Ask Korriban Another Return

[Darth Malicia]

Malicia didn't notice any difference in Raze's face while he ate because her attention was elsewhere. That was, until he said to try the fruit. Both her yellows went back to the Lord. She hesitated a moment since she had rarely eaten fruit, or really, explored much when it came to food. But, she decided to grab a slice, stopping right before taking a bite to listen to Raze explain titles.

"Earned..." she echoed. She decided not to reflect on that comment since she had doubts. At least, for certain, she believed one thing. "You've earned a title," she said confidently. "Can I hand you the title of king, or does that require you killing me?" she asked, half-jokingly.

Finally, she took a bite of the fruit, widening her eyes as soon as it's horrid, mouth stinging, taste hit her tastebuds. The extreme sour caught her completely by surprise. Her lips curled into a frown. Her cheeks caved in a little more. Malicia pulled the fruit away and stared at it with a very confused look. Raze liked this? But...

"I'm... I'm not sure this is edible?" Malicia half-asked half-stated, still visibly confused since Raze suggested it. "If this is someones attempt to poison us it's not that well thought out."

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Raze took a different fruit this time, steering clear of the ones he suggested Malicia try. He listened as she spoke, but he didn’t look up until she tried the fruit. If she were watching, she would see the very faint hints of a grin just barely tugging at the corner of his lips. He didn’t smile often, but the sight of Malicia making that face was probably a once in a blue moon kind of deal.

“Apologies, my lady,” He said in a deadpan voice that wasn't apologetic at all as he casually grabbed a different fruit, “I knew it tasted awful, but misery loves company,” He said matter of factly as he popped another bit of fruit into his mouth. Raze shook his head at her words, “Your people here will be loyal. They will kill their own kin for you. You don’t need to worry about poisonings.”

Raze paused as he looked off at nothing in particular, “Yes,” He said simply, “I would have to kill you for the title of king, for ultimately you hold the title of King,” He explained, “You can grant the title of Prince which is what you’re asking. But then you’d have to marry me,” He said flatly as he reached for a piece of vegetable this time.

@Dread

 

[Darth Malicia]

At first she didn't say anything about his apology. Even though it, very oddly, didn't actually sound like an apology at all. She simply stared at him with her very confused look for a handful of seconds.

Then it clicked.

Malica felt it--small tugs at her cheeks until she smiled, fully, not just a faint one. She laughed. A long, lighthearted, genuine laugh that halfway through she tried to guiltily muffle with her hand. "Raze," she said at the end of her laugh, wiping away the tears from her eyes. She wasn't even aware she teared while laughing. Then again, she could only recall laughing a few times in her life. "You are... an interesting man."

He probably didn't realize, but she felt a small bit of relief when he suggested the people here were loyal. She thought on the rest of his answers and her lighthearted look switched as she drifted into thought. "I want to grant you the highest title on Korriban that I can," she said. The talk of marriage did not disturb her, it only made her think of more questions. She'd been willing to marry for power, so to marry to grant power was not out of the question for her.

"But, what does a marriage entail on Korriban?" she asked, looking up at the lord with questions in her eyes again. "Would I be required to continue your bloodline?" That was what marriage was on Serreno, at least for her. "A queen outranks a prince, so I assume I would not be required to obey you."

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

The laughter from her gave him slight pause. His head tilted just slightly as he watched her as if curiously appraising a work of art. He didn’t laugh with her, his face as blank as always.

Raze was mildly surprised she was entirely unfazed about the other topic. He ate a few more pieces of fruit and felt his energy returning. Raze knew he would still need the bacta, but he felt far better now than he did directly after the fight. He was distracted from his thoughts by Malicia’s questions.

The questions managed to draw out an entertained scoff, and he winced slightly as he moved to get down from the bed. Raze wasn’t the type to lie around all day, and he felt enough energy return to attempt moving.

“The King is the ultimate ruler and shapes the nuances. Some Kings desired obedience, others did not. Some kings passed on their lines, others chose successors or were killed for their positions. Whoever you marry will lose all their positions if you ever do, that is the only firm rule.”

Raze set his feet on the ground and wobbled slightly as he gritted his teeth through the pain, “You owe me no debt, Malicia.”

@Dread

 

[Darth Malicia]

Malicia kept listening to Raze, but she straightened up when he began shifting off the bed. When he stood up from the bed, a sense of unease settled over her and she stood herself, watching him carefully. Her head tipped slightly with his movements, and when he wobbled she stepped closer, slowly offering her arms. If he didn't stop her, she'd wrap her arms around one of his to support him.

