The Selection (1x1 with AnnaCat17)

[EchoOfShatteredIce]

Solace smirked, closing her eyes. "You apologized. I didn't think you would do that." She traced circles along his back. "You should give yourself more credit. You can be surprisingly nice when you want to be."

Abril took the mug and sat down. "So, my test results came in today. I'm..." She blinked back tears, resting a hand against her stomach. "I'm carrying a child," she whispered. "Pavel's."

[AnnaCat17]

"Im drunk, not stupid. I know you are lying. Nice is not a word used to describe me." He ran his fingers through her hair, enjoying the soft feel of it and how her breath felt on his neck. He could understand why all of the men who had danced with her looked so happy.

Victory sunk down into a chair, looking at her horrified. "Oh no... Pavel is going to be so ticked." She glanced down at Abril's stomach before looking back at her face. "Have you told him?"

[EchoOfShatteredIce]

"I'm not lying. Last night was the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me." Solace moved closer to him, her eyes closed contently. She rested her head against his collar, enjoying the feeling of his hand running through her hair.

"No." Abril pressed her hand against her stomach. "I'm too scared to tell him. I don't know what he'll do."

[AnnaCat17]

"Thank Victory. It was her dress." He released a quiet, happy sigh as she pressed against him. "You are sweet."

"I dont know either." Victory said softly. "Bit he really loves you. I dont think he will hurt you or get rid of you."

[EchoOfShatteredIce]

Solace smiled, gently stroking his cheek. She was happy that Sutton didn't mind this, because she was enjoying being held. She gently pressed a kiss to his collar, breathing in his scent.

"We broke the law. Everyone's going to find out." Abril sipped her coffee, staring at the table. "And I'm worried about Elliott. She...she kind of scares me."

"Sir Romeo is in the cells, Your Majesty," Atlas told Pavel. "Lady Elliott ran off. I am certain she is still in the castle. There are guards looking for her."

[AnnaCat17]

Sutton's lips brushed her forehead as he soaked in her affection. "You dont have to do this." He whispered, not wanting to break the quiet.

Victory frowned. "Why are you scared of Elliott? What does she even have to do with this?" She sipped her coffee before shaking her head. "Odds are he will just marry you now to cover this up. He isnt going to let the woman carrying his heir get hurt."

Pavel looked up at him and nodded quietly. "Good. Hopefully they dont find her." He looked back at the photos. How could they have been so stupid? "Remind me again what the punishment is for this?"

[EchoOfShatteredIce]

"Do what?" Solace whispered, feeling a glow of happiness as his lips brushed her forehead. She drew her fingers along his back, enjoying his affection.

"She doesn't. But that's the other thing that's been bothering me. She's..." Abril shook her head. "When the king got killed, the rebel attack, there was a man holding a gun to Pavel's head and Elliott killed him. She shot him, and I don't know how she got a gun but what if she killed someone else to get it? The way she did it, Vic, it was too easy. It was like she's done that before." She tried to feel reassured that Pavel would accept that she was going to have his child, but she couldn't stop worrying about his reaction when he'd find out.

"Death, Your Majesty," Atlas told him, wincing. "Of course, you are in the King. You can punish them as you see fit."

[AnnaCat17]

"Whatever this is." He softly kissed her cheek and brushed his nose against hers as the scent of alcohol wafted off of him.

Victory bit her lip as she tried to think. She once again found herself thinking about how Atlas and Romeo were the ones who killed the king. "That day was a very bad day. I think given what was done was done to protect Pavel so the country could heal we should just forgive them. I mean her. We should forgive her." She blushed and looked into her cup, hoping Abril was too upset to notice her mistake.

Pavel cursed and ran his hands through his hair. He couldnt do this. He wanted to hide from the decision but knew he was all alone in this. No matter what he did he would be losing the loyalty and love of his friends for hurting one of their own. "Thank you Officer Fox." He focused on writing up an offical response to give to the press before handing it to Atlas. "Please take this down to the news room. We are just going to say Romeo forced himself on her and blackmailed her into going along with it so only one person has to get hurt. 15 public lashes will be carried out this afternoon. That should be enough to appease everyone's blood lust over the matter." His voice was hollow and he tried not to meet Atlas' eyes, not wanting to see whatever hatred or dissapointment was there.

[EchoOfShatteredIce]

Solace breathed in his scent, melting against him. "I want to," she breathed, running her fingers through his hair.

Abril was confused about the "them", but she didn't question it. She rested her head against the table with a sigh. "I don't know how I'm going to tell him," she mumbled.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Atlas said, taking the report. He was glad Pavel was trying to find a way to keep them from getting hurt as much as he could.

[AnnaCat17]

"I want to too." He breathed back. He pulled her tightly against him and pressed his lips to hers, the kiss somewhat sloppy because of his current state but his desperation still leak through.

"Maybe dont tell him today." Victory suggested. "The radio said that someone anonymously released proof that Elliott and Romeo were having an affair." Victory had to fight back tears. It hadnt felt real until she had to say it allowed to Abril. "I dont know what Pavel is going to do but the law says execution. If he has to kill his best friend he might not respond well to anything let alone finding out his worst nightmare is coming true."

Pavel watched him walk to the door. "Atlas, im sorry. I didnt think id screw up everything this quickly." He felt pathetic, begging for his guards forgiveness but he felt like he would be the only one who would even be willing to listen to him, if even because it was only because he had to.