So a king walks into a brothel....[open]

[Tally]

He could have gone directly to the castle. He should have.

But damn. Months on the road, campaign after campaign. And no, it's not the fighting he has a problem with, but this inevitable homecoming he's now facing. He's not ready for it. It's not like the place will fall to ruin one more day without him. No more than it already has.

The only brothels he's ever frequented here in Adela were Mephista's, and he has to avoid those the way one avoids houses under plague. The second that loud mouth gossip finds out he's back in town, the whole nation will know. Probably...hopefully...no one in this place will recognize him. The only risk he can see is the possibility of high ranking nobles in this place who might know him on sight. For a night of escape and a decent fuck he's willing to chance it. And the fuck isn't even necessary; it's the escape he's really looking for.

He very nearly walks in with Thorn still strapped to his back. The last thing he needs is to start a problem with the bouncer. With a bit of a self-mocking grin, he retreats back to his retainersâ€"all of them disguised in plain clothes, as he isâ€"and hands off the greatsword to them. He's worn it constantly, every day, and for so long that he forgot he even had it on.

Just inside the entrance, he spends a few moments to take it all in. He can imagine the picture he must make. He doesn't look like some half-starved peasant or anything, but he's rather travel worn and he hasn't had a proper hair cut in a good long while, and all in all it has him looking more like a wild mercenary who's barely scraping by than the king of all Adela.

Shouldn't be a problem, though. He's got enough gold on him to buy this entire street and every business on it and the mood he's in he feels like spending every bit of it in the most frivolous ways possible.

[Goldie]

The brothel had been her home for some time now, after that eventful day when she had stumbled in, barely able to keep herself moving.  Half of the problem had been keeping her children alive and well, spending every cent she earned on their well being and letting herself waste away to nothing.  She had since lost the skeletal appearance of being half starved, but her appetite had never fully returned after the ordeal and was still too thin for her petite frame.  That was due mainly to the other half of the problem.  The bruise on her chest that was steadily growing.  It had become a constant reminder of whom she had left behind in her panicked flight from Serendipity.  Every day, every night, every second she wondered if he was ok, if the magic that had transformed him was still pulsing, still destroying the man he had been.

Peach had been a saving grace, he and his band of men and women.  They had not questioned the young mother who stumbled upon their doorstep.  She had been lucky enough to find work, and not the kind of work that most thought when a woman lived in a whore house.  Rayne earned her keep in the kitchens as well as making and mending clothes for the many occupants of the building.  It was a trade that had earned her and her twins a home.  Not to mention it was less taxing than the alternative.  Especially now.

She had known the risks, falling in love.  All Emotionals were faced with that terror at one point in time, and many were killed because of it.  Her kind needed to choose wisely.  The moment their hearts relinquished themselves upon another, it was theirs always...now she was paying the price.  Unfortunately, it was a price that was hard to explain.  It would sound absolutely pathetic and absurd if she told anyone that she was slowly dying from a broken heart.

Pushing a strand of brown hair behind her ear, Rayne glanced over at her two children.  They had grown so quickly, now crawling and getting into unthinkable mischief.  She could only imagine what would happen when they learned how to walk, as many occupants of the brothel were now trying to teach.  It was like being in a family again.  Albeit, a strange one.

Hearing the latch click into place, she looked up from her children and turned her attention to the man who had entered.  Although dressed plainly, she could feel an aura of authority surrounding him that had nothing to do with her ability to sense emotions.  It was in his stance, the way he carried himself...or maybe she was just making things up.  Anyone who came in and had enough money to pay for pleasure had some kind of authority, or were just incredibly lucky to have stumbled across a bag of gold…

"May I help you, sir?" she asked, approaching the man when she realized the bouncer was nowhere to be found.  He shouldn't be far off, but she had learned that it was better to make the customers feel comfortable if they had to wait.

[Tally]

Already he liked this place.  The ambiance set him at ease immediately, as did the incense in the air and the pleasant warmth that invited one in to lounge upon the comfortable sofas arranged here and there.  Those looked awfully tempting after days of riding.  It was an intimate affair, and already he felt the tension of long travel and hard battles draining out of him.  This would be a fine place to relax and unwind.

Way better than being stuck up in that castle with people harping at him every minute.  Gods, but he wasn't looking forward to that.  The regent would have to make do for one more night.

