Grave's Plot Emporium

[Grave]

Modern Fantasy

Promises

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A vampire liege has made a promise to his best friend. The friend's daughter would go through her transition soon and become a powerful vampire. Unfortunately, there is a very low survival rate. It sucks her into a world of darkness and eternity while the vampire helps her in her transition. This would put a huge target on her back. Reluctantly, she accepted his help after he saved her from the first group of vampires to attack. A slow-burning romance happened while she struggled with her fate and to accept the situation she unwillingly entered. Plunged into a world of darkness, there is much to learn. Unfortunately, there is not much time as the noose grows tighter and tighter. She will receive her birthright through a trial by fire. If she fails, she might end up a slave to vampire clans who want to use her blood to further their own generations.

(Possible slavery, possible slow burn romance. Action, adventure, possible multiple characters.)

War of the ancients

A fallen angel escapes to earth to find a hidden Nephilim. This woman did not understand that she was one of the key players in a battle between heaven and hell. She has the blood of an angel and that of a demon.  The angel protects her. She is only being used for his own will. Eventually, she learns her powers and her place. Which side will she side with? Will she help hell, heaven, or the others? The others are a group of associated powers and legends resentful over the angels and demon's dominion of the earth. Things aren't always as they seem in times like this. The stirrings of rebellion started amongst the others with a few clashes between there's and the forces of good. Creatures who usually stayed neutral were banding together. Heaven and Hell were both weakened by many years of conflict. Each looked for any advantage they could get.

(Many different options for MC after the initial one, the possibility to play one character. A long slow-burning romance or potential for a more reluctant YC.)


A hero's last chance

A portal had opened up on earth. All kinds of foul demons and creatures flood the earth with one goal, to eradicate humans. A hero out of ancient legends was reborn to put a stop to this. He claimed YC is key to stopping the invasion. Foul creatures of all kinds attack in which she has one protector. Will she believe this hero or will she leave humanity to deal with their own issues?  The hero doesn't know either way but tried relentlessly to earn her trust.  If he is unsuccessful, the world will fall into a reign of darkness lorded over a dark creature thought sleeping for millennia. If successful, demons make toys of humans to use at their own will. 

(Possible death of MC with YC being enslaved, fighting, romance.)


Plan executed

A necromancer has been biding his time for far too long. Full of revenge and hate, there had been one sole purpose on his mind. To execute the plan, he had in his mind for so long; he wanted to summon a dark god. Looking for the perfect vessel, he finally finds one. What are the consequences of summoning a dark god? Will the woman allow it willingly? Will the dark god even do what he has in mind or turn the necromancer into her puppet. Either way, the man's plan or the dark god's possession means danger for the rest of humanity.

(MC possibly being sub or dom, maybe NC. Corruption, mind-break.)

Sibling rivalry

A woman met a strange, enigmatic man who sucks her into his life. Another man enters her life just the same. Unwillingly drawn into a conflict between two brothers who vie for her love. How will she deal with the attention of two immortals? What secrets do they have that they're so keen on protecting? The brother's conflicts have been games that have lasted thousands of years and she's just another part of the puzzle. Maybe it will end poorly, maybe it will end well. The brother's feud always has a chance of escalating to something unforgivable.

(Multiple characters)

The invitation

A woman received an invitation to a strange club. When she gets there, things take a strange turn. Who are these people and what exactly had she gotten herself wrapped up in? This shadowy organization is full of the kinds of people that one doesn't want to know. What is the cost of her open-mindedness? After a single visit which exposes her to all manners of things, strange things happen in her life. It seemed like everywhere she goes, people are watching her.

(Cult, creatures, transformation, corruption.)

Demi-gods

Olympus has split. Many of the gods separated from each other and perform their duties independently of others. Every god was the throat of others, many factions formed and opposed each other's machinations. Their individual powers weakened over the years. The fewer people that worshipped them, the weaker they grew. YC is the daughter of a god (of your choosing). She must face other demi-gods and deal with the errant whims of the gods. The god's champions were used to fulfill their whims.  They look at it as a competition for who is the most powerful just by the strength of their gods. Humans hunt demi-gods and other demi-gods. Your character led a normal life before being sucked into this world. An intense battle that has been taking place on an invisible battleground reveals itself to her.

