. It's too much like Trave's."
'Do you see any other options?'
Xan: Heh, I get credit for typing this one up! *does victory dance* Sorry it was so short, but that was cliffhanger that we couldn't pass up! And I hope at least a few of you are glad to see Gwen again. She's a good character and helps our boys.
Vallen: [wasn't available for comment]
Vallen: [wasn't available for comment]
Xan: *gasps* Look, it can't be! But it is! A new chapter! Oh my God! Sorry about the delay over this one- it was hell at school lately, but it's over now! Yay!! We even managed to live through our finals for you guys! This is just a little end-of-school present from us. ^_^ P.S. I did the thankyous this time.
Thanks to: Asudem (Heh! Creepy? Whatever could you mean? And it's fun to write them crossdressing, so all of you who don't like it are stuck for the next little bit, I'm afraid), Sake Girl Duelist (*blinks at her running off* I don't think it's all that scary. I can also all-too-easily picture them in girl's clothes. They may not be doing it WILLINGLY, per se, but it works, right? ^_^), LilFilipinoGurl (Thank you! At least SOMEBODY likes them in drag. And God knows WHY Marth knows how to put on makeup, but he does. *shrugs* He's a weird one, that Marth guy.), Rayestar Ikina (Oooh! Good suggestions! Why didn't I think of Maria?! *hits self on head* Rowena's a pretty name, but we already have Rowen, so it may have confused people and we don't want to do that. Anyways, Vallen really wanted to name Roy Margaret for some strange reason and I wanted Marth to have an "M" name, so Miranda was the first thing that came to mind.), tikimoof (Okay, we can't possibly expect Marth and Roy to pull of a Nuriko on such short notice, so give 'em a break. We're glad you like it though! And what's so bad about watching Kenshin? {Xan and Vallen both are Kenshin fans}), Pichu*Star (AWW! Do you have a friend who could scan it for you? We LOVE fanart! We're so glad you think that the story is coming along so well. I certainly HOPE it's coming along, considering that it's almost done. Yes, we like action and the humor is mostly due to my part since it's my forte while Vallen's is angst. We're a good combination that way. *giggles* A dorky Marth- I must see! *runs off to find the FE anime*), YoshiMars (Yes, this was a cute chapter, wasn't it? *smile* A little cuteness is good every once in a while, but not too much or else it gets stupid. PLEASE draw it for us and post it online! We'd love to see what you see! *excited*), Sherrilyn (Yay, another person who likes it! Never thought of Marth and Roy crossdressing? Well, we're glad that we planted the seed within your brain. Sorry this update came so late!! School and crap to attend to.), hooshi (Gah! The evil cliffhangers! But there wasn't one on that chapter! *shrugs* Oh well! Doesn't really matter, does it? ^_^), Elsalhir Erestar (Yes, crossdressing swordsmen ARE highly amusing! *evil laughter* Ha! You won't kill us or you'll NEVER know what happens! And then all the OTHER readers will come and kill you! Bwahaha! Oh and thanks! I had a lot of fun writing the makeup part. ^_^ I'm so bad.), Ryuke-Naoe (Yaiiiiiiiiiiii! CHIBI MARTH AND ROY CROSSDRESSING! That is one of the cutest things I've ever seen! Please draw it and scan it for us! *puppy eyes*), Dark Comet (Yay, more people who want to draw for us! *happy xan dance* *winces as well* Geesh I hope not too. That would be unfortunate. ^_^), Sinnatious (Hey, don't apologize! It made us grin too! Heh, as for the borrowing, it's not as if they have MORALS or anything, right? They're only the future king and high general of a nation. ^_^;; The ends justify the means, right? And yes, they ARE becoming much more comfortable with one another, which is good. And no, no cliffhanger. We can't do them ALL the time, unfortunately. And yes, fear the sequel! We're even MEANER to them in THAT one! *runs off cackling like a maniac* BWAHAHAHA!), Spectrum (This was a lighter chapter, as far as ours go, but it was welcome for us too. Even we need a break sometimes to write lighter stuff. But never fear, it doesn't stay like this for long. Bwaha! Oh you pointed out one of my favorite scenes too! Aren't they cute? I love them to death. ^_^ I'm often surprised at how much they changed as well and I'm WRITING the damn fic! How's that for sad? And thank you about the compliment on the dialogue- we have fun writing it and we hope you have fun reading it too.), pannybaby123 (Hee! I want a picture of them in drag on my wall too! Maybe if somebody does a really good fanart, I'll print it out and stick it on there. I had some fanart in my locker and people kept asking me about it. It was really funny.), Li Kayun (Machiavelli fan yes! Marth probably is too. Perhaps I should make him read The Prince [that is the book, right? History was a long time ago.])
