Between Two Evils - Chapter 12
Mar. 17th, 2009 11:57 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
botiasA shortish chapter. I wanted to post something because it's been so long since my last update. Unfortunately events have conspired to keep me from getting any real writing time for a few weeks.
ETA: Sorry if it's boring! I promise angst and drama. Sometime. Soonish.
Previous Chapters Here
Allura could see very little of the city through the flashing dark legs of the horses pacing alongside their vehicle, but she spent most of her time looking at the children in any case, marveling that they were there.
It was like the sun coming out when they left their escort behind at the gate of Lotor's property. The house at the top of a long incline was a huge sprawling thing of cream-colored stone, displaying Nephalem's predilection for domes and extended into the landscape by a number of verandas. Lotor got out of the vehicle without a backward glance when they reached it, carrying her with him into the bright morning sun, past a line of bowing servants, and through the double doors into the shade of the interior.
“I'd like to see them settled,” Allura ventured, blinking from the abrupt changes in light.
“You can play nursemaid some other time.”
His curt reply was not unexpected and did little to dim her happiness. It was such a relief that she had brought them away with her that she was almost giddy with it. She had told them that she would before she'd remembered that that was not her life any longer, that she was in no position to promise anyone anything.
She nuzzled closer to his shoulder and let him bear her forward; the feel of his body against hers and the scent of his skin had a blissful familiarity after the night that had just passed.
After the door to his chambers closed behind them, Lotor set her onto her feet—his hands came to her face, and his lips pressed hers open in a fierce caress. Allura's eyes opened wide with surprise as his mouth moved against hers with barely contained ardor.
He released her after a long moment, and took a ragged breath. “Talk to me, Allura. I wish to hear your voice.”
“Wha-mmph!” was all she managed before he kissed her again, filling her mouth with his tongue. Allura shuddered, gasping, when he released her mouth to kiss and bite along her cheekbone on his way to her ear as he pressed her backward with his body.
He wanted to do that now?
Allura was still trying to figure out how she felt about that when he paused to strip off his gloves; she saw the dark curve of his lashes against his cheeks, the flash of his teeth as he tugged at the leather, and then the reprieve was over; he was at her throat with eager little bites and kisses, murmuring things against her skin she couldn't quite hear.
Allura relaxed as one of his hands slid into her hair, reminding herself that he had always been careful with her. In some odd way, his ardor was reassuring. His other hand began to tug at his cloak which was still wrapped around her, and he was pressing her backward again; no doubt with some piece of furniture in mind. She felt a flash of amusement—at this rate, it was all likely to be over soon in any case.
No sooner had she finished the thought than he froze.
She winced as the fingers in her hair pressed and probed against a small swelling on the back of her head. “Ow!” she said, pulling away from his touch and looking up at him. “Is that necessary?”
He scowled at her. “You told me that you weren't hurt.”
Allura blinked. She hadn't told him any such thing. She—
The next thing she knew she was staring over his shoulder as he carried her forward once more. The room was very bright. She looked up, and was taken by surprise. It had been sunset when they'd arrived here yesterday, and the great dome that formed part of the ceiling had been shadowed—no longer. It glowed, translucent, and was carved in an intricate pattern that the morning sun turned into lines of pure light. It was almost too bright to look at, but she stared until it was no longer in sight.
He carried her into an area divided from the rest with a few screens and set her down on the enormous bed. Its circular shape repeated that of the dome. In fact, 'round' seemed the be the suite's motif. Like many things she had seen in Nephalem, it managed to be both elegant and a little over the top at the same time. Lotor dropped down next to her, scowling, his long legs sprawled out a little, hers not quite touching the floor. He took hold of her shoulders in firm grip. “Talk. Tell me where else you are not hurt.”
Allura sighed. All she really wanted to do was sleep; she'd felt wide awake on the ride here, but that awareness was fading fast, and the throb of her injured hand was taking its place, making the waking world even less enticing. If he had continued with his amorous intentions, at least she would be lying down by now...
“It can wait...” she attempted.
“What can wait?” Not Lotor, apparently. He was already moving the cloak aside and beginning his inspection. His displeased expression darkened when he pushed her hair off of her shoulder.
