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Demi liked to think of herself as a level headed, logical person. Having to be the voice of reason between squabbling girl's in the pleasure house she worked in, and when Hector started getting too far in his own thoughts or even when he did not see eye to eye with one of his girl's, the brunette had had plenty of practice in being calm, and rational.
Or so she had thought.
When they had returned from Athenia, Demi had honest to goodness thought they had just shared Adrestus's ship to return, but when the mass amount of folk entering and now staying in Hector's house prolonged the period of time in which they... didn't leave, Demi's questions merely compounded. Who were they? Why did Hector care so much about how that pretty brunette was treated? Why did her lover seem so harried and busy these days? Did he have more things to do? Was it something else? And why did she keep hearing the name of the man she had served in Athenia before everything went to the ceiling?
Demi tried to keep quiet, really did. When Hector told her to do whatever it was Ariadne asked her to do, she did her best whenever she was around the house. But the sheer amount of people within the household meant Demi now felt as if she was stepping on glass in a place that had previously felt like home.
It didn't change matters that Hector had left and recently returned on an escort journey with yet another noble lady (were there so many of them?) - and how did all these nobles look so pretty? Demi was a sought after pleasure worker, but even that couldn't fight the beauty that came from a lifetime of good treatment and not hard work.
How could she beat that?
Feeling a little more then just defeated and slightly irate that she's been left quite in the dark with it all, when Hector had returned from escorting the noble, Demi had stayed up as late as it took in order to wait for him to return. Remaining in his study(for there was just no longer any space for Demi to lounge by the hearth for her lover as she was wont to do) sleep evaded her even as she stared at the flicker of a dying candle that illuminated the room. The brunette's hair was a mess around her shoulders, her body wrapped in a clean kaftan that covered the thin chiton she wore underneath as she curled up at the seat he usually sat in for work.
She'd much rather be waiting in his room, but much of the beds had already been assigned to others, and honestly Demi had such a headache trying to keep who was sleeping where straight as Ariadne had told her that Demi had eventually just gave up and said she'd be returning to her own home tonight, a place she had barely stayed in over the last few years. Honestly, Hector's home felt far more like home to her then her own quarters.. but it wasn't a choice at this point. She knew it'd be better for her to not look for him at all at this juncture of time with how busy he was... but Demi just missed him.
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This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
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Demi liked to think of herself as a level headed, logical person. Having to be the voice of reason between squabbling girl's in the pleasure house she worked in, and when Hector started getting too far in his own thoughts or even when he did not see eye to eye with one of his girl's, the brunette had had plenty of practice in being calm, and rational.
Or so she had thought.
When they had returned from Athenia, Demi had honest to goodness thought they had just shared Adrestus's ship to return, but when the mass amount of folk entering and now staying in Hector's house prolonged the period of time in which they... didn't leave, Demi's questions merely compounded. Who were they? Why did Hector care so much about how that pretty brunette was treated? Why did her lover seem so harried and busy these days? Did he have more things to do? Was it something else? And why did she keep hearing the name of the man she had served in Athenia before everything went to the ceiling?
Demi tried to keep quiet, really did. When Hector told her to do whatever it was Ariadne asked her to do, she did her best whenever she was around the house. But the sheer amount of people within the household meant Demi now felt as if she was stepping on glass in a place that had previously felt like home.
It didn't change matters that Hector had left and recently returned on an escort journey with yet another noble lady (were there so many of them?) - and how did all these nobles look so pretty? Demi was a sought after pleasure worker, but even that couldn't fight the beauty that came from a lifetime of good treatment and not hard work.
How could she beat that?
Feeling a little more then just defeated and slightly irate that she's been left quite in the dark with it all, when Hector had returned from escorting the noble, Demi had stayed up as late as it took in order to wait for him to return. Remaining in his study(for there was just no longer any space for Demi to lounge by the hearth for her lover as she was wont to do) sleep evaded her even as she stared at the flicker of a dying candle that illuminated the room. The brunette's hair was a mess around her shoulders, her body wrapped in a clean kaftan that covered the thin chiton she wore underneath as she curled up at the seat he usually sat in for work.
