Private Tales Behind the Mask

[Val]

"Ah yes, we'll see about that." Val called out after her with a wide grin.

As soon as she walked out the door though Val immediately grabbed the loot off the table and began to count every last penny. It wasn't that he didn't trust her, just that he needed to make sure that it was all there. When he was satisfied, a sense of overwhelming relief washed over him.

Hand ran through his hair, and with a clatter of gold and jewels Val loaded up his pack with everything that would fit. Traveling with this much gold was generally never a good idea, but he knew his way around the forest better that most. By dawn the gold would be left at the Village mayor's house, and Val would return back to his home of Oban with the satisfaction of knowing he had helped.

Of course, a few days later rumors began to circulate that the young noble had been sent out of the city to the Family's summer home, temporarily exiled due to the shenanigans he had wrought at the party.

 

[Wren Kingsley]

Rumours spread like wildfire in Oban. Wren had turned up, cloaked and hooded hoping to find Val only to overhear some clucking hens gossiping and swooning over the bachelor with childish giggles in the street. It didn't take her long to reach the summer home, she'd visited once as a child, she remembered, only so her mother could compare it to their own to ensure theirs was bigger.

It was late evening when she arrived, and she dismounted her horse and lifted a handful of small pebbles to throw them up at the windows.. "Valren!" she exclaimed in a whisper, uncertain whether he was alone or not.

 

[Val]

"Alone" was really a relative term.

Val was really sleeping quite comfortably alongside the two Maidens that he had managed to cajole into coming with him to the Summer home. Their names were Anastasia and...Ana...Belle? It was really kind of hard to remember. Twins just sort of blended together.

His arms were wrapped around the both of them, eyes tightening slightly as he heard something...somewhere. Lips thinned for a brief moment, and he shifted his weight in the bed as he caught some awareness.

Eyes popped open as another pebble knocked against the window, his lips thinning. "What the..."

Head shook, and slowly he extracted himself from the twins and walked over towards the window just in time to see another pebble bounce off the glass. The latch was opened, and Val stuck his head out and looked down below as Wren called out his name.

"Shit." He swore quietly. "What are you doing here?!"

Val tried to whisper yell.

 

[Wren Kingsley]

He was trying to be quiet, and so was clearly not alone.. "I need to cash in that favour you owe me!" she whisper yelled back at him.. "Come down!" she called up to him as she pulled the scarf down from her face..

"Are... Are you naked right now?!.. If you are then put some fucking pants on before you come down!" she huffed and folded her arms, staring up at him expectantly.

 

[Val]

Val let out a curse. He knew that favor would come back to bite him in the ass, knew that it would. Lips thinned, he looked down at Wren, then at the twins, then down at Wren again. "Fuck"

He swore, grumbling slightly.

"Get in those bushes, the Guards will see you." Somehow Val doubted that would be the case, but...well right now he was feeling pretty grumpy. He had to leave a bed with two beautiful women just so one grumpy one could yell at him.

Figures.

With one last forlorn glance Val grabbed his breeches, though no shirt, and headed down into the gardens below.

A few moments later, and with an excuse made to one of the servants, Val popped out of the backdoor and trudged up to Wren. "What?"

He asked.

 

[Wren Kingsley]

She rolled her eyes but did as he asked and wandered over to the bushes and stepped behind them to rest her back against a tree, arms folding across her chest as she waited on him. Green eyes fixed on his chiselled torso made silvery by the moonlight that picked out every honed muscle and contour of his flesh. It wasn't often she was lost for words, nor could she remember the last time she'd felt that little flip in her stomach.. Was she swooning?!

"Fuck, Wren, sort your shit out.." she muttered to herself as he strode across the gardens toward her.

"Nice to see you too." she frowned at his bluntness.. "Theon's been arrested. Someone seen him with me and he's been held for questioning. He won't talk, but he'll no doubt face the noose if he survives the beatings. I need to get him out." she told him, clearly trying to hide the panic from her tone..

 

[Val]

Val frowned almost instantly, his lips thinning and features shifting in a quick musing of where exactly a man like that would be held and what would be done to him.

After a few seconds he outright grimaced. "That..."

He knew exactly where they would bring him; Deeptide Dungeon. It was a prison that Oban had maintained near the city for some years. Most of the time it was used for rebels, dissidents, and the types of people that even most commoners wanted to forget about.

