Fallen Crown Jewel (closed for Dragonrazor and myself)

[slippedhalo]

Caliope was on her way out of the castle of her father for the second night in a week. She knew when the guards tended to be more lax, playing cards and smoking, often falling asleep on the job, giving her a perfect opportunity to sneakout of her room and set out for a night of adventure in town. Her father was the crown prince, a nobleman by blood and deed but she was not of pure noble blood and spent her life being reminded of what an embarrassment to his honor she was. Cali' was of a pairing between the Scottish prince and an Italian courtesan, the infamous Guisseppina Garibaldi...The courtesan's company, a diversion for her father in his late teens but when he had been sent to marry a lovely french princess, Lisette De Lefleures, the enticing Guisseppina was all but forgotten.

A son was born of the noble pairing within the first year of their new marriage and they named the royal heir Henry. Caliope was already two years old when Henry was born, her mother was a doting single parent who made it quite clear to the girl from birth that her noble blood made her special and not a typical bastard. Upon a random trip to Italy the prince had run into his old 'friend' the famous courtesan and seen his own eyes in the face of the toddler she called hers. A few private conversations made it very clear that the child was, without a doubt, his and he took hiis responsbility toward her seriously once he knew of her existence. This meant sending for a proper nursemaid to care for her at her mother's home, and later, when she was old enough, private boarding school. Calliope spent the first four years of her life treated as a princess by her mother and a burden by her father. Then, the next ten years in a French boarding school and spent holidays not with her mother as she would have liked (no, father now forbade her to go back to the courtesan as it would give her a reputation even worse than the one she was born with) but instead to her father's castle to spend school holidays learning to love her younger half brother and later, a half sister named Elena.

Caliope really did love her brother and sister but was never allowed to admit her parantage in public, always having to pretend to be young Elena's handmaiden. It made the girl grow up resentful and often brash and stubborn minded. She was a bit of a tomboy and got into much trouble sneaking out to go fishing with local boys or caught playing swords with Henry and his cousins in breeches and boys clothes. Basically, everything Caliope thought was fun was forbidden to her.

At around fourteen her body had blossomed into that of a formidably beautiful young woman's despite her protests along the way. But, she discovered this garnered her a new sort of attention with boys and even with men. She never did anything to compromise her virginity but she had been caught kissing enough of the castle staff and friends of her brother's that it was decided the castle was no place for her to spend her summer holidays anymore and the boarding school had kicked her out for smoking a pipe in the janitor's closet. So, it was off to the convent for her where she was fed nothing but bread and water for months, and forced to sleep in a dirty, dark, drafty cell that didn't even have a window for air and light. The nuns beat her terribly when she was insolent or complained and her father never believed her when she told him of the conditions she was made to live under. It was only when a distant aunt came to visit one time on a surprise visit where the nuns had no time to prepare their fascade and acually saw how she was being treated that her father finally understood her suffering and let her return home to the castle. She was seventeen when that had happened.

Now, Caliope is nineteen and has been living in the castle full time for two years. She is still close with Henry and Elena and loves them more than herself. That is why when the fiifteen year old surprised her in the orchard on the edge of the property it worried Caliope so. "Where are you going, sister?" whispered the younger, fairer version of herself as she popped out from behind and apple tree.

"No place you should be. You should be inside the castle, asleep." answered Caliope. "How did you even get out here, Elena?" she asked in feigned annoyance.

"The same way you did." giggled the teen. "Please, " she pouted, a blonde curl of hair poking out from the cape she had covering her head and reflecting the moonlight in the darkness, "Please take me with you. I want to see all the exciting things that happen in the town at night. I'm desperate for fun!"

Caliope shook her head, brushing a stray red lock of her hair behind her ear before answering, "You are too young, and too...precious to father. If something where to happen to you he'd have my head."

"What would happen to me? I'm with you. You can handle yourself. Besides, I get so tired of being treated like some precious painted porcelian egg that will break if handled wrongly. I am sick of tutors, and maids and all the trappings of a guilded cage....I know I have been promised to the Duke of Norwich upon the spring of my sixteenth year...Cali' he's almost twenty years older than me and duller than dirt. Please...understand I just want a little adventure in my life before I spend the rest of it trapped in someone else's guilded cage too."

