RP:Royal Getaway

Part of the Larketian Fault Lines Arc

Summary: The earthquake crisis, and Augusta Jauzon (Macon’s mother), have conspired to exhaust and separate the newlywed royals. Macon decides that despite all the work there is still to do, he and his queen must get away from Larket for one day and night to spend time together, relax, recharge. They discuss heirs, gossip, and Macon’s rage aura affliction (ic secret).

Inn in Kelay

Macon is run ragged still. In the first few days following the earthquake (his wedding night) he personally labored in the disaster recovery effort as another set of hands, at least when he had time to spare. Consistent physical labor piled on top of his royal duties following the catastrophe have taken its toll. Once he no longer felt helpful with his boots on the ground the hits did not stop coming. There’s a sinkhole popped up by Kyla’s that nearly swallowed the place up. House of Ara has been swept away by wild waters on the Vibrance. Toxic pollen. A benefit ball. An insane Frostmawian that keeps going on about his kids’ birthday party. This relief caravan came from here, but was attacked along the way. All of this falls at the King’s feet for some reason and he has to deal with each one in kind. Josleen, his new wife, has been similarly put upon by her new position of royalty thanks to the disaster. Their obligations and the state of Larket has placed an artificial distance between the two since their wedding, as at any given point at least one of them seems to have something that they simply must attend to. Even when they find time to dine together there are obstacles, the most notable of which goes by the name of Augusta. Dinners with the Matron Jauzon’s not so subtle disapproval of Josleen, and her nit-picking of the Larketian recovery effort are simply not the same as the ones the Royal couple so enjoyed while The Thane of Frostmaw was ‘prisoner’ of The King of Larket. Even when they are together in public, visiting the sites of collapsed buildings, or suspiciously uncollapsed buildings, they are again somewhat artificially disconnected, with what public physical contact there is serving as a harsh reminder that things are not as they should be for newlyweds. All of this has frustrated Macon to the point that he has made a conscious decision to rectify the situation. He informs Josleen in the morning that they are leaving Larket for the day. (It can survive without them somehow). They are only taking a pair of Kingsguard and telling no one at the fort where they are going. The Rage Knight makes certain that they will not be able to be disturbed by Larketian issues during this little getaway. Also Augusta won’t know they’re gone until it is far too late…

Josleen had a full day ahead of her when Macon entered her room. His news excited her so much that she flung herself against him and kissed him deeply, despite the fact her maid was still in the room and Josleen is rarely so physical in front of others. Next, she told her secretary to cancel everything, make up an appropriate excuse, or not--the Queen doesn’t care. Where they go doesn’t matter either. Anywhere, so long as they can be together and undisturbed. The cozy inn in Kelay isn’t very far away, and it is home to pleasant memories she wants to revisit. In the carriage she wastes no time straddling his lap, kissing him, touching him, in a dress shorter and looser than she typically wears, which was strategically chosen for this ride, so that the King can easily access whatever he desires. Although the newlyweds had found the rare moment to practice heir-making since the wedding, it was always rushed between duties, or at the end of a long day. There was neither time nor energy to give in to the passions that brought them together so unexpectedly just before yule. In their suite at the inn, just as Macon slips her free of that dress, he may notice strange marks on his wife’s body. Circular, faint bruises stamped around her navel and lower abdomen. They’re so light he may miss them in the heat of the moment, and they do not hurt her when touched. In coloration the resemble hickies, but they’re much too round and uniform to be something so scandalous. Josleen either doesn’t notice them, or has forgotten she has them.

Macon, after the pained look Josleen gave him after they had exiled the former Knight of Corruption together, expected that she would think his selfish scheme to get her alone for a day was a great one. The King’s mind is read several times it seems, first that they should return to that inn in Kelay. It is, of course, the ideal place for them to go after they have been apart following a disaster that breaks a hole in the Fort Freedom throne room, although this time around they have been apart in a different sense. Larket is holding them captive, rather than Josleen has been kidnapped. Second, during the carriage ride, when the queen makes her move. He was going to make a move! Still, he shows his appreciation for her fashion choice by taking full advantage of the access it provides. The exhaustion of literally trying to hold a kingdom together is either ignored or seamlessly fought through by The Rage Knight. They are eager for this escape, perhaps even more so than they had been during their first encounter at this inn. In that eagerness Macon does indeed miss the markings on his wife, but once he has a moment to catch his breath he finds and asks about them while tracing the outline of one finger. ‘Wha’ ‘appened?’