"I'm going to be honest." Val offered with a frown. "You might be better off just seeing to his family..."

He was sure that wasn't going to get a good reaction.

 

[Wren Kingsley]

Wren looked reasonably calm as she slowly nodded at his answer, she had expected as much and she sighed deeply as she pushed herself away from the tree and rubbed at her face before suddenly reaching to grip hold of his shoulders and slam him against the tree instead.

"You -owe- me, Valren. I cannot and will not allow that man to go to the noose for me. And if that means that I hand myself over then that's what I have to do. You have no idea how much I really, really don't want to have to do that.." her jaw clenched.

"I need your help, please."

 

[Val]

A look of shock crossed his face, pain lancing over his back as bark bit into his skin.

Almost unconsciously he reached for the knife that he'd hidden at the hem of his pajama pants, fingers flexing for a brief moment as he expected Wren to either press a blade to his throat or draw the breath from his lungs.

When neither came, and instead a 'please' was uttered from her lips Val felt his fingers unfurl. He was not entirely sure if it was his own choice, or some involuntary reaction to hearing a beautiful woman offer him a plea.

Holy fuck you're a sucker. Val thought to himself.

His jaw tightened for a one brief moment.

"Look, Wren..." He grimaced. "Deeptide is...I can..."

Shit. "I might know a way in."

Val wanted to scream at himself.

 

[Wren Kingsley]

She gazed at him intently, like a wild animal who'd likely have his face off if he made any sudden movements as she silently urged him to give her an answer she liked better than his last one. She watched his face, the clenching of his jaw, the grimace, the hesitation.

"Hah!" Wren grinned at him, and without thinking she reached for his face and drew him toward her into a firm kiss as relief washed over her. A way in was all they needed to settle her mind of worry for now. Soon however, she realised what she was doing and she quickly let him go and laughed awkwardly under her breath as she rubbed at her brow with the back of a wrist.. "Shit. Sorry.. That's great.. Can we leave now?.." she asked impatiently, trying to ignore the heat in her cheeks.

 

[Val]

Another kind of shock washed over his features, his eyes popping wide open as her lips suddenly pressed against his.

He had thought that she was far more likely to stab him than kiss him, but...well he wouldn't lie and say that it wasn't a welcome surprise. Brows slowly lowered as he leaned into the kiss, only for her to suddenly pull away just as he was getting into it.

A muted groan escaped his throat as she spoke, her cheeks coloring bright red. "Well...I..."

Nah.

His hand suddenly reached out, grabbing the nape of her neck and suddenly wrenching her into a hard kiss.

If she was gonna get hers, he would take his.

 

[Wren Kingsley]

Now it was her turn to be shocked, but she'd have been lying if she'd said her lips hadn't enjoyed their first connection with his and so she didn't deprive them of a second. She'd have been lying too if she'd said she hadn't found him frustratingly attractive. Impulsiveness wasn't like her at all, she'd been so relieved by his words that her actions had caught even her off guard. Now though, now she had herself tensed so tightly that she thought her tendons might snap.

Slowly, oh-so-slowly she eased, and unexpectedly or not she found herself returning his kiss and pressing him back against the tree to lean her body into his naked torso.

What was she doing?! He was a cocky rich bastarding noble. He was a sworn enemy. He was an arrogant swine!...

He was so fucking infatuating.

 

[Val]

Val wasted absolutely no time at all.

Never did.

As soon as Wren began to return the kiss his fingers on the nape of her neck tightened, grasping her firmly as his other palm drew up to her hips. He grasped her there for a moment as he was suddenly pressed back against the tree, then his arm wrapped around her.

In an instant she would feel the sudden press of his muscles, fingers pulling and pushing at the same time as he first lifted her off the ground, and then quickly spun her to thrust her up against the tree.

She would find a knee suddenly beneath her thigh, perching her up so that neither of her feet could touch the ground. His lips never left hers the whole time, only taking advantage of the sudden shock that ran through her as their situation was reversed.

 

[Wren Kingsley]

Gods. Be. Good..

