Realistic or Modern Pitter-Patter | Private

[LONELYRAIN]

Her refusal should have angered him, as if he wanted her to keep doing this, to keep touching him so gently as if he were fragile. Arlo could not be fragile, he refused! This situation was a lie, it all had to be some horrid lie, some cruel joke at his expense! Teeth caught his bottom lip, the pain serving as some sense of familiarity through the dull sensations flowing through him, trying to break the skin. Break something, break anything...! He must, he-

The spiraling thoughts were drowned as Leana would come into his field of vision, her expression still holding that gentleness that Arlo was quickly determining that he hated how it made him feel so vulnerable. As she spoke of her purpose to him, with such heartfelt words, he almost desired to immediately shout at her that she was a filthy liar. Not a single time would someone even go so far for something like him. And yet, she persisted to lie to his face with equally brutal touches that choked out pitiful hiccups from a body that wouldn't obey, silken blond locks being tucked behind the boy's ears as his eyelids were beginning to grow heavy with both the weight of the tears he had shed, as well as the exhaustion he had been carrying about truly dropping upon the king's small body.

Had he ever felt this tired before without the sleep aid? Her humming was slowly making the tense boy's muscles uncoil, his eyelids growing heavier and heavier as they stung and burned with the tears he'd shed. She claimed she would be whoever he wanted her to be, to be whatever he needed her to be... what a terrible lie. Arlo's mind desired to cast out the words, for he could be just as easily betrayed by her; but his head never lifted from her lap, nor did he utter any angry retorts against her, his breathing shallow and slow as her hand came down to coax his already exhausted eyelids shut, "..Mm.." A very quiet verbal response as the king for the first time in years had fallen asleep without the aid of medication.

In sleep, his expression had slackened as dreams would not come to haunt him, these dreams typically would be horrid nightmares that would leave him waking in the middle of the night covered in his own sweat, but now... now he dreamt of nothing, and what a glorious dream it was. An emptiness against the broken clattering within his own head, finally he could sleep and merely remain asleep... though in the waking world the boy's head had nuzzled the lap that now served as his pillow; arms splayed awkwardly before him against the plush mattress underneath as quiet snores left the exhausted soul.

On closer inspection of the sleeping king's face, his features certainly were far more endearing in the midst of peace, rather than when he was awake and scowling. Cute could almost be used for the sleeping boy, his long blonde lashes tickling against reddened cheeks as a result of him crying earlier, lips parted in quiet breaths colored a light rosy tint. His face could certainly be seen as rather handsome later on if he were lucky enough to reach his older years at all. However, the only thing that detracted from the seraphic face locked in sleep was the deep bags underneath his eyes; though they had been present before, the dark, puffiness underneath his eyes betrayed the lack of sleep he truly had.

 

[catatonic]

Leana had been pleased he didn't fight her anymore, even though she was certain that he wanted to. She smoothed his hair after closing his eyes, still humming lightly as she watched him drift into sleep. And she took the moment of silence between them to look at him completely, finding his boyish features cute and pleasing to look at. "You're going to be a handsome man." She said gently, despite knowing he couldn't hear her in his sleep, feeling pride in knowing he would grow into a sight to see. It would be a few years before he came into those features, but she knew she could wait. She had no choice. She sighed to herself, leaning back against the pillows, her legs tucked under her with his head still on her lap.

Her eyes closed in those long moments of silence, her breathing soft as she drifted off into a soft sleep, her hand resting against his chest as they remained together in that moment. It was peaceful, but she had been a little curious when the last time he'd been able to sleep without his sleep aid she had seen sitting nearby the bed. She had a dreamless few minutes of sleep, until the vision of her with a swollen belly came into mind, and Arlo standing behind her as she admired her belly filled with his child.

She grunted in her sleep, her free hand running over her collarbone to scratch it as she dreamed further, this time holding a pink haired girl with crimson eyes. Hints of blonde streaked in the girls hair. Now about two and and nestled into her side as she held her on her hip. She smiled in her sleep, feeling joy in the dream of their shared child, but finding herself alone in the bedroom with the babe. Arlo nowhere to be seen, probably dealing with some of his duties. She inhaled a deep breath as the dream faded, feeling empty as it left her in a dreamless sleep, her eyes opening after a few minutes to look around her surroundings as she regained consciousness. Oh yes. I'm in Arlo's room. She thought to herself as she remembered where she was, looking down at Arlo's sleeping face with a soft look, smiling to herself as she smoothed his hair once more, eyeing the dark bags under his eyes. She would remain quiet lest wake him from his sleep, figuring it was the first time in a while that he seemed to have a peaceful sleep.

 

[LONELYRAIN]

The dream of nothing persisted throughout his time of being unconscious. An empty gray sleep that would not torture him with what he had done, what horrors he had to endure, or even twisted imaginations of that dreaded day when his life had completely and utterly changed for the worst. No, instead the boy continued to sleep, soft snores now leaving his lips, his body fully eased into the soft mattress as Leana's warmth served to put the normally paranoid soul at ease. However, such peace would not last, for eventually the king would have to wake, oblivious to his fiance's dreams of their future; as the sun was beginning to stream in steadily through the window, Arlo would stir.

It started with a twitch of his fingers, a grunt to his voice and a furrowing of his eyebrows as a quiet moan left his lips, the sunlight scathing against heavy eyelids that didn't wish to open. He could vaguely feel someone's touch upon his hair, a warmth beside him... he didn't request for any pillows to be warmed up did he? Eyelids slowly opened, red eyes bleary and feeling oddly swollen as his expression screwed up in displeasure. Ugh, he felt unpleasant, the skin upon his face feeling lightly sticky, a result of his tears during the night. There was a pleasant scent as well, where was that even coming from..?

Red eyes turned to what was fabric underneath his head, not akin to the usual pillows but that of a dress, an eerily familiar dress. His mind froze then, a pounding headache being quick to follow as memories from the night previous had made his expression rapidly turn from shock, to horror and settling on motified as he whipped his head around to look up at the woman still looming above him, her gentle expression searing through him yet again which made the king feel immediately... embarrassed. He was very much embarrassed, though the emotion was foreign to him as he usually took confidence in every action.

Instead, at this moment, after her viewing him being so utterly weak... how could he recover? And more importantly, why in the world did she stay?! "W-w-w..." The embarrassed trembling of the sentence did little to help the king trying to make sense of this situation, Arlo immediately surging up from her lap as he glared at Leana, his chest heaving with quickened breaths, "Why are you still here?! You should have went back to your room!" She certainly should have, and not sit there watching over him why he slept. Not once did he allow anyone to see him in such a vulnerable state, and yet this woman had been privy to a bit too much of such embarrassing moments for the boy.

Granted, he wasn't particularly complaining about her remaining, it was just the absurdity of it all and her words that she'd uttered during the night which was throwing the usually composed and confident boy completely off. A fierce flow of red had captured the king's face as a result, his pale skin ignited in the fierce blush of embarrassment as his eyes were now avoiding her own, "T-That was completely unnecessary!" Though the comments lacked the bite of scolding and were more of him trying to make sense of this woman who made no sense and served to puzzle him with her actions.

Though, perhaps the most embarrassing was the simple fact that he had slept soundly with her at his side. It was the first time in far too long that he felt well rested, though that shouldn't be! His expression twisted further with his embarrassment as he tried to wiggle his way out from underneath the heavy sheets, though he didn't get too far as a grunt of pain was quick to leave his lips, his wound flaring with agony at his attempt.

