♖ Lupo Domitura ♖|MarcxIstiana|MSL|
by Marcus Leocadus
Topics: Tyranoth, Marcus Leocadus, Istiana Komenenos
" This is my fault, she was not prepared for it Quintus, I am to blame for the tragedy and I will be the one to atone for it "
echoed the commanding voice in the dark chambers of a forlorn fort far into the reaches of the deep forest amidst mountain peaks, the green cowl between the vales of Cornaeth were still a place of mystery and fear to many and it seemed this night the legends held true, three days a party had spent tracking their mysterious quarry as reports of attacks, massacred caravans and attacks on livestock came from the villages, hunting parties disappeared into the forests without a trace and now the people beckoned the legion and their archon to do something about.
" My lord, I insist that you take atleast a few of our troops with you, venturing into the depths by your person without arms is surely madness "
Marcus issued a reprimanding glance at the idea, shaking his head dismissively as he sauntered out of the fortress gates, even the guards at the gates seemed nervous of what was to come, people cowered within their huts and homesteads fearing for the worst as the subtle echo of reverberant howl, preternatural and fear inducing in its very nature, not the howl of any earthen wolf but of something that triggered the very primal instinct of fear within the hearts of men, and unto his Marcus marched with a glint in his steely blue eyes as the full moon above cast its rays upon his silvery armor, imposing as ever.
" My Archon... Marcus... Please ! "
Beckoned the old courtier trailing behind him, before he paused as a single hand was raised to silence him from the Archon.
" No Quintus, a stray crossbow bolt or a blow of a spear would cost me everything I've ever loved and more likely those men would only jeopardize their lives for naught, this is no ordinary beast... it is my wife Quintus, therefore you understand why I must do what I do... even if it means death "
The courtier's concerns barely vanished as he looked on to Marcus's expression still doubtful, but with surest resolve, much to his chagrin, Marcus issued forth a command.
" Fetch the chains Quintus "
-
Without a sword or dagger on his person, the lord strode through his realm, in the daytime these hills and trails were familiar reaches and many times he had ventured upon them with his beloved, it had now been a week since he'd been on Istiana's trail, there was concern and worry, but tonight promised a result, the traps had not worked and there was no cage that could suffice to hold her, much as Marc knew, she had been turned in the truest way, not by a bite but by communion, she had been blooded by a purebred not some ordinary scoundrel. A guttural snarl emerged from the woods, the beam of eyes and then a reprimanding bark and whimper, the crackle of branches and saplings as something moved through the woods at immense speed..
" Istiana ! No Wait ! " he beckoned reaching out, before moving forward, before noting blood upon one of the trees, instinctively Marcus sniffed at the air, his pupils constricting somewhat, and a roused growl emanating from him as he moved near the blood trail, even in his mortal form the pheromones tempted him such, she was fighting it, somewhere inside that beast was his beloved that surely restrained the beast for a while longer, Marcus's digits traced at the blood trail, taking the trickle to his lip and issuing a taste...
" Istiana... they hurt you... fools... hrn "
Marcus added, his pace becoming more swift as he moved towards a rocky outcrop amidst the forest, the stench here hung heavy, corpses flayed in unnatural ways hung upon trees, some left upon the ground, half eaten in desperation, but also serving as a sort of warning, it was a den, a restrictive one.
" She was trying to boulder herself in, but every night the creature broke out of this place... her den.. "
Marcus added, before his eyes caught a glimpse of shadow,
" Istiana No ! "
A flurry of tooth and claw and a deafening snarl that swept past him as a torrential wind, ripping at his cloak, missing his neck by inches, such raw unbridled primal power, the beasts claws raked against the floor, as Marcus turned to face her, slowly circling one another, Marcus reached for his waist only to realize the chains he had gathered to restrain the beast had been clawed off his waist.
" Hrn... you leave me no choice, let... go... of... my... wife "
To which end the creature only issued an agitated bark, which Marcus, doubtless matched in a roar of his own frustration.
" Kneel or Be Knelt ! "
With that, man and beast charged into one another, Marcus defaulting to the pancration taught unto him from his legionary days, no stranger to the art of combat, he clutched at the fur and the pelt as the creature clawed at his armor, slipping away from its attempts to bite his head off or swerving it away, grabbing hold of the beast and taking away it moments, a swift blow of this boot to the side coupled with a sharp crackle of snapping ribs as Marcus held down the beast exerting his dominance with a merciless intent.
