The Imperial Wedding of Aellyria [TM ONLY]

[Aellyria]

Maelyx nodded, "We will be teaching you the language, the finest tutors in Aellyria will be available to you. Of course, that doesn't really answer the question, I understand you have limited experience with the nation, however, I would like to know what you think. As I've come to understand it, you did get to experience a bit of the nation when my brother took you and your friend out for a meal." Maelyx hadn't meant for the steel to creep back into his eyes, but nevertheless, it was there. The hungry gaze he was known for had reappeared as he took her in, she was intelligent and beautiful and kind, everything he could have wanted.

---------------------------------

Rhaenir smiled and bowed to Lady Nagys, "Apologies my lady, I hate to disturb you as your settling in, but I would just like to apologize for my mischief earlier. I sometimes get carried away with my trivial pranks, I hope you can forgive me." he said. He hoped he could gain the trust of Lady Nagys, it would be easier to keep tabs on his brother's new queen, as well as keep them out of mischief. He raised an eyebrow, as she pointed at him, "Behind what my lady?" he said feigning confusion.

[Polonge]

Brigitta didn’t know why but suddenly the hairs on her next started to rise. There was something in his eyes. That starved man look seem to grow stronger.

“Yes, Boglárka and I got to enjoy a small meal from a local restaurant. It had a delicious soup and a fine rice wine, though it was a bit stronger than I had expected. And your brother had ... something. I enjoyed the meal, and I wouldn’t mind trying more.”

---

Lady Nagys blinked, surprised at this twist. Rhaenir didn’t strike her as the type to apologize. At least not truthfully. She lowered her book, though her eyes still narrowed at him suspiciously.

“‘Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.’ I do suppose I can’t in good conscience or on the righteous path not forgive you. But I want my Bibles back. I know you must be the one to have stolen them.”

While she forgave him, and could excuse past instances of his trickery, that didn’t mean she trusted him for future acts. He still stank of villainy.

[Aellyria]

Maelyx eased away a bit, Brigitta seemed to be growing uneasy, he was probably getting too intense. Instead, he nodded, "would you like to take a walk?" he asked. "There are many parts of the city I'd like to show you, after all, it's your city now too," he said with a half-smile on his face.


-------------------------------

Rhaenir tilted his head, "Bibles my lady? I am not familiar with the term. Nor have I stolen any of your belongings." he said acting vaguely insulted by the accusation. He studied the room, he had had it bugged of course, but he had wanted to see if the room was up to the ladies standards, Aellyria would not be known for having bad treatment of guests.

[Polonge]

Brigitta relaxed slowly at Maelyx’s offer.

“I think that sounds like a wonderful idea.”

---

Lady Nagys let out a bitter laugh, turning away from Rhaenir and shaking her head. She waved her book with a no so restrained fury.

“You speak of apologies and forgiveness in one breath and then speak venomous lies in the next. You are a kígyó egy kertben.”

She pointed at her luggage and narrowed her eyes further at him.

“I know you are behind this. If you did not snatch them yourself, then you had one of your slaves do it for you.”

[Aellyria]

Maelyx was elated he wanted to share his city with his wife, so much of him was rooted here and he wanted her life to be rooted here as well. "This street is called the conquerors' road," he said as they exited the temple. "It goes straight through the city from the palace to the harbor, in ancient times my ancestors would march their armies down this road and to the harbor to invade the mainland. It was glourious I'm told, I would have liked to see it." he said wistfully. As they walked he studied his city in more detail than he usually did, it was kept in remarkably good shape by the androids, the stone had no cracks and seemed to almost new, the streets were narrow and dark the shadows enveloped them and you could hear the faint marching of the androids in the distance.It calmed him the near silent city, he loved it.

-------------------------------------------------------

Rhaenir shook his head, "My lady, if one of the slaves took your bolongings then they will be punished severly but I had not hand in it, perhaps one of the secruity gaurds got a little greedy, after all your bags were checked before departing too the island, it's standard secruity after all. Now perhaps we can speak of more pressing matters as I believe you will be staying in Aellyria, it is most pressing that you be de-briefed and learned in our ways before your eventual visit to the mainland. We can't have you causing a scene now can we?" he asked polietly

[Polonge]

Brigitta followed Maelyx, staying close to him as she listened. She tried to imagine armies of old marching their way down the old road, kept remarkably well from what she could tell. It sounded like the scene from a great epic.

“That sounds amazing. I suppose a parade could mimic it, though it wouldn’t have the same gravitas.”

---

With a scowl Lady Nagys sat down, her fingers tapping her book impatiently.

“You can choose not admit to your crimes, but I know you must have been behind this. Either way, I want my bibles back.”

She sighed.

“Well if you are going to explain to me ways of your nation, and you are here, sajnálatos módon, go ahead and get on with it.”

[Aellyria]

Maelyx scowled as he hated parades, what use did they hold. His father had loved parades, his father had been weak and now he was dead. "No a parade would not be the same," he said. "So what would you like to see first?" he asked her.

--------------------

Rhaenir smiled as he entered the room, two hulking androids behind him stepped into view, they grabbed the lady and forced her into a chair. Rhaenir shut the door, "Good, I am so glad we'll be able to educate you about our country." he said. "Your first lesson will be learningnot to offend one of its rulers." he said with a sickening grin. "Now where should we start?" he asked her.

[Polonge]

Brigitta looked to Maelyx with thoughtful eyes.

