[ Louis is confessing to so much... He does do this sometimes, Will thinks, only distantly registering the thought even as he thinks it. But the monologuing feels different today. In times past, he prattled on about his flawed ideals, about the state of the world, about the way it injured him. Today, Louis is talking about Will, and the way he began to fall in love with him.
Will listens patiently. Takes it all in. The low purr of Louis's voice, tinged with a hint of sleepy exhaustion. Perfection in his ears. This is the first time Louis has been so open with him, so vulnerable, and he's suffered so much, in his own way. The desire to kill Will because he could not bear with the thought of wanting him — Will understands that impulse more than what ought to make sense for his position. ]
...You have me now.
[ Aching in his heart, Will pushes himself up enough to gently cradle Louis's face in both of his hands. He needs — he knows that Louis doesn't need comfort, but he needs to comfort Louis, all the same. If he had reached out earlier, if he had thought about Louis's position earlier... ]
You don't have to take me from my friends. You can be by my side, and travel with me... You have me now, ever and always.
[ His eyes are intense and glimmer in the dim moonlight as he gazes at Louis with an affection that borders on ferocity. ]
[ when they were on opposing sides, Louis didn't indulge much, not to anyone, really. at that time he was secretive of his own vulnerabilities, thinking that they would somehow make him less capable. if he could somehow distance himself from his own pain, then perhaps that pain could not be used against him that pierced through so many layers of carefully placed armor. as he lies in his marriage bed now, he finds that it seems so far away, so futile, as strength came from the opposite.
even the archdemon wore little. ]
Yes, I have you now.
[ perhaps in all of that, he was desperate to connect with someone, and thought he could with Will. well, that was true – or is true – given that the king is now beside him.
he slips away, brushing his lips up against Will's palm before leaning over him, reaching just above his head for something on the side table. the king isn't kept in suspense for long, as Louis leans down to mimic what he had done just hours ago, tucking the same flower from the Eldan Sanctum behind his ear. ]
The world will never have all of you, but I will.
[ with a low voice, he leans over Will again, offering a brief kiss, like a promise, before settling beside him.
the bed is filled more fully with two on it, much like those long nights that Louis had settled around the king as he slept in sickness. there's even a slight dip where Louis lays, pulling Will in toward him. ]
[ Everything feels so warm and comfortable. So strangely familiar, and incredibly right. Will lets Louis reposition him, kiss him, tuck a royal flower into his hair; all of it feels good. The attention feels good. When they settle into bed, bodies pressed firmly together as if it would somehow wound them to separate for even a moment, the young king sinks completely into his creeping exhaustion.
Utterly satisfied both sexually and emotionally, Will leans his cheek against Louis's black heart, and finally, finally lets himself rest.
He wanted this so badly. Back when he was sick. It's his now — his forever. Louis is his forevermore.
The Senate is quiet. They do not call for an official meeting. A few silent messengers are dispatched in the dead of the night, but nothing is settled on quite yet. Louis's new position as the king's consort changes the trajectory of their calculations quite wildly, and in many ways, they never recovered from the loss of Forden. The Senate's best schemer now is the Igniter Consortium Head, but his position has grown more and more threatened by Brigitta's grabs for power, of late.
At least one decision is finalized, however. The Senate can come to no consensus but this — a familiar resolution which Will himself once made, long ago:
Louis Guiabern must die.
...In the morning, Will does not think about how the Senate must be scheming against him. He is freshly married, and he has just enjoyed his wedding night, and the giddiness of his nuptials is still at the forefront of his mind.
Still half-asleep, he snuggles up against his husband, outright rubbing his face on Louis's chest (his cheek slipped a little in his sleep, his nose is nestled against bare skin instead of that gilded melancholized organ now). His arm is resting comfortably in the dip of Louis's waist. He likes the way Louis's body dips into the mattress, too, though part of him wonders if they should get a harder mattress to better support his husband's big body.
It's warm, and nothing seems to be going on outside. Will lingers dreamily in the space between slumber and wakefulness, but the more he lays next to Louis, the more excited he gets all over again. Married, he thinks to himself gleefully. I've married Louis Charadrius. And the more gleeful he gets, well, the more the man in his bed can probably just... tell. That he's awake. He isn't moving, but he might as well be vibrating with excitement, the way his magla is leaking out of him: pure contentment. ]
[ it would be uncharacteristic of the Senate not to at least raise a hand against him. he had stood against them for years as a looming, undeniable threat, and now he's a threat again, like an infestation of snakes that just won't leave. now that Will as wed him, he creates another obstacle. he knows they must all be nervous, there were so many forced (and thus satisfying) smiles the day before.
Louis has been awake for a while, lounging like a large, comfortable cat who is in no rush to rise in the early morning. while as a soldier he has quite a bit of discipline, when he wishes to be rebellious, he takes the opportunity. there's no need to rush, and Will is only on the verge of waking, comfortable enough to be lulled back into sleep. the sun is already hovering over the horizon, saluting to mid-morning as both kings ignore its passage in favor of their own comfort.
he's part way through a passage in his book when he feels Will stir in earnest beside him, rather than shuffling and fading again. wordlessly, he sets the book on the table beside the bed, and without so much as a greeting, he pins his new husband beneath him, kisses him and has him again. their meetings were always guided by politics, and perhaps Louis is feeling a bit of refreshing rebellion in the freedom to have sex, sleep beside each other, and wake up that way in the morning. the faded memory of last night's events are solidified as he guides Will's legs around his waist once again. he fucks him again into the mattress, leaving no room for Will to catch his breath, until they're both feeling the linger of their orgasms.
it's not until afterward that he speaks. ]
You need something of sustenance to break your morning fast.
