Marcus Leocadus
And what's a wolf without a pack, come what may she has my back
Istiana Komenenos
"Trailing through the desert. It does bring back memories." There was little they hadn't done together through the years, little they couldn't accomplish.
Marcus Leocadus
" Certainly, and they would have been far less fond if not for so fine a companion, where the blade faltered your wits never did, I could've done without digging wells for miserly souls to keep them blind to our semblances and mute to our names but never did I regret a journey beside you. It brings me solace then that through your actions, even though our Empire fell, it did not fall without a fight and it fell much as the ashes of a burnt forest bring life anew to the earth, you are as much deserving of the title wolf as I. " Marcus added with a smile reminiscing of those days of high adventure.
Istiana Komenenos
It was undoubted that Istiana found a balm in the constant flattery, it was nice to be wanted. "You deemed yourself an old wolf even then." She added with his complaint of digging wells.
It pained her, to a degree, that she hadn't been able to save the Empire, it played on her mind at times, that had she been there sooner, had just another couple of years, she might have saved it. Might have raised it back up to it's former glory than watching it burn. "I was always better at toppling cities and civilizations, than building them up. Even then, if it were not for your battle prowess and strategy, I may not have been so successful."
"Perhaps I should concede at last and bear the Wolf emblem. Somewhere hidden, but there to show my honorary title."
Marcus Leocadus
" Aye, maybe we're both guilty at that, hmph, perhaps we would not have happened upon each other if it were so. " Marcus added " I feel a little less weary around you admittedly " he added his eyes beaming at the sight of her and her quip about that old wolf title and the subtle jabs at those pompous battle speeches, a mischievous grin swept his semblance at her final utterance.
" This talk of bearing wolves, and I the tempter ? " Marcus nodded " It would be a most gracious honor on your part to make the acquaintance of the house of Cornaeth, though you'd have to part with the cowl of ambiguity that has served you so well thus far, who'd keep watch on the shadow then, lest we make amends for a more formal retirement. "
Marc added sauntering past her, his tone slow and playful, looking out a window at the snows upon the slopes.
" In an unabashed honesty however, the very thought of having my brand upon you, hrmm " the roused growl stated all that was meant to be said. " Now what pray tell would the magnificent Istiana have a wolf do to earn such a thing ? "
Istiana Komenenos
"I shall let you in on a little secret." Istiana leaned forward a little, speaking in a quiet tone. "I was sent to investigate you, to ensure your ambitions did not mean your sights were set too high." He had made a name for himself, proved himself again and again, that there had been some concerned rumblings that he might be seeking to usurp them all.
Her bright blue eyes followed him as he sauntered past, as if he were almost strutting. Proud. As he had every right to be.
There was but one thing she needed from him, for him to wait. From her younger days she had calmed already, yet she was not yet calm enough to give him what he wanted, not fully. Though the idea of sharing her days with someone who adored her the way he did, coveted her, was a heady thought.
"Ensnare me. Capture me." Istiana said playfully. "Then I'll tell you the rest."
Marcus Leocadus
" I caught on, what wolf does not know his own den... and then I feigned conspiracy to make you stay longer, you could say I set my eyes on an ambition far grander and more difficult than usurping an empire, oh but what a sight she was... and still is "
Marcus's shoulders stiffened and then rose with a sort of excitement at what she announced next, like a hound in anticipation of being set loose. What happened next was perhaps something Istiana had already predicted, very much the bold young captain she had once tempted out of many a fortune and favor but for whom all was worth it.
He leapt, he leapt with all ferocity and vigor and yet for such a virile display one was left to question who held the balance of power in the tentative situation that followed. With one hand at her throat and the other in her hair Marcus had barely considered that he left himself open and naturally the cold steel that pressed against his ribs brought Marcus and Istiana back to that encounter years ago.
" Hmph "
Marcus added partly in frustration and partly in intrigue, she always played the animal within him, as if she would make it that easy and convenient.
" To think I'd have you right here and now, but that would be too easy... too simple... too boring... Well Istiana, you know what they say... be careful what you wish for... it might just come true... "
Marcus added turning his head upwards, an intricate motif carved into the roof of the palace.
" If it's a hunt Istiana Komenenos wishes for it's a hunt she will get, and what greater honor for the Wolf but to hunt you ? A bit of nuance to the matter, a bit of ritual and enough danger to sate your whims... and if we survive the night then by dawn all secrets would have been revealed... mine for yours. Do me a little grace and share a bit of wine to dull the beast before it is set unto the arena ? tonights a full moon, you've a fair few hours worth of a lead "
He added, placing the woman atop his broad shoulders before marching towards his throne room.
