“Will do, Madanach. You and Liriel have a good night now.”
Madanach nodded and led Liriel off to his own bedchamber. Leaving Cicero alone with Nepos.
“Right, you two,” Nepos said cheerfully to the guards. “I need to have a private conversation with the Garra-Lann here, so it's about time you both went for your break. Off you go, don't let me stop you.”
“But sir, the princess,” one of the guards began.
“Will be fine,” said Nepos curtly. “Cicero and I are right here, no one's going to get past both of us. Go. That's an order from me – the king has a problem with it, the king can take it up with me.”
“Sir.”
“Yes sir.” Both guards slinked off to the kitchens, and now Cicero was really alone with Nepos, feeling a bit nervous. What exactly did the man have in mind that he didn't want Madanach knowing?
“So you're Cicero,” Nepos said, stroking his chin. “I've heard about you. Talented assassin, near unstoppable in a fight, they tell me.”
Cicero tittered nervously, blushing a little. “Cicero is very good at stabbing things, yes,” he giggled. “Did Nepos have someone in mind?”
“Not for that, no,” Nepos said with smile. “But you are Dark Brotherhood, aren't you? Like Eola was before she came here. You knew her, didn't you?”
Cicero nodded, wondering where this was going. Nepos' smile widened.
“Were you friends at all?”
Friends? Friends?? The designing little hussy had had her eyes on him since day one, and after seeing her slaughter Arnbjorn, Cicero had had to use all his willpower to resist her. It had been no use. Despite trying to keep his mind on Kaie, his traitor cock had had other ideas and many had been the night he'd crept off for a frenzied session of self-pleasure, imagining Eola writhing beneath him. Afterwards, full of guilt and self-loathing, he'd crept back and tried to avoid her, but she'd kept on seeking him out and trying to talk to him anyway. Damn her. Then they'd finally argued, had it all out and it had ended with Eola agreeing it'd never work, he should go be with Kaie. Because if he'd left Kaie because she was a king's daughter and too good for him... Eola was out of his league for the same reason. Cicero had wanted to cry when he'd realised. He'd lost more than just Kaie. But Liriel had said it could happen, he was blood-brother here, he was eligible. Cicero wasn't quite so sure, but he did know one thing. Eola needed help and he was damned if he was letting her suffer any more.
“Cicero is very fond of dearest Eola and she gave Cicero to understand she felt similarly,” Cicero said nervously. “Cicero comforted her after Kaie died. She was very upset about it.”
“I can imagine,” said Nepos, voice sympathetic but he was smiling. “Listen, Eola loves her father dearly, but there's some things a daughter just can't share with her father. She needs friends, Cicero. People she knows and trusts. I think Madanach thinks he can be all things to her, but he can't. Just as she can't be everything to him, and thank Anu Liriel turned up when she did. If you're truly her friend... yes. Yes, you'll do.” He knocked on Eola's door sharply, before Cicero could ask what he was supposed to do exactly.
“What?” Eola called out. “That you, Da?”
“No, it's Nepos,” he called back. “You've got a visitor. Says he's a friend of yours. Name's Cicero.”
Sharp inhalation from Eola. “Cicero? What, short little red-haired guy in a jester hat?”
“That's him,” Nepos said cheerfully. Behind the door, Eola actually cried out.
“Send him in!”
“As you wish, my dear,” Nepos grinned, reaching for the door handle. He took hold of it and turned to Cicero.
“Now, I'll be out by the throne for the next hour,” he said calmly. “Come find me before then, I shall show you to a bed. If you're not there in that time, I shall assume you found one.” There wasn't an awful lot of doubt in Nepos' voice as to which bed he meant.
“But won't Madanach be very angry if he finds me in bed with his only daughter?” Cicero asked, confused. Madanach hadn't seemed to mind him being with Kaie, but Madanach's relationship with Kaie was very different to that with Eola. He'd been a lot less protective of Kaie.