Then he peeled down one her long, pale gloves, and she saw his expression go from dark to murderous. Glancing down, she saw the bruises on her upper arm. She raised her brows a little; he was completely overreacting— Why, he was worse than Nanny! The thought made her giggle.
“I fail to see anything funny in this,” he snapped. “Were you given anything to eat, Allura? Any pills or injections?” He reached for the other glove as he spoke.
Allura put a hand on his, stilling him.
He glowered down at her. His amber cat's eyes were wide and glittering with ire. He was rumpled. His clothes were a little askew, and it looked as though he'd run his fingers through his hair several times.
Somehow it failed to make him any less larger than life. Even with an apparently sleepless night behind him, he was nearly as beautiful as he thought he was.
“No, no one gave me anything,” she said, soothingly. If a few bruises angered him so much, he wasn't going to like the surprise behind glove number two. “Let me. Please? I—I think it might need to be seen to.”
He took his hands away and waited with ill grace while she rolled the glove down. Wincing in spite of her efforts not to, she tried to ease it off of her hand.
Lotor did not disappoint. When her hand proved to be too swollen, he shot to his feet and stalked out, disappearing in the direction of the door. After a moment she heard him snarling something to whomever was unfortunate enough to be waiting in attendance outside.
Allura turned her gaze heavenward, feeling a combination of bone weariness and amusement.
Someone had stolen Lotor's favorite toy, and now it was dented.
Toeing off one shoe and then the other, she lay back on the bed. It was pure heaven. She reached for the cloak and pulled it over herself with her good hand, tugging the heavy garment up under her nose.
It was much longer than he would have liked before there was a knock at the door. Lotor opened it and looked down at the woman that was standing outside.
“The doctor you asked for, Sire.” The soldier, standing a few paces away, bowed. The doctor did not.
So that was how it was going to be. Well, he was not going to wait around for a friendlier one to arrive.
“Follow me,” he said, and turned, leading the way back to where Allura slept, hearing the no-nonsense click of the woman's shoes on the marble behind him. Allura had stirred and protested sleepily when he'd stripped off her ruined gown and stockings and tugged one of his under-tunics over her head, but she had not roused.
He sat next to her on the bed and saw that there was a red sphere tucked in the folds of the cloak that covered her. While he'd been away, the food taster had curled up next to her, head and paws tucked under its body, looking for all the world as if it had been asleep there for many hours. He scooped it up with one hand and tossed it off of the bed, ignoring its angry chatter.
“Wake, Allura. There's a doctor here to see you.”
When that failed to win a response, he shook her shoulder.
“Go away.” Her voice was muffled by his cloak, but still perfectly audible.
Neither surprised nor put off, he slipped his arms under her and tried to sit her up. She grumbled and turned onto her side. Lotor looked down at the drowsy woman now curled in his lap, watching as she sighed and wriggled closer to him. He paused for a moment, savoring her warm weight against him, transfixed with relief and gladness.
Gods, she was so very beautiful...
While he had waited for the doctor, he had had similar feelings: he would look at her and realize anew that she was with him once more, that she was alive and whole, that he could look at her, touch her whenever he liked. He had also experienced a pure, blinding rage—such as when he had found the bloody scrapes on her knees and hip, apparently from being dragged.
Admes had made him promise to spare the little toadscum's life.
That left a spectacular array of very unpleasant possibilities.
Pushing thoughts of revenge aside for the moment, he shifted her higher on his chest. “The doctor is going to see to your hand now, Allura.”
She muttered something, but made no real resistance when he fished her arm out of his cloak and held it so that her hand was easily accessible. Then he bade the doctor, who had been waiting silently, to come forward.
The woman set her satchel down on the bed, twitched up the skirt of her iron gray suit and sat down. Ignoring the proffered hand, she began to take Allura's pulse. She didn't look at him at all, and her expression was carefully neutral, all of which failed utterly to conceal her matronly disdain. Lotor saw the doctor's gaze linger on Allura's bruised shoulder.
“What sort of intoxicants has she had?”
“None.”
