Private Unbound | Adron Malvern

[Saraya Arenais]

N O N - L I É​

T A G | Adron Malvern
L O C A T I O N | Dragonne Palace, Hall Principal
W E A R I N G | {x}

Dragonne Palace had been alive with the hum of polite society for several hours now. Lord and Ladies alike had gathered in the grand halls to share in a rare moment of relaxation with their monarchs. There were no sessions planned, no lengthy meetings or gatherings in the throne room. Just fine food, drinks, and dancing. It was a chance for the people to get to know the Queen-to-be on a personal basis.

Once dinner had been eaten the party moved to the gardens. It had been decorated accordingly. Strings of softly glowing lights had been tangled up in the fauna. A long table, topped with delicacies and wine, had been pushed against the edge of a courtyard dominated in green vines and brightly coloured flowers. A quartet of musicians plucked away at string instruments, blending the music perfectly into the heavily scented air.

Saraya was a patient woman.

Normally.

However, her brief handful of dealings with nobles in her lifetime had left her extremely ill-prepared for it. She could handle the never-ending jargon and the ostentatious ideas, but they were dull. So incredibly dull. Saraya couldn’t help but wonder how Adron had managed to all these years. When the two of them talked of Illyria in their private rooms, when they talked of bettering it, it was exhilarating. They had the whole weight of a planet and its people resting on their shoulders. Instead of that being overbearing and frightening, he made it seem like an adventure.

Yet somehow, despite being in a similar position, these Lords and Ladies made it seem boring. They droned. On and on. Endlessly. Just when one was finished, another appeared. To talk about trade, commerce, treaties, stats, deadlines. Fortunately for them, when Saraya’s patience ran out, her practice overtook. She smiled politely, nodded at their ideas, asked the appropriate questions. She even managed to appear interested in what they had to say. In time, no doubt, they would become invaluable to her. As she would to them. She would just have to stomach their tedious conversation for the meanwhile.

At some point, between one Viscount and the next, Saraya cast her emerald gaze to her fiancé. He stood just a few feet away, likely engaged in a conversation equally as dull. She raised her glass of wine at him, with an expression on her face that he would have likely recognised. It spoke of what she would have sacrificed at that moment to return to Salle Des Rois. To be alone with him. To shut out the rest of the world behind a locked door. Another dreary voice greeted her, stealing her attention away once more.

I am a patient woman.

The words echoed in her head as the lord began to dive into the merits of agricultural droids.

I am a patient woman.

 

[Adron Malvern]

C H A L L E N G E​

Tags: Saraya Arenais ​

​

Events like these were easy enough for the King to navigate. Since the age of seven he had been tutored on events such as these. Here is when you bow, this is when you toast, never look a servant in the eyes. There were a number of customs that transferred from one event to the next, regardless of planet or creed, the Aristocracy were a constant. This was actually something he appreciated. This day the conversations had been especially dull. ​

​

The event had been thrown as a means for Saraya to meet the many prominent nobles who made up the High Court. They were eager to meet them, yet whether Saraya knew it or not she was not merely a Queen on display. She was a consort to be tested. Illyrians were firmly steeped in tradition and one such tradition was that, in some manners more blatant than others, the Queen was to be tested for how she would carry herself. Men on the world often had similar confrontations, yet they quickly descended into a duel of swords or pistols. As dueling was lawful under the proper circumstances, it was the easy avenue for the men of the Nobility. ​

​

For women? They used different weapons entirely. ​

​

"Your Majesté." A voice called the man from his thoughts, amethyst eyes gazing down at the Lady before him. She was an aged woman of thin blonde-gray hair that was bound into a flawless bun. Her azure dress was equally flawless as was the makeup pressed over her face which hid the aged features that the King could pick out. "Baroness. Bonjour ma dame." He said with a warm smile as the woman curtsied before him as was court tradition. "I do not see the Baron Deumon in attendence?" The man said, his eyes taking to the gathered party before him. The Baroness waved her hand dismissively. "Occupied by burdens unfitting for the ears of one as esteemed as you. I would like to, however, tempt his majesty with a minor distraction?" The King lofted a brow in curiosity. ​

​

"What distraction would you like to introduce." The woman smiled in response before turning back to a young woman standing dutifully by a bush of scarlet roses. When the baroness beckoned only then did the woman approach. ​

​

"My daughter, Constantia." She suggested as the woman approached the King, bowing low into a rehearsed curtsey. The King flashed the Baroness an amused smile before turning his eyes to the Queen to be. "You do understand I am to take vows with that woman there, do you not?" This was when Constantia took a daring step forward, resting a hand on the King's forearm. A breach that caused the man's eyes to linger down to her touch warningly. She did not waiver. ​

​

"Of course, my King. However...until the vows are taken you are yet open to....reconsider?" She all but whispered. The King's lips parted in understanding of her words before chuckling softly. He did not respond to the Baronesses daughter, instead turned her eyes to the aged woman. "You do understand the consequences that could rise from such a....tactless maneuver, correct?" The proud woman bowed her head in understanding. "House Deumon is nothing if not daring, your Majesty. Our words are...Never Falter, Never Fall, after all." The young Lady offered her arm to the King, a sign that if he took it would be a direct challenge to the Queen's position. ​

​

All eyes in the garden watched him. Not blatantly, but they certainly was none who were ignorant to what was occurring. ​

