Roused by nothing more than an internal drone of her internal clock, Fain stirred silently in the middle of the enormous bed. Her body cramping in her arms and legs Fain took a deep inward breath. Held it momentarily before letting it out past her lips. Outstretching her pallid arm as she exhaled Fain noticed the assorted nicks and cuts from the scrap with Athrikus. Analyzing over each little mark the woman rotated her wrist and flexed her joints forcing them to crunch slightly in the cartilage.
A heavy sough Fain gripped the edge of the down comforter with nimble fingers. Squeezing the fabric tight in her fist as Fain drowned in her silent thoughts. Khadgar, Athrikus, even the King and Queen of this unfamiliar world, none of them here now as she clutched at the seam stiffly only pinching it firmer to stave off the tears pricking at the corners of her puffy red eyes.
"You can't live in that bed forever little monster."
The voice making Fain flinch in reaction. Instead of getting up the woman laid motionless in place. Not even turning her head as the voice sighed and boots clicked in step as they entered the room.
"I know you're awake."
Fain's grey blue eyes set forward away from them as only shallow breaths gave the woman any life to speak of. Even the arm she'd reached out to clutch the comforter with still solid in place with white knuckles fixed on the seam.
"Taria was upset you didn't eat dinner or wake up when she came in to check on you. You can't lay in my bed forever now, I need this space."
"...I should have been taken back with them, with the monsters," Closing her eyes Fain's lashes quelled the tears forming only to redirected them over the bridge of her nose. Her fingers relaxing as Lothar sat behind her on the edge of the bed she faced away from, "That's all I am here, there, anywhere. I'm a monster."
"Hey now," Lothar paused and Fain gave in turning on her back to see the King draining half of the pint he'd carried in. Noticing her watch the liquid in his mug guzzle down his throat, Lothar licked the froth off his lips and shoved the brew right into the woman's face, "Drink, you need it as much as I do tonight."
Starting with a decline Fain shook her head slowly sitting up, "My people don't-"
"You're not one of them now are you?" Green eyes looked her up and down as the woman propped her torso up against his head board, "You're stuck here now, you're my people. And my people drink. Now drink." Another thrust of the stein to her and Fain saw no reason to fight it. A smile sliding sluggishly on the King's face, Lothar broke into a full bearing grin as Fain's lips kept a sturdy seal with the lip of the mug and she slurped down gulps big enough to put a dwarf to shame.
"Look at you! A natural," Proud of her endeavor Lothar held up the third full stein, "You must have been thirsty that mead wasn't for the faint of heart."
"It doesn't taste like anything but frothy water," Doltish about his drink Fain looked on at the King bemused as she licked her lips dry of the sinful beverage.
"Frothy water?!" Lothar repeated galled at her dour first impression of his favorite reserve, "What do you know of brewery child."
"Fel liquors were all I recall being made," Tracing back what trades Fain did know of her kind was far and few behind, "It was disgusting, fire on the tongue all the way down the gullet." A silent gagging reaction as Fain thought of the administered she'd had of the toxic beverage, "Thick like a syrup, nothing was sweet about it though. Pungent at best mostly it knocked you down after one gulp."
Lothar's last bit of mead a mouthful as he took his swig all at once, held the liquid in his cheeks before gulping it down at once. To only have a sly smile creep up on his lips as the King looked over at the woman mulling quietly in his bed, "No celebration?"
"How many times do I-"
"No excess boozy drinking? No camaraderie and healthy competition?" Fain scowled not understanding what the man was babbling about as he interrupted her attempts to speak only t stand to his feet lightening quick.
"King Lothar I told you we-" Fain was cut off again with a wave of his hand. Gritting her teeth she watched with wary eyes as the man wandered over to a oaken cupboard behind the desk across the room. Eyeing him carefully she didn't move from the middle of the bed as Lothar swung open the doors and busied himself with a clanking of glass something.
