[Secrets were essential for men like them. Something that they would need to safeguard with everything they had, while also collecting secrets of others around them. Such were the rules of this game that they both played in their own worlds. So it was no wonder that trust was hard-earned and rare for them, never given freely.
Both Silco and Richard had been vulnerable before the other, offering glimpses to their past and hurt -- sacrificing bits and pieces of their secrets. But never the full picture. There wasn't a moment when Richard believed that he might have figured out Silco's deal or trusted his lover to lay himself fully bare before him. And that was fine. There was still a lot that Silco didn't know about him.
Though some of that was about to be corrected tonight.
With a quiet hum, Richard withdraws away from his lover and stands back up, walking to the table to marvel at the crate once again.] My father once set out to correct the wrongs in our land. With him he brought about a great storm, like no one else had seen before. Shaking the rule of our nation. [It's the beginning of a story that Richard had told Silco so many times before. The one about his father's noble and beautiful spirit. However, this time he took it to different direction.]
After his death my eldest brother, Edward, continued the battle. He blew more wind to the storm, brought upon red clouds that would rain blood. I was there with him, of course. Fought the battles with him and retrieved the light from where it had once been stolen. I believed it to be only just. Everyone did so, too. All but one..
[Richard places his hand once again on top of the crate, carefully caressing it, eyes full of reminiscing sadness. That's right. Edward was the rightful king. No one else would dare to think otherwise. No one but one soul, the one who had always looked at Richard's direction.] The man whom you call my 'lover.' He is the only one who had the audacity to dream of something much more.
[Some time ago, he had been a weak man who had been played. Now he liked to think that he was far more alert to such antics; he was better prepared to know what Richard was capable of now that he had let the younger man in to be close to him. And perhaps it was par for the course that everyone he let close tried or succeeded in killing him.
He remained where he was as Richard weaved a new version of the tale of his father, and he had assumed that the man was a usurper. If anything, that fact earned a touch of respect from him, especially when a man dragged an entire family, city and country into that mess. It was not far off of his own rise.
His gaze shifted between Richard and the crate in question, and as the tale moved forward, his mind was deciding what was going to be in that box. There had been enough talk of that circle of light to him that he narrowed it down to two possibilities: Richard's father's head or the crown the man had been seeking and Richard had also taken from his own bloodkin.]
How scandalous. Someone thinking third in line for the throne is the best choice and working to provide such an outcome. [That's how succession worked by his measure and the books he had read.] He needed you to accomplish that audacity though; you share blood with the King.
[To call the actions of Richard's father one of usurper's is not far from the truth, no matter how Yorks tried to rationalize it with bloodlines and divine rights. And Richard, himself, for sure was one - stealing the light away from the his own family and painting his nephews as nothing but false prophets. Poor children born from own woman' wickedness.
But just like always. When the topic shifted to his father the smartest thing one could do is tread carefully or remain quiet.]
Heh.. [A soft, melancholic laughter leaves from Richard, his eyes still seeing nothing but the crate on the desk.] But I was not third in the line. I was as far as away from the crown as he was. Yet.. He chose me rather than himself. Even after finding out the truth about me.. He still stood by my side. [Buckingham also could have had a claim for the throne, even if it was not nearly as strong or obvious as Richard's. But surely a cunning man like him would have turned black into white and vice versa if he so truly wanted.
Richard then turned to look up from the crate, eyes landing on the other man still sitting on the couch.] Why do you think he choose to do something like that?
[See, this was why he would never actually understand lines of succession without intensive study first. That was a tree that came with gnarly branches that didn't make sense to him, and there was probably the ability to shoehorn oneself into that line somehow. It seemed convoluted and pointless.
The only truth he knew was this: life was limited by what a person could do and what they couldn't do. What they couldn't do depended on the strength of will to achieve it; even though with higher superiority could be torn from their perch with enough planning, resources and time.