[ he sits at the edge of the bed, twisting his hair and tossing it over his shoulder to keep it from getting in the way of him finding that robe that he threw some were last night. ]
[ As always, Louis does as he pleases, and as always, Will finds it impossibly thrilling.
He was already — he feels a dirty little thrill just thinking about it — loose and waiting for his husband, so it's no issue at all that Louis has apparently been brimming with carnal desire for him all morning. It's incredibly arousing, actually. So easy, just so ridiculously easy for the most beautiful man in Euchronia to kiss Will awake and fuck him hard in the sheets until he's satisfied — until they're both satisfied. Morning sex leaves Will shaking post-orgasm, pleasantly breathless, with fresh cum on his belly and between his legs, hazy from the shift to hazy wakefulness to sexual pleasure to ecstasy.
...To a certain degree, the king is actually a little dazed and confused. (No good morning?! Just sex?! Is he going to want it like this all the time?! Ah, that might not be so bad... He might really, really like that...)
Not that Will is complaining. On the contrary, he can't think of anything more perfect than this. Oh, to be roused out of slumber by his husband's perfect body pressing him into place and then rocking perfectly into his own — to have his half-asleep, lazy brain pounded into waking alertness by the exhilarating rush of orgasm — and, indeed, to have nothing on the horizon because he has a solid week from work to enjoy his honeymoon...
He feels a little drained, but happy, too, and certainly wide awake now. Stretching languidly in the sheets, Will props himself up on his arms, rolling onto his stomach, his pert rear looking bouncy and ready for more on the mattress. He gazes at Louis's back fondly, though he himself isn't quite itching to get out of bed just yet. Not when he's got a sinfully handsome husband to admire.
Mmm... Look at him with that cute makeshift side ponytail...
Will's eyes are glazed over with mixed fondness and post-orgasmic contentment. He feels softly aglow. The nation's problems can wait until the afternoon. ]
[ there are still shadows of Will's fingertips against his shoulders, pressed down into his skin, like little prints for him to enjoy as he settles in morning wakefulness. the restlessness that he's woken with before seems more at ease, as if either the partnership or the sex has calmed him already (or perhaps a combination of both). Will had never been beside him in the morning during their brief, unsteady relationship during the tournament, and Louis knew that if he extended such a thing, he would not be able to let go. well, he certainly doesn't have to now.
the king is sprawled out playfully, butt-up and slim-shouldered, flush in all the right places, as if he knows that it's almost enough to entice Louis back to bed. ]
What would my king like to regain his vital fluids? I'm certain the kitchen will be ready and waiting to hear it.
[ Louis has never been above making a lewd joke or two. he finds the robe (without the sash, as that's still lost) and pulls it just over his shoulders, leaving the center open unabashedly.
there are still a few matters to take into consideration – these are his quarters now as much as they are Will's, so he'll have to move some of his own belongings from one room to another, as well as his own mark on the royal apartments. he's certain Will's friends will want to see him as well, but they can do that at their own pace, Louis selfishly has the king to himself for a while longer. ]
[ Oh, that's a beautiful sight to wake up to. The sex was a good thing to wake up to, too, but this — the sight of Louis luxuriating around the room in his open robe — it's enough to make Will crave even more of his consort's gentle care. He giggles into his royal pillow, shamelessly eyeing everything that Louis has to offer.
Mmm, it's almost as good as when he was the Archdemon... ]
Let's just... send to the kitchens for whatever they've prepared this morning. I'm not feeling picky.
[ A lifetime of eating at taverns and accepting the surprises of the inn's daily menu will strip any king of his pickiness, and anyway, the royal chef never disappoints with her selections.
Being king does come with its perks, and despite Will's sweeping reforms across the country, not much, fundamentally, has changed about the operations of the inner palace since the new king claimed his crown. Breakfast is still rolled in on a gorgeous silver tray by a matronly ishkia maidservant who once served in the Shadowguard and whose silence cannot be broken by Sanctist threats or Sanctist coin (staff of lower caliber simply would not be allowed to enter the royal bedchamber after the king's wedding). She exits just as silently as she enters, knowing full well that her king and his equally independent consort both prefer to serve themselves.
Will, who has by now gotten dressed in his own barely-tied nightgown, does not dive into breakfast head first. He instead plucks a grape off of its bunch and holds it out to Louis, his eyes alight with greed to press something to his gorgeous consort's lips.
Married, he whispers to himself. We're married.
It's still thrilling, in spite of the morning, and the night before. ]
[ neither of them are in a rush, and Louis seems content to be ready to send all away who would demand otherwise. his mere presence is a nuisance to those who would impede on the king, as now his consort is looming in the background, ready to menace anyone he finds irritating. it will make the Senate mad to have another obstacle to get to Will, along with many others, but Louis finds himself reveling a bit in the prospect of being a hindrance (possibly for the sake of it, depending on his mood).
the trays are piled with fruit, and Louis wonders, absently, if it's some sort of fertility thing. if the king were wed to one of his other suitors, there'd be expectations of little kings after their consummation. of course, neither Will nor Louis are equipped for that.
there's a grape pressed to his lips, and like so many foods that Will likes to feed him, he opens his mouth obediently to receive it. it passes his lips and he chews, opening his mouth for any other fruits that Will may offer. ]
Once we decide to dress, I'll call to have my belongings moved here. It will take several days of rearranging books and parchment, but I take it that you won't mind. The library that I've been curating the better part of my life will also belong to you.