(Percy Jackson but darker.)

The book

A college student uncovered an ancient book in a library. Strange whisperings would begin in their head. At first, the whisperings seemed harmless enough, offering whisperings of what was happening. Then the whisperings took an even darker turn. The book's whisperings spoke of atrocities repeatedly.  Morning, evening, and night inescapable whispers became a constant plague. The book always reappeared after being disposed of. A creature released at the fulfillment of one of the book's whims. This creature would corrupt the student in all ways while turning her into its own instrument.

(Corruption, demons, possible transformation)

The hunters

Your character receives a strange visitor in the night upon her 21st birthday. Her father who you had long since thought dead had been fighting in a war versus unholy creatures and the supernatural for many years. Once she became old enough, she received an invitation to join his order. It would mean daring adventures chasing after all kinds of creatures. Her father and a partner assigned to her become very dependent on her strength and her power. Her bloodline contained strong ancient magic that would make it very useful for combatting the various creatures of the night.

(Like supernatural)

Medieval or Historical Fantasy

Exiled

An ancient god cast out of Olympus has made his home on earth for many years. He yearned for his revenge as the times passed him. Eventually, he established a life. Excelling in whatever he did, MC fit well into human society. He made many friends while the gods watched and laughed. One of their most powerful being forced to work in such a mundane position on earth. After many years of begging, MC finally receives an offer to retake his place in Olympus. He must choose a champion and strengthen them with his own magic and train them. His champion will face a series of trials to prove their strength. MC became extremely weakened after his banishment and by being practically forgotten. A woman chosen becomes the perfect weapon in the sick games the gods play with each other.

(D/S, romance, action, Greece.)

Dragon's Prize

After all of his kind had been all but eradicated, MC had been seeking a suitable mate for many years. This led to him being quite alone. Finally, one of the royal bloodlines birthed a woman capable of bearing dragon-kin, maybe even the possibility of becoming a full dragon himself. Kept in prison by her family, he kidnapped her.  His quest to convince her to become his mate began. e royal blood had always contained a hint of dragon blood and the aligning of the spheres to finally give him what he so desired was very lucky. Will they usher in a new age of dragons, or will she refuse so heavily that it will never be possible?  I am also fine with this taking the direction of her not being royalty, just a regular person who had dragon blood.

(Romance, action, multiple characters, possible non-con or slavery. Medieval)

Odin's wraith

The Yfirsen clan was in disarray. Many seasons of poor harvests and failed raids left the clan to be dangerous. To top it all off, strange creatures and beasts emerge from the wood to raid them in the night. The old Jarl dies and his new son rises to ascend to the throne. His first goals would be to improve the harvest and then execute a series of successful raids. The creature's source would need to be eradicated. It is rumored that the curse fell on their village because of the old Jarl's meddling in the occult and disrespect towards the gods. In one of his forays with a band into the forest, they find a woman. Is she some strange creature? What are the limits of her magic? Will she help to save the clan and restoring it to former glories? I am thinking he could keep her as a pet/guest at first but it eventually develops into something more. She could be incredibly resistant or ordained to be exactly in the place she was before.

(Possible slavery/non-con, action, adventure, romance/fated lovers. Nordic.)

Apollo's punishment

The city of Sparta had been prospering for too long. The warlike mentality they had adopted finally came back to haunt them. Apollo was the only god still in support, his form being very obvious amongst the battles of Sparta. All the other gods sent their best soldiers and blessed armies to march against their walls again and again. With the death of the king, it left a gap in needing to be filled. Ambitious general steps in to fill this gap. His cunning and wits combined with pure strength, having given him a path to the throne. The daughter of the old king had nowhere to turn. For her survival and to solidify his legitimacy, he arranged a marriage. How will she feel about marrying the man who killed her father? How she become involved in the war?