The doctor's mouth tightened, but she said nothing.
“Her vital signs are excellent,” she said, finally.
There was a hint of grudging admission in her tone. The doctor took a pair of odd, blunt-nosed scissors out of her satchel and began to carefully cut away the glove. “How was her hand injured?”
“Allura,” he said, in a tone that said that he would have an answer, “How did you hurt your hand?”
After a moment, Allura stirred in his arms. “There was a nasty man, and I hit him!” she said, sleepily, but with commendable bloodthirstiness. “And there was a very bad woman, and I hit her too.”
Lotor stilled in surprise. His imagination had tormented him with any number of scenarios in which she might have gotten such an injury: her little hand ground under someone's boot heel, for example.
The truth of the matter sent his mood spiraling up. “I see,” he said, smiling truly for the first time since she had disappeared. “And if I am nasty, will you hit me?”
“I might! If you don't let me sleep!”
Lotor laughed and cradled her closer. This was the woman he remembered, the one he had wanted for his wife: as fine and beautiful as a Tenrife blade—and as likely to make you bleed if mis-handled. He caught glimpses of her from time to time, but that was all. Perhaps Allura was still getting used to him.
After a time he looked to the doctor—to find that she was staring at him over the top of her glasses.
Lotor scowled at her.
The doctor dropped her gaze and sat back, tucking the device she'd been using back in her satchel. “Fifth metacarpal fracture,” she said, quickly, “That's consistent. I didn't see any nerve or tendon damage. The glove held it fast and kept it from swelling too much. Put a cast to it, and it should be good as new in a moon.”
“Fine,” Lotor said.
Allura twitched and frowned when the doctor numbed her hand, but after that she seemed to drift into a true sleep. Lotor watched in silence as the doctor deftly slipped the cast over her hand and cured it.
“To whom should I give instructions for her care?”
“Me,” he said. He listened as she spoke about applying cold to the cast at regular intervals and went through a short list of warning signs, all the while entering data into her com.
“Give my man outside a list of supplies,” he said, tucking Allura's arm back in the cloak, but not before frowning at the color of the cast; it had turned bright fuchsia when it cured.
“As you like. I've entered a recommendation under your name for some pain meds and also an anti-inflammatory. He can get them at any dispensary.” The woman hesitated, her thumbs hovering over her com.
When she finally spoke, Lotor thought he knew what had given her pause. She had been trying to think of how to inquire into Allura's status without causing offense. In the end, she cut to the point: “Could she be pregnant?”
“It's possible.” Lotor looked down at his wife, silently counting days, his excitement increasing along with the count.
The doctor re-opened her satchel. “Let's find out, shall we?”
On to Chapter 13
ETA: Sorry if it's boring! I promise angst and drama. Sometime. Soonish.
Previous Chapters Here
Chapter 12
Allura could see very little of the city through the flashing dark legs of the horses pacing alongside their vehicle, but she spent most of her time looking at the children in any case, marveling that they were there.
It was like the sun coming out when they left their escort behind at the gate of Lotor's property. The house at the top of a long incline was a huge sprawling thing of cream-colored stone, displaying Nephalem's predilection for domes and extended into the landscape by a number of verandas. Lotor got out of the vehicle without a backward glance when they reached it, carrying her with him into the bright morning sun, past a line of bowing servants, and through the double doors into the shade of the interior.
“I'd like to see them settled,” Allura ventured, blinking from the abrupt changes in light.
“You can play nursemaid some other time.”
His curt reply was not unexpected and did little to dim her happiness. It was such a relief that she had brought them away with her that she was almost giddy with it. She had told them that she would before she'd remembered that that was not her life any longer, that she was in no position to promise anyone anything.
She nuzzled closer to his shoulder and let him bear her forward; the feel of his body against hers and the scent of his skin had a blissful familiarity after the night that had just passed.
After the door to his chambers closed behind them, Lotor set her onto her feet—his hands came to her face, and his lips pressed hers open in a fierce caress. Allura's eyes opened wide with surprise as his mouth moved against hers with barely contained ardor.