[ so many books that Louis has chased after, gently saved from fires, bans and other moral panics orchestrated by the church. it's something very personal to him, but also something that he shares with Will, and trusts him with. ]
[ Will and Louis cannot produce little kings together (unless the mad part of Louis seizes him again and he devises some sort of spell which would make it possible), but the young elda seems content to hand-feed his husband his fertility meal anyway, passing grapes and apple slices past his husband's plush lips and into his pretty mouth.
It's not as though he hasn't thought about it. But Will has weighed the matter and decided that he has no need for heirs. When his time passes, the people can simply call upon the royal magic once more and elect a new king, and it will make no difference to the country if that king was sired of his loins or not.
Sometimes he thinks it would be nice, though, if for no better reason than to preserve some fragment of Louis's perfect face, his perfect body, his perfect hair and his perfect skin, into the future. He leans up to kiss his husband again —
— and stops short at the mention of the library. ]
You'd... you'd move it here? But then... Oh, Louis!
[ Emotion overtakes him, and the young king wraps his husband up in a passionate embrace. The library, to share a library — all those magnificent books he'd once eyed with a greed that bordered lust on the Charadrius — it's as good as having children together. He suddenly has a vision of a vast, all-encompassing palace of a library curated by the both of them for all the generations to come. ]
Louis, Louis...
[ He nuzzles into Louis's shoulder, his fluffy head shaking with the movement, silver curls tumbling this way and that as he rubs his nose and cheek back and forth, back and forth, against Louis's neck. He's so seized by affection that he can't think of anything else to do with himself. ]
[ there are not many things that Louis believes he must keep safe in the world, but books – the knowledge within them – that was worth every effort. the church had burned down their home village, shut down the mage academy, and scourged Euchronia to repress knowledge. to him, the lies had created a world cruel enough to want to destroy, all so he could start it again, but in Will, and in these books, perhaps there was something salvageable.
the king presses against him in a ruffle of soft night clothes, rubbing a happy cheek against his neck in a way that still feels new. absently, he presses a hand to his head, holding him there for a moment, enjoying the happy mumbles that he didn't quite expect.
he figured such a thing was a given. ]
We can curate the collection and decide what would be best for reproduction. With Junah as head of the academy, I doubt she'd refuse the material, even from me.
[ there's a quiet hum of curious approval as he pets the excited king. ]
There is no need to keep much separate anymore, especially such things of interests that we share.
[ he's fairly sturdy in response to Will's body weight pressed against him, he hardly budges. he also doesn't discourage him, as if the company itself, the breech into his personal space, is somehow much more welcome now than the usual standoffish military facade. ]
[ Surely it was a given to anyone with the wherewithal to think about it — but Will always seems surprised and delighted by nearly any token of affection that Louis sees fit to present him with, and this includes the proposal to fuse their libraries together.
The truth of the matter is also that Will doesn't actually have very many books that he can call his own. The small collection of literature he amassed on his runner makes up the most of it — what currently exists on the shelves of the royal library was curated by kings past. Even his father's collection of tomes was mostly stored in his office in the Mage Academy (so, they're now Junah's problem).
He's terribly, terribly happy. There's no better gift that anyone could have given him than this.
...The king seems quite intent on taking full advantage of that sturdy body Louis was blessed with, with the way he's leaning on his husband so heavily. They never got to be intimate in quite this way before this; never on the Charadrius, never in all the time that Louis has lived in the castle since his return. Once he's had his fill of petting and nuzzling Louis, Will pulls back a little bit, gazing at his husband in the most fond, besotted way, before leaning in for another kiss.
Louis tastes like fruit. It's delicious. ]
...I just knew I had to marry you.
[ Who else would understand him so well? Anticipate his needs, share his interests? It so often feels like he and Louis are simply two sides of the same coin.
He cradles Louis's jaw between his hands, cooing softly as he leans in for another kiss. ]
But will you give me a few more reasons to have done it...?
[ there's some amusement on his face, but he returns the soft kisses all the same. ]
You had proposed a political marriage when you first approached me. Sly, weren't you? You had more reasons than just that mulling in that head of yours. Still, I wasn't so different.
Perhaps we are the same in some respects when it comes to that.
[ they have, and do, share the same love of written texts, among other things. it was part of the intrigue of Will when he first met him – not simply an elda, but an elda who was literate and enjoyed reading. perhaps it intrigued him because they were the same, and he had never met another who had the same interests before.
Will says such things fondly, but Louis knows that when someone truly knows him, that he's not easy to deal with.
he thought he'd be in this room under different circumstances, but was brought here all the same. it feels strange looking back at his own misgivings, missteps, and vast loneliness. ]
You would have never agreed to it if I'd proposed to you as a matter of love.
[ Casual as anything, Will brazenly admits that he tricked Louis into marrying him — or at least lied about the premise of it — even as he leans his cheek on the man's chest as if to bask in his body heat.
He's sprawled out like a salamander, triumphant like a conqueror come to claim Louis as his spoils of war, and when he looks up, it's with the glint of a smirk in his eyes. His lips, at least, are polite enough not to grin, but Louis can probably see it in his smug little face anyway. ]
Just think — you could have won the contest for the crown, if only you'd reversed this operation, and seduced me into a marriage of love to hide that it was one for convenience. Now look at which of us is king.
[ this is why Louis likes him – the fearless way that he responds, the thought into the plan, the execution and flawless victory. the fact that he's right. Louis would have never agreed to it, even now, has he begins to explore what it means to exist beyond his own ambitions, he finds his feelings to deep to explore. he's getting better, certainly, but it takes time, and some learning.
there's a low, dangerous chuckle that comes from his throat. if he was any good at affection, he could've had Will with him at the end of the world. in a little game of power, he hoists Will onto the bed beneath him, spreading him out after the flip as he looms over him. ]
Rather proud of yourself, aren't you?
