Night Lands Castle (29) – The Blood of Kings.

Selene sighed softly and turned to look at her husband as though she were suddenly exhausted “Well, can you blame her, love? She clearly doesn’t want to get married and I highly doubt she is a hopeless romantic like me. She seems too dependent.”Turning to look towards the castle, she frowned slightly as she wondered what do do “The poor thing…” But soon the dark prince’s words sunk in and she turned to laugh at him“Hey! I do not have a temper…do I?” Pondering this, she then shrugged and looped her hand through his “Perhaps it is for the better then.”

Joffrey suggested that they go to the throne room, and she nodded her head in agreement. They would have to sort this out with the king, and this deeply troubled Selene. She had only just found out she was married to this prince, and she also just recently bedded him like a wild whore. Falling back into her roles was proving to be exceptionally difficult without memories. Lifting her chin up, she decided she had to do this. Her daughter needed her, and that was more important to her than her own problems. Glancing at Joffrey, she nodded with determination “Lead the way, my love.”

King Brandon watched as his Granddaughter the Lady Tempest entered the room.
By her demeanor, he could tell she was none to pleased to be brought before him.
However he was tired of these antics.

“You sent for me, Your Majesty.” she said through a mask of seething rage.

Though she held it all in well, he could read her mind when she projected so loudly.
He thought to himself well she is called Tempest after all..

Both Joffrey and Selene were watching the exchange and he nodded to them briefly.
“Well my dear, I see you are not to pleased about finding a husband from what I have been told. However I would say that I had thought one with Brax in the name had more honor than that. Perhaps we might be able to give you more of a choice in things if you were amendable, but it would require that you choose soon and at our discretion. We do want you happy, but we have to right the house and find you a suitable husband. It is an important decision, Perhaps a ball? We can invite all of the eligible bachelors from the surrounding kingdoms, then you would be able to pick from your choice of suitors. What do you think of that? “ 

With that he sat back and watched his grandaughter cautiously waiting to see how she might like his compromise.
Also eyeing Joffrey with a wink.

Fine. Have your stupid ball. But…” she continued before he could speak, “…if I like none of the choices, you will leave me be about this marriage thing. I want to fall in love and have that love returned. Not forced on me like it was some kind of chore. Agreed?” she said to him.. As any child might speaking to another she thought her equal.

Brandon, was not to be trifled with however. She was quite right on one thing, this had been a test. To see if she would do as bid and to see if he could trust that she would follow instruction. As it seemed she could not trusted,he ordered the guards to quickly seize her. He then pushed out the aura of fear that had been within him. A demonic presence that normally he never shared with his family, but he kept strictly for battle was moved without his body like a seperate entity clouding the room.

” You will do as you are bid. You will not be let out of the dungeons now until the ball.” 

One thing Joffrey knew about his father was when he considered himself to be generous and then had it kicked back in his face publicly….well, that is not a good thing at all. The entire court held its breath, and their faces panned from Tempest back to the King, as Joffrey brought his hand up over his head, like the very ceiling was about to come crashing down. Oh…lord. Tempest had spoken to the King with defiance, and though he couldn’t really blame her at all, he knew no good would come from it. Interjecting now, was simply a very bad idea. It took one look at the King to see…that this was going to be bad.

An aura of fear projected from the King’s demonic form was spreading like a sickening cloud across the very people that stood in the Throne room. Joffrey squinted, and looked at his daughter with sadness. Having experienced his Father’s wrath before, he could feel his own knees knocking at the oncoming words to be spat from the King’s lips.

” You will do as you are bid. You will not be let out of the dungeons now until the ball.” 

Yes…this was bad. Joffrey knew Selene would probably have a word or two about this, but he would urge her silence, in the face of making the situation worse than it already was. Instead, he bowed his head, shamed that he didn’t have the balls to stand up and back up his daughter for her defiance. This was going to be one of life’s lessons.