She'd much rather be waiting in his room, but much of the beds had already been assigned to others, and honestly Demi had such a headache trying to keep who was sleeping where straight as Ariadne had told her that Demi had eventually just gave up and said she'd be returning to her own home tonight, a place she had barely stayed in over the last few years. Honestly, Hector's home felt far more like home to her then her own quarters.. but it wasn't a choice at this point. She knew it'd be better for her to not look for him at all at this juncture of time with how busy he was... but Demi just missed him.
Demi liked to think of herself as a level headed, logical person. Having to be the voice of reason between squabbling girl's in the pleasure house she worked in, and when Hector started getting too far in his own thoughts or even when he did not see eye to eye with one of his girl's, the brunette had had plenty of practice in being calm, and rational.
Or so she had thought.
When they had returned from Athenia, Demi had honest to goodness thought they had just shared Adrestus's ship to return, but when the mass amount of folk entering and now staying in Hector's house prolonged the period of time in which they... didn't leave, Demi's questions merely compounded. Who were they? Why did Hector care so much about how that pretty brunette was treated? Why did her lover seem so harried and busy these days? Did he have more things to do? Was it something else? And why did she keep hearing the name of the man she had served in Athenia before everything went to the ceiling?
Demi tried to keep quiet, really did. When Hector told her to do whatever it was Ariadne asked her to do, she did her best whenever she was around the house. But the sheer amount of people within the household meant Demi now felt as if she was stepping on glass in a place that had previously felt like home.
It didn't change matters that Hector had left and recently returned on an escort journey with yet another noble lady (were there so many of them?) - and how did all these nobles look so pretty? Demi was a sought after pleasure worker, but even that couldn't fight the beauty that came from a lifetime of good treatment and not hard work.
How could she beat that?
Feeling a little more then just defeated and slightly irate that she's been left quite in the dark with it all, when Hector had returned from escorting the noble, Demi had stayed up as late as it took in order to wait for him to return. Remaining in his study(for there was just no longer any space for Demi to lounge by the hearth for her lover as she was wont to do) sleep evaded her even as she stared at the flicker of a dying candle that illuminated the room. The brunette's hair was a mess around her shoulders, her body wrapped in a clean kaftan that covered the thin chiton she wore underneath as she curled up at the seat he usually sat in for work.
She'd much rather be waiting in his room, but much of the beds had already been assigned to others, and honestly Demi had such a headache trying to keep who was sleeping where straight as Ariadne had told her that Demi had eventually just gave up and said she'd be returning to her own home tonight, a place she had barely stayed in over the last few years. Honestly, Hector's home felt far more like home to her then her own quarters.. but it wasn't a choice at this point. She knew it'd be better for her to not look for him at all at this juncture of time with how busy he was... but Demi just missed him.
Exhaustion started to creep into Hector's bones on his ride back into Arcana. The missive from Lord Alehandros hot in his hand, even as he delivered it to the fugitive Queen in the small courtyard of his home. It was only when he left the young, weary Xanthos to continue her prayers at his home's meager yet precious altar to @athena that he began to actually consider how long it had been since he last slept.
He assumed the others in his home had managed and cared for themselves at this time, noting that many of them were no longer lingering in the main sitting rooms. Some of the storage areas of his home had been turned to his quarters, and he knew from experience that once he sat down in his study, he would easily be able to fall asleep in his chair for enough time to recover.
It was truly the only thing he desired as he opened the door to his study, but that all changed as he stood in the doorway, staring at Demi as if she had appeared from thin air. There was absolutely no reason he should have felt so surprised to see his lover standing there. In fact, it should have been a natural relief to see her, as it had been for the past decade. This home was as much hers as it had been his all this time, and open door for her to cross at her will.
It was not that he had forgotten about her, but... with such strange company under his roof while so many of his family members had been away for so long now...it did truly surprise him. And it left him standing there a few moments with his jaw dropped slightly, unable to say a word.
Coming to his senses, he quickly closed the door behind him, leaving the two of them only faintly lit by the few sporadic candles in the room.
"How long have you been here?" He asked, feeling the disorganization and the lack of knowledge of what was going on in his own house finally getting to him. It was also the thoughts of the last time she had seen her, a week or so ago - where they had left after raised voices and hurt feelings. He did not mean for his tone to hold that same faint yet, currently toothless bite to it. "When did you get here? Did..."