[ the curtain of his hair fans over his shoulder, curling into spirals on the sheets. ]
I have to admit your plan was rather ingenious. You somehow pinpointed the crack in my plan and turned it to a chasm.
[ Will doesn't lose that defiant smirk, even as he's upended into the mattress and sprawled out in the sheets again. Truly, he thinks, this is what he became king for. To alleviate the suffering of his people and liberate his country, yes — but also to lie back in the lap of luxury and have the realm's most beautiful man looking down on him in this moment. This is heaven, as far as he's concerned.
Louis's long hair tickles his bare skin when it spills over his chest. Will runs his hands through Louis's hair, jostling the impossibly elegant waves even further; as usual, it only spills artfully over the young king's fingers. Never a single hair out of place on his gorgeous Louis, even after a full morning of lovemaking. ]
Who wouldn't feel proud with a prize like you to enjoy?
[ He tips his head to the side for a kiss, though he doesn't quite lean his head up just yet. He wants Louis to lean down. ]
[ at that time, despite Louis' best efforts, Will had beaten him. he had to concede to him, live in the world that he wanted to create, as there are still deep seated beliefs inside of him about power. on the same note, there's some relief to it, that someone who was unmarred by the worlds cruelty could sweep Euchronia in kindness. Louis doesn't know how long it will last – as long as them, perhaps, since Louis is now another safeguard for Will's dream – but after that, who knows what radicalism the nation will breed.
perhaps someone else will come and try again – perhaps kindness will win, or it won't, without Will behind it.
the king wiggles underneath him and touches him up, tangling his soft fingers in his hair and whispering soft challenges to rouse him. it works. instead of leaning down to meet his lips, Louis presses his mouth to his throat, the little spot under his ear, as if he's having fun denying Will's wants after he had been so cheeky.
still, it's all in play.
well, until a knock comes at the door, and Hulkenberg's voice rings clear.
"It is not my will to rouse you on the morn of your wedding, my king, but there are those that wish to meet with you after your nuptials."
Louis hms into Will's skin, as if something had taken his willful consort by the back of the brain and is now quite ready to cause a little trouble for Will's favorite knight. ]
[ Will jolts when Hulkenberg knocks and answers in a flustered panic; he quickly realizes, however, that he's in no position to answer the door. His husband is on top of him, kissing his neck, and the bathrobes they threw on in the morning are now open. He is quite naked. Louis is half-disrobed.
...Also, critically, Will is still thinking with his hindbrain enough that he would like Louis to stay disrobed.
Now, despite all past silliness, Hulkenberg is an adult. She likely knows full well that her king is in no position to open the door for her. So Will squeezes his eyes shut and prays that his royal knight will understand when he asks, blushing a furious pink: ]
[ there's a tense electricity that zaps Will at the sound of his knight's voice, and Louis relishes in it. looming over him, he pushes his shoulder against the sheets with the palm of his hand, his mouth parted over his throat, leaving behind the heat of his breath as he hovers over him. Louis lingers over the vibration there as he speaks, sucking it up in a moment of gleeful satisfaction.
keeping himself low, he tilts his head in such a way that a few coils of hair sweep over Will's collar. it's as if he's curious who would be so bold to disturb the king so he can commit the name to memory on a private mental list.
"The Prince of Oceana and Prince of Montario wish to make their journeys home," she says in response. though she doesn't sound terribly bought on the prospect, represented by a flatness in her tone. "They requested to see their king to bid him farewell." ]
Bold of them.
[ Louis says, not loud enough for Hulkenberg to hear, as it has a certain bite to it. certainly they know that they're disturbing his majesty while he enjoys the spoils of the partner that he battled so desperately for in the last year.
elegantly, Louis lifts from Will and slides off the bed, snatching the tails of his robe to cross it over his body and answer the door as if he already has words in mind for the two princes who wish to impose themselves upon the young king. even the robe is a formality, more to hide his heart than his nakedness.
before Will can stop him, he's answering the door to a rather surprised Hulkenberg, as if she had somehow forgotten what Louis looked like. ]
Perhaps they'd wish my company instead, or is the king consort not good enough for their taste?
[ He's tickled by Louis's hair, momentarily distracted by how beautiful his consort looks when he's loosely throwing a bathrobe on, but Will does have enough wisdom left in his lust-addled brain to drag himself out of bed and pick up his own bathrobe to make himself decent. Once dressed, Will scurries over to Louis's side at the door; he supposes that this is for the best. Some part of Hulkenberg would be mildly anxious if the door opened and she could not see her king.
Hulkenberg, who once said that she would not judge Junah for having been in Louis's chambers, looks rather as though she is judging Will now for the state that Louis is in. His chest and his black heart are covered properly, yes, but the bite marks encircling his neck are in plain view. Ever the consummate and loyal knight, however, she opts to hold her tongue.
"And you'd have me repeat those words to them?" she asks coolly, raising a single brow. But then she spots Will peeking out from around Louis's elbow — ]
Hello, Hulkenberg. [ An incongruously innocent smile. ] Could you please tell the Princes that I will not be seeing anyone today?
[ She adjusts her beret — she never does seem to be all that used to it — and sighs. "Do you think that our best course of action, Your Majesty? I do not think that they wish to see you, in truth. That they would even ask seems like an intentional pretense so that they may claim a reason to be offended by your refusal later." ]
Oh, I don't doubt it. But that's all the more reason, politically, to not give them what they want. I would rather not have them thinking that the King waits on them and not the other way around.
