Arranged Allegiances - 1x1 (Don't delete!)

[Cloudsong]

Giovanna's face bore an unrecognizable look of confusion. Her face was pale as she listened to Ean lay out his case. He seemed so sure... As if he had some proof. It didn't sound like Evan to be rubbing it into someone's face that he killed someone; it was more of his style to keep things to himself. At least, that was how he had always been, his whole life - Evan always kept his secrets to himself. But then again, he had changed so much since the death of Mateo, she could hardly say what Evan would be likely to do anymore. He had made it very clear that he had goals, and that he would stop at nothing to fulfill them. Yet another thing that makes him different than he was, she thought regretfully.

"But that's impossible.." Her voice trailed off, and she shook her head as if to dismiss this. Her fingers traced the bottom curls of her hair, and she seemed to be clinging to the only proof that this was the reality; her hair was one of the only things that hadn't changed, and could be used as proof that this wasn't some terrible nightmare. "My brother poisoned by someone attempting to take the throne." Her words were quiet, and almost distressed. It was as if a part of her mind was trying to tell her that the words Ean was laying out so clearly weren't true. A part of her wanted to believe that Evan would never do that - Evan her friend, who had always been there, looking out for her. Kill Mateo to get the throne? Impossible. But the inevitable happened, and her face drained of color when she realized the truth. By eliminating Mateo, he could either marry her to ascend, or just poison her as well to reach the top.

Giovanna felt sick. It was as if her whole reality - the reality she had lived in her whole life - was crumbling down around her. The people she used to trust were now turning out to be power-hungry monsters, and those she believed to be her enemies were turning out to be more trustworthy than her friends. She dropped her hands down to her side, and she fixated her eyes on a point on the wall far behind Ean. It couldn't be true... It couldn't. The words kept repeating over, over again. It just couldn't.

But it could, and it was. She couldn't keep telling herself that it was a lie - the evidence was right in front of her. Suddenly Giovanna was trembling, and yet her eyes were narrowed in fury. All of the emotions that she felt when Mateo had left her - distress, anger, confusion - seemed to be coming back, but yet even more magnified. How could Evan rank status higher than his best friend? Did he honestly think that he would be happy as king with the guilt of murdering Mateo with cold blood?

Suddenly she felt herself gain control again, and her eyes widened. She allowed herself a moment of staring at Ean, who had gotten very close if she may add. He had his hand pressed into his neck, but even though he was trying to hide it, she could see the long sword cut in his skin. Without thinking, she closed the distance between them, and gently reached up and moved his hand to see the wound better. "He did this to you, didn't he?" she said, her voice a dead whisper. They were very close now, but she seemed too preoccupied to realize it. She didn't wait for his answer, though. This was just a confirmation of what Ean had said; Evan would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. She stepped away, and looked down.

"I must go and tell my father," she said quietly. "Will you come with me? I.. I need a witness." Her voice shook slightly, but the determination in her eyes showed that she didn't want anyone's comfort.

[FoldєdPapєrHєarts]

Ean had no idea what kind of mental anguish Giovanna was going through at the moment, but when he caught a good look at the expression on her face, he realized that what he had said had both shocked and hurt her. He told himself that it had been necessary, though, and that it was for the best that she knew. She would have found out eventually anyway, he figured.

"I'm sorry, Giovanna," Ean said, feeling that it was necessary to say something in this situation. Suddenly, he found Giovanna very close to him, and his eyes widened slightly. Despite his protests, she was reaching up and taking his hand, removing it from his neck. His hand came away slightly bloody, but it seemed that the bleeding had mostly stopped, for now. He'd have to get it fixed up later, to prevent infection of some sort. When she asked if Evan had done that, he remained silent for a moment before nodding once, slowly. She didn't need any other answer it seemed, for Ean could see a determination set on her face - such a determination that he had never seen before.
All too soon, somehow he felt, she was backing away from him.

"Come with you? Are you sure-?" he began, but realizedhe was right. After all, why woukd her father believe her without a witness, or any proof at all? With a sigh and a small nod, he looked her in the eye. "All right, I'll come. I just hope he'll believe you," he murmured, sounding doubtful.