He could hardly finish his sentence in frustration, not with her but he could not even voice that as a clarification. Instead, he blew out a frustrated huff of a breath and let his eyes look around the four corners of the room for a moment, hand ruffling through the forelock of overlong hair that had been threatening to fall into his eyes for days now. He ran it through once...then twice, as he took a breath to try to force his brain to gather thoughts.
"Sorry," he started, not knowing exactly which part he was apologizing for - his tone, his house being full of people, their fight a week ago - but it was usually a good place to start, regardless.
When he finally looked at her again, uncertainty marred the lines of his brow, sketching them into lines that were slightly off from his usual worry lines. He would never admit it, but there was a helplessness that came from the lack of sleep and the suddenness of change and chaos and high stakes in his own home that kept him unsettled. It was encouraging that Demi was back, but knowing how they left only added to that...
Taking a few steps closer to her in the candlelight, he cautiously reached out his hand to her, to help her up from the chair and into his embrace, if she would have him.
This character is currently a work in progress.
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This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
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Exhaustion started to creep into Hector's bones on his ride back into Arcana. The missive from Lord Alehandros hot in his hand, even as he delivered it to the fugitive Queen in the small courtyard of his home. It was only when he left the young, weary Xanthos to continue her prayers at his home's meager yet precious altar to @athena that he began to actually consider how long it had been since he last slept.
He assumed the others in his home had managed and cared for themselves at this time, noting that many of them were no longer lingering in the main sitting rooms. Some of the storage areas of his home had been turned to his quarters, and he knew from experience that once he sat down in his study, he would easily be able to fall asleep in his chair for enough time to recover.
It was truly the only thing he desired as he opened the door to his study, but that all changed as he stood in the doorway, staring at Demi as if she had appeared from thin air. There was absolutely no reason he should have felt so surprised to see his lover standing there. In fact, it should have been a natural relief to see her, as it had been for the past decade. This home was as much hers as it had been his all this time, and open door for her to cross at her will.
It was not that he had forgotten about her, but... with such strange company under his roof while so many of his family members had been away for so long now...it did truly surprise him. And it left him standing there a few moments with his jaw dropped slightly, unable to say a word.
Coming to his senses, he quickly closed the door behind him, leaving the two of them only faintly lit by the few sporadic candles in the room.
"How long have you been here?" He asked, feeling the disorganization and the lack of knowledge of what was going on in his own house finally getting to him. It was also the thoughts of the last time she had seen her, a week or so ago - where they had left after raised voices and hurt feelings. He did not mean for his tone to hold that same faint yet, currently toothless bite to it. "When did you get here? Did..."
He could hardly finish his sentence in frustration, not with her but he could not even voice that as a clarification. Instead, he blew out a frustrated huff of a breath and let his eyes look around the four corners of the room for a moment, hand ruffling through the forelock of overlong hair that had been threatening to fall into his eyes for days now. He ran it through once...then twice, as he took a breath to try to force his brain to gather thoughts.
"Sorry," he started, not knowing exactly which part he was apologizing for - his tone, his house being full of people, their fight a week ago - but it was usually a good place to start, regardless.
When he finally looked at her again, uncertainty marred the lines of his brow, sketching them into lines that were slightly off from his usual worry lines. He would never admit it, but there was a helplessness that came from the lack of sleep and the suddenness of change and chaos and high stakes in his own home that kept him unsettled. It was encouraging that Demi was back, but knowing how they left only added to that...
Taking a few steps closer to her in the candlelight, he cautiously reached out his hand to her, to help her up from the chair and into his embrace, if she would have him.
Exhaustion started to creep into Hector's bones on his ride back into Arcana. The missive from Lord Alehandros hot in his hand, even as he delivered it to the fugitive Queen in the small courtyard of his home. It was only when he left the young, weary Xanthos to continue her prayers at his home's meager yet precious altar to @athena that he began to actually consider how long it had been since he last slept.
He assumed the others in his home had managed and cared for themselves at this time, noting that many of them were no longer lingering in the main sitting rooms. Some of the storage areas of his home had been turned to his quarters, and he knew from experience that once he sat down in his study, he would easily be able to fall asleep in his chair for enough time to recover.
It was truly the only thing he desired as he opened the door to his study, but that all changed as he stood in the doorway, staring at Demi as if she had appeared from thin air. There was absolutely no reason he should have felt so surprised to see his lover standing there. In fact, it should have been a natural relief to see her, as it had been for the past decade. This home was as much hers as it had been his all this time, and open door for her to cross at her will.