 

[catatonic]

Leana's eyes fluttered open at his grunt, and she peered down at him in a sleepy curious way. "Good morning to you too," She chuckled, amused by his embarrassment. "No need to be embarrassed. We'll have to share a bed once we're married, we should be used to sleeping next to one another." She hummed, reaching to help him sit up as she noticed him beginning to move. "I told you I'd be here when you woke, I couldn't just leave you by yourself after last night's atrocities." She continued gently, feeling anger in her that someone had tried killing him. And confusion at her anger.

It had been a rare moment of peace between them. She felt like there had been a significant shift in their relationship after the events of the previous night - like she could come to look forward to being wed to the boy king. "If you really want me to go, then I will. I just didn't want to leave you by yourself." She muttered, rubbing her eyes after she helped him sit up. "Do you want me to get something to help with the pain? I'm certain I can make a potion that'll help dull it a bit." She said gently, curious if he'd even want her help now that he was awake. He had tried protesting the night before without much avail, but she did consider that now he was well rested he'd return to being sour towards her.

The pink haired woman smoothed her dress and stretched out her legs before her, stretching her arms above her head before she moved slightly to get off the bed, allowing him a moment to himself as she busied herself with properly surveying the room. There were no herbs here for her to make any sort of concoction to help rid him of his pain - she'd have to get someone to bring the supplies and tools in for her and she briefly doubted someone would. "Victor said something about the churches." She said offhandedly. "I suspect they might have been the cause of the attack last night? It seems to me you don't have a good relationship with them, and marrying me would only dampen things even more, don't you think?" She hummed, turning to look at him, smoothing down her skirt as she did. "They call me a witch, you know? I've even heard some of your guards utter the word when they think I can't hear them. I'm not witch, my love. Just... Special."

 

[LONELYRAIN]

Arlo's face slowly began to cool at Leana's initial response, his shoulders sagging as he stubbornly was avoiding meeting her gaze. She was... right at least in that regard. If they didn't share the same bed by the time they would be wed, tiresome rumors would inevitably prop up; though it didn't take a genius to figure out how vicious or vile such rumors would become. Not that Arlo would care for such rumors anyways, as his reputation had been soured and tattered by rumors that weren't too far off from the truth. An evil tyrant, a devil of a king, the cruelest soul to rule the world... right, these things were never so far off from what he was, what he defended himself with.

Yet there was a more gentle consideration on his behalf which made him flinch again, shooting her a dirty look over his shoulder, "..You really don't have to keep doing that." It was unnecessary, such kindness would be wasted inevitably, and it wasn't as if he would expect her to be nice to him, not after the way he persisted in treating her. A scowl crossed his face then as she had moved to help him, a tension settling in his limbs as he involuntarily quivered underneath her gentle touch. The soft touch was foreign and still just as terrifying as when she had done so during the night, but luckily enough it did not last for too long, prompting the boy to scoot his way toward the very edge of the bed, his arms crossing his middle against the bandages as he continued to glare at her from the little distance he had put in between them, certainly not very appreciative of her kind efforts.... at least not yet.

"There's no need, the royal physician wouldn't even let you if you tried." The dismissive words were a bit worrisome, but all the same did make some sort of sense. Not just anyone could tend to the king, and they tried their best to minimize the amount of people that saw to the king's injuries, especially in regards to pain... granted making the king drink imported alcohol to dull the pain wasn't the best option, but that was merely a fault of the herbs needed to dull such agony had suffered in recent months due to conflict with some of the kingdom's infrastructure, primarily the harshness of the heat of both spring and summer. Not only that, but aside from the priesthood who everyone reverred, magic was completely unheard of in the kingdom of Yore, thus all of the suspicion and guarded accusations that would come.

A brief silence fell between them, in which Arlo had taken to struggling fully from the blankets that still covered him, his arms resting upon his lap as the deed was done, his scarred back facing Leana as a hand came to absentmindedly rub at the back of his neck, a yawn threatening to leave his lips that he tried to suppress. "Hmm?" The king turned his head back to Leana, the topic change being one that made him raise an eyebrow, only for a cold grin to cross his face. Ah yes, them. "Yes, that was part of the point." He admitted with a shrug of his shoulders, "My predecessors had been letting the local church get a bit too much freedom in how much of the kingdom they controlled. In fact, before me they could freely take as much from the treasury as they desired, as well as making deals with Yore's enemies in return for more gold. In truth, they had allowed themselves to become corrupt and my idiotic family did nothing to keep them in check, merely allowed themselves to get picked off one by one while the church benefited."

"So, after I was seated on the throne they were a bit too eager to try and control me since I was so young, they thought I could be used like all the others... they were wrong of course, and now they want to make my life as difficult as possible, or try to end it as soon as possible. They'll never admit it of course, but it's a lot more fun for me this way." Arlo paused for a moment, then a lopsided grin crossed his face then, "I'm well aware of that as well. There was a reason I chose you after all. After all those little rumors about your Principality, I couldn't help but think that you would be perfect to be everything they hated... granted, I wouldn't have expected them to act so rashly as quickly as they had, but it makes things interesting."

It almost seemed as if Arlo was treating this life of his like a game, or the negative attention and reaction he was receiving, it was what he thrived on, what was completely normal. It was twisted and sad in a way, that the boy could only perceive the negativity of his environment as normalcy, that his paranoia was normal, that everything that formed his life to lead him to this moment was normal... but then again, what else was he to expect when life insisted on giving him cruel hands?

The boy had then turned over, moving a bit closer to Leana as he reached out, very much hesitantly at first his hand, calloused from the harshness of handling weapons had rested against a soft cheek, the urge to reach out to another was foreign, but he deemed he should do this much. "Fear not, heads will roll if I hear someone utter so much as a single insult to you, wife. After all, I'm not ungrateful." Referring to allowing him to sleep well enough, the amused glimmer to his crimson eyes showing a restoration of his previous confidence as the topic change was enough for him to settle into normalcy once more.

 

[catatonic]

Leana had been content with the brief silence that fell between them, busying herself with fixing up the other side of the bed she could reach while he kept his back to her, her pink eyes briefly staring at the lean body across the way from her, and frowning at the scars she could see decorating his skin. He truly is a young man trapped inside the body of a boy. She thought to herself as she looked up when he turned his head to her, her hands supporting her weight as she leaned on the bed. It was rather soft, much softer than she were used to, and she enjoyed it greatly. "I told you I am a gentle woman, despite my fire." She chuckled, smiling slightly at him. She may have hated him during their first meaning, but having learned a little about him she could understand why he acted the way he had. It saddened her to think this life of torture were normal for him, she wanted to bring some peace into the torment if she could.

"Ah, I forgot how a royal physician is." She sighed to herself, for her mother had been the one to take care of her children when they were ill or wounded in any way. It did sadden her to think her medical knowledge would go to waste living in the kingdom, she knew herself to be a rather skilled healer. She would have found joy in helping him recover from the stomach wound, as she truly did like helping people, for she was ever the kind soul even with the fire of a temper she had. She wasn't the solider but she was somewhat able to defend herself with a sword, though her elemental gifts gave her a greater prowess. She was able to skillfully conjure up the fire inside her to use as a weapon, could create icicles out of thin air. Cause thunderstorms with her anger. Oh there were plenty of things the elemental could do, aside from medicines and swordplay. Things that would certainly have the church wanting her head as well.

Such a different life here. I wonder just how much of it I can change? She thought to herself as she looked at him, listening as he began to explain his relationship with the church. She sighed when he was done, shaking her head softly, long pink strands of hair falling in her face. She brushed it out of the way as she looked back at him. "Well, I suppose we could see how much drama we can stir up with our marriage. There's likely to be whispers of our shared night together - who knows what those rumors will be." She teased him with a wink, blatantly flirting with him just to see his reaction. Had anyone ever been so bold to flirt and tease him playfully before? Perhaps she'd be the first.

