Fantasy A Divided Kingdom [Open]

[Office Worker Craig]

Name: Prince Renald
Location: Prince Renald's Room ->Meeting Hall
Interactions: n/a


The time for mourning was no more for the prince.

A whole month had gone by since his father passed away. So much emotional turmoil Renald experienced under a single month, from the shock of the sudden death of his father, the pressure of running the kingdom with his siblings alone, and the frustration of dealing with his brother.

He paced around his room, holding a clean knife. It was a simple one, double-edged with a sharp point. It may not be the flashiest of his collection nor the most effective, but it can be used...and that's all that mattered.

Thousands of thoughts raced in Renald's mind, thoughts and worries about the kingdom that had been plaguing him for the past few weeks. Suddenly, he stopped and stared at the large painting within his room. It depicted his whole family standing in front of the king's throne with their father at the center. He always hated that painting, because of one simple aspect. The painting portrayed Naya in the front of his father, with father's hands resting on his shoulders. Meanwhile Renald and his sister were at the sidelines along with their mother.

The painting constantly spat on Renald's face anytime he looked at it, reminding him that he was nothing more than a 'redundant son'. An extra, a spare in comparison to the oh-so-perfect Prince Naya. So what he can wield a sword, so what he was intelligent, none of it meant he would be a competent ruler.

He knows the people of the kingdom, they're not just a list of names from a scroll, he really knows them.

In a perfect world, he, his brother, and even his sister would set aside their differences and work together for the better of the kingdom, but they were not living in that perfect world. Renald knew that his brother's pride would not let him work alongside his weak younger brother, though Renald admits he had his own reason to not proposing an alliance with his brother. His ambition and ego.

By claiming the title as the king himself, he'll show his family and the world that he was more than a spare prince. He will show that he can do things that not even his brother can. He will bring prosperity and power to this kingdom, ranking in achievements even their dear father couldn't have done.

He positioned himself into a throwing position, aiming the knife into the painting counterpart of his brother. He stared at it deeply, preparing himself to throw the knife...but he couldn't. Renald let out a deep sigh as he put the knife under his royal jacket.

At this moment, he should have seen his Naya as nothing more than an opponent, but he was still his brother. He couldn't bring himself to hurt him, even if it was just a painting depiction of him.

Renald exited his room, for he headed towards the meeting hall.

...

Immediately, the noise of arguments and insults flooded his ear, and soon he himself was flooded by officials demanding answers.

What was to be his persona for this situation?

Should he act gentle, reassuring everyone that everything was under control? Should he act as a general, inspiring his people to act better, to work together instead of hauling insults at one another?

Whatever personas he picked, he knew they wouldn't be satisfied with the answers. For now, he would use no personas and just try his best to calm everyone down. It's for everyone's interest to stop the officials from going after one another's throats before things get violent.

 

[MarieK]

Interacts with: Louqlyn and Roawn

Having only just recovered from the choking spell, Arya was slow to register what Louqlyn had dropped onto the floor. Her first instinct was to throw herself on top of the thing or kick it away, but Roawn was faster and she watched with baited breath as the man scooped it up and tossed it. The disconjointed chain of events that occurred next- the blinding light and the noise- paralyzed Arya. Exploding spheres of light pranced across her vision as her ears hummed and her head pounded.

Reaching out, she groped for a door frame or a wall, anything, to keep her from losing balance, but an unseen force jerked her off her feet. An involuntary gasp emitted from her lips as she fell, expecting the hard impact of the ground.

After the dizzying sensation of falling had subsided, she took a mental assessment of herself. Nothing hurt aside from the receding pain in her ears and eyes. Reaching out, she felt something solid, but soft and warm. Recalling the tug that had swept her off balance, she realized it was Roawn's chest beneath her palms, his breath against her hair, and his body beneath her. Her body tensed.

She pushed back, blinking wildly, and willed her senses to return. Her vision recovered some and she could just make out Roawn's face. When her eyes focused on his, she experienced the sensation of falling all over again.

Fear and guilt mingled in her chest, tightening it and she rolled to the side, detaching herself from him. Head spinning yet, it took a few moments for her feet to find purchase and her to stand. Arya swayed, but managed to keep upright. Once she was balanced, she offered Roawn her hand to assist him back onto his feet, but her gaze was directed Louqlyn.

"Are you okay?" she inquired, remembering the sound of a crack when they had fallen. Her voice was smooth enough, but her nerves were humming with an inexplicable electricity.

Before she could suggest to the woman that grenades were not for the house, especially when it had happened before, Arthur came clambering down the hallway. He had probably heard the commotion. She doubted anyone in the kingdom had missed it.

"What in the name of-" He stopped short when he noticed Louqlyn. "Really, Louqlyn? Again?"

As he spoke, the dog he had taken outside earlier, came around and sniffed at their feet. Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled a steadying breath.

In spite of herself, Arya smiled at the Louqlyn. "The strawberries were still worth it. Just remind me to take more caution when accepting gifts from you in the future."

