Word Count → 368 :: Failpost. I hope it's cool if I toss her into Siri's room. Oh, and this can be dated for whenever! <3
Nimble fingers of her right hand traced the edge of the mirror, while her left held it firmly in its grasp. The object was one much adored by its owner who often put it to use, though the Lykoi child had herself begun to admire it. Perhaps it was because she expected those brooding features to be looking back at her from the smooth, glassy surface, but of course a mirror did not work that way, and Clover only saw the roan red mask framed by waves of gold.
The harder she stared at her own reflection, the deeper her longing to see the Thistle King’s gaze back on her became. But it was no magical mirror that brought the owner images of what its heart desired. Instead, the girl was left with an empty copy of herself. While it was fascinating to see her own reflection, it wasn’t exactly what the Lykoi girl wanted. Her heart yearned for those days of uncertainty when Sirius had been able to so easily scoop her away from her family in Inferni. Somehow she had seen something in him and knew that she could follow him, and in turn, follow her heart. Since her arrival in his kingdom, she had tended to his things and occasionally those of Eris, the sable woman who aided him in leading the Salsola family. And yet, it was not exactly how she imagined things would be. Not exactly..
She had lifted the mirror from the heavy pine chest that the King kept most of his possessions in. Clover had easily grown familiar with it and the things it housed over time. Today, like many days, she had come to straighten his things and take care of any cleaning that needed to be done. With the winter not far off, she was sure that Sirius, along with everybody else, would be preparing for the colder nights. She did not want to disappoint the King by slacking on her duties for him. Still, it was hard for the girl to set the mirror aside, when she silently wished for the company of the man whose room this was even though it was apparent he was not there.
Lean muscles ached, and a weariness stole through the monarch as, with relief, he made the short journey from the stables back to the ruins. He had been riding Luna often of late, and was very keen to develop better skills with the silvery mare - She responded well to his administrations, and the two had already begun to develop a series of physical commands unique to horse and owner. He had spent the day riding her bareback; Although hardly skilled enough to steer the steed without the use of reins, it had actually been a pleasant relief to sit atop the horse without the hard, uncomfortable leather saddle. From this day forward, he would ride without it.
But a price had been paid for such freedom, and there was an ache to his frame that spoke of hard work. His legs had needed to be much more secure without the aid of the saddle - Muscles more tensed, body more poised, so as to remain balanced without pommel and seat. Thoughts of home - His large, beautiful chamber - Spurred the male to an eager jog.
He was panting only slightly when at last the skeletal remains of the ruins rose into sight from amongst the rolling tundra of the Salsolan wilderness. As always, a rogue wind swept in from the nearby ocean, brittle and crisp. As olive eyes graced the wild, harsh beauty of this place, and his lungs filled with the crisp air, it occurred briefly to Sirius that he had come to love this territory more than he loved any being, apart from himself.
On large paws the dangerous monarch prowled, his eyes glittering with an infernal wickedness that possessed almost every soul they sought. Finally, the open chasm of his doorway welcomed the weary King, and without a second thought he burst in through the opening and into the chamber.
Gaze immediately found the girl, crouched by his chest of belongings. An instinctual rush of fury soaked his blood with heat - who dares come in here without my permission? - but faded, just as fast, as narrowed pupils recognized the crown of silky gold. "Clover," Came the husky purr of his welcome, and without a second thought the Thistle King strode past the girl and flopped heavily into the impressive stone throne that waited for him. It was a beautiful artifact, the throne, with a high back and two arm-rests, carved from some ancient boulder. His bearskin coat had been draped neatly across it - Possibly Clover's doing, as she often cleaned his room and belongings. Secretly, he had come to enjoy the scent of her within his chamber, and would notice the lack of it keenly when she was too busy to attend him.
Shutting his eyes, the monarch yawned hugely, revealing the sharp and terrible rows of yellow teeth that were usually hidden behind a charming smile. Then, a wince, as his stretching revealing a sore knot in one shoulder-blade. Narrowed pupils returned smoothly to the Lykoi princess, she who was the only creature he allowed to so freely touch his belongings. His quality of life had been vastly improved with her presence - It seemed the beautiful golden-haired maiden always knew just what to do to sooth the indignant ruffles of her King.
A change in the air alerted the Lykoi girl that she was not alone and a moment later she sensed the dark form of her King looming over her. He paused only momentarily, speaking her name with that husky tone she had come to love. While darkened ears fell closer to her crown of gold and a bloom of rose grew beneath the tawny fur along her cheeks, Clover dipped her head in greeting to the Boss. Good evening, Sir. She watched him silently as he made his way past her to lounge upon his majestic throne crafted from stone. As he situated himself amongst rock and bear skin, straw yellow eyes left the precious mirror still held within both hands and traced the outline of the King’s lean frame. Her eyes lingered upon the scars adorning his chest, before his yawn brought her gaze northward in search of her favorite shade of apple green. It was then that Clover caught the brief flash of pain and immediately rose from her place on the floor.