He released her after a long moment, and took a ragged breath. “Talk to me, Allura. I wish to hear your voice.”
“Wha-mmph!” was all she managed before he kissed her again, filling her mouth with his tongue. Allura shuddered, gasping, when he released her mouth to kiss and bite along her cheekbone on his way to her ear as he pressed her backward with his body.
He wanted to do that now?
Allura was still trying to figure out how she felt about that when he paused to strip off his gloves; she saw the dark curve of his lashes against his cheeks, the flash of his teeth as he tugged at the leather, and then the reprieve was over; he was at her throat with eager little bites and kisses, murmuring things against her skin she couldn't quite hear.
Allura relaxed as one of his hands slid into her hair, reminding herself that he had always been careful with her. In some odd way, his ardor was reassuring. His other hand began to tug at his cloak which was still wrapped around her, and he was pressing her backward again; no doubt with some piece of furniture in mind. She felt a flash of amusement—at this rate, it was all likely to be over soon in any case.
No sooner had she finished the thought than he froze.
She winced as the fingers in her hair pressed and probed against a small swelling on the back of her head. “Ow!” she said, pulling away from his touch and looking up at him. “Is that necessary?”
He scowled at her. “You told me that you weren't hurt.”
Allura blinked. She hadn't told him any such thing. She—
The next thing she knew she was staring over his shoulder as he carried her forward once more. The room was very bright. She looked up, and was taken by surprise. It had been sunset when they'd arrived here yesterday, and the great dome that formed part of the ceiling had been shadowed—no longer. It glowed, translucent, and was carved in an intricate pattern that the morning sun turned into lines of pure light. It was almost too bright to look at, but she stared until it was no longer in sight.
He carried her into an area divided from the rest with a few screens and set her down on the enormous bed. Its circular shape repeated that of the dome. In fact, 'round' seemed the be the suite's motif. Like many things she had seen in Nephalem, it managed to be both elegant and a little over the top at the same time. Lotor dropped down next to her, scowling, his long legs sprawled out a little, hers not quite touching the floor. He took hold of her shoulders in firm grip. “Talk. Tell me where else you are not hurt.”
Allura sighed. All she really wanted to do was sleep; she'd felt wide awake on the ride here, but that awareness was fading fast, and the throb of her injured hand was taking its place, making the waking world even less enticing. If he had continued with his amorous intentions, at least she would be lying down by now...
“It can wait...” she attempted.
“What can wait?” Not Lotor, apparently. He was already moving the cloak aside and beginning his inspection. His displeased expression darkened when he pushed her hair off of her shoulder.
Then he peeled down one her long, pale gloves, and she saw his expression go from dark to murderous. Glancing down, she saw the bruises on her upper arm. She raised her brows a little; he was completely overreacting— Why, he was worse than Nanny! The thought made her giggle.
“I fail to see anything funny in this,” he snapped. “Were you given anything to eat, Allura? Any pills or injections?” He reached for the other glove as he spoke.
Allura put a hand on his, stilling him.
He glowered down at her. His amber cat's eyes were wide and glittering with ire. He was rumpled. His clothes were a little askew, and it looked as though he'd run his fingers through his hair several times.
Somehow it failed to make him any less larger than life. Even with an apparently sleepless night behind him, he was nearly as beautiful as he thought he was.
“No, no one gave me anything,” she said, soothingly. If a few bruises angered him so much, he wasn't going to like the surprise behind glove number two. “Let me. Please? I—I think it might need to be seen to.”
He took his hands away and waited with ill grace while she rolled the glove down. Wincing in spite of her efforts not to, she tried to ease it off of her hand.
Lotor did not disappoint. When her hand proved to be too swollen, he shot to his feet and stalked out, disappearing in the direction of the door. After a moment she heard him snarling something to whomever was unfortunate enough to be waiting in attendance outside.
Allura turned her gaze heavenward, feeling a combination of bone weariness and amusement.
Someone had stolen Lotor's favorite toy, and now it was dented.
Toeing off one shoe and then the other, she lay back on the bed. It was pure heaven. She reached for the cloak and pulled it over herself with her good hand, tugging the heavy garment up under her nose.
