The Kings Personal Joker (boyxboy)

Chapter One Hundred and Eleven

[A/N] Anonymous donation of this very cool depiction of Elpis. Turns out I can't post multiple images and now it's stuck as the cropped version. It's fantastic though, thank you masked stranger. Muah. 

[Velius's POV]

My face was sour, this I knew for certain as I glared at my reflection in my wine cup. A better image did not appear when I looked over it and saw Vasiliki, always a cheerful tint to her eyes when she saw me in all my anger.

I scrutinised her carefully, wondering just how much damage I might get away with before I was publicly disowned. She had a powerful family after all, as powerful as my own by most accounts, though I would never admit that.

Had that stupid little Joker just given in... I would only have wanted one night to fulfil my ambling curiosity, one night toying with him and I could have given him a great many things he desired, that he no doubt already received from that philandering bastard posing as a priest that sat so close beside the King.

How likely was it Elpis ran to him the moment I punished him, kneeled on the floor and begged him to save his life after he thought it a fine idea to abuse a Lord and make an enemy for life.

So close was I to forgiving him that even though my original interest had been so extended by his foreign disinterest and impoliteness I might still have lost my fascination with him once he gave himself to me.

Now, the more unattainable it became the sweeter it seemed. I saw that little painted whore kneeling, eyes flush with tears as he begged me to forgive him and take him as I offered once before. My nostrils flared. I would not be kind though, my usual sweetness on such occasions would not appear for him.

But these were dreams, because the moment he turned into a rebellious savage and kicked me twice where no man should have the impudence to lay his aggression he set my fangs on him.

I would bring him down, and if as a by-product of that I was able to keep him, rather than watch him get his painted head chopped off, then I that would only be an added convenience. Not that I would try too hard to keep him after this. Well, a little tampering might be acceptable, the King wouldn't simply give me a man sentenced to death after all.

I took another slice from the cold meats and bit gingerly into the bread that was no longer as fresh as I preferred, the aroma on the crust of was fading and it was becoming chewy.

I took a deep breath, then flung the stupid thing hard enough and far enough toward the exit that it went flying through the gap instead of bouncing off the walls.

Vasiliki laughed. "How cruel that bread must have been to you. What did it say?"

I scowled at her.

"Why does it all taste so old."

"We haven't been restocked, the soldiers have been busy doing ominous things." She spoke with a sneer.

"Ominous things?"

"According to whispers they captured the trap-setters in the middle of the night and dragged them away."

I pursed my lips and hummed. "The King tries too hard to pretend no one wants to kill him. I can't imagine who wouldn't want to."

She turned serious and gave me a warning glance that made my skin prickle, it was a glance that conveyed how much she hoped I would not get her executed on my behalf for words that suggested treason. She was not wrong but she was sadly mistaken if she thought she held any power over me.