[Cloudsong]

Giovanna just nodded curtly. At a moment such as this one, she felt that no words were needed; all that had needed to be said, had been said. She knew that Ean would understand her silence, and hopefully would not try to make her speak. Because if he did, she felt afraid that no words would come.

She opened the door, and waited until he was behind her to enter the halls. Of course Evan would be searching for her; she felt certain that he would be attempting to smoothe anything over before they left for Anima. But he also knew that the king and queen would be expecting them in the hall downstairs; previously they would be meeting up to finalize the truce, because Giovanna had accepted Evan's hand in marriage. But now, th man would be in for shock, for she planned to expose him in front of both rulers of both cities.

When they had descended the stairs, Govsnna instantly saw Evan. He was leaning up against the door of the hall, waiting for her. Obviously he hadn't find her, but knew that she would be coming. She felt a flash of anger as she looked at him; this was the man who killed her brother. And he had pretended to care about her, all of this time. She felt certain that after tonight, he would be dead-set on poisoning her as well.

When he caught sight of her, a broad smile appeared on his face. She found herself noticing how twisted it was. But in order to get by, she knew that some acting would have to be carried out. So she took Evan's hand, and pulled him in before he could say anything. Once the door was closed behind them, and Ean too had entered, she released his hand as if it were contaminated.

"Guards - lock the door until my father has heard the claims I am about to express," she declared. She watched her father open his mouth to protest, then nod. He was always one to give fair judgment, and now was not an exception.

[FoldєdPapєrHєarts]

Ean followed Giovanna through the halls, expecting her to know exactly where to go and what to do. He kept his mouth closed, knowing this was something that he should remain in silence for. Their footsteps echoed throughout the otherwise silent hallways, breaking the disturbing silence.

It was not until Ean caught sight of Evan that he let any emotions cross his features. A dark look passed over his face, and his eyes narrowed, but he remained silent. The cut at his neck seemed to almost burn at the sight of him, but he simply averted his gaze, afraid he would say something. He knew that was not want Giovanna wanted, not yet. He simply had to clench his jaw when he saw Evan's wicked smile aimed at Giovanna. Thankfully, she did not seem to be buying it for even a second. He knew she was only acting, but the sight of their hands interlocked, even for a moment while they all entered the room, was enough to make him sick.

His lip curled slightly in disgust, he went off to stand a little ways away as they locked the doors. The King seemed mildly perplexed, but simply allowed the action to take place. Ean was simply praying and hoping that everything went accordingly; it was obvious that Evan was getting rather confused and flustered himself, for upon Giovanna's order, Ean could see something cross his features. A little more satisfied, Ean turned towards the King and Giovanna, his expression remaining as flat as he could make it.

[Cloudsong]

[center]After a small nod from the King, the servant in the room locked the door, holding the key tightly. Evan watched as the man enclosed the key in his hands; an iron-lock that would not be broken without an order from the king. "Giovanna, what is the meaning of this?" Evan demanded, rounding on her. He had a livid expression, but was obviously trying to hide it. It was obvious that he was trying to smooth out the situation.

Giovanna didn't respond to him, just nodded to the two that sat in front of them. Her father leaned forward slightly, and she took that as a cue to start talking. "Father, I have reason to believe that Evan - the man you believed to trust - is guilty of first-degree murder."

Evan looked dumb-struck, but was shocked into a disturbed silence. The King seemed surprised also, but did not allow the expression to reach his eyes. "Why do you believe this, daughter?" His voice was calm, and he rose from his seat, his arms crossed.

Giovanna could see that his patience was waning, and that she had to speak quickly if she wished to keep his attention. "The evidence was presented this morning, when Evan got into an argument with Ean. He cut his throat, and gave the Prince reason to believe he had murdered others to reach his goal."

"Your highness.. you aren't actually going to believe-" he stuttered. Evan seemed to have regained his voice, although his face had noticeably drained of color.

Giovanna cleared her throat, and Evan jumped slightly. It was obvious that he was very suceptable to small noises. "I haven't finished," she said quietly, cutting him off. "He implied that he killed the only person standing in his way to reach the throne." She paused slightly, and her father narrowed his eyes. He was catching on. "The only one that was keeping him from it was my brother, Mateo. He was in line to the throne, and by eliminating him, he would have a clear shot at the crown."

