howlingplayground | A King AU... again

A King AU... again

It figures. It just figures. The one time he goes out without Josh, Kevin gets stabbed through the side. They're relatively sure that nothing important was damaged, but the knights can't touch him. One's already lost a glove to Kevin's power, and who knows when they'll be able to get to Josh.

"Your Highness, we need to keep moving -" Sir Julian says, scowling as they come upon a village.

"We keep moving and he's going to bleed to death," the heavily helmeted Lady Sooraya points out. "Perhaps this village has a healer?" She suggests, looking around.

Julian snorts. "Healer or not, how are they -"

Kevin falls off his horse, stopping all talking. One of the other knights, smaller than the other two jumps down. "I'm alright." He tries to reassure.

"Julian!" The knight on the ground snaps. "Ride ahead into the village. See if they have someone." He nods and knees his horse heading toward the village. "Sooraya, get over to that house and see if they have a cart. Buy it if you have to." She snaps out orders, her metal gloves holding Kevin still. "Stay still, Your Highness. We'll get you somewhere safe."

He swallows and nods. He knows his side is bleeding again. He knows that he's been losing blood pretty steadily since they had been attacked by the small troupe of bandits. He closes his eyes, only to have his shoulder shaken. "Don't you dare pass out on me." She snaps at him.

"Not trying to." He whispers, as he fights to keep his eyes open. "J, ride for Josh. Soo and Julian got me."

"Not yet. I'm going to get you to a healer first." She says, stubbornly. "Besides, the King will have our heads if we let you die. I like my head." She looks up as someone approaches. "Stand and explain yourself." She says, getting to her feet and resting a hand on her sword.

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Josh nods. "I cannot say the Kevin will take to you, that he will be kind, but he's a good man." He wants her to have a realistic thought of what she's getting into. "And the court is full of vipers that will not like you." They don't like him, and he's been Court Healer since he and Kevin were teenagers. But, he doesn't give a damn. He was Kevin's lover until he met his husband, and is now his dear friend, for a man that can't count on too many people.

"How soon do you want to leave?" He asks. "Once Kevin is on his feet, we'll have to leave."

"You talk too much." Kevin whispers, weakly from the bed. Mimsy woofs and puts her front legs on the bed, licking his face. "Where...?" He's not sure where he is.

Angela blinks a few times at Josh's warning. She'd never been to court and she had certainly never been to the seat of the kingdom or anything like that. She had been in places where the people were like vipers and thought surely court couldn't be as bad as the slave traders. Maybe.

Still she smiles at the man. He's just trying to warn her up front. He has a good heart if nothing else and for that she is immensely thankful. "Don't worry, I'll do my best. If it gets to be too much I promise I won't just vanish without saying something to any of you."

That said she looks back to the bed a moment as she muses. "I supposed if my healing can keep up with him it would be better if I went now, yes? There's plenty of bandits around here ... but I guess I don't need to say that. We're just far enough from the capital where --"

Ah she's cut off. She glanced back Josh's way but now her eyes turn to the bed again and more over to Mimsy. She considers whether she ought to pull the dog back but decides it's probably for the best she be as hands off as possible until the prince can decide how he feels about her. Or until she's needed.

It's still a sweet enough thing to see how enthusiastic the dog is so forgive her for smiling over it. She does look to Josh though. "Should I leave you alone with him?" They're obviously good friends after all, she doesn't want to intrude.

"Yes." Kevin says, pushing his dog away from his face.

"No, that's not necessary." Josh says at exactly the same time. He stands. "Now that Kevin is awake, we should prepare to leave. I'll tell the knights." He puts a hand on Angela's shoulder. "Thank you, for your help. Please prepare to leave."

"Josh." Kevin growls, only to be completely ignored. He huffs out a break and falls back against the bed, luckily none of the clothing shifted under him.

For a moment Angela stands like she's not quite sure she ought to stick around. It's her room though and if she wants to get a few things gathered up, well.

