War has Come While Night Hath Fallen over our Faire Kingdom

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So, this is actually funny but I HAVE two different versions of chapter five's ending on A03 and on fully by my error of not noticing that the file I'd tampered with during being half awake at the time – that I swear! So, this clears up two things. Former now captive Prince (cess) Richard has a womb and a…. you know, vagina if we can say that and to be clear – that's why he didn't magically alert Grandl but the kid took advantage of Richard since his next wife just ran off on him. He doesn't like his father but he's doing this out of spite and maybe he's ready to steal that crown. God knows…and to top that off?? Richard promised not to put his family in jeopardy again, so if he fibs or tries to direct Slade's fire at his son, game over right? Find out and see, and this chapter will have Kor 'anna's backstory as well and that she is the exiled Princess and sibling to her evil Komand'r or whatever we can recycle this with. She and Jason get cozy, until he asks her about news of the countries on his mind…find out and also, Pam and Selene show up. Not a pretty sight.

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Chapter Six: All the Pretty Little Horses

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To be warned, this is cradle - robbing hell, so do look away….

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Mothers always scold their young, fathers always listen to their children…. don't they?

When I wake, will I see them….all of those colorful foals in the meadow green?

/

Instead of waking to moaning and blood soaked sheets, he awoke to the sound of a soulful, lapping fire and rain upon the window pane of their home. They were happy, whoever he was dreaming about. A man without a face and a smile quite large, and a boy with dark hair and blue eyes so tiny…so, meek. He cried for that child, and he again blinked to see a new room.

Here, there was the sound of screaming and crying.

Here, there was a man without a face as the thing to happen…. he'd just had….

A child…

And awoke, driven to madness by many more years to come….

/

"Screaming, and over what did you tell me??"

She boxed his ears as Grandl was off the hunt. What he had done was well too soon to be heard as righteous to his lord. He had burdened him much, and now the head doctor had to step foot into the den of a howling animal as it balled itself up and screeched.

"Dear gods! Did you lose your mind to a few kisses, boy? Stand it or let me –

"NO!"

"Highness." Slade moved forth with the cat – witch right behind in her cat's form to listen close. "Paam needs to be sure the babe is unharmed."

"You allowed him to hurt it, I was not the one to do…"

Richard's wrists were pulled back as the king had the doors shut tight, his hot breath to the brat's neck. "I own every part of this union, this body and this bed in which I've so humbly allowed for a concubine without an oath. Here, I'd have you rise and make well with my son by what he did. However, I dare to ask if it was just the opposite."

Here it was. The punishment…. how he loathed –

"That you protected my boy by saying nothing."

Richard blinked and shook as he was dropped by his arms to the mattress. "Enough time was granted to weep, it's time to face what you'll become." The king pointed to the door, arching his body to remain upright and always right. "It is time, to see your family."

/

Richard had no words as his tears dried and when Paam touched his stomach, he permitted it. Selene slunk around to the king's ear and whispered in a low quick voice "Sire, he is not ready to be granted such an important…. are we not forgetting his flaw? The loyalty that he has not professed to you?"

The king smirked. "Nay, I have a proper way to see to his, motivations in the grand hall. Come, time we mustn't waste." Richard bounded off like a dog to its master, his attitude strangely attached to the man as if…

Selene put a hand to her lips. "No one will touch him if he does…how clever….and devious." Just because he had to, playing the role would be less an act and more a means to survive. But that tyrant, that ill fate of the boy… She'd watch from afar, for a time as Paam took her dose of blood and scurried off to her lab unnoticed.

All but a jester girl with a few acts to follow, herself.

/

Down into the throne room was not their fashion as the king directed Wallace to have them to the other wall; the one that opened, and down below, it stunk of death and pestilence, far greater as they struggled by its confines. The dungeons before were a might cleaner than this, Richard's binds were loose enough but not to struggle through as he was flanked by a few more soldiers in back. Slade moved and tugged his wrists' lead, the boy forced not to fall far down any slippery passages into the darkness about them.

