Woot! Chapter 13 is here and I do believe I am tickled pink. I've actually surprised myself by being able to keep chapters coming out fairly often, but I think that is thanks to my readers and their reviews. Anyway, I feel it necessary to remind you all that this story is rated M before you start reading this chapter. I probably shoulda put that reminder at the top of the chapter where Elliot had his tongue cut out too, since that was pretty violent, but oops, I didn't. :P Also, if you'd like to see a Reaver fanart I created of Lyra and her idol, please visit my profile page to find my dA link.
"Ah, delightful. My guest has arrived at last," Reaver said cheerfully, raising his chalice of wine as the trio entered the room behind his servant. The butler then took his leave, closing the doors behind him on his way out. "We brought the princess for ya, just like we promised," Merv said, nudging the girl towards the fireplace where the industrial tycoon stood smirking. "Yeah, just like we said," added One-Eyed Jake with a laugh, "She didn't even put up a fight. We got her while she was sleepin', passed out with two whores." Lyra let out an annoyed grunt as she was nudged onward a second time and avoided looking directly at the finely dressed aristocrat while he quirked a brow at the mercenary's statement. "Really…" he grinned, eyeing the woman skeptically, "Well, you've done your job, boys. I suppose it's time for your reward."
Merv and Jake both stepped ahead of the princess, obviously eager for their pay as the man placed his wine on the hearth and patted down the front of his vest. Reaver then feigned a pout when he couldn't find what he was looking for and said with a tsk, "Oh, dear me. I seem to have left your gold in my coat upstairs." The mercenaries frowned and looked at one another curiously, failing to notice their host's hand dropping instead to his holstered pistol. Lyra tensed, waiting for her chance and hoping things would work out the way she figured. "Well, sir, we don't mind waiting while you send for it," Merv said as he turned his attention back to Reaver only to have his jaw drop upon seeing the gun aimed so perfectly between his eyes. "Inconvenient," the businessman sighed, firing once into the man's skull.
One-Eyed Jake gasped as his partner crumpled to the floor and then raised his pilfered pistol to retaliate. Lyra's reflexes, however, were much faster than his, despite her still intoxicated state, and she grabbed his arm, twisting it around in an unnatural angle so that the barrel rested against his own ribs. Leaning close to his ear, she grinned and hissed frightening words as he struggled in vain. "I warned you, you bastard. I said I'd shoot you. How do you like having a gun jabbed in your ribs!" The princess pulled the trigger and then dug the barrel deeper into the resulting hole, causing Jake to wince and scream. The pain had to be excruciating. "It doesn't feel good, does it? My only regret is that I can only kill you once," she said, firing twice more, burying the pistol deeper with each pull of the trigger.
Lyra would have gladly plunged her entire hand into the man's eviscerated chest cavity, shooting until she ran out of ammo, but the gun jammed by the third shot and so she had to give up and let him fall to the floor with his dead comrade. Honestly, he was dead by the second shot, but the wayward princess refused to think he had had enough. She was likely to have bruises from all of his unnecessary prodding, after all, and her side was already a tender area from previous scraps. So, since her gun was useless, she considered stomping his face with her bare feet until she remembered she wasn't alone. She lowered her raised foot and spared a shy glance towards Reaver, who grinned back at her as if what she had just done was the most natural thing in the world.
"Charming show, my dear," he drawled, cocking his pistol and aiming it towards her head this time, "Now be a good girl and drop your weapon." Lyra scowled and shut her eyes, her gun clattering to the floor beside the two corpses. It wasn't operational at the moment, of course, but it still made her feel better to have it on hand. Slowly, the princess turned fully to face the man and reopened her eyes. "Alright, so now what? Do we take yet another pleasant carriage ride across the countryside to Bowerstone Castle? Because honestly, I'm drunk and exhausted," she said, crossing her arms over the bloodstained nightgown. Reaver chuckled, holstering his pistol in an overly showy manner. It was by no means an invitation for her to leave, but he apparently wished for some sort of civil conversation.
Retrieving his wine from atop the fireplace, the aristocrat took a seat in one of the luxurious armchairs. He gestured towards the one opposite his person for his guest, but she was reluctant to move. Lyra's eyes momentarily dropped towards her favored blade, still strapped to One-Eye's hip, but she abandoned any hope of getting to it before Reaver shot off a few of her fingers, or worse. With a sigh, the princess stepped over the bodies and took the seat across from her idol. "I'm hurt," he began, seeming to study every inch of her as she fidgeted uncomfortably in the chair, "that you so readily leapt to the conclusion that I have plans to hand you over to your dear brother." "Oh, forgive me for not realizing that this was a social call. Of course," she said sarcastically, "Everyone has their guests abducted before dawn and dragged into their homes wearing nothing but a nightgown."