Not that she offered much support.

She was starting to understand her role as Queen now, though she was distracted by his movements. "Do you not want to go in the Bacta tank?" she asked, looking away a moment. "Can we wait a little longer before we go?"

Malicia was aware she was fretting, but, from experience now, once she'd become protective of someone there was almost no going back. It didn't matter really what happened after that.

"But I want to," Malicia said to his comment about her not owning a debt, unsure how else to put her thoughts into words. "I desire to give you something for what you've done for me. I am aware it is not Sith," she said, even if he may not totally understand. "And.." she paused. "I hope the title will bring you back to Korriban, from time to time. So I will marry you, if Prince Raze suits you,"

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Raze felt pain shoot through his body and he had to hold onto the edge of the bed to support himself. He finally eased back down to sit, deciding he needed a bit longer before he was ready. Raze’s thoughts were pulled sharply back to Malicia as she spoke, though he didn’t look her way. He was about to bluntly tell her she needed to be up front when she dropped the last bit of her commentary.

The metal visor turned to look her way, and it was perhaps one of the few times there would be a hint of genuine surprise on his face. However, as usual, she wouldn’t see it. There was nothing but silence for a moment and then she would see the corners of his lips begin to curl into a grin.

“That was perhaps the worst marriage proposal in the history of marriage proposals,” Raze said quite casually. It was clear he was having a difficult time keeping back a chuckle. He knew she was serious, but the direct nature of how she arrived there was a change of pace from how she had been prior.

“If that is your wish then so be it,” He said simply. Raze could see the benefits of approaching it politically. However, he hadn’t entirely missed her other words either, “Korriban will always pull me back...for one reason or another.”

@Dread

 

[Darth Malicia]

Malicia stared at him blankly for a quick moment, bringing a hand to tap a finger on her bottom lip as she realized something. "That was a marriage proposal, wasn't it?" she said rhetorically.

Well, she certainly didn't think she was going to be the one to purpose during her life but she was happy with the arrangement. She supposed she was queen now instead of playing a lesser role in another court. A lesser role was all she was trained for, but she had adapted so far.

She smiled slightly at his last comment, though she frowned slightly as he sat down. Her hands pulled away from him and she gave him some distance again. Bandages, she thought, so she went and grabbed some that her cultists had delivered, and a bowl of bacta. "I'll alert my men to arrange the ceremony," Malicia said. She had zero idea how a marriage ceremony worked on Korriban, but she supposed she'd find out once it started.

Her strides brought her back to the bedside with a bowl of bacta and bandages floating around in it. Malicia sat the bowl down by Raze, pulling out an edge of a bandage to string it out. "Before we look for the library, will you need a new set of armour?" she asked. It hadn't actually crossed her mind until this point. There were probably sets in the palace, or her men could retrieve the Lord some.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Raze said nothing as she commented on the ceremony. He didn’t care for such frivolities, but he did care for the position it brought. The prince of Korriban was a commanding title that could extend to a military one. He had been able to rally the Sith before, and he knew he could bring them under one banner.

“What is your wish in the event of your death?” He asked flatly as he looked up at her. Unless she laid out exactly how power would be passed on or relinquished, she would lose everything she had worked to earn if she died. Then again, perhaps she didn’t care for life beyond her own death or to have any kind of lineage. The distaste she displayed at a bloodline was proof enough that she hadn’t given much thought to anything beyond her own existence.

Raze watched her take the bandages out and he lowered the front of his clothing slightly to allow her to apply it. The muscles of his chest were now decorated with the remnants of lightning streaked across the skin there. He had several bruises beneath his chest from where he cracked ribs.

“I only require a helmet,” He said curtly, allowing her to work however she pleased. Though he was self sufficient, he decided he actually liked it when others tended to his wounds. It was a curious deviation from his entire life of always having to look out for himself.

@Dread

 

[Darth Malicia]

Malicia tipped her head slightly when he asked his question. "If I die, the throne is yours," she answered plainly. "Of course, I wouldn't wish for anything other than that." That was simple for her to answer. Simple enough that she thought it was an odd question until something occurred to her. What if he died right after her? What if he died before her? Renfry was queen of her own people so would she even accept the role?