​

"Very well. The debt will be yours to pay. My Lady." He placed a hand upon his belt, his arm rising to meet the the young woman, Constantia. The blonde woman's eyes darted to the Queen to be's as her arm joined the King's. So they stepped forward and the two descended into talks on the current climate and certain events. Adron lost himself in his mind. ​

​

This woman was so young and more than likely she would die. How pitiful that her mother could not choose her opponents more wisely. ​

 

[Saraya Arenais]

C H E S S​

T A G | Adron Malvern

Saraya had been none the wiser until the Lord’s voice began to trail off in the middle of his sentence. Her face fell somewhat, to shoot him a rather concerned look, but he wasn’t looking at her. She followed his gaze across the room until they landed on Adron and a woman with wispy grey hair. Her ears pricked at the word distraction. From then on, much like the rest of the people who had gathered in the gardens, her concentration remained on them. The second the elderly woman’s hand motioned toward her daughter, Saraya’s mouth fell open. It was fortunate that the entire court was watching them for now and not her because she was hard-pressed to hide the shock on her expression.

As if to push her even further, this Lady of House Deumon dared to stare at her openly. Saraya met her gaze, with harsh eyes that had already begun to drown themselves in an unmistakable shade of violet. Saraya dared her to touch him. Dared her to test what she was capable of if she did. It felt like an age before the woman finally accepted the challenge and slipped herself into the crook of his outstretched arm.

A flame of unbridled rage licked the inside of her stomach, but she could do little more than attempt to swallow it. There were more eyes on Saraya once the young woman took Adron’s arm than there had been on the two of them originally. What would this fresh-faced consort do? Would she lose herself in a fit of anger? Would she chase after them screaming? Would she tear the young Lady from his grasp? Saraya released a measured sigh, which came out as little more than an ordinary breath to any onlookers.

Instead of doing anything immediately, she turned back to the lord she had been speaking too to finish her conversation. The pretty young blonde may have thought herself a threat, but she was nothing more than a minor nuisance. An irritating bug that hard wormed its way into her life. Saraya would rather enjoy crushing her to a pulp.

“Please.” Her honey-suckle tone politely asked of the Lord in front of her. “We were discussing your education proposal. Do continue.” The Lord seemed to look blankly at Saraya for a moment, his gaze quickly casting over the King and the woman draped over his arm. It was most unusual for a consort to do nothing at all in these circumstances. There should have been some sort of a fuss, or she should have excused herself from the conversation. At the very least, anyone else would have placed the woman under a stare that could have sliced through her flesh there and then.

Unfortunately for everyone who had been expecting drama today, Saraya was a patient woman.

As the Lord began to speak again, Saraya did her best to listen, but the words no longer held any meaning. They were drowned out by a torrent of furious thoughts that she could not openly display on her face. In a way, House Deumon had been incredibly smart about it. They had known to challenge her here if they even wanted the slightest chance of their daughter being able to impact upon Adron. Saraya could do nothing, and it only made the wrath more unbearable. If they had intended to come out of this with little more than a scorned Queen consort, then they were sorely mistaken.

The Lord spoke of language. Saraya thought of what she would break first. The Lord spoke of funding. Saraya thought of the thousands of ways she could cause House Deumon pain. The Lord spoke of training and private tutorage. Saraya thought of death.

Adron had once said emotion was the true key to controlling the dark side, but right now emotion was the thing that made her struggle to concentrate. Violent jealousy twisted her stomach in knots. Thankfully, the Lord she had been speaking too had afforded her a moment or two to plan. By the time he had finished, Saraya was more than ready to play the little game of chess House Deumon had so eagerly begun. It was a pity that they had forgotten the most powerful piece in chess was the Queen.

Saraya nodded her head politely to the Lord and made a passing comment on how interested she was in discussing his idea further, but that was where the conversation ended. Finally free, she turned on her expensive heeled shoes, but she did not make her way toward Adron and Constantia. Instead, her graceful steps carried her over to the elderly woman who had made the introductions in the first place. The moment she realised where Saraya was heading, her face fell, but Baroness Deumon was as well practised as Saraya. She curtsied as she approached. “Lady Saraya.” She spoke as the hem of her dress brushed the floor.

The Queen-to-be offered her a curt smile in response. “Arenais.” Saraya corrected her. Her first name had never sounded fouler than it did on the lips of this woman. “Lady Arenais.” The Baroness replied. “What a beautiful daughter you have.” Saraya motioned to the back of the blonde’s head with the edge of her wine glass. “Such a testament to yourself and your husband. Is she your only child?” The measured look Saraya offered her was purposeful. The deep shade of amethyst that had overtaken her usually bright emerald eyes was nothing short of threatening. The Baroness could only nod, at which point Saraya turned her eyes back on the gathering at the party.

It seemed every eye was on them. The moment she turned her head was the moment they all looked away, and the moment that the pleasant din of conversation returned to the gardens. That was what Saraya had wanted. She took a step forward, to step close enough to the Baroness to see the wrinkles pressed into the corners of her eyes. She said nothing at first, merely offering her a radiant smile that pulled the corners of her painted lips up.

“What a shame.” Saraya’s honied tone whispered quietly into the small space between them.

She offered her a final toast with her wine, before turning to leave the Baroness to her own devices. Her next port of call would be Adron’s side. She had allowed Constantia her fun, but enough was enough. There was nothing the Queen-to-be could do to her for the meanwhile. As desperately as she wanted to snap every bone in her body and burn off every finger that had already touched him, that would all have to wait.