" You dare to defy one who is your master !? you dare take away from me what is my right ! You defile the honor of my queen !? No Quarter !! "
he exclaimed slamming the creature down into the earth, and grasping it's jaws with both his hands
" Give... me... back... my... Queen "
the creature's fangs open as Marcus thrust a vial in met with a gargling snarl as the creature reeled back from the tincture issuing a wretched whimper, with Marcus standing above it with heavy breaths...
--
The night grew late, the guards watched atop their ramparts but Quintus, sleepless and agitated never left his post at the gates, he watched, longing for his liege and wondering what had become of the ill fated venture, he feared for his queen and his lord, and of what was to become of them now, House Leocadus had guarded the secret so well, but it seemed even if this matter was resolved, it had sent a signal, a beacon to those who sought to unravel such secrets and moreso for their own nefarious ends...
At long last, a shadow over the horizon, an awkward one, and then it became clear, putting a smile to his worn features,
" Thank the Deus "
Istiana Komenenos
Time had become incongruent, the passage of it seemed stuck in a fog that forbade any peek further than shortly before her eyes. An amassed haze of flickering torments. Attempts to stop the beast from seizing control only for it all to be for naught. When the darkness fell, it was stronger than she was, stronger than her mind was. It took complete control and she was little more than an observer.
Yet even then, it seemed as if she were not entirely able to view it all, which may have been a blessing in disguise. Though what she could see and recognize, she had been a terror upon the surrounding land. Bodies had begun to pile up, some she tried to use to close herself in, stop the beast from being able to hurt others. Another thing that had been for nothing.
Various senses lingered, the taste of blood, the scent of fear, the screams of the dying. And the pain of wounds inflicted upon her beastly form, which only enraged the beast into a feral wild thing. From within, she had railed against it, demanded that it let go control, let her return to her normal form. Istiana exerted will against it, to force it to relinquish its hold, yet her indomitable spirit was not enough.
With each passing day, awareness slipped, coalescing into a tempest of rage, violence and death.
Until she recognized Marcus. In spite of the mental exhaustion, a deep well of strength sprung forward, forcing it to leave him alone. That would be an event that would crush the heart of her, should she be the cause of his demise, the loss of all that mattered to her. A spring of hope blossomed within her, as she won that particular battle, yet it was not enough. Istiana should have known that he would not leave her, not in this state, not at all. Yet, she had hoped. Foolish as it was, that he might be spared the fate of all the others that had crossed the path of the beast.
When the fight occurred between the love of her life and the beast she currently was, Istiana tried with all of her might, to exude the control she had had not so long back, in vain. Istiana found herself no more than an observer once again.
Unaware of what was in the vial, all faded away, leaving an odd sense of blackness with a tinge of being aware of the darkness surrounding her.
---
Consciousness crept it's way towards her, a feeling of comfort around her, familiar, comforting scents filled the air. Marcus' scent. The scent of home. In contrast to that, her body ached in ways and places that it hadn't since her days training with the Frumentarii. Perhaps worse than then.
The light jabbed at her eyes as she opened them, drawing in a shallow breath, her mind ruminating over what she actually remembered of the time she had been captive. The glimpses and flashes of memory.
How has he managed to do this all his life? Keep control of the beast? Perhaps it is my own hubris that I thought I might be stronger and better at it than I was.
Lounging in comfort was not a luxury she would allow herself, Istiana needed to know what atrocities she had committed, what damage she had wrought. She needed to know if Marcus was hale and hearty. Unharmed. Slow, calculated movements controlled her until she was sitting upright, pain was her punishment for now. Istiana had no qualms in ending the lives of enemies or tyrants alike, yet in this, those that had been slain by her altered self, were of unknown origins. Potentially innocent.
"Marcus?" She called softly into the room, wondering if he was there, or being beleaguered by the inhabitants of their realm, for her actions. She would not begrudge him for not being there, she would understand it. Time for reparations were upon her and learning to contain the beast within was at the forefront of her mind.
Marcus Leocadus
" Up here, Amora Mea "
A reassuring clutch at her shoulder and then a warm pressure against her digits followed the rumbly whisper, there was a weariness in his words, but he'd be damned if he let her out of his sights again, a sigh of relief followed his brief statement. Doubtless, Marc had not gotten much rest or sleep playing watchman by night, though surely an inner anxiety betrayed the stoic facade that would've fooled anyone else except Istiana what with the sweeping glances to examine her. She found herself rested upon a lap that had been a perch reserved for naught but her, spacious, warm and wide, a proximity that Marc himself cherished being apart from his beloved for over a week since the inner beast had taken over.