It was not that he had forgotten about her, but... with such strange company under his roof while so many of his family members had been away for so long now...it did truly surprise him. And it left him standing there a few moments with his jaw dropped slightly, unable to say a word.
Coming to his senses, he quickly closed the door behind him, leaving the two of them only faintly lit by the few sporadic candles in the room.
"How long have you been here?" He asked, feeling the disorganization and the lack of knowledge of what was going on in his own house finally getting to him. It was also the thoughts of the last time she had seen her, a week or so ago - where they had left after raised voices and hurt feelings. He did not mean for his tone to hold that same faint yet, currently toothless bite to it. "When did you get here? Did..."
He could hardly finish his sentence in frustration, not with her but he could not even voice that as a clarification. Instead, he blew out a frustrated huff of a breath and let his eyes look around the four corners of the room for a moment, hand ruffling through the forelock of overlong hair that had been threatening to fall into his eyes for days now. He ran it through once...then twice, as he took a breath to try to force his brain to gather thoughts.
"Sorry," he started, not knowing exactly which part he was apologizing for - his tone, his house being full of people, their fight a week ago - but it was usually a good place to start, regardless.
When he finally looked at her again, uncertainty marred the lines of his brow, sketching them into lines that were slightly off from his usual worry lines. He would never admit it, but there was a helplessness that came from the lack of sleep and the suddenness of change and chaos and high stakes in his own home that kept him unsettled. It was encouraging that Demi was back, but knowing how they left only added to that...
Taking a few steps closer to her in the candlelight, he cautiously reached out his hand to her, to help her up from the chair and into his embrace, if she would have him.
It really wasn't the right time for the bubbling forth of all sorts of insecurities and intrusive thoughts. Having been involved with Hector over the last few years, Demi really had very little of such episodes. Usually, it'd be her trying to soothe Hector since it was the nature of her job that usually incited the issues her lover had with her choice of job. But this time, the woman now got the sour taste of her own medicine in her mouth, as she watched and saw close up now, just how incomprably ratty she was when standing side by side with some of these nobles who crowded his rooms now.
So what sort of benefit could Demi say she brought to Hector's life, when she had nothing but the clothes on her back to offer?
So despite her being tired from the hour of the night, Demi tried her best to stay awake as she sat in the study, the light growing dimmer as the hour grew later. By the time Hector walked in, Demi had half wanted to give up and just return home, feeling the muscles in her shoulder begin to ache. The click of the door had her startling awake, blinking rapidly a few times to clear her sleepy vision, before relaxing when she realized who it was.
Their last meeting, while not entirely bad, did not leave a great taste on her mouth, and it had been yet another reason why Demi had been willing to wait to the hour she had for him. Not at all someone who liked to prolong her arguments when it concerned Hector, the brunette had been wishing to clear the air, only with the amount of people she simply did not have the chance. With the most recent of clients she had, he had also been the one Hector had protested most vehemently against. While Demi had no further intentions of taking up with Elias of Stravos again, it didn't mean she could change the past or her decisions done before knowledge of who he was came to her.
But she did not come to start another fight.
So instead, the hetaera tamped down her feelings, and took the hand her lover offered, sighing a deep sigh of relief once she managed to wrap her arms around his body and nestled her head into a spot on his chest. For a brief few moments, Demi enjoyed the silence and the warmth and comfort of being back in his arms, before she spoke. "Sorry." she offered her own, knowing no one was entirely faultless in their last argument. But be that as it may, she still could not take away the niggling in the back of her head as she pulled back, tilting her head up to glance at him before asking.
"Who was it you had to... escort to... wherever it was?" the brunette asked slowly, trying her best not to sound completely like a jealous party.
This character is currently a work in progress.
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This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
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It really wasn't the right time for the bubbling forth of all sorts of insecurities and intrusive thoughts. Having been involved with Hector over the last few years, Demi really had very little of such episodes. Usually, it'd be her trying to soothe Hector since it was the nature of her job that usually incited the issues her lover had with her choice of job. But this time, the woman now got the sour taste of her own medicine in her mouth, as she watched and saw close up now, just how incomprably ratty she was when standing side by side with some of these nobles who crowded his rooms now.