"Ah yes," producing two heavily rimmed scotch glasses, the gleam in his green eyes shot over to Fain perplexed on the bed. His game going better planned than his sisters ideals of just letting the woman sob her eyes out over the events. With the way Fain's hawk eyes followed him Lothar was sure little of Khadgar would be mentioned if he could get enough liquor in the young woman to encourage her to sleep it off while Khadgar cooled off where ever the mage had stormed off too.
Not budging an inch Fain followed every movement the King made from across the room. Pausing over the thick rimmed glass Lothar let the carmel colored liquid squish out of the long necked fluted bottle filling the tumbler nearly to the top. Expecting him to repeat the same thing with the empty crystal ware, Lothar duped Fain as he set the bottle down with a clink and looked over at her with a devious smile.
"Strong, potent, single malt and saved for a special occasion," waggling his index finger at her the King escorted his full glass with care back to the bed Fain remained glued to. Lothar smiled at her before taking a leisurely, extensive dram on the beverage. Curiously watching him as the King didn't gulp down this one like the brew before. Instead savoring each drop of the golden brown like it really was a relative of the pricey metal. Ashen blue eyes following him Fain's under eyes remained puffy but at least no more tears stained her cheeks while she was taken to studying the normally sarcastic man faun over his beverages.
"It's brown," was all that Fain could conjure up to respond as Lothar repeated the sharing process by shoving the drink in front of her.
"It's nectar," Stubborn rebuttal from him as the warmth spread through his weary body, Lothar needing the stiff drink as much as Fain did.
"It's brown," turning her nose up at it Fain found nothing more disgusting than the odd colored drink.
"It's good for you." Lothar reasoned, needing another drink already and Fain hadn't even taken a swig.
"Says who?" a sneer flared on her rosy lips and Lothar groaned at her balky reply. Without a word he forced the glass in her hands, for fear of dropping the brownish water on her lap Fain took it regretfully. Opening her mouth to retort Lothar put a finger to her mouth and left his seat on the bed. Of course only to get the bottle of her resentment to begin nursing on it like a bottle.
"You'll forget about him, at least for a while until he gets back," subtly weaving in his reason to have come back to the room in the first place, Lothar deviously watched Fain give the drink in her hand a second look, "It won't kill you, I promise you little monster."
"Stop calling me that," Fain growled through clenched teeth.
"Or what, you'll kill me?" Taking a draw on the bottle Lothar plopped back down on the bed. This time sitting back with her, propping his feet up after kicking off his riding boots and draining another mouthful from the bottle, "You should have done that in all the mess, would have made a better cover up."
Exhaling slowly Fain closed her eyes slumping a bit as she coddled the tumbler in both her hands, "I wasn't going to harm you in the first place."
"Then stop dwelling and drink," Tipping the bottle in her direction, Fain gave it a side ways look, "It's scotch. Finest in the Kingdoms, serves only royal courts and lords in our rule."
Tempting his offer Fain wouldn't voice it but Lothar watched her gears turn in her head at the thought of his previous mention of conveniently blacking out the unpleasant. When Fain leaned over and put her lips to the bottle Lothar finally relaxed and tipped only a little into the woman's mouth unsure of the outcome. Twisting and puckering her lips, Fain's slate eyes closed tight and Lothar couldn't help the chuckle he uttered as she held it in her mouth like a reluctant child, "Ah ha, it's only worse holding it. Drink it, let it work its magic."
Hands about to go up in the air in frustration, Lothar snatched the glass from her palms before it spilt. The King only laughing as her face wrinkled in every possible crease on her pale skin and Fain gripped the feather comforter as the scotch sluggishly made its way down her gullet.
"Ack-!" blurting out in disgust Fain stuck her tongue out gagging and all Lothar could do is chortle even more at the grown woman revolted by a simple shot, "Wh-What is the point of that vile thing?!" Flicking her tongue out and against the roof of her mouth Fain hated the foul taste it left in her mouth but on the contrary the warmth spreading through her stomach to her extremities was an undefinable sensation.