***
It was much longer than he would have liked before there was a knock at the door. Lotor opened it and looked down at the woman that was standing outside.
“The doctor you asked for, Sire.” The soldier, standing a few paces away, bowed. The doctor did not.
So that was how it was going to be. Well, he was not going to wait around for a friendlier one to arrive.
“Follow me,” he said, and turned, leading the way back to where Allura slept, hearing the no-nonsense click of the woman's shoes on the marble behind him. Allura had stirred and protested sleepily when he'd stripped off her ruined gown and stockings and tugged one of his under-tunics over her head, but she had not roused.
He sat next to her on the bed and saw that there was a red sphere tucked in the folds of the cloak that covered her. While he'd been away, the food taster had curled up next to her, head and paws tucked under its body, looking for all the world as if it had been asleep there for many hours. He scooped it up with one hand and tossed it off of the bed, ignoring its angry chatter.
“Wake, Allura. There's a doctor here to see you.”
When that failed to win a response, he shook her shoulder.
“Go away.” Her voice was muffled by his cloak, but still perfectly audible.
Neither surprised nor put off, he slipped his arms under her and tried to sit her up. She grumbled and turned onto her side. Lotor looked down at the drowsy woman now curled in his lap, watching as she sighed and wriggled closer to him. He paused for a moment, savoring her warm weight against him, transfixed with relief and gladness.
Gods, she was so very beautiful...
While he had waited for the doctor, he had had similar feelings: he would look at her and realize anew that she was with him once more, that she was alive and whole, that he could look at her, touch her whenever he liked. He had also experienced a pure, blinding rage—such as when he had found the bloody scrapes on her knees and hip, apparently from being dragged.
Admes had made him promise to spare the little toadscum's life.
That left a spectacular array of very unpleasant possibilities.
Pushing thoughts of revenge aside for the moment, he shifted her higher on his chest. “The doctor is going to see to your hand now, Allura.”
She muttered something, but made no real resistance when he fished her arm out of his cloak and held it so that her hand was easily accessible. Then he bade the doctor, who had been waiting silently, to come forward.
The woman set her satchel down on the bed, twitched up the skirt of her iron gray suit and sat down. Ignoring the proffered hand, she began to take Allura's pulse. She didn't look at him at all, and her expression was carefully neutral, all of which failed utterly to conceal her matronly disdain. Lotor saw the doctor's gaze linger on Allura's bruised shoulder.
“What sort of intoxicants has she had?”
“None.”
The doctor's mouth tightened, but she said nothing.
“Her vital signs are excellent,” she said, finally.
There was a hint of grudging admission in her tone. The doctor took a pair of odd, blunt-nosed scissors out of her satchel and began to carefully cut away the glove. “How was her hand injured?”
“Allura,” he said, in a tone that said that he would have an answer, “How did you hurt your hand?”
After a moment, Allura stirred in his arms. “There was a nasty man, and I hit him!” she said, sleepily, but with commendable bloodthirstiness. “And there was a very bad woman, and I hit her too.”
Lotor stilled in surprise. His imagination had tormented him with any number of scenarios in which she might have gotten such an injury: her little hand ground under someone's boot heel, for example.
The truth of the matter sent his mood spiraling up. “I see,” he said, smiling truly for the first time since she had disappeared. “And if I am nasty, will you hit me?”
“I might! If you don't let me sleep!”
Lotor laughed and cradled her closer. This was the woman he remembered, the one he had wanted for his wife: as fine and beautiful as a Tenrife blade—and as likely to make you bleed if mis-handled. He caught glimpses of her from time to time, but that was all. Perhaps Allura was still getting used to him.
After a time he looked to the doctor—to find that she was staring at him over the top of her glasses.
Lotor scowled at her.
The doctor dropped her gaze and sat back, tucking the device she'd been using back in her satchel. “Fifth metacarpal fracture,” she said, quickly, “That's consistent. I didn't see any nerve or tendon damage. The glove held it fast and kept it from swelling too much. Put a cast to it, and it should be good as new in a moon.”
“Fine,” Lotor said.