[ Louis's influence seems to be catching with the king... ]
[ there's no reason to hide the little bruises that the king so willfully scattered over his collar, Hulkenberg will be seeing plenty of them in the future. her king is now married, after all, and marriage comes with certain things, such as the king's new husband. she knows it will take some adjusting, but finds that it's a surprise to see Louis there, even when she expects it.
Louis remains steady on the door frame as Will peeks out from behind him, as if there were another, smaller door at his side. ]
As the king says. If they decide to wage some sort of protest, gently remind them that the king's consort will gratefully send them on their way.
[ it's not necessarily a threat, even though Louis makes almost everything he says when it comes to politics as if he's balancing on a knife, but he knows rather well that neither of them wish to see him. perhaps they're testing the waters, just to see if Will wishes to appease them after his nuptials, but Will, reasonably, bites back.
good, he thinks. ]
I'm certain they will think twice of it.
[ Hulkenberg doesn't need that, Louis, and she knows better than to use it. still, she dips her head at her king in understanding. "I'll let them know," she says. "And I'll let anyone else know who wishes to disturb you today."
it is good to see Will rest, she can't deny, even if she still has to get used to Louis. ]
Seeing that her king is satisfied, Hulkenberg leaves, the click of her heels against tile announcing her every step. (Will knows better to than to underestimate her choice of footwear; he has seen her cross the world over in those damned heels, and destroy humans with them, too.)
And once his royal knight is gone, Will settles the weight of his head and shoulders into Louis's side, pressed snugly under his arm. Leaning on the frame of his Louis-door as Louis leans on the frame of the door-door. He seems a little smug. ]
Look at us. Already making joint decisions in the area of diplomacy.
[ He's like a preening cat. Or a kitten, given his size. But then, Louis probably knows full well that his husband is a full-crown chimenza, and sometimes that chimenza likes to be petted and praised.
The king and his consort would like to remind the princes of Oceana and Montario that they aren't all that important in the grand scheme of things! ]
[ Will wants a pet, so Louis gives him a pet, rubbing the soft part behind his ear absently as his larger palm ruffles the back of his hair. it's a long, lazy motion, unlike ruffling and more like a firm massage. they've been together a short while, but he's beginning to get accustomed to how his king takes his pleasures, and along with being a hedonist, he likes his flattery. ]
As you were a disciple, thus far. Though my opinion has only been shaped by a single evening, I may need more indulgence to give you a well-rounded answer.
[ a private joke, but one that seems to entertain Louis. his fingers tangle in the back of Will's hair fondly in response, though Louis seems to enjoy it as much as well does. his king is very soft.
they draw back into the room, and Louis continues. ]
My reputation still stands. You are welcome to use it as you see fit. I am yours now, and I also should make an effort to be a good husband.
[ being used that way doesn't seem to bother him, no, instead it seems to give him a little bit of purpose to harass those who deem Will too kind to stand against them.
though he's rather certain there are factions within the palace already brimming with anxiety over their partnership. ]
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Will listens patiently. Takes it all in. The low purr of Louis's voice, tinged with a hint of sleepy exhaustion. Perfection in his ears. This is the first time Louis has been so open with him, so vulnerable, and he's suffered so much, in his own way. The desire to kill Will because he could not bear with the thought of wanting him — Will understands that impulse more than what ought to make sense for his position. ]
...You have me now.
[ Aching in his heart, Will pushes himself up enough to gently cradle Louis's face in both of his hands. He needs — he knows that Louis doesn't need comfort, but he needs to comfort Louis, all the same. If he had reached out earlier, if he had thought about Louis's position earlier... ]
You don't have to take me from my friends. You can be by my side, and travel with me... You have me now, ever and always.
[ His eyes are intense and glimmer in the dim moonlight as he gazes at Louis with an affection that borders on ferocity. ]
I love you, Louis.
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even the archdemon wore little. ]
Yes, I have you now.
[ perhaps in all of that, he was desperate to connect with someone, and thought he could with Will. well, that was true – or is true – given that the king is now beside him.
he slips away, brushing his lips up against Will's palm before leaning over him, reaching just above his head for something on the side table. the king isn't kept in suspense for long, as Louis leans down to mimic what he had done just hours ago, tucking the same flower from the Eldan Sanctum behind his ear. ]
The world will never have all of you, but I will.
[ with a low voice, he leans over Will again, offering a brief kiss, like a promise, before settling beside him.
the bed is filled more fully with two on it, much like those long nights that Louis had settled around the king as he slept in sickness. there's even a slight dip where Louis lays, pulling Will in toward him. ]
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Utterly satisfied both sexually and emotionally, Will leans his cheek against Louis's black heart, and finally, finally lets himself rest.
He wanted this so badly. Back when he was sick. It's his now — his forever. Louis is his forevermore.
The Senate is quiet. They do not call for an official meeting. A few silent messengers are dispatched in the dead of the night, but nothing is settled on quite yet. Louis's new position as the king's consort changes the trajectory of their calculations quite wildly, and in many ways, they never recovered from the loss of Forden. The Senate's best schemer now is the Igniter Consortium Head, but his position has grown more and more threatened by Brigitta's grabs for power, of late.
At least one decision is finalized, however. The Senate can come to no consensus but this — a familiar resolution which Will himself once made, long ago:
Louis Guiabern must die.
...In the morning, Will does not think about how the Senate must be scheming against him. He is freshly married, and he has just enjoyed his wedding night, and the giddiness of his nuptials is still at the forefront of his mind.
Still half-asleep, he snuggles up against his husband, outright rubbing his face on Louis's chest (his cheek slipped a little in his sleep, his nose is nestled against bare skin instead of that gilded melancholized organ now). His arm is resting comfortably in the dip of Louis's waist. He likes the way Louis's body dips into the mattress, too, though part of him wonders if they should get a harder mattress to better support his husband's big body.