Still, he was glad he'd sent Angel ahead of him to the castle, if only to give word that he would be returning soon.  No undue surprises.  Well…except Angel himself.  <I>That</I> would ruffle some feathers.  Which was why Akkiel had sent the man there first, to see how he faired in the court alone.  Tarlaka would tell him of it later, on that he was counting.

<I>Assuming Angel doesn't inspire her to kill him first.</I>

The brothel seemed in a quiet state now, but for a woman and two children.  She didn't have the look of a whore, so he assumed her to be some other employee.  Didn't matter either way.  He'd be thrilled just to have a conversation with someone who wasn't a soldier for a change.

Smiling his most charming smile, he caught her hand up and kissed it as he would have the wealthiest  noblelady's.  "You certainly may.  Tell me, I've been looking for a place a man might sit in comfort, enjoy some pleasant company and some pretty faces.  Have I found the right place, love?  Ah, but forgive me.  I'm being a poor guest."

Stepping back, he executed a courtly bow and gave her a wink when he straightened.  "I forgot to introduce myself.  My name's Tuyen, and I am in sore need of a place to relax, preferably with a glass of wine in one hand and my arm around a beautiful woman or two.  And how do you fair this fine evening?  I don't believe I've had the pleasure of your name."

[Goldie]

His actions caught her by surprise, and it was only that which kept her from snatching her hand out of his grip.  The most that she had associated herself with the clientele was to serve them pastries or drink.  Of course, they had always been cordial, but never had she been treated with anything other than off-handed recognition.

This man, he was suave, and his words were like silk, falling elegantly into place.  Rayne had never experienced anything like it...no one as smooth and confident as he.  It encouraged her initial reaction that he was a man who could not be anything less than a noble, using his courtly charms on her as if she were the highest born lady.  She had to admit, it was disconcerting.

But, disconcerting or no, she had to treat him like royalty.  For that was what any paying customer would expect.  This was their night to experience whatever their gold could afford, and be treated like the King himself.

Gods, but she hated that no one was around.  That meant that the entertaining fell to her.  She just hoped that he would be content with pleasant company until someone decided to show up.  How long would she be able to keep his attention without the man becoming impatient for one of the Ladies?  Or men, if that struck his fancy.

"Then you have come to the right place, My Lord Toven." she added, smiling as sweetly as she could up at him, acknowledging his bow with a courteous tilt of her head.  "I do hope that you aren't loath to waiting.  It seems that you have arrived at a very quiet time for us.  While you wait for one of the Ladies, I will be happy to entertain as best I am able.  I am Rayne, and the little ones over there," she indicated to the twins lying on a soft blanket, cooing softly to one another as if sharing their own dialogue, "Are Zawayn and Eolynnne."

Turning towards the couches, she made an elegant sweep of her hand to beckon him to them.  If he wished to relax, the best way would be to rest there until she could muster the wine he requested and some treats while he waited.

"Please, make yourself comfortable, and if you'll excuse me." she dipped her head again, "I will find our best wine while you wait."  Turning, she left the common room through the door to the kitchens and closed it behind her, resting against the back of it for a few moments to catch her breath.  She wasn't worried about her children, as she could feel them strongly in her mind.  They were content with one another at the moment, and the minute anything chose to upset them, she would be out by their sides.

Gods....

She looked down at her clothes, acutely aware that although they were not the clothes of a whore, she worked in a brothel and had to appear sensual in her own right.  She had since made her own clothes and no longer needed to borrow skirts or dresses, but was encouraged to look her best.  And she had tried...  The skirt she wore was cut just below the knee in a blue that mirrored her eyes, with a small embroidered hem in silver.  Her shirt was white with a purposefully high cut in order to hide the deep violet bruise that was stretching its way across her chest.  However, she had tried to make up for that bit of modesty by shortening the sleeves...Now, she felt increasingly uncomfortable it in and prayed that it did not give him the wrong impression....

Shaking her head gently, she headed to the cellar and returned shortly with a bottle of wine with which she popped the cork and poured the man a glass before placing both the bottle and the glass on a tray with an array of cheeses and fruits in order to keep him happy.  Hoisting the tray, she made her way back to the main room and placed the tray on the table by the couch.

"Please, have as much as you would like." she told him courteously, "And if you are in need of anything at all, do not hesitate to ask."


ooc: sooo, while I was writing this, my mom came in and needed to use the computer XD  she read part of your post and was like, "What are you writing?"  I told her it was a story and she said, "About a lecherous man????!!"

XDD  it made me laugh...luckily she let it go!

EDIT!!!  I completely forgot to tell Akkiel her name XD  so I added it in!

