OOC: The "Byron" is poet_reprobate and this is set in Boukun verse. Crossposted."You know, you always did make the mistake of being yourself
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There was one reason and one reason only that Nasir had agreed to take a position as one of Prince Calibos' guards and that was because of Augusta. Of course, Calibos didn't know that and probably believed that he had agreed to allow Nasir the honour of serving in his guard. He always dressed differently from the others, a fact that Calibos didn't mind as the two scimitars that the Saracen wore on his back gave him that extra dangerous appearance that appealed to his ego. Aside from the two traditional swords and two daggers, Nasir also was more than familiar with more modern weaponry, if needed
( ... )
"Nasir?" She had not heard the door open or close. Augusta felt very dizzy, and disoriented. Unknown to her, she was still suffering the after effects of the drug that Byron had dosed her wine with. Calibos was intent on driving her mad, and the drug was one that would confuse her, and could even cause hallucinations or violent reactions. As it was, it made her pupils quite dilated, and her pulse rapid. Her usually healthy complexion seemed ghostly pale, grayish
( ... )
He nodded at her invitation, came fully into the room and sat on the other chair. Mindful of how close he should be to her, Nasir moved the chair as close as was proper, even though he wanted to move closer. Noting how she moved and the glassy look in her eyes, he could guess what Calibos had done. He was more than a little familiar with drugs both in his former life as one of the Nizari, where some had called them 'the eaters of hashsish' and then of being bound through magic and herbs by the sorcerer baron, de Belleme
( ... )
"Thank you, my Lord." Augusta took the bottle, gratefully, in her shaking hand. She opened it, and took a sip, the cool liquid as wonderful as any fine wine that she had ever enjoyed. She put the cap back on, and gave him a smile of gratitude, which quickly turned into a look of worry when he spoke. "You put you life in peril, Nasir, to speak so. If you were heard...it would be treason."
Augusta didn't care, not for her own self. But she could not bear to think of her friend harmed in any manner. Even more softly than he, she spoke very quietly. "There is nowhere I could go. I would not be safe, and he would punish the people here. You saw what he did to those babies. He would do worse. I could not live with that, to cause such a thing."
Her eyes met his, and she shook her head. "Oh, Nasir, I found my brother. But he is so changed. He does not care about me, and I do not understand. Everything is so hopeless. So awful. I wonder what evil I have done that God is punishing me with this life."
"I am no Lord at all, my Lady. Just Nasir." Nasir then just watched her silently as she drank, although his soft, brown eyes were still full of concern for her. "My allegiance is not to Calibos." He wanted to tell her that it was to her, and that seeing her was the only reason he had joined the prince's guard, but he did not voice those feelings. Instead he shook his head. "I have faced greater dangers than him, sorcerors, demons, gods. I do not fear him
( ... )
"Thank you, Nasir, though I am hardly a lady, not any more." She sighed, and took another drink. Even if her reputation had not been besmirched centuries before in the scandal with Byron, she would certainly be viewed as damaged goods now. Augusta, whether by choice or no, was little more than a prostitute, a publicly displayed whore. Calibos had seen to it that her public persona was as disreputable as possible
( ... )
"You are, my Lady, as I think you always have been. These circumstances do not change that." He thought of another lady he had known long, long ago who had been captured and forced against her will, but oblivious and drugged so she had no memory of who she was. He had allowed himself to be enslaved so he could try and protect and free them both. Marian. In some ways so similar to Augusta
( ... )
"No...please. I enjoy talking with you. So few dare to speak to me." Augusta shook her head, trying to clear it a bit. She felt so very foggy, unreal. "England was home, even with all the scandal. I had my friends and children. It was safe and familiar."
Standing, she walked slowly to the tiny window and looked out on the land. New Greece was a beautiful place, and she could have done much worse. But Calibos was a never ending nightmare, a bad dream that she couldn't wake from. "I am a terrible person, Nasir. I dream of being free, of perhaps even killing him. That makes me as evil as he, as horrible. I just cannot bear the pain or indignity, any longer. If I could die, I would have, long ago. But I am shamed by the thoughts of violence I have about him."