There was a certain ecstasy to the embrace that followed, Marc wished it to linger for an eternity. To hold her close once more and in realizing how close they had come to tragedy, the woes to follow turned to dust in that moment and for now Marc wished only to hold his beloved, to provide her the comfort and rest that he prided himself in his duty to her. His digits ran through her hair, his hand caressed and kneaded at her back, drawing her ever closer. He paused, his hand pausing just shy of her chin, the subtle lean of her neck in concert as he held her face, his eyes beamed with awe at his Istiana, what a work of divine grace in infinitude was that face of hers, Marc took his cautions to speak in whispers, they were not afforded the sure privacy of the wolvenden in these further reaches.
"It should have been a night of ruin if I didn't know you were still in there, running, fighting, but I've lived it all too well. Istiana, how lucky we are to both be here, a false move would've been an unthinkable future to me. I knew you'd win, forgive me, for not being there... for being so placid when I should have treated this burden with a severity it deserved... my beloved, what a curse I have placed upon your shoulders... it will never be yours to bear alone again..."
Marc added sealing his words with a kiss of surest passion, his frame convulsed under a rhythm of pleasure, desire and affection which was all but overwhelming, the throb of his heart felt through armor, his face flushed against her, and a reverberant powerful growl resonated as the taste of her lingered upon his lips, a gentle dance of the tongue that was painfully short-lived, naturally, they had matters to attend to and perhaps Istiana's brilliant mind was already set to work, even in her state of unbecoming she had used to wisdom to contain this creature, straying away from the populace into a deep reach and forcing the beast into a den containing thaumaturgic silver deposits... an abandoned mine shaft no doubt... perhaps she had intended to starve it, but the parties that chased after her only served to fuel that bloodlust.
"Your absence did not go unnoticed, the people will say things and even if there is no suspicion in that regard, these events will be recounted far and wide who's to say what will come of the vengeance... it will hurt you to know innocents were harmed... but they have received a recompense for their losses, I know what it does... how it is... and in truth, it has cost me much, much more... and earned me rightful foes, you fought it boldly and in truth it was my lack of caution in this regard that is to blame, come what may, we shall deal with it..."
Istiana Komenenos
Istiana heard the vow in his words, before he sealed them with a kiss, one that both soothed her to her soul. He was no angered with her, for losing control, for never having it at all. Yet she was left with still more awe for him, that he did have control of his own beast, the night that he had turned her, the manner in how it was done, must have taken immense power and strength. Not that she doubted he had those qualities, those and many more.
It was selfish perhaps, that she regretted the kiss coming to an end, as swiftly as it did, that it did not lead them down a path of more intimate and carnal needs. Regret it she did however. As that simple kiss was a balm, to feel wanted, cherished, desired, when she was almost uniquely uncomfortable in her own form.
"Marcus. This does not fall on your shoulders, though I know you will burden them anyway." Husbandly duties were another of his strengths, putting himself in front of everything that could cause her distress or harm. Istiana settled herself against his chest, with the deep pounding thrum echoing from within. "It is my fault. I was too accustomed to excelling at everything, I could not consider that I may not achieve perfection with this." Her fingers entwined with his. "Do not reproach yourself for what you had to do Amatus Mea. It was needed, you saved me. For I needed you to save me. I am healing and unless you are hiding it from me, I did not harm you."
It did hurt her that she had hurt innocents, yet it was beyond her capabilities, yet she would carry it with her for as long as she lived. Regretfully, she repositioned herself to be able to look into his eyes, her fingers entwining with his, as she ignored the ache within her ribs with the movement. Before her sat the one being who knew every facet of her nature, her wit, her intelligence. Most importantly, her heart and her vulnerability. What she would say was not intended to shift the blame to him, or give him anything he could berate himself over.
"I must make apology to the people here. I can blame it womanly folly." Istiana placed a finger over his lips. "Only you, would not believe it. The rest will accept it. I went out to search for herbs, awoke a creature. Keep the rest as close to the truth as possible." Hushed tone covered what she said to him, much as his own statements, secrecy in a place where they were not wholly at liberty to speak freely. "Some days, you will have to allow me to be the villain my love."
Istiana used his arm to help her get up, time was against them, and if she were to use the ploy she was intending to, to mitigate the damage she had caused.