For now, however, Saraya could at least pry Constantia’s slimy hands off of what belonged to her.

 

[Adron Malvern]

S A R A Y A​

Tags: Saraya Arenais ​

Now isn't that interesting.

When the King turned to face Saraya he could feel it. He could see it. Saraya crossed the gardens with a flawless gait paired with the most beautiful smile that he had ever seen. She was perfect, a vision. He had fallen in love with those perfect eyes and pristine lips long ago, yet that was not what caught his eyes now.

It was her presence in the Dark Side of the Force. She exuded the rage and passions of a true Sith Lord. He had never seen it's like before. Not in the Galactic Empire and certainly not in The Confederacy. She was born in the light, bathed in the essence of the Jedi, and yet she had found home in the Dark Side of the Force. It was beautiful. His lips curled into a knowing smile before he turned from his approaching bride. He looked to the young woman whose eyes gazed up at him expectantly. He chuckled softly, yet loud enough to where she could hear. Now he understood. She expected his protection. She believed that by batting those pretty eyelashes she would be safe from Saraya.

If the ploy had succeeded then it certainly would have been a maneuver to bear the most luscious of fruit.

It did not succeed.

The King's arm fell from the young woman's, her expression faltering as he turned to Saraya. "My love." His hand came to cup her cheek softly as he greeted her with a loving, yet well amused smile. "My vision." He whispered before turning towards the young woman as Saraya took hold of his arm. Her expression faulted to the point where it seemed tears would fall from her eyes. He knew why there was the threat of tears. Fear. If she had, in a single stroke, managed to take Saraya's place then there was little House Arenais could do against them. However the plot had failed and all she had gained...was a Queen for an enemy.

"Allow me to introduce Constantia Deumon." His hand gestured to the woman. He could not hide the amusement behind his smile, however he did not care to see Saraya's immediate wrath. There was a time, a place, and a way that the Nobility took their revenge. His wife to be knew this, so he doubted there would be any protest. "Excuse us, Lady Constantia. I would have a word with my future wife. I would think you have much to discuss with your mother." He said, before leading his love down the path to the gardens.

"You handled yourself well." He admitted before turning his eyes to Saraya. "You did not give in to your emotions nor did you make a fool of yourself." he gestured back to those in the party around them. "You carried yourself properly, gaining their respect...and I am certain with what comes next you will gain their fear." His lips curled into a knowing smile as they paused so his hand could come to hold her chin, guiding her eyes to his. "You have passed this test well. None other will oppose you...after you cast your judgement."​

 

[Saraya Arenais]

R A G E​

T A G | Adron Malvern

It was incredibly difficult to pace herself on the way over to Adron and the whore of House Deumon. The only thing that stopped Saraya from throwing her against something solid was the fact that once again, all eyes were on her.

The way the blonde looked at Adron did not go unmissed. Saraya could see the gleam in her eyes. The emotional plea she made in an attempt to keep her place by his side. It only served to anger Saraya further. Her first mistake was even trying to replace Saraya, her second mistake lay in thinking that Adron’s head would be turned by someone as plain as she was. That he would dare abandon Saraya for her common name and beauty. If Saraya were honest with herself, it was rather pitiful to watch her try, and more than amusing to see her wasting her efforts.

As Saraya drew nearer, she was more than pleased to see Adron dropping her arm. As though the other woman didn’t even exist, Saraya drew her body as close to his as was publicly acceptable. The hand he placed on her cheek prompted an enamoured smile. She wanted to make some crude comment about Adron having grown a tumour since she last saw him, but she kept it to herself. Instead, she took his arm and turned her attention to the woman that had been by his side.

Saraya relished in the tears that began to prickle in her eyes. The pain that twisted Constantina’s stomach in knots was not quite the type of pain Saraya craved, but it was close enough. “Constantia.” Saraya repeated as if committing the name to memory. It was very fortunate that Adron guided them away when he did because she was moments away from slaughtering her. “I'm sure we'll get the chance to see each other again. Very soon.” Saraya commented as Adron excused them both.

It was not until they had reached an appropriate distance that Saraya realised the true extent of her anger. She felt it in the tips of her fingers that trembled lightly against Adron’s arms. In the purposefully deep breathes that made her ribs rattle and her lungs ache. “Did I?” She responded to Adron’s question in a quiet tone, but it was drowned in the anger she could not openly display. His compliments did little to soothe the storm, but she allowed his firm grasp to guide her chin upward to meet his gaze. A flutter of something that wasn’t overwhelming rage overtook her violet eyes.

Excitement.

Placing a hand on his waist, she glanced quickly over at the gathering. If she had wanted it to end before, she felt doubly so now. “When?” She asked, turning her amethyst eyes back to Adron. In them, there was a look that he would have found familiar. A look that he had seen only moments before in different eyes, on a different face. Pleading. She did not need to explain that the need to satisfy her rage was almost as overwhelming as her need for him. “I don’t want to wait.”

Her voice dropped low as she pressed herself against him. To the point where she could feel the steady thump of his heart. "I want you to show me how to make her hurt."

 

[Adron Malvern]

DEATH​

Tags: Saraya Arenais ​

As Saraya spoke the King could feel the anger within her. It rose to a certain peak. Good. The Dark Side of the Force was fueled by all manner of emotions, both negative and positive but few were as powerful as rage and love, both of which were ignited within Saraya. The King could not spare this precious moment where his Wife to be was closest to the nether. He paused for a moment before glancing back to the woman who had instigated this entire situation. The Baroness stood by a table of snacks and treats, somewhat nervously downing pieces of fruit and nuts as her teary eyed daughter returned to her side.