Meanwhile up at the throne, Minerva lay at the King’s feet, and watched the spectacle with an amused expression. She wasn’t daft and captured the look of hatred directed towards her by Tempest. Minerva didn’t care, for she had the King’s favor, and was his Mistress. So, she kept still by the King till he wished her attention.

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Everyone was looking between Tempest and King Brandon like spectators in a Wimbledon match, everyone holding their breath to see how this would turn out.

It would turn out quite bad…for Tempest.

The King seemed to grow in size and a very powerful aura collided with her own, meant to inspire fear. She stepped back a few paces but she did not cower, for her will was as strong as the storm for which she was named.

“You will do as you are bid. You will not be let out of the dungeons now until the ball.”

What? she gaped as two guards took her in their arms, giving her apologetic looks as they did so.

“Father? Mother?” she called to her parents, hoping they would step to her defense. But her father simply placed a hand on her mother’s arm to keep her from speaking and looked away from her. Tempest felt her heart shatter into a thousand pieces and resisted the urge to cry. The one man whom she thought she could trust above all others…had forsaken her. She glanced around at the others of the court, not even spotting a glimpse of her own brother. She hardened her heart and glared at each member of her so-called “family”.

“So much for that vaunted family loyalty.” she spat. She jerked herself from the guard’s embrace and with her head held high, marched from the room, the guards close at her heels.

Castle Dungeons

“I’m so sorry about this, Your Highness.” one of the guards murmured as he locked her in a cell. She gave him a wan smile.

“It’s not your fault, sir. You are doing your duty for your King. I place no blame on your shoulders.” she reassured him, touching his hand through the bars of her cell. He took her hand within his own and placed a gentlemanly kiss upon her fingers before leaving her to her thoughts. She glanced around her new accommodations with a sad sigh before sitting down on the dingy cot. Her head drooped, chin pressed against her chest and the tears came. She had been abandoned by her own family, people she loved and would defend with her very life…and she was now left to flounder on her own. “I hate them.” she whispered into the silence. She did not notice the bright light that appeared outside her cell in the main chambers of the dungeon.

“Why do you cry, My Childe?” came a voice she never expected to hear. Her head shot up and she squinted as the light grew brighter. There was a pop of sound and Philippe appeared to her in all his magnificence.

“Philippe! Oh I am so glad to see you.” she whispered, gripping the bars of her cell. “My family has forsaken me. My father’s King has bid me to marry under force, which I can not, shall not do. So I am to be locked up here until I am to meet a suitor at a ball the King is having.”

“Oh my darling, Tempest Storm. You are good of heart and deserve to have someone to love you for you, not to secure a place at someone’s side for the sake of an alliance. A pretty bit of eye candy, you shall not be.” Despite his size, Philippe moved about easily. Must have something to do with his own special magic. “Come. I shall take you someplace safe from the King’s wrath and machinations.” He reached out a single talon and touched the bars of her cell where they shimmered and faded from existence. He lowered his head to her so that she would have an easier time of climbing onto his back. Once she was settled comfortably, he replaced the bars of the cell. “Is there anyone you wish to say goodbye to? I fear you shall not be returning here for some time.”

“I would have liked to say goodbye to Nanny…but she would be killed for having seen me and not raising the alarm of my escape.” Tempest sighed.

“I am sorry for that.” Philippe felt sorrow for his charge. “Then let us be off. We have quite the distance to travel.”

A bright light surrounded them both, growing as large as the room they were in before shrinking to a pinpoint and vanishing completely. No trace remained that Philippe had even been there, not even footprints in the dirt.

Selene had followed her husband into the throne room silently, her eyes flicking from each member of court self-consciously. She was sure they knew who she was, and no doubt knew more about the princess than she did at the moment. Lifting her face to look at the king, she had dropped into a graceful curtsy out of respect. Folding her hands in front of her, Selene then stood silently to see what was in store for her daughter. She turned her head slightly to offer a small smile to Tempest, but she knew her daughter was independent enough to handle herself.