It's warm, and nothing seems to be going on outside. Will lingers dreamily in the space between slumber and wakefulness, but the more he lays next to Louis, the more excited he gets all over again. Married, he thinks to himself gleefully. I've married Louis Charadrius. And the more gleeful he gets, well, the more the man in his bed can probably just... tell. That he's awake. He isn't moving, but he might as well be vibrating with excitement, the way his magla is leaking out of him: pure contentment. ]
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Louis has been awake for a while, lounging like a large, comfortable cat who is in no rush to rise in the early morning. while as a soldier he has quite a bit of discipline, when he wishes to be rebellious, he takes the opportunity. there's no need to rush, and Will is only on the verge of waking, comfortable enough to be lulled back into sleep. the sun is already hovering over the horizon, saluting to mid-morning as both kings ignore its passage in favor of their own comfort.
he's part way through a passage in his book when he feels Will stir in earnest beside him, rather than shuffling and fading again. wordlessly, he sets the book on the table beside the bed, and without so much as a greeting, he pins his new husband beneath him, kisses him and has him again. their meetings were always guided by politics, and perhaps Louis is feeling a bit of refreshing rebellion in the freedom to have sex, sleep beside each other, and wake up that way in the morning. the faded memory of last night's events are solidified as he guides Will's legs around his waist once again. he fucks him again into the mattress, leaving no room for Will to catch his breath, until they're both feeling the linger of their orgasms.
it's not until afterward that he speaks. ]
You need something of sustenance to break your morning fast.
[ he sits at the edge of the bed, twisting his hair and tossing it over his shoulder to keep it from getting in the way of him finding that robe that he threw some were last night. ]
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He was already — he feels a dirty little thrill just thinking about it — loose and waiting for his husband, so it's no issue at all that Louis has apparently been brimming with carnal desire for him all morning. It's incredibly arousing, actually. So easy, just so ridiculously easy for the most beautiful man in Euchronia to kiss Will awake and fuck him hard in the sheets until he's satisfied — until they're both satisfied. Morning sex leaves Will shaking post-orgasm, pleasantly breathless, with fresh cum on his belly and between his legs, hazy from the shift to hazy wakefulness to sexual pleasure to ecstasy.
...To a certain degree, the king is actually a little dazed and confused. (No good morning?! Just sex?! Is he going to want it like this all the time?! Ah, that might not be so bad... He might really, really like that...)
Not that Will is complaining. On the contrary, he can't think of anything more perfect than this. Oh, to be roused out of slumber by his husband's perfect body pressing him into place and then rocking perfectly into his own — to have his half-asleep, lazy brain pounded into waking alertness by the exhilarating rush of orgasm — and, indeed, to have nothing on the horizon because he has a solid week from work to enjoy his honeymoon...
He feels a little drained, but happy, too, and certainly wide awake now. Stretching languidly in the sheets, Will props himself up on his arms, rolling onto his stomach, his pert rear looking bouncy and ready for more on the mattress. He gazes at Louis's back fondly, though he himself isn't quite itching to get out of bed just yet. Not when he's got a sinfully handsome husband to admire.
Mmm... Look at him with that cute makeshift side ponytail...
Will's eyes are glazed over with mixed fondness and post-orgasmic contentment. He feels softly aglow. The nation's problems can wait until the afternoon. ]
Should we call the kitchen staff for breakfast?
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the king is sprawled out playfully, butt-up and slim-shouldered, flush in all the right places, as if he knows that it's almost enough to entice Louis back to bed. ]
What would my king like to regain his vital fluids? I'm certain the kitchen will be ready and waiting to hear it.
[ Louis has never been above making a lewd joke or two. he finds the robe (without the sash, as that's still lost) and pulls it just over his shoulders, leaving the center open unabashedly.
there are still a few matters to take into consideration – these are his quarters now as much as they are Will's, so he'll have to move some of his own belongings from one room to another, as well as his own mark on the royal apartments. he's certain Will's friends will want to see him as well, but they can do that at their own pace, Louis selfishly has the king to himself for a while longer. ]
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Mmm, it's almost as good as when he was the Archdemon... ]
Let's just... send to the kitchens for whatever they've prepared this morning. I'm not feeling picky.
[ A lifetime of eating at taverns and accepting the surprises of the inn's daily menu will strip any king of his pickiness, and anyway, the royal chef never disappoints with her selections.
Being king does come with its perks, and despite Will's sweeping reforms across the country, not much, fundamentally, has changed about the operations of the inner palace since the new king claimed his crown. Breakfast is still rolled in on a gorgeous silver tray by a matronly ishkia maidservant who once served in the Shadowguard and whose silence cannot be broken by Sanctist threats or Sanctist coin (staff of lower caliber simply would not be allowed to enter the royal bedchamber after the king's wedding). She exits just as silently as she enters, knowing full well that her king and his equally independent consort both prefer to serve themselves.
Will, who has by now gotten dressed in his own barely-tied nightgown, does not dive into breakfast head first. He instead plucks a grape off of its bunch and holds it out to Louis, his eyes alight with greed to press something to his gorgeous consort's lips.
Married, he whispers to himself. We're married.
It's still thrilling, in spite of the morning, and the night before. ]
Say "ah"...?
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the trays are piled with fruit, and Louis wonders, absently, if it's some sort of fertility thing. if the king were wed to one of his other suitors, there'd be expectations of little kings after their consummation. of course, neither Will nor Louis are equipped for that.
there's a grape pressed to his lips, and like so many foods that Will likes to feed him, he opens his mouth obediently to receive it. it passes his lips and he chews, opening his mouth for any other fruits that Will may offer. ]
Once we decide to dress, I'll call to have my belongings moved here. It will take several days of rearranging books and parchment, but I take it that you won't mind. The library that I've been curating the better part of my life will also belong to you.