"Eheh," Pursing his lips around the glass she'd neglected Lothar let it dribble down the back of his throat before smiling over at her, "Helps forget shit days. When the, frothy water, just doesn't cut it."
Starring at him then switching her eyes down to the glass, Fain pondered how bad the taste could be in return for what the man was promising. Lothar was more than glad to offer the glass once more to her. This time Fain didn't hesitate snatching the glass and squinting her eyes closed tight, throwing her head back and downing the nearly two thirds left in the glass ware.
"Impressive, like always," grinning Lothar even felt the heat spreading through his tired body. Giving it life and calmness all at once he took a big gulp of the bottle before relaxing back into the bed's head board.
"...am I really a monster?...does Khadgar think I'm a monster?" After that downing chug Fain's brain already moving slower and her body sedating merrily into the overstuffed bed beside the King. Gazing down at her hands Fain saw so many memories of what she'd done with them. The line between what she thought was a good deed blurring in slowly with all the horrors she'd committed.
"Drink," shoving the bottle back to her Lothar wasn't about to start the crying again. Alcohol in and anything but tears out. Pleased the woman didn't dither this time, Fain through back another shot straight from the bottle and handed it off to him. Resting the bottle between his outstretched legs, Lothar tried to find level with the tops of her toes aligning with his, "Aren't we all monsters to someone in life?" He purposed, attempting to keep the subject quiet. The idea of interpersonal relationships especially with the mage he'd regarded as so, unphysical in honestly any sense, did more than just make the Warrior King uncomfortable.
"I betrayed his trust, I hurt him...I made him cry," Fain starred down at her lap, bottom lip quivering as she could only see over a million times in her mind Khadgar's face as he jerked back from her.
Shoving the bottle to her lips, Lothar wanting to keep his buzz as long as he could before he passed out so quieting the woman was the best step. With ease Fain slurped down three big gulps and felt the heat spread even to her brain making it fuzzy.
"...I lost my son to an orc, and fell in love with a half orc who killed my sister's husband," in a hushed voice Lothar broke his silence only after Fain remained muted after her last statement. Sighing Lothar hated thinking about the year before but either Fain or the scotch stirred the sadness in him. Tensing his jaw Lothar felt Fain's eyes on him but the King ignored her and took a long drink.
"The first orc I ever saw killed my neighbors when I was four. Gnarly, done up in armor, drooling tusks and bulging disgusting muscles," Fain put her hand out and without a word Lothar handed off the bottle, "They were on their third strike for stealing, too many mouths to feed and not enough harvest to keep such poor farmers." Her empty hand came up and Fain motioned a slit across her throat, "That was that. It sent everyone else hiding in their homes. Nasty ugly thing."
"Those green things, tch," a small snort and Lothar took he bottle from Fain's lap, "She was exotic, color of those beasts but bound to a body like a humans." Rolling his eyes to no one in particular Lothar raised the bottle to his lips, "Then her comrades killed my only son in front of me and she stabbed Llane right in the back." A groan and Lothar took a long drink.
"I saw the orc armies, like green rats. But angrier. Always screaming and fighting like pigs," Shaking her head Fain recalled her first induction to the armies she would be fighting along side as support to Gul'dan's legion.
"Like riled pigs."
"Are those bores?"
Lothar cocked his eyebrow at the woman's question but her serious expression made a tipsy smile break on his lips and he just had to nod as he laughed, "Yes we have bores, those do fit those yelping green monsters."
Looking on at the King beside her Fain starred not able to find a focus on him. The strong drink she'd become numb to the taste frayed her senses but dulled her mind. Longer it sat in her stomach the more Fain was having a hard time recalling the details from earlier in the day. Though Lothar had ingested just as much, the King knew he wasn't going to crash as hard as the woman across from him who only had the potent drink and not a speck of anything else in her stomach. Not a mention of Khadgar making him feel accomplished about the endeavor and far more superior to 'girl problems' than his darling sister had credited him with.
