Overview
Oulexius Castle. The Maverick home of over 400 hundred years. The home in which the once beloved Queen Winona used to live. The castle whose history is stained in blood, betrayal, anger and peace. The current home of High King Tristan his beautiful wife, High Queen Eleanor.
Very rarely were the lights kept on as late as they were on this particular night, and there was ever only one reason for these lights to be on: One, if not all, the kings of Asherah were coming home. They all had their own reputations, and each seemed to be so painstakingly different from the other, that it was a miracle the four hadn't killed each other off yet.
However, for one brother, that thought process wasn't unusual in the slightest. The youngest son, the king of West Asherah, was well known for the brutal ways he exacted his power. From rolling heads to tortuous situations those who plotted against him found themselves in. Some said this was due to trauma he had endured as a child, while others claimed that the Blood Queen's spirit inhabited him. However, only time would tell which was true.
It was odd that Rhyland would be the first to show up, and yet his visit would only solidify his mark of bloodshed from the moment he stepped into the castle.
PRESENT
As the sound of tires squealed against the wet, cold pavement, the driver looked in the mirror, only to be met with chilling brown eyes. Instantly averting his gaze, the driver came to a stop at the intersection, waiting for a couple and their young children to cross the road.
"Your highness." He began, voice on edge, causing the sound of a rather annoyed, heavy sigh as the head of dark hair lifted to reveal yet again those cold eyes.
"What?" His voice was cold, and anyone could tell he wasn't quite in the mood for this conversation. It wasn't a secret that this young king and his parents had an undesirable relationship. One side was painted as a monster, and a monster he became. While the other had its own agenda for the young man.
"I am to drop you at the front gate." What nonsense was this? Eyes rolling, the young man nodded. When the driver didn't receive a response, he decided he was going to push it a little more. He knew why he was dropping the inhuman man at the gate, but if he had his way, he would murder the man in the car with him then and there.
"I hear you-" his sentence was cut short by the cold steel up against his throat, causing him to draw his breath sharply, hands tightening on the wheel to the point they were white.
"We both know I don't like such nonsense. You can either shut up, or meet your demise here and now." His voice was silky, one that only a manipulator would have. Hearing his driver's trembling breath only made him amused as a wicked smile formed. "Now do keep going Mr. Bradfield, I would absolutely hate to cause you to be unemployed and starve." He finished, as he sat back in his seat yet again.
Gulping loudly, body trembling, the elder man nodded and continued the drive to Oulixeus Castle. Needless to say, nothing else was said. As the car pulled up in front of the gate, the man got out of the car, and knocked on the driver's window. Terror flashed across the driver's face for a brief moment before he lowered his window.
The dark haired man bent over, his face now in front of the old man's.
"Thank you." Cold, brief, almost... as if taunting the driver. The elder man nodded and quickly drove off after the young king turned his back.
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As the youngest Maverick made his way into the castle, many eyes stopped and stared at the man. Young female servants were enthralled by his looks, while young male servants were worried about what antics would be unleashed upon them. If his actions could be called antics.
"My, it has been some years." He remarked, and then the sound of footsteps behind him. A mildly bemused smirk graced his pretty face as he turned and looked at his mother and father.
"Rhyland." His mother's tone held no sort of joy, while his father's expression held contempt.
"Mother. Aren't you as splendid as always." He responded to her with a smile, though anyone could sense the tension. Tristan eyed his youngest son with guarded suspicion. Very rarely was he the first to return home upon their request.
"Rhyland, why don't we talk, father to son?" Tristan's voice held no room for argument, to which Rhyland shrugged, before grinning.
"In the old room in which I used to be locked up? Or are we going somewhere else this time?" Rhyland purred, an eerie gleeful look in his eyes.
"Your room. Your mother doesn't feel well. So I want her to rest."
"And yet here she is, looking perfectly fine. Or is it..." Rhyland circled the royal couple casually before putting his face in the window before turning his lips towards his mother's ear. "..that she wishes to be out of this family and run back to where she belongs?" Before backing away.
This angered the stone faced queen, who went to smack him, however, this time, Rhyland was in control. Not Eleanor. Grabbing her wrist and pulling her close, he eyed his father for a brief moment. "Touch me at all while I'm here and I'll make sure you are executed quickly... Remember I know more than you think." He warned his mother before pushing her away from him.
Screams followed as the young king was escorted to his room, the sound of sobs filling his ears. How he loved that sound. That meant he had succeeded in his warning, and if there was anyone's screams of anguish he wished to hear, it was Eleanor's.
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Sitting in front of the coffee table in his room, Rhyland lifted the cup as the sound of the door being opened caused him to lift his eyes. Annoyed, he set his cup down, looking up at his father from his seat.
"RHYLAND JAMES!!!" Tristan bellowed, causing Rhyland to roll his eyes.
"Now now, no need to scream. Your health is already poor... Wouldn't want you to lose your voice before these important times." Rhyland was nonchalant, calm, almost...undisturbed by his father yelling at him. As he stood and walked to his chair that sat in front of a burning fire, he crossed one leg over the other as he glanced over his father.
"I know what you're doing... and it won't work." Tristan warned his youngest, who could only laugh. He laughed, paused, glanced at his father, before doubling over in laughter yet again. As he laughed, Tristan could only stare. Of all his sons, he feared Rhyland the most. Rhyland soon got a hold of himself, wiping a tear from his eye.