The King turned the corner to where there was a thin veil of roses to block them and the rest of the partygoers. His hands fell to Saraya's shoulders as he turned her back towards the woman who had attempted to orchestrate the ordeal. "When you strike at those who have wronged you, you target all they love. Constantia so loves her mother. Devotion to a loved one is something to be commended, however it is often our greatest weakness." He said, before bending down and pressing his lips to the back of Saraya's neck.

"What laid before you is the object of your anger, your hatred." He said, his voice a low whisper as they peered through the curtain of roses.

"Look at her. So brazen to try and unseat you and there she stands, shoveling honied strawberries into her mouth." His hand ran through Saraya's hair, pulling a single strand from the rest as he continued to speak, charging her emotions. "And here you stand." His hand came down to wrap around Saraya's wrist, raising it to where her palm was aimed towards the Baroness. "It would be such a shame if she choked on one of those cherries." His hand fell the Saraya's waist as he spoke. "Of course...those who tamper with the dealings of a Queen often meet unfortunate fates." ​

 

[Saraya Arenais]

S U F F E R​

T A G | Adron Malvern

Walking a little further until they were hidden from prying eyes, Saraya focused her attention on the woman that Adron spoke of. The nerves that radiated off the Baroness were almost as tangible as the devastation Constantia had felt when Adron abandoned her.

Leaning back against his chest, Saraya couldn’t help but allow her face to fall slightly. What he said made little sense. If devotion was weakness, did that make Saraya weak too? Her love for him was insurmountable. In the few months that they had known each other, Saraya had given him her everything. Her mind, her body, her soul, her light… Everything. Devotion did not seem like an intense enough word to describe what she felt for him. If what he said was indeed true, did that make him her greatest weakness? Would people use him against her in the way she as about to use Constantia’s mother?

She shuddered gently as his lips grazed her the skin on her neck.

His whispered words did little to curb the anger. In fact, if Saraya had been clear of mind she would have noticed that Adron was doing it on purpose. For now, however, she was lost in them. Lost in the rage and the ferocity that swirled like a tornado in her mind. At Adron’s word, Saraya turned her head just enough to catch the edge of his face in her peripheral vision. A look of recognition sparked a gleam in her amethyst eyes. As Adron placed his hand upon her waist, she could not stop the smile that crept over her painted lips.

“I believe it would be a terrible shame…” She commented in a low tone as she watched the Baroness shovel more fruit into her mouth. Saraya took a deep breath to centre herself, but this was not like the phrik wires had been, or the repulsors that had fired mercilessly at her. She did not need to focus here, because the overwhelming aggression that guided her actions knew just what to do. Patiently, she waited, until Constantia had returned to her mother’s side. Until the woman in question pushed a particularly plump cherry past her wrinkled lips. Then… Saraya attacked.

With little warning, the wrist encased in Adron’s grasp shifted as her fingers curled into a tight first. She could not feel anything at first, except her own anger rushing through her ears like a waterfall. It took a moment or two for the elderly woman to react. At first, she simply looked confused, drawing one of her aged hands up to the base of her throat. The Baroness coughed. Once. Twice. Then a third time, but the sound came out as little more than a wheeze. It was then that she finally realised what was happening.

Commotion seemed to ensue in an instant. At first, it was Constantia’s shrill voice shouting for attention. Shouting that her mother was choking. Then it was a series of chairs being scraped against concrete as several nobles stood to attend her. Every blow the Baroness received to her back and every person that had rushed to her aid only served to make Saraya work harder. Pressing a relentlessly dominating force against her throat, Saraya could almost feel the oxygen leeching from her lungs as the seconds ticked by.

The Baroness turned to look at her across a sea of people with wide, panicked eyes. There was no evidence that Saraya was doing it, but she did not need evidence. She could see the pair of intense violet eyes staring back at her through the bushes.

Saraya felt rather like a predator, looking at that the prey that begged for its life with silent pleas. Her lips were already turning as blue as the garish dress that hung from her plump frame. Saraya’s fingers curled tighter as she relished in the life that was slowly draining from her face. Constanita’s panic was all the more satisfying. Watching the look of dread and horror overtaking her expression made Saraya bridle with excitement against Adron. A chorus of concerned voices had filled the garden by now, and several servants had stepped forward to attempt to help. Saraya let it continue for a few moments more until she was sure that the Baroness had glanced through the veil of shadow to see her own death waiting on the other side. And then…

Saraya stopped. Suddenly.

Her hand fell back down to her side, coming to rest on top of Adron’s. “No…” Saraya spoke softly. “Death is far too good for her.” She would know peace in death, that much was certain, and she would die without knowing what Saraya had in store for her precious daughter. That simply would not do. She would die eventually, there was no doubt about that, but Saraya wanted to make her suffer first. “She will endure the same fate that she tried to condemn me to.” Her amethyst gaze shot to the blonde woman, who was fussing over her mother as the colour slowly returned to her face. Constantia may have loved her mother, but a mother’s love for her daughter knew no bounds.