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timeasmymeasure
Re: Nightshade and Juniper 22.4
Date: 2013-07-27 12:17 pm (UTC)Madanach nodded and led Liriel off to his own bedchamber. Leaving Cicero alone with Nepos.
“Right, you two,” Nepos said cheerfully to the guards. “I need to have a private conversation with the Garra-Lann here, so it's about time you both went for your break. Off you go, don't let me stop you.”
“But sir, the princess,” one of the guards began.
“Will be fine,” said Nepos curtly. “Cicero and I are right here, no one's going to get past both of us. Go. That's an order from me – the king has a problem with it, the king can take it up with me.”
“Sir.”
“Yes sir.” Both guards slinked off to the kitchens, and now Cicero was really alone with Nepos, feeling a bit nervous. What exactly did the man have in mind that he didn't want Madanach knowing?
“So you're Cicero,” Nepos said, stroking his chin. “I've heard about you. Talented assassin, near unstoppable in a fight, they tell me.”
Cicero tittered nervously, blushing a little. “Cicero is very good at stabbing things, yes,” he giggled. “Did Nepos have someone in mind?”
“Not for that, no,” Nepos said with smile. “But you are Dark Brotherhood, aren't you? Like Eola was before she came here. You knew her, didn't you?”
Cicero nodded, wondering where this was going. Nepos' smile widened.
“Were you friends at all?”
Friends? Friends?? The designing little hussy had had her eyes on him since day one, and after seeing her slaughter Arnbjorn, Cicero had had to use all his willpower to resist her. It had been no use. Despite trying to keep his mind on Kaie, his traitor cock had had other ideas and many had been the night he'd crept off for a frenzied session of self-pleasure, imagining Eola writhing beneath him. Afterwards, full of guilt and self-loathing, he'd crept back and tried to avoid her, but she'd kept on seeking him out and trying to talk to him anyway. Damn her. Then they'd finally argued, had it all out and it had ended with Eola agreeing it'd never work, he should go be with Kaie. Because if he'd left Kaie because she was a king's daughter and too good for him... Eola was out of his league for the same reason. Cicero had wanted to cry when he'd realised. He'd lost more than just Kaie. But Liriel had said it could happen, he was blood-brother here, he was eligible. Cicero wasn't quite so sure, but he did know one thing. Eola needed help and he was damned if he was letting her suffer any more.
“Cicero is very fond of dearest Eola and she gave Cicero to understand she felt similarly,” Cicero said nervously. “Cicero comforted her after Kaie died. She was very upset about it.”
“I can imagine,” said Nepos, voice sympathetic but he was smiling. “Listen, Eola loves her father dearly, but there's some things a daughter just can't share with her father. She needs friends, Cicero. People she knows and trusts. I think Madanach thinks he can be all things to her, but he can't. Just as she can't be everything to him, and thank Anu Liriel turned up when she did. If you're truly her friend... yes. Yes, you'll do.” He knocked on Eola's door sharply, before Cicero could ask what he was supposed to do exactly.
“What?” Eola called out. “That you, Da?”
“No, it's Nepos,” he called back. “You've got a visitor. Says he's a friend of yours. Name's Cicero.”
Sharp inhalation from Eola. “Cicero? What, short little red-haired guy in a jester hat?”
“That's him,” Nepos said cheerfully. Behind the door, Eola actually cried out.
“Send him in!”
“As you wish, my dear,” Nepos grinned, reaching for the door handle. He took hold of it and turned to Cicero.
“Now, I'll be out by the throne for the next hour,” he said calmly. “Come find me before then, I shall show you to a bed. If you're not there in that time, I shall assume you found one.” There wasn't an awful lot of doubt in Nepos' voice as to which bed he meant.
“But won't Madanach be very angry if he finds me in bed with his only daughter?” Cicero asked, confused. Madanach hadn't seemed to mind him being with Kaie, but Madanach's relationship with Kaie was very different to that with Eola. He'd been a lot less protective of Kaie.