Unfortunately, it seemed the king was not in the best of spirits as he spoke of a ball. Tempest soon dug herself a hole by unleashing her attitude and anger, and Selene could only watch in horror as the king decreed her daughter was to go to the dungeons. Taking a step forward, she opened her mouth to object but could sense her husband beside her. Whipping around to face him, her eyes narrowed as she watched in disgust at how he did not object. Her mouth set into a line as she then turned to watch her baby being led to the dungeons. Her eyes filled with sadness as Tempest shot her a look that could kill. Reaching up to touch her heart, she bowed her head in shame as there was nothing she could do. When her child was gone, she picked up her skirts and began to leave the throne room without another word.

As she was leaving, her son Lucan was heading towards the throne room to see what was going on. Seeing Selene looking distressed, he frowned and rushed up to her. “Princess, what is it?” He dared not speak to her as his mother for fear of further shocking her. Reaching out to grasp her hand, he offered a small smile “Is everything all right?”

Selene just looked at him wonder, a strange feeling stirring within her. She knew him…but how? Sighing softly, she offered a weak smile “No, everything is not. But there is nothing I can do, and it seems my husband will do nothing about it. Come, let us take a stroll around the castle. My head hurts me terribly.”

Lucan nodded slightly and offered his arm to her. Once the princess took it, the pair began to walk down the corridor as he chatted on and on about the kingdom’s scenery.

Brandon visibly calmed a bit having seen the two women leave. He already was aware that Selene could not or would not tell him anything. He had hoped that Tempest would have had more sense than to try and argue publicly with him. It would have been one thing to speak to him privately regarding choices but to publicly challenge his authority was something he would not brook. As King he could not allow it, or he would never be seen wioth the strength he possessed. Nor would the honor of Brax truly be restored. Lookingto Minerva he smiled quietly, she felt the understanding through the bond within her collar. It was almost a symbiotic relationship. Stroking her hair lightly he smiled again.

He then turned towards Joffrey.
“Well we have more to speak of Joffrey, what would you tell me of things as they stand? I want to know what else has transpired now, be honest. I really did try with your daughter as you can see. She simply is not going to listen. We all married at our ages for duty, love was secondary and grew in time. Sometimes one is lucky and finds both but when the time comes its always inevitable that you must marry for honor. It pains me to put any member of the house in a cell, but as she cannot be trusted that is where she will be until we can work something out. Perhaps I can have something arranged.” 

With both his daughter Tempest being escorted from the room with guards, and then his wife Selene also leaving due to the requests of the King, Joffrey was left to face his father on his own. A sense of feeling of inadequacy hit him hard, and this showed as his brow furrowed, and he was left without knowing what to say. Did Tempest now think her father was simply not strong enough to stand up to his Father, even though the King had offered to put on a ball so that she may chose one of many suitors. Hell, that was a better deal than what he had received when he was told to marry Selene. Course, things turned out differently, but he loved his wife. Sighing, the Prince faced his father.

His father spoke of how he had made an effort, and of course, Joffrey could see this. The fact remained that Brandon was the King, and his word was law. Even Joffrey would dare not defy a royal decree.

“Tempest is one of her own mind, Father. Willful and headstrong. Much like you, I dare say.” Joffrey spoke the truth in this matter. He saw much of Tempest’s drive and temper to match that of his Father. The King offered that he could arrange something, perhaps.

“I will go along with what you decide of course, Father.”

At that, Joffrey bowed, and excused himself from the Throne room, lost in his thoughts.

Minerva absolutely loved the performances put on by all of the Brax household. She actually had to bite her tongue to stifle her laughter when Tempest stormed out with the guards in tow. Down to the cell block she goes. The Witch was amused even more so by the way that Selene seemed totally clueless by what was going on, and all lost faith in Joffrey too boot. What a wonderful family gathering this had been.

Feeling the bond with the King via the collar, she gazed up at him adoringly. His gentle stroking of her hair, had her purr softly, and nuzzle his leg with her shoulder, letting him know she was of course feeling his emotions. Sympathetic to him naturally. She dared not speak, until addressed, for to do so before the court might look to undermine him. Instead, she stayed close.

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