(Possible multiple characters, action, romance, arranged marriage, Greece.)

Queen's knight

Set in the Arthurian time period, the wife of the greatest king in the lands is lonely. Arthur is always busy and attending to the affairs of the realm. He assigns a knight under his control is assigned to guard her and to entertain her. Safe to say, a romance slowly blossoms. A group of seditionists murders the king. A civil war brews. That leaves the queen and her lover to fight a war against a great necromancer threat and to realm Camelot together. What face will they face together as Arthur's family and untold numbers of dangers come after them?

(Fated lovers, sword and sorcery, drama, action)

Crusade

In a land where any creature who is not human becomes hunted relentlessly, there is a market for inhuman slaves. Control comes from various methods of magic and artifacts. YC gets captured by mine and he uses her in his journeys. Will YC get corrupted by him to the extent of harming her own kind, or will she find the root of the problem? What exactly does he have against her kind and can she convince him out of it? If so, what are the consequences of convincing the heir of the throne to go against his father?

(Slavery, non-con, corruption, maybe romance. Intention of drama and action/ political intrigue)

Modern

Buried deep

My character is the son of a wealthy corporation owner. His father suddenly dies, and YC is his secretary. The son had always given your character strange looks. Now, he wants to turn YC into the perfect woman for him, a slave. I am looking for this to contain themes of jealousy, possessiveness, corruption, D/S dynamics, and another layer of corporate espionage and crimes made to further advance MC's political and monetary goals. Your character will be dragged a-long for the ride and his attempt to turn her into his perfect slave will start slowly.

Estranged

YC's family suddenly dies. She is sent to live with her relatives. Her family had always prevented her from knowing this side of the family but the offer of a good job, money, and finally knowing her relatives was too much to resist. MC is their son who still lives at home and it starts first with him terrorizing/teasing her and eventually leading into a romance or something not romantic at all. I do want some more drama and plotting to this which we can discuss.

Highly Craving:

Wuxia
In a time of political instability and dangerous destabilization, a wandering Ronin arrives in a small village and meets a woman. Who is this ronin, where did he come from, and is he more than what he seems? I am thinking this would be set in China or Japan and might have light fantasy elements or be completely realistic. I am fine with this being multiple characters and lots of fun added. This can be vanilla or your character can be forced to accompany mine.

[Grave]

Current writing samples

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1

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Tyrus had plenty of reason not to trust anyone at the moment. His own brother stabbed him in the back while claiming the crown over him. It might’ve been worse if he didn’t already know his brother was a power hungry bastard. Her roughness just made her more attractive to him. She looked more like a warrior than a soft northern woman.

The creator ordained all. He found her on that battlefield for a reason. Now he needed to figure out why. He’d never seen a northern woman with golden eyes.

Who was this striking woman? Where did she come from? Did her severe beauty mean she was severe?

The women from Ochil were different. He knew they’d look powerful, stronger. He couldn’t tell for sure. Did he even care? If she was from Ochil or somewhere not Aplaria, that means she would not understand who he was or even care about turning him in. She looked more beautiful and more severe than any of the Aplarian women he knew. He swallowed his doubts down because he didn’t have enough proof to press the issue, but the suspicion still lurked.

“That’s a dangerous place to find yourself lost.” His eyes met with hers, a strange-looking crossing his face as he listened to the rest of her story. “Where were you coming from and where were you going?” He asked after she stopped speaking. The suspicion grew in him even more. If she was lying to him, there was no need. After the questions, he scanned over her with concern, carrying the definite hint of empathy in his eyes. Whatever she’d been through, it hurt her. Was she running to something or away from something, or had she been one of the famed Ochil women warriors? He wore a warm smile after scanning her, trying to reassure her he meant no harm. He didn’t.

She inspected him and it made him want to look nicer, to preen himself up in front of her, but he swallowed the impulse. Was he thinking of what opinion a woman he saved had at the moment? So much danger in his life and here got lost in the moment thinking about some woman! He admonished himself silently on the way over.