[ so many books that Louis has chased after, gently saved from fires, bans and other moral panics orchestrated by the church. it's something very personal to him, but also something that he shares with Will, and trusts him with. ]
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It's not as though he hasn't thought about it. But Will has weighed the matter and decided that he has no need for heirs. When his time passes, the people can simply call upon the royal magic once more and elect a new king, and it will make no difference to the country if that king was sired of his loins or not.
Sometimes he thinks it would be nice, though, if for no better reason than to preserve some fragment of Louis's perfect face, his perfect body, his perfect hair and his perfect skin, into the future. He leans up to kiss his husband again —
— and stops short at the mention of the library. ]
You'd... you'd move it here? But then... Oh, Louis!
[ Emotion overtakes him, and the young king wraps his husband up in a passionate embrace. The library, to share a library — all those magnificent books he'd once eyed with a greed that bordered lust on the Charadrius — it's as good as having children together. He suddenly has a vision of a vast, all-encompassing palace of a library curated by the both of them for all the generations to come. ]
Louis, Louis...
[ He nuzzles into Louis's shoulder, his fluffy head shaking with the movement, silver curls tumbling this way and that as he rubs his nose and cheek back and forth, back and forth, against Louis's neck. He's so seized by affection that he can't think of anything else to do with himself. ]
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the king presses against him in a ruffle of soft night clothes, rubbing a happy cheek against his neck in a way that still feels new. absently, he presses a hand to his head, holding him there for a moment, enjoying the happy mumbles that he didn't quite expect.
he figured such a thing was a given. ]
We can curate the collection and decide what would be best for reproduction. With Junah as head of the academy, I doubt she'd refuse the material, even from me.
[ there's a quiet hum of curious approval as he pets the excited king. ]
There is no need to keep much separate anymore, especially such things of interests that we share.
[ he's fairly sturdy in response to Will's body weight pressed against him, he hardly budges. he also doesn't discourage him, as if the company itself, the breech into his personal space, is somehow much more welcome now than the usual standoffish military facade. ]
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The truth of the matter is also that Will doesn't actually have very many books that he can call his own. The small collection of literature he amassed on his runner makes up the most of it — what currently exists on the shelves of the royal library was curated by kings past. Even his father's collection of tomes was mostly stored in his office in the Mage Academy (so, they're now Junah's problem).
He's terribly, terribly happy. There's no better gift that anyone could have given him than this.
...The king seems quite intent on taking full advantage of that sturdy body Louis was blessed with, with the way he's leaning on his husband so heavily. They never got to be intimate in quite this way before this; never on the Charadrius, never in all the time that Louis has lived in the castle since his return. Once he's had his fill of petting and nuzzling Louis, Will pulls back a little bit, gazing at his husband in the most fond, besotted way, before leaning in for another kiss.
Louis tastes like fruit. It's delicious. ]
...I just knew I had to marry you.
[ Who else would understand him so well? Anticipate his needs, share his interests? It so often feels like he and Louis are simply two sides of the same coin.
He cradles Louis's jaw between his hands, cooing softly as he leans in for another kiss. ]
But will you give me a few more reasons to have done it...?
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You had proposed a political marriage when you first approached me. Sly, weren't you? You had more reasons than just that mulling in that head of yours. Still, I wasn't so different.
Perhaps we are the same in some respects when it comes to that.
[ they have, and do, share the same love of written texts, among other things. it was part of the intrigue of Will when he first met him – not simply an elda, but an elda who was literate and enjoyed reading. perhaps it intrigued him because they were the same, and he had never met another who had the same interests before.
Will says such things fondly, but Louis knows that when someone truly knows him, that he's not easy to deal with.
he thought he'd be in this room under different circumstances, but was brought here all the same. it feels strange looking back at his own misgivings, missteps, and vast loneliness. ]
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[ Casual as anything, Will brazenly admits that he tricked Louis into marrying him — or at least lied about the premise of it — even as he leans his cheek on the man's chest as if to bask in his body heat.
He's sprawled out like a salamander, triumphant like a conqueror come to claim Louis as his spoils of war, and when he looks up, it's with the glint of a smirk in his eyes. His lips, at least, are polite enough not to grin, but Louis can probably see it in his smug little face anyway. ]
Just think — you could have won the contest for the crown, if only you'd reversed this operation, and seduced me into a marriage of love to hide that it was one for convenience. Now look at which of us is king.
[ Cheeky brat. ]
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there's a low, dangerous chuckle that comes from his throat. if he was any good at affection, he could've had Will with him at the end of the world. in a little game of power, he hoists Will onto the bed beneath him, spreading him out after the flip as he looms over him. ]
Rather proud of yourself, aren't you?
[ the curtain of his hair fans over his shoulder, curling into spirals on the sheets. ]
I have to admit your plan was rather ingenious. You somehow pinpointed the crack in my plan and turned it to a chasm.
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Louis's long hair tickles his bare skin when it spills over his chest. Will runs his hands through Louis's hair, jostling the impossibly elegant waves even further; as usual, it only spills artfully over the young king's fingers. Never a single hair out of place on his gorgeous Louis, even after a full morning of lovemaking. ]
Who wouldn't feel proud with a prize like you to enjoy?
[ He tips his head to the side for a kiss, though he doesn't quite lean his head up just yet. He wants Louis to lean down. ]
I've wanted you this whole time.