His gaze moved to the crate again, clear that Richard was intent to keep that secret for himself. As curious as he was, he didn't claim to be invested in someone else's punishment set down by the Council. So far, whatever the consequences, Richard seemed to the weathering them well enough.
He shifted where he sat slightly, crossing one leg over the other.] I wouldn't dare presume the motivations of this man. [He could make educated guesses, of course, but Richard was fiercely protective of those he was in love with. He assumed similar reactions to the father might be upheld with the lover.] Why do you believe he choose you over himself? Surely you have an idea.
[Silco was right, of course. It was foolish to ask from the man about the workings of his kingmaker, especially when they had never met. It just happened that more often than not, his lover tended to remind Richard of the one left behind at his come. There had been so many times when he could hear the older man speaking Buckingham's words at him, looking at him with similar intensity within that damaged gaze.
But they were not the same. And in the end Silco held more differences than similarities with Richard's other half. It was something he knew, of course. But during a moment of a weakness he could lose the sign of that.]
I once asked him. He did not answer me. [It had been the first time Richard had ever seen the other man lost at words. But, just like with everything, he had accepted it. Once his own forbidden desires and lust had been forced out in the daylight Richard had simply nodded and followed Buckingham's plan, only once voicing out the questions lingering in his mind: Why.
Richard then turns his softened gaze at Silco and extends his injured hand out to him towards the couch.]
[There had been a few mentions and a description of the man, but Silco was of the opinion that neither he nor Buckingham would enjoy one's company all that much. He expected that the other lover was using Richard, but to what end, he didn't know as he wasn't aware of all the rules and situations of the game that they apparently were playing.
All he knew was that the crown and the power that came with it was the end goal. How they went about it, the necessary plans and associations were beyond him. All he knew was that if the lover arrived here, he would step back as he expected Richard would prefer the other. Perhaps that might change with time. Who knew.]
They say that no answer is still an answer, but it is up to us to determine what the silence verifies.
[He reached out to take Richard's hand when it was offered, uncrossing his legs so that he could rise to his feet and gaze upon this object which had captured his lover's attention. Now how the Council would use it was another matter entirely. He made a point of slipping his other arm around the small of Richard's back as he came to look at the crate more closely.]
[The burnt fingers curl around Silco's hand, gently pulling him closer. And even when they're both standing before the crate Richard doesn't move immediately to open it. Instead he takes a quiet moment to sort out his feelings, running the healthy palm over the top of the wood.
Richard had shared vulnerable moments and secrets to Silco before. Opening his body to the other man, telling him about the forest where his mother left him, Joan and the tale of his father's death. And yet this made him feel the most raw and defenseless around the man, as if he was just about to let his lover in the most guarded secret of the world. And maybe in a way he was. Everything he had done, everything that he was - they all cultivated into this sole object.
There's soft-spoken sorrow in Richard as he finally twisted the small metallic lock on the crate, opening the lid. At first, they can only see a dark blue cloth. Richard reaches to pull it aside and.
There it was. ]
.. My father's crown. [Richard whispers as he looks at the golden headpiece in front of them. The circle of light, the key to paradise. Of which bards and poets would sing about. What his father had died for.
However, the sorrow in him is quickly placed with anger. It twists his expression into a hateful grimace, making him to bare his teeth. No matter how much he looked at it he simply could not see the light. There was no divine within the crown presented to him, only emptiness. The sheer mockery, one that he would liken to blasphemy and crime, made his blood boil. Oh, how he wished to take up his weapons, and slaughter every living creature in this world, tear it all apart until he found the cursed ai.]
The council wants me to set it aside. They want me to refuse my father's legacy! [The words are hissed out between his teeth. Clearly Silco ought to understand why Richard can't comply with the request ]
[There was a patience that came with age but also with years of waiting and watching for unique opportunities. This was a moment where he simply stood next to Richard and waited, aware that this moment would be one of great importance to the younger man. He had already spied how Richard had reacted with a simple brush of his fingers over the crate.
