The Duke's Bride

[Wylde]

"I mean, Mike got bit and the next week he got shot clean through the arm and he healed it in like thirty minutes and before it would have taken at least thirty-five so maybe!" Wylde whimpers. "Humans heal so slow!" 

[Tova koshack]

"The accelerated healing wears off it's just the new magic. And besides I'm better than you think I'm mostly just stiff and sore now I'll be right as rain a a day or so."

[Wylde]

"Promise?" she whines, nuzzling again. 

[Tova koshack]

"Promise." I say yawning "snuggles." I pout cuddling into her chest

[Wylde]

Wylde drapes herself over Tova, her knee resting between Tova's legs, though she doesn't grind in, just settles there, nuzzling at Tova's neck in just the spot where she would give a mating bite. 

[Countess Elaina Moorwood]

It's midnirning the next day when I stand out side of Beth and Carol's room. I nock firmly and enter when I hear a "come in." From inside

"Good morning, I know yesterday was quite eventful so I came to check on you and see if I might awnser some more questions for you."

[Bethany]

Beth is out of bed but not properly 'awake' by upper class standards; specifically, she's still in her dressing gown, her hair is loose and messy and her feet are bare. Still, she seems alert enough, though that might be at least in part due to the two pots of tea on the desk next to her. One is clearly empty but the other is still steaming softly so must be fresh. Next to the pots is a stack of papers that Beth was reading through before Elaina came a calling. Broadsheets, it looks like, as well as quick copies of any declarations made in town that were sent by either the local duke or the king. Well, the king's court at least, given the current state of things. 

Gesturing at the pile, Beth laughs weakly. "I'm still just barely getting a sense of where to start. But I guess... Well, I guess I'll start with you. Why? I mean, why do all this, put yourself in danger like you are and go through all this work for the crown? You said some vague stuff about being better than the other contender but that's-- People don't just decide to do something like this because of something so trivial. There's more to it."

[Countess Elaina Moorwood]

I sigh taking a seat in the chair opposer. "You're right. Most people wouldn't but I'm not most people. But I think you knew that already. The short version is this. I watched kill the child of his survent because he was bored. He had nothing better to do so he murdered a baby just to watch it's mother scream and beg and plead for him to kill her instead or at the very least kill her too. A monster like that would destroy so many lives. I was given the chance to change that, I can't let anyone else suffer like I- saw her suffer."

[Carver Amell]

Carol is still nested in the covers, but from the way she shudders, she's definitely awake enough to overhear. She buries her face deeper into the covers, trying to flee from the horrible tragedy that her life is becoming. 

[Bethany]

Beth blanches a little but doesn't look away from Elaina, focusing carefully on the older woman's face as she searches for falsehoods or manipulation. "That's... Why wasn't he arrested?" Beth demands, voice tightly controlled. "Even-- there are less laws for royals and nobility but that's-- At the least he should have been excommunicated!"

[Countess Elaina Moorwood]

"It was his bastard, the laws are on his side...for now"

[Bethany]

"Rape." It isn't a question.

[Countess Elaina Moorwood]

"Men of the church often get away with the most haniuse of crimes" I say coldly

[Bethany]

Beth shudders, memories of lingering looks and seemingly benign comments at the abbey coming to mind. "No argument here," she mutters. "So. Fine. You're don't want him to be King. But why take the throne yourself? Why not just have your 'god magician,' you know, remove him."

[Countess Elaina Moorwood]

"It's better to do it where everyone can see. Things done in the shadows have a way of biting when brought to the light. Killing him on a battle field insures that everyone knows how he died and rules out speculation. Though I'd be living if I said part of it wasn't because I want to kill him myself."