"You are one funny old man. You don't even know what I'm up to half the time and besides-" He stood from his chair, opening the door a bit for a maid to come in and fill tea. "-you wouldn't be able to stop me even if you knew what I was up to."
Tristan opened his mouth, only for the sound of glass breaking across the ground to grab his attention. Unfortunately, it also caught Rhyland's. Kneeling in front of the maid, he caressed her face, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Stay here...I want to talk to you." He whispered to the maid, who only blushed and nodded.
Glancing up at his father, Rhyland nodded his head towards the door.
"I wouldn't stay here unless you wanted to hear all the sounds that are going to come from both of us."
With no words to say, and absolutely in shock, Tristan left his son to his own devices, body trembling in anger.
"Now my dear..."
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Tristan's Room
Tristan slammed the door behind him as he entered his room, causing Eleanor to sit up in shock from her sleep in the bed.
"THAT LITTLE... IF I HAD MY WAY.... I SHOULD HAVE KILLED HIM WHEN I HAD THE CHANCE!!!!!!!!!!!"
Tristan punched the wall in anger as he pictured the things his son was doing to the maid. How dare he allude to having sex with a maid... how disgraceful!
"Darling..." Eleanor came behind him, arms around his waist as her head laid on his shoulder. "It's too late now."
Tristan removed the hands from around his waist with anger, and turned his rage towards her. Eyes filled with fury, he pointed at her.
"You. You would have killed him if I hadn't insisted on keeping him."
"THAT'S BECAUSE YOU CHEATED ON ME FOR THE UMPTEENTH TIME!" Eleanor screamed at him, eyes burning as she tried to maintain her emotions. She loved Tristan, but she wished things were different.
"WELL MAYBE IF YOU HAD CHOSEN TO BEAR MY CHILDREN I WOULDN'T HAVE TURNED TO OTHERS!"
"YOU'RE THE REASON HE'S LIKE THIS TRISTAN!!!!!!!!!!!!" As if having said that sentence could have sealed her fate, she braced herself for the pain she had experienced from her past. But it never came.
Tears fell from both monarchs' faces as they stared at each other. Both feeling a variety of intense emotion, both uncertain how they were to move forward if they were stuck trying to make sure they didn't kill each other.
One felt anger, frustration, hopelessness, lacking in masculinity and confidence, denying his player traits had been passed on. While the other felt like she had never solely had his love, useless, as if she was to be nothing more than a trophy.
Two broken souls who thought they could heal each other, but they hadn't healed the other at all. It was a toxic love, and both denied that they were at fault.
"What did he do?" Eleanor eventually asked softly.
"I should be asking you-"
His sentence was cut short by a scream that was heard from his son's room. Eyes frantic, he looked at Eleanor, who looked at him with fear.
"Stay here." He instructed his wife before leaving.
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Rhyland's Room
Blood stained the walls and floor, shining in the light of the fire. Sitting in front of his fire with a glass of wine in hand, he merely turned his head at the sound of his door opening yet again before turning his attention to the dancing flames.
The first thing that greeted Tristan's presence was the lifeless body of the young maid. It was evident that she had had her life taken from her.
"This.. is what you did?" Tristan eventually asked, hiding the fear in his voice. However, he was only met with silence. Deciding he had had enough, he took the bottle of wine from his son's table and dumped it over his head.
Rhyland sighed as he finished his last sip of wine, standing to meet his father's eyes. He smiled, but not a happy smile. It was a smile only a deranged man would have. The smile of nightmares.
"Relax, she wasn't anyone important. You think-" He gestured with his hand at the bloodied, lifeless body that lay in the middle of the room "-I would do this if she was important. You underestimate me father."
Tristan had no words, all he could do was punch his son. However, he didn't expect Rhyland to be able to get up. His punches had been enough for the younger Rhyland to be left crying and left alone.
"Punch me again Father, and you're next. I'm not always going to be your victim." The word father was sour in his mouth, like fruit that looked ripe but when eaten was rotten. Whether he was serious or not, no one knew. Surely family could be exempt from his wicked tendencies...right?
Nodding his head in anger, Tristan slammed the door as he left his son behind, the young man couldn't help the angered yell that left his lungs.
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That night, Oulixeus Castle was filled with anger, frustration, hatred, and tension. The royal couple questioned their marriage, a life was lost, and a wicked man became a victim of trauma yet again.
Whether the potential queens can handle these dynamics and the life led by a wife of a Maverick man remains to be seen. Surrounded by death, despair, and anguish, no one could have known the dark force known as Drystan was once again stirring.
A/N
Hey gang! So I hope this gave some insights into the family dynamics surrounding Tristan and Eleanor, and how they interact with Rhyland. This is also how it will be formatted so that I and other readers don't feel as if we're jumping from place to place. Most of the chapters are either going to be intense, drama filled, or play at some emotion felt by the heart.
I hope this gave you an idea of how dynamics are going to be written out, and there are going to be allusions to some things that are serious. Should there be any serious description, I will put a trigger warning at the beginning of the chapter.
Overall, I hope yall enjoyed! It's not as good as other af writers as this is my first time writing an applyfic. Do feel free to comment and enjoyyyyyyy