So what sort of benefit could Demi say she brought to Hector's life, when she had nothing but the clothes on her back to offer?
So despite her being tired from the hour of the night, Demi tried her best to stay awake as she sat in the study, the light growing dimmer as the hour grew later. By the time Hector walked in, Demi had half wanted to give up and just return home, feeling the muscles in her shoulder begin to ache. The click of the door had her startling awake, blinking rapidly a few times to clear her sleepy vision, before relaxing when she realized who it was.
Their last meeting, while not entirely bad, did not leave a great taste on her mouth, and it had been yet another reason why Demi had been willing to wait to the hour she had for him. Not at all someone who liked to prolong her arguments when it concerned Hector, the brunette had been wishing to clear the air, only with the amount of people she simply did not have the chance. With the most recent of clients she had, he had also been the one Hector had protested most vehemently against. While Demi had no further intentions of taking up with Elias of Stravos again, it didn't mean she could change the past or her decisions done before knowledge of who he was came to her.
But she did not come to start another fight.
So instead, the hetaera tamped down her feelings, and took the hand her lover offered, sighing a deep sigh of relief once she managed to wrap her arms around his body and nestled her head into a spot on his chest. For a brief few moments, Demi enjoyed the silence and the warmth and comfort of being back in his arms, before she spoke. "Sorry." she offered her own, knowing no one was entirely faultless in their last argument. But be that as it may, she still could not take away the niggling in the back of her head as she pulled back, tilting her head up to glance at him before asking.
"Who was it you had to... escort to... wherever it was?" the brunette asked slowly, trying her best not to sound completely like a jealous party.
It really wasn't the right time for the bubbling forth of all sorts of insecurities and intrusive thoughts. Having been involved with Hector over the last few years, Demi really had very little of such episodes. Usually, it'd be her trying to soothe Hector since it was the nature of her job that usually incited the issues her lover had with her choice of job. But this time, the woman now got the sour taste of her own medicine in her mouth, as she watched and saw close up now, just how incomprably ratty she was when standing side by side with some of these nobles who crowded his rooms now.
So what sort of benefit could Demi say she brought to Hector's life, when she had nothing but the clothes on her back to offer?
So despite her being tired from the hour of the night, Demi tried her best to stay awake as she sat in the study, the light growing dimmer as the hour grew later. By the time Hector walked in, Demi had half wanted to give up and just return home, feeling the muscles in her shoulder begin to ache. The click of the door had her startling awake, blinking rapidly a few times to clear her sleepy vision, before relaxing when she realized who it was.
Their last meeting, while not entirely bad, did not leave a great taste on her mouth, and it had been yet another reason why Demi had been willing to wait to the hour she had for him. Not at all someone who liked to prolong her arguments when it concerned Hector, the brunette had been wishing to clear the air, only with the amount of people she simply did not have the chance. With the most recent of clients she had, he had also been the one Hector had protested most vehemently against. While Demi had no further intentions of taking up with Elias of Stravos again, it didn't mean she could change the past or her decisions done before knowledge of who he was came to her.
But she did not come to start another fight.
So instead, the hetaera tamped down her feelings, and took the hand her lover offered, sighing a deep sigh of relief once she managed to wrap her arms around his body and nestled her head into a spot on his chest. For a brief few moments, Demi enjoyed the silence and the warmth and comfort of being back in his arms, before she spoke. "Sorry." she offered her own, knowing no one was entirely faultless in their last argument. But be that as it may, she still could not take away the niggling in the back of her head as she pulled back, tilting her head up to glance at him before asking.
"Who was it you had to... escort to... wherever it was?" the brunette asked slowly, trying her best not to sound completely like a jealous party.
Deep down, Hector knew that their spoken apologies were simply lingering habit, and that the two of them could never remain upset with one another for too long. So, as he wrapped his arms around her and puffed a mildly exaggerated exhale through his nose, his shoulders relaxed a touch. Demi had a way of doing that, even without knowing it. Years of familiarity between them - trust, even if not approval, flowed between the two. They were allies in many things, and it was a horrid shame that the biggest issues in their lives were the things they disagreed on.
Both of them were stubborn, but neither was the kind to openly tramp on the other's feelings. In many cases, that would have been a much easier way to live - at least, more definitive. With this, they both constantly lived in a limbo where they each had drawn lines and stood stubbornly and near silently on the other side.
