Ask A Bird in the Hand is Worth Two in the Bush

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

Caerllion admired the architecture of the room where he was waiting for Azar. Like the outside, it was very beautiful. In the last time that he had been here, the Annfyn didn’t have much time to admire how the columns were carved and the walls finely decorated. The events of that party ended up being too stressful for him to notice anything else that wasn’t the events of that night.

However, the Annfyn wasn’t back in the royal palace to admire the work of its engineers. He had work to do. Azar was the Dark Lord and all reports should be made to him. Caerllion couldn’t avoid feeling his heart beat faster with this fact. This meant that, as a Master, he would need to work with the Pureblood more times.

Even with Azar not trusting him completely, Caerllion still hoped that it could change. His heart needed to attach itself to this hope, because simply being close to the Pureblood was enough to make him happy. Not being able to see his smile ever again would be death to him.

He already hated Trael because of what happened in that party, since he feared that Azar could have lost his smile forever. Perhaps it was an overreaction from his part, but Caerllion still hated the human for betraying the Pureblood’s trust.

While he waited for Azar’s arrival, Caerllion could hear how one of his wives gave orders to the servants. He still didn’t know how to feel about the fact that Arcanos had married again. It wasn’t as if he could give his opinion about it, but there was sympathy here. Himself would need to have a political wedding because of his position as king.

Even if his heart seemed to already know with who it wanted to marry.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Azar was in a constant state of stress since his weddings. He had his duties to his wives, but he also had to make sure they didn’t kill each other. Each of them had been given their own residence halls within the palace and entire quarters to make their own along with handmaidens to tend to their every need. Despite being King, Azar himself opted not to have personal attendants on account of accidentally killing a few. The affliction he had since consuming the abomination was getting a little worse each day.

In truth, he was looking forward to seeing Caerllion. The man had become instrumental not just for his unique knowledge of sciences and applications of the Force, but for his love of art and culture. Azar was surrounded by countless individuals that had an endless thirst for battles and violence, but few who could simply slow down and enjoy the details and beauty of life.

He appeared, at last, delayed as was his habit. Azar managed a tired smile, “Caerllion,” He said, using his name instead of his rank, “I am pleased to see you,” He said, his tone genuine. He did miss those adorable ears.

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

When Azar entered the room, Caerllion felt his heart beat faster on his chest. Even after he realized his feelings for the Pureblood, being close to him was enough to make his body feel as if he was still trying to comprehend what was happening. Even the butterflies in his stomach had returned.

“I’m happy to see you again.” he said, with a smile appearing on his lips. He completely ignored the Pureblood's delay. Even if Azar took an entire day to arrive, Caerllion would remain dutifully waiting for him. “You look gorgeous as always.” shortly after saying that, the Annfyn noticed the tiredness on his face. He felt the urge to do something to change it. It had no place here.

Azar’s face should be full of life and with a large smile. Like when he was with Vossari and Trael, before the last deciding to be an idiot.

“I brought for you the gifts that I promised.” Caerllion said, while gesturing at a suitcase and a cage covered by a black cloth that were on the floor behind him. He decided to start by the cage, removing the cloth from over it. Inside was a crow-sized bird, with black crown, nape, wings and tail. The rest of the body was red, with half of the chest and back covered by black patterns.

“I bioengineered it through the breeding of two birds of my homeworld. As you can feel, it has affinity to the Dark Side.” he said, while picking the cage from the floor. “It can be your spy and familiar, once you decide to make a bond with it.” at this moment, the bird started to sing a melodious and comforting song. “It’s a songbird. I hope that its song will be able to comfort you.” and perhaps make you less tired. He added mentally.

“As you can see, I based its colors on you.” he blushed, looking at his feet. Caerllion made a great effort on doing it, even trying to replicate the patterns in the red areas as close possible to the Pureblood’s tattoos. “If you allow me, I would like to name the species as Azaronis magnificens, Azar's magnificent bird.”

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Azar took to the bird almost at once, leaning in to admire it. He whistled a tune and the bird mimicked it to his delight. Azar’s eyes brightened and it was clear he would spend hours with this bird, “This is a precious gift, Caerllion,” He said with a smile, “Even beyond its skills in subterfuge,” Azar noted. He imagined falling asleep to a beautiful bird song - if he didn’t accidentally kill it unknowingly because the affliction took over.

“Would you like to walk through the city with me?” Azar asked, likely to Caerllion’s surprise, “I have been inundated with stress, managing my wives, dealing with running my kingdom and also the Sith Order,” He added the last thought bitterly. He was doing Tempest’s job without the title at this point and it aggravated him.