[Anonymous]

There was only one more hurdled to jump over. And that…. Was getting off the horse and not landing on her ass, least of all in front of these males here. Tarlaka didn’t recognize any of then, mercenaries perhaps a poor gang? Either way, that sword in there wasn’t theirs, and they looked like they were waiting, and if Tarlaka took a peek and found who she was looking for, she would certainly have made the trip worthwhile. Taking a deep breath, Tarlaka put on a steely face and got off her horse, wincing in pain because hey, she hadn’t been on one in months and hadn’t really done anything too active since she had her kid. Which she regretted now, she probably looked fat compared to what she looked like before, not that she <I>was</I>, maybe her cheeks looked a little more plump, and if someone were to look really hard, she had one of those ‘motherly glows’. No matter, she was working now, and, she was a more than a little irritated at him. So irritated, she could probably smack him if she saw him, but considering who he was, and who she was, and the fact that her job rested in his evil little hands… Slapping him was probably a bad idea.

She’d walked by all those other brothels on her horse, they seemed like the place that would recognize him on site. Meandering around, she noticed a place called ‘Peaches’n’Cream’ and she was more than a little disturbed. Blinking her blue eyes, that was when Tarlaka noticed a few men and a very familiar sword. After she got off her horse, she gave them a chilling look as she walked past, recognizing one even, before she went into the brothel. Her teeth were firmly pinching the inside of her cheek between them, and she almost didn’t want to turn the corner into a room to look around. She figured it was rude to look around in a place that didn’t even know that she was in it, but, screw them, she was doing a job and if that meant turning over a stone or two, that’s what she’d do.

In full body armour, probably to make herself recognizable, even though the wings alone would probably do a good job of that. Head up, back straight, wings pulled tight to her body so she didn’t knock anything over as she walked around the room, she had a polite smile on her lips even though she was trying not to look grumpy. Placing her hands on her hips, she walked into the room, and saw a very familiar head of red hair. A wide range of emotions rushed through her system, anger at him leaving them again was at the front, read to explode in oozing hate, but, that was quickly  washed away by a burning urge to screw with him.

Brothel.
Knight armour.
Hmmm…

Mentally Tarlaka was grinning evilly, and she quickly undid her braid on her way to go sit on his lap. Silky black hair trailed its way in waves to the middle of her back, hanging on whatever piece of armour that it got stuck on. Putting on a sexy sway to her hips, and smiling in a secretive manner, she gave the lady a look and put a finger to her lips in a ‘shh’ type manner, the smiled reassuringly. Then, went and plunked herself in Akkiels lap, and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. Then just looked and smiled at him.

�Hmm, looks like I get a pretty one today!� Tarlaka ran her fingers through his hair, and licked her lips, “ and with red hair! What a treat.� She shifted so her armour would dig into him uncomfortable, then just smiled at him evilly. “My name is … Daisy…� Obviously this little ‘lets harass akkiel’ thing wasn’t working out very well, nor was it very well thought out. “I’m one of the people here that pretends to be a knight to treat the current patron as a king, how ‘bout it, feel like being royalty tonight, babe?� Tarlaka, after taking off a glove, traced a finger tip over Akkiels lips while smiling mischievously. Tarlaka looked at the lady and smiled brightly before giving a steady sultry look/evil glare to ‘Mr. Tuyen.�

[Tally]

With a great sigh he fell back onto one of the couches, closing his eyes and sinking into the soft cushion.  He smiled as he watched the twins, thoroughly content here for the moment.  When Rayne brought out the tray with the wine, he thanked her and took up the glass, swirling it, sampling the bouquet.  In the midst of doing this he stopped and marveled that he had changed so much.  His tastes had skewed in some ways, become more refined, and his rough edges were a little smoother.  He smiled to himself as he sipped the wine.

The latch on the door clicked and he glanced up and choked.  The wine spilled over his hand.  Tarlaka!  How had she found him?

He recovered quickly and braced for the inevitable explosion.  It never came.

Instead he found himself transfixed as she swayed over to him.  His eyes followed the fall of her hair as it tumbled out of its braid.  If she weren't his subordinate, if she weren't the commander of his armies, he might be tempted to wonder how that long dark hair would feel running through his fingers.

But where was the chastisement?  Where was the anger?  His eyes went a little wide as she arranged herself on his lap, and he flushed.  Maybe it was this place they were in, or maybe it was that he had focused so hard and for so long trying not to think of her as a woman and she destroyed it so easily by putting a little slink in her hips.  