Reaver smirked and placed his now empty chalice on a small table beside his chair. "I would have preferred less, of course, but I digress. I thought we had an understanding, my sweet. I didn't turn you in before, and I have no intentions of doing so now." The princess' brows knitted together and she feared she may have been blushing as she studied him warily. So, he did remember their first meeting. But that didn't explain why he wasn't going to try and collect the bounty on her head. She had been nothing more than a runaway before, but these days she was a traitor to the crown and Logan was likely to reward the businessman well if his sister happened to be returned in time for a morning execution.
"Then… this has something to do with revenge? To think, I could be killed for crashing a party," Lyra scoffed. "Not at all," Reaver laughed, "Again, you make wild assumptions that simply aren't true, my dear. Of course, as I recall, you and your friend had come for my head, but that's entirely beside the point. No, I don't hold such petty grudges. Not when the world is so much more interesting with you in it." The princess felt that old familiar fluttering in her chest, but she hesitated to believe the man. He was the king of flattery, but clearly he held her life in his hands and could easily snuff it out at any given moment. There was no need for tricks now. Unless he had some overly complex plan to slowly torture her, which she didn't doubt for a second.
Lyra looked towards the fire and watched the dancing flames for a moment, trying to think of a reason he would have her here other than revenge or profit. She could think of nothing and sighed, turning her attention back to Reaver. "Okay, then you may consider me stumped. Why have me dragged out of bed and carted halfway across Albion before sunrise?" The man chuckled and waved a finger at her as he stood up. With hands clasped firmly behind his back, he strolled towards the desk on the other side of the room, Lyra's eyes following his every movement. "Ah, now that's the question, isn't it? Why would I send for you at such an ungodly hour? Well, to be perfectly honest, the timing has absolutely nothing to do with it. I was awake, I was bored, and I recalled two of the lowly mercenaries I hired to work in my arena carelessly discussing the royal guest in their camp. So, I decided to cross off one of the things on my to-do list early by inviting you here. There's something we need to discuss, you see."
The princess frowned, wondering what he could possibly have in mind. It couldn't have anything to do with the revolution, could it? He had shown no interest in getting involved with the current power struggle at the masquerade. "I… I'm listening," she said, though her tone seemed to indicate she was not thrilled to do so. Reaver spun around on his heel to face her and grinned. Whether he was pleased that she was willing to listen or because he knew she didn't have a choice in the matter, she wasn't sure. "Excellent. After your gallant rescue of that wretched rebel I had so generously housed, it occurred to me that with you being the true heir to your mother's heroic genes, your revolution just might be a success. Imagine my surprise," Reaver told her, moving back to his seat and sinking into the inviting cushions.
Lyra shifted uncomfortably in her own chair, the blood soaking through her nightgown beginning to dry against her skin. "Yes, well, I wouldn't be so sure. I'm beginning to think that I'm not exactly queen material," she smirked, finding it incredibly liberating to be able to discuss this with someone who wouldn't look upon her in horror afterwards, "I murder, cheat, steal, and lie. And most people do not think it very queen-like to be found keeping with whores as often as I do. I've done my best to fool the rabble into thinking I'm their savior, but there's only so much I can keep hidden. It's becoming tiresome. I'm sure you can relate."
Reaver clearly wasn't expecting such a detailed confession of the princess' habits, but he found it quite amusing nonetheless. "My, my, my. You've changed quite a bit since that day in the ally, haven't you? How delicious. My starry-eyed little runaway has blossomed into a depraved villain... Wouldn't have anything to do with me, would it?" His lips curled into a knowing grin, but Lyra would not readily admit to it. She couldn't come right out and say how that one meeting had molded her into the unapologetic devil of a woman she was today. "You're certainly full of yourself. I suppose you played a small part in it, though," the princess lied with a grin of her own. And then, having had enough of the irritating thing, she stood up and removed her nightgown. "It would seem that I'm not the only one, my sweet," he said with a smirk once the initial surprise wore off, "Are you planning to seduce me and then flee before we have a chance to discuss a mutually beneficial contract for your little coup d'etat?"
The man's eyes narrowed upon Lyra as she dropped the stained gown to the floor, roaming over every bend and curve of her unclothed flesh. Shamelessly standing there before him, the princess laughed at his question and shook her head. "Now why would I do a thing like that? Your support would be invaluable. I'd be more than happy to negotiate with you, but that thing was getting rather annoying. I wish to be comfortable for the undoubtedly long, drawn-out discussion ahead, and it doesn't get more comfortable than this," she giggled, her confidence and giddiness quite possibly coming from the alcohol still lingering in her veins. Reaver didn't seem to mind either way and beckoned her closer. "Oh, but that's where you're wrong, Princess. Things can become much more accommodating, but I warn you," he said, taking her hand and tugging her down onto his lap, "If you think you have the cunning to deceive me, you're dead wrong."
Lyra leaned closer and toyed with his cravat as he took hold of her shapely hips. "Now who's making wild assumptions?" They both smirked before Reaver covered her mouth with his own, taking her breath away. He then pulled away, gasping for air, and grabbed a handful of her hair, jerking her head back roughly. "Get on the floor," he ordered through clenched, grinning teeth, barely giving the princess time to comply before standing up. She said nothing and simply laid herself back against the warm rug in front of the fire, gazing up at the man now standing over her. He obviously had no qualms about taking advantage of a drunken, sleep deprived female, but she would argue that she was fully and completely in control of her actions. It wasn't like she hadn't dreamt of this moment before. But the rest was like a blur. The next thing she knew, he had mounted her and smothered her lips with his while she tried desperately to figure out if she was dreaming.