"I don't understand kissing, or why this sexual relationship thing is so important," Fain's blurting drunkard statement popped whatever confidence Lothar had just conjured thinking he had over the situation.
"Uh..." Drawing out his ideal response Lothar tried to muster something but she cut him off.
"I like the way it felt, did I hurt him? Does intimacy hurt your kind?" Fain gawked at Lothar positively bewildered trying to connect the dots in her drunk mind.
"HAH!" Lothar unable to contain his sputtering snort put a hand up trying to cease the snickering as he rubbed his face, "Does it hurt? What, no! Intimacy? You mean fucking you just don't-"
"I don't get it!" Fain scowled at him with a huff, "Am I doing it wrong?!"
"You're- Ahaha! No no no- Hah!" cackling at her stone sour face, the booze finding its way up onto her rosy cheeks and pink little nose, Lothar busted up at the angry female who only looked more and more like a pissed fledging bird, "You're not doing anything wrong- Heh you just happened to have it be Khadgar you're fawning over. There's your first problem."
"Problem? Why is he the problem?" Fain dumbfounded by what Lothar was laughing at, blinked rapidly trying to focus on the King only two feet away from her but the sudden rush of scotch into her system was taking its toll. Scrunching up her face Fain covered her mouth as the woman burped and shook her head. Lothar giddy with laughter at Fain trying to hold her liquor.
"Khadgar is, how do I put this," Lothar's head rolled between his shoulders while he mulled over the way to put his words, "Khadgar is, damaged goods. Like, you could say the Kirin Tor did it to him and that is why he left, but between you and me I think something was off about the boy before his family sent him away."
"I don't understand he's not the problem I am-"
"Hah!" Blurting out before Lothar took a sloppy drink he shook his head, "He's never even seen a woman naked, well I mean he shared that before I knew you did your, you know, your thing-" Green eyes darting over at Fain he shrugged and put the bottle to his lips before anything else bumbled out.
Seizing the bottle from Lothar's gruff hands, Fain shut her eyes tight and through her head back draining the rest of the scotch in a long guzzle. Lothar nodded giving the woman his respect as she finished every drop and didn't even gag.
"Too bad Khadgar will never appreciate a woman who can hold her liquor," Lothar edged in a mumbling complaint when he recalled the accusations the mage had made about the King's love affair for drinking in the company of any woman at the bars between Stormwind all the way up north.
Flickering grey eyes on him, Fain couldn't taste anything on her lips except the twinge of numbness and the poison she'd drank in a rush. Observing Lothar's full beard that put any man she'd grown up around to shame, Fain found herself wondering how a ruler commanded any respect with such shaggy dreads and half his face covered in thick fur.
Swiftly heaving herself across the King's lap Fain's tingling lips crashed sloppily onto Lothar's thin flushed lips. That second Lothar didn't delay to bind his long muscular arms around Fain's torso shifting the woman on to his lap completely. Not use to a woman with some bulk to her, Lothar squeezed Fain tight in his arms relishing the fact she wasn't petite like most women he'd ever felt in his life. Even her slender hands coming up along his warm scratchy cheeks and tangling fixed in his shoulder length mane with a firm grip.
Smashing his lips against her plump tender ones Lothar felt the fuzzy booze buzz throughout his spine and down his extremities. Fain's thumbs traced little half circles against the skin along his bottom jaw and Lothar returned the soothing motion with his hands traveling down her sides coming to rest on her thick thighs. Giving them a squeeze earned Lothar a moan to which the drunk King couldn't help grin against Fain's lips.
Stealing the chance Fain's tongue darted out against the man's lips to Lothar's surprise. He should have known she'd be as stubborn intimately as she was normally. Obliging to her sly tactic Lothar groaned softly as Fain's fingers twirled around the hair at the back of his head and gave a tug that sent shivers through his body. Her tongue slipping past his slender lips to meet her match with Lothar's own. Neither of them giving up dominance or the chance at it while their tongues wrestled. Alcohol numb lips mashed into one another being the only thing from either of them dribbling spit down her chin or in his beard.