That type of love was pure, and it was ripped from you with little warning, it could leave one far more broken than death ever could. “I want to show her the true meaning of pain." Saraya’s other hand wrapped herself around her waist, Adron’s fingers still encircling her wrist. She had known from the beginning that Adron would not be turned by Constantia, but it still made her ache impossibly knowing that someone had tried. “Constantia is her only child, and the Baroness will watch as I take what she loves from her. Piece by piece.” As the commotion began to die down, Saraya turned in Adron’s embrace to face him properly.

Standing on the tips of her toes, she leant forward to press several sweet kisses onto his lips. “You must invite her to our rooms tonight.” She said as she finally pulled away, fingers curling tightly around his suit jacket. Constantia would never come if she assumed Saraya was involved, but she would trip over her own skirts to accept an invitation from the King. “Both of them.”

 

[Adron Malvern]

The King watched the display with some amusement. For those who challenged a House of the Crown, there was no mercy, no contemplation, only destruction. The Baroness would learn her lesson as most did, the hard way. He could feel Saraya's power wrapping around the woman and then suddenly she turned to where the couple stood. The King's lips were curled into a content smile as he watched Saraya rob the woman of her air, her life soon to follow.

His surprise was apparent when she released the woman. Had she been unable to take a life? When Saraya spoke the word no, the King merely repeated it back in confusion. "No?" He questioned while lofting a brow at her words. As she spoke her intentions the King could not help but nod in agreeance. A proud smile replaced his confusion and he could not help but laugh out a bit at the thought of what Saraya had in store for these two women. As Saraya turned to place a number of precious kisses upon his lips, his hand fell to her waist and he urged her closer to him, far closer than the proper etiquette called for.

He leaned down to press his lips for hers, offering her a shallow kiss before his hand came up to press against her cheek. "I'll make the arrangements." He promised, before he leaned down to press his lips to hers once again.

That Evening
​

The day in the gardens went by with little to no more excitement. Constantia and her mother had exited the Gardens by the time the King and his bride reentered. Although the Baroness' had been spared from Saraya's wrath he had been amused all day with the prospect of seeing Saraya's revenge come around to the woman.

He was sitting in his room at his office desk, awaiting his love as he scratched a number of signatures onto papers that had been building up over the past few days.


Saraya Arenais

 

[Saraya Arenais]

S A T I S F A C T I O N​

T A G | Adron Malvern

When confusion reigned on his face, Saraya did not find herself surprised. Nor did her heart shatter at the disappointment that followed after. Instead, the expression on his face melted away as she explained her intentions to destroy the bond between mother and daughter. For accepting her proposal, she offered him a radiant smile, and a kiss that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. “Thank you.” She whispered against his lips as she lost herself in his touch for a moment or two. It mattered little that they were surrounded by a crowd of politicians. It mattered less that the only privacy they had were the thick green bushes they stood behind.

A few minutes later, ones that were not meant for prying eyes, Saraya and Adron returned to the waiting lords and ladies of the court.

The next few hours passed by uneventfully, but that did not prevent Saraya from allowing her anger to stew. By the time they returned to the gathering, the source of said anger had disappeared. That, however, made little difference. Saraya could see Constantia’s face in her mind like an image burned onto a screen. That pleading look she had attempted to sway Adron with. The way she had defiantly stared at Saraya when she dared her to take his arm. It was all fuel for a fire that would not be extinguished until Saraya was able to sate her craving for destruction and death.

~ Later that Evening ~​

It was been rather a chore to suffer through the rest of the evening, knowing what waited for her when the sun slipped behind the mountains. Of course, there was something to be said about the intensity of her anticipation. She had known exhilaration like this once before. The night Adron had guided her toward the shadow and drowned out her light with darkness.

After returning to her rooms to change into something more appropriate, Saraya found herself wandering along the corridor toward Adron’s office. He had promised her that he would invite the women of House Deumon to the palace, so she could exact revenge suitable for those who would dare test the wrath of his future Queen. The doors to his rooms were opened at the sound of her heels tapping gently against the polished marble floors. She found her fiancé sat at his desk, as he was most nights, hunched over paperwork that never seemed to end.

Saying nothing, Saraya closed the distance between them until she stood behind Adron. Where she could wrap her arms around him and rest her head on his shoulder. “Good evening, my love.” Her honied tone whispered into his ear before her lips bestowed his neck with several sweet kisses. She glanced quickly at the neat black ink scrawled across the pages on the desk, but her attention quickly devoted itself to him and to the task at hand. “When are they arriving?” She spoke, nipping his ear playfully between her pearl white teeth.

 

[Adron Malvern]

L O V E​

Tags: Saraya Arenais ​

When the door to the King's office came open he did not have to turn to know who it was. He could recognize Saraya's presence from planets away. He did not turn towards her, instead his lips curled into a warm smile. He felt her arms wrap around him and he let out a sigh of relief. His entire body rested with her as she laid her head upon his shoulder. When she greeted him his hand came over hers, feeling the warmth between them caused him to pause for a moment.

He'd heard her question but he did not answer. He stood up from his desk, turning to Saraya and taking her cheeks into his hands. He did not wish to speak of the women of House Deumon or the tasks and duties of the monarchy. In this moment where Saraya had relieved him of all stress he wanted only one thing, so he took it.

His lips met hers in a passionate kiss, pulling her into him so they could stand as one. With every touch of his hand upon her skin she would feel the love that flowed from him. It was something more than mere physical touch or words could convey. Through his essence and through the firmest tethers of the Force she would feel the connection between them strengthen, deepen. As the kiss continued their eyes glowed in response to one another, the emotion that spilled from them becoming a conduit of the Dark Side.

