east of eden {hughs}

[Guinivere Marcel]

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[attr="class","Lost"]

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Nikolai Hugh-Sokolov

240 Words

Music

Outfit

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Running in the dark [break]



to find east of eden 

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Guinivere tilted her head back, ignoring the prickles on her skin. She remembered the first time she mounted these stairs. She remembered the first time she had sat here. She felt no less like an imposter now than she did before. A foolish usurper, a cruel queen, a vindictive child. The rumors were terrible and cruel, and if her plans worked, they would all be true. [break][break]


She had heard the stories of Prince Hugh, of his father. It would not be easy to get them apart. It would not be easy to get him to respect her–either one. She had to know the truth, though. They had declared themselves neutral. But no one was when the hammer fell. She had seen and heard plenty to prove that true. [break][break]


The old king was dying. That was one thing she had heard. She trusted the source. She had trusted him with her life before. But who was killing him, and why– Had she made a mistake, not asking his wife to come? Gemini knew more than enough about the son. He had been there when he had tried to declare war with the Undersea princess. So. Dying, foolhardy, reckless. She had heard too much.


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Now she had to seem composed, unfazed, and slightly unaware. What good did threats do if her victim saw them coming? If a Queen knew common knowledge, what did that say about her except that she was common? [break][break]

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[Nikolai Hugh-Sokolov]

    His father was dying. It had started out as nothing but a rumor, whispered among those who lived and worked in the Palace. Then it had become a quiet truth. Everyone knew that that was the situation. Everyone knew, but no one talked about it. Not openly, of course. It was all kept under wraps. The scullion girls would whisper about it concernedly and the matrons would shush them. But everyone knew. Everyone knew Rex Hugh was dying. No one exactly knew how. Some rumors tried to explain it, but nothing ever made much sense. Nikolai had heard it all, he’d even tried to talk to his father’s physician, but the stupid little man refused to tell anyone. He’d tried to visit his father, but the servant girl who was in charge of his quarters refused to let him, saying his father needed the rest. The only one who’d been suspiciously quiet was his mother.

    Every time he’d gone to look for her, something else had come up. If he tried to go visit her for afternoon tea, she would already be predisposed, probably having tea with someone else. Nikolai had chased down her lady-in-waiting one time, but the woman just told him to stop pestering her and leave his mother to her business. So Nikolai had abandoned the effort altogether, even when he’d been made to attend some dull banquet which his mother had also been made to attend. The seat where his father would have sat was uncomfortably empty, but he’d been seated so far from his mother that he couldn’t even say hello.

    The herald’s announcement of Nikolai’s arrival drew him out of his reverie. It was because of the situation regarding Rex that today he found himself in the High Court’s Palace, about to attend a meeting with the new High Queen on behalf of his father. He bowed as he entered the throne room, seeing the new Queen sitting on her throne, resplendent in her blush pink gown. He made his way to her. “Your Majesty.” He flashed her a dazzling smile, bowing before reaching out and brushing a kiss across her knuckles. He straightened again. “What a pleasure it is to finally make your acquaintance. I knew my family made the wrong choice in declaring themselves neutral. I asked my father to support you, but he refused. I know I should have fought harder for you but it doesn’t matter now. I know you can fight your own battles.” He paused for a moment, letting his words register. He was laying it on a bit too thick. It didn’t matter. He could already sense that this Queen would not be so susceptible to charm. It wouldn’t have allowed her to land the throne. “But enough about that. It's all in the past, isn't it?" he chucked. "You called me here to discuss some important matters. Please, don’t let me take up all our time.”

TAGS: Guinivere Marcel
OUTFIT

★fai

Maybe I'm playing a part on a great stage with myself as the audience.

[Guinivere Marcel]

[nospaces]

[attr="class","Lost"]

[break]

Nikolai Hugh-Sokolov

342 Words

Music

Outfit

[break][break]

Running in the dark [break]



to find east of eden 

[break][break]




Guinivere studied the boy. He couldn't lie, it was true. But he could bend the truth as much as he wished, and the fact that he was being so direct concerned her. It made her wonder who he was trying to convince. She could speak in absolutes and be absolutely wrong and no one here would no. Her breath would not come in faster. Her flowers would not sprout faster. It would all be the same. [break][break]

"You speak boldly," she said. He acted boldly too. She could have his hand cut off for touching her, but what good would it do? He wasn't the first one. And he was nineteen now. She remembered what that was like. She had survived it before. She doubted he would leave the impression behind that she carried with her to this day.  [break][break]

