in the dark [felicite, jaespehr, vaens, daenyeh'l]

[Aelredt Jaespehr Llewynfirth]

WARNING: contains violence and some horror.

They reached Maesser without much complication. They kept their little prisoner drugged, therefore didn't have to worry about his screaming or trying to escape. Too bad. Jaespehr felt a sick excitement once they finally made it through Maesser's gate and into the city. They could get to work on tormenting the boy. Maybe Felicite would blurt out some information that could be useful....between screams.

After they reached his father's estate, Vaenes had taken the unconscious boy inside and down into the basement. He should be waking up any time now, and he didn't want him to know where he was, though it was very likely he was going to know he was in Carthonia. He was right. Felicite moaned softly in pain and began to awake as they reached the cell where he would be held. "Where... am I...?" he looked up at Vaenes, now lying on the stone floor.

Jaespehr went along with his lover, keeping silent. He had nothing to say on the way down to the basement. As Felicite stirred and woke, a dark smile pulled up one corner of his lips. "Don't concern yourself with that." He walked, doing a half circle around Felicite, much like a predator checking for weaknesses in its prey.

Felicite's eyes widened. "Y-you two... what do you want from me? I don't have any money... I don't have any say in Niendra's politics..." he just wondered why he was here- and no one else from the camp?
"We don't want money. We want you," Vaenes took a step forward and was pleased to see that Felicite inched back.

This was quite amusing to him, especially when their prisoner moved back from Vaenes in fear. Jaespehr couldn't wait to get some of the undead in here. His fingers itched to shove needles into the other's skin. His eyes slid from Felicite to his lover, and he felt the usual twist and pull of desire.

"Just leave me alone..." he whispered. "I don't have anything you want."

"My my...the drugs must have made you a little slow." The scar on his cheek came into evidence as he sneered, "We want you." He took a few steps forward, the air thickening with magic as he let it slip through the stones, down into the earth beneath the manor.

Felicite kept silent. He didn't know what to do in this situation. What was he supposed to do, or say? He was supposed to beg for his life, wasn't he? He knew he should have, but he couldn't bring himself to.

"Don't ignore us," Vanes jerked Felicite up by his hair.

Vaenes jerked the boy's head up and Jaespehr found himself tempted by that neck, that column of white. This temptation was not a sexual one, but rather a need to hurt and cause pain.

Felicite made a soft noise through gritted teeth, but just looked at his captives defiantly.

Giving in to impulse, Jaespehr moved forward and wrapped a hand around Felicite's neck. "You'll be here with us for a time. There's no escape, not even through death." The necromancer gave a slow squeeze to that delicate throat, "Therefore I suggest that you....behave yourself."

Vaenes watched Jaespehr with heated eyes, smirking at him. They had something new to amuse themselves with- something neither of them had had in awhile. And he knew of his lover's darkness... that he needed an outlet for his rage. Now they had just that. "You would do well to listen to him."

He squeezed a little harder, watching as the colour of Felicite's face deepened. Oh this would be too much fun.

Felicite choked and reached up to Jaespehr's hand, trying to pull it away, finally, the tears starting to fall from his eyes even as he tried to be strong.

The tears brought him enough satisfaction for now and he released the boy's neck. "We should feed our new pet." He stood and winked at Vaenes.

Felicite coughed violently and gasps for air, doubling over and Vaenes let go of his hair and let him fall face forward.

"We should. Can't have him wasting away on us... and I'm sure he would love to get used to his new surroundings, wouldn't you?" Vaenes said in a mock-sweet voice.

"This is your home now." He directed the words at Felicite. Jaespehr wasn't sure if it was the truth, but he knew the hopelessness it might cause Felicite to say it.