Roy grabbed a long paddle and began stirring the linens in the steaming water, the fiery, determined look upon his face once again. 'These would get cleaner if the water was hotter...' He infused the already-growing fire with his power and bowed his head, smirking a little. 'Cheater.' Marth said into Roy's mind. Already, the Prince was sweating slightly as a result of the massive fires and the amount of heat in the room. The auburn-haired teen scowled slightly and stirred with more strength. He could not reply. He had not mastered the patience and concentration it took to use mindspeech, for he had been working too hard with his other powers. Perhaps it was better that he could not speak into Marth's head yet. At the end of the day, the two of them were shown back to the barracks, where they would live with the other exhausted serving girls. As Marth and Roy were handed sets of bedclothes, the Prince had the strange feeling that he was being watched. Or worse, the feeling that
he was being recognized. 'Roy,' he sent as he glanced around covertly, looking for the eyes that were upon him. 'Do you feel that?' Roy nodded sharply, turning around to search the crowed of servant girls. He met a familiar pair of green eyes. 'You!' He exclaimed mentally, trying to hide his surprise. The owner of the eyes gasped and bowed her head, dropping to her knees on the floor. The other girls stared at her - most went to their
bunks, but a few stayed behind. "Gwen? What's wrong?" The boy-general moved over to Marth, his eyes widened. He gripped Marth's arm tightly. "It's that girl..." 'Sh. Don't act so obvious. We'll talk to her later.' Marth turned away and busied himself with preparing his and Roy's bunks.
Roy rolled into a bottom bunk, still dressed in the girl clothes. It wasn't safe to change in here. He let out an exasperated sigh. "This is going to keep me up all night..." He whispered, looking to where Gwen was. The girl was gone. 'Which is precisely why we're not going to wait until tomorrow.' Marth's eyes darted to Roy. 'I know the girl's mind - she won't reveal us, but it is imperative that we speak to her. Come on, we're doing this now.' "Won't the other girls get suspicious? Should you just go alone?" Roy hissed back, folding his arms over his chest in a tense gesture. Marth paused. 'Yes. Then stay here, I won't be long.' The blue-haired Prince stood and walked off, following the magical "scent" of the girls' mind.
The former slave girl was huddled in a storage closet, obviously frightened and surprised by the sight of the two young men. She looked up at Marth with her large, fearful eyes as he found her.
"F-forgive me. I did not mean to disturb you or attract your attention."
"Gwen," Marth spoke quietly in a soothing, yet commanding tone. "Do not be afraid of us please. I only wish to speak to you." He paused. "I'm very happy that you managed to escape from Trave's."
"Oh. I. Yes sir," the girl answered, kneeling before Marth out of habit. She had worked around women for so long, but the presence of a man still sent shocks down her spine.
"You saved the two of us at Trave's manor - helped us escape. For that we are grateful." Marth paused. "Gwen, do you know who I am? Who I was before I became Trave's pleasure slave?"
"I don't know. But whatever you tell me, I'll keep quiet, I promise," she answered.
The blue-haired man paused for a long moment, scrutinizing her before speaking again,
"I am Prince Marth, come back to the capital to reclaim my kingdom and seize my throne. My companion is Roy, High General of Altea."
"My." She breathed, holding her face in her hands and then bowed deeper, pressing her palms and face to the floor. "I'll help you. Just tell me what I can do."
Marth shifted his weight, unused to being bowed to after so many months.
"You have helped us already. Just keep our secret. When I am restored to my kingship, you will be justly rewarded, Gwen. I promise you that."
"I will keep the secret." Gwen said softly. "I don't need a reward, though. What do you need to do?"
"We need to get close to Gaimen, to observe him." Marth answered.
"Oh, Master Gaimen. He is very strange and erratic in his movements around the castle. Never keeps to the same schedule."
"Damn bastard." Marth hissed. "Where does he go?"
"His chambers, the council room, the. h-harem area and other places like the courtyard, banquet hall." The girl answered.
Marth felt his face pale.
"He's created a harem?"
The green-eyed girl did not answer, but sat up, her face flushed.
Marth was silent for a very, very long time before he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Thank you, Gwen. Go to bed - you're very tired." He spoke, his voice and eyes soft. He gave her a small enchantment that would help her get to sleep more quickly and sleep more soundly before returning to his and Roy's bunk.
'Roy, are you awake?'
The teen gave a grunt of affirmation, but did not move. He lay on the bunk, completely still with his eyes closed. A bit of the paint had worn off during the day, but the faintest tinges upon his lips, cheeks and eyes were still present.
'Roy, what do you think of being harem girls?'