"But why is your father not joining us?" she asked, tilting her head, her hair swinging to the side. She was calling his bluff. He had showed too much of his hand, too fast. There had to be something he was hiding. She suspected she knew what it was. But you didn't know anything but what people told you. The skill was convincing them that they wanted to. "He is still Duke, isn't he?"[break][break]

She had heard stories about the old Duke. She was truly not sorry that he was not present. She had heard about the liberties that he took. It would be a shame if he were to lose a hand today. It was almost certainly safer for everyone that he stayed away from her. She had heard more stories about this boy.  [break][break]

A half-mortal lover. A vengeful princess. And a duke, trapped in the middle. Inspiring the conquest? A muse to destruction? Encouraging it? The fae liked to be entertained and bloodshed was entertaining, but they hated the finite. Pain was better than death and misery was more thrilling than justice. She wouldn't ask yet. Unlike him, she had all the time in the world. After all, wasn't the world hers? [break][break]

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[Nikolai Hugh-Sokolov]

    Nikolai did not let his nerves show on his face. It wasn’t like The Queen would have him killed because his father was dying, right? That would defeat the whole purpose of having heirs. He kept the smile on his face, but it felt more tense. He really, really didn’t hope it showed. This queen didn’t seem to operate on flattery, but Nikolai was not sure how to be diplomatic in any other way. He couldn’t threaten her, that would really get him killed, he had nothing new to offer her, and there were no problems that he could promise to fix. Well, not exactly. All he could do was lay off the flattery enough not to be seen as bold, but not so much as to put him on her bad side. That was all he could hope for, really. He had to do enough not to fall down the path of upsetting Her Majesty, which made him anxious. He stifled a sigh. He’d forgotten how stressful this job was.

    But he had to focus. She was addressing the issue of his father, and he needed to act like he was the sad son, hiding behind the facade of a leader who had to be strong for his people. That would all fall through if she brought up the catastrophe that was his boat party. He’d been trying not to think about it, but it was quite possible that he’d wrecked all the diplomatic progress that had been made between the High Court and the Undersea. “Forgive my boldness.” He nodded in response to the High Queen’s question. “Yes, my father is still the Duke. Unfortunately, he has fallen ill. Our Court physicians are doing their best to heal him, and I don’t doubt their skill. I’m sure he will make a full recovery.” He met her gaze, wondering what she would ask him next. Nikolai knew this Queen would not be as careless of a ruler as the old King had been. Because of that, he would have to be extra careful.

TAGS: Guinivere Marcel
OUTFIT

★fai

Maybe I'm playing a part on a great stage with myself as the audience.

[Guinivere Marcel]

[nospaces]

[attr="class","Lost"]

[break]

Nikolai Hugh-Sokolov

342 Words

Music

Outfit

[break][break]

Running in the dark [break]



to find east of eden 

[break][break]




Guinivere's eyes glittered. "I find many things curious here," she said, pulling at the flowers beside her, every petal she picked getting replaced by three more, like a colorful hydra. She did not look at him. "But this I find very curious. I have never head of the fae falling ill. The proud, the immortal. They define themselves by their inability to die. But of course, I am just a mortal."

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She snapped her eyes back to him now, watching him like she was cornering prey. It was all in the timing. She had teased him, drawn him out. She had tested his wit and pulled at his charm. Now he was exposed. Now was the time to strike.

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"But I am also a poisoner," she said, watching him. Would he deflect? Would he panic? Would he be surprised by the notion or play at it? If he had not questioned it, he was guilty or a fool. If he had, she would draw out his answers one way or another. Pick your poison, she thought wryly, but she was poison. There was no safe choice, no choice that didn't lead back to her claws.


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"And I know how easy it is. I know all the signs. Even the strongest fae can fall to nature's vices-- in fact, I've found they fall the fastest." She did not try to hide what she was referring to. So she was a proud murderess. She was no weak queen. 


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"You had a dispute with the Undersea, did you not? They do not take kindly to insults." Now was the real trick.

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If he was killing his father, he would pin the blame on the Undersea. If he was wise, he would be more careful. And if he was spineless or foolish he would agree with anything she said. Much hung in the balance of his answer. She merely tipped the scales a bit. She watched them swing. 


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"Don't you find it curious as well?" It was a barbed wire question from a barbed wire queen. 


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[Nikolai Hugh-Sokolov]

    Nikolai listened to the Queen speak. He did not say a word, but he was watchful, attentive to every word she said, every one of her mannerisms. The flowers around them rippled, menacingly, under her full control. He wondered, absentmindedly, how her magic worked, if she was a mortal, but he shook the thought from his head. There were more pressing matters at hand. The flowers rippled towards him in a wave, then stopped by some invisible wind. He glanced at them warily. The Queen’s gaze was back on him, her eyes bright, sharp, an eagle diving for its prey. He wanted to smirk. She thought she’d backed him into a corner, but he was the only one here who would be telling the truth.