Josleen had completely forgotten about the bruises! “Hm?” she asks, as if she has no idea what he’s talking about. She looks down at his rough hand on her stomach as her mind races for an answer. She was going to cover them up, but forgot in her mad dash to escape Larket. “Oh, it’s a woman thing…” she says. “It’s nothing.” She turns onto her side to face him and pulls the sheet up over both their bodies to hide the bruises. Her legs tangle with his, arm slides up his body. More kisses, more caresses, anything to distract from her lie and blemished skin.

Macon growls subtly at the obvious lie. Josleen almost gets away with it too when she re-entangles with and smothers him. She has lied to him before, certainly, at the very least while she still believed him the greatest villain Larket has ever seen. In the past he has also let her lies (or omissions) slide without push back. (He did not know about Ezekiel until Augusta forced it out of her, remember.) This one however, he can see right through and his curiosity, and perhaps some concern for his wife gets the better of him. Just barely he manages to push back and make another attempt at getting a straight answer, “Tell me.” He speaks into the side of her neck. A command, not a question this time, in true Fury Knight form.

Josleen shivers when he speaks his command against her. His gruffness and domineering tendencies, which others find suspect or downright villainous, are exactly what she finds so arousing about him. Her infatuation with him is not unlike humanity’s fascination with fire. She doesn’t want to lie to him with any color other than white. To fabricate an entire story (‘I fell’, etc.) feels too deceitful, especially because she is invested in making their marriage a real union between two people, not just an alliance between states. Thankfully for her, Josleen always manages to find the happy medium between a lie and the truth. She hesitates and considers her words carefully. “...I read somewhere that it helps… That it will help me come along.” She eyes him to see if he catches her meaning. They have never spoken about this subject, and yet they should have. This is something most people discuss before marriage, and to bring it up after the rings have been exchanged is awkward. Especially since she’s already acting under the presumption that her desires and his are the same when it comes to this.

Macon ’s slate stare narrows slightly on Josleen while she answers, The Rage Knight trying to discern if she is lying to him again. She is not, that much is clear. She does not flat out say the words, so it takes him half a moment to understand her meaning. In that second or so she can see the gears start turning and then abruptly stop. Stone features soften, and grey eyes widen slightly with the realization for such a brief fraction of a second that one might think it was a trick of the mid day light. They still won't have spoken about this subject after this, but he instantly envelops her following that moment of thought, confirming her presumption as he usually does; wordlessly. This is no longer ‘practice’ heir making, apparently.

Macon’s reactions makes her feel giddy and a little drunk. She laughs once against his chest, enamored with him in a new way he’s likely not seen before. In Larket, most couples are putting off baby-making in the wake of destroyed homes, the death of relatives, the erosion of personal wealth, but for a King and Queen, their power and purse seems near boundless. There are no circumstances that give them pause in pursuing a family. And pursue a family she does, perhaps even whispering something to that effect, some naughty goading of what she wants him to do to her. They catch their breaths again and Josleen’s mind wanders to that starry-eyed future with children (she’s seeing multiple, so buckle up, Macon). There is only one, shriveled-up, bent-over, shrieking black mark in her fantasy. Having satisfied her husband multiple times, she feels emboldened to push this most difficult of subjects. “I missed you,” she says as she pulls herself tightly against him. And it’s true. She did miss him. It is possible to miss someone you see every day if you haven’t seen them in the way you wish. Still, she’s buttering him up, with truths, sure, but really she wants to talk about one of the obstacles blocking their intimacy. “I was wondering… is your mother’s stay in the fort a permanent arrangement, or would she be happier having her own home elsewhere in the city?”

Macon and Josleen are sympathetic to the current struggles of the average Larketian, even empathetic. ‘Larket’s pain is my pain.’ Surely The Furious King has said this in a speech somewhere before. However, even with their home, Fort Freedom, taking heavy damage on their wedding night, the royalty is simply immune to the same anguish as the common people. The financial burden of the child they are all of a sudden trying to bring about never once crosses their minds because it doesn't exist. Even this day-long escape from the disaster area that is Larket is a luxury unavailable to most of the rest of the kingdom. Empathy is only possible to a certain degree. The Rage Knight is staring at the Queen of Larket when she tells him she missed him. He missed her too, of course, thus the absconding to Kelay, but he definitely won't say those words. Instead she gets an emotive growl that can be roughly translated to reciprocate her sentiment. On the subject of Augusta, Macon nods in agreement. He has been becoming frustrated with mother’s constant presence as well. It is likely impossible that it is to the same degree that Josleen feels, but he has already given her ‘suggestion’ some thought even before today. He explains that he doesn't think she would want to leave the fort, but perhaps she could be coaxed out with some new, lavish home to call her own. The sooner the better. The Larketian reconstruction effort must be expedited.