Adron leaned down to pick Saraya up from where she stood turning to set her on the desk he'd worked at. Every scrap of paper and every datapad was thrown to the ground by a silent pulse through the Force. As the papers scattered into the air Adron's hand came up, his fingers rolling over the soft skin of Saraya's neck. His amethyst eyes peered into hers and he whispered the only thought that remained constant through his mind.

"I love you."​

 

[Saraya Arenais]

L O V E​

T A G | Adron Malvern

He seemed to mellow at her touch, and that alone was enough to make Saraya beam. His muscles relaxed beneath her arms followed by the release of a pent-up sigh. It brought her no end of joy knowing that she could calm him this way. That one simple embrace from her was enough to wash away the worries of a King. For a moment, they merely relished in the closeness of one another. Something that was rare enough still to be treasured each time they got the chance.

As he stood and wrapped his hands around her cheeks, she let her eyes close slowly. To feel and experience nothing but the warmth of his skin against hers. Saraya was often taken by surprise when it came to Adron. He was an infinite source of amazement and awe. She knew him well enough now to know that he was an endless well of mystery, waiting for her to discover him. She learned something new every day, and they all served to further tether her soul to his.

What surprised her today was the passion behind his kiss.

That was not to say she had not experienced a passionate kiss from him before. They had shared plenty, but this one was different somehow. As he drew her closer, as she melted into his embrace, they were one. Within his touch, and within the power that swelled around them, was far more than she had ever known him to say aloud. Yet it was not just Adron that coaxed them together. It was the intensity of the emotion they shared for one another, enhanced by the dark forces that motivated their actions. It was something that was meant to be intangible, but Saraya could feel it as it bound them together.

When his hands wrapped around her, to lift her onto the table, she released an exhilarated sigh into the kiss. Her hands curled around his jacket to keep him close, but she was powerless to stop him when he broke away. He was inches from her face. She could still taste him on her lips, and feel his warmth against her chest, but somehow…

She missed him.

The words stole the breath from her lungs and, for a moment, all she could do was grin at him stupidly. When the smile on her lips stretched further, coupled with a light blush over her cheeks, she reached up to cup his face in her hand. An intense violet gaze met his. “I love you too.” Her other hand gripped tightly at his waist to pull him closer, to steal another precious and passionate kiss. She had loved him from the start. What she had at first assumed to be an infatuation, she now recognised for what it truly was. It was intense. It was devoted. It was ardent, obsessive, passionate, deep, greedy, destructive, and dark… but it was love. Beyond question or doubt.

 

[Adron Malvern]

AMETHYST QUEEN​

Tags: Saraya Arenais ​

Every part of the King wanted to tear the thin fabrics from Saraya's body. A single careful finger fell down the seam of her dress. Such simple threads guarding sacred treasures. His lust and drive were screaming at him. A snap of his fingers and every thread could be undone at the seam and the beautiful, expensive dress would no longer stand as a barrier to that which he yearned for. He let out a soft breath, leaning forward to place his lips on hers once again. His free hand came up to claim her neck in a strong grip as the Force tightened around her, grasping at every thread just as he'd imagined. In one pull he could destroy the barrier...

A knock erupted at the door.

The Illyrian King let out a low, almost animalistic grunt of frustration before he looked to Saraya, exhaling softly as he reluctantly pulled his hand from her neck. He'd been about to speak when the guard outside spoke clearly. "Your Majesty, the ladies of House Deumon are here as requested." The King glanced back at the door with a clear look of agitation upon his face. "A moment." He commanded, before turning his eyes back to Saraya, who yet caused the fires within him to burn.

Yet his mind must be redirected to the task at hand. The King had no mind for what his wife had in store for those who had insulted her so. He could only gather it would be exceptionally unpleasant and such a testing of the boundaries of her territory would likely never occur again.

His hand came up so that his fingers could stroke the smooth skin of her chin. "The move is yours to make my love. Will you reveal yourself now or wait to show your hand? They expect only me, it is up to you how you exact your revenge." He said before leaning down to place a single soft kiss upon her lips. He could never resist those lips. Soft and ever his, they were perfect as he tasted them against his own. They curled his lips into a smile as he turned back to the other side of the room, where a small bar rested in the edge of the room.

After all, revenge was a dish best served with a fine cognac. ​

 

[Saraya Arenais]

D E S I R E​

T A G | Adron Malvern

Did revenge matter now?

As his fingers trailed over the thin layers of material encasing her body, it was made plainly aware to her that it did not. In truth, Saraya would have given not just the chance at revenge but her entire self to stay trapped in this moment until the end of time. Behind the measured expression on his face, beneath the intense amethyst gaze that undressed her slowly, his desire was palpable. If there was anything she chased in the galaxy, it was that look. That intense longing he displayed so openly and boldly as his hand wrapped gently around her neck.

It stole her breath away, and she loved every moment of it. As he captured her lips in a kiss, she lifted her own hand to join his. To push the fingers into her skin just a little harder.

Then the knock came.

Her lower lip dropped a little, and in tune with his groan of frustration, she released a sigh of protest. His hand fell, and so did her head. Gently onto his chest. That was the second time the women of House Deumon had spoiled something rather perfect. At least now she could make them pay for it, twice over. Saraya pulled her head up from Adron’s chest and offered him a smile that promised this little scene was far from over.