When he reached out to touch her cheek, she stiffened a little, feeling his calloused hand cup her soft cheek. A hint of blush dusted her cheeks as she listened to him, eyes looking over his as she noticed the amused glimmer to them. He's so close. And his hand is so rough but.. Gentle. She thought as she licked her lips, smiling at him softly. "I thank you, my love. I will do my best to protect you as you protect me." She said softly, her hand reaching to touch his on her cheek, leaning her face slightly into his hand and she relished in the first gentle touch from him.

 

[LONELYRAIN]

One thing that Arlo would not expect would be the flirting. After all, throughout his reign so far as king, the boy would only be met with cold silence, fearful faces and people attempting to wiggle their way to his good side to try and see if they could manipulate him to get any benefits. He was always treated like he was a monster, to be held at arm's length and to never cross, even when the advisors that served him had at first started the long search for a marriage partner for Arlo, the women that had graced his presence never looked him in the eye, nor would they even so much as allow themselves to respond in turn to his words without stumbling over them in fear.

So, to say the least when Arlo nearly recoiled from her skin from the reaction she had given him, judging alone from the widening of his eyes, it was clear she had thrown him off guard. The comment made the confidence falter and begin to crumble as he was scrambling for a response, though this scrambling would be worsened due to the redness that crossed Leana's face at his touch and the pressure of her cheek leaning into his hand. She shouldn't be reacting like this; this was not what he was expecting. The confident hand had begun to tremble as her hand had clasped over it, everything within him ringing alarm bells in his mind as what should be a gentle moment was beginning to become stressful for the boy who couldn't fathom why she was reacting in a way that he didn't expect.

Is she insane? Is she trying to set him up for some horrid ending? The gentle smile and gentler words betrayed no ill intentions and yet he wished to deny such things as his face was quickly beginning to be overtaken with a fierce crimson that crept from his neck and burned through his cheeks, lighting his face a fiery red. Even his ears was not spared from the crimson as his lips parted in the beginnings of a sentence, "Y-y-you-" He struggled, his teeth gritting together as his hand ripped away abruptly from her grasp, the boy taking to retreating underneath the blankets once more and pulling the fabric over his head as what was Arlo had been reduced to a mound underneath the blanket itself, his fingers being the only thing visible from his hiding spot.

Arlo had been embarrassed past his limit, a limit that was quite quick to pass over due to having no prior experience or exposure to gentler reactions or even suggestive teasing at his expense. In public, he perhaps would suppress the embarrassment if such a thing was to occur and respond icily, but at this moment after Leana had seen him in an embarrassing state prior, and now was saying things that were not what he was used to, it resulted in the king now desiring to hide from his fiance, a muffled accusation though weak, "Y-you pervert!" Referring to her flirting tease, something that certainly had left him fumbling and desiring to hide from her gaze.

After all, he was not experienced in matters that dealt with the heart, nor was he one that went out of his way to express his feelings to others. Though he wouldn't say that Leana was a presence he hated, he at least found her... confusing at best and a complete enigma at worse. This reaction to hide also could be faulted on him being locked away in the tower connecting to the castle for most of his life, thus when situations in regards to gentle emotions would be given, he would hide. It was a cute, if not surprising reaction from the boy who was a tyrant, but his wife to be was proving to keep throwing him for confusing loops.

 

[catatonic]

When the blush rose in his skin, Leana grinned, feeling pleased that she could throw him for a loop with her flirtatious teasing. "Oh there are plenty of things I could to make that comment true." She continued teasing him, finding amusement in his hidden form under the blanket. Her cheek was still warm from where his hand had been and she relished in these small moments. That he would act like a child before her - unsure of what to do with her gentle words and suggestive teasing. It amused her so much she laughed as she leaned back from the bed, making no moves to pull the blanket off him, allowing him his sense of security underneath the blanket.

"I am allowed to speak as... Crudely to my husband, am I not? How else can I entice you into bed with me?" The pink haired woman continued in her teasing, feeling content with it. There many heathen things the woman could say or do to bring a reaction out of him, but she would start small. All this gentleness and teasing had to be new and unfamiliar to him. It had to be a bit scary. She stretched her arms over her head as she stood up, feeling her dress rise a bit at the attempt to crack her back, before she rested her hands on her hips, an amused smirk on her lips.

"Would you prefer a wife that doesn't speak in such a naughty way? I'd say you'd be out of luck, I do mean to get one child from you at least." She hummed, greatly amused by the turn of events. "Could you imagine the throw of passion? I can. I can say it'd be a naughty time." She chuckled, running a hand through her long locks as she eyed the Arlo shaped mound in the blanket. "If you weren't so shy, I'd show you a way I could pleasure you." She teased him still, feeling pride in her chest that she could make him so frazzled with her words and tone alone.

 

[LONELYRAIN]

The mound that consisted of Arlo hiding had squirmed, a flinch causing the the king to stiffen as underneath the safety of the blanket, his face would deepen in coloration at her words. What did she mean by that?! Wait.. did he even want to know? No! He certainly didn't! Her laughter at his expense made him just that much more flustered underneath his hiding place, finding that it felt far worse to keep hidden, prickles of unease settling through his body as he wad blind to what she could or couldn't be doing. Lowering the blanket, he peered over the blanket's edge, a reddened face glaring back at her with equally frustrated eyes.

"Hah! As if you would do such t-things!" He lifted his chin stubbornly, attempting to regain his composure as he scowled at her, granted this was a very pitiful attempt at trying to make himself appear as if she had not flustered him so. Caution ran through him immediately as she had placed her hands on her hips, the king shifting backward underneath the protection of the blankets as if that could provide a barrier between himself and the woman taking such glee in every flustered reaction he was giving her, his body threatening to teeter off the edge of the bed, expression twisting with indignation.

"I-I wouldn't s-say that," He huffed, turning his head stubbornly away from her, though what was he saying- wait, she wanted what?! This caused his face to ignite a deeper shade of red at the implication, eyes faltering as his mouth open and closed like that of a beached fish. "I- you... you what?" The question came out breathless in exclamation as he took in a slow breath, feeling as if the room were spinning, though now he quickly resorted to glaring again. Did she think he was a fool, there was... there had to be no way she was actually serious! "Y-You can't be serious! There's no way that you are!"

Wasn't she supposed to hate him? Despise him? Her final words made his mind go blank, "...Get out." He whispered, expression twitching and eventually settling on embarrassment, "Get out!" He exclaimed once more, voice trembling as he didn't want to look at her anymore.

 

[catatonic]

Leana laughed again at his frazzled words, positively amused by the turn of events. "Oh I dare say I do mean it." She hummed, pink eyes holding her amusement as she peered back at him from where she stood. She could tell he was reaching his limit with her words, but she did enjoy pushing her luck. She hummed as she watched him from where she stood, hands on her hips still, eyes gentle.

"Oh, I do mean what I say. I think you'll come to enjoy having an experienced wife." She winked at him, smirking to herself. It was an easy feat to get him so flustered, she quite enjoyed it. There would definitely be more teasing from her coming his way. There was no doubt in her about it.

When he said for her to leave, she rolled her eyes, crossing her arms stubbornly over her chest as she stared at his shape in the blanket. "Fine. But do call if you should need me again." She sighed, feeling like she overstepped her boundaries with him. It had been fun, spending the night in his company and being able to tease him. It felt like, to her, that they had crossed an unfamiliar terrain in their relationship. She wanted to explore how far it could actually go. "There are plenty of things I could do to please you, but if leaving will do it then I will take my leave." She hummed, moving across the room to stand at the large oak door, admiring it now that she could see it in the light. She would come to enjoy being in this room, if she could bring in what she wanted at least.