The speech was heartbreaking and Caliope knew that for all the reasons she envied her half sister, the half sister envied her back for the opposite. Her lack of fully royal blood gave her the freedom to be rebellious and wild. Although it was frowned upon, it was tolerated somewhat. But, Elena would never live a life of free will. Everything was and always would be arranged for her by someone else. It was indeed a guilded cage. If one night out was all she asked for, how could Caliope refuse? She shrugged her shoulders, "Fine, but you have to try to be as inconspicuous as possible and do everything I tell you to, understood."

The young girl squealed with delight and jumped up inthe air before hugging her older sister gratefully, "Yes, yes. I do. Thank you, thank you sooo much!"

Together, the two daughters of the royal prince set out on foot and in disguise, to have a night of forbidden fun in town.

 

[dragonrazor]

Francis DelRonde was a disturbed man. He sat with his partner in crime in a tavern, planning out his next crime with him. The other man looked apprehensive. His name was Eric Redstone. A bit younger, with red hair, and green eyes, Eric was a very intelligent man. He was handsome as well, which was why he usually acted as the distraction. No one would expect him of committing crimes at all. Still, he was a trained member of the Thieves’ Guild, as well as a member of the Jaro Order, a group of assassins. He didn’t think they should stoop as low as kidnapping and such. But the older man wouldn’t hear any protests or objections.

So it was that they stalked the streets, looking for victims. Francis looked about, his eyes roving the crowds for that special someone. Finally, he found her. Two of them, in fact. He motioned his partner into position, sighing. He could have refused, but he probably would have had to fight the older man. So it was that he stepped in front of the two young women. “Excuse me, pretty ladies. I’m looking for the St. Augustus Cathedral.” While they were distracted, the older man sneaked around behind them. He held in his hands two cloths soaked in ether. He put one to each of their mouths, pulling them tight to him to prevent escape. After knocking them out, the two men dragged them out into the forest to an old cabin. It was about that time that Eric realized one of the women was TOO young. It was also about that time that both girls awoke, to find themselves tied tightly to chairs.

 

[slippedhalo]

Caliope was the first to awaken and saw they were in a darkened place, tied each to a chair. Elena moaned as she slowly came to and Caliope began to yell for help but hands came seemingly out of nowhere and swooped down to cover her mouth and smack her in her head.

"Silence, wench!" hissed a man.

She struggled but her bindings were too tight and held her fast. She could see Elena struggling also as another man stood over the young one, staring into her face intently.

Protective instincts took over and Caliope bit down upon the hand holding her mouth shut and as he pulled it away in pain she yelled, "Don't hurt her! Please, let her go, she's just a little girl!"

 

[dragonrazor]

Eric winced at the bite the older girl gave his partner. He shook his head, then sighed. He closed his eyes, thinking, and started to pace slowly. The older man was about to hit her, when an idea struck him. He walked around to the other girl, and reached down, grabbing one of her breasts roughly. "What's it worth to you?" Eric groaned to himself. The last thing they needed was Francis' idiocy. He still needed to figure out what they were going to do though. He continued pacing back and forth, then turned to the window, looking out it, waiting for her response.

 

[slippedhalo]

"What's it worth to you?"

Caliope sputtered, "Anything!"

"Cali' no!" objected the girl in question but Caliope shook her head at her sister.

"No, Elena, you know I can't let them hurt you." said Caliope, her expression conveying to her sister not to say anything about who she was or whom their father was. "Sirs, I'll do anything if you just release my little sister. She's so young. Only fifteen. Let her enjoy being a little girl for as long as she has left of her childhood. I...I will offer myself as your hostage, personal servant, whatever you want of me if you let my sister go."