Arthur's brow burrowed as he noticed the mess of berries on the floor which the dog was busy cleaning up. He shook his head. But whatever displeasure there was in seeing the mess on the floor was immediately forgotten, for in the next second, his eyes widened as if he had forgotten something.

"I will see you all at the meeting," he said, turning abruptly on his heel and sailing back down the corridor.

Arya stared after him. Light spots impeded her vision, but they were diminishing by the minute. Arms crossed over her chest, she risked a glance in Roawn's direction to ensure that he was unharmed. Their connection to the Guard made it so that they healed at a faster rate than other people, but the rate of healing time correlated with the severity of the wound.

​

 

[TheRidingWitch]

{Location: Royal Guardians Home,}
[Interacts with Roawn and Arya]

Louqlyn hunched into a ball and counted the seconds in her head. Right on 3, she heard the shrill noise of the grenade. Pride swelled in her. It had actually worked. Counting one second more, she removed her fingers from her ears and yanked open the door again. Feeling like she achieved the impossible, Louqlyn pumped her fists in the air and bounced foot to foot chanting, "It worked! I did it! It worked!" She couldn't help laughing hysterically when she actually looked at the Guardians that were on the floor. Roawn looked dazed and Arya was looking at Roawn. Her laughing resided to giggles and she actually looked around at the mess she had made. Berries were everywhere, some mushed and some completely flat. She frowned.

"Are you ok?" Louqlyn asked the now-standing Arya. The girl gave her a scowl and opened her mouth to say something, but the sound of someone rapidly approaching made her shut it. Louqlyn turned and a jogging Arthur came into view. Louqlyn couldn't help prepare for a lot of scolding and to get her butt chewed. She blanched when Arthur stopped and surveyed the damage dealt. Louqlyn's gaze went to the floor, finding a spot to focus on and burn a hole into. What Arthur said first didn't register, but she heard what he said second. "Really, Louqlyn? Again?" She stared at her spot on the floor harder. She saw him shake his head and heat tickled its way up her ears.

"I will see you all at the meeting." Arthur said and turned on his heel. This time, he was much faster running away then he was running to. The increase of pace struck a twinge of fear. She turned back to the Guardians and asked, "Are we late or something?" In truth, she hadn't even known there was anything of importance happening today. Her guilt doubled when she realized that on top of listening to Arthur's tedious droning about some political matter, they would have to do it with a dull ringing in their ears. At that moment, she wished she had calculated wrong and the sound wasn't that lound. If you took a different approach, she simply needed to test something on trained personnel, and she had. That was that."Sorry." She said blandly. She turned and followed the sound of Arthur running down the hallway.

 

[americanCaeser]

Interacts with: Leah ( MarieK )
Mentioned: Lazaro1505

When the lithe woman caught up to him he pondered her querry for a moment.

"Ro... Oh, you mean the fanatic, right? Cloth on their face?" He held up his free hand and waved it in front of his face for emphasis. "Nah, though if I were to hazard a guess the loony is probably still holed up in their room. I don't blame them, not like theres much else to do."

Sliv turned to face Leah as he walked, and several people to the side had to duck to avoid hitting their heads on Kingdom Slicer, though one unfortunately unattentive man did just that before falling down in a daze. Sliv didn't even notice the impact. "I get keeping us locked up till they figure out the succession trash, but it's been like that for a while now. Literally, I've been in one official fight in the last... two, three years as a royal guard? And that was against some bandit idiot who he was Slavispol the Bandit King Reborn. Killed him in one hit and that was that. Don't get me wrong, this is a cushy job, but its getting pretty boring. If those two idiots don't try and kill eachother I was thinking of taking a ship to that Merchant Republic west a-ways. Forget the name but apparently their going to try and reclaim some colonies, might be something of interest to be had there."

It was shocking how flippantly Ivanoff spoke of this, since it was essentially treason, or atleast conspiracy of dereliction of duty or something like that. But this was hardly the first time he had spoken of such things, and his musing and far away tone implied this wasn't the last. Someone had asked why he was so flippant about saying such things. He responded 'If I decided to leave, none of you could stop me'.

Sliv sighed, a tired and frustrated noise. "Gods, Leah, what happened to me? To this land? What happened to the days of danger and death you practically tripped over between each starving and plague-ridden village? Far more exciting in my opinion."

 

[Night Write]

[Interaction: Arya and Louqlyn]

The sound of laughter started to bubble up as though it had worked its way through water. At first, Roawn wasn’t really registering the pressure across his torso and body, a booming headache being his foremost awareness. He just accepted the soft body pressed against him as some sort of blanket. Releasing a breath, he shifted his focus from the ceiling bannisters to Arya, oh...Right… He had accidently grabbed her when he was looking for a wall or something to gain balance on. Whoops.

But then the way she looked at him caught his attention; he knew that look. This wasn’t the first time a woman noticed he was attractive. Roawn couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride that she found him physically intriguing, but also curiosity at when that had happened. While Arya was experiencing fear and guilt, abruptly pushing from him, he was experience enjoyment. He knew attraction was different from love and he doubted that either one of them would allow themselves to let anything get so far as to form more than a bond revolving around comradeship and physical attraction.