“The temple you spoke of earlier, the one in the swamp. Would it be possible to see it?”

---

Lady Nagys looked between the two androids and the evil prince. She bit her tongue, as if suddenly realizing that she was no longer in a land of protected freedoms and rights. Yet still she did not wish to bend or bow, least not in spirit to his devilish man.

“If I have offended you, it was entirely unintentional. One does not expect to dent hearts of stone.”

[Aellyria]

Maelyx smiled brightly, "Yes, we could go see the temple, it will be a long walk, however, there is a path we can take that would keep us clean. He leads her to another street, walking through the winding narrow streets to the edge of the city, where the city turned into swampland, a small packed dirt path winding its way through the area. After several hours, they arrived at the temple. It was made of wood, as he had said with flowering vines that traced along its beams. A small shrine of a python god sat in its center, instead of being made of stone it was also made of wood, it sat coiled onto itself it's head resting on its body the snake seemed to stare at you through its ruby eyes as they walked toward it. "Welcome to the temple of Neup, the great python god of the swamp," Maelyx said.

----------------------------------

Rhaenir smirked, "Oh look how she changes," he said to no one in particular, "Rude at first, then when you threaten her she becomes polite but it's not quite good enough." he said with a smirk. "Hold her down," he said to the two androids. Rhaenir pulled a small satchel out from his pocket, it was his travel kit but it would have to do. He opened it up, inside laid knives, screws, a few bamboo twigs and of course his favorite a small portable brand and lighter. He picked the brand, "You see in Aellyria, we have many gods, I know in your mind you scoffed at them but to my brother and I they are very real, and to you, they will be as well soon enough." He started warming the brand, it had a peculiar shape. "While my brother chooses to serve the swamp god for who knows what reason, I serve Cheol, the god of Iron and Fear, he is not the most popular god, but he is mine." The brand was getting red hot as he talked, "Now in service to Cheol, adherents such as myself must put fear into his enemies, I find the best way to do that is by marking them with his symbol, now hold still this may hurt a bit, but don't worry it will heal." he said as he pressed the brand onto her shoulder.

[Polonge]

Brigitta, along the long journey to the temple and pulled her long dress up, knitting it just above her knees in order to better navigate and not have to fear for tripping or getting the fine garment ruined as they entered the swamp on the dirt path.

As they approach the temple Brigitta gasped. Unlike the other temple which had been dark and twisted and sickening to her, this one seemed beautiful, as if growing directly out of nature and forming at its own will. She stepped carefully towards the statue, as if hypnotized by its ruby eyes.

“Wow. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”

---

Lady Nagys let out a blood curdling scream as the demon prince pressed the hot metal onto her shoulder. She could feel the heat tearing through her like a thousand little strokes of lightening. Tears near instantly formed in her eyes and found themselves falling down her face like rushing rivers of agony. She felt as if she couldn’t breath, couldn’t speak as the pain rocked through her mercilessly.

But Boglárka Nagys was not one to break from her faith and even as she felt the pain, in her mind she called out to God. Those who know their God shall be strong. And she knew her God. She looked into Rhaenir’s eyes. Let him see her defiance. Through the pain and hurt let him see her truth. She struggled to speak.

“You...have your god... but my God... is almighty.”

[Aellyria]

Maelyx smiled as Brigitta moved towards the shrine, it was hypnotically beautiful, he had been drawn to it as well when he first saw it. "It is very unique, Neup is a powerful god but not well attended to. He rules all of the swamps of the world, you can see his children slithering in the trees and underbrush of the world. I found this temple when I was a boy and since then it has always felt like home to me, someday I hope to bring our children here so they may also meet Neup." He smiled at Brigitta, maybe one day she would also worship his god but for now, he just wanted to enjoy her company.


---------------------

Rhaenir laughed at Lady Nagys, then he slammed the palm of his hand onto her forehead. "Your god has little power here, for you there is only Cheol." he said, then he bit her cheek, hard enough to draw blood. He sighed as he came away, wiping the blood from his face and putting down the brand. Then he took up another strange tool, a strange chain it almost looked like rosary beads, but they were diamond shaped and made of iron. He wrapped them around the Lady Nagys' arms and began to fuse them to her skin with the lighter.

[Polonge]

Brigitta nodded her head as she imagined it, them here with their children, teaching them how to pray. Though in her mind she didn’t quite imagine what god they prayed to. As she had told Rhaenir before, she felt that Neup was no different from God. His pythons were his children just as much as they were God’s.

“Yes. I’d like that.”

---

Lady Nagys screamed, her hands balling into fists so tight that her own nails started to dig into her palms. She breathed heavily. She spat words, screamed them, in her attempt to ignore the pain.

“Istenem, igazságos vagyok. Aki igaz, az erős lesz. Rajtam törni fog a keresztem. A lándzsát rám fogják szúrni és víz áramlik!”

[Aellyria]

Maelyx came up next to his wife, standing close to her. He leaned in for a kiss, he had liked the one they shared before and wanted to try it again. At that moment a python slithered across the ground of the temple bumping into Brigitta, not paying her any mind.

-------------------------------------

Rhaenir's smile grew wider as this woman tried to call out to her God, he stopped his torture of her. Got up packed his tools and kissed the Lady Nagys on her forehead as she lay there in blistering pain. "It is time for me to go my lady, but don't fret we'll have another meeting soon," he said with a wink. He and the two androids left, locking the door behind them.