 

[dragonrazor]

Francis seemed to mull it over, then shrugged, and started to massage the younger girl's breasts again. Then he smiled. "Alright. We'll let her go. She's not really the kind who can please a guy anyways." He let her go, and stood up, walking over to the fire. Eric sighed, and pulled out his knife. He walked over to the younger girl, and picked her up, chair and all. He carried her outside, blindfolding the girl, and took her to a clearing several hundred yards away, completely out of sight of even the path back to the cabin. There he cut her bonds, and vanished into the forest. When he came back, he had only the chair in his hands, and that he set back by the table.

"Now that that's done, old man, what do you intend to do with her?" The older man laughed for a moment. "What do you think? She's going to get on her hands and knees and show me what a GOOD girl she is."

 

[slippedhalo]

Cali's eyes welled with tears as she watched the man drag her sister's chair away. She managed one last meaningful glance Elena's way before the girl was blindfolded and out of her sight. She knew it was best this way. She was nothing of a great loss to her father but Elena was promised to a Duke of a wealthy land, and pure of noble blood, the full blooded daughter of a true prince and a true princess. Elena would not be missed and if her innocence was ruined in this horrific kidnapping she would be cared for better afterward if her family knew she did what she could to protect young Elena's virginity. Her own was not as valuable, she knew this.

She winced when they spoke of her getting on her hands and knees. She didn't know exactly what was meant by this but had an idea it was nothing she would likely enjoy.

 

[dragonrazor]

Eric sighed, rolling his eyes. He walked over slowly, standing near her. "Can't you think with your brain instead of your dick, old man? I was thinking ransom. We just need to find out who her parents are." He could tell by her reaction that she was a virgin. Brigand though he was, he was still a gentleman.

Francis, on the other hand, was not. He just laughed, and started to rip the girl's dress down.

OOC: erk...that turned out shorter than I thought it would...do you want me to think on it and add later?

 

[slippedhalo]

Even at the mention of ransom Caliope said nothing, biting her lip to keep her secret parantage a secret to these opportunists. She did, however, begin to scream as the older of the two captors tore at her clothing leaving her with little besides what the bindings held loosely to her flesh. Her pale skin seemed to glow in the dim candle-light of the dark room, her red, waist length hair, now loose, fell free and reflected the flame's glow as if made from the same fire. She colored deeply as she watched the hungering gazes of both men leer and study every bare inch of her body.

Tears began anew and she tried to fight them as the older one moved two fingers of his left hand between her legs in a motion that pinched and caused her to inhale sharply, while he chuckled, "A virgin, Eric. We got a real virgin here. Somebody would pay good money to get their little sweetheart home...But, I have plans for her first." He turned a menacing glare back to her face, pulling his hands from her womanhood and taking her chin in his hand he hissed, "You said you'd do ANYTHING if I let your sister go free. I want you to give yourself to me and my friend, I want you to squeal like a pig and moan like a whore as we stuff you full of our cocks. I want you to live as my wanton slave until I decide to sell you back to whomever it is that values you enough to dress you in silk." he said fingering the strips of now ruined dress in his free hand. "You'll be our whore. There's the price of saving your dear sister. I hope she was worth it."

"She was. She's much more valuable than I am. I don't care what you do to me as long as she goes free....and I doubt my father would negotiate for me anyway. I am the cause of his deepest shame." admitted Cali'.

 

[dragonrazor]

Francis blinked, caught offguard by that. His hand slowly fell to his side, clenching and unclenching while he tried to think. The words she had uttered had sent an immediate red flag message to Eric's mind. If the younger was more valuable, and both girls were virgin, then that meant that the elder was what? Out of wedlock, perhaps. He considered that, and leaned against the table, thinking. They just lost out on a lot of money. The question was, how much. Then he remembered his own secret, hidden even from the old man. He nervously fingered the ring kept on a chain around his neck, and then shook his head. No time for that. He should stall for time so the other girl could get away, he thought.

"So, young lady. If your sister's more valuable, then that means you're her half sister?"

Francis almost choked as he heard that. His head swung around to look at Eric like he was some sort of mutant monster. Eric ignored the look, and focused on the young woman's eyes. "Well? I'm right, aren't I?"