"This is ridiculous... I can not believe I let you talk me into this," Roy hissed at Marth as they crept down the halls of the giant castle. The plan was to encounter a guard and inform them that they were the newest additions to the harem and had gotten lost. Then they would be taken there... Dressed in the most infuriating, maddening clothes ever, Roy was having great trouble walking in a short red skirt and a white and grey blouse - all still in his female persona. Actually, they both had taken care of the hair on their legs and painted their faces again. Marth was wearing a dark blue bodice of crushed velvet (they had gotten Gwen to help them "borrow" more women's clothing) and loose puffy white sleeves. His skirt, unlike Roy's was long and a silvery grey color. He had also revealed another secret from the last time that he had been made to play the girl in his youth - pierced ears. The Prince now worse small silver earrings as well as a small sapphire pendant around his throat. "You didn't have to agree." Marth murmured, eyeing the door ahead of them through his long lashes, keeping his eyes half-closed demurely. If this was where he thought it was... 'He's turned my old rooms into his harem-quarters' Marth told Roy mentally, suppressing a snarl. "He's a snake, what can you expect? You weren't due back any time soon..." Roy whispered back. The guard let them in and locked the door behind them. "We're in." There must have been over thirty boys and girls in the open, decorated room. The pretty creatures lounged around, waiting to be wanted. Marth's eyes blazed cold fire and he forced himself to not to blow the place apart right then and there. 'Roy, we need to get into my bedroom.' He walked over to a door and found it locked. "We're not allowed to go in there - Master forbids it." A harem girl told them. "I didn't think you were that forward, Miranda," Roy said stiffly, but was in reality trying to crack a joke. It didn't work, so he just gave Marth an inquisitive look. Marth was under so much tension that he actually laughed, his nerves cracking. "I don't think Master will mind what we do in there." He said in a sultry voice, curling an arm around Roy's waist and giving his fellow "harem girl" a deep kiss on the lips. The other girl reddened and left stiffly. Marth placed his hand on the door handle, breaking the lock with his powers and slipped inside, pulling Roy in behind him. "Nice exit," the teen commented dryly, pulling down his skirt more - but that only made it seem shorter. He was not in the mood for kissing and the like in an atmosphere like this, but was wondering what they were doing in here.
"Sorry, but if they think that we're lovers, they're more likely to leave us to ourselves for the most part." Marth told his general softly, observing his surroundings.
His bedroom had changed little, much to his relief. Sparsely and expensively decorated, it reflected his simple, elegant tastes. 'Gaimen probably likes to come in here and remember what he used to do to me.' Marth thought with a sneer. 'That would explain why he never changed it. So he can still smell my scent.'
"There are things in here that will help us." Marth told Roy aloud, going over to one of the walls and inspecting the stones.
"Fine, I'll trust you on this one." Roy answered quietly. They both had to speak in soft tones, lest they be heard. ".Can I tell you something?"
"Yes. What is it?" Marth pulled out one of the stone, pleased and relieved to feel it slide out smoothly.
"I won't let you get hurt." Roy started, beginning to stammer. "I- I'll. protect you."
Marth turned and to Roy, a strange look in his eyes, a look that in anybody else's gaze would be called love.
"I know you will. But will you allow me to protect you in return?"
"No way," the auburn-haired general answered quickly, looking uncomfortable. "I can. I can look after myself."
"I know that you can. Just let me have the illusion that I'm as strong as you are." Marth replied softly, turning his gaze back to the hole in the wall. Out of it, he pulled two well-made swords.
"I always kept extra arms hidden here in case of emergencies. Not even my bodyguards know, so there's no way that my uncle could have found out about them."
"Smart." Roy remarked, glancing at Marth, then at the swords. "But yes, you can pretend. I do envy you for your height, though."
"It isn't really that much of an advantage when your opponent makes full use of your weaknesses." Marth replaced the weapons. "They'll stay here safely until we need them."
The prince's eyes traveled once again around the room, stopping at the framed miniature of his mother. His eyes became sad for a moment, then darkened once again.
"Let's get out of here," he spoke, his voice strangely thick as he walked over to the door.
"We're going to stay in there with the other girls?" The other teen asked, astounded. "What if Gaimen comes in? It's almost after supper."
"The point is to see him, is it not?" Marth asked, going back into the main room.
"But that could ruin everything!" Roy hissed back, looking wary. "What exactly are you trying to do?"
'If he picks one of us to be with him for the night, what better opportunity to attack him? You'll be alone in an enclosed bedchamber, probably locked, in the dark and he won't be expecting an attack, much less from a highly extensively trained warrior who also has magepowers. And if he doesn't, then we still have an excellent opportunity to observe him.' Marth sent to Roy, mussing both of their hair a bit to give the appearance that they had been doing much more in the locked room than just talking.
"We probably won't get chosen - I mean, we're not the most beautiful girls here. Although we did give ourselves fairly generous assets." The boy-general said, his cheeks turning pink as he laid out on a couch. "I don't like this though. It's too much like Trave's."
'Do you see any other options?'
Xan: Heh, I get credit for typing this one up! *does victory dance* Sorry it was so short, but that was cliffhanger that we couldn't pass up! And I hope at least a few of you are glad to see Gwen again. She's a good character and helps our boys.
Vallen: [wasn't available for comment]