Simply, too much to lose, besides, it wasn’t like he could actually talk to her in a reasonable and seamless way, so the bond would naturally break. All of his previous relationships, non-guardian of course, had broken in the end revolving around the same issue: couldn’t connect right because he couldn’t speak in moments when it mattered, let alone the normal day-to-day interactions. He waved her proffered hand away, getting up himself, pretending not to be as woozy and nauseated as he was. God, this headache was awful.

“Are you ok?” Arya asked and Roawn nodded in response, he didn’t have a convenient way to tell her he had a brainsplitting headache, but nothing life threatening.

Arthur urgently arrived, bringing back to attention what had gotten them into this mess to begin with as Arthur’s dog began cleaning up the strawberry massacre. Louqlyn. Humour faded from Roawn’s demeanor. He was mad and his headache was not helping his mood. He did NOT think the stupid strawberry was worth it. In that moment, nothing else really registered except for Louqlyn.

Once Arthur had arrived and then quickly left, he ignored her question on whether or not they were late to something. He walked up to Louqlyn, pinning her against the door behind her back, his blue eyes burning daggers into where he assumed her eyes were. The back of his hair wet, perhaps from when they were training. An angry part of him wanted to yank that stupid mask off her face and humiliate her, conduct a little experiment of his own to see how a person acts when unmasked.

But he fought that level of vindication away. There were some boundaries you don’t cross, even when mad, and this was going to be Louqlyns. So, instead, he glared angrily at her and shoved her shoulder failing to have words for her. That shove would have to speak for him. He intended to turn and walk away, following Arthur, Arya’s request to speak to him having slipped his mind.

 

[MarieK]

Interacts with: Roawn, Louqlyn and Connie and Korni_Flakes

Mentions: FireMaiden

Location: Guardian's Home and Medic's Bay

Arya

With the attempt at lightening the mood trampled upon, Arya fell into a contemplative silence. Louqlyn had been wrong to let the grenade off in the hall, but her crestfallen look aroused pity within her for the woman. She either had not heard or simply ignored Arya's joke concerning future gifts, but she did not blame her or repeat it.

Roawn's withering glare pinned the woman, bringing to mind the image of a butterfly tacked to a board. It also brought to mind a remnant of a past she had folded neatly up and tucked into the furthest corner of her mind. Goodness, did he not know the potency of his looks?

Her fingers twitched with the urge to reach out and catch him by the arm to gain his attention so that she could give him a pointed look to let him know Louqlyn clearly felt bad for having set off the grenade and was unlikely to do so again. And perhaps, she would have before, but she couldn't bring herself to touch him unnecessarily now. The entanglement of her emotions had made her wary.

Attraction. She stumbled upon the word within the privacy of her own mind, but she felt vulnerable. Had he seen it in her eyes? Horror retaliated against whatever excitement had resulted from the discovery of the new feeling. It was not abnormal to feel that way toward someone, she reasoned. And it certainly was nothing more than that. She found Roawn appealing strictly on a physical basis. It had nothing to do with his kindness, intelligence, or the way his expressions spoke in volumes no words could ever hope to duplicate. Aside from that, he was strong-

The dog gave a yelp, startling her and effectively derailing the dangerous course of her thoughts.

She gave the dog a glare, but was sure that it was not, in the very least, intimidating, especially in comparison to Roawn's.

Arya did not say anything to try to prevent Roawn from leaving. Sidling the path, she moved out of his way and kept her head down, pretending to watch the silly animal eat up all the strawberries at her feet. Despite his proclamations of being well, she had not missed the tightness around his lips which suggested pain or discomfort, neither had she forgotten the sound of his head smacking the floor.

She winced at the remembrance of it.

Once he was out of sight, she petted the dog on the head and whispered, "I'm an idiot."

The dog's insightful brown eyes met her's as if in agreement.

-

The medic's bay was lively that day. People bolted in and out of her path, but Arya was mindful to stay out of the bustle. They had enough on their plates and did not need her in their way.

When she located Corielle and Christie, she waved and weaved through the crowded space. She gave them a small, apologetic smile as she approached.

"Sorry, for disturbing you two, but I need to ask Corielle for a favor," she explained, playing with a frayed string that hung off her shirt. She wet her lips, eyes darting to the side. "You see, Louqlyn set off a grenade inside earlier and well..."

Her sentence trailed as she tried to decide how to tell them the story without giving any indication that something forbidden had transpired.

Not forbidden. You did nothing wrong.

She sighed. "Long story short, Roawn hit his head pretty hard. So I came here to ask if you'd take a look at him for me. He seems fine, able to walk and such, but I think he may be in some pain."

Arya thought about the meeting that was supposed to be happening at that moment. It had something to do with the princess, though what she did not know. She only knew that she did not have it in her to be around Roawn just yet.