Closing her eyes at the touch of his hand, she said nothing. Instead, for a few moments, she relished in the last kiss he placed open her lips. Of course, she had been thinking about her revenge for most of the evening. When he broke away, she slipped herself off the edge of the desk to right her attire. “I’ll wait.” She said simply as her skirts fluttered to the floor. “It was rather exhilarating to watch her thinking she had gotten away with it.” A faint smirk pulled her painted lips up slightly, but it was brief. Once she was decent again, she strolled over to Adron to join him by the bar.

He poured himself a cognac, she found her comfort in a glass of blood-red wine. Before she made herself scarce, Saraya turned to look at Adron. “I'll reveal myself when the time is right." She took a quick exploratory sip of her wine, but her violet gaze never left Adron. "They seem to be very interesting women. So, enjoy yourself for now.” She smiled at him, reaching out to right the skewed angle of his tie. “I know I will.” Standing on the tips of her toes, she stole one more kiss before disappearing behind a door leading to his private quarters. The door itself was left open, just a crack. Enough for her to hear the conversation that would transpire beyond it.

 

[Adron Malvern]

W A R​

Tags: Saraya Arenais ​

Saraya was a ruthless woman. Beautiful, poised, and elegant but she was utterly without mercy.

Perfect. Adron mused as he downed a smooth sip of his liquor. Once he'd given his wife to be a final kiss and she turned into the next room the King chuckled before turning back towards the door, calling out. "You may enter." The guard opened the door, ushering in the two women before closing the door once more. Each of the women wore rather beautiful dresses of black and sunburnt orange. The colors of their House if the King remembered correctly.

The two ladies approached the King only to fall into a deep bow. "Your Majesty." They greeted in unison. Rehearsed, poised, and nearly perfect in every way. The two women held their form until finally Adron's voice released them from their place. "Rise. Can I offer the two of you a drink?" He asked, gesturing to the bar with an open hand. Constantia smiled sweetly but denied the drink in the end, while the mother selected a fine wine. Once the drink was poured and within Lady Deumon's hand, the woman spoke plainly.

"We are so happy that his majesty did not take offense to our proposal this evening." Adron did not sit behind his desk, instead he leaned against the hard wood while the Baroness spoke. He could not help but notice the focused gaze that Constantia had upon him. The King offered a knowing smile to the young woman. The least he could do was lead them on. It would make the end all the better.

"Of course not. Such things are of the Courts, as are the consequences to them." He said, flashing the Baroness a challenging gaze. "With my permission the Lady Arenais could certainly strike hard at your House. I suppose for a chance to rise to the station of Queen it is worth it." He said, looking to Constantia before finally setting his glass on the table. "Rise, my dear. I would see you closer to me." He said, gesturing for her to approach him. Without hesitation or question Constantia rose and approached the King. However what came next was rather surprising. She fell to both knees before him, her eyes gazing up at him expectantly.

The King's eyes turned to the Baroness curiously and she spoke with a superior tone as she did.

"Constantia is perfect. Without any peers in terms of beauty, devotion, and intelligence. She is completely and totally obedient, prepared to give her life and soul for her King. Everything she is was crafted specifically for your House, you Majesty." The King smiled at the woman's words before his eyes ever so barely glanced over towards the door where his wife laid in waiting. The King brought his hand down to the woman's chin, holding it in his hand as if to examine her, like one might a new pet.

"I am impressed. You have completely destroyed any chance of your daughter having a life beyond being a puppet." The words were harsh and direct, yet neither Constantia or the Baroness spoke against it. In fact it was quite clear they accepted it. This was when the King's hand fell from the woman's chin and he chuckled, realizing something.

"House Deumon. You use your women as your weapons in these games. How curious." This is when the older woman rose to her feet, approaching the King and like Constantia, fell to her knees with the exact same demeanor.

So this trait has been passed down through this House? They utilize their women as whores to infiltrate other Houses and ensure their power continues to rise? The King mused, however his mind was separated from his thoughts when the Baroness spoke. "Take Constantia and every woman of our House would serve willingly. Forever." The King looked from one woman to the next before smiling softly to himself. "Return to your seats." He commanded them. Each of the woman rose to their feet, turning back to their seats as commanded while Adron took a sip of his cognac. He couldn't help but chuckle, before looking to Constantia. "And you believe yourself to be Lady Arenais' better?" He asked.

This was when the woman let out a giggle. Entirely beautiful and like the morning song even Adron was impressed by the sound.

"She is not even a woman worth mentioning." The woman responded harshly.

Her words caused Adron's hand to twitch. For that remark even he would see her dead. Instead he merely brought his glass to his lips and took another sip. ​

 

[Saraya Arenais]

A T T A C K​

T A G | Adron Malvern

Saraya drowned herself in the wine the moment Adron’s voice called out for the women to enter. They had not even crossed the threshold yet and she could already feel the familiar flicker of rage. These unfortunate women had no idea what they had begun by attempting what they had. Darkness before seemed like something she had to play a part in, in order to be with Adron. Did she care for its merciless nature and the things she had been made to do to master it? No. There was no guilt, but before now it had simply felt like going through motions. Another lesson she would gladly learn to walk by his side.

Today, however, it was personal.