Sliding down into his lap, Fain gave a little yelp as Lothar broad hands gripped her hips and pinned her down to his lap. Taking her arms and doing the same thing to the man as she constricted her arms around his shoulders. Pressing their bodies together, lips glued together carelessly all while Fain compressed her chest against the King's. The thin tunic each wore the only thing keeping their skin from touching even in the slightest.
Just as Lothar shifted his hands up her sides, Fain sat back in a reprieve for breath. But when Lothar assumed she was going to lean back in to continue their fling, his green eyes grew huge when she clamped her hands over her mouth.
"Wait don't-" Lothar's rush came too late and Fain spit up am off-putting mixture of mucous spit and scotch all churned up in her stomach that now dribbled down his front and her own. Stone still, hands even still on her hips keeping Fain from wobbling too much in his lap, Lothar let out a long sigh. Fain too afraid to remove her hands from her mouth unsure if there was more or not, "Guess I spoke too soon about holding your liquor."
About to speak Lothar shook his head and motioned for her to stay quiet. Reaching out he pushed her hair back off her forehead incase she threw up again. Fain's eyes fluttered shut and he saw her spirits sink with her posture, "Hey, don't worry little monster. These needed to be washed anyway."
Helping her off his lap Lothar stripped off his tunic and wadded it up before turning to Fain. Even with the scotch spit up she was obviously far beyond tipsy at this point. Realizing perhaps drinking wasn't a smart solution for the twenty something year old, Lothar knew if he went and got his sister Taria would let him have it. Instead the mellowed King knelt down in front of Fain sitting on the bed and got eye level with her.
"Hey, how about we get this dirty thing off and wash up. How's that sound little monster?" Hushed as he spoke Lothar rubbed her knee encouraging her to look up at him. Eyes a little blood shot Fain sheepishly nodded her head scared to open her mouth and throw up on him again, "Alright come now, careful with the shirt." Gingerly taking the hem on either side of her tunic Lothar did his best to keep the slimy spit up from getting on her face or in her hair. Naturally he couldn't help give her torso a once over, glad to have his beard as Lothar bit slightly on his bottom lip seeing her supple perfect handful of each breast. But his eyes dropped down to her stomach and the small fold in made the man smile a little as he crumpled the dirty tops together. Making sure no chance of sticking ones hand in the spit up was possible.
"I'm sorry," Fain finally piped up when Lothar's back was turned to him. Words slurred a little as she rubbed at her blood shot eyes looking up and over at Lothar in a slightly blurry light.
"Clothes are washable," was all he returned with a cheeky drunk smile to the woman. Sighing heavily Fain's brain was muddled enough she didn't care or at least didn't remember enough to be upset over anything but puking on the king. Lothar came back over and squatted down to her once again, "C'mon so are bodies, I'll help you get washed up. If you drown in a bath my sister will have my head."
The mention of Taria made the woman crack a smile even with her eyes wanting to shut with heavy lids, "We shouldn't tell anyone, heh." Fain's giggle hiccup made Lothar smile even wider as his green eyes wrinkled at the corners. Making a motion like a zipper across his lips Lothar grinned at her. Best she could mimic the gesture Fain sloppily sipped her lips too only to follow with a crooked grin and tired eyes.
"C'mon," Lothar hefted himself up and proceeded to pull Fain up with his hand in hers. Teetering on her feet Fain took the offered help and leaned into Lothar to find her footing. Snickering at her Lothar got a half hearted slap to the chest from Fain hearing his mockery, "We'll practice drinking, hows that sound little monster?"
"I told you we don't do this where I come from for a reason," Fain complained, her fuzzy senses making her head thump while her and Lothar dawdled to the bathing room off his bedroom.
"You don't do anything fun where you came from," Lothar remarked, helping Fain to sit in the over stuff chair across from the claw foot tub. It was identical to the one she'd bathed in previously but nearly twice the size.
"That's because we don't have time for 'fun'" Fain mocked, her head tipped up in his direction but the drunk woman's eyes shut tight incase the world decided to spin without her say so.