Regardless of whether or not the Annfyn said yes, Azar would turn and leave the room, making his way towards the palace courtyard. It had countless flowers and plants lining the sides - all imported from other planets.

“I must ask..” Azar trailed off, “What exactly happened back there with the tiefling Champion and yourself,” He said as he cast a sideways glance, “It seemed far more than just a fling for things to have escalated like that.." Azar quirked a brow, "Do you expect retaliation?"

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

The sight of Azar’s tired countenance being replaced by one of real happiness made a smile appear on Caerllion’s lips, while his chest became filled with a warm sensation. Knowing that he was able to make the Pureblood smile left the Annfyn infinitely happy.

“I’m happy that you liked it.” he said, while watching Azar whistle to the bird, with the animal immediately answering him. “Having eyes in the sky is very useful to watch enemies without them noticing.” Caerllion could attest it, since he had used that strategy many times in the past and would continue in the future.

Azar’s invitation was a total surprise for Caerllion. After having heard the Pureblood say to Trael that he didn’t trust him, the Annfyn thought that the King would not want to stay with him for much longer. Perhaps the other Sith was finally noticing that he could trust on him. This thought made a spark of hope appear in his heart.

“Of course. It’ll be a pleasure.” he said, but this time there was no smile on his lips. The bitterness in Azar's voice left evident to Caerllion that the Pureblood was feeling tired with his obligations. The life of a king wasn’t easy, that the Annfyn knew very well. One that was also the leader of the entire Sith Order must be even worse.

A part of him wondered if the Pureblood would give up on everything if he had the chance. Perhaps flee with Vossari to a world where they could be in peace, away from the chaos of the Sith and of ruling an entire kingdom. If it happened, Caerllion would suffer from not being able to see Azar anymore. However, he would at least be satisfied with the fact that the red-skinned man was happy and safe somewhere.

However, Caerllion doubted that Azar would give up everything that he achieved. From his part, the Annfyn would be there to help the Pureblood make his burden less heavy, not expecting anything else besides these moments and smiles.

He followed Azar toward the courtyard, being able to see the gardens of the palace. The last time that he walked through them, Caerllion had been coming back from the medical bay after he left Trodai here. He couldn’t see the flowers due to the darkness of the night, but now the Annfyn was able to properly observe them.

Caerllion turned his eyes away from the flowers when he heard Azar’s question. “I saw potential in Ayomi from the beginning. I believed that they could be a good ally, if they learned to embrace their passions. So I flirted with them to bring that up.” there was a cold tone in his voice while he talked about the Tiefling, one that showed that he didn’t care about them anymore.

“It seems that they thought that my flirting was equal to a declaration of love, rather than carnal desire and ambition. I tried to postpone the confession that I couldn’t retribute their feelings to not make a scene at your party.” he looked at Azar with an apologetical expression. The Annfyn still regretted having brought so much drama to that celebration.

“There is only one person that I really love.” he stared at Azar’s golden eyes, he didn’t need to give a name after that declaration in Batuu. “Unfortunately, they called me a coward and I couldn’t stand such offense. I reminded them that I’m a Master and put them back in their place.” it was a shame that Ayomi had decided to find their cleverness at that moment and see through his attempt to deceive. If at least they remained stupid, the two could have remained allies.

“Yes, I expect that there will be revenge. I would be silly to not expect it.” they were Sith, it would be natural to harbor hatred. “However, I’m prepared to deal with them.” he wasn’t going to stand idly while Ayomi plotted. The Annfyn was arming himself for their inevitable clash. “I’m really sorry that this debacle had started during the part. I never was able to thank you for organizing it.”

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Azar listened to Caer’s reasoning as they walked through the gardens of the ornate courtyard. It was a little piece of what he started to build back on Umbara. Unlike Umbara, he could have a proper garden with flowers that thrived under the sunlight, it just needed around-the-clock watering. The Pureblood wasn’t entirely sure that Caerllion never had feelings for Ayomi, but ultimately it didn’t matter.

He kept leading Caerllion out towards the streets that were lined with stalls and merchants. Azar put up a hood to obscure his appearance.

“You conducted yourself appropriately,” Azar said, “You would have proven them right if you simply let the insult pass,” He added. He walked in silence for a moment before speaking again.

“Batuu seems like a century ago,” Azar mused as he gazed off at nothing, “Everything seemed simpler while you read to me and I wasn’t having to pose as King,” He said.

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

Caerllion nodded after Azar gave his opinion about the Master’s reaction. The Annfyn always knew that his attack on Ayomi was justified, they were a simple champion that overstepped their position when talking to a superior. By Sith law, he had the right to punish them.