Was it really possible that she had both met her idol and managed to persuade him into a bit of casual sex as well? It didn't seem likely, but there she was, writhing on the floor beneath Reaver as he gladly demonstrated his years of experience in the act. Her back arched when he hit an especially sensitive area, sending her into a fit of excited whimpers that he silenced with smirking lips pressed to hers. What seemed like an eternity of intoxicating pleasure later, Lyra was crying out his name and he emitted a grunt of satisfaction upon the sweet release. Collapsing on top of her, Reaver's panting mouth blew hot, tickling waves of air across the glistening skin of her neck as her chest heaved gently in an attempt to catch her breath. She clung to him, hands gripping the fabric of his shirt as if she thought they'd both float away to the afterlife from exerting themselves the way they had.
It had been a long time since Lyra had experienced such complete satisfaction, especially through only one lover. Somehow, though, she had expected it to be that way. She had imagined herself in that situation several times since their first meeting and each time, she had needed to find multiple partners to fill Reaver's role in her fantasy. And what an exceptionally skilled lover he was. She had always been rather confident in her own abilities, but she understood now that she had a long way to go to be on par with the immortal. Of course, a sober mind might have helped her make more of an effort and she was in a bit of a daze. The princess knew that the experience wasn't likely to be one of his more memorable encounters, but Reaver had obviously enjoyed himself judging by the satisfied grin on his face when he rolled off of her and got to his feet.
Lyra sat up and watched the aristocrat fasten his trousers before strapping his holster back onto his hip. He then took his seat and crossed his legs comfortably. "Now, where were we? Ah, yes. As I was saying, I still have my doubts about this whole revolution, but being the shrewd businessman that I am, I think it wise to cover my bases, as they say." The princess admired how easily he made the transition from lover back to pistol-toting captor and she appreciated there not being any awkward periods in between. But before she bothered responding to his statement, she reached over to Merv and swiped his mercenary coat. It wasn't much and he certainly wasn't going to be needing it, but it would cover most of the bits that made her feel vulnerable.
"That makes perfect sense, but what could I possibly have to offer you, even as a queen? You already wield nearly as much power and influence as the king," Lyra said, donning the garment as he watched, "and you don't appear to be in need of anything in particular." Reaver shrugged and lifted the chalice he had abandoned earlier only to frown as if forgetting it was empty. He stood and returned to the desk by the window to pour himself another helping and then a second one for his guest. When he finished, he handed the second goblet off to her on his way back to his chair. The princess wasn't really in the mood for more drinking, but it probably wasn't often that the man served his partners expensive wine afterwards, so she sipped it politely.
After slating his own thirst, Reaver spoke in a lackluster tone which, from her experience, was quite unlike him. "I believe you would be surprised, my dear. Even though Industrial could easily be considered mine, the great, pigheaded king still has the final word on everything that goes on there. There are several… improvements I would like to make to that dreadful district, but my proposals are, more often than not, denied by that incorrigible brother of yours." Lyra nodded slowly, scooting a bit closer to the fire to warm her exposed skin. She was beginning to see what he was getting at and she couldn't help but be amused by the fact that what he wanted from her would definitely conflict with what she had promised Page. Well, it wasn't like she planned to follow through with most of the promises she made since this whole thing began anyway.
"So, if I give you complete control over Industrial once I'm queen, you'll give me what, exactly? You can't very well openly support me. If things go sour, you'll have burned your bridges with Logan," Lyra said. Reaver smirked and waved a finger at her in a tsking fashion. "You're getting ahead of yourself, my nefarious pet. I never said that I only wanted absolute control over Industrial in exchange for my, as you said, invaluable aid. What I have in mind has much longer termed benefits. For both of us, I dare say. Really, I think you'll find it to be quite the irresistible offer." The princess nodded, though she was beginning to worry. She knew Reaver was not as foolish as the others she had negotiated contracts with so far. He wasn't likely to request anything he couldn't be certain she would honor after the fact. So, for both their sakes, she hoped it was something she'd be willing to grant him.
Whoa, they just jumped right in, didn't they? Hehe. Well, I think it would be fairly common for both Reaver and Lyra to engage in such sexual encounters and then be able to move on without any sort of emotional attachment to their partner. I've tried to make it obvious so far that Lyra doesn't love Reaver. She admires him and only wants to model her own life after his as best she can. I suppose there's some lust mixed in there too. As for his part, he more or less just wanted to dominate her. She didn't seduce him by any means. If anything, it was the fact that she was vulnerable that enticed him. Bleh, anyway. What am I talking for? I should let you all interpret it however you want until the story either confirms or rejects your interpretation. Hehe. See ya next chapter!