It had been a long time since a woman had made him blush like a boy.  It just wouldn't do.

Determined to regain control of the situation, he caught her wrist lightly as she traced a finger over his lips.  He flashed her a coy glance and kissed her palm.  He could play this game, too, and he'd wager he could play it better than her.

“Daisy, is it?  Tell me, why would anyone want to be treated like a king?  I hear tell it's a dreadful headache.  All the stress, all the responsibility.  If I were a king, I'd probably spend as much time as possible in places like this.â€?  He slipped an arm around her waist and shifted beneath her.  Her pointy armor was poking him in all the wrong places.  â€œYou know, you look very much like a woman I know.  She would absolutely throttle me if she knew I was here, though.  I really ought to be working right now, you see.â€?

How far were they going to take this?  More importantly, which of them would back down first?  His pride declared it would not be him.  â€œSo you see I have a dilemma.  I have people waiting for me, but you're sinfully beautiful.  How would a king go about resisting temptation?â€?  At his worst, Akkiel could project a truly unbearable level of haughty arrogance, and he unleashed that talent now.  The look he gave her was full of challenge.

[Anonymous]

The blue was a plesent surprise. Tarlaka twitched an eyebrow up and she tilted her head to the side, smirking when he kissed her palm. So, he was going to play along after all. A twing of guilt pulled at her stomach, but her face kept the sleepy hooded eye look, her hair kinky and messy and spilling over her shoulders, from all the times he'd been gone and come back the black hair was now well past the middle of her back. This was the king, her employer. She'd have to work extra hard to make up for this little game, and her big mistake. The pink little thing she left with a wet nurse in her room. Her child. Tarlakas little Seiteki.

Of course, Akkiel won't know about Seiteki until the last possible moment. She didn't want to begin to think of how much trouble she'll get into for spittin' out a kid.

Tarlaka shifted again, grinding her thigh against his slightly, pretending not to really notice what she was doing and she simply smiled at him, blinking brightly, pretending, and failing, to be a sex craved prostitute. Failing because Tarlaka had as much sex drive as a frozen slab of meat in a freezer, lucky for Akkiel though, she wouldn't wiggle on him enough to actually want to do anything with him.

Leaning in really close to his head she lightly bit on his ear and whispered in it. "Well, I'm sure being a king has its..." She trailed off to puff a breath into his ear, "Perks." Then she leaned back and leered at him, stared him straight in the eyes and gave a solemn nod. " I hear that's where the real king goes all the time anyway. Cheap brothels for a quick poke'n'hump. You'd think he'd settle down and have a wife and some cute little-bitty children but..." she gave a shrug and smiled at him, a slightly guilty smile, the thought of her own child nagging at the back of her head.

Shaking her head, she stood up and sighed, pushed her hair back and put it back in its braid. Black wings flared out and curved, making a barrier between them and prying eyes. "We should go back." She rubbed a hand over her face, a faint blush on her cheeks, shame from what she just did to her king. Folding her arms and looking away, but not before giving him a steady glare. "I appologize for doing that Your.. erm... " she looked around, " Good Sir." Formality.

After pulling that stunt, and almost ruining his army, she had no right to address him informally. " A good king would be able to resist his Armies Commander quite well." Tarlaka pulled on her gloves and looked down, folding her wings behind her again. "I'll escourt you to the castle." Licking her lips and looking away, she kept her head down, and walked towards the door. "If you don't follow me there I'll drag you there by your ear." A edge was on her voice, but her head was still down.

(OOC: Dx Sorry about any really horrible spelling mistakes.))

[Goldie]

"Ma'am..." Rayne gasped, jumping up from her seat when the woman presently sat on the customer.  Good Lords...why must everyone here always believe that they always needed to be first?  How could she stop this woman without loosing her coin, but keep him without him being too offended?  She didn't know what to do.  This type of confrontation made her nervous and wished fervently that one of the bouncers would arrive and fix the issues swiftly!  She was the seamstress and chef!  It was hard enough hiding her failing health while trying to keep things running smoothly!  If she messed up badly now....

"Madam...madam please" she begged helplessly, "He is a customer.  If you are willing to wait I'm sure one of our own will be able to entertain..."  She had the sinking feeling that despite her words, she was being irrevocably ignored.

Yet, they didn't seem to mind each other's company, and seemed at ease...yet...no...