“I wouldn’t want to hurt you.” He murmured in a low tone. Tyrus was all man, of course. He hadn’t ever been the one to consider himself attractive. Maybe he failed compared to his brother, who always hogged all the attention. There was no prejudice in him, and whoever she was, it intrigued him in knowing more about it. It would come time to ask for the truth soon enough, but he didn’t want to push it too soon. The man felt her eyes on him.

“Well, don’t be afraid to tell me. I’d like to make you as comfortable as you can be. We can’t leave for a while..” He dropped the bombshell on her easily enough, treating it as if it was a casual conversation. Snow blocked the exit to the area. He couldn’t even fathom how she would react to that piece of news. What kind of woman was she?

Tyrus walked away towards a bucket near the fire, grabbing a pewter mug sitting next to it and filling it with water. He took one string of drying meat over the fire and offered it to her. “I have some dry biscuits if you want them or some older, better-preserved meat.” He held them both out until she took them and pulled out a seat, his eyes fluttering to her afterward.

“Sol, exotic. I am...” He hesitated for a moment, but then just ripped the bandaid off. She wouldn’t have heard of his name, anyway. “I am Tyrus.” Her suspicion was quite obvious, and he laughed it off. “You think because I rescued you and am treating you kindly that I want something from you? I don’t think I did anything to deserve that.” He stated with a huff before he stood up, glancing into the fire with his mood ruined. He filled himself up a mug and took a piece of jerky and took a small bite of it.

“It’s not very nice to accuse random strangers of wanting something from you. If I had ill intentions, do you not think I would’ve acted on them?” His voice leveled out after the hint of annoyance. He let out one last sigh before finishing the piece of jerky he had before turning to her and looking over at her.

“You level accusations at me, yet you are not even truthful about who you are and where you are coming from. I believe that’s called hypocrisy. We have lots of time to spend in the cabin together, so are you going to keep making accusations about my motives when you aren’t even telling me the truth?” He went on for a moment before crossing his eyebrows and turning his back to her. It was a symbolic gesture, If she wanted to spend however long, it took for the ice to melt arguing and levying suspicions at each other that was fine with him but he didn’t have the energy for it. His face turned into a grimace as he looked into the fire again. For once, he wanted to be the hero and the savior. The white knight who pulled her out of the snow instead of the spoiled, useless nobleman.

2

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The Gaines family owned the small town of Franklin. Mostly a cluster of farms, a general store, and a post office, the defining feature was the manors in the area and the quality of the horses nearby. The Gaines ruled over the town of Franklin for a hundred years. They were the who in Franklin and getting on their bad side would be akin to social and financial suicide. The family at first were hardworking aristocrats who rose to prominence mostly because of good luck and old money. Now, two brothers and a grandma remained. The grandma led the family sternly and usually kept the boys in check until she grew too old and sickly to manage the boys' impulses and desires. That means the town became subject to their whims and desires, and they had plenty of those.

The truth was the modern era moved in on the boys and they had to take desperate measures to protect them. The older brother, Bramford's wife, had only died recently. It was a crippling and devastating blow to him that left him cold and uncaring to the world around him. He ruled the business side of the family with a business savvy that could've set him well off in any other part of the country. His grip on the county's finances was so absolute he might as well have been the mayor. He had the mayor in his pocket, the sheriff in his pocket, and anyone else who opposed him disappeared or experienced financial ruin. Bramford would do anything to protect his dynasty and his legacy.

His brother Clint worked on the family too. He was in charge of strong handing the men and the day-to-day operations on several of the farms they owned themselves. Clint was a little slow. He never had a mind for numbers, which left him out of the management of things. His tendencies for drinking and whoring led to many fights and gave him a fearsome reputation in the town. He wasn't exactly a man anyone wanted to be left alone with, especially if drunk. It only got worse when several years ago his wife had a miscarriage and killed herself that led to his intensifying of passion. He lashed out with all of his anger and his passion on anyone who he thought deserved it. It took little for him to think someone deserved it.