"Here, My lord?" Wallace waited on his guard as the king put up a palm and nodded briskly. "Here is perfect, gentlemen. As you can see, so too is the view."

The fire lit itself practically as the clatter of iron chains and hooks in this place had the prince run forth while the king allowed him to collide with the bars of a tall cage. " Timothy!!" He bawled out and forced himself to stand even as he struggled to. The child inside him was not why, but the low fuel and his recent hormonal shift had his fuzzy mind abuzz with terrible thoughts of what had occurred for his brother to end up in such a place. What had, as his blue eyes turned to his keeper. "My king….why? Why is he forced into this treeatment?...it is wrong, and…that should be –

"You have your role." Slade pointed to his own cod piece as Richard shook his head. "Not in front of Tim…please…I'd kill, but not this."

"You have a role, a body for my use, so?" The king tapped his thigh as if by instance, the magic in his cursed mark, was alight as Richard's feet moved on their own. He didn't like it, and pulled to go back, but the curse was only meant to do one thing. Never let him stray from his king's bidding. This, was one of those times. "Rich…. what…. what is he…."

"Tim, look away…. I beg –

"ON your knees, slut."

~ Oh, dear g- Gods!~

He fell to them as soon as his body knew the shock and he panted, gritting his jaw to stop whatever the curse was doing. "Take it out, pleasure it in front of your poor brother. He'd best know how you salvaged Wayne's throne all on your own…" The king leered as Richard's hands moved along on threads of tight cord. The fingers trailing to the man's armored thighs as he felt the warm ache below the man's breeches. How… how??

"I won't be unwilling...There need not be magic to decide of this, please. I'll…" Richard swallowed as Tim did as he was told and looked away. He was safe, for now…

"You will, but not by a curse? But by your own willpower, child?"

"I agreed, and so it must be." The boy told the king, who rubbed his chin and believed all the boy said to be, quite fair. "Very well, do so. No magic, you must now that you've sworn to me." He tapped his front as the teen got to his knees proper; his body not aware of how, but he'd just fuss it. "Hands, only."

"That is fine." The king agreed, time short as the pants were undone in front of him as he'd do of his own. As his father, never that, mind…

"Get on then with it, boy."

Richard's fingers found the base, wondering if he could just test…. He turned to the king, his eyes as confused as Tim's were pretending to be resting asleep. He tuned out this noise, just as his brother had said. So, Richard got to work with his first job, in hand.

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He would have been better suited, had the mess not gotten in his hair. The king was not unpleased by the efforts, in fact. He was, surprised that the boy knew so little yet took no time to make him come. He had help of course, but still…there was, potential as he gripped the child and they left to his quarters once more. "Bathe first." The man told the young man who refused to curl his lip to anyone in public. "After, you will join me to seek Grandl and we shall see what it is we may do about his, unjust act towards my property."

"y – yes my king…" The boy nodded, his words to be formed were "You scum," but they did not come as such. Well, the king came and all over him…. but besides the golden glow to his scalp, the prince wanted to be sure Grandl was ready for him personally.

He was then led to the baths in no time, scrubbed down and made right and pretty once more. Of course, whenever he was dressed, the items were either duel – gendered in case he was one day more feminine, and the other more presentable to the king's courtiers and allies of the new order. He didn't protest having a spot by the king's throne, while Grandl had come back from a rioting search of the rather insignificant pair of princesses. He came in, smug with his party as they parted ways, the doors shutting while the king leaned forwards to get a good look. And, to Richard's glee, it angered him greatly. "You've not been doing as you were told, my son." The king had seen it; a smudge of red lips printed across his tunic and a rather faded black eye that had been hidden with the help of some lightening product. In other words…

His son was active not only physically, but tense with it. With needs that were not being met. "You've got anything to say to me, speak to your whore before you do." Grandl slurred in his wasted gaze, clouded full of intoxication this early and quite cross about the other night. There was no pity left to him now, as Richard looked away. "That is enough." The king was saying that far too much, but today he demanded it be done by his own child. His eldest and the least responsible of them all. "When I summoned you and your siblings to come with me to this new kingdom, there was my word and you made it so. I have every ounce of desire to send you BACK to those rocky cliffs, if EVER you would grow yourself up and away from these childhood games to torment your own father."