As he felt her shift to look up at him, he felt the instant tug on his heart just by seeing her round eyes, filled with uncertainty. With his mind torn in too many directions, it took him a moment to piece together the question with the concern, and even as he made his way into the first phrases of the sentence, realization dawned on him.
"Lady Iris of Argyris," he began, beginning with simple facts, "Baroness of Aetaea...or what is left of it. Everyone here escaped a blaze that engulfed the province. I saw the remnants of it today..."
He would skip the details of his encounter with the Master Informer, the Lord of Antonis, and others...
"Queen Persephone was in hiding with the Baron and Baroness of Argyris....and when it burned, they sought refuge here."
Hector examined Demi's features as he released that bit of news. As far as he knew, she could have arrived in his study 5 minutes before he opened the door, or five hours....or minutes after he had left. Either this was a blatant statement that she already knew, or she truly had not crossed paths with Ariadne in this yet....and she needed to know.
"While there, a message needed to be delivered here to Her Majesty, so others took the Lady onward to the capitol and I came back here...otherwise I would not have been back so soon..."
Hector pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyes feeling dry with exhaustion and dirt from the roads as he squinched them closed. He could feel the dust from the ride that had caked onto his hands and his cheek, with the lingering scent of soot from Aetaea clinging to his hair. He was a man worn ragged, but having been soldier long enough, he knew that there would be time to rest when this all was done, but not now.
The next words sat heavy on his tongue for a moment, and he mulled them around in his mouth briefly, the way he used to when drinking a sip of wine. With a gentle and comforting hand, he brushed a curl away from his lover's face, catching her eyes with his.
It was a moment of truth between them, he knew. He did not want to fight - he was tired. A fight with Demi was the last thing he wanted. But he was also Captain of Arcana, charged with the protection of the Xanthos in residence. And he needed to know.
"...I have to ask. What do you know of Lord Elias?"
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This character is currently a work in progress.
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Deep down, Hector knew that their spoken apologies were simply lingering habit, and that the two of them could never remain upset with one another for too long. So, as he wrapped his arms around her and puffed a mildly exaggerated exhale through his nose, his shoulders relaxed a touch. Demi had a way of doing that, even without knowing it. Years of familiarity between them - trust, even if not approval, flowed between the two. They were allies in many things, and it was a horrid shame that the biggest issues in their lives were the things they disagreed on.
Both of them were stubborn, but neither was the kind to openly tramp on the other's feelings. In many cases, that would have been a much easier way to live - at least, more definitive. With this, they both constantly lived in a limbo where they each had drawn lines and stood stubbornly and near silently on the other side.
As he felt her shift to look up at him, he felt the instant tug on his heart just by seeing her round eyes, filled with uncertainty. With his mind torn in too many directions, it took him a moment to piece together the question with the concern, and even as he made his way into the first phrases of the sentence, realization dawned on him.
"Lady Iris of Argyris," he began, beginning with simple facts, "Baroness of Aetaea...or what is left of it. Everyone here escaped a blaze that engulfed the province. I saw the remnants of it today..."
He would skip the details of his encounter with the Master Informer, the Lord of Antonis, and others...
"Queen Persephone was in hiding with the Baron and Baroness of Argyris....and when it burned, they sought refuge here."
Hector examined Demi's features as he released that bit of news. As far as he knew, she could have arrived in his study 5 minutes before he opened the door, or five hours....or minutes after he had left. Either this was a blatant statement that she already knew, or she truly had not crossed paths with Ariadne in this yet....and she needed to know.
"While there, a message needed to be delivered here to Her Majesty, so others took the Lady onward to the capitol and I came back here...otherwise I would not have been back so soon..."
Hector pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyes feeling dry with exhaustion and dirt from the roads as he squinched them closed. He could feel the dust from the ride that had caked onto his hands and his cheek, with the lingering scent of soot from Aetaea clinging to his hair. He was a man worn ragged, but having been soldier long enough, he knew that there would be time to rest when this all was done, but not now.
The next words sat heavy on his tongue for a moment, and he mulled them around in his mouth briefly, the way he used to when drinking a sip of wine. With a gentle and comforting hand, he brushed a curl away from his lover's face, catching her eyes with his.