"This is ridiculous!" Evan spat. He seemed almost hysterical now, as he could see that the King was not coming to his defense. This meant no good. "How can you speak of such lies, princess? Are you so eager to get me out of the way, so you can reconsider your offer from Ean?"

Giovanna didn't seem at all effected by Evan's words. In fact, she didn't even look over his way. "The prince gave me his word," she said calmly.

"But that's his word against mine!"

She turned to face him, seeing that his eyes were reflecting his fear and anger. It didn't faze her at all, though. "It's all the evidence I need."

"Enough."
The King's sudden interjection silenced them both, and they both turned to face the man, who had his hands at his side again. By the look on his face, he was angry, but upset at the same time. "I had never considered this. But you seemed very eager to take my son's place. Almost as if you had planned it all yourself." The king took a step forward, his eyes trained on Evan. He watched as the man squirmed slightly, seeing that he was obviously very nervous.

"I never gave it much importance, but the only one in the dining hall before the feast was you. The servants reported to me that you made them all leave the room. And yet you were so quick to pronounce that my son was dead; as if you had expected it to be so." He leaned forward slightly. "It seems I have underestimated you. That was foolish of me. The length one will go to ascend to a higher position eats away all emotional bonds one has. I remember the day you became general." He hesitated slightly. "Tell me, Evan.. Did that man mysteriously die suddenly as well, or was that a ploy?"

Evan opened his mouth to protest, then closed it again. It took him a moment to regain his words. His eyes narrowed, and he laughed in a rather insane way. "You fool," he sneered. "To not have noticed it before; of course I killed Mateo. And I would have murdered you too, and your stupid daughter." He suddenly had his sword out, and was holding it up. "It was a pleasure, indeed... But I'm afraid you will not be returning to Anima." [/center]

[FoldєdPapєrHєarts]

Ean felt it was best for him to stand on the sidelines as Giovanna explained everything to her father. He could see both the King, as well as Evan, getting increasingly agitated and angry. When, finally, Evan seemed to snap, and deny everything Giovanna had said, Ean's eyes narrowed, but he held in his temper. This didn't concern him, not yet.

It was not until he heard the sound of Evan's almost insane laughter that Ean's attention was finally caught. He did not need more than to hear the sound of the general's laughter to know that something was off, now. Something had changed, and it was not for the better. The man had given up hope of escaping this ordeal, and was acting as an animal trapped in the corner would: defensively.

Ean's eyes widened when he saw the sword suddenly out, and held in front of the man. Stepping forward, Ean held up his hand. "You really don't want to be threatening anyone right now," he warned, his expression dark.

[Cloudsong]

( I JUST GOT AN EVIL PLAN XD Not sure if I'll follow through with it, though...)

Evan's wide, fear-stricken eyes turned to Ean as he spoke out. He seemed rather shaken, but stepped towards him, a huge smirk on his face. "And you?" he said quietly. "I thought I told you to stay out of my way," he snarled.

Seeing that the man was distracted, the King motioned for the servant that had previously locked the doors. Get the guards. He knew that the man would understand, and sure enough, without making a sound, the man unlocked the doors, quickly stepping out. Giovanna watched, knowing that soon Evan would be put in chains. But soon wouldn't be enough.

Because Evan didn't seem to care if he took a few lives with him on the way, nor the fact that he was soon going to be taken to prison. In fact, he seemed to have lost his mind entirely, judging by the mad glint in his eyes. "I let you go with a warning last time... But not this time." He took another step towards Ean, his sword ready. "No. This time... you're going to feel my pain. This time you won't be so lucky," he whispered.

Giovanna took a step forward, seeing what Evan was about to do. She couldn't allow him to take another innocent life... And not Ean. She wouldn't allow that; he was not at fault here... He shouldn't have to suffer. I got him into this mess. I should be the one to pay for it. It took only a second to jump in front of Evan's plunging sword. She didn't even realize in the moment, what she had done. Back in Anima, it was said that the mark of a real ruler would be if at the right time, she would rather sacrifice herself than have her people die. But Ean wasn't from her city, and didn't really need her protection... He didn't even like her, for crying out loud. But for some reason, she didn't question her decision at all, knew that the pain was worth it, if he did not have to go through it.