The dynamic between the brothers bordered on beyond complicated. From a young age, they competed in just about everything a brother could compete about. It was all fun and games until Clint got resentful of being stuck in his brother's shadow. This led to deep resentment and hatred between the brothers. Clint did his job and allowed Bramford to do him, and they stayed out of each other's way. Their grandma used to bridge the gap between the two of them and make sure they stayed mostly civil, but since she fell ill, even she couldn't bridge the widening gap between the two men. They shared the same manor and rarely saw each other, and at any social event; they attended, of which there was plenty in Gaines they didn't attend together.

It wouldn't take much to push the boys into the gap of irreconcilable and enemies for life, and when that happened Franklin would only be the battlegrounds.

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A day Bramford always looked forward to finally came. A day of collection. Once a month he went around kicking people out who couldn't pay or arranging deals for exorbitant prices to ensure that business ran smoothly. The look of despair on people's faces as they realized they were about to lose everything they'd ever worked for and end up on the street gave him chills just thinking about it. Today, he had something that was particularly of interest to him. What used to be the greatest horse ranch in the region would now be at his whims and his mercy. What'd he do to them, would he kick them out completely or would he demand a part of their stock and raised taxes for several years? He grinned as he sat on the porch of his huge manor, his grandma sitting in the rocking chair next to him.

It was mostly only a formality now because Maw was soft in the head, but he relished the time he spent with her. She'd always been his pillar of support and the one who formed him into the man he was today besides his rivalry with his brother. She sat in her favorite rocking chair, her eyes distractedly glancing at all the surrounding landscape. It was all hers and the family would've been in ruins already if not for her savvy, which explained why the boys treated her with so much respect. Her word used to be law, and the boys were terrified of her sternness and some of her abuses, but it was because the boys were wild as a buck. Bramford had only sat down recently and brought her a glass of tea and himself one while looking into the sunset. They sat in silence for a few minutes before he decided to give her the formality of talking about the ranch.

"Mam-maw..." He spoke loudly in his stern southern accent, words dropping accordingly. "I have to go collect on this ranch soon. I know you had an agreement with their family, but they have had issues making payment for years." He eyed his grandmother to gauge exactly what she was going to say and gauging her reaction.

She spoke slowly in her own time, like a proper southern woman before taking a sip of her tea and finally speaking. "It was an old man who died who I had an agreement with. Try to work out a deal." She spoke with a hint of finality as if she had a moment of clarity in her Alzheimers.

Bramford sighed, taking a sip of his own tea and taking his own time just as well. "I'd rather just throw them out, but I'll do that for you."

Just as finished speaking, his grandma stood up with a panicked look. "Charles, where's Charles!" Her face turned red as she looked incredibly and suddenly alarmed. Charles had been dead for forty years.

Bramford had some experience with this, and his maw-maw deserved the greatest kindest from him. "Charles went to the store, he'll be back soon, maw-maw." He stood up and placed a supporting hand on her shoulder. "Maybe you need a nap, it's about time for a nap and to take your medicine." He guided her to her bedroom before tucking her in the bed, an enormous grin on his face. "Have a pleasant sleep, maw! I'm sure Charles will wake you up when he returns." He didn't feel guilty about lying at all. Hopefully, by the time he returned from his business for his day she would've forgotten all about Charles, or so he hoped.

It was time to get down to business. Bramford returned to his room before browsing for a few minutes and choosing his outfit. It was a white suit that projected power because only someone with extreme nerve would've worn it. It clung well to his muscular frame and especially projected power with his own height of 6'4. He ran a comb through his thick curls for a few minutes before shaving to leave him the perfect amount of stubble. He liked to look good before he crushed someone's hopes and dreams. He sprayed an expensive cologne that smelled like trees, but it couldn't cover his own manly scent. He gave one finally cursory look over himself in the mirror before reaching his hand to the scar on his cheek. It was from a knife fight many years ago that he won, thankfully. He would never forget that day and it would haunt him forever.