Istiana Komenenos
He was right, he could have had her right there, she could have yielded to him, yet by his own admission, it would have been too easy and simple. And Istiana was not one to fall into the category of predictable, despite the blade pressed to his ribs that spoke of their very first meeting. As the one person in the word she trusted, the hand around her neck did not concern her. Much like herself, Marcus could be unpredictable, though rarely in an unpleasant manner. Others might have lamented over the idea of capturing her, likening it to attempting to capture the wind or a fragrance in the air. Yet he took it in his stride, in a single leap and found the challenge within it.
Istiana felt a thrill go through her as he upped the challenge again, pitting his skills against hers, him hunting, with her the quarry. It would be interesting to see which of them was the victor, though it would undoubtedly be him.
In one swift motion, she was lifted onto his shoulders, the curve of her waist resting against his neck, his rough and warm hand wrapped around her leg. Her frame swayed with the motion of his movement, resting easily on his shoulders, loose and calm as she knew he would not drop her unceremoniously.
As he walked, she thought over what he said, with a couple of possible outcomes springing to mine, when she picked apart what was said. And for that, she would have to tease him.
“Ritual, nuance, the sharing of wine… Marcus Leocadus, are you leading me to a Flamen Dialis and Pontifex Maximus?” She could not hide the lilt of playfulness in her voice, she knew he wouldn’t. “No, you couldn’t be. The danger would be to you from flying projectiles.”
Eyes graced over the walls, taking in the little details that spoke entirely of him. “If you let me down, I’ll fetch some of the spiced wine I brought with me. Your favorite. I know you sniffed it out not long after I arrived.”
Marcus Leocadus
"Istiana, when have I ever let you down"
Marcus added with a bit of mischievous menace, play returned with play quite enjoying the sensation of carrying her as one would riches after a long battle, you couldn't put a price on her though, he wouldn't deny Istiana a return to gravity for long however, not one to push his luck as it were, an old scar by that mountain of a shoulder right by the jugular would attest to that, it was no beast or mighty foe, it was Istiana, a lesson within a lesson, to be mindful of one's pride, now, that should have kept Marcus at bay but it inadvertently deepened his infatuation, but what great man did not have his quaint proclivities. With grace befitting Istiana was given, regrettably, once more to the tether of the earth.
"Ha, such a ritual would be too mundane for someone possessed of quite the same divinity as yourself, the only flamen dialis I can conjure for you lies here"
Marc added grabbing a tuft of his crimson robe above his heart, the gesture quite obvious.
"And as for the pontifex maximus"
Marcus paused to make a gesture very predictable of an imperial legionary, no doubt something Istiana had seen before, a hand clasped at his belt and gave it a hefty tug, in a mannerism that described exactly what he meant in a detail arguably more poetic than he could have put in words.
" As you often say, In due time, for now you lure the weary soldier with promise of wine, I wonder how many poor noblemen have met their ends at your cup but I would not lament if you were the last visage before the cowl of Mors Mortis... let there be wine, so speaketh the Archon."
No servants in the chambers now, in yesteryears cherished memories this lodging would have been the inside of a tent on some far off frontier and now it were an ornate marble palace but stone nor cloth nor gold nor wood had a mouth to speak its own, the only truest true and unwavering was good company, the howl of wolves in the far mountain forests whose subtlest echo was heard from the open palace arches attested to this. How kind the gods should have seemed then, to grant man a being as enchanting, as perfect and as impeccable in woman, what work of sculpted art or painters painting could compare to tug at the heartstrings as the sway of Istiana's hips, the flutter of her smoky gaze and the richness of her voice upon the ear, the rare moment where Marcus remembered what it was to smile.
"Exquisite, leave it to the Aeramenii (A valradic term - roughly translating to Bronze-ones - referring to inhabitants of the imperial south) to find gold in a stack of hay, I owe you quite a debt for this libation Istiana... lets not keep it waiting."
The pour resonated against the ornate vessels, goblets shimmered against a low crackling frame, the marble edifice of the palace interior hung around them and now they lounged together in wolvenden, a life of burdens and strife laid low to enjoin in mutual peace for a change.
"Salut"
A subtle clink sounded from the goblets, rich sanguine liquid diffused its way into their souls and cast that wicked, wonderful spell, such warmth, such disregard and such vigor what a thing was wine then, nothing quite blurred the lines between good and evil quite as vinum did, and perhaps that is why In Vino Veritas.