Once she landed on the only answer she could think of she felt that weakness of hers surface again. The warmth in her cheeks. "I..." she murmurerd while wrapping a bandage around him. She leaned her head forward slightly so her hair fell to the sides of her face to hide the fact that he'd caught her off guard again. "I suppose I'd..." she tried to continue, turning back to the bowl and deciding to get onto the bed. She sat on her knees safely behind Raze, out of his sight, to finish applying the bandages.

"I suppose I'll want to produce an heir to take it after," she said. She nodded when he mentioned a helmet. Her curiosity for what was under his helmet surfaced again, for a moment, but she pushed it aside. "I'll see that a helmet is delivered," she said right after, grabbing her datapad off her belt to send the message. She added a threatening note about the fruit to the end of it.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Raze remained silent as she spoke, especially as she mentioned the kingdom would go to him. If he had any opinions on it, he didn’t express them. It was his nature to often remain silent in situations, and it generally threw off others around him. He was especially alert as she got on the bed behind him, always wary of anyone approaching him out of his sight. He removed enough of his armor to allow her to reach the bruises and blunt force trauma that wrapped from his sides to his back.

She would begin to see some of the deep lacerations on his back that were old welts from his self inflicted wounds. It was clear he had very few new injuries, but the wounds were permanent scars. Raze was entirely unconcerned about them or her seeing them, focused on steadying his breathing through the rib pain.

Raze could tell she grew uneasy on a topic, especially as she mumbled something about producing an heir. Without seeing her face, he was clueless to her line of thinking. He stared ahead and popped another piece of the fruit into his mouth, deciding that he was growing accustomed to the taste.

“Kaggath is the way of the Sith regardless of how the line of succession is determined. Whoever you decide to have an heir with, you will want to ensure they will become a renowned warrior that can command the respect of the purebloods. They will need to be able to defend their crown should any challenger arrive.”

He ate another fruit, entirely missing that she had been referring to him with her comment. For how intelligent he was, Raze’s practical nature sometimes made him hilariously oblivious.

@Dread

 

[Darth Malicia]

Malicia felt some of the tenseness leave her body when his answer was.... tamer than she thought it might be. That he didn't assume it was himself had to be due to the culture, which made her wonder exactly how it worked. Would she be expected to pick a pureblood, not the prince? Either way, she finished up his bandages and focused on the practical again.

"I understand," she answered simply at first, "If I do live long enough for an heir to be born and raised under my supervision, I will see that it is properly trained for it's role. By then it will more than likely have an Empire's worth of knowledge at its finger tips to study."

Briefly her eyes lingered on the old scars on his back and she frowned. She had been angry and dismissive when she first saw the old wounds, though a question had come to mind that she was unsure she should ask. For now, she tucked the question away in her mind.

A beep on her belt brought her attention away from the subject for a moment. She grabbed her datapad again. "Your helmet will be here shortly" Malicia said, noting the Lord reaching for more items off the plate after. Grabbing the plate, she slid it closer to him to relieve any pain from reaching.

With his bandages done, Malicia slide to the edge of the bed, finally deciding to ask, "I'm unsure if its appropriate to ask, but I have been wondering if you recommend your technique to stay disciplined." Perhaps it was too personal, or he'd see the question as out of the blue, but there were multiple reasons she finally gave into asking it.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Raze didn’t miss her moving the bowl towards him, the subtle gestures of kindness still alien to him. He paused only for a moment before taking another piece of vegetable till there were only a few left. He silently pondered on her words, staring off at nothing for a few moments.

“It is not for me to recommend,” He explained quietly, “It is a path that one must choose. It has no merit if it is forced on anyone. It takes true commitment and devotion, so it is not for anyone that simply seeks to do as they are told,” Raze thought of how far it had carried him. He had always intended to grow beyond the need to strike himself, and he began to make great progress. He made seldom mistakes now, and he kept himself guarded.

Raze tilted his slightly to regard her as she moved to the edge of the bed. She was a curious woman to study, and he hadn’t drawn any solid conclusions about her yet.

“You never know,” He said after a bit of silence as amusement came through clearly in his tone, “If you have a child with me, it may be hideous,” She hadn’t seen what monstrosity waited beneath the helmet after all.

Raze exhaled slowly as he eased back a bit more into the bed. He decided he would relax for a bit longer before venturing out towards the library.

@Dread

 

[Darth Malicia]

Malicia did not say anything after he answered her question. She nodded instead to let him know that she, on some level, understood his answer. Not that she understood why it took such devotion. Simply, it wasn't something she could put that much into.