The sword hit her in her chest, causing a long line on her stomach. A fatal wound; Evan knew it when he had cast it. But she didn't think that he would imagine that it would be landed on her. The pain caused her to fall, and within a few seconds she was unconscious.

[FoldєdPapєrHєarts]

Ean found himself looking between Evan's insane-looking eyes, and the sword that was pointed in his direction. He knew quite well exactly what Evan was capable of, and yet he still found himself laughing boldly in this opposer's face. He had no idea what was making him do it - perhaps it was the addreneline coursing through his body, or just the fact that he was not going to just stand to the side while he tried to kill the King and Giovanna.

"Or maybe it's going to be you who isn't going to be so lucky," he spat, his tone thick with venom. He was tired with this man before him; tired of hearing the threats, tired of hearing him talk about Giovanna as if she were nothing more than an item, and tired of hearing his plans.

Ean wanted to end it. Here, and now.

Just as Ean realized what Evan was about to do, Giovanna stepped in front of him, taking the initial blow from the sword. With wide eyes, Ean watched her fall to the ground, blood covering her front. "No!" he shouted, crouching down next to her for a moment before looking up at Evan. "You're a monster!" he spat. Standing back up, he threw a punch at Evan, hitting him square in the jaw. That was about as much he could do, at the moment; he was unarmed, and had no way of getting any weapons to defend himself, either.

[Cloudsong]

Evan's eyes widened as he realized what he had just done. The blow from his sword had come without even looking; he had been so taken up in the moment - so blinded from his anger towards the Mortifer prince, that he hadn't even looked twice to see Giovanna stand in the way. She had shielded him, sacrificing herself rather than allowing him to reach the prince. He didn't try to fight back, or didn't even seem to notice anything until EN approached him nd punched him the jaw. He dropped his sword from the shock, his momentarily confused eyes turning to rage. He stepped forward, ready to fight, but was stopped. The guards were on him in a second, and all of his struggles were fruitless. "Don't think this is over," he snarld, us lip bleeding profusely as he glared at Ean. He struggled violently, trying to get towards him, not even to get to safety. It appeared as if all sanity he had at one time possessed had been drained entirely. Now all that was left was a power-hungry monster, looking at his enemy. He didn't even look over at Giovanna, who was laying on the floor, a pool of blood beginning to form under her limp body.

The king didn't even need to order the men to detain him; they acted on orders they would have expected him to give. Instead of focusing on the criminal in the room, he was instantly at his daughter's side, an eerily calm look to him. Even at a moment like this, the king knew better than to show sorrow; he had learned to not show his feelings even at a time of anguish. He knelt down beside her, and gently lifted her into his arms. Even though the chance of saving her was very small - he could see tht - he would do better than try. "Take him out," he commanded to the guards, not even looking at Evan. "And take him back to the dungeons of Anima. He has already done too much harm to my family."

"I don't think so, old man-" Evan began to snarl, but the guards covered his mouth, dragging him out of the room.

Once he was gone, the king looked over at the two Mortifer rulers, a rather grave look on his face. "I am sorry that this did not work out.". Without another word, he left the room, knowing what he left them in return; a farewell. They would be going back to their city, and Ean and the queen would in turn return to theirs. Giovanna's best chance of survival was to go to where the doctors were more advanced; here they only had nurses.

The king knew that the queen would call off any arrangements; it would be madness to promise her son to a woman who would most likely be dead in hours. And by all the prince had said about her, he would probably be thrilled to be off the hook; perhaps even enthralled that she was mortally wounded, for that reason.

[FoldєdPapєrHєarts]

Ean did not bother looking in Evan's direction as he spat words that Ean did not care about. Probably threats. They were empty, now, though, for he knew quite well that the rabid man facing him would never be coming out of prison. He would remain there until he died, that much was for certain.

Ean barely registered the struggling body being taken out of the room roughly by the guards; his eyes were on Giovanna, who remained unconsious and bloody. When her father gravely spoke to them, clearly speaking departing words, Ean's eyes widened. He sounded as if he had given up hope already! That was sentencing Giovanna to death quicker than another blow of a sword, her father's hopelessness. Swallowing heavily, he stared at the wound, and watched with wide eyes as the pool of blood below her grew.

"Mother, we need to get help, we- we need to do something," he said, sounding more and more desperate as seconds flew by.