Marcus had that expression to him as the spirits seized him as he did not yield, that powerful grasp that had held the sword to fell kingdoms now put their strength to use in kneading and caressing every supple inch of perfection that was Istianas frame, his digits entwined into hers as he swerved forward in a sort of passionate frustration that brought a stallion in the rut to mind, her neck too perfect to have been spared from his barbarian affections, found itself besieged by the bittersweet exchange of tender kisses and vicious bites as the wolf laid his love upon her, the inebriation made him lose a step or two in the rhythm which was remedied by a laugh and then a passionate gaze back into her eyes. The soft abrasion of the well-kempt beard that lined his jaw slid against her skin, much as wine was meant to be savored with a finesse so too did Marc love Istiana more completely, it was a wild dance but not one without technique. Marcus's growly whispers and flattery was laid into her ear between nips.
It was a moment of intense awareness all the same, she could tell something shifted of a sudden as the hour grew late, no, he wasn't tired but something was there, it could've been pain, Marcus had something to say.
"You know, that little venture of ours in Ishtar had me thinking many things... we're really the last of a kind aren't we Istiana, I think it's some cruel joke or want for repentance on the part of the gods that so many were slain and yet here we are, call it luck or severance, whatever it may be, the fact of the matter is we survived... there... there won't be another you, you know, and we will never have the fireside tales nor the hero's welcome they had promised us long ago... it all seems to have been for naught... I've bent many times in my life but I've never broken... in the gates of mourn, I came close... I came very close... if you hadn't sent those barrels to Epicrotea, I would've been food for the vultures."
Marcus paused to look back at Istiana as if he was confounded by her, as if something about her deeply bothered him, as if, despite knowing her for years and years, she was still an enigma.
" Why did you save me?... you certainly didn't have the clause to, we met so many times but... its not as if you were short of the attention of fine, wealthy men... perhaps a little more right in the head... not so... scarred... not so prone to biting... hmph... I would've... I would've left me if I was you, moved on... "
Marcus paused, his expression showing waves of perplexing emotions.
" I understood what it meant to be cared for then, I didn't do a great job of following it up... it almost seemed like every time trouble was about I could send out a letter to Istiana and somehow you'd always have the answers... everything I knew about you and it never made sense... us..."
Marc gestured idly towards the fire.
" I have a confession to make, when the senator, Felix Marcinius Caracalla made proposal for your hand in marriage and I had learned that it had your approval... something came over me. I somehow could not bear it, I couldn't hold the wine as well back then and I... I murdered the man... good man.. out of jealousy... out of envy... I don't know whether you loved him or not but I knew he could give you a life I couldn't give you... Felix Marcinius was a good man, he had an ability to solve problems... he could've done something when the troubles came... it would've controlled the damage if nothing more... huh... that brief moment of anger... cost me the Empire. "
Marcus added shaking his head, before issuing a sinister laugh and raising his neck to look into the fire.
"I'd do it again..."
Marcus turned to look at Istiana in a manner he had never done before, he grasped her hand tightly.
" You understand your being here and such is because I desperately want you to stay, not for the plots or the power or what you'll help me to do or the realms or anything... I just want you to stay... to gaze at you and feel that all of this would have been for something... Famiglia."
Marcus looked back into the fire, he looked a little tired.
" I can feel it, I suppose we'll find out by the end of tonight, Istiana... this is either the last time we see each other or the beginning of a new life... either way, I'm glad its you, it was always supposed to be you... your place is here, in the wolfpack. "
A preternatural heat seemed to rise from Marcus, he seemed to be getting feverish as the moments passed.
" Istiana... you must make way for the forest now, the stone circle which I showed you earlier... when the clouds clear and the moon presents itself, you must make haste, you must not pause even to look back... upon the pedestal there... a dagger... if you cannot calm it... you know what to do.. go now... go ! "
Istiana Komenenos
Istiana had listened as Marcus had spoken, being his confessor, not simply for the confession he made over the ill fate of Felix Marcinius, but all of it. The things he couldn’t and didn’t understand about her. Silent she had remained, to allow him to unburden himself to her. Though at a later time, that same beard that had left subtle red marks against her skin would be tugged for some of the thoughts he had harbored.
After their evening of savoring each other and lounging in each other's arms there had been no need for a goodbye, should this be her last few minutes or hours upon this world, it was all a part of saying goodbye, in the way only lovers could. ”I will tell you everything in the morning.” Those were the last words she had said to him, before she had taken his directive. Before she had run. It was a promise she intended on keeping.
Istiana had turned swiftly and bolted out of the door, heading down corridors and halls, steps and ground until she was out of the castle, the cooler night air hit her skin and drying the back of her throat. A thrill seeping into her, just as he had said it would fulfil. She had toyed with him many times over the years, though she had never so overtly toyed with the beast within, yet here she was, being hunted by the very creature she had dangled herself in front of. She did not fear her own demise, though it was possible, likely even, not for herself. Her only fear would be in what it would do to him, should she not survive.