It was a moment of truth between them, he knew. He did not want to fight - he was tired. A fight with Demi was the last thing he wanted. But he was also Captain of Arcana, charged with the protection of the Xanthos in residence. And he needed to know.
"...I have to ask. What do you know of Lord Elias?"
Deep down, Hector knew that their spoken apologies were simply lingering habit, and that the two of them could never remain upset with one another for too long. So, as he wrapped his arms around her and puffed a mildly exaggerated exhale through his nose, his shoulders relaxed a touch. Demi had a way of doing that, even without knowing it. Years of familiarity between them - trust, even if not approval, flowed between the two. They were allies in many things, and it was a horrid shame that the biggest issues in their lives were the things they disagreed on.
Both of them were stubborn, but neither was the kind to openly tramp on the other's feelings. In many cases, that would have been a much easier way to live - at least, more definitive. With this, they both constantly lived in a limbo where they each had drawn lines and stood stubbornly and near silently on the other side.
As he felt her shift to look up at him, he felt the instant tug on his heart just by seeing her round eyes, filled with uncertainty. With his mind torn in too many directions, it took him a moment to piece together the question with the concern, and even as he made his way into the first phrases of the sentence, realization dawned on him.
"Lady Iris of Argyris," he began, beginning with simple facts, "Baroness of Aetaea...or what is left of it. Everyone here escaped a blaze that engulfed the province. I saw the remnants of it today..."
He would skip the details of his encounter with the Master Informer, the Lord of Antonis, and others...
"Queen Persephone was in hiding with the Baron and Baroness of Argyris....and when it burned, they sought refuge here."
Hector examined Demi's features as he released that bit of news. As far as he knew, she could have arrived in his study 5 minutes before he opened the door, or five hours....or minutes after he had left. Either this was a blatant statement that she already knew, or she truly had not crossed paths with Ariadne in this yet....and she needed to know.
"While there, a message needed to be delivered here to Her Majesty, so others took the Lady onward to the capitol and I came back here...otherwise I would not have been back so soon..."
Hector pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyes feeling dry with exhaustion and dirt from the roads as he squinched them closed. He could feel the dust from the ride that had caked onto his hands and his cheek, with the lingering scent of soot from Aetaea clinging to his hair. He was a man worn ragged, but having been soldier long enough, he knew that there would be time to rest when this all was done, but not now.
The next words sat heavy on his tongue for a moment, and he mulled them around in his mouth briefly, the way he used to when drinking a sip of wine. With a gentle and comforting hand, he brushed a curl away from his lover's face, catching her eyes with his.
It was a moment of truth between them, he knew. He did not want to fight - he was tired. A fight with Demi was the last thing he wanted. But he was also Captain of Arcana, charged with the protection of the Xanthos in residence. And he needed to know.
"...I have to ask. What do you know of Lord Elias?"
It was laughable really, for her to be in love with a man who was just as mule-headed as she was. But then again, Demi would've never kept her interest had Hector merely agreed to everything she had said. Part of what attracted her to the guard was how steadfast he was in his own values and the way he safeguarded everything and everyone he held dear. In a sense, Demi trusted him, with much more then just her life. Yet in a similar fashion, she had been a third party in a marriage before, been the one husbands sought out for comfort outside of their marriage bed. It was part of her job, and despite knowing how much he disliked it, Demi thanked the Gods that Hector did not fuss over it... much.
So what right did she have to question him about his job now?
Still, the moment she had heard of a blaze which had taken much of a baroness's lands, Demi could not keep whatever she had felt amongst her heart. It was an explanation as good as any, and even from the way Hector held her, she knew he would not stray, not the Hector she knew anyway. She was still trying to wrap around her head over who all that was in the household, but at the end of the day... all she knew was, they were all somehow related to royalty and the nobility, and Demi would do best to stay away from them. A few whispers of the name 'Elias' already had Demi on edge, and after the way she had served the young lord, she wanted no part of whatever it had to do with him.
Except, it seems her own lover did not want to let the subject drop.
Demi had been content to stroke his back, wanting to wash the exhaustion she could so clearly see from Hector's dry eyes, deep frown and weary looks. She was all but prepared to go and get a warm bath for him, wash away the soot from the miles and miles of travel he had had to do... but before she could even suggest that, his question had Demi freezing mid-question, stuttering a little.