The ladies of house Deumon had made an aggressive attack on everything she held dear. Everything she would have killed to keep. The anger wasn’t summoned from some distant memory of her childhood. It was fresh, raw, and far too unruly. The only thing commanding it to remain under control was the sound of a voice touched by time. One that Saraya recognised intimately. Baroness Deumon. She was the perpetrator. The linchpin of this entire foul plot. In a way, Saraya almost felt sorry for the daughter. Almost. She possibly would have been willing to overlook her forced hand in this, but this was where her new-found bond with darkness truly came into play.

She didn’t just want to kill Baroness Deumon. She wanted to make her suffer. Infinitely.

Though she could not see, she could have sworn she heard the fluttering of their dresses. They were kneeling. Pathetic. Swallowing another gulp of wine to prevent the scoff from rising in her throat, Saraya leant herself against the wall closest to the door. The Baroness began by thanking Adron. It was almost laughable.

The conversation was wholly unremarkable until Adron commanded Constantia move closer. Saraya could not see, but she could imagine what Constantia was doing. So clearly. Saraya’s face contorted. Ferocity was not something she was accustomed to bearing the weight of, and this ferocity was without words. Constantia being described as perfect was enough for her to burst through the doors there and then, but she swallowed the urge. Saraya was more than grateful that she did when Adron spoke up once more. A puppet was definitely a more accurate depiction of what Constantia was. Or rather, what Saraya would make of her by the end of the night.

Closing her eyes, Saraya took measured breathes to steady the heavy thud of her heart. At that moment, she exercised more control over herself than she ever thought she had the mind to.

There was a shuffling beyond the door as the two women returned to their seats at Adron’s command. Saraya thought she could contain herself for a while longer, but the moment Adron spoke she found the breath caught in her throat. That was a question she had not thought to ask. Nor was she particularly interested in the answer. What did it matter what the women of house Deumon thought of her? They had already sealed their fate earlier in the day. What they had to say of her character would be far from further fuel to the fires of rage they had ignited, or so Saraya thought.

When Constantia’s answer came, Saraya lost all meaning of the word control. Her fingers tightened impossibly on the finely crafted stem of her wine glass. The liquid inside shook gently, but Saraya was not in the mind to notice the physical displays of her anger. What could she do but allow herself some release before she burnt the entire office to cinders around them?

Suddenly, Saraya threw the glass of wine in her hand at the nearest wall, and the action was mirrored in the force. In the other glass of blood-red wine sat comfortably in Baroness Deumon’s hand. Sharp shards covered in scarlet liquid exploded out across the sofa, aggravated by the rage they had been summoned form. Some of them imbedded themselves into the first piece of furniture that stopped them in their tracks. Others, however. A small handful managed to slice through the air toward the Baroness’ face. Both women gasped in surprise, and then the elder of the two groaned in pain and panic as a thin line of blood began to trickle from her cheek.

Saraya released a heavy sigh that relaxed her shoulders and her face at the same time. While the explosion had not necessarily brought her calm, Saraya was far more poised to face them now. She had found her patience and her practice, enough to put on the front that she was far more in control of herself than the reality. Still, she could not force herself to remain hidden any longer. Listening to them besmirch her and throw themselves at Adron like they were trying to sell cheap cuts of meat. Just as suddenly as the glass had exploded, the door to the other room burst open.

Saying nothing, she emerged from the room to join Adron by his side. Saraya didn’t even acknowledge the other women in the room until she had slipped her arm into his. His presence was far more grounding than anything Saraya could summon in her mind. It was far easier to pace the rage, any longer behind the door and Saraya would have killed them both. There and then. That was far from what she wanted. She wanted to make them hurt for as long as she could.

When she had drawn enough strength from her husband-to-be, she finally regarded Constantia and her mother. The moment Saraya had appeared in the doorway, the credit had dropped for both of them. Their shock and surprise at the glass exploding had melted away into pure horror. “Not worth a mention?” Her soft voice quizzed the blonde with a measured tone before she turned her violet gaze to the mother. “It really is quite fortuitous that my fiancé considers your husband an asset, Baroness Deumon.” The Baroness swallowed meekly but said nothing. “If I truly had my way, I would be wiping the entire Deumon name from Illyrian history. Fortunately for me, that is where your luck runs out. I’m more than happy to settle for wiping the women of house Deumon from history instead.”

If the panic on her face hadn’t been real then, it was real now. The realisation that this was all a set up was something that Saraya hoped at hit them both like a ton of bricks. When they said nothing, she found a hint of impatience prickling the back of her head. It was the first and only time she would allow it to make a home there. “Lady Arenais please…” The woman suddenly slipped from her place on the sofa, screaming so loudly she drowned out anything further she had to say. As she doubled over in pain, even Saraya was uncertain what she was doing to her, but she liked every moment of watching her writhe around. “I’m sorry, were you not willing to kneel for me, Baroness Deumon?”

Saraya turned to face Constantia. It wasn't long before she joined in the chorus of screams from her mother. That same voice that had once produced a laugh so charming it had turned Saraya green now screeched out violently in pain. It was music to Saraya's ears. More beautiful than the countless orchestras she had listened to or danced to. She relished in it, in the unmeasurable satisfaction their screams sent shuddering through her body. Then, as suddenly as they had started, they stopped. Saraya leant back against Adron with a content smile on her face, not daring to tear her eyes away from their hunched forms.

To the tune of their whimpers, Saraya spoke again. "I would say you'll live to regret what you've done..." She wrapped her hands around her waist to draw herself closer to Adron. "...but neither of you will live to see the sunrise."