    She thought he’d been the one to poison his father. The irony of everything made him want to throw his head back and laugh. This whole Court had overestimated him after treating him like a disobedient little boy. And they were so prideful about it too. Despite it all, Nikolai kept his features still, his eyes widened just enough to look mournful, fearful even. Curious, indeed. “What? That you think I am poisoning my own father. Yes. It is quite curious why anyone, especially Your Majesty, would think that.” He lifted his chin to look into her eyes. “Why is Your Majesty and the rest of the High Court suspicious of me? Poisoning competition is something my father would do. I am not my father.”

    Rex Hugh was a vile, disgusting man, and Nikolai had only been so unfortunate as to have him for a father. He resented Rex for many things, but this, the way everyone assumed Nikolai was just like him? This had to be what he resented the most. “I have my suspicions as to who is poisoning my father.” He needed to be careful. If the main person of interest was truly the culprit, Nikolai would drag the mystery on as long as he could. He would let her have her revenge. But then again, he was not entirely sure it was her, so he was not telling a single lie. He was fae, and the Queen was a mortal. Only one of them was actually trustworthy. “There are those in the East who would dispose of my father and attempt to place someone else on the throne because they think he or I am not fit to rule. I would not let such a thing happen.”

    And the Undersea, really? It was plain pettiness at this point. “As for the Undersea, be assured, Your Majesty, that I am not so foolish as to attempt to frame them like this. I was reckless before, and for that, I apologize. It will not happen again.” He bowed his head like the humble, penitent prince that he was. “Rest assured that I will try to make amends with the Undersea. We cannot have such turmoil when our treaty with the Sea is so vulnerable.” A half-truth, but a truth nonetheless. He would try, he just wouldn’t try very hard. Everyone seemed so focused on the offenses they’d suffered at his hands, but what about the offenses he’d suffered at Princess Mei’s hands? She was brutal, more brutal than he would ever be, and nobody wanted to admit it. It was cowardly, really. But then again, Nikolai was not one to judge another for their cowardice.

TAGS: Guinivere Marcel
OUTFIT

★fai

Maybe I'm playing a part on a great stage with myself as the audience.

[Guinivere Marcel]

[nospaces]

[attr="class","Lost"]

[break]

Nikolai Hugh-Sokolov

434 Words

Music

Outfit

[break][break]

Running in the dark [break]



to find east of eden 

[break][break]




Guinivere arched an eyebrow as he spoke. That he was so quick to defend himself was curious, certainly. In fact, she had not suspected him.


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“I know what it is to kill a father,” she said, dropping her hand. The flowers stopped growing, stopped moving, stopped reacting altogether. “Do not be offended, but I had not thought you had it in you.”
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Perhaps, more precisely, she had not seen anything in him that painted him as a murderer. He was not guilty, not shifting or shameful, more defiant of a legacy he presumed she was heaping on his head. She smiled, and it was not entirely friendly. “I had not considered you a candidate, and yet you arrived at that conclusion before even I did. Should I have considered you?”
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More probably, he had already been accused. More probably, since it was his line of succession at stake, he was suspected. More probably, he was covering all of his bases, because he was an adept strategist.




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Actually, that wasn’t more probable. That was just optimistic.



“If that is what your father would do,” she said. “What would you do?” It was easy to claim to be unlike one’s parents and much harder to achieve it. It was easy to claim to be different and much harder to do it. She did not care much about his claims. He could not say anything he believed to be untrue, but everyone deceived themselves, fae and mortal alike. He could claim anything, but the matter of a man was in his actions.



“I suspect the Undersea in the poisoning of your father.” she said. “Does the princess not strike you as capable?” Her hand tightened against her throne. Visions of Jin-Hwa, holding Gemini at knifepoint, burning back thorns, throwing poison in his face, flashed in her mind again. She simply looked away. “Does her mother not strike you as willing?”

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There was something afoot here. The queen advocating for Cassandra. The Princess dueling Gemini. Now the Duke of the East was dying. Now his son was in her courtroom. The Undersea treaty. The delegation. Something was not right.
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“My treaty.” She corrected him, meeting his gaze. “Mine. It was the High Court’s before it was ever yours. You would do well to remember that the treaty you risked was mine.”
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The first treator was Maeve. The first treator claimed her throne with the Undersea’s help and was murdered for it. Guinivere had not forgotten that. So Alaric negotiated the treaty. Guinivere ruled under it. Guinivere remembered that the last queen to trust the Undersea ended up dead.




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