This Game We Play~ Act I:1 -- A Silician Defense
A/N: House of M AU … . it just sort of happened. 8DD
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This Game We Play
Act I ~ The Opening
30 Quills: #7~ The roads might be different, but the place we end up is the same …
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Part I
A Sicilian Defense …
“Woahhh, woahhh- Stop stupid thing, sweet mother of-!!!”
William held on for dear life as his horse raced across the gardens. Startled stupid by a hornet’s sting, the old mare was unwilling to heeds his commands no matter how much he called woah. He tugged back on the reins, afraid to pull too hard and prompt the already frightened creature into rearing him off and breaking his spine as it jumped over another delicately pruned bush.
“Need a hand, Little brother?” Thomas was suddenly speeding at his side, keeping pace with the horse as if it were nothing.
“Thomas! S-Stop this thing!”
“Why would I?” His grin broad and smug, “When you look like you’re having so much fun?”
“Thoma-AAHH!!”
The sharp smack Thomas delivered to the mare’s flank only stirred it into picking up its breakneck speed. William’s grip nearly slipped until he clenched his hands hard enough that the reins cut into his palms.
“Thom!!”
“Why don’t you take advantage to practice your magic, Will!!” Thomas called after him laughing, leaving him on his own.
His magic- the most unreliable aspect of his existence. Where his twin had mastered his enhanced speed before their twelfth birthday, with his own gift William- at fourteen- could still do little more than parlor tricks, and only with great effort.
“I want you to stop,” William swallowed thickly, closing his eyes, and trying to concentrate, “IwantyoutostopIwantyoutostopIwantyoutostopIwantyoutosto-AHHH!!”
The horse did stop, soaring over a small wall and halting as she landed. Suddenly.
The jolt loosened William’s grip on the reins, his body sailed over the horse’s bent head, careening in what felt like slow motion through the air. For a moment, time stopped, his body frozen in midair as it reached the highest point of the arc it was tossed into- then the ground was rising up to meet him, and he shut his eyes to brace for impact.
Someone shouted in a language he didn’t understand, but before he could determine its alien origins, his body smacked hard into-
Not the ground. Something large and hard- but William could feel fine cloth against his face and hands, the distinctive shape of a ceremonial pins digging into his cheek as strong arms caught him, warm and- scaly?!
The pair toppled over onto the ground with surprised yelp and a loud oomph, the wind leaving their lungs in a rush. William gasped, hurriedly disentangling himself from his savior, a furious blush beginning to creep into his skin. He kept his head down, trying somehow to salvage his dignity- irregardless of the futility.
“I beg your pardon, I-” William froze on his knees, unable to quiet his surprised gasp as he found himself nose to nose with a Skrull.
“Are you alright?”
The voice that spoke, slightly accented, was not quite as deep as he expected from someone so large. Will thought, he must be young, despite his large broad- were those … armored plates?- shoulders, and the long legs sprawled on either side of his small form. Even while kneeling, he still had to look up to meet the skrull’s eyes-
Those eyes … They were the purest blue William had ever seen, and he found himself staring wide-eyed, dumb and speechless.
“Please don’t be frightened-”
The tone was almost gentle, large clawed hands held up in a placating gesture until suddenly he was morphing. Where the huge skrull once sat, now William found himself facing a boy, perhaps a bit older than himself, still broad and tall, but very much human looking. His eyes, Will could not help but notice, remained just as blue.
“There, a little less intimidating perhaps?”
He smiled, and William felt the flush already covering his face warm and darken.
“You never answered my question- you aren’t hurt, are you?”
William shook his head, finally finding his voice again, “No- no!! Please forgive my rudeness, I- I should be thanking you. If you hadn’t been here, I could have broken my neck- And oh- oh look at what I’ve done to your robes- This- This is court attire you- are a guest of the King?”
“Her excellency Empress R’Klll is meeting with his majesty King Magnus as we speak,” the skrull’s smile grew as he looked William over to be sure he wasn’t hiding any injury, offering a hand to pull him up when he stood.
William’s brows rose before narrow eyes scrutinized the young skrull, “You- You can’t possibly be part of her guard entourage. You’re too young-”
He clicked his jaw shut, hands flying over his mouth, face growing redder, “Forgive me, I didn’t mean to imply- I only thought- That is to say… I’m William, and you probably would have done well to let the ground crush my bones.”
The skrull blinked at him. Once. Twice. Then his threw his back with a loud laugh, the jovial sound easing the pounding of Will’s heart.
“You certainly are a odd one, William … Prince William, I presume?”
William dusted his dirty, mussed clothes self consciously, knowing he looked every bit like an incapable stable hand and not like a prince of the House of Magnus. Still, he bowed slightly, “Y-Yes, pleased to make your acquaintance … um?”
“Dorrek VIII, Grand Duke of the Skrull Empire, your grace-” the young skrull supplied, standing tall and proud as he spoke before dipping into an elegant bow. He exemplified everything the heir to one of the largest empires in the known galaxy should, even as he offered a lopsided smile, “Please to meet … my betrothed.”
William gawked, color draining his face, before suddenly rushing back again so quickly it left him reeling. A shock wave of blue light ripped through the palace grounds along with his startled shriek.
“WHAT?!!”
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Part II: The Sacrificial Pawn …
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