However, a small part of him feared that Azar would be mad for the drama that he and the Tiefling caused during the party. After all, it happened inside the Pureblood’s palace, which could have been considered a disrespect to the sanctity of his royal home. It was a relief for Caerllion to hear from the King of Korriban that he didn’t feel offended by his actions.

Besides, the drama that he and Ayomi brought was a footnote in the events of that party if compared what Trael did.

The Annfyn smiled when he heard Azar talk about Batuu. “I deeply miss that moment. As much as I miss your presence.” everyday. He wanted to add, but decided against it. Sometimes, Caerllion’s mind drifted back to that moment. He would see himself holding the Pureblood in his arms again, while reading a poem. It had been a tender and peaceful moment amidst all the turmoil that was his life. It was especially troubling now that he was ruling Annwfyn.

He wanted to repeat it, simply to feel and share the peace of that moment with Azar.

“Being royalty is stressful. I want to kill whoever says that our lives are easy.” he said with a bit of bitterness in his voice. “We have little freedom, so any moment of it needs to be cherished.” Caerllion turned to look at Azar’s golden eyes. They were like two precious citrines that he wanted to admire forever.

“So, I came here to offer you a time away from all that, but first I need to tell you about the Lichpin Station and what exist beyond the Maw.” then, the Annfyn would explain the events of that day, how he and others ended up getting stranded in an ancient space station built by the Sith species after crossing through the Maw and the existence of the Stygian Reaches. "After the Professor took the throne, the gate between the two Galaxies remained open. I got the coordinates to reach the station and thought that we could explore it together. This way we can spread the Order's influence in a completely new Galaxy."

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

“Hm, if you missed me so much, you’d visit more often,” Azar said breezily, quirking a brow. He was taking measured steps, but he couldn’t deny there was a bit of curiosity. Azar hadn’t explored anything with Caerllion beyond a very mild moment on Batuu. His love life was always a mess, and he wondered if it was worth even opening those doors again.

Azar was initially disappointed when Caerllion changed the topic back to work, but the more he spoke, the more intrigued the Pureblood became, “Tell me about the Sith out there,” He said urgently, “Are they similar to the Sith in this galaxy?” Azar asked, “Are they more powerful? Do they have the same culture?” This could be the key to unlocking the secret to ruling as a Sith. This could help him become Sith’ari without failing the same as all his predecessors.

He pondered on the proposal, sighing, “With Tempest all but dead, if I go absent, there will be no leadership to guide the Sith Order..” He mused. Azar despised the burden of responsibility sometimes. He longed for the days of being an acolyte, or even a Champion, when he could wander around the galaxy without the Order depending on him.

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

”Sadly, the aftermath of my coronation had consumed some of my time in the past months.” Caerllion said, deeply regretting not being able to visit Azar more constantly. “But things are going to be different now. Since I'm considered still too young by my species, some of my duties are filled by a ruling council. It gives me some freedom, in exchange for filling a lot of paperwork.” he smiled, thinking that this was the only blessing from that law from his homeworld.

“With this freedom, I signed up in the Korriban Academy to make workshops and lectures about genetics and its use combined with the Dark Side.” Caerllion would bring some new knowledge to these dumb Acolytes. “With your approval, I'll teach the students how to be good geneticists, besides being close to you.” he leaned to whisper at the Pureblood. “Like the butterfly that lives because of the flower, I can’t live without seeing you.”

Caerllion heard Azar’s questions and immediately answered them. “Physically, they are very similar to the other Sith. Much of their culture is still nuclear, but they live in a state called the Eternity. Surprisingly, it’s some type of republic.” the Annfyn never thought that he would see that species using democracy to rule themselves. “From the intel that I gathered, they have a culture different from yours, especially after a calamity named the Great Unmaking, an event that shattered its previous empire and made them become what they are now.”

“I think that I had visions of that event during my stay in the station.” Caerllion said, with Azar being the only person that he was trusting that information. “A saw glimpse of a great battle, with a power of the darkness that I never felt before. There is a great potential hidden beyond the Maw.”

“Their military power has yet to be measured, but I saw impressive things in the other said. The Linchpin Station had a system that was capable of opening a gate between the two Galaxies by using a live being as key of sorts.” he still could remember what happened with the Professor and how he had offered himself to that end, before changing his mind.

Azar's reluctance made Caerllion sad, but he understood the Pureblood situation. The entire Order depended on him, especially after Tempest disappeared From the Galaxy. The Annfyn could bet that she was locked inside a closet,with a sanctuary made for Altair. She seemed the type to do that. “I understand, but I think that we can survive some days without you. We survived with Tempest's inconsistent presence for years. This trip could be important for the Order and your kingdom. We can't have the Jedi reaching them first.”