"I-" she started to deny, but thought better of it. She knew his tone, the kind which bode no arguments, and the one that also said he knew far more then he let on. "Yo-" How much can she lie? Would he be able to tell? Demi had never been a good liar, at least not with Hector. Something about her lover meant he easily saw through her, and it was that which finally made Demi swallow her lie, and instead take a deep breathe before her reply. "I served him." He should know what that meant. He didn't need to know when that had happened, at least. "Why do you ask?"
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This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
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It was laughable really, for her to be in love with a man who was just as mule-headed as she was. But then again, Demi would've never kept her interest had Hector merely agreed to everything she had said. Part of what attracted her to the guard was how steadfast he was in his own values and the way he safeguarded everything and everyone he held dear. In a sense, Demi trusted him, with much more then just her life. Yet in a similar fashion, she had been a third party in a marriage before, been the one husbands sought out for comfort outside of their marriage bed. It was part of her job, and despite knowing how much he disliked it, Demi thanked the Gods that Hector did not fuss over it... much.
So what right did she have to question him about his job now?
Still, the moment she had heard of a blaze which had taken much of a baroness's lands, Demi could not keep whatever she had felt amongst her heart. It was an explanation as good as any, and even from the way Hector held her, she knew he would not stray, not the Hector she knew anyway. She was still trying to wrap around her head over who all that was in the household, but at the end of the day... all she knew was, they were all somehow related to royalty and the nobility, and Demi would do best to stay away from them. A few whispers of the name 'Elias' already had Demi on edge, and after the way she had served the young lord, she wanted no part of whatever it had to do with him.
Except, it seems her own lover did not want to let the subject drop.
Demi had been content to stroke his back, wanting to wash the exhaustion she could so clearly see from Hector's dry eyes, deep frown and weary looks. She was all but prepared to go and get a warm bath for him, wash away the soot from the miles and miles of travel he had had to do... but before she could even suggest that, his question had Demi freezing mid-question, stuttering a little.
"I-" she started to deny, but thought better of it. She knew his tone, the kind which bode no arguments, and the one that also said he knew far more then he let on. "Yo-" How much can she lie? Would he be able to tell? Demi had never been a good liar, at least not with Hector. Something about her lover meant he easily saw through her, and it was that which finally made Demi swallow her lie, and instead take a deep breathe before her reply. "I served him." He should know what that meant. He didn't need to know when that had happened, at least. "Why do you ask?"
It was laughable really, for her to be in love with a man who was just as mule-headed as she was. But then again, Demi would've never kept her interest had Hector merely agreed to everything she had said. Part of what attracted her to the guard was how steadfast he was in his own values and the way he safeguarded everything and everyone he held dear. In a sense, Demi trusted him, with much more then just her life. Yet in a similar fashion, she had been a third party in a marriage before, been the one husbands sought out for comfort outside of their marriage bed. It was part of her job, and despite knowing how much he disliked it, Demi thanked the Gods that Hector did not fuss over it... much.
So what right did she have to question him about his job now?
Still, the moment she had heard of a blaze which had taken much of a baroness's lands, Demi could not keep whatever she had felt amongst her heart. It was an explanation as good as any, and even from the way Hector held her, she knew he would not stray, not the Hector she knew anyway. She was still trying to wrap around her head over who all that was in the household, but at the end of the day... all she knew was, they were all somehow related to royalty and the nobility, and Demi would do best to stay away from them. A few whispers of the name 'Elias' already had Demi on edge, and after the way she had served the young lord, she wanted no part of whatever it had to do with him.
Except, it seems her own lover did not want to let the subject drop.
Demi had been content to stroke his back, wanting to wash the exhaustion she could so clearly see from Hector's dry eyes, deep frown and weary looks. She was all but prepared to go and get a warm bath for him, wash away the soot from the miles and miles of travel he had had to do... but before she could even suggest that, his question had Demi freezing mid-question, stuttering a little.
"I-" she started to deny, but thought better of it. She knew his tone, the kind which bode no arguments, and the one that also said he knew far more then he let on. "Yo-" How much can she lie? Would he be able to tell? Demi had never been a good liar, at least not with Hector. Something about her lover meant he easily saw through her, and it was that which finally made Demi swallow her lie, and instead take a deep breathe before her reply. "I served him." He should know what that meant. He didn't need to know when that had happened, at least. "Why do you ask?"