Felicite didn't say anything still, just looked at them, sadness filling his eyes. But he was determined, still, to get out of this.



~~~~~~~~~~ LATER ~~~~~~~~



Felicite had been fed... he'd been allowed out to use the lavatory... he'd been clothed and bathed- but other than that, he was confined to his cage. It was terrible and terrifying. he didn't know how much time had passed since his captors had last visited, but it was cold, and Felicite could only assume that meant it was night. It always got colder at night. He was curled up in the furtherest corner from the door, trying to keep himself from giving into the want to cry.

They made their way down the steps more slowly than usual, due to the delicate limbs of the undead they brought along. Jaespehr had a cruel smirk on his lips, excited to try this torture out on their prisoner. He unlocked the door and stepped inside with his lover, then watched with a sick pleasure as the two creatures hobbled in after them, "We've brought you something."

Vaenes had to admit, the corpses creeped him out. But it was part of Jaespehr's power, and he wasn't going to abandon his lover in this- even if he couldn't really bring himself to look at the... undead.

Felicite stared at them, eyes wide with horror. He tried to back up even more, but the wall wouldn't let him. "No..."

"I've been longing to show them to you." Jaespehr tilted his head to one side, and with a flick of his finger, the undead made their way toward Felicite.

Felicite shut his eyes tightly. Vaenes was using his power to amplify the fear in the small area. "N-no. No, no, no!" he screamed in fear. The days being locked 'away' had wore at his sanity a bit to the point he could no longer hold his composure as he had.

The necromancer nearly laughed aloud when the boy finally started losing his composure. However he kept quiet, crossing his arms over his chest. In some strange way he did feel sorry for the poor lad, having fallen into their hands and all. He seemed so delicate... His hand gestured again and the creatures --for they could no longer be called human-- fell to their knees, and crawled toward the boys on all fours.

Felicite whimpered, keeping his eyes tightly shut as he put his hands on the back of his head and brought his knees up to curl into himself. This wasn't real, he told himself. He had to wake up. He just had to wake up.

Yes, perhaps there was still some humanity left in him. Jaespehr felt a little guilty for causing this pain to Felicite. But then he reminded himself that he was doing this for Vaenes and Carhonia. If they were to lose ot Niendra, everything they held dear would surely be taken form them. Jaespehr could not allow this. With renewed resolve, he moved his hand yet again, and one of the creatures reached forward and slipped a hand over the front of Felicite's leg.

Felicite screamed, louder this time as tears started to pour down his cheeks. "St-stop it! Stop it,please! I never did anything to you! I-I just wanted... peace..." he sobbed

"Tells us about your friend, the prince.." Jaespehr looked to his lover, worried over his silence. Maybe this was too much for the other male. He wasn't too fond of the creatures either, but they were a part of his power, they were what he did...

Vaenes was watching, and when he felt Jaespehr's eyes on him, he gave him a smile of reassurance. He had been a bit too... oddly fascinated by the creatures to respond at first.
Felicite shook his head and whimpered. "Please...."

"Speak!" The creature attempted to crawl onto Felicite, it's stink filling the air around the smaller boy. The undead appeared to have been a woman while alive, and she was almost whole, unlike the other creature. "She may want to have her way with you....better hurry..."

Felicite couldn't move, he was paralyzed by fear. he didn't even know if he could scream.

Vaenes wondered if they had taken it too far, too far, thuogh it was certainly amusing to watch the boy squirm. "Do'nt make us resort to more drastic measures. We're attempting to be kind to you," Vaenes began to let back on his power, hoping the decrease of fear in the atmostphere might get the boy talking again

When he noted that the boy had frozen up, Jaespehr sighed and pulled the creatures back, "Speak..."

"Pl-please don't... please..." Felicite finally opened his eyes and looked at his captors pleadingly.
Vaenes sneered in frustration.

"Go on...or they will move toward you again." Maybe threatening him with the terror of having the creatures touch him would work.

Felicite shook his head. "I won't... tell you anything... I'd rather die."

Vaenes wasn't having it. And his frustration with the boy had gotten the better of him as he made his way around the creatures and over to Felicite, jerking him up into a standing position.

Jaespehr watched with a calm expression, curious as to what it was Vaenes planned to do. The necromancer made his creatures move back to the wall opposite Felicite, and stepped forward.

"You will answer our questions when we speak to you!" Vaenes shook the boy roughly before shoving him back into the wall, making Felicite cry out in pain.

He would let his lover do anything to the boy, except kill him. "Tell us about the prince."