Now was not the time for hasty action. No, he turned his head and watched Richard rather than the crate, and he was not disappointed with the complex emotions that paraded across the younger man's expression even as the metal lock was opened and the crate open.
Slowly, he turned his mismatched eyes onto the item that Richard had hedged his future on, the item that the entire family had gone to war over. It was... impressive, he supposed. From a metal work and gemstone perspective, it was glamourous and sparkled even sitting peacefully in the blue velvet. He had never been up close to a crown before, and he held off even daring to lean forward to examine it. The price such an item could fetch in Zaun was significant.]
And now your crown or will be soon, yes?
[He returned his gaze to Richard, watching the emotions twist the younger man's face. Now if only they could direct that rage towards the Council completely, not that it would matter as he wasn't convinced any longer that the Council itself had any manner of physical bodies. Still, he tightened his grip around Richard's back.]
Of course they would. They believe they are doing what is best when they clearly don't understand what such an item means to you and you family. The battles engaged, the blood spilt, the lives lost in obtaining. Have you noticed any ill effects thus far in refusing to renounce it?
Hah! [The laughter erupts from him as a sardonic sneer before Richard can catch it. But really now? Wouldn't that just be grand? Parade around this forsaken land with a crown on his head? Nay, that would only earn mockery and taint the memory of his father. There's a reason why Richard did refrain from telling people out in public his true status in the hierarchy.] You'd want me to try establish myself as a king to these people? In a place like this where I have no claim to the lands or authority. Doing so would not earn me respect of the people.
[these people did not want a king nor bow down to one, let alone show him respect. Least of all Silco.
But the tightening of arm against the small of his back is enough to quell some of the anger inside Richard, keeping the storm from toppling the trees and ripping them out of the ground with roots and all. His breathing was still heavy, the air moving in and out through his nostrils as he regarded the question.
Now, Richard had heard of the horrific punishments that some of the chosen endured at the hands of the council if they proved to be resilient with completing their tasks. He, luckily, had not encountered anything harrowing.. except for.]
People stare at me wherever I go. I can feel their eyes on my back and hear them whispering about me, some have even tried to follow me around. [While Richard wouldn't say it was the worst thing out there, it was still distracting - feeding more into his doubts and fears.
Richard run his fingers alongside the edges of the crate, not daring to dip them inside now that the crown was exposed. For a brief second he wondered his next words, trying to decide whether it was worthy of bringing it up.]
Other than that it has been quiet. I haven't seen Joan nor her demonic minions.
I don't think the people here would accept that, and yet, according to you, you are king. What you do with that knowledge and with this crown is for you to decide alone. [It was true that Silco had no interest in being ruled, that he would buck against anyone that tried to put him under their thumb by claiming to be his ruler. He had pulled down people from their apparent high seats before, and he would again if the opportunity presented.
However, this crown and all that it represented was supposed to be a punishment for a crime that the council deemed worthy of their attention. Such items were always given with a purpose, and he had no doubt that something of value would be taken away if Richard didn't bend to the Council's silly whims.
He found himself staring at the crown where it lay in its crate. He noted that Richard didn't reach in and take it out or touch it. He knew it would be unwise to do such a thing himself as well.]
Those behaviours will grow more invasive and constant the longer you don't do as the Council demands. If you won't, I expect you can weather that storm for as long as you need to. [He nearly scoffed at the Council, but he thought for Richard it was a fitting pressure to endure. The younger man was self-conscious after all.] After a time, the effects will abate. People fail the requirements of the Council often.
[He turned his head to regard the younger man a moment, considering.]
[Funny. They had talked about power before with Silco. But most of time their conversations had focused on all the atrocities that they were willing to commit to remove the obstacles on their ways and climb up the ladder to reach the top. Never had they stopped to talk truly what the power meant to each other. Or well, Richard had given Silco his usual answer, one that he doubted that his lover understood fully.