That's exactly what she begins doing. She goes to a chest near the foot of the bed so she can rifle through it for a bag, then to the dresser to begin packing things away. She doesn't have much frankly -- a few dresses, a few tunics and pants. Her grandparents aren't rich and she's definitely never been able to bring in a huge amount of money. Maybe that would change with this? If she earned anything she could always send it back to her grandparents.

She plops her back on the chair she had been sitting in so she can move to gather a few other things too. She does take a moment though to look to Kevin and address him as she works. Par usual there's a gentle little smile on her face. "Sorry, I'll be done in just a moment. Then I can leave until your knights come back -- well, leave until we all go anyhow, I guess."

She'll have to go tell her grandparents what was going on too.

"It's fine." Kevin pushes himself up on the bed, holding an arm across his guts. The remnants of his shirt fall away from a well defined chest. He stops Mimsy from jumping up on the bed.

"We'll be leaving shortly, if you've a horse to ride. If not, you'll ride with Josh." Josh being the healer. He's not arguing about her coming at least.

"Mimsy, sit." He orders the dog who whimpers and sits next to him, her paw on his leg as he swings his legs over the side of the bed. "I'm sorry we intruded and that Josh seems to think that separating you from family is a good idea."

Far be it from Angela to look at a half-dressed and recently injured man. She's got nothing to offer him though in this room full of her clothing and can only look away with pink in her cheeks as she drops a few more things into her bag.

"It's alright. If I can write them we'll never be that far apart after all."

... Should she be the one to explain why she needs to come? Or has he realized why? She chews at her lower lip a moment before she speaks again.

"I'm not sure if I should say this or he should. I can sort of ... um. Touch you."

Is that too blunt? She fiddles overly long with a skirt she's folding now.

"I just did it for healing, I promise! It was an accident at first but -- I think our magics works well together. At least I've never healed anyone half as well as I did you!"

Yes she's still proud of that, okay.

He wonders why she's so eager to leave. Probably another small town girl looking to get in good with the court. Good. Luck.

He watches her, his dark eyes hard. Josh had said he wouldn't be kind at first. "I thank you for your time and ability." He says, curtly. He'd bow, but he doesn't think his wound will allow for that yet.

"However, keep your hands to yourself. I've no wish to find out if that was a fluke." He doesn't quite snap the words, but it's close. "Jubes!" He snaps out the name, a Prince used to being obeyed.

Lady Jubes immediately walks into the room. "We're ready to go as soon as you're armored and the Miss is ready." She says calmly, well used to his mercurial moods. "Miss, whenever you have your things, please bring them out. Julian will come in and help dress the Prince."

Oh. Well then. Angela tilts her head gently but otherwise doesn't have too much outward reaction. She would be in a bad mood after all of that too so she says nothing to it, dropping her skirt into her back and then finishing up.

Angela comes out with a singular bag slung over her shoulder, immediately stopping outside so she can kneel down in front of her grandparents and talk to them quietly. She's got each of them by the hand as she talks to them, her smile soft. "I did a really good job helping heal the Prince so they want me to come back with them for a bit. I don't know when I'll be back but I'll write you, alright?"

She squeezes their hands, lowering her voice so hopefully none of the rest hear. It's more for her grandmother anyhow. "If I can I'll send for you if I have to stay a long time. And if I get paid anything I'll send the money back to you too." She cuts her grandmother off before she can say a thing, suddenly stern for all her bright smiles before. "Don't argue with me. I'll look after you no matter what so just accept it if I send you anything!"

With that she leans up to hug them both to her, her grandfather grumbling the whole while as she presses a kiss against his cheek and then laughs over it. Apparently it's a common enough trick of hers to send him to grumbling that he shoos her off immediately while she gives her grandmother another hug with an impish grin on her lips.

That done she turns to make for the rest of the group. It'd probably be for the best if she left the Prince alone until he called for her. That seemed to be the smartest way to circumvent his mood. So she outright approaches Josh herself -- and mainly the horses. She's no animal whisperer or anything like that but she sure does like them regardless.