“Besides, I want to be close to you again.” Caerllion moved his hand, feeling tempted to touch the red-skinned man's cheeks. However, he would only do that if Arcanos allowed it. “To read poetry to you and see how your divine smile appear on your lips after hearing every verse, while your golden eyes shone so beautifully. I never forgot the feeling of having you so close to me that day in Batuu.”

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Everything Caerllion said sounded fascinating. Azar had a thirst for exploring and knowledge - after all, he left Korriban to venture out into the wider galaxy and decided to stay. Since then he studied various sciences and different cultures such as Mandalorians. He also studied the physiology of tieflings and other races, always having an insatiable hunger for knowledge. It was hard to deny the appeal of venturing out into a new galaxy entirely, especially when it concerned other Sith.

"Very well," Azar said quietly, "I suppose I can afford to be away for a little bit of time.."

Azar was distracted when Caerllion spoke about going together, allowing him to graze his cheek with his hand. The touch sent an unfamiliar sensation through him, a part of him that yearned for the touch of another man, and especially a man who loved him. Azar missed what that felt like, even if he couldn’t return the feelings fully. Not yet, anyway.

“Oh stop, you’re making me blush,” He said with a smile, his face flushing. Azar had to focus, so she shook himself out of it, continuing their walk through Dreshdae. It was a beautiful evening, the streets lined with lanterns and torches. There was a light breeze of wind, the air carrying the delicious scent of food, and the sound of live music.

“So will you marry in your role as King?” He asked curiously, “Take wives and continue your legacy?”

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

”Excellent! I’ll have everything prepared for our trip.” Caerllion smiled, happy that Azar had agreed with the idea of going to the Stygean Reaches. Caerllion was curious to know more about the other Galaxy, especially to find more resources for his experiments. This way he could help the Order.

However, above his on curiosity was the fact that he wanted to share this thrilling feeling of adventure with the Pureblood, both because he loved every second of being near him and because the Annfyn believed that Arcanos, as the King of Korriban, had the right to meet the members of his species that lived in the Stygean Reaches.

And after that meeting, if Azar desired, bring all of them under his control.

When his hand touched Azar’s cheek, Caerllion felt the familiar warm feeling spread through his body. He considered this moment as extraordinary. He remembered that the red-skinned man said that he should add their kiss in Batuu in the tale about his life, and this simple touch would be added there too.

It showed that the Pureblood at least trusted on the Annfyn enough to allow such touch to happen. Caerllion would continue working to prove to Azar that he could be trusted, that he would die before betraying him.

The touch of his hand on the Pureblood’s cheek lasted only for a moment, but was enough to make Caerllion immediately miss the warmth of Azar’s skin. “But you are cute blushing.” the Annfyn smiled, stating a fact. Arcanos looked adorable with his cheeks flushed. He didn’t even look like the Dark Lord, but as a common person.

This thought didn’t diminish the Annfyn’s love for the other man. He loved him as Azar, with his smiles, blushing, fancy tastes and strong personality. He loved him as Arcanos with his power and competence to maintain the Order afloat. He loved him as the King of Korriban, who returned to his homeworld as no one and subjugated it into his own empire.

All the three were parts of the man that Caerllion loved, but they occupied equal space in the Annfyn’s heart.

They continued walking, with Caerllion being able to see more of Korriban’s culture. The city was so full of life that it didn’t seem that the Sith species had been so close to disappearing. Azar’s rule really gave them encouragement to move away from the shadow of extinction.

Azar’s question moved the Annfyn’s attention away from his surroundings and back to a matter that would soon give him a headache. “It’s what the parliament expects. Even if I only need to marry after I’m fifty years old, some nobles are already throwing their daughters at me to choose one. They are so dull, boring and some even annoying.” but the most important, they weren’t the red-skinned man.

“Unfortunately, they will bother me until I choose someone and get a child with her. Finding real love as a member of nobility, especially a king, is nearly impossible. We are always part of political games. My parents were lucky.” he was lucky, too. Even if Azar didn’t share his feelings yet, the Master was able to feel how an Annfyn 's love really was. He never thought that it could be so good and scary at the same time. “And you? How are your wives? Do you get on well with them?”

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Cute. It had been some time since someone called him that. Since someone felt bold enough to call him that. He was revered and put on pedestals, but he was rarely called something like cute these days. The simple word made him smile, perhaps making him blush even more. He had to admit - Caerllion was a charmer. Azar didn’t doubt that there was love speaking for a lot of it, but even without it, the Annfyn knew what to say to get the heart racing. Was this why Ayomi was so smitten?