She began to feel flashes of their emotions dancing in her head, despite the strong barriers she kept around her mind constantly in order to block them out.  Ever since she became increasingly more and more ill, her mental barricades had began to crumble, letting in more and more of others emotions.

pride, exasperation, surprise she felt the most strongly, but things were so jumbled that she couldn't differentiate who was feeling what.  Well, the surprise she had known to come from the man the moment the woman plopped down on his lap.  Of course, that made perfect sense.  Anyone would be shocked if someone just sat on them when they least expected it...but he recovered quickly from it, that was sure....but....he was guarded.

She rubbed her temples, refocusing the blocks around her Emotional abilities.  She didn't want to feel their emotions.  She didn't want to be in their heads.  If she let even the slightest trickle in, her barriers would crumble further until she lost all control.  Best quench the torrent with the first leak.  But she didn't know how much longer she'd be able to keep it strongly intact....

"Madam...you're more than welcome to help yourself to some wine..." she tried again, unsuccessfully.  It was apparent, from her attitude that she was not one of the mistresses of the house in the sexual sense.

Then the conversation between the two continued, and it dawned on her.  There was irony...dripping irony bouncing between the two, and then the woman's wings unfolded and her heart beat painfully in her chest, causing her to falter, flinching as her hands covered her heart.

She wasn't stupid by any means.  Provincial and naive, yes, but never stupid and she had made a point of at least learning a bit about the rulers of Adela.  After all, she had been living here for quite some time and it's best to be educated.  What had she learned?  First that the King randomly liked to go on holiday, and his army's commander was winged and had a temper not to be tampered with....

"Oh Gods..." she muttered, her eyes flitting from the King to his Commander.  She was in the presence of royalty and hadn't even known!  How foolish of her!

But he had lied!  He had told her he was someone else.  Was it so wrong to wish to break away from the trials and tribulations of everyday life and become someone else for a day?  She could sympathize with him...but now she didn't know how to treat them both.  Should she bow low?  Apologize for not knowing right away?  Give them trinkets?  Or just ignore it completely?  Treat them like actual people?  It was overwhelming!

"M..my Lord King..." she gasped, curtsying low while the pain in her chest increased as her heart rate sped with nerves and uncertainty.  "Lady Commander...if you would like anything for the road..?"  She began walking over to the tray of food and, much to her dismay, felt the edges of her vision fuzz, the pain from the deep bruise on her chest flaring uncontrollably.  Her weakness finally showed as she fainted before the king and his commander.

[Tally]

The bite on his ear got a soft hiss out of him.  Tarlaka was just full of surprises tonight.  The hand around her waist moved up to tangle in the hair at the base of her neck.  This reckless, slightly awkward improvisation was the type of thing that could drive him absolutely wild.

It was such a waste.  

If he were someone else, if Tarlaka was someone else, he surely would have continued.  If he still considered himself Solisi even in the vaguest sense, he would not have let her go so easily.  But it was a measure of his disconnect to who he had been that he released her immediately when she made to stand up and gratitude welled up in him that she'd put an end to it.

He'd come here pretending to be someone else.  And maybe the spirits that moved the earth and all mortal paths had sent her here tonight to tell him it was time to stop pretending.  Time to stop being such a damned coward and do what he had to do.

"Yes," he sighed.  "I suppose we should."  He resigned himself, relinquished the comfort of the couch and stood.  This, also, was a waste.  He could've had fun, tonight.  Instead he had to go work.  "Madam Rayne, it was a pleasure.  Unfortunately, this prudish woman here requires me elsewhere so...ah..."

He trailed off, catching the looks Rayne cast between himself and Tarlaka, and suppressed another sigh when she curtsied.  So close to a clear escape.  The whole reason he'd come into the city at night and without any spectacle was to avoid just this kind of thing.  Bad enough the whole castle would turn itself on its head at his surprise return.

"That won't be necessary, we're heading straight for the castle," he assured her, presenting his friendliest smile.  He looked down locate the coin pouch at his belt and when he looked up again Rayne was falling.  In one long stride he was there and managed to catch her before she his the floor.  He swung her up in his arms and laid her on the couch.

He cast a rueful glance at Tarlaka.  "Now I've done it.  My virile, masculine presence must have been too much for her."  In spite of the jest, he knew when to be serious.  He put his ear to her mouth to make sure he heard her breath and felt for her pulse at the neck.  He held her hands and touched her cheeks to see if her skin was clammy.  "See if you can find some water, eh?"  It didn't seem to be more than a fainting spell.  He wasn't about to leave her, though, and if she didn't wake up soon he'd take her to Sanctuary for a healing.