Edited 2024-04-15 19:27 (UTC)

Kevin is helped out to his horse, a beautiful black mare that shifts gently under Soo's hands. He's wearing his metal gauntlets and his armor once again covering deadly skin. He stops at the porch and speaks briefly with her grandparents, offering thanks from the royal family, and a few pieces of gold, so that they can replace anything he destroyed.

Josh shakes his head, watching Kevin. "You know, Soo, if he wasn't so damned pigheaded, this wouldn't have -"

"His father challenged him, and you know him." She says, from behind her helmet. "What was he supposed to do?"

"How about listen to people who know better?" Josh grumbles, but then he smiles seeing Angela. "Angela. Come. You can meet Buttercup and Lightning." He says, patting the nose of his own dappled grey horse.

Angela brightens at Josh's words, happy to come offer pats to the dappled grey horse as well. "Hello there! You're awfully cute~."

She'd only mildly listened to the conversation up to now. Problems with the King then? Angela siftS around her mind trying to remember what she knew of him. It was mostly from the gossip papers that floated around. He wasn't known as a harsh ruler and seemed pretty approved of by the populace. But they only saw certain aspects, didn't they. Including her.

She gestures to her bag now, brows raised some. "Would you like me to put this anywhere? I don't mind wearing it like this if not."

Josh smiles. "Buttercup here," He strokes his mare's neck. "Will carry it. Here, I'll strap it down, since you'll be riding with me."

He offers to take the bag as the black mare eyes her, ears flicking. "This is Lightning, Prince Kevin's horse." Soo offers. "She's a bit put out at the moment." She strokes the mare's nose.

There's a heavy snort from the mare as Mimsy, fully unafraid of the battle-ready steed, runs up and noses the mare. The mare drops her head and lets the dog lick her face. She flicks her ears forward then back as Kevin walks up, braced between Julian and Jubes.

"Let's get out of here." He practically growls, getting a boost up onto Lightning's back. "Mimsy! Heel." He orders the dog.

Josh offers Angela a hand up onto Buttercup.

Angela does turn her gaze to the black mare as Soo mentions her, momentarily offering her hand out to be inspected if the mare liked. That doesn't last long before Mimsy comes up but Angela seems pleased to see the dog get along with the horse so readily. They must spend quite a bit of time together.

With her bag strapped down she takes the boost up with some practiced grace. She at least seems to know how to ride a horse already by the way she sits and she leans forward to give Buttercup's neck a little pat.

"It's been a long time since I've rode a horse. We used to keep one when we did more farm work than we do now." Mostly for pulling the cart into the little nearby town for market days. That fell off as her grandparents got older and less capable of working the fields. What little they grew now didn't need a horse to pull anymore.

Josh swings up behind her. "That's alright. Buttercup here will take care of both of us."

"If you're done -" Kevin growls.

Josh blinks bright blue eyes at the cranky Prince. "Of course, Your Highness! Shall we?" He says brightly, not letting Kevin's mood get on his nerves. He survived Kevin being a teen who had just been given an horrific power. This was nothing.

Together, the knights move out, Soo in front, Jubes and Julian to either side. What chafes Josh is they weren't that far from the encampment. Still, this has been a fortuitous injury. Look! A healer that can actually heal Kevin.

"So, tell me about yourself, Angela." Josh says, conversationally.

Angela just isn't the sort to get flustered by bad moods. In the end she has far too much empathy and if one day she ever does lose her cool with the prince it will be her doing it, huffy arguing and all. That's a problem for that inevitable day though.

For now she's happy enough to chatter. She does take time to wave to her grandparents as they set off and it can be noted she keeps an eye on them until she can no longer see their little house even if she does still talk.

"Ahaha, there isn't that much to say honestly. I've been with my grandparents since I was around six I think."

She doesn't know how old she actually is to be honest. Six, maybe seven was when she booked it through the woods from those slave traders and burst out of them only to fall in a mud puddle in her grandparents' field. Her grandmother had found her there all filthy and exhausted and took great pity on her. Angela had been committed to taking care of them ever since.