He could sympathize with the dilemma of a King needing to choose wives. He saw it as a duty, but he did enjoy the company of his wives, “I get along okay with them,” Azar explained, “They are brilliant women. However, I can tell they do not favor one another as is expected with multiple wives,” He said, “Perhaps it will change when children are born…or maybe even get worse,” He said with a grimace.

“I miss the presence of a man,” Azar admitted, surprised at himself. Perhaps he was feeling more open with Caerllion than he expected. He chewed on his lip, continuing their walk, “The rules are always different with royalty. Because our people are on the brink of extinction, royalty is supposed to only marry opposite genders. I broke that with my first husband…and then proved everyone right when I had to kill him,” Azar explained, grimacing, “So now being with a man gains me extra scrutiny in my role as king.”

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

Caerllion nodded when Azar said that his relationship with his wives was okay. He couldn’t say that he was happy for the Pureblood, because it was obvious that Arcanos wasn’t happy either with this arrangement. And for the Annfyn, the red-skinned man's happiness mattered more than anything else.

Even his own.

“Multiple consorts aren’t common in my homeworld. It isn’t forbidden, but considered exotic, to not say another word.” Caerllion said bitterly, wondering how his people survived so long in a Galaxy full of pluralism by being so close minded. “I hate it.” he admitted, turning his head to look at a nearby arborized square. There was a fountain in the middle of it with a statue carrying a vase from where the water fell. “Being part of the Order opened my eyes and I feel ashamed with how prejudiced they are.”

“I'm working to change it.” Caerllion confessed, but his eyes remained focused on the water falling off the statue. “I met with some groups, including exiled ones, that want to change this prejudice. My aunt, the ex-queen, had fallen in love with a Corellian, but she preferred to become a puppet of our prime-minister rather than working to free herself and our world of these horrible chains.”

“I'll break these chains for the sake of Annwfyn's future. I have the means to control the nobles and politicians.” Caerllion still has the data from the prime-minister's archives. His uncle was a monster, but the Sith had to agree that his methods had merit. With what he stole, the black-haired man had a ton of information to use as blackmail for some politicians. “Surprisingly, more of the common people are progressive. Especially those that travel to other worlds. I'll enlist their help.”

He turned to look at Azar, a smile on his lips. “Reforms take time, but who knows, maybe I'll be able to marry the person that I love. If they love me back someday, of course.” he said, as if said person wasn’t right next to him. It was a bit of wishful thinking on his part, since he had to reform his culture, while the Pureblood had yet to trust him completely. There was some advance in the last one, but the question was if it would become love.

Whatever happened in the future, Caerllion would continue showing Azar how much he loved the Pureblood.

Any dreams that he had to marry Azar suffered a hit when the Pureblood revealed that royals were expected to marry the opposite gender. “My people don't care that much if I marry a man, but in the nobles’ head a queen consort makes more sense than a king consort when it's a man sitting on the throne. However, they expect me to give them an heir by any means necessary, even by the combination of our genetic material in a clinic.”

The fact that the nobility had used the death of Kary to judge Azar made Caerllion mad. “Then, they are idiots. You showed to the Galaxy that your species still exists and made it thrive. You are uniting the Sith worlds again. How can they focus on painful details to scrutinize you rather than seeing all the good that you made and how amazing you are?” he said, looking at the Pureblood's golden eyes. He could get lost on them.

“If they can only stay here judging you rather than seeing what you did for them, I'm sorry, but these people deserve extinction.” he was furious with how the nobles could be ingrates. They weren’t much different from those in his homeworld, but Caerllion could endure their judgmental stares. He couldn’t stand when it happened with Azar, especially when they used a moment that made the red-skinned man suffer so much, because he could see in his eyes how talking about Karys was still painful.

“We should travel to the Stygean Reaches immediately. When we return, you’ll rub on their faces how you made a treaty with the lost Sith. Not only that, but how you alone made a treaty with the Kingdom of Annwfyn. Let's see if nobles will have the courage to judge you.” Caerllion was willing to do anything to make Arcanos prosper. Besides, he didn’t forgot the offer made by in Batuu regarding a trade agreement between their worlds. “Azar, you are an incredible person and amazing king. Anyone that questions that doesn't deserve you as their sovereign.” he smiled at the Pureblood, offering a hand for him.

If accepted, the Annfyn would guide the red-skinned man to his ship, so they could bring even more greatness to his rule.

@Sreeya