[ 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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no subject
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. ]
no subject
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...?
no subject
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. ]
no subject
[ 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. ]
no subject
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.
no subject
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.
no subject
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. ]
no subject
[ 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?
no subject
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?
no subject
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... ]
no subject
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. ]
no subject
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?
no subject
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. ]