Grandl sneered at the old man and then, raised a brow to Richard. "Don't you look a pretty picture. Father? Did you finally break her in long enough –

"Not one word." The king's fists clenched round his blade. "One word, and I won't need you to these lands to help the people learn, only you'll need that, to the stockades."

"I would, if you weren't impregnating some child to be this kingdom's next ruler." The boy's eyes looked tired, soured by something odorous. "I would be so, happy…if by Winterghren's great stache…that you'd come to your senses and simply kill him already! He's going to come after you, just you wait. Innocent? Pitiful?? He tries to play the damsel and look!" The boy protested. "Like Liliana, and….and her!" The boy wined. "She'd take you away from us if you don't do as I ask…."

"That the kingdom's rule be dominated by the true son of Wayne…. nay."

Grandl's eyes fell. "Father…. you've made a terrible error in judgement. Mark my words, I won't stay quiet about thi –

"Then, go back to Defencia." The king told his son, uncaring of his feelings any longer. "Go back, if you are so unhappy with your king."

"I – I want you safe, and she…. you…"

"You saw it." Richard walked closer as Grandl stepped back, the lead preventing him from leaving the steps. "I, didn't know what to tell you."

"That you are not a freak?" Barked the prince. "Forgive me, but you? You, will never be royalty under father or Wayne if he ever did return. A filth like you?" The doubtful prince eyed Richard as something he could not stand to look at. How it ate at him, but the ebony boy stood for others besides himself. "It's only begun, and I intend to be sure that's a brand that lasts across your ankles." Grinned the prince as he left then; the boy in chain finally breaking down with his hard mask, while the king dragged his concubine away to again discuss that his son, could never be entirely wrong.

/

Lady alchemist Paam moved past the vines of the outer courtyard and took a strong whiff. Her home was beyond that pillar of smoke….

The Forest of Fright.

" Aha !"

She gasped and looked behind her, the sound of a shrill dove, a mouse no doubt?

"Over hereth, lady of thine lake!"

"Who goes??"

The shrill sound, of a coot.

"I am not to be borthered, let me –

"May's I then's join ye?" The face revealed itself as a woman jumped out – jumped! She had the jester outfit that suited her twin that wore a similar ensemble. The suit was red, white and black and diamond patterns littered the one suit she wore across her lithe body. She tumbled like a circus performer from the east and to this, she was better than Paam had recalled from the new king's feast the other month ago. "You may go." The doctor upturned her nose to the energetic invader as she walked into the reeds so that they covered her path. The acrobatic legs of the jester woman held the wall open as she danced through, pretending that she was a leaf on the breeze and unseen….

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In the world, there was peace as he found his way past the shoreline. Her sandals along it were long like her tanned legs of a modest hue to her country. For Kor'anna was, interesting. Jason immediately took to her tale of how she'd ended up stranded with her father's advisor Belfagore (Galfore) and her younger brother Wilfyr (Wildfire.)

"Now, before I was aware, the smash on my noggin had me to recall a memory and then, I met you and your glorious steed!" She smiled and laughed, as a spray of sunbeams bound in his eyes. Jason sighed upon the rock he was laying atop, her long mane converted into a fur symbol of her warrior's heritage. "So, you come from a distant land plagued of war and yet not until your sister was…"

"Yet, my sister now rules with a fist of molten lead." She turned to the sky and stared angrily at the dying sun. "Will you not tell me of your country? Why will you not speak of its name?"

"I…It's an oath any child of the throne and the country knows. That anyone that speaks the name of the kingdom, allows demons to come and claim it. Its translation is "The realm of the bat god."