To him the Light was same as the power. Once obtained it would grant him the ability to make his each dream come true, erase all of the sadness and give him the keys to paradise. Something that would make him equal to God himself. And the golden, shining object in front of them was a proof of that overwhelming power. As for Silco? Well, if Richard had to take a wild guess it would mean either control or freedom. Or both, considering his past and goal to build an empire. Or something alike that, and Richard thinks he can understand it to some extend, at least.
But whatever the differences in their point of views were, there was one shared fact: only one could stand on the top. Silco would not tolerate a king, and Richard would not tolerate another leader above him. And eventually two monsters would have to face each other, he suspected.
But right now? Despite his blood boiling hot and anger rushing in his veins at the audacity of their captors to drag his father's crown into this world, rob it from its light in mockery, he felt... relief that he could share this with the other man - rather than allowing it to drive him to madness in the solitude.
With his lips still curled down in a disapproving frown, Richard kept staring down at the crown, considering Silco's question. Under normal circumstances he would be nothing but grateful to be rid of Joan and the other demons. But here? He found the idea somewhat conflicting. The witch might be his tormentor, but at the same time he had strangely become to trust her presence, finding her less threatening. Having her nonsensical presence around might as well be the one thing that made sense in this chaotic world.]
She'll be back, I know it. [There was no doubt about it.] The only thing I do not understand is why now? She has never yielded in front of the crown before.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
traumaticus) wrote2022-08-15 11:44 pm
no subject
Both Silco and Richard had been vulnerable before the other, offering glimpses to their past and hurt -- sacrificing bits and pieces of their secrets. But never the full picture. There wasn't a moment when Richard believed that he might have figured out Silco's deal or trusted his lover to lay himself fully bare before him. And that was fine. There was still a lot that Silco didn't know about him.
Though some of that was about to be corrected tonight.
With a quiet hum, Richard withdraws away from his lover and stands back up, walking to the table to marvel at the crate once again.] My father once set out to correct the wrongs in our land. With him he brought about a great storm, like no one else had seen before. Shaking the rule of our nation. [It's the beginning of a story that Richard had told Silco so many times before. The one about his father's noble and beautiful spirit. However, this time he took it to different direction.]
After his death my eldest brother, Edward, continued the battle. He blew more wind to the storm, brought upon red clouds that would rain blood. I was there with him, of course. Fought the battles with him and retrieved the light from where it had once been stolen. I believed it to be only just. Everyone did so, too. All but one..
[Richard places his hand once again on top of the crate, carefully caressing it, eyes full of reminiscing sadness. That's right. Edward was the rightful king. No one else would dare to think otherwise. No one but one soul, the one who had always looked at Richard's direction.] The man whom you call my 'lover.' He is the only one who had the audacity to dream of something much more.
no subject
He remained where he was as Richard weaved a new version of the tale of his father, and he had assumed that the man was a usurper. If anything, that fact earned a touch of respect from him, especially when a man dragged an entire family, city and country into that mess. It was not far off of his own rise.
His gaze shifted between Richard and the crate in question, and as the tale moved forward, his mind was deciding what was going to be in that box. There had been enough talk of that circle of light to him that he narrowed it down to two possibilities: Richard's father's head or the crown the man had been seeking and Richard had also taken from his own bloodkin.]
How scandalous. Someone thinking third in line for the throne is the best choice and working to provide such an outcome. [That's how succession worked by his measure and the books he had read.] He needed you to accomplish that audacity though; you share blood with the King.
no subject
But just like always. When the topic shifted to his father the smartest thing one could do is tread carefully or remain quiet.]
Heh.. [A soft, melancholic laughter leaves from Richard, his eyes still seeing nothing but the crate on the desk.] But I was not third in the line. I was as far as away from the crown as he was. Yet.. He chose me rather than himself. Even after finding out the truth about me.. He still stood by my side. [Buckingham also could have had a claim for the throne, even if it was not nearly as strong or obvious as Richard's. But surely a cunning man like him would have turned black into white and vice versa if he so truly wanted.