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perhaps someone else will come and try again – perhaps kindness will win, or it won't, without Will behind it.
the king wiggles underneath him and touches him up, tangling his soft fingers in his hair and whispering soft challenges to rouse him. it works. instead of leaning down to meet his lips, Louis presses his mouth to his throat, the little spot under his ear, as if he's having fun denying Will's wants after he had been so cheeky.
still, it's all in play.
well, until a knock comes at the door, and Hulkenberg's voice rings clear.
"It is not my will to rouse you on the morn of your wedding, my king, but there are those that wish to meet with you after your nuptials."
Louis hms into Will's skin, as if something had taken his willful consort by the back of the brain and is now quite ready to cause a little trouble for Will's favorite knight. ]
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[ Will jolts when Hulkenberg knocks and answers in a flustered panic; he quickly realizes, however, that he's in no position to answer the door. His husband is on top of him, kissing his neck, and the bathrobes they threw on in the morning are now open. He is quite naked. Louis is half-disrobed.
...Also, critically, Will is still thinking with his hindbrain enough that he would like Louis to stay disrobed.
Now, despite all past silliness, Hulkenberg is an adult. She likely knows full well that her king is in no position to open the door for her. So Will squeezes his eyes shut and prays that his royal knight will understand when he asks, blushing a furious pink: ]
Who wants to meet with me?
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keeping himself low, he tilts his head in such a way that a few coils of hair sweep over Will's collar. it's as if he's curious who would be so bold to disturb the king so he can commit the name to memory on a private mental list.
"The Prince of Oceana and Prince of Montario wish to make their journeys home," she says in response. though she doesn't sound terribly bought on the prospect, represented by a flatness in her tone. "They requested to see their king to bid him farewell." ]
Bold of them.
[ Louis says, not loud enough for Hulkenberg to hear, as it has a certain bite to it. certainly they know that they're disturbing his majesty while he enjoys the spoils of the partner that he battled so desperately for in the last year.
elegantly, Louis lifts from Will and slides off the bed, snatching the tails of his robe to cross it over his body and answer the door as if he already has words in mind for the two princes who wish to impose themselves upon the young king. even the robe is a formality, more to hide his heart than his nakedness.
before Will can stop him, he's answering the door to a rather surprised Hulkenberg, as if she had somehow forgotten what Louis looked like. ]
Perhaps they'd wish my company instead, or is the king consort not good enough for their taste?
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Hulkenberg, who once said that she would not judge Junah for having been in Louis's chambers, looks rather as though she is judging Will now for the state that Louis is in. His chest and his black heart are covered properly, yes, but the bite marks encircling his neck are in plain view. Ever the consummate and loyal knight, however, she opts to hold her tongue.
"And you'd have me repeat those words to them?" she asks coolly, raising a single brow. But then she spots Will peeking out from around Louis's elbow — ]
Hello, Hulkenberg. [ An incongruously innocent smile. ] Could you please tell the Princes that I will not be seeing anyone today?
[ She adjusts her beret — she never does seem to be all that used to it — and sighs. "Do you think that our best course of action, Your Majesty? I do not think that they wish to see you, in truth. That they would even ask seems like an intentional pretense so that they may claim a reason to be offended by your refusal later." ]
Oh, I don't doubt it. But that's all the more reason, politically, to not give them what they want. I would rather not have them thinking that the King waits on them and not the other way around.
[ Louis's influence seems to be catching with the king... ]
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Louis remains steady on the door frame as Will peeks out from behind him, as if there were another, smaller door at his side. ]
As the king says. If they decide to wage some sort of protest, gently remind them that the king's consort will gratefully send them on their way.
[ it's not necessarily a threat, even though Louis makes almost everything he says when it comes to politics as if he's balancing on a knife, but he knows rather well that neither of them wish to see him. perhaps they're testing the waters, just to see if Will wishes to appease them after his nuptials, but Will, reasonably, bites back.
good, he thinks. ]
I'm certain they will think twice of it.
[ Hulkenberg doesn't need that, Louis, and she knows better than to use it. still, she dips her head at her king in understanding. "I'll let them know," she says. "And I'll let anyone else know who wishes to disturb you today."
it is good to see Will rest, she can't deny, even if she still has to get used to Louis. ]
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Seeing that her king is satisfied, Hulkenberg leaves, the click of her heels against tile announcing her every step. (Will knows better to than to underestimate her choice of footwear; he has seen her cross the world over in those damned heels, and destroy humans with them, too.)
And once his royal knight is gone, Will settles the weight of his head and shoulders into Louis's side, pressed snugly under his arm. Leaning on the frame of his Louis-door as Louis leans on the frame of the door-door. He seems a little smug. ]
Look at us. Already making joint decisions in the area of diplomacy.
[ He's like a preening cat. Or a kitten, given his size. But then, Louis probably knows full well that his husband is a full-crown chimenza, and sometimes that chimenza likes to be petted and praised.
The king and his consort would like to remind the princes of Oceana and Montario that they aren't all that important in the grand scheme of things! ]
Have I been a good husband so far, Louis?
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As you were a disciple, thus far. Though my opinion has only been shaped by a single evening, I may need more indulgence to give you a well-rounded answer.
[ a private joke, but one that seems to entertain Louis. his fingers tangle in the back of Will's hair fondly in response, though Louis seems to enjoy it as much as well does. his king is very soft.
they draw back into the room, and Louis continues. ]
My reputation still stands. You are welcome to use it as you see fit. I am yours now, and I also should make an effort to be a good husband.
[ being used that way doesn't seem to bother him, no, instead it seems to give him a little bit of purpose to harass those who deem Will too kind to stand against them.
though he's rather certain there are factions within the palace already brimming with anxiety over their partnership. ]