#frannyart

in his youth, the sickly Lord Aurelius Iuvenalis of the country of Melrahel was appointed a young boy his age to be his companion til death - Everett Althorn, the son of a knight in the service of Aurelius's father. by blood oath the two were bound forevermore. Aurelius was not expected to live long; only 20 years of indentured servitude was a simple sentence for an elf, after all.

the two grew up together, sharing meals, tutoring lessons; sharing nearly every moment with each other, rarely seen alone. as Aurelius' health deteriorated in his early 20s, he turned to desperate measures in the throes of sickness, and evoked the help of a dark, magical force in order to cure his illness and live far longer than any physician had ever predicted. and so the only heir to Melrahel rose again, but with a cure came immense consequences.

through his newfound health and power came newfound gluttony, unyielding and all-consuming, that fueled his rise to the throne. Melrahel prospered in those early years of his rule, but few attributed its success to the new lord's companion Everett. fewer still noticed the effect his presence brought to Aurelius. no one knew him better - and arguably, no one knew how to run Melrahel better, either. as Aurelius continued his path of incessant hedonism, Everett did more for both him and the country; became smarter, grew in power himself.

as many wives came and went, no luck for an heir, Everett stayed. as the courts came and went and fewer graced the inside of the castle's cold walls, as Aurelius dwindled into a hermit's solitude, Everett stayed.

his advisor. his companion. his dearest friend. his - no, there are some things that shan't be discussed within the court, no matter how obvious they may be.

[and here's link to a vague and very related post]