"See you soon, my love." She gave him one last glance before she slipped out the door, heading down the halls to her own room without waiting for him to tell her to leave again. She hummed happily, feeling pleased by her interaction with Arlo. "Such a innocent boy." She chuckled to herself as she walked, slipping into her room and stripping after she shut the door. She crossed the room and entered the bathroom, feeling a bit of an ache between her legs as she settled into the hot water filled tub when it was filled, sighing at the warmth she felt. She played with herself as she leaned back in the tub, reaching her peak easily as she thought of the boy king, feeling flustered that she thought of him so fondly so soon after meeting him. "Such a stupid boy. Any man would have jumped at the opportunity to bed me." She huffed to herself, evening her breathing as she relaxed in the tub, running the water over her breasts and arms as she sat there, wondering to herself if she made a mistake by being so forward with Arlo in her flirting.

 

[LONELYRAIN]

Arlo scowled in response, a shiver going up and down his spine as she seemed to enjoy watching the king squirm. He hated this, intensely so, being rendered vulnerable and stuttering, stumbling over his words, his fingers curling tight into the blanket as his reddened face was on full display for her enjoyment. "S-shut up!" He exclaimed, his breathing uneven in the midst of his flustered state, teeth baring as she continued to press further with her less than innocent comments.

He couldn't take it much more, the heathen that was his fiance continuing to push and with much frustration, the boy grabbed hold of the nearest pillow he could grab and promptly flung it at the door in retaliation, the pillow slamming against the elegant oak door as it firmly closed shut after her teasing comment had lingered in the air. "Leave already!" His chest heaved in quickened breaths as he glared at the now closed door, his stomach twisting in nervous knots as his shoulders sagged, hands coming to his blazing face, the heat burning against his trembling fingers.

"..What are you even saying?" He whispered, confusion making his brain feel like it was melting. Leana made no sense, at least to him she did not. Her kindness was bizarre, and her flirting was even more so confusing. Where was all of her anger? Where was all of that hatred? Did she not despise him? If so, then why was she acting like she was? Why was she... why did she...?! The king fell back upon the now pillowless bed, his body sinking into the large space as he struggling to slow his quickened breaths as a result of his own flustered emotions. Never had he felt so unlike himself, and quite frankly he wasn't sure whether he liked it or not. No... he hated it, he had to.. right?

His hand draped over his middle then, resting over his bandaged stomach as he grumbled in frustration, "Troublesome woman." The words seethed with irritation, but such irritation was rooted in bewilderment at her gentleness toward him, his skin tingling as he remembered her touch during the night when she had went out of her way to comfort him. Ah, he didn't understand her at all. He truly couldn't understand whatever was going through her mind, crimson eyes sliding to the window as a scowl crossed his face.

Gods, how he felt so utterly twisted up in confusion over this fool! But, he must show that he wasn't ungrateful at least, she had given him a good night's sleep, did she not. Affinity for nature, did she say? A grunt left him as tears sprung to the boy king's eyes, his abdomen flaring with pain with the motion as his chest heaved from the effort, legs swinging over the edge of the bed as he struggled, "H-hah.." Arlo wheezed, the pain flaring within his stomach as his expression twisted, staggering to his feet, the blanket untangling from his legs as he stumbled, going toward the nearest corner where his clothes from the day before have been left as a result of the panic during the night to save his life.

Pulling on his clothes was equally painful, the alcohol that had left his system being the blame as he set about his self imposed task. It must be done, at least for whatever reputation he had left as king, he would not allow himself to be ungrateful for Leana's very much strange kindness.

...​

His fingers ached, already having seen its own share of abuse for the past few days alone and now he was seeing to it that those very same fingers would not receive any reprieve. The boy's breaths were weak as he set about moving through the castle gardens and peering at the flowers that were there... but to the frustrated king, he knew not which she would prefer. Flowers were indeed flowers still to the boy who grumbled under his breath how foolish this was, and that this would not even be worth the trouble... but his fingers would persist to suffer as thorns pierced skin, and with the morning heat beating down upon him in the garden he very much hated, the king was in quite the miserable state.

Eventually, he would be victorious! Granted the end result was a rather tattered result of a bouquet as the king knew not how to be particularly gentle with the flowers, an assortment of mismatched colors shown an amateurish eye for colors that clearly did not go well enough together and some of the petals seemed to have been unintentionally crushed... but, it was a small victory nonetheless. Feeling somewhat pleased with the results, though feeling a bit foolish all the same, the king would then set about trying to discreetly handle passing this off to his fiance. After all, it wasn't as if he was doing this for any hidden reason or anything! No, certainly not! He just remembered that she seemed to be quite fond of the accursed garden, so he was merely being a generous host to her! Yes.. that was all.

The thoughts served to bolster his confidence as the now haggard king would stagger his way back inside the palace, hunger gnawing at his pierced stomach and his head thrumming with a headache, but much to a rather startled servant's surprise, the king would stop the poor maid who seemed quite in a state of bewilderment seeing the king out and about when he should still be restrained to his bed, and the even more bewildering order of, "Take this and hurry to the princess's chamber."

With the rather messy bouquet being then thrust into fumbling hands, the maid would stare wide eyed as the king had staggered off down the hallway, not waiting for a confirmation as more questions than answers would rise to the surface over the bewildering event, but once one served King Arlo long enough, asking questions was something that one would learn to not do.

It wouldn't take too long after that confusing interaction for the maid with hurried steps had finally reached Leana's bedchamber, a hesitant hand raising and knocking upon the door itself, "Y-Your Grace? T-The king desired to give you a... er... gift..?" The sentence was alien enough on the maid's tongue as she looked down at the bouquet that had been handpicked by the king, eyebrows furrowing at the clashing colors and the poor tattered flowers that clearly had not been handled carefully; and... and was that a bit of blood on some of the thorns? Oh dear, perhaps she should have redone the bouquet instead for the king, but then again why did the king decide to do this spontaneously? He never was the one to give gifts before.

 

[catatonic]

Leana had been putting the ruby necklace back on while sitting at her vanity when she heard a knock and the maids words. She raised an eyebrow, shifting in her seat to stand and cross the room. Opening the door, her pink gaze eyed the maid cautiously before looking to the trampled and mismatched bouquet in her hands, feeling herself smile at the sight. She gingerly took the flowers from her, noticing the blood on the thorns of the roses, fingers gently touching the petals of the unintentionally battered flowers. "Arlo did this himself?" She hummed as she looked at the maid, feeling her confusion at her task. "Thank you for bringing them to me." She said gently, still smiling softly as she looked at the flowers.

"Come inside. I was just about to braid my hair, but you'll do for now." She motioned her to enter as she she turned and went to place the flowers in the vace on her table, admiring them for a moment longer before she headed to sit at her vanity once more. "Just a simple braid from top to bottom." She said to the girl, waiting patiently for her to do her hair before she would dismiss her. "I take breakfast has been prepared? I shall go dine in the hall." She mused after checking her hair, waving a dismissive hand to the girl to leave.

She followed out after her after putting on some flat pink shoes to match the pink dress she was wearing, heading down the halls with a confident grace to get some breakfast. She didn't think she'd see Arlo again for breakfast, but would be pleased if she did. Stepping into the dinning hall she felt that same ache at the emptiness she had the day before and sighed as she took her seat, waiting there for the food to be brought out after telling the maids in the room she'd be dining there with or without her fiance.

