A debt to the devil is paid in blood.(A continuation of this earlier scene. More exposition below th

A debt to the devil is paid in blood.(A continuation of this earlier scene. More exposition below the cut.)The alliance between Lord Ambroys and Duke Hyden appeared quite one-sided in its benefits. While Ambroys was drawn to Hyden’s power, much about Ambroys repulsed Hyden. The young lord was a ridiculous, preening peacock and about as witless. It didn’t help that he had a high-pitched, ringing laugh that made Hyden’s head ache. What could Ambroys even give Hyden in return for his aid? Everything of value Ambroys had; his summer estates, his luxe outfits, the excesses of bijouterie sparkling on his ears and fingers, were all truly owned by his father, the very man he was conspiring against.There was one thing Hyden wanted from Ambroys, though, something inherited from his celestial mother: the liquid gold inside his veins.Unicorn blood was a potent substance. It had the ability to heal grievous wounds, cure any poison and perhaps even reverse the ravages of age itself. Hyden had desired it for years. Now here his opportunity was, presenting itself with a ribbon tied around it like a gift.Hyden asked for little, at first. One small vial, only a couple thimble’s worth of ichor. It was barely all Ambroys could bear to part with in the first place. The mere whisper of a knife against his skin reduced him to sniveling tears.He’d get used to it in time, Hyden assured him.A few drops could never satisfy Hyden’s appetites, however. Each little favor he performed, each enemy silenced and each secret kept had a price. A vial become a bottle, a bottle became several. Ambroys became accustomed to the feeling of a blade plunging into his flesh, and tried to ignore the bit of drool dribbling from Hyden’s lips as the gold began to run from the wound.But it would all be worth it in the end… wouldn’t it? -- source link

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