An idea came to mind.

"I have to run to town, so I can't go with you, but I believe he is with Arthur in his study. I'll be back tonight."

With that, she gave them a grateful nod and turned and left before they could question her on where she was going.

Hopefully, the princess liked festivals.

~
Arthur

Arthur had nearly forgotten about the royal advisor. The advisor was a curious sort of man, always asking too many of the wrong questions, but entertaining him was a necessary evil. The Guard protected the kingdom and it was a lot easier when royalty was on their side.

As he hurried to his study, he could hear the others behind him. Good. He despised playing host and their presence would distract the man from asking too many questions.

Pushing the door ajar, he found the man just as he thought he would, in his chair behind the desk with a cup of his good mead in his meaty hand. The man was in his late sixties, he guessed, and had a protruding mole on his cheek with a hair on it. He always scratched at it when he was perturbed.

Glancing up, the man eyed him, scratching the cheek with the mole on it. "It is about time, Arthur. I've been waiting nigh fifteen minutes."

"Apologies, Theo," Arthur responded, keeping his voice even and his emotions shuttered. He held the door open for the guardians that had followed him. "I'd like to introduce you to Louqlyn, a very talented chemist."

Making grenades was a kind of chemistry, wasn't it?

"Roawn," he would say once the man had followed Louqlyn inside, "is one of our most well-trained guards. You'll find that he is an expert-"

"Ah, the mute, correct?" Theo reclined in Arthur's chair, scrutinizing the two guardians.

Arthur could barely maintain his polite demeanor. The man was insufferable.

"His name is Roawn, and yes, he is mute. But you'll find that his hearing is just as sharp as anyone's."

The Advisor dipped his head, but it was more of a dispassionate shrug.

Arthur tensed, but cleared his throat and waited for Arya to appear to introduce her to the man. When she didn't, Arthur glanced to the other two guardians, expecting them to know her whereabouts. Arya knew everyone was supposed to meet here at this time. There was no excuse for her absence.

He swallowed back his frustration and left the door open for the rest of the guardians to pour himself a glass of mead. Something told him one bottle was not going to last long.

~

Interacts with: americanCaeser
Mentions: Lazaro1505

Leah

Leah rather thought Ro to be inspirational rather than crazy, as Ivanoff had accused him of being. The man stuck to his convictions which was far more commendable than mere peculiarity. She wished she could have been more like him. If she were, it was possible she would yet be a guard and not some useless errand girl.

She fought back the bitter response that hung on the tip of her tongue, knowing bitterness was related to self-pity and self-pity, pride. When she had first lost Benson, she had spent a lot of time wallowing in self-pity. It had gotten her nowhere. There was no use in longing for something she could never get back or regretting what she could never change. Leah had made her decision, however desperate it had been in the moment, and would forever suffer for making the mistake. Had it been Ro in her stead, he would have had no difficulty walking away and leaving the scum behind. But she could not bring herself to regret her actions, only that in the heat of the battle she had used a sword.

Shutting her eyes, she loosened her hands that had involuntarily tightened into fists at her sides. Expelling a breath of air, she shook her head at Silv's words.

"I don't believe it will remain boring," she responded, glancing to the dazed man on the ground. Once she had seen the rise and fall of his chest, she looked back at the guard. "But if you happen to run away, take me with you. I rather miss fighting."

At least he could fight. The terms of her employment with the Guard following the loss of her title as a guardian, was that she not fight. She could train, of course, but not engage in any sort of combat.

His next words enkindled a spark of humor within her chest, ridding her mind of the dark turn of her thoughts and causing her to laugh. The man certainly could paint a picture.

"I can't say I hope you get what you want. But yes, a little excitement would be nice."

She doubted the princes would let Ivanoff down in that regard. If they had it their way, the kingdom would have plenty of excitement.​

 

[Korni_Flakes]

{Medic's bay, Arthur's Study}
interacts with Connie
Christie was deep in his own toughts. The nervous atmosphere everpresent in the Guards started to affect him. Despite the fact that he usually didn't care for politics that much, the most current events would undoubtedly affect the Guard, for better or for worse. Suddenly someone ran into the medic's bay. Arya talking about Roawn, and him being injured, and somwhere the word "granade" was said, she then hastily walked out, without giving any further explanation. He left the herbs on the desk and turned to Corelle "I guess I'll be going then" and rushed to Arthur's study.

.....​

interacts with Night Write
When he came to the study, the door was alreday open, and there were other people inside. The medic stopped at the doorstep, not even having time to look around "Where's Roawn?" Not waiting for the answer he jumped into the room and walked up to Roawn. He noticed that the man didn't look badly hurt, maybe a little bit dazed. Now feeling a little bit embarassed, finally noticing he interrupted some kind of meeting, Christie smiled awkwardly "Hey, uh Roawn, you should probably have that wound looked at..."