 

[LONELYRAIN]

The woman had nodded her head, although hesitantly at Leana's inquiry, looking to the rather battered bouquet again as she had taken the flowers from her grasp. It.. certainly seemed like something Arlo would make, all battered and tattered as it was. Nonetheless, as the maid was given a new task, hesitation flared to life briefly in her expression at the command, a wariness within the eyes that gazed toward the woman before her. Wasn't this the very same woman who Marjorie had served before the maid had gone mad? Didn't they say this woman was a witch? Had she been the one to put the sweet young woman up to killing the king?

The maid would not voice these thoughts out loud, concealing the obvious reluctance in coming into contact with the king's wife to be as she would do as told, taking care to do the best she could out of some ridiculous fear that if she would do something to displease the woman before her that something horrid might happen to her instead. After all, rumors would tend to get out of hand eventually, whether it would affect the woman's prospects in regards to popularity among the castle's servants or the common folk would be yet to be seen. For now, any hostility or apprehension was kept at a minimum out of fear of upsetting Arlo, for the king was still very much a threat even as wounded as he was.

As the maid would be dismissed, it seemed like she was all too eager to leave the room, her steps echoing in rapid succession down the hall and retreating out of Leana's sight; though when the woman did finally arrive in the dining hall, surprisingly enough it seemed as if Arlo was there... granted he did look a little worse for wear, a thin sheen of sweat dampening some of the blonde locks and making them cling to his forehead, granted this was a fault of the physical exertion he had taken earlier to picking the flowers for the rather messy bouquet. He was dressed in different clothes, granted mostly due to servants immediately forcing Arlo to change and at least accept assistance with a sponge bath instead due to the location of his all too fresh injury which had been redressed and cleaned.

There was now this time silverware placed before him, showing that he was indeed eating this time... even if the boy didn't seem too enthused. His elbow rested upon his chair's armrest, cheek supported by his palm as a sigh left his lips, crimson eyes downcast toward the table until he heard Leana's voice claiming she would be dining with or without him, which prompted the king to huff, "You didn't expect you would be dining alone, did you?" Arlo's expression seemed a bit calmer now, even if he was no longer looking at her directly... a fault of her teasing earlier being the cause of his gaze not meeting her own and the faintest stubborn clinging of red that still touched the king's ears. His eyebrows furrowed as he glanced toward the maids who seemed a bit.. skittish. Why?

The maids within the room had hastily dispersed, attempting to see to it that breakfast would be served for the two royals, leaving them with some privacy, though Arlo didn't very much like what he saw in regards to the hesitant glances Leana was receiving from the fearful glances and nervous conduct. A frown had crossed his face then, finger tapping against his cheek as he didn't put voice to his displeasure at least not yet. Instead, now he forced his eyes to turn back to Leana, seeing that her hair was braided now and the pink dress she had chosen to wear; though the most glaringly obvious thing was the necklace she seemed to be insistent on wearing in his presence, the ruby gleaming within the light upon her neck made a frown cross his face as a sigh left his lips, "You.. you don't have to keep wearing that."

His free hand had gestured toward the necklace to make his point, after all it was unnecessary. Perhaps during their first impressions it was a must, but now he considered her already interesting enough to keep around.. even if she was very, very odd.

 

[catatonic]

Leana had jumped a little hearing Arlo's voice, her pink gaze turning to him in his seat. She hadn't seen him when she arrived, mostly because the back of his chair hid him very well. She smiled at him, feeling pleased she wouldn't be dining alone. She shifted in her seat, eyeing the maids around the room. They seemed more wary of her after what Marjorie had done, which she wasn't surprised by. She figured the servants thought she put Marjorie up to attacking Arlo, even though he and herself knew that she had no hand in the attempt. The real culprit wasn't one they could just take care of yet.

She licked her lips as she sat back in her seat, looking at him softly as he spoke. She glanced down at her necklace, touching it softly. "I will wear it until I get my new ink, whenever that may be. It's custom in my family to wear something that signifying I belong to my husband." She hummed, figuring he probably didn't know that tid bit. It amused her to think he was probably off put by her insistence in wearing the jewelry, but she meant what she said. Her new ink would forever remain on her skin as a mark of who she belonged to, even if the idea of belonging to him was still foreign to her.

She hummed as she leaned on the table, tattoos hidden underneath her dress which she scratched at one collarbone absentmindedly. "Thank you for the flowers, my love." She said gently, looking back at him with a little dusting of blush on her cheeks. "I put them in the vase on my table. I hadn't thought you'd gift me flowers, you hadn't seemed to interested in them yesterday."

 

[LONELYRAIN]

Arlo's eyebrows furrowed a bit in response, her reply being quite alien to him all the same. Though he did know that she had mentioned her people did frequently tattoo themselves, the idea of her wearing the amulet to then tattoo any significance of her belonging to him was... strange. Strange in the fact alone that they would be receiving rings; rings that were passed down from even before King Aldrich's time till now, a more traditional sign of their unity, even if Arlo certainly did find the whole requirement for a large ceremony ridiculous, especially considering the church would be overseeing the proceedings. "Hm... very well. Do as you'd wish."

The words were uncertain of course, the king still finding her willingness to be quite strange now as he cast a wary glance in her direction. But, once more he found no deceit in those pink eyes of hers. Yet, even so the king had stiffened up in his seat as she had given him words of gratitude in regards to the flowers, the light dusting of pink on her cheeks making him look away as his mind was quick to settle on an excuse, or an explanation for the gift. After all, it wasn't often that Arlo would do such a thing to begin with, especially without being pestered to do such a thing.

"You seemed to like the gardens yesterday, that was.. why." The awkwardness in his words was genuine enough, "..It was a thank you f-for last night. I.. haven't slept well for awhile." He grumbled, crimson eyes seeming more interested in burning holes into the table rather than meeting her own. It was no secret that the king suffered from insomnia, or bouts of madness as a result from lack of sleep. Granted, such a thing would be obvious to tell in the darkened bags underneath the normally tired eyes of the boy; yet of course Leana hadn't truly viewed Arlo when lack of sleep would take its toll on the king.

Though he was healthy enough in body, his mind was frayed and weak, occasionally giving heed to the mountain of trauma he held at bay. The sleep aid was what he depending on when his days seemed to meld into one another, till he could no longer determine where he was or what he was doing. Such days would always be dark ones at least for both himself and the servants who served the troubled King.

Feeling a bit embarrassed that he had admitted such a failing of himself, he cleared his throat as he tried his best to regain his composure, "There are some things that I must inform you about prior to the wedding," Granted this was something that typically would fall to the clergy of the church; for good enough reasons they were not permitted within the palace, at least without prior notice. "Yore's royal weddings tend to be drawn out affairs, and allied kingdoms will be in attendance, however keep in mind to be careful, I needn't elaborate that I do have plenty of enemies; they will not hesitate to try to undermine your standing in public." It was why Arlo detested large gatherings of nobles, his first debute as the king of Yore had been met with laughter at his expense, and compliments that served as insults all the same.

Of course such countries that spoke such words in the boy of merely ten summer's presence at that time had paid dearly, their towns burned and ransacked, reduced to mere ashes of what they once boasted; and now the king could anticipate plenty of angry faces in regards to the choice of his official wife; after all most of the world disregarded the Principality of Storms as some poor nation that didn't deserve any standing of nobility, much less a marriage to one of the most powerful kings at that time. In fact, most would sooner assume Arlo to take a wife that was more similar in wealth and from a family as powerful as his own. So, certainly there would be plenty of bruised ego, and frustrated glares that she would receive.