Richard then turned to look up from the crate, eyes landing on the other man still sitting on the couch.] Why do you think he choose to do something like that?
no subject
The only truth he knew was this: life was limited by what a person could do and what they couldn't do. What they couldn't do depended on the strength of will to achieve it; even though with higher superiority could be torn from their perch with enough planning, resources and time.
His gaze moved to the crate again, clear that Richard was intent to keep that secret for himself. As curious as he was, he didn't claim to be invested in someone else's punishment set down by the Council. So far, whatever the consequences, Richard seemed to the weathering them well enough.
He shifted where he sat slightly, crossing one leg over the other.] I wouldn't dare presume the motivations of this man. [He could make educated guesses, of course, but Richard was fiercely protective of those he was in love with. He assumed similar reactions to the father might be upheld with the lover.] Why do you believe he choose you over himself? Surely you have an idea.
no subject
But they were not the same. And in the end Silco held more differences than similarities with Richard's other half. It was something he knew, of course. But during a moment of a weakness he could lose the sign of that.]
I once asked him. He did not answer me. [It had been the first time Richard had ever seen the other man lost at words. But, just like with everything, he had accepted it. Once his own forbidden desires and lust had been forced out in the daylight Richard had simply nodded and followed Buckingham's plan, only once voicing out the questions lingering in his mind: Why.
Richard then turns his softened gaze at Silco and extends his injured hand out to him towards the couch.]
Come and see.
no subject
All he knew was that the crown and the power that came with it was the end goal. How they went about it, the necessary plans and associations were beyond him. All he knew was that if the lover arrived here, he would step back as he expected Richard would prefer the other. Perhaps that might change with time. Who knew.]
They say that no answer is still an answer, but it is up to us to determine what the silence verifies.
[He reached out to take Richard's hand when it was offered, uncrossing his legs so that he could rise to his feet and gaze upon this object which had captured his lover's attention. Now how the Council would use it was another matter entirely. He made a point of slipping his other arm around the small of Richard's back as he came to look at the crate more closely.]
Show me?
no subject
Richard had shared vulnerable moments and secrets to Silco before. Opening his body to the other man, telling him about the forest where his mother left him, Joan and the tale of his father's death. And yet this made him feel the most raw and defenseless around the man, as if he was just about to let his lover in the most guarded secret of the world. And maybe in a way he was. Everything he had done, everything that he was - they all cultivated into this sole object.
There's soft-spoken sorrow in Richard as he finally twisted the small metallic lock on the crate, opening the lid. At first, they can only see a dark blue cloth. Richard reaches to pull it aside and.
There it was. ]
.. My father's crown. [Richard whispers as he looks at the golden headpiece in front of them. The circle of light, the key to paradise. Of which bards and poets would sing about. What his father had died for.
However, the sorrow in him is quickly placed with anger. It twists his expression into a hateful grimace, making him to bare his teeth. No matter how much he looked at it he simply could not see the light. There was no divine within the crown presented to him, only emptiness. The sheer mockery, one that he would liken to blasphemy and crime, made his blood boil. Oh, how he wished to take up his weapons, and slaughter every living creature in this world, tear it all apart until he found the cursed ai.]
The council wants me to set it aside. They want me to refuse my father's legacy! [The words are hissed out between his teeth. Clearly Silco ought to understand why Richard can't comply with the request ]
no subject
Now was not the time for hasty action. No, he turned his head and watched Richard rather than the crate, and he was not disappointed with the complex emotions that paraded across the younger man's expression even as the metal lock was opened and the crate open.