His next answer made her turn her head slightly, allowing her hair to fall to the side of her face again to hide it. He'd answered a question she had without even knowing. "I... highly doubt that," she answered he mentioned his looks. Despite her timidness on the subject, a small smile fought against her cheeks thinking about the peek she had through his helmet.

But after a pause, she reminded herself that the subject of heirs and children were often brought up among Serreno nobility. So... why did she have this much difficulty discussing it with Raze?

She continued to stare off, picking up the mostly empty plate and placing on the bowl so she could carry them to the table. "Truthfully I can think of no other candidate but you," she admitted because it was true, though she said it somewhat quietly. "It is difficult to ignore that, in all likelihood, an heir between us would turn out incredibly powerful..." she trailed off, deciding to slid off the bed.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Raze truthfully had no real opinion on the topic. There was nothing to be sensed from his demeanor or what could be seen from his expression. He had never given any thought to children, marriage or any such notions. It never felt particularly important, but he would do things that benefited him in some shape or form.

He was relaxing against the bed by the time Malicia finished speaking and moved to get up. He reached a hand over to casually grasp hers and tug her in. Despite the injuries, it was clear he was quite powerful. In one fluid motion, he brought her over to straddle his abdomen, ignoring the bruises along his body that protested.

The broken helmet gazed up at her as his hands slid along the sides of her thighs and towards her hips, “Let’s practice then, shall we?” The deep voice rumbled with a velvety finish.

Only a moment was allowed to pass before voices erupted nearby to announce the arrival of the helmet. Raze calmly stared up at Malicia as her cultists began to walk in. He made no move to push her off, though his hands did slide back down from her hips and to the bed. It was difficult to tell whether he was entirely relaxed or seething with rage.

@Dread

 

[Darth Malicia]

She did not expect for him to grab her hand, or to be pulled on his lap again. Her environment and position switched suddenly and without thinking her hands went back to his chest. Her legs tightened around him on reflex when she felt his hands. Warmth returned to her cheeks and she wasn't sure how to react. It was sudden but, though she felt nervous, she enjoyed his smell. Even if the cologne was faint now, Raze had a particular smell of his own that mixed with it.

She paused when he spoke and she brought a balled hand closer to her face, trying to cover her expression albeit fruitlessly. "It... takes practice?" she asked. She didn't... actually know.

After a second she remembered he was still wounded and pulled her other hand back. She was about to comment when his hands pulled away and the sounds of her cultists entering the tent caught her attention. The thought of them seeing her now...? More importantly, she'd promised Raze that she wouldn't let anyone see him until he felt safe enough.

"ALL OF YOU OUT NOW!" Malicia growled.

The cultists scrambled out, dropping the helmet. She would've pushed them out if the screen wasn't in front of the bed. When her anger subsided slightly she remembered where she was sitting and looked back at Raze. While she was still aware of her... location, she still frowned a bit. "It's... a good thing I placed that screen there otherwise I would've broken my promise to you," she said, quietly, half to herself in disappointment. Usually she thought things through, yet she hadn't ordered her men to drop the helmet in front of the tent.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Raze watched the exchange play out, feeling rage in Malicia’s demeanor spike as she dismissed the cultists. He heard the distinct clank of the helmet hitting the floor as they ran away in terror. Though Malicia turned back to him and spoke of the mistake, Raze was still caught onto the rage that had manifested seconds prior.

He didn’t address the comment about the cultists, moving slowly to sit up. The helmet was much closer to her face now, and she would be able to make out the portion of his face that was revealed. One of his hands slid up her back and grasped at her soft hair. He had taken quite a liking to the hair and he relished the way the strands felt between his fingers. Raze’s grasp on the hair was almost possessive in nature and unapologetic.

His other hand worked to undo her clothing, the sounds of zippers and buttons being unclasped filling the air. Raze leaned in so his face was near the crook of her neck, and she would feel his breath against her skin.

“Don’t hold back with me,” He said quietly, his grasp on her hair growing firmer as he reminded her, “I am a monster too.”

Raze yanked away some of her clothing as he finished speaking, methodical and purposeful with every gesture.

@Dread

 

[Darth Malicia]

Her breath caught when his hand made its way up her back and curled in her hair again. She was starting to grow use to the feeling of her hair wrapped tautly around his fingers. Even the possessive nature of it somehow, some way, did not bother her, even if she'd done so much to maintain her independence. She wanted to deny she liked it, but she couldn't. It was frustrating.