"Once it awoke, I became scared. Ran and got myself lost. A narrow miss with the beast. I ended up trapped and you rescued me, after days of depravation. I do not wish to make you enemies my love, or hardship. I have much to repent for."
by Marcus Leocadus
Topics: Tyranoth, Marcus Leocadus, Istiana Komenenos
" This is my fault, she was not prepared for it Quintus, I am to blame for the tragedy and I will be the one to atone for it "
echoed the commanding voice in the dark chambers of a forlorn fort far into the reaches of the deep forest amidst mountain peaks, the green cowl between the vales of Cornaeth were still a place of mystery and fear to many and it seemed this night the legends held true, three days a party had spent tracking their mysterious quarry as reports of attacks, massacred caravans and attacks on livestock came from the villages, hunting parties disappeared into the forests without a trace and now the people beckoned the legion and their archon to do something about.
" My lord, I insist that you take atleast a few of our troops with you, venturing into the depths by your person without arms is surely madness "
Marcus issued a reprimanding glance at the idea, shaking his head dismissively as he sauntered out of the fortress gates, even the guards at the gates seemed nervous of what was to come, people cowered within their huts and homesteads fearing for the worst as the subtle echo of reverberant howl, preternatural and fear inducing in its very nature, not the howl of any earthen wolf but of something that triggered the very primal instinct of fear within the hearts of men, and unto his Marcus marched with a glint in his steely blue eyes as the full moon above cast its rays upon his silvery armor, imposing as ever.
" My Archon... Marcus... Please ! "
Beckoned the old courtier trailing behind him, before he paused as a single hand was raised to silence him from the Archon.
" No Quintus, a stray crossbow bolt or a blow of a spear would cost me everything I've ever loved and more likely those men would only jeopardize their lives for naught, this is no ordinary beast... it is my wife Quintus, therefore you understand why I must do what I do... even if it means death "
The courtier's concerns barely vanished as he looked on to Marcus's expression still doubtful, but with surest resolve, much to his chagrin, Marcus issued forth a command.
" Fetch the chains Quintus "
-
Without a sword or dagger on his person, the lord strode through his realm, in the daytime these hills and trails were familiar reaches and many times he had ventured upon them with his beloved, it had now been a week since he'd been on Istiana's trail, there was concern and worry, but tonight promised a result, the traps had not worked and there was no cage that could suffice to hold her, much as Marc knew, she had been turned in the truest way, not by a bite but by communion, she had been blooded by a purebred not some ordinary scoundrel. A guttural snarl emerged from the woods, the beam of eyes and then a reprimanding bark and whimper, the crackle of branches and saplings as something moved through the woods at immense speed..
" Istiana ! No Wait ! " he beckoned reaching out, before moving forward, before noting blood upon one of the trees, instinctively Marcus sniffed at the air, his pupils constricting somewhat, and a roused growl emanating from him as he moved near the blood trail, even in his mortal form the pheromones tempted him such, she was fighting it, somewhere inside that beast was his beloved that surely restrained the beast for a while longer, Marcus's digits traced at the blood trail, taking the trickle to his lip and issuing a taste...
" Istiana... they hurt you... fools... hrn "
Marcus added, his pace becoming more swift as he moved towards a rocky outcrop amidst the forest, the stench here hung heavy, corpses flayed in unnatural ways hung upon trees, some left upon the ground, half eaten in desperation, but also serving as a sort of warning, it was a den, a restrictive one.
" She was trying to boulder herself in, but every night the creature broke out of this place... her den.. "
Marcus added, before his eyes caught a glimpse of shadow,
" Istiana No ! "
A flurry of tooth and claw and a deafening snarl that swept past him as a torrential wind, ripping at his cloak, missing his neck by inches, such raw unbridled primal power, the beasts claws raked against the floor, as Marcus turned to face her, slowly circling one another, Marcus reached for his waist only to realize the chains he had gathered to restrain the beast had been clawed off his waist.
" Hrn... you leave me no choice, let... go... of... my... wife "
To which end the creature only issued an agitated bark, which Marcus, doubtless matched in a roar of his own frustration.
" Kneel or Be Knelt ! "
With that, man and beast charged into one another, Marcus defaulting to the pancration taught unto him from his legionary days, no stranger to the art of combat, he clutched at the fur and the pelt as the creature clawed at his armor, slipping away from its attempts to bite his head off or swerving it away, grabbing hold of the beast and taking away it moments, a swift blow of this boot to the side coupled with a sharp crackle of snapping ribs as Marcus held down the beast exerting his dominance with a merciless intent.