Slowly, he turned his mismatched eyes onto the item that Richard had hedged his future on, the item that the entire family had gone to war over. It was... impressive, he supposed. From a metal work and gemstone perspective, it was glamourous and sparkled even sitting peacefully in the blue velvet. He had never been up close to a crown before, and he held off even daring to lean forward to examine it. The price such an item could fetch in Zaun was significant.]
And now your crown or will be soon, yes?
[He returned his gaze to Richard, watching the emotions twist the younger man's face. Now if only they could direct that rage towards the Council completely, not that it would matter as he wasn't convinced any longer that the Council itself had any manner of physical bodies. Still, he tightened his grip around Richard's back.]
Of course they would. They believe they are doing what is best when they clearly don't understand what such an item means to you and you family. The battles engaged, the blood spilt, the lives lost in obtaining. Have you noticed any ill effects thus far in refusing to renounce it?
no subject
[these people did not want a king nor bow down to one, let alone show him respect. Least of all Silco.
But the tightening of arm against the small of his back is enough to quell some of the anger inside Richard, keeping the storm from toppling the trees and ripping them out of the ground with roots and all. His breathing was still heavy, the air moving in and out through his nostrils as he regarded the question.
Now, Richard had heard of the horrific punishments that some of the chosen endured at the hands of the council if they proved to be resilient with completing their tasks. He, luckily, had not encountered anything harrowing.. except for.]
People stare at me wherever I go. I can feel their eyes on my back and hear them whispering about me, some have even tried to follow me around. [While Richard wouldn't say it was the worst thing out there, it was still distracting - feeding more into his doubts and fears.
Richard run his fingers alongside the edges of the crate, not daring to dip them inside now that the crown was exposed. For a brief second he wondered his next words, trying to decide whether it was worthy of bringing it up.]
Other than that it has been quiet. I haven't seen Joan nor her demonic minions.
no subject
However, this crown and all that it represented was supposed to be a punishment for a crime that the council deemed worthy of their attention. Such items were always given with a purpose, and he had no doubt that something of value would be taken away if Richard didn't bend to the Council's silly whims.
He found himself staring at the crown where it lay in its crate. He noted that Richard didn't reach in and take it out or touch it. He knew it would be unwise to do such a thing himself as well.]
Those behaviours will grow more invasive and constant the longer you don't do as the Council demands. If you won't, I expect you can weather that storm for as long as you need to. [He nearly scoffed at the Council, but he thought for Richard it was a fitting pressure to endure. The younger man was self-conscious after all.] After a time, the effects will abate. People fail the requirements of the Council often.
[He turned his head to regard the younger man a moment, considering.]
Is the quiet unnerving to you?
no subject
To him the Light was same as the power. Once obtained it would grant him the ability to make his each dream come true, erase all of the sadness and give him the keys to paradise. Something that would make him equal to God himself. And the golden, shining object in front of them was a proof of that overwhelming power. As for Silco? Well, if Richard had to take a wild guess it would mean either control or freedom. Or both, considering his past and goal to build an empire. Or something alike that, and Richard thinks he can understand it to some extend, at least.
But whatever the differences in their point of views were, there was one shared fact: only one could stand on the top. Silco would not tolerate a king, and Richard would not tolerate another leader above him. And eventually two monsters would have to face each other, he suspected.
But right now? Despite his blood boiling hot and anger rushing in his veins at the audacity of their captors to drag his father's crown into this world, rob it from its light in mockery, he felt... relief that he could share this with the other man - rather than allowing it to drive him to madness in the solitude.
With his lips still curled down in a disapproving frown, Richard kept staring down at the crown, considering Silco's question. Under normal circumstances he would be nothing but grateful to be rid of Joan and the other demons. But here? He found the idea somewhat conflicting. The witch might be his tormentor, but at the same time he had strangely become to trust her presence, finding her less threatening. Having her nonsensical presence around might as well be the one thing that made sense in this chaotic world.]
She'll be back, I know it. [There was no doubt about it.] The only thing I do not understand is why now? She has never yielded in front of the crown before.