After getting ready, he made his way outside and yelled in a firm tone to whoever was listening. "Prepare the carriage, I don't feel like wasting gas!" Two nearby stableboys heard the call and rounded up a few horses and tied them into the nearby carriage. He stepped into the carriage and began the short ride into town. It never took long for him to get there, since the town had mostly been built up near enough to the manor. He stopped at the bank and hopped off of the carriage expertly before going inside in a hurried and impatient manner. He didn't wait to speak to a secretary and went straight into the office of the bank manager without permission. "It's time to collect." That's all he said as he glared at Hunter as if asking him how dare he not be ready and waiting already. It was always the same time of the month and the man never remembered. Hunter swallowed before letting out a small nod and following Bramford out the doors. This was the last place he wanted to be, but because Bramford practically owned, the bank might as well have been his servant.

The ride to the ranch took too long, and the men mostly sat in silence. Bramford knew just how much the man disliked him, and the man knew all the horrible things the other did to keep his grip on the town and the place running.He ran his hand through his luxurious locks one last time to make sure he looked properly groomed before he hopped off the carriage and made his way to the front door. He knocked on the door, loud and impatient."Open up!" He drawled in his deep southern voice. Finally, someone came to the door. Not exactly the ugly old man he was expecting.

He swallowed as soon as he saw her. He always had a crush on Lily but never made any moves towards her. He regained control of himself focusing on exactly his purpose from being her. It didn't stop him from looking over her as if a wolf waiting to devour her meal. From the perfect summer dress to the perfect tinge of her skin and the unique red of her hair and her eyes. She was all southern belle and he wanted every part of her. His first impulse was to push her inside and have her right then and there but that might've made it hard for him to collect his dues.

Bramford smiled immediately, his teeth being nice enough and giving her the smile of southern politeness that he greeted everyone with, a facade of course. "Why, Lily Carter, you look better than I even remember! You smell like honey and look like it too." His hungry eyes rested on hers for a moment before drifting downwards and towards the cleave which would've been visible. Bramford pushed himself past her and into her house, his arm brushing against hers only for a moment that definitely noticed. He'd like to touch her in more ways than one.

"How are you, darling, how're things on the ranch and the farm? Why aren't you married yet?" He made polite small talk after pushing his way into the house. This was all just a continuation of formality, of course. He was only asking the questions to still feel like a gentleman after he told her that they were going to take the Ranch or she was going to convince him otherwise.After listening to her responses for a few moments, he finally cleared his throat and looked her directly in the eyes, his eyebrows furrowing seriously and his tone becoming more stern.

"You know, ya'll haven't been making payments for the last few months. Do you have my money?" Just like that, the pretense dropped and he sounded just as cruel as ever. What would her reaction be at the sudden dropping of pretense and getting straight to the heart of matters? He would've loved to sit down, have a cup of tea and a few cookies ut he was a busy man and this wasn't the only collection he had today. It would've been a lot simpler if his Maw-Maw didn't tell him that he had to work out a deal.

3

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She looked as she always had. The sight of her made him nervous again. This nervous fluttering feeling was strange to him and not one he had experienced much in his life. Battle didn't shake him, but since his father told him her secret... Things had been very different! Was he still in shock? Was he just not able to believe the man he had dedicated his life to and made many sacrifices for was actually a woman? He shook it off as he focused on the situation and told her about the situation and focused on what was happening at the moment.

He took a few steps back as she talked to the man. His mind raced as he pictured all the ways the emperor could deal with this problem and what her first choice would be as the emperor.

He took his sword with a bit of surprise and re-sheathed it around his back. Apparently the emperor... She interrupted his thought as she drew the hunting knife. His eyes widened in surprise, but that was the only expression he had, standing still and calm and apparently as stoic as always.

The last gasp of the man as tears streamed down his hands and his blood coated the floor didn't seem to bother Lysus at all. The only thing that bothered him was exactly how the Emperor was coping with his first murder. His own was grizzly and sordid and he was sick for a day afterward, but the emperor didn't exactly have time to be brooding with a funeral, coronation, and threats at every corner and behind every door.

