Private The Sky Turned Black

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

What indeed.

His feet followed hers, the black robes and cloak arising with the darken figure, as with his own liberty confirmed for as much as he could be certain, it gave him a release, a moment, an opportunity perhaps to even reconsider her words.

Reconsider...

No...

Remember, remember all that had come before them, none of what he had said had been false, but in much of the way, it was what he had already known, it was already what she knew. Was it not his most paramount purpose then to use her for all that she was worth, despite the risk she might have posed, was not this opportunity all the sweeter?

So why instead had he revealed his hand?

Refusing to do what was required for victory.

Had he truly...

Curse him, and curse his soft heart.

"...My mistress was known as the Queen of Vipers, I myself have taken on the Raven as my moniker, no doubt Darth Strosius might take up a bat or some other creature of the night or slyness... spiders are small, unassuming, yet utterly terrifying, keenly dangerous, it describes you and your position at the heart of the Zambrano empire rather well, does it not?" He attempted weakly perhaps, to bring some levity back into their conversation.

"If we are to work together it will do little good to hide what should not be hidden, there is little reason for either of us to trust each other already, let us not worsen it... what is it you plan to propose to the Dark Council, what is it you discussed with their Imperial Majesties? Answer, and I shall provide you the answer to whatever question you might have."

Lina Ovmar

 

[Lina Ovmar]

The swift attempt at flattery in order to redeem himself did not go amiss, had he been so pleasant about it the first time around she might have smiled, instead she gave him a discerning look and blew a sigh out of her nose.

Already on her feet, it seemed pointless to sit back down again, moving towards the door.

"I don't have a question, Malum, I have a suggestion and I'll remind you that until now, I have hidden nothing from you."

She tugged the door open, expecting him to follow her as she wandered, with no direction in mind, this was his home afterall, if theu should continue talking then they would do so on the move, though she would make a point of avoiding the library.

"I went to the imperial majeties to discuss the possibility of removing Strosius from the head of the Inquisition considering recent events and his continued insistence on disruption and destabilisation, but it would require someone to take it from him by force. Something I have neither the force nor the patience for. So I proposed an alternative. He needs an overseer, someone to bring him to heel."

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

"You did not tell me you were going to marry into the Zambranos, perhaps you do not consider that hiding, but after our..." He trailed off, struggling to find the words, jaw reflexively closed, "But after what had occurred, I had imagined as allies it would be something that you would have informed me of, understand I knew that you loved him," In truth, he had not known that, he had heard it from her own lips, but well... he had focused on her lips that day for another reason entirely, and truly... how could he have known it was possible to love one of that House?

And considering what had happened, love had been the last thing on his mind as a possibility that night.

"...But marrying him, binding yourself to that family, is very different, and if you cannot see why I may have been taken off-guard by that, then I do not think this alliance has been built on a solid foundation," He breathed out, following after her when she went to the door, yet, remaining a respectful distance, even as part of him, part of him wished to reach out... for what purpose he could not imagine, "But I suppose that much has been evident already." The voice was quiet, a near whisper.

As they walked, he offered an arm, only to freeze.

Etiquette demanded what might indeed be far more courteous.

Yet with an arm hanging there, the rest of her words struck him, as his legs moved orderly without the need of command from the mind, his eyes narrowed, "And who do you propose for such a role?"

Lina Ovmar

 

[Lina Ovmar]

Lina could at least empathise with his standing on the matter, she had not informed him, but then her pregnancy nor her engagement to Sarlow had been hidden. It was public, for all to see. That was part of the point.

"I fell pregnant, Malum. Neither of us wanted to have a bastard child and marrying him offers me certain privileges and freedom of movement I wouldn't have gotten otherwise." She cast him a sideways glance. "I would have thought that these were things you would have been able to discern for yourself."

She fell quiet for a moment losing herself in her own thoughts before adding. "Kaine is well aware of the game I am playing, he is watching my every move."

She stopped as he did, knowing thay her next words could make or break their alliance. "I've hardly been here long enough to know the best candidate, now have I. The Dark Council however, if they are able to put their bias aside and think for a moment with a straight head, are more than capable of discerning the best person for thay role."

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

An uncomfortable feeling passed through his stomach, a twisting knot that only grew tighter with every step that he took, "I see your risk-taking behaviours when it comes to such a thing did bear fruit," He should have thought of the timing, and he did, of course he did, one did not just simply have your baby born before the wedding.