"Between dying and farming and pillaging?" Lothar teased as he knelt down, taking off her socks one at a time for her while she found her center of gravity, "Do you want help into the tub?"
"No no no-" Fain shook her head and waved her hand at him, words slurring ever so slightly still giving the King a twisted chuckle even as the mellowing effect of the scotch was working it's way on him now, "I- I got it. I got getting, I got getting in that thing."
"Tub?" Lothar smiled as he stood back up in front of her, "If you say so little monster."
Turning his back to her Lothar stripped out of his riding pants and the rest of his garments. Fain too drunk to even blush as she starred eyes half open at the King sinking his body into the steaming water. Letting her head tilt to the left Fain starred hard at Lothar sitting across from her in the bath tub. Taking a little longer than normal for words to find their way coherently out of her mouth.
"Men from this world are so strange, you're all so big, and hairy. Why is there hair on your chest even?" Fain blabbed, leaning forward almost enough to fall out of her chair but catching herself before that happened.
"Because I'm a grown man," Lothar popped off, watching her almost fall out of the chair and shaking his head. Closing his green eyes the man relaxed back into the tubs side and listen to her rustle and mumble to herself.
"Grown men from my world never grow muscles like that, or hair or beards. Are you lazy?" Fain blurted out, licking her lips realizing she was parched even after the bottle of scotch.
"I like it," Lothar grumbled from the tub.
"Do your women find it attractive?" Fain questioned further.
"Are you going to wash the vomit off yourself or should I go get Taria now?" Lothar bluntly threatened her getting tired of her one sided banter as the warm water soothed the King more than the scotch but the combination of the two threatening to put the king to sleep.
"Oh-" jumping Fain blacked that out moments after it happened but looked down and saw the slimy trail that seeped through the tunic. Rolling herself out of her trousers, only drunkenly fighting with the fabric briefly before getting them off and on the ground, Fain heaved herself up. Steadying herself on the arm of the chair, the naked woman locked in on her target of the non moving tub. Lothar peaking one eye open mostly to take pleasure in watching the drunk woman try to get to the tub that was only six feet away.
Pleasantly he didn't have to leave the comfort of the bath to get her up, Fain made her way to the edge of the tub with little fumbling. Swinging her leg over the side, Fain shivered like she did before and let one leg sit in the hot water. Starring at her leg distorted under the water, her blue eyes shifted onto Lothar's body under the water. Everything from his mid chest down construed and blurred under the water. Heat crept on her cheeks but Fain's body craved the bath too much to turn it away.
Letting her body descend into the steaming water Fain inhaled sharply for the steam to fill her lungs and relax her sore body. Even the small retching motion she'd made leaving an ache in her stomach muscles. Sliding opposite to Lothar, Fain let the King direct her extended legs between his like puzzle pieces they sat opposite sides comfortably in the grand tub. Sighing slowly Fain succumb to the same spell of hot water and scotch as Lothar had. Lolling her head back the only problem was the woman couldn't stand resting her head on the hard metal lip.
"Come here," Lothar beckoned to her with a low mumble, eyes never opening. Fain saw his arms open a little motioning her to come over to him. Eyes darting back and forth like someone would be in there, Fain leaned forward and crawled under the water over to the mans lap, "Start talking and I will kick you out."
Opening her mouth Fain shut it and then just nodded her understanding. Resting between his side and the side of the tub, Fain was drunk enough that the width of the tub amazed her enough to steal her attention. When Lothar's arm outstretched behind her and ushered her to lay back against him, Fain's entire body obliged to the warmth of him and the water submerging her. Sinking back into him she used his arm to rest her head on while closing her eyes slowly. Lothar's shallow breathing setting a tempo for Fain to follow as her slippery leg slid against his under the water and gave Fain a zen sensation. Or it was the quantity of scotch still stirring in her belly but Fain gave into relaxing and let herself wash away into the water and drifted off against Lothar.