Argenti's Palace

[beautifulknight]

The stage is set they say;
They don their masks and shields,
Shadows creep and cover their minds;
Now, what beautiful role shall they play?

𝓜𝓮𝓵𝓾𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓷𝓲𝓷 𝓒𝓪𝓼𝓽𝓵𝓮


♫

Comments

[ledbythewind]

[It's been seven years. Seven years since a blue-eyed boy with tousled hair had come crashing into the window of his guest room in Lhant and held out his hand even as Richard had turned away, told him to leave. But he hadn't left, had shoved his way into Richard's life and saved him again and again, told him that Richard was his salvation just as he was Richard's.

(Richard wonders if Asbel ever truly understood the depths of what he had meant when he said that Asbel had saved him)

The man before him looks to be the spitting image of the Asbel he loves, but those blue eyes are empty rather than warm, their depths cold and emotionless.

This isn't Asbel (12).]

So you would use his face to try to betray me? I must commend you for the audacity.

[His voice is quavering just slightly, though. Perhaps that's why, when he moves to strike this "Asbel" down, the blow goes wide (1) and doesn't connect.

Or perhaps he missed on purpose despite his words.]

INTERCESSION NEEDED

[beautifulknight]

[ Asbel with his bright eyes looks back on over at Richard, smiling to mirror a somehow near-accurate facsimile of Richard's dear and beloved friend.

The nerve indeed, but perhaps the blow that goes wide is indeed indicative of the lack of will in destroying even this reflection.

The mirror remains and so does proof of Richard's unwillingness to hurt someone who saved him. Even if it is just a fake. ]

[imperiosity]

[He doesn’t know Richard all that well, but they’re in this thing together. Not to mentioning he kind of owes him for almost hitting him before, so here he goes to smash the mirror (14).]

Hey, get a grip, man!

[ledbythewind]

Asbel--!!

[The cry escapes him in spite of the knowledge that this is little more than a fake.

This isn't real. This isn't really Asbel. Because Asbel would never...]