Riko (Liam/James):

Liam leaned back against the hard, straight back of his chair and surveyed the man standing in front of him. Man, god. Liam smile flickered. Was he really so old that this once-boy now stood before him as a man?

"Arutha has told me you are very competent. I hope you won't be too disappointed to serve as Duke of Rillanon...not Krondor."

James smiled. "I live to serve you, sire. No matter WHERE I am."

Lianda (Erland/Arutha):

Erland looked up into this father's face and said, earnestly, lovingly, "I always wanted to be just like you father. In every respect. I wanted to be you, and when I couldn't, I fell in love. Daddy, I love you!"

Arutha looked silently at his son. Then he sighed. "First Borric, now you. Ishap, why did you make my sons so fey?"

Riko (Anita/William):

"Hello, William," Anita said, smiling pleasantly.

"Hello, princess."

Silence reigned for a moment as Anita searched for something to say.

"If you're waiting for Arutha, he'll be a moment longer."

William shuffled and looked at his feet. "Mm... Yes. Thank you, princess."

"You don't have to keep calling me princess, William."

"Sorry, pr--"

"Anita."

William sighed and looked up. "Anita," he said.

Lianda (Nicky/Pug):

The medallion was only supposed to be used in dire need, but Nicholas used it almost every night. He whispered the cherished name three times, and there the man appears, in all his glory: a true master of the universe.

"Nicky, is everything alright?"

"Yes."

"Then what?"

"My foot's acting up again. I want you to... massage it for me..."

"I already healed it."

"You know you want to..."

Riko (Arutha/Locklear):

"You've got pretty eyes."

"Are... hitting on me?"

"S'not unheard of here in the city. Maybe down in Land's End..."

"You're drunk."

"A little...beautiful."

"You're drunk, and you're hitting on me."

"And you aren't running away, I notice."

"Only because you haven't given me permission to leave."

"Yeah... It's good to be prince."

Lianda (James/Locklear):

"Gods, I'm bored. You'd think the two most popular squires would find SOMETHING to do on rest day."

A quick grin. "Let's go on a date, Locky."

"Come of it Jimmy, I'm NOT going back to the sewers with you. That is the worst make out place imaginable."

"It's dark though."

"But smelly."

"We'd be all alone."

"No we wouldn't. Have you see how gigantic the rats are?"

"If you diss my second home again, there's gonna be a fight."

Riko (Gamina/Anita):

Anita lowered her eyes so that eyelashes shaded green. "I can't do this."

"You can."

"No," she wrung her hands a little. "I shouldn't."

"We love each other. There is no should."

"Arutha..." Anita relented slowly. "I love him."

"But you love me more," a pale hand traced a line up Anita's shoulder to press against her temple. "I can hear it."

Lianda (Arutha/Pug):

Arutha stood and faced the man. "Didn't you use to love my sister?"

"Yes...but that was a very long time ago."

"Don't I look exactly like my sister."

"..very much so."

"Isn't that enough?"

"Sire, even if it was, I'd out live you...besides, I can see my future, and in it I get to impregnate a really hot bitch. So sorry."

Riko (Guy/Talia):

Talia wiped up the puddles that pooled around the tables every night, and as she did so, she hummed the song he had taught her so many years ago. Her father would be angry, of course, if he ever found out about him, but Talia kept the memory close and dear through it all.

She had loved him. He had shown the people what freedom could be liked and they had called him a traitor and a usurper. But she loved him still.

Lianda (Patrick/Dash):

The young prince, both infuriated and embarrassed, screamed at the other boy, "I order you to kiss me! I am a Prince! Do what I saaay!"

The other boy grinned and snorted, "Aah, no Patrick. You're just a whiny, ugly boy. Go play with someone else."

"Don't be so mean, Dashel, or I'll tell on you!":

"You do that..." The boy rolled his eyes and left.

Riko (Dash/Jimmy):

"...And so she marries Patrick."

Dashel stretched and rubbed a hand through his hair. "As you have said. Many times. Tonight alone."

Jimmy pouted. "Can you blame me? I love her."

"Yeah... but not that much."

"No," Jimmy laughed and let his hand wander down to tangle in his brother's hair. "Not that that much."

Lianda (Borric/Locklear):

"Highness! Borric! Thank God I found you." Locklear breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yeah...and then the guard goes...PFFFFFFTT" Red hair whipped back as the young man laughed his head off.

"God, Borric..you're sodding drunk."

"Yeah? An' who're you? My mother?"

"Come on Borric, let me help you."

"Are you comin on t'me? I dun blame you..I'm a hot piece of ass.."

"..you're really not."

"Take that back!"

"No!"

Riko (Owen/Locklear):

Locklear was beginning to notice something about his travelling companions. Maybe it was because Gorath was so socially inept, but the farther they went, the more Owen seemed to talk.

"And father will never take me back after this! I don't know where I'll go. Do you think I could be a knight? Isn't that how it works? If you aren't a mage, you're a knight?"

Locklear sighed. "Owen?"

The boy paused mid-spew and blushed. "Yes?"

"Can we just ride in silence. And enjoy each others company? Or something..."

Locklear hadn't expected him to look quite so...awed. "Y-y-yes!"

Lianda (Calis/Nicky):

Calis reached over and tilted the boy's chin and looked into his eyes. "There's something about you. You're strong for a boy your age."

Nicky grinned. "My age? I'm seventeen."

"Yes, exactly so."

"You can't be more than twenty-four."

"On the contrary, I'm over fifty."

"....you mean I'm in love with an old phogey?"

"Old phogeys can be hot too."

Nicholas looked at Calis. "I suppose you have a point."

Riko (James/Locklear):

James touches my face, and I smile even though his fingers are in my way.

"You had a lot to drink tonight," he observes, tracing the curve of my chin.

"Yuh-hunh..."

He kisses me, tastes the ale on my breath. He needs to be sober for this; I need to be drunk.

There can't be any misunderstandings that way...because I'm gay, and he's not.

He's not.

Lianda (Harry/Nicky):

Nicholas stumbled out of the room and bumped into someone.

"Oi, Nicky. Watch it!"

"Sorry. Iasha kicked me out again. Let's go out and get drunk. Royal command."

The other boy laughed. "Right," he said brightly, "and afterwards, we can canoodle. We haven't canoodled in a while."

"Harry.."

"Yeah?"

"Only YOU would use the verb canoodle.."

Riko (Calis/William):

"So, if you lead your men to the south, they'll be surronded, and all that's left is for the east squad to close in, and then--" "You'll sleep with me?"

"What?! No. Calis, can you just pay--"

"Attention? No. And you shouldn't sound so insulted. I was only suggesting..."

"I am NOT sleeping with you."

"As you say, Knight Marshal. You aren't...at the moment."

Lianda (Kitty/Nakor):

Kitty Graves walked up and peered at him. "Ugly man...you intrigue me."

"Yes, well. I had many conquests in my day. Being the Blue Rider and all."

"You know...Erik's not home. I'm sure he wouldn't mind if..."

"...I showed you some tricks?"

Riko (Eric/Arutha - surreal pairing of DOOM):

Eric swallowed, cleared his throat, and swallowed again. Then, he cleared his throat one last time for good measure.

"You can relax," the prince said, waving his hand at the opposite chair.

Eric stayed rooted in place. "Sorry, sire... I don't mean to be nervous... it's just, first time meeting you, and... you're too...normal to be a prince..."

Arutha half-smiled."You're too pretty to be a boy. What's your point?"

Eric froze. "I don't believe this-- Are you hitting on me?"

"Well, now that you mention it..."

-end-