"Consider it done, Basileus." He spoke with the certainty and absoluteness that offered comfort to the emperor. It apparently wasn't enough and the hesitation in her tone and the obvious storm of emotions that she was trying to whether alone bothered Lysus greatly.

"He deserved it." That's all he offered to her. He wanted to say so much more, comfort her, but he wasn't sure how he could do it. There was so much he wanted to say. He crammed that in before she entered the room and closed the door.

He hesitated out of her door before he made his way out of the chambers to find some guards patrolling the throne room. The two men stared at him stupidly with a hint of fear. There were mere recruits and an elite of the Varangian guard speaking to them would've been amazing. "Sir!" The men stood at attention in front of him.

"There's a corpse in the royal chambers. Go fetch another man and collect the corps, feed him to the ravens," He spoke in his commanding voice that brokered no argument to one man before turning to the other.

"Assemble the council. I don't care if you have to wake them up and drag them from their quarters. Tell them the emperor had died and we are having an emergency council in the royal meeting chambers.," He gave the other man his command and both of them scurried off after that. It never failed to impress him when men were so eager to just fulfill orders.

He had one other person to contact before he could return to the emperor. It was borne out of his paranoia and he probably should have discussed it with the emperor, but he felt protective and didn't want to startle the emperor with anything else that might've might him doubt he had revenge for his father. She needed to be calm in the coming days, and this choice would be something to protect her.

The trip to the seediest section of the docks didn't take long. From there, he made his way to one of the disreputable dens of debauchery in the land. This was just a front of course and through the smoke and haze and the men fraternizing with women he made his way to the man he came to see. Veros, the notorious spymaster and the owner of the Den had men in the Caliphate, men in the Visigoths, and easy links to news from even further outside of the borders. His costs were high and he was a pain in the ass to deal with but if you wanted to get something done without using an imperial spy he was the one to go to.

Lysus cleared his throat as he approached with a look of hesitance that suggested just how much he didn't want to be there. "The emperor has been murdered, the heir is ascending. We found a man, but I don't believe for a minute that it is the right one. Check with your spies in the Caliphate to see if they are taking responsibility and talk to your spies in the senate. " The cost of course would be high, a man like Veros didn't even name a price but always left a favor hanging, a favor that could've been terrible or that could've not been a big deal at all. He didn't even wait for his response before making his way back to the palace and thinking about all of the orders he had just given.

They would of course fulfill their duties quickly and efficiently, and he grabbed a pot of wine on his way back to the royal chambers. Maybe the emperor would need something to help steady him after what had already happened. The body disappeared and servants were already scrubbing the blood off the floor by the time he knocked on Andronikos door once again. He couldn't say it didn't feel good to watch a body disappear immediately after he commanded it. His knock was firm and heavy as he fettered about his armor to make sure he was presentable and smoothed his hair back.

He waited for the emperor to come and when she did; he bowed again extremely formally with the same greeting he would greet her with from now on. "Basileus."

"I have summoned the council and they should be in the meeting chambers in thirty minutes." He stood up straighter as he said that, and his eyes wandered over the Basileus with concern, but he didn't meet her eyes. It had been several weeks since he had met his old friend's eyes, and that was because her father had told him. He was going to have to let the emperor in on it the fact he knew it, and soon. He couldn't keep the secret for long, and he really didn't want to. He felt guilty for lying!

He held the pot with a top on it out to the Emperor, still not meeting his eyes but somewhat of a comforting smile on his face. "I thought you might need this to steady this for what you have to do." It was all he could take not to say it while he stood there with the pot of wine hanging out.

"I... need to have a conversation with you and be able to speak freely. May we converse while the council is being summoned?" And for the first time in a while, he met the eyes of his old friend once again. Would he ever be able to see the same person again or would the strange feelings just continued to grow and make him wearier of what he had sacrificed his loyalty for? It's not like the fact the emperor was a female made him any less loyal or willing to dedicate himself to her. It was that the way he felt before seemed different.

[Grave]

Looking to start one more story, added highly craving.