Josleen has very quickly become fluent in Macon’s growls and his little throaty noise warms her heart. #Healthy Josleen agrees to prioritize Augusta’s lavish home for a single occupant. Unsaid is the fact that this reconstruction will likely occur in tandem with or before the construction of multi-family homes for the middle and lower classes. This doesn’t need to be said, because it’s an ugly thing to admit, but clearly this is on her mind as she says, “You need to have some peace if you are to lead the city through these trying times. You’re no good to anyone if you’re under too much pressure.” She strokes him lovingly as she sounds out the argument, preemptively defending them from hypothetical critics. Although she doesn’t want to talk about the crisis, it cannot be helped. They’re both steeped in it daily. She asks about the investigation into the chapel, and if the thieves behind the concert hall heist or the caravan looting are any closer to being apprehended, etc. As they discuss that which stresses them most, she can feel aspects of his rage aura kicking into low gear--likely not at her, but at the troubles writ large. “Is Percival any closer to finding a way to help you with the rage stone’s effects? I’m starting to lose faith that he has the expertise in this. I recently made the acquaintance of a naga scientist. You may know him as he has lived in Larket for a long time. Muzo? He makes a good impression. Respectable, smart, and seems loyal to you. What do you think about reaching out to him to see if he has any solutions to this?”

Macon goes over the latest in the chapel investigation with Josleen. There isn't much to be said about it just yet. He is less eager to set Valen and Percival on it than he was previously, given the circumstances surrounding the former’s letter vouching for Jarith while he was being interrogated. The royal couple discuss who is best suited to pursue the culprits in the caravan and concert hall crimes. Reinhardt is on that short list. Percival and the academy have not been immune to the time sink that is the Larketian recovery effort, and so the king explains regretfully that he is no closer to a cure or workaround for the lingering effects of the Rage Stone on himself. Macon knows Muzo well enough. The Naga had been integral to the framing of The Fallen Paladin, which The Fury Knight phrases to Josleen as, ‘He ‘elped to create a cure for the Fermin plagues,’ conceding that the snake has a brilliant mind and can be trusted with the knowledge of the King’s affliction. He's not sure if she's heard, but he informs her of Artia’s plan to throw a ball as a benefit to the recovery effort, and he feels like there is one other thing he is forgetting, but he hasn't the faintest clue on what it could be…

Josleen has already told Macon about Lycidas’s, a ‘former Knight of Cenril’, or so she believes, plan to rebuild the Red Ogre Inn through a charity brawl, and of Irenic’s pledge to the Queen. She’s happy to hear he’d let Muzo in on the secret. She’s about to ask what can be done to help House of Ara then suddenly thinks better of it. “Look at us, talking about the reconstruction. No.” She kisses him. He smells of both of them, and of her, and serves as a reminder of why they’re here. “It’s forbidden. We escaped for the day to leave that stress behind.” In the way that only royalty can escape a crisis--that is easily and without any real personal consequence. She wants to talk about them, and given what they’re trying to accomplish here, she pursues questions in that vain. There’s so much they don’t know about each other. Does he hope for a boy or a girl? Just one or more? Are they to be raised in religion? Is Macon religious? Was that part of his totally-not-evil-and-way-chill deathknight ‘training’ in ‘Veratoak’? They also haven’t talked about the wedding, so she gossips about so-and-so nobles and the little dramas she witnessed play out. It reminds her that she hardly saw him at their wedding, and, though she tries to remain chipper, she can’t help lament, “I hardly have any memories with you from that day. I know there were many guests… but…” Some of those guests are dead now, Josleen, though admittedly no one close to the King or Queen or instrumental in the Larketian nobility. The have-nots get the shortest end of all sticks. She shrugs away her words. “You didn’t meet Alvina and Hudson properly. We should arrange something with them. They’re dear friends and moved to Larket specifically for the superior schools. They just had twin girls.” Josleen’s lips twitch into a faint grimace when she says this. A pang of jealousy seizes her heart. She forces the expression into a smile.