But of course, there was a key factor that had made his mind lose focus.

The fear.

The wonder.

The hope?

That, that child was...

"I can accept all those things easily enough, any other combination might have made things easier, that you loved him but were not bound, that you your hand was bound, but that you did not love him... but he is the crown prince of an empire far older than I, that you both love him, are married to him, and have a child, Kaine's grandchild, what am I to make of it? That you simply did so for these so-called privileges, this freedom of movement?" His steps continued, echoing along the walls, as he steadfastly refused to make eye contact with her, awkwardly withdrawing his offered arm.

Yet another thing to draw his annoyance.

Slight after slight.

"Or... in fact because you do love him, and now we are back to where we started," Still as he heard more of her words, his vision could not help but narrow, as he broke the embargo, and gave her a long, suffering, look, "Not much use for a spider once they have been revealed to the giant... what use is your position now if Kaine is aware?" It would be her forthcoming words that would make or break their alliance, perhaps.

But it was this admission which would fundamentally... make him wonder if this alliance had any use at all.

He stopped as she did, her curiosity to be fed.

And fed with exactly the wrong kind of meal.

If possible his eyes could only narrow further.

"And what exactly is a scheme without knowing the result first? Unless you have a candidate in mind, you would only be wishing to cause chaos... unless that is your goal, Lady Zambrano."

Lina Ovmar

 

[Lina Ovmar]

The iciness was returning to his voices os uch so that she rolled her eyes. "Oh for Bogan's sake Malum. I married him because I love him, because he was the first person in this galaxy that was ever concerned with my wellbeing for my own sake rather than theirs. The privileges that come with marrying the eldest son of Kaine are merely a bonus. Does it complicate my situation? Yes, absolutely, but the spider was always visible to the giant and to believe otherwise is folly. Whatever game Kaine I I are playing is for me and Kaine to play. Do not concern yourself with it, because at the end of the day if I win, it benefits you. and if I lose?"

She lifted her palms and shrugged. "Its hardly any skin off your back now, is it."

The corridor they stood in was quiet, the venom in his final statement seemed to reverberate from it. "Chaos was my mothers game, it is not mine. This isn't a scheme, or a bid for power, trust me, when i get to that point you will be the first to know about it. This is a suggestion for the Dark Council to think on. Strosius cannot die, even with his bullheadedness he is an asset that the Order cannot afford to lose. So leash him, preferably before the Emperor returns from his war front."

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

"Do not concern yourself with it," Malum parroted back at her, the mockery if not evident enough in his voice was evident enough across his expression, a mix of gritted teeth, a shaking head, and a curved lip, the twisting sensation in his stomach only grew worse as now stopped, not even the pattern of consistent steps he took could serve as a distraction, "You are my concern now if we are to proceed, you are to be my ally, and I will protect all my allies, so if you are exposed, do not simply tell me it is not my concern, because you matter more than victory or defeat, you..." He growled out, swinging his head away as he ground down on his teeth, if his own biology had not stopped him, he might have ground it into dust, as he snapped his head away and stomped off, "You... cruel... cruel... woman." He hissed out, under his breath, all of which was simmering to the surface, reaching a boiling point.

He heard the last of her words, even as it felt like his heart was beating in his eardrums, even as it felt like blood filled the organ.

Even to some degree what she said could be an aid to him.

All he could feel was the frustration.

All he could feel was the annoyance.

All he could feel was the hurt.

And he was latching onto anything, and everything to validate and justify all of it.

Lina Ovmar

 

[Lina Ovmar]

Lina watched him storm away, a frown creasing her forehead trying to pinpoint the source of his anger, trying to understand why he would call her cruel. where had she mis stepped this time? In declaring her love for Sarlow? In telling him that her own game with Kaine was not his concern? She had been exposed from the beginning, the mark that he had given her had seen to that, there was no where she went, no conversation she had while she had borne it that he did not know of. If anything, she now at least had some ability to slip out of Kaine's sight, to move among the shadows she had called home for so long.

"I only matter to you, because I am useful." she called at his retreating back "do not pretend like there is anything else to this!"

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

His quaking steps were brought to a halt as soon those words left her mouth, as soon as her words struck him, assaulted him, with the full judgement of her... cruel, cruel, mind.