" You dare to defy one who is your master !? you dare take away from me what is my right ! You defile the honor of my queen !? No Quarter !! "
he exclaimed slamming the creature down into the earth, and grasping it's jaws with both his hands
" Give... me... back... my... Queen "
the creature's fangs open as Marcus thrust a vial in met with a gargling snarl as the creature reeled back from the tincture issuing a wretched whimper, with Marcus standing above it with heavy breaths...
--
The night grew late, the guards watched atop their ramparts but Quintus, sleepless and agitated never left his post at the gates, he watched, longing for his liege and wondering what had become of the ill fated venture, he feared for his queen and his lord, and of what was to become of them now, House Leocadus had guarded the secret so well, but it seemed even if this matter was resolved, it had sent a signal, a beacon to those who sought to unravel such secrets and moreso for their own nefarious ends...
At long last, a shadow over the horizon, an awkward one, and then it became clear, putting a smile to his worn features,
" Thank the Deus "
Istiana Komenenos
Time had become incongruent, the passage of it seemed stuck in a fog that forbade any peek further than shortly before her eyes. An amassed haze of flickering torments. Attempts to stop the beast from seizing control only for it all to be for naught. When the darkness fell, it was stronger than she was, stronger than her mind was. It took complete control and she was little more than an observer.
Yet even then, it seemed as if she were not entirely able to view it all, which may have been a blessing in disguise. Though what she could see and recognize, she had been a terror upon the surrounding land. Bodies had begun to pile up, some she tried to use to close herself in, stop the beast from being able to hurt others. Another thing that had been for nothing.
Various senses lingered, the taste of blood, the scent of fear, the screams of the dying. And the pain of wounds inflicted upon her beastly form, which only enraged the beast into a feral wild thing. From within, she had railed against it, demanded that it let go control, let her return to her normal form. Istiana exerted will against it, to force it to relinquish its hold, yet her indomitable spirit was not enough.
With each passing day, awareness slipped, coalescing into a tempest of rage, violence and death.
Until she recognized Marcus. In spite of the mental exhaustion, a deep well of strength sprung forward, forcing it to leave him alone. That would be an event that would crush the heart of her, should she be the cause of his demise, the loss of all that mattered to her. A spring of hope blossomed within her, as she won that particular battle, yet it was not enough. Istiana should have known that he would not leave her, not in this state, not at all. Yet, she had hoped. Foolish as it was, that he might be spared the fate of all the others that had crossed the path of the beast.
When the fight occurred between the love of her life and the beast she currently was, Istiana tried with all of her might, to exude the control she had had not so long back, in vain. Istiana found herself no more than an observer once again.
Unaware of what was in the vial, all faded away, leaving an odd sense of blackness with a tinge of being aware of the darkness surrounding her.
---
Consciousness crept it's way towards her, a feeling of comfort around her, familiar, comforting scents filled the air. Marcus' scent. The scent of home. In contrast to that, her body ached in ways and places that it hadn't since her days training with the Frumentarii. Perhaps worse than then.
The light jabbed at her eyes as she opened them, drawing in a shallow breath, her mind ruminating over what she actually remembered of the time she had been captive. The glimpses and flashes of memory.
How has he managed to do this all his life? Keep control of the beast? Perhaps it is my own hubris that I thought I might be stronger and better at it than I was.
Lounging in comfort was not a luxury she would allow herself, Istiana needed to know what atrocities she had committed, what damage she had wrought. She needed to know if Marcus was hale and hearty. Unharmed. Slow, calculated movements controlled her until she was sitting upright, pain was her punishment for now. Istiana had no qualms in ending the lives of enemies or tyrants alike, yet in this, those that had been slain by her altered self, were of unknown origins. Potentially innocent.
"Marcus?" She called softly into the room, wondering if he was there, or being beleaguered by the inhabitants of their realm, for her actions. She would not begrudge him for not being there, she would understand it. Time for reparations were upon her and learning to contain the beast within was at the forefront of her mind.
Marcus Leocadus
" Up here, Amora Mea "
A reassuring clutch at her shoulder and then a warm pressure against her digits followed the rumbly whisper, there was a weariness in his words, but he'd be damned if he let her out of his sights again, a sigh of relief followed his brief statement. Doubtless, Marc had not gotten much rest or sleep playing watchman by night, though surely an inner anxiety betrayed the stoic facade that would've fooled anyone else except Istiana what with the sweeping glances to examine her. She found herself rested upon a lap that had been a perch reserved for naught but her, spacious, warm and wide, a proximity that Marc himself cherished being apart from his beloved for over a week since the inner beast had taken over.