The trees came into view, with her hands grasping the loosened edges of her purple dress, holding it away from her legs so she did not tangle with them. While she knew a dagger lay in the stone circle, she did not wish to use it, though she would prefer it was at hand should she need to distract the Wolf on her tail.
As she ran, Istiana filled her mind with the route she had planned out, followed by memories. Memories of things she wanted close to her heart if this were to be her last night alive. She had lived an exceptional life, yet as they poured through her mind, it was not so much her accomplishments, her feats, they were filled with Marcus. The man who had on so many occasions, irrevocably changed the very course of her life.
Marcus was the creator of the most profound moments in her life, moments that filled her with such pride.
A large arm lay strewn across her stomach, his head resting upon her ribs as Istiana brushed her fingers through his hair, soft murmurs exchanged between them, a flowing conversation that went deeper and deeper, more exposing. Little by little she had pieced it together, like rending fragments into cohesion. The trauma his mind had suffered at the expense of waging wars. Istiana knew that he had heard the stutter of the beat of her heart when he peered up at her, yet she had smiled and said nothing. Nor would she ever tell a soul what she had just learned about the man in her arms.
Those were the times she treasured the most, when he showed her just how much he trusted her. He had told secrets to someone whose whole career, almost her whole life was about brokering those secrets, shifting the balance of power from one to another in the exposing of those secrets. He had trusted her not to use those against him. Some might have called him foolish for it,, yet she had adored him for it. To know implicitly that she would guard them, with her very life if it was needed.
Wave upon wave of marching feet could be heard all around her, a glance backwards from her seated position on the horse showed the immaculate rows of soldiers and the galae upon their heads. The precision in which they marched concealed their numbers, yet made them sound much larger, much more formidable. Standards and banners held aloft at various points along the rows. There was no denying who was coming for them. Yet, the most striking part of it was not the soldiers behind her, but the man who rode at the head of the army. She had seen him ride into battle many times, seen him pick the spot in which they would make camp for the campaign. And still, on this day, on this march, he had let her ride by his side, not at the back of the train as a concubine or consort, but alongside him as an equal. As a valued part of the strategy.
The world was ever a difficult one for women, so often not allowed to stray from a predefined path of marriage and motherhood, deemed unfit, unable to do the same things men did the world over. Marcus had never looked at her as if that was the only worth she had. He had never thought that that was all she could be. He had seen the heart of her, the wild, fiery and sometimes capricious heart, and nurtured it. Rather than cage it and suffocate it. He had accepted her need for freedom and liberty, to be the mistress of her destiny. And so she had been and still was even at this moment.
Alea iacta est The Die Is Cast.
Istiana could not profess to know that her baiting the Wolf would end like this, or that it had been her intention, yet she welcomed it. She welcomed the shift it would create in her life, the boons it would grant her. A place to call home, though he would forever hold that title to her. A place she could belong. No longer adrift as she had been for much of her life. If Marcus wished it, she would devote herself to building him a new Empire.
Her heart racing within her chest, pounding from the exertion of running toward her goal. The temptation to turn and see how much distance she had between her and what was coming was almost unbearable, yet his words rang clearly, she would not be able to spare the time. Fortunately, the full moon illuminated the path through the trees, its light like a beacon leading her on. The sounds from the forest all sounding as if they were closing in around her, wolves baying at the moon up the mountain sounded much nearer with the clearing of the sky.
Come the morning, should she survive this, she would need to have a cohesive answer for his questions, the quandaries he posed. Had she kept herself so much a mystery that the truthful, simple answer to all of it was a truth he couldn’t fathom. The simple answer being, because it was him.
From that first moment of her seeing him across a hall and knowing he was the one she was there to spy on, to now, they had never been nothing to one another. Friends, allies, lovers and confidants. Even when they quarrelled or parted, they remained something to one another. As he had said, Famiglia.
The stone circle came into view, with her pushing herself for more haste, just to reach the pedestal that held the dagger. Hard panted breaths lurched from her lungs, with her placing her hands upon the stone to rest, though she doubted she had time for that. Her fingers lay over the hilt, as the anticipation built within her. Her ears pricked at every sound, wondering which would be the signal he was upon her. Time slowed, creeping along with her wait.
”Omnia mutantur.” She breathed the words out. ”Ad meliora.” Everything changes. Towards better things.”