Vaenes didn't plan on killing Feli- just roughing him up a bit.

Felicite looked at them defiantly. "I told you... I won't..."

His jaw flexed as he clenched it tight, and one of the creatures gave an in-human screetch. "You will tell us what we want to know."

"I won't!" Felicite whimpered as he was jerked forward and then slammed onto the floor by Vaenes. He felt a sickening crack as he landed and screamed in pain as he turned, holding his broken wrist.

Seeing his lover like this, the necromancer had to fight the urge to pull Vaenes away from their captive and push him to the nearest wall. The image sent a spike of lust through him, and he smirked to himself. His brow creased however when he realized that they really weren't getting anywhere with this boy.

"Hn, cute," Vaenes sneered and kicked the boy's chest, making the other gasp for breath. "He's useless, Jaespehr."

"He definitely is." The male moved forward and crouched down before Felicite, "We told you...there won't be escape through death." He lowered his tone to a whisper, "And in the case that you die...I will not allow you to remain that way." He hoped that the dark promise was evident, even if it was a lie. Jaespehr had not the strength to keep a body animated forever. But Felicite didn't necessarily know that.

Felicite cried softly. "You won't take anything from me willing..."
Vaenes kicked him again for good measure, but he knew his limits and when to stop.

Decides to try one other thing, "Maybe we should let him go and bring Daenyeh'l here in stead."

"Wh-what?!" Felicite's eyes widened. "You can't do that!"

"We can and we will. You're useless." Jaespehr sneered.

"...Then why are you asking me for information about him... if you can get him so easily?"

Jaespehr growled and kicked the boy in the chest, "Insolent..."

Felicite whimpered and attempted to curl up.

Vaenes growled. "Do you still have your syringe, Jaespehr?"

The necromancer nodded and took the syringe out of his coat pocket. He handed it to his lover, eyes on Felicite, "Maybe we should chop him up and send him to the prince....one piece at a time." He sneered, "That could make him quite useless..."

Vaenes grabbed one of Felicite's ankles, to the syrenge, and injected it directly into the tendon.
Felicite screamed and tried to kick at Vaenes with his free foot.

He wasn't sure if he could ever go about sawing someone's body apart. The threat had been made merely to get Felicte to talk. The necromancer watched with a dark gaze as Vaenes shoved the syringe into the boy.

Vaenes smirked over at Jaespehr and let the boy's foot go. "Let's go get the saw," he winked to show that he was just playing around, but he did think they should leave Felicite and come back later.

A dark and convincing smirk played over his lips, "Yes, let's." He gave Felicite a kick where the syringe had gone in, then ushered the creatures out of the room and up the stairs.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



There was a party at the Radvhet estate- a celebration of a "victory" at the peace conference. At least, most of the Carthonians considered it a victory, seeing how the crown-prince was up in arms about a certain noble's disappearance.

Felicite could hear the chattering upstairs... he was weak, but he knew he may only have one chance of escape. He took a deep breath (even though it hurt) and began to sing, hoping to catch someone's attention. It seemed to work. A passing by man heard the siren song and looked towards the door which led to the stairwell-- was someone in there? He looked around, no one was watching him... so he walked to it.

As soon as he had opened the door, he heard the song louder and more clear than before. It was sad, and he could hear choked sobs between the melodies. He continued his journey until he saw a young, beautiful boy lying on the ground half naked inside of one of the cages of the dungeons.

His eyebrows furrowed. "Hello there, little one..."

Felicite's eyes widened and he tried his best to push himself up with his good arm. "Please, help me..."

Hours seemed to pass as the man remained silent, contemplating what to do. But finally, he nodded. There were no keys, but he could use his power. Having the power of inhuman strength came in handy, he thought, as he ripped the metal door from its hinges and opened it for Felicite. "Come..."

He didn't know how it happened, but it was pure luck (and the fact many were drunk) that they made it out of the estate alive- but he didn't leave with the boy, just bid him farewell. If he left, he would surely be marked as the guilty one and well... he didn't want to face any repercussions. At least the young masters had retired early, at least...

Felicite ran as fast as his legs would carry him. No one seemed to recognize him, not in his state. He ran and ran... There were no friends in Carthonia. He couldn't ask anyone for help.

It took him five days of nearly non-stop journeying (he slept only when his body gave out, only looked for food when he could- his stomach growled with hunger he'd never known) until he finally crossed the border. Some kind soldiers took him in, but upon seeing his face... Word was sent to the palace immediately. Felicite d'Amorelle had been found.