 

[slippedhalo]

Cali knew the look of shock that he had guessed so astutely had given her away before she could hide it with another expression. Finally, she answered softly, "I....am...an accident. My mother...she's a courtesan." she admitted with a deep blush. But, as if to ensure she should not be expected to have the same knowledge of men as a courtesan she added, "...but, I have not seen her since I was four years old."

 

[dragonrazor]

Eric considered that too. He turned to look into the fire, thinking, as he watched the flames dance. Francis just stood there, dumbfounded. Even he'd never heard Eric talk in such a manner. When Eric finally spoke, it was something that Francis would have had a heart attack over under normal circumstances. "I am the son of Eric Arturius."

 

[slippedhalo]

Caliope looked up at him wide-eyed. "No. He has no son like you...no." she said in awe and shock.

Francis just stared at both of them in confusion. "So, you're both bastards, so what? All I know is I let the wrong girl go. So, now girl I think you should pay for having decieved us." he insisted with a full backhanded smack across Caliope's face. He'd hit her so hard she was dizzy from the blow and the pain from it wasn't felt until afterward when her cheek and jaw began to throb and sting. She knew the shape of his hand was likely emblazoned across her pale skin at the moment. Her eyes stung from fresh tears but she refused to spill them. She only spat at her attacker.

He raised a hand to hit her again...

 

[dragonrazor]

Eric raised an eyebrow, resisting the urge to grin at her shock. Then he saw Francis do something extremely stupid. As the hand fell across the girl's face, Eric winced, looking away for a moment. But when Francis raised his hand again, Eric moved like lightning, grabbing the rest and pressing at a certain place, making it numb. "Do you think she's worth anything if you kill her?" Francis cried out at the pain in his arm, then again as it went numb. He couldn't move it at all. "What the hell, Eric. Where'd you learn to do that?" Eric smiled, then said a single word to him. "Jado."

Then he turned to the young woman, and spoke more calmly. "Do you understand what Francis wants from you? I must confess, I wouldn't mind the same thing, but...." He bowed his head in apology.

 

[slippedhalo]

To hear such a lewd request made with a tone of respect was a hard contrast for Cali' to stand. The tears fell as she bowed her head in contimplation. How could she resist them? if she said no the mean one would only beat her half to death....

"You promised you'd do anything." reminded the one called Francis.

She nodded her head sadly, looking up at the gentler of the two with teary eyes, "I did...I promised and I think that means I must." In a tone of defeat she asked, "What do you want me to do?" mostly of the younger one as she was loathe to give her flower to anyone she did not love but especially not a man who treated her as horribly as Francis. She would not let him be first. She'd rather die.

 

[dragonrazor]

Eric thought for a moment, then smiled, and gently stroked her cheek. He did his best to steer away from the sex issue. "I dunno about you, but I could use something to eat? How's your cooking, kid?" Francis was about to protest, but a glare from Eric silenced him. For some reason, Eric scared the older man now. Francis muttered to himself about later. Eric let the young lady up, slicing the ropes easily. It was then that the young woman recognized the knife in his hands as belonging to an assassin clan. Eric just stepped away, and sat at the table. Eric closed his eyes, thinking.

While the young lady prepared a meal for them, Francis snuck up behind her. He started to pull himself out of his pants, and pressed up behind her. "You and me, Girly, are going to make nasty. I don't care what the kid says. You're here for one reason and one reason only. To be our little French whore." With that, he turned her head and kissed her roughly.

As he did so, Eric shook his head, and walked up behind him. He waited till the man's eyes closed, and then struck, dropping the man into unconsciousness. He fell away from her, and convulsed slightly. Eric looked at the young woman. "Are you okay, Miss?"

 

[slippedhalo]

ooc: She's Italian and Scottish.

IC:

Caliope was busy making a meal from what the men had stored in the darkened cabin when she felt large hands come up from behind her, groping a breast and another snaking between her legs and lifting her skirts, bodily pressing her in a painful way against the table. "You and me, Girly, are going to make nasty. I don't care what the kid says. You're here for one reason and one reason only. To be our little Dego whore." as he said that he poked his erection against her backside and she gasped, struggling with all of her might to get free.