 

[Heda]

{Location: Royal Palace -> Meeting Hall}
{Interactions: Prince Renald Office Worker Craig }

Many people held their own beliefs as to what 'power' was and how it looked. Some said strength was power, others believed knowledge was, and some stated simply that power was power. Whichever was the truth, Nari was in no mood to argue about it. She used whichever version of power worked in her favour at the time. She was adaptable, as anyone in her position should be. She could be a spy when it was called for, an assassin when it was ordered and even an advisor of sorts when it was needed. She had her own small network of spies around the city. People who owed her allegiance because of one reason or another. It was secret and it worked in favour for the royal family but a good spy always had other forms of information gathering; one within the palace itself.

Her eyes scanned the hallway as she walked, her footfalls making no sound as she moved. She made being alert to her surroundings a skill and her gaze worked to take in even the smallest details of information. It quickly came to her attention that there was a message for the spy; in the form of a young child. Nari pulled the young boy to the side, so those going about their business wouldn't bump into or interrupt them. He was blonde of hair, grey-eyed and probably no older than eleven.

Nari offered him a quick smile. "What have you got for me, Luca?"

The boy, Luca, leaned forward to whisper his secrets into Nari's ear. She only ever used the servants' children for their words, never for anything else. Never would she put them in any kind of danger.

Satisfied with the information the boy had given her, Nari ruffled the dirty, golden mop of hair atop the boy's head and reached into her pocket. She produced a small, wrapped packet that wobbled slightly in her open palm. A sugary sweet for the boy's words. Luca snatched it up and turned tail, running down the hall and around the corner, out of sight but not out of mind.

Her feet carried her, acting on Luca's words as she made for her destination and her intended target. A prince was on the move and Nari was growing bored and tired of this stalemate between the two. She craved action. She needed to be useful, lest she fall into old habits and ruin her reputation within the palace and possibly the entirety of Var itself.

She caught sight of a certain dark-haired prince as he entered the meeting hall. Finally, one of them had decided to act. Was Prince Renald about to do his duty and lead this discussion? Prove he could be a king Var needed and could be proud of? That was still unknown and Nari had no preference for who ended up on the throne; only that said prince promised her continued work and protection.

Nair watched for a quick moment, amber eyes taking in as much detail as possible. Of the crowd, the topic of argument and the prince's demeanor. He seemed... torn or undecided, and that, in Nari's opinion, wasn't good. The spy made short work of sidling up beside the prince, a silent shadow but interrupting his thoughts nonetheless. "I hope you have a plan to calm them before they turn into an angry mob, Your Highness." Her head turned but her words were soft, quiet; for Prince Renalds ears only. Her statement was no threat, her loyalties were still with the family but Nari was searching for more than that.

"They are crying out for leadership, for a ruler and it's about time someone took control. Best act on the opportunity you have before your brother does." The spy offered, hoping he was here to do exactly that and wouldn't simply turn around and leave it for yet another day, or week or month.

The sound of the voices rose and fell as someone offered an idea another in the room did not like and it would spark another angry roar from the crowd, causing more arguments to be thrown around. Nari wasn't even sure if any of them knew who they were insulting but the crowd was becoming its own beast.

 

[FireMaiden]

Princess Yvette
Location:
Gardens
Interaction:
Open
Mentioned:
Office Worker Craig (Renald) Korni_Flakes (Naya)
​

It would take a good minute or so before Aslan decided he had had enough of the duck pond. His decision was of course hastened by the ducklings nipping at his tail and trying to climb into his back as if he were a mighty ship. Whether they were trying to play or annoy the beast into leaving, Yvette couldn't tell. Either way, he made a swift exit. Trotting along the edge of the pond, it was almost as if the wolf was making sure he was a decent distance away from Yvette before shaking himself off. Water droplets flew through the air as he shook his body, which ended with a dramatic flick is hi tail. "Aww, did they chase you out?" Yvette giggled, Watching as Aslan shook himself again before letting out a happy bark. She smiled brightly standing up off the stone bench. "So, what shall we do o' faithful hound?" She asked dramatically, getting another bark in response. "Oh the tree? You're not trying to bother the crows are you?" The princess chuckled, looking back toward the corner of the gardens. Just outside of the kitchen was a large old oak tree. The remnants of a small tree house remained in it's branches. One of the old guardians, retired now, had built it for her and her brother's years ago. It may not be safe for them to use anymore, but it was a wonderful memory.

Not to mention, the tree was very fun to climb. So, picking the skirt of her dress up somewhat, the princess turned in her heel and began to walk toward the tree. Aslan right behind her. There was a small burrow he had dug himself next to it which he likes to lay in. Of course it meant Yvette would have to bathe him later, but she didn't mind. The grass tickled the soles of her feet, which would then feel warm as she passed over a cobble stone path before once again cooling with the blades of grass. Aslan decided to jump over said path. He never liked the stone pathways, made his paws uncomfortable. The same reason he tended to avoid the ballroom if he could. Anyway, once Yvette reached the tree, she patted the trunk as she always did. This tree had always been there. Moss had crept up almost hall of the giant tree showing of at least a fraction of it's age.