When he heard the news, Prince Daenyeh'l didn't even bother sending a message back. The male saddled his best horse and galloped out of the castle gates with a hand-full of men in tow. For three days they rode hard, with barely any rest. They ate while on horseback. Daenyeh'l would not listen to reason, and after the first day his men gave up on advising him to slow down. Having travelled Niendra with his father or other family since he was little, Daenyeh'l knew the quickest and safest way to Kerhrnst. They stopped at the city gates for only a few moments while they opened the large doors, he then rode in and asked where they were keeping Felicite.

They took the prince to the inn where Felicite was being kept. He was in much better shape than he had been when he first arrived. His arm was bandaged, the bones were working on mending- but the best healers were not in Kerhrnst. They were in Karenth, and they belonged to the royal family. Felicite was sitting up, a book in his lap. He looked worse for wear, but he was cleaned up...

Daenyeh'l impatiently followed to the inn, got off his horse and handed the reigns to a stable boy before going inside. Once he entered the room in which Feli was being kept in, he ordered all others to leave the room and walked toward the smaller male. He stopped beside the bed, his face a mask of pain, fists trembling at his sides. He was afraid to touch Felicite, he looked so vulnerable...so breakable.

Felicite's eyes widened. "Dae...nyeh'l..." his voice was hoarse, and as soon as he saw him, tears started to fall down his cheeks from his eyes. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." he sobbed.

The prince fell to his knees beside the bed, and as gently as possible slipped his arms around the other's slender form. Tears stung his own eyes, and he didn't bother hiding them. "No...don't say that. Don't be sorry. I'm sorry for letting you become a target....I'm...."

"It's my fault. You told me not to go..." He used his good arm to rest on top of Daenyeh'l’s. "I was afraid you wouldn't come for me..."

"Of course I would come for you...." He dropped his head onto Felicite's thigh, hoping that he wasn't pressing against any injury. The prince felt as if he would burst from emotion, waves of relief and guilt hitting him continuously.

"I'm happy," Felicite smiled, then. "To be with you... I'm so afraid this is a dream..."

He raised his head, "No dream. I'm right here." Daenyeh'l swallowed hard then took a moment to look Felicite over, "What...did they do to you?"

"..." Felicite started shaking his head. "I don't want to talk about it... please..."

"I'll kill them." His tone deepend, was dead serious. "We won't talk of it." He slipped a hand over Felicite's seemingly-uninjured arm. "When do you think you'll be ready to travel? you need a healer...I couldn't find one in time to bring along....I needed to get to you..."

"I think... I can travel," Felicite whispered to him. "It's okay. They've taken care of me here... and you're here," he touched Daenyeh'l's jaw, tears threatening to fall all over again, though this time out of happiness.

Daenyeh'l nodded, went silent and then found that he couldn't resist anymore. Leaning forward he pressed his lips tenderly to Felicite's, feeling one tear slip from the corner of his eyel and rolls down the side of his face.

Felicite felt the breath leave his lungs as Daenyeh'l kissed him. It was like he was in a dream.... one he didn't want to wake up from. He smiled into the kiss, the tears falling freely once more. "I'm so lucky.."

"No...I'm lucky to have gotten you back." His jaw clenched, "It's my fault this happened to you....I should have never approached you..." the prince bit his lip and pulled back a llittle.

"Don't." Felicite whispered. "Don't start thinking like that... I wouldn't trade anything for being with you," he clung to Daenyeh'l desperately. "You can't leave me like this."

He looked at Feli's face and shook his head, "I'm....too weak to leave you." His eyes darkened with an anger at himself, and he pressed closer to the other boy, avoiding any places that looked injured.

"You're not weak," Felicite closed his eyes. "... You're the best man I've ever met... And I... I care about you so," he still spoke softly. "I think... it goes deeper than that."

Daenyeh'l had learned the hard way that waiting...when it came to things such as these, was not the way to go. Who knew when your lover could be snatched from you by fate? Therefore he blurted it out, without hesitation, "I love you."

Felicite didn't say anything at first, just rested in the other's arms quietly. Those words... so simple... but they meant so much... "I love you, too," he replied, a smile spreading across his face, making him glow with happiness.

Once Felicite responded, he felt as if his chest would burst. Unable to hold himself back, yet again, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to his lover's.

Felicite kissed Daenyeh'l with a bit more intensity than he ever had. He was feeling a swell of emotions: happiness, fear, joy, worry... but overall, the eagerness and joyfulness won out. He was in love, and he was home.