Theon had been in custody for an entire day now, he could wait a little longer, right? Wren's senses were entirely lost, all caution and care completely tossed to the wind as he seized her. She hadn't felt hands like that on her in a long time...In fact, she'd never felt hands like his on her, nor had she expected to, or wanted to until her lips had burned with that kiss, and rightly or wrongly she was now entirely caught up in the moment.

His lips and tongue were an addiction she'd struggle to wean herself off of later.. As he lifted her, her breathing pitched to frantic and she pulled erratically at what outer clothing she could unburden herself with before hooking her thumbs into the waistband of her leggings and wriggling them down. This wasn't sweet or love or romance, this was pure carnal desire, a lust filled mistake she'd no doubt regret later but right now, she simply didn't care.

 

[Val]

Val didn't like Wren. She was obnoxious, bratty, murderous, and a dozen other adjectives that shouldn't have been uttered in polite company.

But gods damn it did he want this.

He wasn't sure when that switch had been flipped, wasn't sure the moment he had known it would happen. Perhaps it had been during the middle of that dance. Perhaps it had been when she'd held the knife to his artery. Maybe it was when she'd literally taken his breath.

The Noble just knew that the feeling was there, and he knew that he had her right where he wanted her.

His hands upon her flesh were neither soft nor subtle, they grabbed and tore away at whatever clothing remained on her body, a fiery passion pressing her against the tree as he took her.

 

[Wren Kingsley]

It was pure carnal aggression. How she hated his cocky arrogance, his smug self assurance, the usual irritations that came with zealous nobility, with rich men in general. The hatred rushed through her mind, fuelling the passion as she kissed him and raked her nails across his skin.

Have fun they said. Let loose they said... "Fine.." she said aloud as he pressed her to the tree.

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She wasn't ashamed. She was sure the feeling was mutual between them, she'd felt as much, he wasn't exactly tender and nor had she been. It had been nothing more than physical attraction and lustrous need. She sat by the tree, naked in the grass running her fingers into her hair to clutch at it as she chased at her breath unable to catch hold of it.

"Fuck.." she huffed and let her head fall back, casting her sinewy face skyward and closing her eyes for a moment, her heart threatening to burst from her chest if she didn't slow it down somehow. As she tumbled down from the heady heights of her euphoric pleasures, the pain in the form of scratches and bites slowly ebbed back into her mind and she ran her fingers across the bite he'd left on her neck, a soft frown on her brow. She'd dealt him a few marks of her own, and so she wouldn't comment.

She couldn't regret it, she'd wanted it, needed it... enjoyed it thoroughly. She looked at him finally, her eyes dancing over his body and she bit on her lip as she failed to find words. Gods he was exciting.

 

[Val]

Val lay scattered on the ground just a few feet from Wren.

He was pretty sure that he tasted blood on his tongue, though as he reached out to touch his lip he didn't find much of anything waiting for him there. A frown touched his features for a brief second, and then he thought she must have bitten his tongue or something.

It was all sort of a violent blur of ecstasy and agony, and as his chest rose and quickly fell Val wondered if half the estate hadn't been woken up in the throes of their passions. His head shook, lulling to the side and looking up at Wren.

"Huh." Was all he said.

Apparently anger and a mild bit of hate was a powerful...motivator when it came to these things. Maybe even a little more fun than seduction.

"So..." he began. "Prisonbreak, huh?"

Val asked softly.

 

[Wren Kingsley]

Wren laughed under her breath and nodded.. "Deal's a deal.." she commented, wasting no time in getting back to business. She reached for her strewn clothes and stood, her legs quaking slightly but she steadied herself against the tree with a grimace at the scratches on her back as she leaned.

"Any idea how we're going to get in there?.." she asked casually as she pulled on her leggings and lifted her eyes to him.. "I'd get yourself armed for a start. We're leaving now." she told him and huffed a few unruly locks of hair out of her eyes.

 

[Val]

Val scooped up his breeches from the ground, deciding that his underwear was probably somewhere in a tree or something. "Oh."

He said with a frown.

"Yeah you're going to hate my idea." Val said with a shrug, but it was just about the only way he could think of actually making this work. That prison was not exactly somewhere you just walked into, not even on your best day. "Follow me."

The young man grumbled quietly as he headed not towards the house, but towards the edge of the estate. There he wandered for a moment, pacing oddly from a strange rock until he reached down into a bush.