And what's a wolf without a pack, come what may she has my back
Istiana Komenenos
"Trailing through the desert. It does bring back memories." There was little they hadn't done together through the years, little they couldn't accomplish.
Marcus Leocadus
" Certainly, and they would have been far less fond if not for so fine a companion, where the blade faltered your wits never did, I could've done without digging wells for miserly souls to keep them blind to our semblances and mute to our names but never did I regret a journey beside you. It brings me solace then that through your actions, even though our Empire fell, it did not fall without a fight and it fell much as the ashes of a burnt forest bring life anew to the earth, you are as much deserving of the title wolf as I. " Marcus added with a smile reminiscing of those days of high adventure.
Istiana Komenenos
It was undoubted that Istiana found a balm in the constant flattery, it was nice to be wanted. "You deemed yourself an old wolf even then." She added with his complaint of digging wells.
It pained her, to a degree, that she hadn't been able to save the Empire, it played on her mind at times, that had she been there sooner, had just another couple of years, she might have saved it. Might have raised it back up to it's former glory than watching it burn. "I was always better at toppling cities and civilizations, than building them up. Even then, if it were not for your battle prowess and strategy, I may not have been so successful."
"Perhaps I should concede at last and bear the Wolf emblem. Somewhere hidden, but there to show my honorary title."
Marcus Leocadus
" Aye, maybe we're both guilty at that, hmph, perhaps we would not have happened upon each other if it were so. " Marcus added " I feel a little less weary around you admittedly " he added his eyes beaming at the sight of her and her quip about that old wolf title and the subtle jabs at those pompous battle speeches, a mischievous grin swept his semblance at her final utterance.
" This talk of bearing wolves, and I the tempter ? " Marcus nodded " It would be a most gracious honor on your part to make the acquaintance of the house of Cornaeth, though you'd have to part with the cowl of ambiguity that has served you so well thus far, who'd keep watch on the shadow then, lest we make amends for a more formal retirement. "
Marc added sauntering past her, his tone slow and playful, looking out a window at the snows upon the slopes.
" In an unabashed honesty however, the very thought of having my brand upon you, hrmm " the roused growl stated all that was meant to be said. " Now what pray tell would the magnificent Istiana have a wolf do to earn such a thing ? "
Istiana Komenenos
"I shall let you in on a little secret." Istiana leaned forward a little, speaking in a quiet tone. "I was sent to investigate you, to ensure your ambitions did not mean your sights were set too high." He had made a name for himself, proved himself again and again, that there had been some concerned rumblings that he might be seeking to usurp them all.
Her bright blue eyes followed him as he sauntered past, as if he were almost strutting. Proud. As he had every right to be.
There was but one thing she needed from him, for him to wait. From her younger days she had calmed already, yet she was not yet calm enough to give him what he wanted, not fully. Though the idea of sharing her days with someone who adored her the way he did, coveted her, was a heady thought.
"Ensnare me. Capture me." Istiana said playfully. "Then I'll tell you the rest."
Marcus Leocadus
" I caught on, what wolf does not know his own den... and then I feigned conspiracy to make you stay longer, you could say I set my eyes on an ambition far grander and more difficult than usurping an empire, oh but what a sight she was... and still is "
Marcus's shoulders stiffened and then rose with a sort of excitement at what she announced next, like a hound in anticipation of being set loose. What happened next was perhaps something Istiana had already predicted, very much the bold young captain she had once tempted out of many a fortune and favor but for whom all was worth it.
He leapt, he leapt with all ferocity and vigor and yet for such a virile display one was left to question who held the balance of power in the tentative situation that followed. With one hand at her throat and the other in her hair Marcus had barely considered that he left himself open and naturally the cold steel that pressed against his ribs brought Marcus and Istiana back to that encounter years ago.
" Hmph "
Marcus added partly in frustration and partly in intrigue, she always played the animal within him, as if she would make it that easy and convenient.
" To think I'd have you right here and now, but that would be too easy... too simple... too boring... Well Istiana, you know what they say... be careful what you wish for... it might just come true... "
Marcus added turning his head upwards, an intricate motif carved into the roof of the palace.
" If it's a hunt Istiana Komenenos wishes for it's a hunt she will get, and what greater honor for the Wolf but to hunt you ? A bit of nuance to the matter, a bit of ritual and enough danger to sate your whims... and if we survive the night then by dawn all secrets would have been revealed... mine for yours. Do me a little grace and share a bit of wine to dull the beast before it is set unto the arena ? tonights a full moon, you've a fair few hours worth of a lead "
He added, placing the woman atop his broad shoulders before marching towards his throne room.