 

[catatonic]

Leana had hummed when he told her to do as she wished, feeling pleased he was allowing her leave to get the tattoo when the time came. She licked her lips as she watched him, wondering what their life as a married couple would be like. They were still strangers to one another as it stood for now as she'd only been in the castle for a few days. She leaned back in her seat, resting her hands on the table before her, revealing a bouquet of roses on her left forearm that she wasn't too sure he'd noticed yet. Not that she minded if he did or not, he hadn't said anything with the collarbone tattoos she had shown him yesterday. He didn't seem like he cared one way or the other about them.

"Well then," She hummed, wondering how long it had been last since he had a good night's sleep. "If my company soothes you that much, we could arrange to have me stay in your bed chambers soon than our marriage if you'd like?" She suggested after a moment of silence to contemplate whether it would seem to bold to attempt. She could behave herself most definitely, but she did fear for a moment that he wouldn't have actually liked having her sleep beside him before they were wed.

"Oh?" She looked back at him when he began speaking of their wedding, nodding when it seemed appropriate. There were things she didn't know about Yore's customs - for her people a wedding was a small but grand affair as they weren't a really powerful nation. She wasn't exactly used to having the crowds he spoke of, but knew she could handle herself well. "They will not dare speak poorly about me with you around." She said confidently, feeling that she would protect her own name if need be but figured he'd take a stand against anyone bad mouthing her. She expected to have hateful glared and bruised egos as she was from a poorer nation compared to the others, the more powerful and wealthy families being hurt that she was chosen as his official wife. But what they didn't know, was her nation was powerful in the way that most of them were elementals, though she herself was the prodigy of the Royal family from the Principality of Storms. She was also the oldest child of the current ruling family, but that was besides the point. She was a powerful woman to have at his side - if he used her services correctly that is. "What other things should I expect for the wedding? I know little of your customs, unfortunately."

 

[LONELYRAIN]

Arlo's eyes flashed to her wrist as she had shifted in her seat, his eyebrows furrowing a bit at the tattoo, yet one of many that it seemed that decorated his future wife. Though the decorative ink certainly didn't bother him, the boy wasn't entirely positive if she would be willing to elaborate on them, especially considering how their relationship seemed to be when they first encountered each other. The question raised on his tongue, curiosity taking over him as he had begun to try to ask; only for the question to die just as quickly at her suggestion.

A bit of color had come to his cheeks as he cleared his throat, chin burying a bit further into his palm as he looked away from Leana, "...You'd better keep your hands to yourself." The grumble that responded in turn to her suggestion was in his own way, accepting the offer. After all, the all too large bed had seemed to comfortably be able to hold the both of them within, and whether he would admit it or not, the warmth that the woman provided was enough to soothe him, but all the same make him feel... uneasy. It was a strange feeling indeed. Certainly, the king wasn't sure how to deal with Leana properly yet; or even the strangeness that came with her. Though, of course he was placing a boundary between them, after all the king didn't truly trust the woman yet, nor had he forgotten her teasing earlier that morning either.

It wouldn't be too long until the king would relax again, her confident claim that none would openly badmouth her in Arlo's presence had made the king snort, a bit of a smile managing to cross his lips at her confidence, "You truly are confident, aren't you? Putting so much faith in my influence already?" Regaining his prior confidence, a smirk played upon the boy's lips, crimson eyes glimmering with amusement, "Not that it would be wrong to, of course. After all, you'll become the Queen of the world once you are wed to me. To insult you would in fact be their unmaking." In truth, Arlo always would leap at the chance to fight, as fighting had become his nature and violence his language. The slightest inclination of a threat was something that the king did not shy from, but instead could be seen as worrisome as the boy was certainly not a peacemaker.

The inquiry about other customs had made Arlo's eyebrows furrow as he tried to remember. It wasn't as if he had been privy to a royal wedding before, as considering the only large marriage was between his mother Queen Blythe to King Aldrich, it had been quite a long amount of time since the sacred proceedings would have been reviewed or practiced, so most of it was fuzzy in the boy's memory due to him not paying attention to such things. "..If I remember correctly we will be given cups filled with sacred wine that they keep in the temple, and we're supposed to exchange it. Something about binding or.. whatever." He waved his hand absentmindedly, shoulders raising in a shrug, "Aside from that the wedding is overseen by the church, I know very little about the details. It's not as if any royals has been wed since..." The boy trailed off, his expression pinching for a moment, suddenly dropping the topic entirely.

"..Anyways, I was wondering about your tattoos... you certainly seem to have a lot." The comment was void of curiosity at the moment, mostly due to Arlo trying his best to block off any memories of his mother... for the only memory that corrupted all else was her death and nothing else.

 

[catatonic]

Leana chuckled at his grumble, but nodded her head nonetheless. "I will keep my hands to myself, don't worry." She agreed, smiling to herself. She had shared a bed with a man before, but this would be the first time she'd shared one with a boy she was supposed to marry. She was a little giddy and somewhat worried if she did the wrong thing he'd force her out the room until they were wed. Part of her still hated the arrangement, but there was nothing she could do to change it unfortunately, so she was trying to look on the brighter side of things.

"Is it wrong for me to be confident in my husband to be?" She inquired, raising an eyebrow at him, listening to him speak quietly. "There'll be plenty of bruised egos for you having been married to me. Many of the wealthy families will be cross of you marrying someone from such a poor nation." She hummed, resting her chin in her hand as she gazed at him thoughtfully. When he spoke of what to expect for their wedding, she hummed, thinking it made sense, but she didn't offer her own words in response, just a bit of a confused expression when he suddenly dropped the topic. She didn't press though, for fear it was something he didn't want to talk about.

She looked down at her arm when he spoke of her tattoos, raising an eyebrow at his question. "Oh you want to know about them?" She smiled happily as she looked at him with gentle eyes. "The royal family of Storms starts getting tattoos when they're sixteen." She began, a thoughtful look on her face. "My first was the constellation of stars on my left collarbone, the next was the viper on my right collarbone, after that I got the roses for my parents on my arm and there's a nest of vipers on my back." She hummed. "The royal family tattoos themselves of something to signify their spouse when they get married, and but usually it's just the stars of their birth and the animal they most likely have around them." She looked even more thoughtful as she tried to think of what else they would tattoo themselves with, though her mind was drawing a blank. "I think that's pretty much it. Tattooing has been a tradition as long as our nation has been around, though I'm certain it might be a little foreign to yourself. I'm just glad you hold no ill will towards me wanting to get more." She smiled again, remembering his words that allowed her to return to her homeland when the time came for her to get her new tattoo. "When I go back to my homeland, I'll be there a few days to get the tattoo. Are you certain you're fine with me leaving after we're wed to get it done? It will be just as glorious as the necklace I currently wear."

 

[LONELYRAIN]

Reassurance was good, at the very least Leana's confirmation that she would keep her hands to herself was certainly a very huge relief on the king's shoulders. His comfort zone was basically like his security blanket, not desiring to step too far or less he would be left stranded in unfamiliar and uncomfortable situations. Nonetheless, Arlo could finally relax at the promise... even if he didn't fully trust her, evident enough from the side eye he was giving her within his seat.

A hum did leave him though at her inquiry, a light lifting of his shoulders in response, "No, not necessarily wrong. Just... surprising." It wasn't necessarily unwelcome for her to come to depend on his influence, for whatever political sway he had, she would also take some share in. A wolfish grin did cross his face in at the prospect of anyone daring to speak out during the proceedings, ah how he would love to simply whet his appetite; it had been far too long since he'd... no. The grin faded as he released a sharp exhale through his nostrils, expression settling in apathy to control the tide of emotion before the ever familiar itch would begin to settle in his fingertips; knowing full well that if he started to give heed to the emotion now, he would never calm until it was satisfied.