That's an awfully sad story though to tell new acquaintances. She'd like it if they thought well of her after all, even Kevin with his mercurial moods.

"We used to run more of a farm but since they're older they can't do too much on it anymore. I do what I can but there's only so much one person can do even if the neighbors chip in now and then."

Maybe once they got to the main city of the kingdom Angela could work. That was her goal at least given there were far more jobs there than back in the little town she lived near. She'd always fancied the idea of being a scribe or an herbalist or such so maybe she could look into those too.

Josh nods. "Ah, that makes sense." He says, barely guiding Buttercup who seems quite content to plod along behind Lightning. "So, as you know, I am Josh. I am Court Healer, herbalist, therapist, and all around medical extraordinaire."

"He's also incredibly modest." Jubes puts in dryly.

"Modest, my dear Lady?" Josh asks like he's never heard of such a thing. "And why would I be? I heal with a touch and that touch can be oh so wonderful." He waggles his eyebrows at Angela.

"I'm telling your husband." Soo calls from up front.

"Who will sigh, shake his head, kiss me on the nose and ask what he's going to do with me!" Josh says with a grin. "Do forgive them, Angela, they seem to forget that it was I who pursued my husband, not the other way around."

It's easy to say Angela takes an instant liking to Josh. She doesn't hate anyone to be sure and probably never will but she can tell he may be the one she goes to most often if she has trouble. The fact that he takes about being the one to pursue his husband only seems to delight her more.

"Oooh that sounds like a real love story begging to be told. You'll have to tell me all about it!"

Here she wiggles her fingers a little as she laughs. "It's a little cliche maybe but I really love romances. Sometimes it's hard to get your hands on books out here but that's what my grandmother collected mostly." Yes dear old grandma was something of a trashy romance reader. Angela would never own up to it but one way she brought in money was writing -- others would have to weasel her pen name out of her one day.

That said she adds with a pleased hum, "I've dabbled in herbalism too. My healing is so scattershot on who it does and doesn't work on that herbalism really helps make up the difference. At least if the healer in town needs help."

"Well, we can certainly teach you quite a bit more of herbalism. The Court herbalists will take on another student." Josh says, confidently. He ignores Kevin's snort. "As for a love story, well.... I will have to tell it to you, over a good glass of wine. With my husband there to correct me, of course."

"And others to correct him," Julian puts in. Making Jubes and Soo snicker.

"Ah yes, just so." Josh admits, grinning. "As for romances -"

"You're giving me a headache, Josh." Kevin snaps. He doesn't turn to look, but Lightning snorts and prances a little before being brought back into line by Kevin expertly.

"Well, it's a good thing we're almost to the encampment." Josh says lightly. Though, there is a slight worry crease of his brows as he watches the Prince. "Angela and I shall ride ahead and prepare a headache tonic for you." He wheels Buttercup around the group and pushes her a little faster.

Once they're far enough away that Kevin can't hear them, he sighs. "You'll have to forgive him. There are... there are things happening within the royal household, that you're about to be embroiled in, and for that I apologize."

Angela is happy to laugh along with the little jokes she only halfway gets. It feels good to have a group to laugh along with that like to be honest.

Kevin snapping does make her wince a bit but by the time they've skirted the group and it's just her and Josh she glances back at Josh himself with a light if somewhat sad smile.

"It's alright. I don't know any of your lives after all and when someone snaps like that they usually have a reason." Her smile grows some then, "Besides my grandfather likes to grumble too. It's just his nature though."

She doesn't know if this is just Kevin's nature but if he really can't touch anyone but three -- now four -- select people? She can imagine how aggravating it must be.

Josh shakes his head, as they come into view of the encampment. It's ten more men, only one of which is a knight, who looks up when he comes in. The man, short, but with broad shoulders comes over and frowns. "Where's the rest?" He growls. "And who's the girl?" Still, the infamous Sir Logan offers to help her down.

Once on the ground, Josh pushes his hood back. "Angela, this is Sir Logan. The others are on their way. Kevin's... in a mood."