Istiana Komenenos
He was right, he could have had her right there, she could have yielded to him, yet by his own admission, it would have been too easy and simple. And Istiana was not one to fall into the category of predictable, despite the blade pressed to his ribs that spoke of their very first meeting. As the one person in the word she trusted, the hand around her neck did not concern her. Much like herself, Marcus could be unpredictable, though rarely in an unpleasant manner. Others might have lamented over the idea of capturing her, likening it to attempting to capture the wind or a fragrance in the air. Yet he took it in his stride, in a single leap and found the challenge within it.
Istiana felt a thrill go through her as he upped the challenge again, pitting his skills against hers, him hunting, with her the quarry. It would be interesting to see which of them was the victor, though it would undoubtedly be him.
In one swift motion, she was lifted onto his shoulders, the curve of her waist resting against his neck, his rough and warm hand wrapped around her leg. Her frame swayed with the motion of his movement, resting easily on his shoulders, loose and calm as she knew he would not drop her unceremoniously.
As he walked, she thought over what he said, with a couple of possible outcomes springing to mine, when she picked apart what was said. And for that, she would have to tease him.
“Ritual, nuance, the sharing of wine… Marcus Leocadus, are you leading me to a Flamen Dialis and Pontifex Maximus?” She could not hide the lilt of playfulness in her voice, she knew he wouldn’t. “No, you couldn’t be. The danger would be to you from flying projectiles.”
Eyes graced over the walls, taking in the little details that spoke entirely of him. “If you let me down, I’ll fetch some of the spiced wine I brought with me. Your favorite. I know you sniffed it out not long after I arrived.”
Marcus Leocadus
"Istiana, when have I ever let you down"
Marcus added with a bit of mischievous menace, play returned with play quite enjoying the sensation of carrying her as one would riches after a long battle, you couldn't put a price on her though, he wouldn't deny Istiana a return to gravity for long however, not one to push his luck as it were, an old scar by that mountain of a shoulder right by the jugular would attest to that, it was no beast or mighty foe, it was Istiana, a lesson within a lesson, to be mindful of one's pride, now, that should have kept Marcus at bay but it inadvertently deepened his infatuation, but what great man did not have his quaint proclivities. With grace befitting Istiana was given, regrettably, once more to the tether of the earth.
"Ha, such a ritual would be too mundane for someone possessed of quite the same divinity as yourself, the only flamen dialis I can conjure for you lies here"
Marc added grabbing a tuft of his crimson robe above his heart, the gesture quite obvious.
"And as for the pontifex maximus"
Marcus paused to make a gesture very predictable of an imperial legionary, no doubt something Istiana had seen before, a hand clasped at his belt and gave it a hefty tug, in a mannerism that described exactly what he meant in a detail arguably more poetic than he could have put in words.
" As you often say, In due time, for now you lure the weary soldier with promise of wine, I wonder how many poor noblemen have met their ends at your cup but I would not lament if you were the last visage before the cowl of Mors Mortis... let there be wine, so speaketh the Archon."
No servants in the chambers now, in yesteryears cherished memories this lodging would have been the inside of a tent on some far off frontier and now it were an ornate marble palace but stone nor cloth nor gold nor wood had a mouth to speak its own, the only truest true and unwavering was good company, the howl of wolves in the far mountain forests whose subtlest echo was heard from the open palace arches attested to this. How kind the gods should have seemed then, to grant man a being as enchanting, as perfect and as impeccable in woman, what work of sculpted art or painters painting could compare to tug at the heartstrings as the sway of Istiana's hips, the flutter of her smoky gaze and the richness of her voice upon the ear, the rare moment where Marcus remembered what it was to smile.
"Exquisite, leave it to the Aeramenii (A valradic term - roughly translating to Bronze-ones - referring to inhabitants of the imperial south) to find gold in a stack of hay, I owe you quite a debt for this libation Istiana... lets not keep it waiting."
The pour resonated against the ornate vessels, goblets shimmered against a low crackling frame, the marble edifice of the palace interior hung around them and now they lounged together in wolvenden, a life of burdens and strife laid low to enjoin in mutual peace for a change.
"Salut"
A subtle clink sounded from the goblets, rich sanguine liquid diffused its way into their souls and cast that wicked, wonderful spell, such warmth, such disregard and such vigor what a thing was wine then, nothing quite blurred the lines between good and evil quite as vinum did, and perhaps that is why In Vino Veritas.