Macon is forbidden to recall whatever it was he feels he is forgetting to mention, as it is most likely related to the Larketian reconstruction, which is, as Josleen correctly states, is not on the royal itinerary for today. He likely hasn’t given as much thought about his potential heirs as the bard, given he wasn’t going through any special treatment he read about in a magazine to make him more potent. So he takes some time to consider it now before answering. He’d like a male heir, but a girl would be fine too. Totally fine. Even some time to think he can’t decide on an ideal number, but more than one seems to be accepted as correct. The Death Knight is aware of her distaste for Vakmatharas, and he also now credits himself, rather than The Rage Stone and The God of Death, for his ascent to the Throne of Larket. So he does not feel the need to push for a religious upbringing. He explains that he only began to follow Vakmatharas later in life (truth), and that the military used that Death Knight training as more of a means to an end to create more powerful soldiers (eh). He does not see the need to raise little death cultists. What about her though? Religion? Does she want the hypothetical children to follow some teachings of her choosing? He remembers their wedding in the same vein that she does, some regret that the evening did not go as they had planned even before the natural disaster. He recalls at least two instances where he had meant to go to her, even started walking her way, and was then swallowed up by some guest or group of guests that wished for him to shine on them. The whole thing before and after the quake was a sort of blur. Was Valen wearing a dress and walking around with some undead thing? The plan to make plans with Alvina and Hudson (two names that mean next to nothing to him) is accepted with an amicable growl. The King senses that grimace and jealousy and moves a hand onto her side, shaking his head. She shouldn’t be jealous of anybody. She’s a queen.

Josleen explains that she believes in the gods, of course (who doesn’t?!), but was never very devout, except when in a crisis, like all fox trench believers. Growing up her family observed the major religious holidays, but it was more an excuse to be together and develop a family tradition than any devotion to a god, though they certainly never disrespected the gods. She’d like to pass that on, at least. Also, yes, Valen was wearing a dress, and also when Josleen was in Frostmaw, just after the battle, he told her that and Lionel, the Frostmawian knight, danced together once, in public too. Can you believe that? Judging by how wide Josleen’s eyes get, she still can’t fully believe this juicy gossip. Who would have known that about Lionel? When he touches her to guide her away from jealous, she beams up at him. How can anyone think him evil? Look at him, he’s so good (to her) and attentive (to her). When Josleen fell for Macon, it was lust and revenge against Kelovath that drove her into the King’s bed. Then, with time, the relationship and marriage seemed prudent, rational. Although she cared for him early on, she resisted loving him, for she was too injured after Kelovath’s betrayal to open herself up to another blow. In fact, she still doesn’t want to become vulnerable in that way again, that soul-crushing vulnerability of love. But slowly he opens her up in spite of herself. Her stare gives her away. She says it all with her gaze and the contented sigh as she lies against him. Time loses meaning. She forgets to think of Larketians and their troubles. There’s only him, and hopefully, soon, their child.

Macon agrees with Josleen about the holidays, silently, with a nod. The hot gossip about Lionel and Valen has the king blinking, stunned(?) The wielder of Hellfire nearly killed both The Rage Knight -and- Valen on the bridge during the battle. When did those two have time to dance? The timeline just doesn't make sense to him. The Queen eventually brings his thoughts away from contemplating how the fates of Lionel and Valen are so absolutely entwined. She is staring at him and he is staring at her. The lust and intent to slight his nemesis was mutual at the start of all of this, but lust alone would not have prompted that proposal of marriage. ‘There are other ways to achieve peace,’ he has surely said previously. This latest trip to Kelay will go down as much of a rousing success as the previous one. Clearly they have reunited, but the secondary goal of ridding themselves of their royal burden for a day has also been achieved, as neither of them has Larket on their mind in the slightest now. Months, or even weeks ago, prioritizing the bard over his kingdom would have seemed impossible to do, and now he is neglecting the city for an entire day to be close to her. For as much as time loses meaning for Josleen, it still exists, and the king and queen take as much of it as they need. When they return to Larket, likely in the morning, Macon makes a point to put an end to this ‘separate bedrooms’ nonsense. The new arrangement will be more conducive to heir making.