His hands tightened into fists, as his breathing grew hollowed and uneven, the veins popped out, visible along his arms, but too, along his neck.

"What have I done, to make you believe I am so cruel?" His voice struggled to be a whisper, the words trying to waft along the air, but with their discordance, their heaviness, they seemed instead to press out across all sides, repeating in his eardrums, louder, and louder, again, and again.

His vision snapped back towards her, he saw only red, his rubies narrowed, as his lips were still parsed, a glare so sharp that it could cut through steel, despite everything he wished to do.

Despite this reaction, she had brought out of him, the ever need to maintain composure still struggled against it.

His vision darkened, as within a blink, he stood against her, opposite her, too close, trapping her in place, as his breath grew heavy, emotions contradictory, but emotions so keenly felt, flowing out of him like inky tendrils that latched onto anything it could, to be given precipice.

"You matter to me, because..." He let out a frustrated breath, hot air blowing through his nostrils as if he was a bull about to charge, as a hand tussled across his hair, no answer coming easily, "...Because you do, and..." He finally properly, met those emeralds, those which his mind had continued to drift to, memories coming easily, memories which he did not want, clouding his thoughts, and making this all so much more messy than it had any right to be.

"...I will not allow you to come to harm, that is my choice!"

Lina Ovmar

 

[Lina Ovmar]

The speed at which he returned, the roiling emotion that oozed from him as he closed the gap to space she may have been comfortable with once, but no longer. They had had their fun, now she was wed and the only one she would take to her bed were those within that marriage.

He was unravelling at the seams, fumbling for words. This wasn't about cruelty, this was business, yet for him... for him it was more, but why?

She placed a hand on his chest and took a step back from him, swallowing as she held his gaze. "While I am happy to work with you to bring him down, the fight I have with him is a fued we have had since before you were born. For thirty long years we have been playing cat and mouse and now we play spider and fly. You cannot protect me from that, nor do I want your protection."

She withdrew her hand. "Call me cruel if you wish, but for the sake of our own survival, emotions cannot play a part in this, Malum. Whatever you think you feel...whatever part of your heart is bleeding, find a way to end it. Or you will get us both killed."

She moved away from him making it a few paces past him before stopping, and turning back, the barest hint of hesitation as she opened her mouth.

"She is not yours, Malum."

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

A beat passed as her hand lay on his chest, and a tremor ran along his heart, could this be the...

He snapped back away from the temptation, the hope of that, as instead, all it gave him was the moment to process, to calm, to breathe.

Yet his true deflation.

Only came, as he properly registered her words.

As he was pushed away.

Eyes closed, breathing returned to something that could be described as a sharp normalcy, and rubies revealed themselves back to the world, as thousands of thoughts fluttered across his mind, and ceased.

Streamlined, and organised, the mask returned upon his face, as his eyes were dull, emotionless.

Even as the last of her words, threatened to return the fire.

He felt it rise in his throat, he was entirely too willing to begin belching smoke.

"Leave." He stated easily with an ease that if it was not for the contents of the words, it could have been misconstrued as a greeting, rather than a dismissal, "If that is the terms of your cooperation, then I accept it, but I put in my own terms. The first, if your Red Hand interrupts the activities of the Tsis'Kaar in any way, the alliance is at an end, the second, if you interrupt my activities in any way, the alliance is at an end. You are welcome to the Dark Council, but if you make your proposal, then you will put yourself in opposition to me, do so with that information as you wish. The Inquisition belongs to Darth Strosius , and once I have defeated him, it will belong to me, there is no other acceptable option." Red eyes looked to her as if she was barely there, for one who had fought Kaine for over thirty years, and had yet to make a dent.

If she wished to make distance, that was her prerogative.

Malum turned, and with his black cloak billowing in his wake, he marched away, his voice echoing down the hallways, "If you think all of this was about Lucia, then you are mistaken... but it matters little now, good fortune to you, Lady Zambrano."

Perhaps he should have asked her to look for the phylacteries aboard the Malsheem.

Alas, there was little point revealing that card to an ally by mere convenience, if she found it herself and destroyed it, it was she said, his boon.

If she failed.

It would be her failure alone.

His heart beat slower the further, and further he went.

Lina Ovmar