“Keep your jealousy to yourself,” Marcurio had said disdainfully as he pushed Cicero aside. “I will marry her and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
That’s when Cicero had pushed the mage down the stairs. Marcurio had landed badly with one leg broken under him. He had still been conscious and screaming for help. Cicero had been forced to silence the man with a swift slash across his throat. It had been unfortunate since it was impossible to hide it as something other than a murder now, but the lake had taken care of the body well enough.
Argis had been worse in attitude. After Cicero had given his warning, the man had said, “Just because you’re a quill dicked eunuch who can’t get it up to satisfy her doesn’t mean I need to step aside.” He had sneered. “She told me that she was still a virgin, just waiting for the right man. Well, I intend to be that for her.”
The two of them had been drinking at the Silver-Blood Inn. Argis had not talked that way normally, but he had been deep in his cups at the time. As Cicero helped the staggering man back to Vlindrel Hall, he had released his grip. When Argis fell to his knees, Cicero had introduced his dagger to the man’s back – multiple times. It had been a very satisfying kill.
And it had been that way with each suitor. Cicero would warn them to stay away from his mistress, and they would blow him off. At least Balimund had been polite about it. That’s why Cicero had merely smothered him in his sleep. But they had to die.
If the Listener married one of them, an outsider who didn’t know or understand the Brotherhood, then her loyalties would divided and eventually she would have to choose. And Cicero knew what Marilena was like. She would want to choose her husband and any children she may have had with him by that point.
That was unacceptable.
Cicero had not waited and suffered for so long to allow his Listener to simply slip away. He would guard her and protect her. He would kill for her. But he would never ever let her go. Mother needed her and Cicero always got Mother what she wanted.
The chill in the air was getting to be too much for the Imperial in his thin jester’s garb. Cicero slipped back inside and was pleased to see his Listener was asleep. He crawled into the bed with her, still above the covers and placed his arms around her. Marilena’s eyes fluttered open. Faint streaks of tears glittered in the moonlight. “You’re back,” she murmured.
“Cicero is always here,” he promised.
“Kiss me,” she commanded. Cicero never disobeyed, so he gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead. A brother’s kiss.
“If I were to order you to be with me, would you?” Marilena asked sullenly.
“Yes,” Cicero admitted, “but you wouldn’t because you want it to be real and honestly given.”
“Damn you,” she grumbled. “Why do you know me so well? Why can you not love me like I love you?”
“Cicero only has enough room in his heart to love the Night Mother,” he responded. “At least in the way you want.”
“Like a courtly love?” she asked. “A knight for his queen?”
“Yes, oh yes.”
The young girl wrapped her arms tightly around the older man’s waist, holding on to him as if she was drowning and he was the only thing keeping her afloat. “But we’ll always be together right? Best friends forever, until one of us dies in service of the Night Mother?”
“The Listener, Cicero, and the Night Mother together forever,” Cicero promised, holding his Listener close. “Always and forever.”
----- A/N: I hope the OP likes this. It's an idea I had a while back that was more of a "take that" to the flood of Cicero and Listener get married in the Temple of Mara, but ultimately the principle of "I'm just not into you" is the root problem.
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timeasmymeasure
Forever Alone 4/4
Date: 2012-10-29 02:29 am (UTC)That’s when Cicero had pushed the mage down the stairs. Marcurio had landed badly with one leg broken under him. He had still been conscious and screaming for help. Cicero had been forced to silence the man with a swift slash across his throat. It had been unfortunate since it was impossible to hide it as something other than a murder now, but the lake had taken care of the body well enough.
Argis had been worse in attitude. After Cicero had given his warning, the man had said, “Just because you’re a quill dicked eunuch who can’t get it up to satisfy her doesn’t mean I need to step aside.” He had sneered. “She told me that she was still a virgin, just waiting for the right man. Well, I intend to be that for her.”
The two of them had been drinking at the Silver-Blood Inn. Argis had not talked that way normally, but he had been deep in his cups at the time. As Cicero helped the staggering man back to Vlindrel Hall, he had released his grip. When Argis fell to his knees, Cicero had introduced his dagger to the man’s back – multiple times. It had been a very satisfying kill.
And it had been that way with each suitor. Cicero would warn them to stay away from his mistress, and they would blow him off. At least Balimund had been polite about it. That’s why Cicero had merely smothered him in his sleep. But they had to die.
If the Listener married one of them, an outsider who didn’t know or understand the Brotherhood, then her loyalties would divided and eventually she would have to choose. And Cicero knew what Marilena was like. She would want to choose her husband and any children she may have had with him by that point.
That was unacceptable.
Cicero had not waited and suffered for so long to allow his Listener to simply slip away. He would guard her and protect her. He would kill for her. But he would never ever let her go. Mother needed her and Cicero always got Mother what she wanted.
The chill in the air was getting to be too much for the Imperial in his thin jester’s garb. Cicero slipped back inside and was pleased to see his Listener was asleep. He crawled into the bed with her, still above the covers and placed his arms around her.
Marilena’s eyes fluttered open. Faint streaks of tears glittered in the moonlight. “You’re back,” she murmured.
“Cicero is always here,” he promised.
“Kiss me,” she commanded. Cicero never disobeyed, so he gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead. A brother’s kiss.
“If I were to order you to be with me, would you?” Marilena asked sullenly.
“Yes,” Cicero admitted, “but you wouldn’t because you want it to be real and honestly given.”
“Damn you,” she grumbled. “Why do you know me so well? Why can you not love me like I love you?”
“Cicero only has enough room in his heart to love the Night Mother,” he responded. “At least in the way you want.”
“Like a courtly love?” she asked. “A knight for his queen?”
“Yes, oh yes.”
The young girl wrapped her arms tightly around the older man’s waist, holding on to him as if she was drowning and he was the only thing keeping her afloat. “But we’ll always be together right? Best friends forever, until one of us dies in service of the Night Mother?”
“The Listener, Cicero, and the Night Mother together forever,” Cicero promised, holding his Listener close. “Always and forever.”
-----
A/N: I hope the OP likes this. It's an idea I had a while back that was more of a "take that" to the flood of Cicero and Listener get married in the Temple of Mara, but ultimately the principle of "I'm just not into you" is the root problem.