At first glance, you may wonder how Yvette would even begin to climb it. The princess wouldn't leave any stray eyes wondering for too long as she rounded to the back of the trunk. Jumping up a small bit, she grabbed onto a low, thick branch. Once her hands were around it, her feet planted against the trunk so she could pull and push at the same time to get herself up onto the branch. At first on just her stomach, before she managed to wiggle her legs up and very carefully stand. Reaching up, she grabbed one of the weathered supports of that treehouse for balance as she stepped up onto another slightly thinner branch. Then immediately up again. Her foot briefly landed on the small deck of the tree house as she very quickly pushed up to grab another thicker branch. Both hands rested on it as she swung her legs over to a lower branch she used to lift her back up. Once again she wiggled up onto her stomach, then slowly got her legs up onto the branch. This time, she stood confidently, balancing a bit as she walked toward the trunk and where it began to really fork out.

Wiggling through a fork in the tree, she made it out on the other end and came out on another fork where she lowered herself down and sat with a smile. Just as she did, Yvette heard the back kitchen door opening. Following that was a light chuckle, and the thunk of something hitting the ground. Aslan immediately jumped up and retrieved whatever it was to drag back to his little den. "Are you out here alone Aslan?" A sweet voice asked.

"No Miss Ports, I'm just up here!" Yvette smiled as she leaned to one side so the older woman could see her. A head of gray hair, and light wrinkles, Miss Greta Ports had been head maid for years. And personally, Yvette was dreading the day she decided to retire. Greta looked up with a kind smile.

"I thought you might have gone to that meeting everyone's been talking about," She said, tossing another beef bone to Aslan who looked very excited by having two. "Your brothers have gone yes?"

"I'm sure they have. Or are going to," She replied with a sigh. "I won't be going unless I'm summoned. There's very little I can do anyway, the people want my brothers to speak."

"Now now lass, you shouldn't underestimate yourself. The people love their princess," Greta laughed softly. Yvette just smiled a bit in return. She wasn't so sure of that. Yvette had done her best of course. She loved to go and mingle with the people, she did her best to be fair and keep their needs in mind. Greta seemed to notice the slightly troubled look on Yvette's face. One she always tried to hide. The older woman just smiled again. "Dear, I'll be making some lemon tarts later. Would like to help?" Normally, the very idea of asking royalty to help with such a menial task would be enough to send someone like Greta to the stocks. But Yvette, instead of immediately bursting into a fit, smiled brightly. The troubled look gone immediately.

"Of course!" She replied with a giggle. Yvette loved to bake, but of course the kitchen was no her own. So she always waiting until she was invited. Not to mention, she loved tarts. And maybe she could bring her brothers some. "Come and find me when you're ready."

"As always my dear," Greta nodded in response. The older woman looked back to Alsan momentarily as he happily chewed away on the beef bones. "Please excuse me Yvette, we're cleaning the kitchen today."

"Oh, sounds dreadful," She chuckled. "Have fun Miss Ports!" The head maid bowed somewhat in Yvette's direction, before she gave the princess one last smile and turned to enter the kitchen again. And once Greta had, Yvette leaned back, laying down in the fork she was sitting on. Maybe the princess would take a nap...

 

[Connie]

{Medic's bay, Town}
Interacts with Korni_Flakes MarieK
Mentions Lazaro1505
Before Christie had a moment to answer her about that evening, Arya caught their attention, asking Corielle to check Rowan's wounds. Though the favour was asked of her, Christie took the opportunity to head out of the chaotic medic's bay once more; slipping away as soon as Arya had turned her back and not giving Corielle any opportunity to protest.

Corielle rolled her eyes silently, having become accustomed to men of science stepping on her toes, but her heart sank slightly as the opportunity to enter Arthur's office was snatched from her grasp. Her eyes glazed over as she surveyed the other medics, hard at work. Nobody called for her assistance. Being a newer member of the royal guard, she often experienced loneliness since moving into the Guardian's halls of residence, and as hard as it was to make friends in the volatile political environment, it was twice as hard for her to gain any respect. She appreciated Arya trying to open up opportunities for her, both to meet new people but also to become more accustomed to the inner workings of the Guardian's responsibilities. However, more often than not, these beacons of hope would be transformed into disheartening reminders that she was still considered a new face and couldn't be trusted by many of her colleagues.

Corielle slumped down into the chair Christie had been occupying, burying her head in her hands, and tried to remember that he wouldn't have seen this golden opportunity as anything other than a common task, which either of them could have completed. She couldn't give up, she would have to build up her reputation within the guardians just as she had in the city. Inhaling deeply, she tried to pull herself together, and a new determination filled her as she planned out how she would progress in this social game. She would have to work hard to stand out; keep trying to catch the attention of those in the Guardian's most trusted ranks; but (most of all) she had to keep reminding herself that this was all just a game. None of it would compromise her mother's love or her stable wages, and so Corielle shouldn't take this hurt so seriously.