A few sweeping steps brought the Lykoi girl to Sirius’ side. Are you hurting, love? His comfort was, after all, her priority. Whether it was a matter of making his chamber more suitable to his needs or providing him with some sort of medicinal cure, Clover was happy to oblige. Much like the crush that Clover had developed for Harlowe, the girl was infatuated with this man. Even if he were to reject her from his life, which he obviously had not, she was sure she could not pull away. It seemed as if he was her world, and Clover twirled around him like a sparkling moon lost in his attraction.
What can I do for you? From her vantage point, Clover looked down upon her King. Her gaze fell upon his dark locks and she longed to retrieve the bone comb from his chest so that she might run its teeth through it. She would wait for his word though, for perhaps he did not fancy her aid in grooming. Whatever it may be, Clover was ready at his side.
Her voice chimed sweetly, a delicate dove-like coo that soothed the inner beast so ferociously bound by the chains of Sirius' self control. It was a relief, nonetheless, to hear such dainty melodies - After being surrounded by the sounds of horses and of Larkspur, who frequently made guttural horse-like sounds himself, it pleased the monarch to find himself once more within a place of civility. The two aspects balanced eachother out - While with his Arbiter, the feral nature that resided within the King of Thorns was released, and he could act as the Hunter would act. While with Clover, the facade of the gentleman, the noble, was replaced; Although an act, it was one he quite enjoyed.
She must have seen his winced, for in a flourish of gold the girl was at his side, her pure presence surrounding him with that familiar, delightful scent. Often, the Lykoi princess would meet his gaze - It was not something that he allowed from his subordinates, but for some reason, she was exempt from such a primal law. There was no challenge to be found within the lady's eyes of soft corn-gold, only that strange look of adoration that he had come to expect, and frequently desire. It fed his ego, that devoted look.
The gentle swell of her voice, light like the babbling song of a stream, caressed his weary ears. The monarch released a long-suffering sigh, one hand attempting to reach over his shoulder and gingerly rub at the knot that had formed there. "Calm yourself, dear girl. I am well enough. It is nothing more than an ache from hard work," The seductive caramel tenor of his voice turned grumbly at its end, his dark brows furrowing in irritation at the small waves of annoyance that radiated from the pained muscle in his shoulder. Her pretty songbird voice chirped forth again, offering assistance in the sweet manner only she provided. Narrowed pupils lifted to the girl, and for a moment, that deep and terrible hunger flashed through him. She was so pure, so perfect - Such a splendid specimen of femininity. Fragile in appearance, with all that beautiful golden hair. He teased himself with allowing her presence, tested his own resolve, and thus far, he had been strong enough to resist the temptation she provided. Worse still, the girl seemed completely unaware of her own allure, and the way she could heat his very blood with desire.
Is she pure enough to be a Queen? Her sister, Sage, had asked him some time ago if he had found such a woman yet. Disgruntled by such a serious train of thought, the Thistle King huffed gravely, shutting his simmering eyes a moment to block out the light and the beautiful sweeps of Clover's body.
Then, black lips lifted at the corners in a mirthless smile, as with a weary sigh, the monarch allowed his half-lidded gaze to find her again. "You have such nimble fingers. Perhaps you could ease this tension for me?" He gestured as he spoke to the tender area on his shoulder, and shifted sideways so that she might have access to the broad planes of his back. Between the man's two shoulderblades was his pack marking, the Hand of Eris, a deep and pale scar that the hair did not cover in optime form.
She found such complete contentment being there by his side, and she couldn’t quite even put a finger on exactly why that was so. Similar in the way that Clover had become a beautiful accessory to the King’s chamber, the Boss himself was the girl’s own eye candy. He was there within her presence - so near, and yet just out of grasp. Within the Salsolan family, Sirius was unattainable. Still, she found pleasure in merely being able to aid him. If she could not keep him, she would at least delight her senses with his presence.
Darkened ears turned slightly at the sound of his voice, turning to collect its entire thick, honey-richness she so loved. Anything for you, love, she responded to his request, stooping so that she might set his precious mirror aside before her fingers went to work at his back. Sirius readjusted his position amongst the magnificent throne as Clover moved a step closer. Her pale gaze lingered upon the marking of their family situated between both shoulder blades, before her fingers found the knot he had gestured to and gently began to knead away the tenderness.