Logan nods, handing Buttercup off to one of the men. "We'll handle it. Darlin'." He nods his head to Angela, before leaving them alone.

"Come," Josh says, gently. "As for Kevin, his father is being... unreasonable." He says, leading her through the camp, toward one of the larger tents. "We all agree that the Kingdom must have an heir beyond Kevin, but he wants the poor guy to marry someone that, well, none of us like, and while she can touch Kevin, he's no desire to touch her." He shrugs. "Lady Cessily is too needy and far too clingy."

Another grouchy person! Angela blinks down at Sir Logan a moment before he offers to help her down, then just calls her darlin' and off he goes. For all the gruff he didn't act like a bad person so she decides to put him firmly in the "okay" category for the moment.

She's easily led along as she listens, frowning a little as Josh goes on. The story really does get more complicated, doesn't it. "I guess going from no touch at all to far too much is ... uh, far too much."

Once inside the tent Angela is happy to peek around. She's nosy but not so much so she'll go through anyone's things.

"And I guess you can't really just look around for someone he might wants to touch, can you. That would be giving away far too much information."

Logan's not grouchy so much as... well, no he's grouchy. Josh has no explanation for Logan at all. Except he's Lady Jubes' father (one of them) and has been around forever.

The tent he leads her to is the one that Jubes and Sooraya share. They're the only women on this little excursion.

"That's exactly it. She paws at him, and he dislikes it. She's also very public with it. So, when we return in two days, you'll more than likely have to run the gamut with her." Josh says, putting her bag down.

"I cannot tell you everything, save that Kevin is a very private person. He -" He stops because Mimsy runs in, grabs his sleeve and starts pulling. "Come, he wants to talk to us."

Kevin has arrived and is talking to Jubes and Soo - the latter of which has not removed her helmet. There are rumors that she's horrifically scarred and can't remove her helmet. He dismisses them and then collapses to sit on his camp bed. He looks up and scowls, his eyes narrowing. He hadn't wanted to talk to her, just Josh. "I've seen to finding a mount for you." He almost growls. "That should hurry things along. We leave at dawn for Westchester Castle."

Angela chews at her lower lip a moment. Run the gamut with her indeed! She'd have to impress first and foremost that she has zero intention of butting into anything she has going -- or think she has going -- with the prince. The man can barely tolerate her though so she doubts it'll be hard to prove to the Lady how little he wants to do with her.

Like right now in fact. She comes simply because Josh said so and has ever intention of lingering near the tent entrance but once Kevin speaks of finding a mount for her she brightens immediately.

"Oh! Thank you!"

She hadn't expected that clearly. Her own mount! That seems to immediately turn any sort of down mood she might have had.

"Shall I leave the two of you alone to talk then?"

"Yes -" Kevin says.

"Your Highness." Josh scolds. He's about the only one who can get away with it. "Angela, Jubes and Soo should be outside waiting for you. Why don't you go join them?"

When she steps outside, Jubes is talking to Logan. "Dad, it's..." She glances at Angela. "There you are!" She says brightly. "We should leave." She says, glancing at the tent behind Angela. She knows what's going to happen.

Frankly Angela is quite happy to leave. No offense to the prince of course, she understands his temperament and all but it must be better to leave him until he cools down. Or decides he doesn't hate the sight of her face anyhow. One of those will happen eventually she imagines.

For now she greets the trio with a bright smile. "I believe I'm staying in the tent with you two? If you don't mind! That's just what Josh said."

Goodness knew she'd slept out under the stars before. They could throw her a blanket and she'd be fine curling up wherever.

Jubes links arms with Angela. "You are." She says, smiling. "And my apologies for -"

"WHAT THE EVERLOVING FUCK WERE YOU THINKING?!" Kevin bellows in a voice that can be heard across battlefields.

Josh's response is quiet, and unable to be heard.

Jubes sighs. "Come on. Let's get you some dinner and then we'll talk." She says, leading the way to the food.

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