Ruin Maketh Me

11 - The Martyr

     Even within the recesses of the passageway, the uproar behind rings loud and true like alarm bells. Damn. Damn. Damn. Even after so long, my anger still overtakes me like a freight train. It never helps me, never when I need it to.
I claw my way back into the cavernous stone hall, place my burning forehead against the cool, damp smelling stone, wait for the distant clang of metal on ground to arrive.
Clang.
What will they do?
Clang.
Trespassing, throwing a tantrum, losing control. Hah, aren't I as wild as ever Jacques?
Clang.
I'll be punished in some manner.
Clang.
I slide down the wall and slump onto the hard floor. Fun. Wonder what they would do? Whip me? Starve me? If I'm them, I'd beat myself senseless. Anything's fine as long as I don't die. I can't die.
Glittering white hair and shocking violet eyes appear from the darkness of the doorway. Ah. I should've guessed they would've sent him.
His tan skin is flushed a beautiful sunset red and although his gaze directed at me is still hostile, something has shifted. The way he looks at me is slightly different than before.
He storms towards me, "Why did you do that?"
I don't even bother to reply.
It doesn't faze him, "Did you think of the consequences before you stormed into there?" He points back at the passageway with a gloved hand, "Do you know what you just did?" His voice is hard from a barely containable anger, eyes flickering with coldness and frustration.
I shrug and try to muster some indignation into my tone, "Yeah, you should be thankful I didn't go in naked."
He runs a hand through his loose hair violently, "Do you know who was sitting in the audience? Princes, princesses, kings, for Uhyls's sake, Prince Lyon was sitting next to me. These are people you can't get on the wrong side of!"
My voice cuts through the air like a scythe, "Why do you care?" I slowly stand up, "It's none of your fucking business."
He flinches.
     An addicting spark of satisfaction races through me like adrenaline.
I take a deep breath smoothly, "When I woke up, I took a little walk, and somehow I fell into a hole. When I came to, I was in this cavern." I send him another cold stare, "Is that enough of an explanation, Sir Ralphuus?"
The vault falls silent.
"Yes." He replies very quietly and almost wearily, like all his power has been drained from him, "Yes, that's enough. Cynder."
My eyebrow jerks with surprise, so he had caught my name in the carriage.
     I puff of air spirals from my mouth, "Thank you for your concern anyhow. Now, should we get going?"
     The quicker it's over, the better it is. What will comes will surely come.
     His face adjusts back into neutral, but I catch the flash of resignation in his eye. I study his heavy movements and the tightness around his mouth. Then realisation occurs to me, he's the one going to be punished, not me.
     My heart softens slightly as a flood of pity rushes through me, but I can't be soft, I can't be kind, not when I have nothing but this body. And that's the truth, I can't do anything even if I wanted to. He knows it as clearly as I do.
     "We'll go straight to the young masters by portal," he stretches out a hand, "please hold on tightly."
     I place my hand into his, and his fingers close over mine strong and hard.
     "Please hold on." Ralphus says again.
     Shit. I already feel like I've been punched in the gut and now... If I'm him, I would leave me stranded somewhere no one could ever find.
Good light swims all around us and distorts the air. The floor falls away from my feet, and a sensation of falling and flying overtake my senses. A flourish of vivid colour cover my eyes, and I fight the nausea rising up my throat. Then all motion halts, and I fall on my knees gasping.
A warm hand pats my back hesitantly, "Everyone's like this with their first portal travel."
Red carpet stretches like a sea beneath me, "Thanks." I squeeze out.
I close my eyes, the dizziness recedes bit by bit.
      A deep laughter reverberates through the air. My eyes shoot open, and I rise to my feet in a flash. I'm in a drawing room of sorts, and the three are sitting lazily on the settees, all eyes fixed on me.
     The emperor is still laughing, head raised to the ceiling, white teeth flashing in the burnt sunlight, "That was an entrance fitting for a Kade."
     The sun leans across, "Did you see the look on Selii's face? Absolutely priceless." He licks his lips, turns back to me, "Don't you think?"
     Warning bells ring in my head, not good.
     The fool slides his eyes across me serpentinely, and I keep my mouth closed. They're not looking for punishment. I read something within the crazed dark of their eyes, they're looking for some fun.
"Apparently they've fucked to death hundreds of people."
" I bet they're still going to have those wild parties here. It wouldn't even be surprising if more people died!"
     I glance towards Ralphus. He stands straight and his face is impassive, but there's a quiver in the back of his knee.
     It's him or me, or both of us.
     The emperor stands, long hair flowing like a waterfall to the floor. He approaches, closer and closer, the want to dominate warping the air around him like a heat storm.
     Better both than just one, it wouldn't hurt as much.
The emperor's face twists, and in it's shadow I see greying auburn hair, lined ash grey eyes, a feral smile. An old tremble resurfaces in my legs and fingers.
That face. That terrible face.
Light cascades onto emperor, but that face is still there, the grey eyes, wry smile. Oh god, it's not real. I'm seeing things. It's ok, everything's ok, I don't have to be afraid. Dan's dead. He's dead. He's not here. They're not going to hurt you, they won't be like him.
The freeze of a fingertip lights upon my cheek, and emperor draws his finger down my face slowly, slowly like the brush of a feather.
Calm down.
Red light and pain and the fierce gnashing of teeth and wet tongue on tongue
You have nothing to be afraid of.
And Wet squelches and the smell of sweat and the drip of something leaking out behind
You are Cynder, Wanderer of the night.
And the taste of salty rawness and "Fuck, you're so tight!" And the crack of bone breaking
This is nothing. This man is nothing.
And the helpless mounting pleasure and the fear and skin under fingernails and
Clang.
Ralphus steps forward.
The emperor's brows furrow, but his tone is light, "What, aren't you eager today?"
Ralphus doesn't look at me, doesn't even look at emperor, doesn't look at anything, "I'm the pet."
The featherlight brush fades away and Emperor grabs Ralphus's face brutally, "Yes." His voice is deep and scratchy with lust, "You're mine."
He yanks Ralphus forwards by the hair and they clash together lip on lip. His fingers tangle deeper and deeper within silky white hair, and his other hand grips the back of Ralphus's neck like a vice, unyieldingly pulling them closer and closer together until they press chest to chest, groin to groin.
The wet sucking of tongue echoes all around the room, and emperor's red tongue laps in and out of Ralphus's mouth like it's savouring the most delicious dish it's ever tasted.
Ralphus's hands beat at his broad back, but the emperor dives deeper and deeper, hand caressingly shifting from his neck to the curve of the small of his back. Heavy panting leak from their mouths as emperor eats Ralphus's swollen and moist lips, tongues dancing together and away in a waltz.
Finally Emperor lets go and they fall apart gasping, "I didn't know you'd care so much for a human." He growls, pulling Ralphus's lean frame back against him.
Ralphus shakes his head, his fringe covering his brilliant eyes.
Emperor casts a sharp glance towards me, and grasping Ralphus's waist, collides with him mouth to mouth again.
A chill slithers across the skin of the back of my neck, and I turn sharply. The fool stands looking at me shirtless, prominent muscles shining the warm light.
"Are you staying to watch?" He speaks slowly.
My eyes skid from him to the shirtless sun and the emperor and Ralphus twining their tongues together, "No, next time."
I stride for the door, and in the gap between the closing door and frame, I catch Ralphus's eye between strands of fringe.
Within the turmoil, there's a slight peace.
And again it hits me how I could never do that.

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AN: First time writing smut, any feedback is welcome! :P