Did we have any prisoners set to be transferred over? The stray thought overrode his current attention span, having unintentionally tuned out the softer sound of Leana's voice, his other arm moving to completely rest upon the armrest, fingers tapping rhythmically against the wood as if the steady thump could potentially transfer the urge away, though it in part was fading as the abuse he'd put upon his fingers a few days prior did stab him in little prickles at the pressure of still healing scabs underneath the nail bed. Hah.. it wasn't enough though. His mind droned in the usual anxieties that bespoke of his madness, where it had been set on traveling down prior to the sudden topic change that his lips had suggested.

"The royal family tattoos themselves of something-"

Her voice caused the boy to snap back to attention, an unnatural jolt in the way his body had been set to drift into the darkened thoughts that whispered in the back of his mind. The king's eyes flashed back to the woman as she had set to explain about the tattoos and their meaning; it was merely tradition for her people. The explanation seemed sound enough from what she had already shared, bizarre and strange to him to find such significance in the ink that painted her skin... but in truth he had no sway on the matter. It wasn't as if the tradition would serve to make him come to any sort of harm, neither would the kingdom.

Her words made him raise an eyebrow, only for the brow to lower as he shrugged again, no smile coming to grace his face, nor any vibrant emotion that had been so quick to flood his features just moments before. "I did say you can do as you wish, consider it a wedding gift if you'd must to visit your homeland again." Tapping fingers would be forced to stop, Arlo shifting in his seat again as the smell of food drifted to his nose causing his stomach to coil and twist with the fierce bite of hunger. Of course, this time he would eat, not that his servants would take 'no' as an answer due to him being injured, it wouldn't be too long until a hearty assortment of food would be placed between the two, though he would restrain himself, "Eat."

Again it seemed like he would allow her to take her share first before himself, not that he had eaten in her presence the last time, but this was a small thing he could do.

 

[catatonic]

Leana seemed pleased that her reassurance had caused him to relax, a small smile gracing her lips as she watched him. Such an odd boy. She thought to herself as she watched him, almost sensing the different change in his movements. "If a wife has no faith in her husband, than it is a poor match." She hummed, feeling her words to be true. She had seen unhappy marriages before and was determined to make sure her marriage to Arlo wouldn't be the same.

When she finished her speech about the tattooing tradition of Storms, she fell quiet, trying to ignore the hunger that gnawed at her stomach as she sat back in her seat again. She had noticed the boy seemed distracted but didn't know what to do in regards to it. It wasn't like she was a mind reader, but the tapping of his fingers on his armrest gave her vibes that he was restless in someway. She wondered to herself what she could do to ease his restfulness, but said nothing more as she didn't know what to do. It didn't seem appropriate to tease him right now, so she wouldn't. Then an idea sprung up on her. "Perhaps I'll go into the city today? Get a feel of the people I'll be helping rule over, and get a feel for what would be my domain." She hummed as she looked back at him, pink gaze curious. She didn't think he'd join her, but she knew he'd offer a guard or two to accompany her in her journey. It did beat sitting around the castle doing nothing, though she knew she could explore the castle in her free time as well.

When the scent of the food filled the room, she hummed happily, watching as the servants placed the array down between the two of them, hesitating even when he said to eat. She glanced at him curiously, having not thought he'd allow her to get her share first, but she nodded her head and licked her lips as she piled a plate of food. Settling the plate down before her, she opted for some tea instead of wine considering how yesterday had went when she drank so early in the morning. Besides she liked the sweeter wine that came with dinner over the one served during breakfast. "Thank you, my love. I do hope you'll eat today as well," She mused after swallowing a mouthful of food. "That wound on your stomach will take some time to heal. I only hope it's been tended to and stitched properly. I'd do it myself, but as you said before the royal physician wouldn't take kindly to me meddling in his work." She huffed, feeling a bit sad that her medical knowledge would go to waste in such a place. At least when they had children she'd be able to take care of them when they were sick or injured in any way, most likely fighting with the royal physician to make sure she was the one to tend to their children. She laughed to herself at the thought, shaking her head. She didn't foresee children any time soon, but the thought was a pleasant one.

 

[LONELYRAIN]

In the midst of the brief exchanges of silence, Leana's voice had cut through it. It was... strange having someone's companionship during breakfast, or even considering any of his other meals in which the boy was used to dining alone to stew in his paranoia, his stress. And yet, this woman persisted to speak, eyes betraying not a single shred of hate that he could detect, or even apprehension, nor could he detect any cold edge in her tone, anything that would betray that she felt uncomfortable... at least for now that is.

Her suggestion of going into the city was met with a stillness that went through the king's body and a tension to the boy's limbs, eyes seeming far more preoccupied with staring at the empty plate before him as he waited for Leana to take what she desired first. The silence persisted, interrupted yet again by her voice to cut through it all in strange consideration for his well-being, and the strangeness of it all being multiplied tenfold by the little affectionate reference to himself, as it he was someone precious to her... how absurd it was, though he'd taken notice that she had started referring to him in such a manner in his bedchamber, it was a pet name that certainly didn't fit, not someone like him.

Quizzical would be the next expression he gave her as she seemed to laugh and the subsequent shaking of her head; was... was something funny? Apprehension soared high in the boy who was now quick to pluck his share, albeit a bit smaller than what Leana had taken due to the pain still flaring through his body from the stomach wound, "If you do decide to leave, I'll assign you a guard. Take care when you travel the streets, even if it is relatively safe here, anything can happen." Arlo did not want to leave his castle, the boy had not left it for almost too long. In fact, when had been the last time he'd made a public appearance or an announcement? ..Years was it now? The people of Yore only had Arlo's appearance in their mind from when he had last returned from the very last crusade he'd been on, one that had been far more brutal than his others. After that, the boy lingered within his castle walls, never desiring to step outside for he would have to always pass by... that accursed place.

His fingers clenched a bit tighter against the silverware in his grasp as he sampled a bit of the food, the taste being good enough for him as he set about carefully eating, granted he did seem to be in a bit of discomfort everytime the food would be swallowed, a result of the pain he was experiencing becoming a bit worse. "...Arlo." He finally spoke, his crimson eyes turning to Leana as a small frown had crossed his face, "You may call me Arlo." The names of endearment felt.. too strange, too alien for the boy king who was only used to cold shoulders or barbed comments just out of earshot. Besides, he figured in his own mind that since they were to be wed soon anyways, it'll be easier to get in the habit of referring to each other by name without the honorific, if only to appease anyone else who might be suspicious of how close the two actually were.

Turning his attention back to the food, he shrugged his shoulders as the frown persisted, "If it bothers you that much, you may take a look at it. I could just make up an excuse on your behalf anyways, not that he'll be able to have much to say." The amused quirk to his lips at the dark undertone told enough that he would certainly do what he must to keep the royal physician's mouth shut, even if it would result in threats. Besides, the wound was beginning to throb with agony; though his face did not betray it, the slight shift in his breaths did, shallower as to not breathe in too deeply and cause the stitches upon the injury to become more agitated.

 

[catatonic]

Leana nodded her head when he said he'd assign her a guard for her adventure outside the castle, wondering to herself what the city was like. She had only seen it in passing on her way to the castle when she arrived, she was looking forward to see it. "I will be safe. Don't you worry." She smiled at him, returning her gaze to her food.