Just as she was afraid he would succeed in raping her right there on the table she felt something happen behind her. The older one fell to the floor and the younger one, known as Eric looked over to her tear-stained face, "Are you okay?" he asked.

She was still shivering, "Mmm-m-m-my goodness..." she breathed. "I thought he was going to...hurt me."

 

[dragonrazor]

OOC: analogy....you know, french whores, the most slutty in the world? anyways, how far do you want to go before the two of them leave Francis on the ground trembling? should they do it now, or wait till later?

IC: Eric smiled, and looked down at his convulsing partner. Then he shook his head, and turned to the young lady again. "I'm sorry about him. He's an idiot. Anyways, you take care of supper. We'll leave him like that for a while. The drug will wear off in about an hour and a half." With that, he held up a small needle, dripping with a purple liquid mixed with blood. Then he walked back over to the table.

"So, who are you really? And in regards to your earlier question, my father is a pigfaced baboon. That's why I'm here."

 

[slippedhalo]

Caliope colored deeply as she responded, "My mother is a famous courtesan...my father is the prince of this land." she admitted seeing no point to lying anymore.

OOC: Sooner rather than later, my dear.

 

[dragonrazor]

Eric smiled, and nodded. "That explains a lot. It also explains why you feel worthless. A lot of us felt that way. I've moved on with my life. I've all but forgotten my father, in fact. The best way to show your father he's being an ass is to disown him, on public record. Discredit him, and then move on. That's what I did to mine. Eventually, I joined the Order, and disappeared." Then his face grew serious, as he looked at Francis. "If you want to go back, I won't stop you. I'll help you, even. It's about time I broke company with this oaf." He stretched out, and closed his eyes, sighing softly.

 

[slippedhalo]

"You'd let me go? You'd take me home?" asked Cali almost in disbelief. She dropped what she was doing and approached Eric with obvious desperation to return to life as usual. In truth, she had thought of doing what he said but being a woman it was not easy to disown the only man in one's life who took any sort of care of her. She hated her father but she loved his family and the education he provided for her, it was a confusing mix.

 

[dragonrazor]

Eric smiled, opening his eyes and looking up at her. He studied her face, then grinned. "Your father would be an idiot to treat you the way he does, but yes, if you wished to go back, I would take you back. The question would become what do we do about him." He jerked his head towards Francis, still trembling on the floor. "He is quite helpless, as a result of the toxin. We could do pretty much anything to him. I'm sure he'd come after you if he felt you were still around."

 

[slippedhalo]

"Do you really think he would come after me? Or hurt my sister?" the afterthought scared her more. Her sister was so important to her and the thought that someone could harm her frightened Caliope immensely. "I...I don't know. I've never been responsible for for another's life before."

 

[dragonrazor]

Eric considered for a moment, then smiled. He stood up slowly, walked over to his former partner, and started to drag him towards the door. "Grab my bag over there by the bed, and then soak everything in kerosene. This might actually be amusing." He dragged Francis out of the cabin, and out into the woods a good deal away. The two of them would be leaving in the opposite direction, and covering their tracks as they went. Not that it was really necessary. Francis was a horrible tracker. He came back to the cabin, and smiled, smelling the familiar reek of fumes. He pulled a small box out of his pocket, and waited for her to get outside. Then he slid open the box, and pulled out a match. Striking it against the side to light it, he let it fall, and then started running. Within seconds, the cabin was ablaze, destroying any trace of their escape, he hoped. He led her through the woods, shouldering his bag, and then stopped at the edge of town. "Okay, where do we go from here?"

 

[slippedhalo]

Cali looked around. Everythiing appeared different from this direction and in the dark. She bit her lip and after turning around over and over she admitted, "I'm not sure." But, she also shivered in the cold and looked down at herself, her naked breasts puckering in the moolight, rosebud nipples hard and dark against her pale flesh...She was blushing yet again. "I need clothes, sir." she reminded him.