Gus pressed her fingers to her forehead, closing her eyes and swaying slightly. She was physically at the edge of endurance, and mentally even more fragile.
Nasir didn't stand when Augusta moved to the window, but his dark eyes followed her, and he shook his head, even if she wasn't looking. "It is not terrible to wish such a man as him dead. I would gladly kill him for you." If she said the word he would. "It is what I trained to do, and I think I am not evil."
Seeing her sway, he did stand and come close to her, although he still didn't touch her,although he was very aware that he would quite like to. "Please. You need rest. I will stay here, on the chair, until you sleep. If you wish. I can tell you of the England I knew, of Robin Hood."
Her smile to him was grateful, and gentle. "You are anything but evil, Nasir. You are noble, in the truest sense of the word. But I would never ask any other to do murder in my name." Daring, she reached out her hand to touch his cheek, looking into those fierce, dark eyes. If Calibos walked in, they would both die for such an act, but Augusta could not restrain her need to do so. "Someday...I pray that someday we will both be free to be ourselves, without his evil surrounding us. Imagine that, my friend, imagine a world without his rule."
She made her way over to the pallet, and laid upon it, on her side, so that she could face him. "Oh, yes, I would like to hear such stories. Robin Hood? Please tell me of him and of the forest. Was it so very dangerous?"
His dark eyes met her soft, sad ones as her fingers touched against his skin, knowing as much as she did the danger in that move. Not that he was going to stop her. Nasir nodded, just slightly. There was no need to say anything, she knew he agreed and would do more than just imagine, if she gave him the word, and he was never one to waste words himself.
He sat back down on the chair as Augusta lay down. A smile softened his face as he thought back to those long gone days. "Yes, it was. Robin, he saved my life from a sorcerer, and I spared his. I was in a strange land, their tongue unknown to me, but I had nowhere else. I joined. We stole, we poached, we fought Normans." He could see she was getting more tired. "Robin, the others, they became family to me. There was a saying Robin taught me. 'Nothing's forgotten. Nothing is ever forgotten.' My lady, it is a vow that wrongs will be righted."
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Augusta didn't care, not for her own self. But she could not bear to think of her friend harmed in any manner. Even more softly than he, she spoke very quietly. "There is nowhere I could go. I would not be safe, and he would punish the people here. You saw what he did to those babies. He would do worse. I could not live with that, to cause such a thing."
Her eyes met his, and she shook her head. "Oh, Nasir, I found my brother. But he is so changed. He does not care about me, and I do not understand. Everything is so hopeless. So awful. I wonder what evil I have done that God is punishing me with this life."
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Standing, she walked slowly to the tiny window and looked out on the land. New Greece was a beautiful place, and she could have done much worse. But Calibos was a never ending nightmare, a bad dream that she couldn't wake from. "I am a terrible person, Nasir. I dream of being free, of perhaps even killing him. That makes me as evil as he, as horrible. I just cannot bear the pain or indignity, any longer. If I could die, I would have, long ago. But I am shamed by the thoughts of violence I have about him."
Gus pressed her fingers to her forehead, closing her eyes and swaying slightly. She was physically at the edge of endurance, and mentally even more fragile.
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Seeing her sway, he did stand and come close to her, although he still didn't touch her,although he was very aware that he would quite like to. "Please. You need rest. I will stay here, on the chair, until you sleep. If you wish. I can tell you of the England I knew, of Robin Hood."
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She made her way over to the pallet, and laid upon it, on her side, so that she could face him. "Oh, yes, I would like to hear such stories. Robin Hood? Please tell me of him and of the forest. Was it so very dangerous?"
Reply
He sat back down on the chair as Augusta lay down. A smile softened his face as he thought back to those long gone days. "Yes, it was. Robin, he saved my life from a sorcerer, and I spared his. I was in a strange land, their tongue unknown to me, but I had nowhere else. I joined. We stole, we poached, we fought Normans." He could see she was getting more tired. "Robin, the others, they became family to me. There was a saying Robin taught me. 'Nothing's forgotten. Nothing is ever forgotten.' My lady, it is a vow that wrongs will be righted."
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