Ruin Maketh Me

3 - Major Arcana

I'd felt the same way when I saw Jacques for the first time. His platinum had shone in the moonlight like the brightest halo, and his phantom blue eyes... God, they glowed like wilo wisps, calling me willingly down some mysterious, fateful depth. I'd thought him the most beautiful man I ever seen. A demon wearing an angel's skin.
But this.
This is different. This is a thousand times stronger.
The three men before me wear their beauty like impenetrable armour. They flaunt it, knowing you will succumb.
I can't quite distinguish their ages from their faces, but the one to the left has an aura so overpowering I almost fall to the ground.
     There's no doubt, he's the emperor.
He has long, trailing black hair the colour of a starless space, and his skin is translucently pale without the fragility of illness. His feature are strong, noble and unforgiving, like they're carved from marble, not flesh. There is a redness to his lips, but it's his eyes that bring everything into harmony. They are red like polished rubies.
Red like spilt blood.
"He's not an idiot is he?"
      Even his voice sends a tremble through my knees. It's different from Jacques's cold serpentine lilt, it rings like the toll of a bell, deep and indifferent.
      "No young master Kade, he's not." The fox's tone betrays no emotion, but his fingers twitch.
Damn it. I muster up some anger and rip my eyes away from the man's face. Instead, they get drawn to the man in the middle as he opens his mouth.
"It doesn't matter either way."
The sound of his voice is lighter and quieter but not without a hint of steel.
His eyes flit briefly to mine, and in the swirling eddies of his gaze I see a familiar blockade. It's a wall of apathy and distance that keeps everything out and away. It's the same front I used to see every time I looked in the mirror. And again my eyes linger.
His blue-black hair is cut short in front but left long at the nape, curling elegantly against his treacle skin. On in his face, in the hollow and rises of his brows and eyes, he wears that same frigidity I wore. Under my eyes his face seems to twist and turn into a different one with black eyes and ragged red hair.
     He's the fool.
Damn it, stay focused Cynder.
My eyes slide from him to the third man's shrug.
A mass of curls dominate my vision. The third man catches my look, holds it and laughs, sensual lips curling upwards like they knew my every thought.  The sun within the three.
     "The little thing is looking at me."
     There's a certain magnetism in his voice, and I smile at his words. It's been years since I've last been called 'little thing', 'brat', 'kid' and it's surprisingly refreshing for a change.
An emperor, a fool, a sun. By no means are these men going to be easy to deal with. But on the other side, the distracted attention of three is better than the sole attention of one, especially when it's still unclear as to what they need me for. The fox had said 'cleaner', but in a different world and a situation like this that could mean just about anything. At the very least, I did not see any lust towards me within their eyes.
     The emperor stands with an audible whoosh as his long coat flaps behind him. The other two follow suit.
     "The rest of the payment's on the table." The emperor directs his gaze at me, "Follow." His words allow for no obedience.
     His tone no longer irks me as much as before; it becomes more and more familiar with the passing second. Jacques used to speak like that, with an air of natural arrogance that could lot be separated from his being.
     We tread down the corridor in silence, the fox following behind me with a sort of solemnity unbecoming of him. All three, including the fox are a head taller than me. The emperor is likely to be around 24, though I wouldn't be shocked if he is much older. As for the other two... somewhere between 19 and 22. In comparison with their height and taking nutrition into account, my body is around 16 or 17.
     A flint of joy buries itself within my heart. Although 28 isn't an old age, it really is much better being young again. There's a relief in knowing you still have time. Though it also means there's no chance of escaping their influence until I have a firm grasp of the situation.
     As we walk down a large hall with boarded up windows the fox's footsteps lag a fraction and his pace slows, but he says nothing. A bitterness flows through my mouth, you can't afford to be softhearted in a business like this.
     "It's good doing business with you Leonard." The sun offers in an offhand manner.
     The emperor flings the front doors open, and a blast of cold air ruffles our hair. I plunge onwards into the dusk outside and although I feel the piercing heat of the fox's gaze into the back of my head I don't turn around.
     He doesn't follow us out, and the doors bang shut behind me. Outside it's frigidly cold, and I see that we've just come out of what seemed to be a 'abandoned' manor. The yard is lone, wild and bleak. There's weeds and grass poking out from between the cracks of flagstones, and there's nothing to see in the distance but a rusted iron gate, overbearing pines and a winding road.
A large carriage with tethered horses waits alongside the house. The three leap into it without hesitation, and all I can do is climb in as best I could with the little strength I have.
The interior is much larger than it looks from outside. There are two rows of plush leather seats facing each other, and the sizeable windows are shuttered. The carriage door closes automatically behind me, and I shuffle blindly onto the seats opposite the three.
Before my eyes even adjust to the gloom, a low buzzing noise penetrates my ear. I turn my gaze discreetly to my right. Slowly, little by little, I see bare skin glistening with sweat, beautifully honed muscles, spider-lily lips parted forcefully with a gag, a handsome face covered by a blindfold and short white hair wet from perspiration.

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AN: For those who may be confused: emperor, sun and fool are Cynder's nicknames for the three based on first impressions.