Marcus had that expression to him as the spirits seized him as he did not yield, that powerful grasp that had held the sword to fell kingdoms now put their strength to use in kneading and caressing every supple inch of perfection that was Istianas frame, his digits entwined into hers as he swerved forward in a sort of passionate frustration that brought a stallion in the rut to mind, her neck too perfect to have been spared from his barbarian affections, found itself besieged by the bittersweet exchange of tender kisses and vicious bites as the wolf laid his love upon her, the inebriation made him lose a step or two in the rhythm which was remedied by a laugh and then a passionate gaze back into her eyes. The soft abrasion of the well-kempt beard that lined his jaw slid against her skin, much as wine was meant to be savored with a finesse so too did Marc love Istiana more completely, it was a wild dance but not one without technique. Marcus's growly whispers and flattery was laid into her ear between nips.
It was a moment of intense awareness all the same, she could tell something shifted of a sudden as the hour grew late, no, he wasn't tired but something was there, it could've been pain, Marcus had something to say.
"You know, that little venture of ours in Ishtar had me thinking many things... we're really the last of a kind aren't we Istiana, I think it's some cruel joke or want for repentance on the part of the gods that so many were slain and yet here we are, call it luck or severance, whatever it may be, the fact of the matter is we survived... there... there won't be another you, you know, and we will never have the fireside tales nor the hero's welcome they had promised us long ago... it all seems to have been for naught... I've bent many times in my life but I've never broken... in the gates of mourn, I came close... I came very close... if you hadn't sent those barrels to Epicrotea, I would've been food for the vultures."
Marcus paused to look back at Istiana as if he was confounded by her, as if something about her deeply bothered him, as if, despite knowing her for years and years, she was still an enigma.
" Why did you save me?... you certainly didn't have the clause to, we met so many times but... its not as if you were short of the attention of fine, wealthy men... perhaps a little more right in the head... not so... scarred... not so prone to biting... hmph... I would've... I would've left me if I was you, moved on... "
Marcus paused, his expression showing waves of perplexing emotions.
" I understood what it meant to be cared for then, I didn't do a great job of following it up... it almost seemed like every time trouble was about I could send out a letter to Istiana and somehow you'd always have the answers... everything I knew about you and it never made sense... us..."
Marc gestured idly towards the fire.
" I have a confession to make, when the senator, Felix Marcinius Caracalla made proposal for your hand in marriage and I had learned that it had your approval... something came over me. I somehow could not bear it, I couldn't hold the wine as well back then and I... I murdered the man... good man.. out of jealousy... out of envy... I don't know whether you loved him or not but I knew he could give you a life I couldn't give you... Felix Marcinius was a good man, he had an ability to solve problems... he could've done something when the troubles came... it would've controlled the damage if nothing more... huh... that brief moment of anger... cost me the Empire. "
Marcus added shaking his head, before issuing a sinister laugh and raising his neck to look into the fire.
"I'd do it again..."
Marcus turned to look at Istiana in a manner he had never done before, he grasped her hand tightly.
" You understand your being here and such is because I desperately want you to stay, not for the plots or the power or what you'll help me to do or the realms or anything... I just want you to stay... to gaze at you and feel that all of this would have been for something... Famiglia."
Marcus looked back into the fire, he looked a little tired.
" I can feel it, I suppose we'll find out by the end of tonight, Istiana... this is either the last time we see each other or the beginning of a new life... either way, I'm glad its you, it was always supposed to be you... your place is here, in the wolfpack. "
A preternatural heat seemed to rise from Marcus, he seemed to be getting feverish as the moments passed.
" Istiana... you must make way for the forest now, the stone circle which I showed you earlier... when the clouds clear and the moon presents itself, you must make haste, you must not pause even to look back... upon the pedestal there... a dagger... if you cannot calm it... you know what to do.. go now... go ! "
Istiana Komenenos
Istiana had listened as Marcus had spoken, being his confessor, not simply for the confession he made over the ill fate of Felix Marcinius, but all of it. The things he couldn’t and didn’t understand about her. Silent she had remained, to allow him to unburden himself to her. Though at a later time, that same beard that had left subtle red marks against her skin would be tugged for some of the thoughts he had harbored.
After their evening of savoring each other and lounging in each other's arms there had been no need for a goodbye, should this be her last few minutes or hours upon this world, it was all a part of saying goodbye, in the way only lovers could. ”I will tell you everything in the morning.” Those were the last words she had said to him, before she had taken his directive. Before she had run. It was a promise she intended on keeping.
Istiana had turned swiftly and bolted out of the door, heading down corridors and halls, steps and ground until she was out of the castle, the cooler night air hit her skin and drying the back of her throat. A thrill seeping into her, just as he had said it would fulfil. She had toyed with him many times over the years, though she had never so overtly toyed with the beast within, yet here she was, being hunted by the very creature she had dangled herself in front of. She did not fear her own demise, though it was possible, likely even, not for herself. Her only fear would be in what it would do to him, should she not survive.