"Oh…that is very…. interesting." Kor' scratched her skull. "What of your family, there? How will you save them from the tyrant king and… without followers?"

"I'm the second in line before my elder brother and not qualified to lead father…. has stated. Not as he wants…" He looked at a trail of ants carrying a leaf and a rock in one trip to their mound. "Well, we have one other that is too young and he's by blood born - meant to rule before all of us. Yet father does not believe this should be." Jason told Kor. "And the people don't even know it yet – we have a treaty with the Lord of …. Al – Ghul –

Kor'anna let off a high gasp as her dragon swished its tail angrily from being woken from its nap. "Your alliance is with…a real demon lord?? Is this true??"

"Just to clarify." Jason snickered. "He's a man who dabbles in the occult, that's all and he trained my king in the art of war." Jason sat up. "That, and father is betrothed to…. or was under circumstances to the princess. Talia Al - Ghul."

"She is quite crude in her histories and reports of violence are legendary as well as her father's..." The princess held her arms to her chest and shuddered. "I do not understand why such a man needs another the exact opposite of him to understand the values of his court. There must be another reason for this treaty. Do, excuse my curious nature." She bowed as the prince shook his head, not put out in the slightest. "Not at all, you saved my life and if there is anything I can ever so do for you in the future, my princess…" He knelt to one knee as she reared her eyes and blushed. "The ground – what…. what are you doing, dear son of the bat – family??"

"It is what a man does for a person he cherishes in our land." The man kept her hand as he took it and left a soft kiss upon the back. Her eyes stayed as he let her go. To his legs, he near stumbled as she giggled at his trial. He was so careless however, that Jason had backed right into the ant hill!

"Get em off!!"

"I shall assist!"

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Later, the two laughed in the grass all day until dusk and slept under the stars, where dear sweet Cassandra and Stefania must have….

Jason rose before the sun again greeted him and left. With his belongings and horse gone, all but a note he had managed to scribble while leaving his cloak to cover Kor's bare shoulders. Something to remember him on those cool winter nights.

Where he was going, he'd have time to snag another as she read his note and saw the very name that he dared not speak by his slow breadth. The name of his country in bold ink, as that would fade with a new rain.

Just as he was sure, sure they'd meet again over that same horizon.

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Tim was lead back to his rooms where everything had been stripped, including his safe and all of his hidden treasures. Tim kicked the door as he was left to amble in the cool, dark drafty world that was once an material destination of exploration. His books were burned, his clothing was replaced with something plain and a knock, came to his door.

"Ah, you must be my new playmate." There in the flesh, was Rose and her little brother Juel. The button eyed boy and witty little girl both would make a monkey of him no more than those guards already had tried. Giving them a riddle to take him back here was pointless…. yet could he play their games and win a free bath?

"That I must be. "I'm Timothy, and you are?"

Grinning, Tim did not realize it but…Rose seemed to have hearts for pupils….

~ She's heard so much of you from our father's new mistress. How rude! I'm Juel. Introduce me, Rosalie! ~ The young, mute blonde pulled at his sister's tresses to tug her out of her silly daze. "Ah, ehem! This is my youngest sibling, Juel. He cannot speak yet you are to learn his language of "signing" like all of the castle's inhabitants." Her bossy attitude could be no better than his sisters' as Tim smiled at her instead. "Teach me well and I'll even tell you about the hidden playrooms inside this castle." He held up a palm to swear it. "So long as your games don't bore me."

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So, there you have it! Richard was given that option to do an ugly deed while Tim looked away and I did not do a hand job because I hate writing those for some reason. Not very good, but blow and other? Easier and yeah, this is more plot so you will see coupling later. Ah, so Jason by the way and it is part of the story; he can't like the author/narrator tell you (or Kori) the name of the kingdom or it will be consumed by evil. I'm borrowing "The Doom that Came to Gotham" as his taboo reference however does NOT extend to the written word! So, she knows it and later you will see what happens. Find out if Cass and Steph reunite with anyone. So we shall see….