She let silence fall between them as she busied herself with eating, sipping from her glass of tea to wash down the food. When he spoke again, she looked at him, curiously raising her eyebrow as she listened. "Arlo," she tried his name softly on her tongue, liking the way it sounded. She smiled at him in response. "I will still call you 'my love' when it seems appropriate." It might seem odd to him, but she found the term of endearment soft and soothing. Something different than what he would normally hear, and she wanted to bring as much softness to his life as she could.

When he said she could take a look at his wound, she perked up, smiling at him softly. "It would please me to see if this physician is of any worth." The pink haired woman hummed as she looked at him, knowing she would be able to tell if his stitches were correct or not and if the wound had been cleaned properly. She would wait till he was done eating for that though, seeing as she was still eating herself. She didn't mean to openly doubt the royal physician, but she hadn't seen him tending to the wound herself so she was of course sceptical - especially considering it had been a wound meant to take the boy king's life. She would be a fool not to see to it herself, after all her mother had taught her. Plus it would give her an excuse to see him shirtless again, something she quite enjoyed seeing the night before. He had a fine physique for one so young, she liked that she could view it whenever he'd let her.

 

[LONELYRAIN]

The king wasn't one to take too quickly to terms of endearment, considering the people that surrounded him in his childhood up until now, it was strange and off-putting for him to referred to so endearingly by someone he still regarded as a stranger, regardless of their situation. So, when she had spoken his name out loud, the boy didn't anticipate the stutter that suddenly grabbed hold of his heart and the following oddness that came with her voice uttering his name with warmth and not the usual cold or distant tongue of his fellows. Warm, it was.. warm.

A tinge of heat did swarm the king's cheeks as he took in a sharp breath and looked away from her, desperately trying to keep his cheeks from blazing in deep crimson as they had been earily that morning. Granted, her following statement made him roll his eyes as his fingers began to tap again upon the armrest, "..That is unnecessary." He grumbled, though it seemed like Leana had unintentionally flustered the king again, his cheeks being enough to betray him in the light pink that dusted across pale skin.

Of course her perking up when he had relented to allow her to see the wound herself made the king narrow his eyes ever so slightly at the woman, granted it did make a smile cross his face, "Do you not trust the physician? I'm still very much alive still due to his efforts." Alive but still in pain, much to his chagrin, but there was not much to be done about that until the wound would heal enough to warrant taking out the painful stitches that knitted the deep injury together. A little shrug of his shoulders would follow as he took to eating once more, attempting to ignore the pain that his stomach wound gave everytime he so much as moved, "It is not as if my wound is poisoned or anything." A rather darker joke at his own expense, considering how close to death Arlo had ventured before, to him it mattered not.

 

[catatonic]

Leana didn't particularly care if he found her insistence on calling him by a term of endearment cross or not - she liked the way it sounded and it would become true one day. She hummed as she ate, smiling to herself for a moment before she looked at him after swallowing a mouthful. "Leana." She said gently. "You can call me Leana instead of calling me princess." She continued, smiling gently at him, feeling a bit of a buzz for being allowed to call him by his name. It seemed to fit him, she mused to herself, his name that was.

She grinned wider at the sight of blush creeping on his cheeks, quite amused her words got to him in such a way. "It will be what only I can call you." She huffed, smirking to herself as she knew he had to be flustered by her persistence. She would see to calling him "my love" even if it made him uncomfortable - it was term of endearment she heard her parents call each other and figured it wouldn't be a bad idea to get him used to it. She would come to love him, even if it was a slow endeavor.

She licked her lips as she reached for her tea, looking at him curiously as he spoke, enjoying the sight of his smile at her words. "It's not that I don't trust him," She chuckled, shaking her head as she set her tea back down. "More like I didn't see the wound nor did I see him tend to it. I want to make sure it's done properly or I feel like my medical knowledge will go to waste." She finished, frowning at his next set of words, though pleased to see him trying to eat. He would need his strength while the stomach wound healed after all. "Well, I certainly hope nobody tries poisoning you any time soon. That could have been ghastly if it was. I know there are many different poisons to be made." She hummed, still frowning at the idea of someone trying to kill him. Not that she could really blame anyone, but as his wife to be it was part of her duty to make sure he stayed safe. She would fulfill her duties as best as she could while bringing Arlo some peace to his life. Something she didn't think he ever had before.

 

[LONELYRAIN]

Arlo tensed at the permission of calling her by name as well, granted it should be something minor.. really it should. After all, she did have a name like every human being, so it would make sense for him to call her by it rather than stiffly referring to her by her title, or simply referring to her as "you". That certainly wouldn't go down too well in the inevitable public eye when they would have to make their appearances to the public, and with their union it would be inevitable that Arlo would have to entertain the thought of having more frequent visits from countries both near and far who would either want to give their blessings in person, or even attempt to now sniff about the new Queen and attempt to take advantage of the new connections, or if to see if the woman from an unknown country was a threat like Arlo. After all, none of the surrounding countries wanted to deal with someone who could potentially be as violent as he.

However, Arlo only referred to others by name after they had only earned his ire or were considered an asset... he could make an exception this time, couldn't he? Granted, she would be considered a great asset considering her whole purpose was to continue his family lineage, something that he wasn't too particularly keen on as once more that was out of his comfort zone. Rosy lips pressed together as he seemed to struggle, "Right... L..Leana." Unlike his usual confident tone, the name felt foreign and strange on his tongue with no title attached. It was uncomfortable and awkward in the delivery which made him feel another flare of embarrassment. It was... too much.

Nonetheless, the topic change that he had put into motion was more than welcome to resettle on the matter of his wound. An eyebrow raising at the fact that Leana had medical knowledge herself, "Oh?" That was a surprise, a welcome one but still very much interesting indeed to know about his fiance. "Well, depending on how good you are, the royal physician might find his services needed elsewhere." It was a light jest, but judging from the newfound interest in Arlo's gaze as it settled upon Leana, she seemed to have caught his attention. Granted, it seemed that his attention could be caught only in matters that were a result of personal investment or matters considering his kingdom. Though, a snort left his lips in response to her frown, "Unfortunately, it's only a matter of time. Don't worry though, I assure you that I will not die too soon."

There were still matters he needed to attend to, matters that concerned his kingdom and setting down the necessary foundation to make sure his kingdom would continue to thrive if he suddenly met his untimely end out in the world. Cheating death was becoming more so like a game for the boy, for his life always had been at threat.

The sound of his plate scraping against the tabletop could be heard as Arlo's chair had been scoot back, the plate having been picked at obviously enough from the food, but the boy couldn't bring himself to finish, the wound pained him too much. "Come to my chambers after you're done, I wish to see your medical knowledge for myself." Confident again in his words, though it was certainly a rare invitation indeed, not that he had anything uncouth in mind, after all he was merely curious about how much she actually knew.

His steps would fade then, retreating from the dining room as his steps echoed in the room, his steps confident enough but faltering with each step he was taking.... it really was getting more painful to move.

...​

Arlo's hands took to unbuttoning the long sleeved tunic that covered his skin, his fingers fumbling with the buttons as he shrugged out of the material, allowing it to fall in a crumbled heap on floor. A painful grunt left him as he settled upon the plush bed, eyeing the tight bandages that still were tight around his torso.. but worrying enough there was little splotches of blood that were beginning to make itself known upon the red. "Shit.." The curse left his lips as he braced himself with his arms, head leaning back to gaze absentmindedly at the ceiling.

From where he sat, the sunlight streaming into his room had cast a warm light against his pale skin; a thin sheen of sweat settling in light droplets upon the pale surface as some more of the muscles that consisted of the king's physique could be seen far clearer in the brighter light of the day's sun than it had been at dawn or even during the night. His expression was pinched in discomfort.