The trees came into view, with her hands grasping the loosened edges of her purple dress, holding it away from her legs so she did not tangle with them. While she knew a dagger lay in the stone circle, she did not wish to use it, though she would prefer it was at hand should she need to distract the Wolf on her tail.
As she ran, Istiana filled her mind with the route she had planned out, followed by memories. Memories of things she wanted close to her heart if this were to be her last night alive. She had lived an exceptional life, yet as they poured through her mind, it was not so much her accomplishments, her feats, they were filled with Marcus. The man who had on so many occasions, irrevocably changed the very course of her life.
Marcus was the creator of the most profound moments in her life, moments that filled her with such pride.
A large arm lay strewn across her stomach, his head resting upon her ribs as Istiana brushed her fingers through his hair, soft murmurs exchanged between them, a flowing conversation that went deeper and deeper, more exposing. Little by little she had pieced it together, like rending fragments into cohesion. The trauma his mind had suffered at the expense of waging wars. Istiana knew that he had heard the stutter of the beat of her heart when he peered up at her, yet she had smiled and said nothing. Nor would she ever tell a soul what she had just learned about the man in her arms.
Those were the times she treasured the most, when he showed her just how much he trusted her. He had told secrets to someone whose whole career, almost her whole life was about brokering those secrets, shifting the balance of power from one to another in the exposing of those secrets. He had trusted her not to use those against him. Some might have called him foolish for it,, yet she had adored him for it. To know implicitly that she would guard them, with her very life if it was needed.
Wave upon wave of marching feet could be heard all around her, a glance backwards from her seated position on the horse showed the immaculate rows of soldiers and the galae upon their heads. The precision in which they marched concealed their numbers, yet made them sound much larger, much more formidable. Standards and banners held aloft at various points along the rows. There was no denying who was coming for them. Yet, the most striking part of it was not the soldiers behind her, but the man who rode at the head of the army. She had seen him ride into battle many times, seen him pick the spot in which they would make camp for the campaign. And still, on this day, on this march, he had let her ride by his side, not at the back of the train as a concubine or consort, but alongside him as an equal. As a valued part of the strategy.
The world was ever a difficult one for women, so often not allowed to stray from a predefined path of marriage and motherhood, deemed unfit, unable to do the same things men did the world over. Marcus had never looked at her as if that was the only worth she had. He had never thought that that was all she could be. He had seen the heart of her, the wild, fiery and sometimes capricious heart, and nurtured it. Rather than cage it and suffocate it. He had accepted her need for freedom and liberty, to be the mistress of her destiny. And so she had been and still was even at this moment.
Alea iacta est The Die Is Cast.
Istiana could not profess to know that her baiting the Wolf would end like this, or that it had been her intention, yet she welcomed it. She welcomed the shift it would create in her life, the boons it would grant her. A place to call home, though he would forever hold that title to her. A place she could belong. No longer adrift as she had been for much of her life. If Marcus wished it, she would devote herself to building him a new Empire.
Her heart racing within her chest, pounding from the exertion of running toward her goal. The temptation to turn and see how much distance she had between her and what was coming was almost unbearable, yet his words rang clearly, she would not be able to spare the time. Fortunately, the full moon illuminated the path through the trees, its light like a beacon leading her on. The sounds from the forest all sounding as if they were closing in around her, wolves baying at the moon up the mountain sounded much nearer with the clearing of the sky.
Come the morning, should she survive this, she would need to have a cohesive answer for his questions, the quandaries he posed. Had she kept herself so much a mystery that the truthful, simple answer to all of it was a truth he couldn’t fathom. The simple answer being, because it was him.
From that first moment of her seeing him across a hall and knowing he was the one she was there to spy on, to now, they had never been nothing to one another. Friends, allies, lovers and confidants. Even when they quarrelled or parted, they remained something to one another. As he had said, Famiglia.
The stone circle came into view, with her pushing herself for more haste, just to reach the pedestal that held the dagger. Hard panted breaths lurched from her lungs, with her placing her hands upon the stone to rest, though she doubted she had time for that. Her fingers lay over the hilt, as the anticipation built within her. Her ears pricked at every sound, wondering which would be the signal he was upon her. Time slowed, creeping along with her wait.
”Omnia mutantur.” She breathed the words out. ”Ad meliora.” Everything changes. Towards better things.”
Moderators: Ravenesque Istiana Komenenos (played by Ravenesque) Marcus Leocadus (played by Tyranoth)