She worked in silence for the remainder of the time that rookies were being treated, silently placing salves and bandages where they would be needed, and soon the medic's bay returned to the regular low hum of activity. In this time, Corielle had devised a new idea for Jouverelli's specialised treatments. She had been warned when she joined the Guardians that convincing that mammoth of a man to accept treatment was near impossible; since he so adamantly insisted that a cut was a scratch and a riot was not even a fight. She was one of the only new medics who still persistently attempted to treat him, as a game she wouldn't be losing, and this inspired new, creative forms of trickery every eve.

After some time tinkering, Corielle had sewn a weighted bandage which simulated the effect she wished to achieve. By grabbing the loose end and throwing the weight towards him, this bandage should swing around Jouverelli's limbs several times, effectively creating a tight bandaging of his wounds without the need for the colossus to remain still or be compliant. Besides, if it didn't work, Jouverelli wasn't one to complain about a little bruising. Content with her invention, Corielle headed out to locate the stubborn warrior.

Interacts with americanCaeser MarieK
Mentions Lazaro1505
Under the instruction of another Guard, Corielle wandered the nostalgic streets of the city searching for Jouverelli. She almost skipped through the cobbled labyrinth as she recited her plan in her head; feeling quite devious. Thankfully, she spotted Sliv (a man of almost comparable stature) in a compromising position. He was speaking with a woman she hadn't encountered yet; with his back turned. Corielle brought a finger to her lips and winked at the stranger, hoping she would play along, before scurring forward.

Corielle looped the bandage over Sliv's forearm and violently hurled the weight forward, causing the fabric to tightly wrap his arm...before falling loose once more. If she had had a moment to huff in frustration she would have, but Corielle thought this invention through about as well as she had considered the pair's reaction. As she was about to learn, ambushing violent and unexpecting Guardians was never wise...

 

[TheRidingWitch]

{Location: Royal Guardian Home, Castle Hallways, Arthur's study}

Her face burned with shame as she dipped her head to Arya. As she turned to go, something grabbed her from behind and shoved her to the wall. The harsh and sudden contact with the stone pushed the air from her lungs. She raised her eyes and met the gaze that was boring a hole into her. Roawn's eyes. Blue as the ocean after a storm. She wasn't scared. She could hold her own if need be, but Roawn was rational. After a second of just sitting, Roawn holding her in place, and Louqlyn pinned to the wall, he seemed to be satisfied by his intimidation and let her go. But not before shoving her. It communicated what Roawn couldn't, about how unhappy he was. She stumbled back, into the wall, yet again knocking the breath from her. This time, she had to bend over and steady herself on the wall to regain her breath. When she looked back up, Roawn was gone. If she didn't want to be late, she had to get going.

Louqlyn trudged the halls, head down, and going nowhere fast. If she hurried, she would probably run into Roawn, so she just kept her pace. Given that Louqlyn hadn't even known there was anything on the schedules today, she had no idea what time the 'meeting' was. She could be late. Or early. But probably most defiantly late.

There were several different routes you could take to get to the place Louqlyn was going. Seeing how Roawn followed Arthur, and Arthur didn't have time for little detours, Louqlyn could guess which way they had gone. Taking a side corridor, Louqlyn intended to cut the time short and arrive less late than Roawn and Arthur.

The shortcut was no lie and she bumped into Arthur as he opened the door. Peeking down the hallway, she couldn't see Roawn coming, but that didn't mean he wasn't. She hopped inside and Arthur introduced her to a man that was sitting behind the desk. She didn't know who he was so she splayed her legs shoulder width, hands clasped behind her back, and stared straight ahead. Apparently, Roawn wasn't at all far behind because he entered right after. Louqlyn expected Arya to be a little bit after Roawn, but nobody came. Louqlyn looked to Arthur and in turn, he looked to both of them, questionly. Louqlyn shrugged. She stared ahead as Arthur prepared to do whatever this meeting was to do.

 

[Office Worker Craig]

Name: Prince Renald
Location: Meeting Hall
Interactions: Heda

Renald thought he would be able to calm the situations down by himself, that things will be back in order with his presence. However, that proved to be nothing more than wishful thinking. The crowd of officials was just as wild as ever, perhaps even wilder with his presence.

Like a shadow, the royal assassin named Nari emerged beside him without a sound. It started Renald at first, but eventually, he calmed as the assassin spoke softly to him.

She questioned what was his plan to calm such a destructive mob, a good question to ask at this moment. However, her next was startling to the prince. "They are crying out for leadership, for a ruler and it's about time someone took control. Best act on the opportunity you have before your brother does."

Renald contemplated those words. It was true that the people craved leadership, evident by the mob they were facing, but was he ready? It was difficult to contemplate Nari's attention for pushing Renald, but he does know that she had no ill intent. She was their royal spy, her loyalty was to the kingdom. If she had any ill intent, she would have already done her objective so long ago.

The prince looked at the spy, hoping to know more of what she meant, but the situation worsened as a suggestion rang from a person who wasn't even in the same room enlarged the dumpster fire that was the angry officials.