There was a certain ecstasy to the embrace that followed, Marc wished it to linger for an eternity. To hold her close once more and in realizing how close they had come to tragedy, the woes to follow turned to dust in that moment and for now Marc wished only to hold his beloved, to provide her the comfort and rest that he prided himself in his duty to her. His digits ran through her hair, his hand caressed and kneaded at her back, drawing her ever closer. He paused, his hand pausing just shy of her chin, the subtle lean of her neck in concert as he held her face, his eyes beamed with awe at his Istiana, what a work of divine grace in infinitude was that face of hers, Marc took his cautions to speak in whispers, they were not afforded the sure privacy of the wolvenden in these further reaches.
"It should have been a night of ruin if I didn't know you were still in there, running, fighting, but I've lived it all too well. Istiana, how lucky we are to both be here, a false move would've been an unthinkable future to me. I knew you'd win, forgive me, for not being there... for being so placid when I should have treated this burden with a severity it deserved... my beloved, what a curse I have placed upon your shoulders... it will never be yours to bear alone again..."
Marc added sealing his words with a kiss of surest passion, his frame convulsed under a rhythm of pleasure, desire and affection which was all but overwhelming, the throb of his heart felt through armor, his face flushed against her, and a reverberant powerful growl resonated as the taste of her lingered upon his lips, a gentle dance of the tongue that was painfully short-lived, naturally, they had matters to attend to and perhaps Istiana's brilliant mind was already set to work, even in her state of unbecoming she had used to wisdom to contain this creature, straying away from the populace into a deep reach and forcing the beast into a den containing thaumaturgic silver deposits... an abandoned mine shaft no doubt... perhaps she had intended to starve it, but the parties that chased after her only served to fuel that bloodlust.
"Your absence did not go unnoticed, the people will say things and even if there is no suspicion in that regard, these events will be recounted far and wide who's to say what will come of the vengeance... it will hurt you to know innocents were harmed... but they have received a recompense for their losses, I know what it does... how it is... and in truth, it has cost me much, much more... and earned me rightful foes, you fought it boldly and in truth it was my lack of caution in this regard that is to blame, come what may, we shall deal with it..."
Istiana Komenenos
Istiana heard the vow in his words, before he sealed them with a kiss, one that both soothed her to her soul. He was no angered with her, for losing control, for never having it at all. Yet she was left with still more awe for him, that he did have control of his own beast, the night that he had turned her, the manner in how it was done, must have taken immense power and strength. Not that she doubted he had those qualities, those and many more.
It was selfish perhaps, that she regretted the kiss coming to an end, as swiftly as it did, that it did not lead them down a path of more intimate and carnal needs. Regret it she did however. As that simple kiss was a balm, to feel wanted, cherished, desired, when she was almost uniquely uncomfortable in her own form.
"Marcus. This does not fall on your shoulders, though I know you will burden them anyway." Husbandly duties were another of his strengths, putting himself in front of everything that could cause her distress or harm. Istiana settled herself against his chest, with the deep pounding thrum echoing from within. "It is my fault. I was too accustomed to excelling at everything, I could not consider that I may not achieve perfection with this." Her fingers entwined with his. "Do not reproach yourself for what you had to do Amatus Mea. It was needed, you saved me. For I needed you to save me. I am healing and unless you are hiding it from me, I did not harm you."
It did hurt her that she had hurt innocents, yet it was beyond her capabilities, yet she would carry it with her for as long as she lived. Regretfully, she repositioned herself to be able to look into his eyes, her fingers entwining with his, as she ignored the ache within her ribs with the movement. Before her sat the one being who knew every facet of her nature, her wit, her intelligence. Most importantly, her heart and her vulnerability. What she would say was not intended to shift the blame to him, or give him anything he could berate himself over.
"I must make apology to the people here. I can blame it womanly folly." Istiana placed a finger over his lips. "Only you, would not believe it. The rest will accept it. I went out to search for herbs, awoke a creature. Keep the rest as close to the truth as possible." Hushed tone covered what she said to him, much as his own statements, secrecy in a place where they were not wholly at liberty to speak freely. "Some days, you will have to allow me to be the villain my love."
Istiana used his arm to help her get up, time was against them, and if she were to use the ploy she was intending to, to mitigate the damage she had caused.
"Once it awoke, I became scared. Ran and got myself lost. A narrow miss with the beast. I ended up trapped and you rescued me, after days of depravation. I do not wish to make you enemies my love, or hardship. I have much to repent for."
Moderators: Ravenesque Istiana Komenenos (played by Ravenesque) Marcus Leocadus (played by Tyranoth)