There was a slight shudder, and then he pulled open a wooden hatch.

 

[Wren Kingsley]

Wren shot him a look as she pulled on her shirt.. "Of that I have no doubt.." she huffed quietly and raked her fingers through the dishevelled waves of her hair, dislodging the few small twigs and leaves that'd tangled up and making an attempt to tame it a little. She finished dressing and laced up her boots before following after him, her eyes lingering on him with a covert grin that crossed her lips, her toes still slightly numb. She suppressed a shudder.

As he paced, Wren's arms folded across her chest, her eyes following him in bewilderment.. "What are you looking f-- what is that?" she paused as she heard the hatch open and her gaze narrowed. "I'm going to need you to explain your idea to me before I agree to this.." she told him with a hint of tension in her tone. Wren was anxious enough as it was about going anywhere near a prison of any sort, one wrong move and she'd never get back out.

 

[Val]

"It's just a..." A frown touched his lips for a few seconds as he considered. "Like...a hideout..."

For a second Val almost looked somewhat embarrassed, but he quickly shook his head and continued to move down the hatch. He looked up at her for a brief second with a frown, then shook his head and motioned down the stairs. "You can stay here if you want, but I just need to grab some stuff."

Val told her before he descended out into the hideout.

The inside of the hideout was small, only three rooms. Most of them were decorated with various weapons, though there were a few odd bits of armor and other things laying around that would likely intrigue Wren. One was a strange grappling hook like contraption fitted on the end of a crossbow.

 

[Wren Kingsley]

Wren’s brow arched and she couldn’t hide the bemusement on her face as he revealed his ‘hideout’ .. “Oh..right..”

She approached the hatch cautiously and chewed on her lip as she watched him descend. She crouched to peer inside out of curiosity but it was as far as she would go. Confined spaces didn’t suit her..

“I’ll wait..” she nodded to him, and sat herself down to wait on him and grin to herself now that she was alone.

“So this idea....?” She called down to him and rubbed at her flushed face.

 

[Val]

"Right." She really wasn't going to like this, but it was just about the only idea that he actually had.

There was a few minutes of rummaging, the sound of something falling over, but after a few seconds of digging Val began to don his armor. He also pulled out something else, though from up above Wren wouldn't be able to see it.

"I figure there's three ways to get into a prison like that. Climb over the walls, dig a tunnel..." He called to her. "Or..."

Val climbed up the stairs, once again wearing that greenish leather armor he had on the night they'd met. The hood was pulled up too, though not quite as far. In his hand was a mask, though not ornate like at a masquerade, but near blank save for a subtle demonic visage. "Get yourself someone who the Warden and everyone else would very much like to see inside."

He stared at her. "Which we...happen to have."

 

[Wren Kingsley]

Wren peeked down through the hatch as she listened to the ruckus from below, a curious frown on her brow. She wanted to see what he had in there, but her chest tightened at the thought of descending the ladders underground and she huffed with a quiet mutter of "Fuck that.." to herself.

She rolled her eyes as he mentioned tunnelling in to the prison, as though they had time for that, and what did he know about digging tunnels? Her head shook and she turned to see him emerge in that armour. There was a blank pause in her expression as she looked over him, she couldn't help it, it made him look all the more impressive and she felt herself grow a little hot under her collar and she adjusted the scarf she wore to let in a little cool air. She'd been so busy letting her eyes and mind wander that she hadn't realised for a moment what exactly he was insinuating, and she glanced at the mask he carried before shooting him an incredulous look and quickly rolling to her feet to take a few paces back from him.

"Fuck off." she pointed at him. "Absolutely not.." her hand cut across the air as though drawing a line through that idea and she turned to walk away muttering to herself "Out of his fucking mind if he thinks I'm going along with that bullshit."

"Out of your fucking mind!" she repeated, for him this time.

 

[Val]

Val shrugged. "Look."

He had known she wouldn't like the idea, but there really wasn't a better one. Climbing over the walls was suicide, and tunneling would take them months. There was no way they could do either of those things without more time and planning.

"You want to get in there tonight, don't you?" She was the one who had come to him with the time-table, not the other way around. "This is the only way we can literally walk into the damned place."

After that? Well after that things would probably get violent. "I can pose as a bounty hunter, bring you in, then..."

He shrugged.