Allura twitched and frowned when the doctor numbed her hand, but after that she seemed to drift into a true sleep. Lotor watched in silence as the doctor deftly slipped the cast over her hand and cured it.
“To whom should I give instructions for her care?”
“Me,” he said. He listened as she spoke about applying cold to the cast at regular intervals and went through a short list of warning signs, all the while entering data into her com.
“Give my man outside a list of supplies,” he said, tucking Allura's arm back in the cloak, but not before frowning at the color of the cast; it had turned bright fuchsia when it cured.
“As you like. I've entered a recommendation under your name for some pain meds and also an anti-inflammatory. He can get them at any dispensary.” The woman hesitated, her thumbs hovering over her com.
When she finally spoke, Lotor thought he knew what had given her pause. She had been trying to think of how to inquire into Allura's status without causing offense. In the end, she cut to the point: “Could she be pregnant?”
“It's possible.” Lotor looked down at his wife, silently counting days, his excitement increasing along with the count.
The doctor re-opened her satchel. “Let's find out, shall we?”
On to Chapter 13
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2009-03-17 11:53 pm (UTC)Smile-y continuation of the fine balance of this marriage...
He worries, he postures, he cares. Now - a possible heir!!
no subject
Date: 2009-03-18 05:44 am (UTC)I'm sure Allura is just going to be thrilled...
no subject
Date: 2009-03-18 12:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-18 05:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-18 08:42 am (UTC)I didn't think it was boring. You doubt yourself too much. I think Lotor is sweet in his own special way, showing concern for her. I still love her blood thirstiness when asleep about hitting people! XD
no subject
Date: 2009-03-18 04:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-18 05:03 pm (UTC)Heh, Lotor should wake Allura up more often. He seemed to enjoy her crankiness!
no subject
Date: 2009-03-18 05:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-18 05:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-18 05:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-18 05:35 pm (UTC)I just adore that he likes her cranky. Hee hee.
*flails about in surprise*
Date: 2009-03-18 01:27 pm (UTC)This chapter is not boring at all. I adore their interaction, and especially his caring over her well-being.
I'm completely with Allura on the sleep thing, too. If you wake me, there will be blood. :p I love that she injured herself taking people out!
'If I'm nasty, will you hit me too?' BWAH.
Ohh she might be pregnant! Anticipation at its finest. :)
Re: *flails about in surprise*
Date: 2009-03-18 05:20 pm (UTC)Glad you liked the sleep thing. It seemed like a good fit for her somehow. Yeah, you can hurt yourself hitting someone all out like that unless you do it right. I don't think Allura was holding back at all. XD
Lotor had better watch out. He's a pretty 'bad man'.
Yay Lotor!
Date: 2009-03-18 04:35 pm (UTC)Also, I'm with the others...don't wake me up unless you want your head removed! :D
I can't wait to find out if she's preggers!
Re: Yay Lotor!
Date: 2009-03-18 05:23 pm (UTC)Re: Yay Lotor!
Date: 2009-03-18 09:06 pm (UTC)I tried painting Allura, but I just wasn't feeling it, so I left it to the side to collect dust. Instead I'm currently working on the rough sketches of an Allura/Lotor artwork. I'm going for a more illustrative style in this next one, which is not my usual style (Here's hoping I can pull it off!) I do get most inspired when I read these fanfiction chapters.
Re: Yay Lotor!
Date: 2009-03-20 04:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-20 04:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-20 04:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-20 06:46 pm (UTC)......Allura turned her gaze heavenward, feeling a combination of bone weariness and amusement. Someone had stolen Lotor's favorite toy, and now it was dented.............
no subject
Date: 2009-03-22 06:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-26 03:51 pm (UTC)The doctor catching Lotor in an unguarded moment of pure devotion was lovely. He really is in love, like it or not. Learning that Allura's pregnant while she's asleep is certainly in character for this high handed prince. He might get a punch for letting the doctor give her the test!
Thanks for posting more of this delightful story.
no subject
Date: 2009-04-03 10:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-04-14 07:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-04-16 12:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-04 03:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-04 08:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-05 11:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-07 05:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-18 04:33 am (UTC)