A chill rolled through her body from his hot breath on her neck. Then the feeling of terrible, sweet pain filled her as he pulled on her hair. He did it to remind her that he was a monster...too. Her legs tightened around him in response and she forced herself to answer him, "I can't... I can't because you make is so..."

Malicia's left hand rose up. Not abruptly, not exactly, since it was in response to what he'd said. Her pale fingers curled against his damaged helmet, filling the moment with the quiet sounds of her nails digging against it frustratingly. "... difficult." He made her feel vulnerable and he kept something from her at the same time.

Her other hand had wandered near his shoulder, though she pulled it back a small amount and curled her fingers. "And I can't vent my frustration on you right now because you're hurt," she said in a soft but frustrated growl. "I can't..." she repeated.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Raze didn’t stop what he was doing, bits of her clothing falling away till more of her skin was revealed. He heard her words, relishing the timidness that he managed to draw from her. Raze tilted her head back by tugging with fistfuls of hair. His other hand reached over to lift up his helmet, but not before the half mechanized voice commanded, “Close your eyes.”

He removed the helmet, knowing he had her word. There was a whole new level of teasing when she couldn’t open her eyes. Raze tossed aside more of her armor and the top of her clothing, the pallid skin visible to him. He didn’t hold back, teasing and touching however he pleased as if she were his.

Raze pulled her closer, ignoring the pains in his body. He kissed along her neck, leaving bites and marks as he passed. His path took him down along her chest where he paused for a moment, “Then I will show you,” He said firmly.

He shifted and moved her so she faced away from him with her back facing him. He moved her hair aside to kiss along her shoulder from behind, tracing a finger down between her shoulder blades as he did so, “..as many times as it takes.”

He nudged her down so her face pressed into the bed. Raze took a moment to simply take in sight of her back, watching the way her spine arched and the way her hair fell around her shoulders. His hands slid along her sides, coming up against her hips where he gripped firmly. Despite his injuries, despite the broken state of his armor, his presence was still powerful and assertive. His desires were very clear and pronounced with every gesture he made.

@Dread

 

[Darth Malicia]

She felt her head tilt back and a gasp forced it way out of her throat in reaction to the delicious pain that accompanied it. She frowned when he said to close her eyes but she closed them. By now she was familiar with the sound of him unclipping his helmet, and it only reminded her of how badly wanted to open her eyes, yet she didn't. "You make me feel... so helpless sometimes," she admitted.

The warmth and strength of his hand, face, exploring and helping itself to her bare body sent chills throughout her. A mixture of desire and timidness mixed painfully together. Part of her mind said run but her body wanted nothing more than to stay, it was a clash she had no control over.

She felt his breath on her neck again and more pain, it made it incredibly tempting to inflict the same pain on him, but she couldn't. Again. Instead her free hands, while they still had the chance, wandered carefully up his chest and near his face. She gripped them there, picturing herself leaning forward to steal a kiss from him, finally, but he still had her hair gripped.

He'd show her? She only half understood until she felt her face against the pillow, and his grip firmly on her hips. "Raze.." she gasped into the pillow, her whole body tightened to his touch.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

She would feel him grinning against her skin as he traced kisses down her body before spinning her, “I make you feel exactly what you wish to feel,” He murmured quietly as his hot breath tickled her skin. He knew exactly what he was doing, and it was clear he was in complete control. Malicia knew he was not a tamed beast, and she would know exactly how he exerted control. It was a dance he was well versed in, and it was one he would lead as many times as she desired.

---​

It was some time later with the sun having set already. He was normally not the cuddling type, and he doubted Malicia was either. However, he was still recovering from his wounds and there was exhaustion for both of them from the battles from the past few days. Not to mention, their most recent activities had taken exertion.

Raze was behind Malicia on his side, his arm lazily draped across her hip, their bodies still bare and lined with the sheen of sweat. He gazed into the back of her head, getting lost in the alabaster strands. His fingers traced gingerly up her bare hip and along the side of her body, dipping down for her waist and then up again against her ribs, “What will you do once you have your empire?”

He seldom asked questions, but he had observed her actions enough to know she had a better strategy than most Sith. There was a method to her madness, just as there was for him. Would she march on the Free Worlds Alliance? Would she turn on the Eternal?

@Dread