You must have been very busy today, she commented, alluding to the hard work he had spoken of that most likely had caused the pain she worked at now. It was easy to feel where the tension had formed in his shoulder, but Clover decided to avoid the area for the moment. She knew that sometimes a knot in the shoulder blade could be caused by tight muscles in the neck, and so her fingers worked their way to the scalenes and continued their massage there.
The scent she had grown so used to, as it was very much apparent in his chamber, was strong on him. Sirius’ male musk was Clover’s own aromatherapy, and she smiled simply at the crown of his head while her fingers worked. Her pursuit of becoming the family’s Ancella perhaps had become more persistent only because of what it granted her; she had found that she had begun to enjoy being in the King’s own chamber possibly more than her own.
It might have been surprising that, for all the individuals he might have picked, Clover alone had been chosen to attend him. She had been given a long lead on which to roam - No other hands, except maybe the dark clawed fingers of Eris herself, was granted such access to his belongings, to his very person. No other might dare to go through his chest and, if caught, escape from such an act unpunished. It was within Sirius' suspicious nature to be quite cruel towards those who breached his personal space.
There was one reason, and one reason alone, that Clover had been allowed such a presence. Not because she was beautiful, although that was surely the reason that the King was so enamored with her, nor because of her wonderful, simplistic purity. No, Sirius had chosen her to attend such tasks because he genuinely believed that she, of all the souls he knew in this world, would be the last to willfully betray him.
He saw it in her eyes, that kind of smitten look that told him he owned more than just her body, her presence, but her heart. Sirius had owned many things before, most that he had taken, but never had he been given a heart such as this. No, because Clover adored him, because perhaps she even loved him, if such a terrible and binding emotion did exist, then it was almost certain with the King of Thorns that she would not betray him; Not willfully, not intentionally.
Her fingers were cool as the worked on the sore spot in his shoulder, gentle but extremely pleasant as they meandered to the lean muscles of his neck. A deep thrum, almost like a soundless purr, echoed in the depths of his chest and throat. Acidic eyes so prone to the keen gaze of a raptor closed, just briefly, and for a moment the face of the King seemed peaceful, almost sweetly so. But at her softly-voiced assumption, one eye opened a crack, the venomously colored hue within leaking out the poison the air around it; As quick as it had gone, the wickedness and brooding returned to his dark features, sitting there handsomely as they almost always did. "I have been working with my horse; Learning her, as much as she is me. It is difficult," He had become so accustomed to bending the mind and will of Luperci to his own deeds - His silver tongue was well crafted at its skill of manipulation. But a horse was a simple beast, without the use of his language, and it could read his insides as well as it could his mask. Because of this, it was much more difficult to master control; Much more difficult to cloak the Hunter within him, to hide away that beast from eyes that could see deeper than those of his kind could.
A thought occurred to him, and after a thoughtful pause, the King spoke again. "And what of you, my Lady? How has my kingdom been treating you?" She was the jewel in his self-made crown, and it would surely dismay him if she were to tell him she disliked the land and the pack he called his own. More so, if any one soul had been giving her trouble... It irritated him to even consider the prospect of another tampering with what he had so clearly claimed as his own. Only Clover could pull herself from his grip now, and it seemed she was a very willing captive.
Though slender fingers were quite content with their place along the smooth, muscular slope of his neck, the girl couldn’t not help but long to let them wander elsewhere. The dark locks that framed those brooding, handsome features she so loved were calling to her, and Clover would have loved nothing more than to have let her fingers softly swim through those chocolately waves. At his words, the Lykoi woman simply smiled in response despite the fact that he could not see. Daisy and Clover shared a bond that did not require much work, but she understood that some steeds needed to be tamed and made suitable for riding. Clover was grateful Daisy did so willingly.
When it seemed she had been kneading at the sore muscles in his neck for some time, the girl once again let her fingers roam the broad plane of his back to work at the tension that had collected. She cherished the simplicity of this interaction with him, and thought how nice it would be if it were to become a daily occurrence. She would not mind being forever teased by the tantalizing musk nor welcoming warmth.
Oh very well, my king. It has become just as much a home to me, as it is a kingdom to you. Though thoughts of her family occasionally made her think of Inferni, she had no desire to return there. It seemed her bonds with her siblings had slowly begun to fray, but instead she was sure to strengthen new ones. I couldn’t imagine ever wanting to leave, she added simply, one finger finally daring to rise from his back and twist a lock of hair around it gently, before just as quickly falling away. I just need to find my place, which she aimed to do by becoming the Ancella. It was just a matter of proving herself, and a matter of time.
mall-caps; }