Renald stepped back, his breath becoming heavy. This was too much, too many noises, and too many expectations. Emotions overwhelmed the young man, he had never handled this kind of confusion before, that was the job of his...father...the king. They wouldn't listen to a gentle prince, they'll perceive him as weak and a pushover. They wouldn't listen to the general, they'll perceive him as a dictator and heartless. The only kind person they were going to listen to was a king, and the king was what he was going to be.

He hasn't practiced this persona before, so the imitation of his father will be...off, but this might be his only chance to calm the situation. Renald pushed down all his emotions and took a deep breath. They are crying out for leadership.

"That's enough!" Renald exclaimed with all his might. Luckily that was just enough to get most of the official's attention. "Is this what my people...my father's people have come to? Bickering like children? Hauling insults at one another like savages? We are in a desperate situation, which means we shouldn't waste our time acting like fools.

"If we want this kingdom to continue flourishing and keep our people safe, we need to be working together. Only by acting in harmony and not letting our emotions get the better of us can we accomplish our goal. Do I make myself clear?"

 

[americanCaeser]

Interacts with: MarieK Connie

"Really. You a fighter? Come to think of it, there was something to do with a bow if I'm not mistake-"

Ivanoff found himself cut off by a light tug on his other arm. Blinking, he held up his hand and saw the bandages hanging loosely from it. Slowly he followed the trail to a pair of hands, then to the embarrased face of the person holding them. He vaguelly recalled her as one of the healers (Cory or something of that like). He raised an eye brow at her attempted... something, then look over at Leah with a grin.

"Would you look at that. I do believe we're under attack." He grinned again, this time at Corielle. "Is that what you were hoping to accomplish, little lady?"

 

[Connie]

Interacts with: americanCaeser MarieK
Corielle stepped back a little at the word attack, realising her foolishness as Sliv towered over her. She could have come to serious harm, but she beamed up at him when she realised she was protected by the fact that she couldn't defend herself; since hurling her tiny frame at him wouldn't have been particularly threatening. From her interactions with him, she'd come to view Sliv as a gentle giant, and she was glad he was the first to address her odd behaviour. 'I'm testing an invention!' She exclaimed, searching his face for approval, but met with bemusement. 'I'm gonna work out a way to bandage Jouverelli Rose without him having to stop...and a guard told me he was in town...but then I saw you instead!' She grinned up at him, hoping he would take her playful experimentation as a sign of trust an endearment. There was always a risk that he could think this was a novice interrupting the flow of order, but she still held out hope that the value of her genius would be recognised; or he'd at least find it entertaining.

After a brief exchange with Sliv about her scheming, Corielle suddenly turned to the unknown woman, realising how rudely she'd neglected to introduce herself. Corielle exaggeratedly stretched her hand straight out in front of her and grinned, 'Oh, I'm Corielle by the way!' Up close, this woman was strikingly beautiful, and Corielle realised she hadn't ever asked Sliv if he had a wife. 'I'm a Guardian too! A medic...but I'm a really good one! I used to be a midwife but I assure you I'm...really good', she rambled, willing her tongue to stop. She wasn't sure if she wanted to impress Sliv or this new face, but she knew deep down it was probably a bit of both.

 

[MarieK]

Interacts with: Corielle and Ivanoff

Location: Town

Leah

Leah recognized Corielle even if the girl did not her. As a messenger, she had gone to great lengths to mesmerize faces and names in case she was expected to track them down and deliver a message. However, she had never been introduced to the woman until then. The odd introductory began with the girl sneaking up on Silv, bandage in hand, before springing forward and thrusting the cloth around the man's forearm. The guardian was unphased, taking the prank in stride with a smile nearly as wide as the breadth of the distant horizon.

The girl's carefree attitude was contagious, arousing a smile from her own lips as she accepted the offer of her hand and shook it firmly.

"My name is Leah," replied the woman in return, not bothering to explain that she already was well aware of her name and her position in the Guard. Her smile faltered upon the utterance of the girl's next words and Leah grew slightly stiff as she glanced away.

"I'm not a guardian. I only work for the Guard, now," she said on a sigh. Leah feigned a smile, but the unrepining in her sorrowful tone elevated itself above the facade.

"If you'll excuse me." Dipping her head to gesture the rest of her farewell, the woman walked away, vanishing into the direction of the guardian's home.

~


Interacts with FireMaiden

Location: Garden

Arya

A range of emotions played out on the palace gaurds' faces, but mostly shock.

"There," she clipped, throwing down a fifth throwing knife onto the pile of weapons at her feet. "That is the last one."

The Captain of the Guard's brow wrinkled at the lie, but she remained unflinching beneath the older man's scrutiny. If she had known requesting an audience with the princess would take this much time and effort, she would have scaled the wall and delivered herself to the princess. Instead, she had done what the law and propriety demanded of her and had asked the guards to see her to the princess. As a guardian, she had honorary privileges, but that did not mean they were foolish enough to let the princess around someone with weapons and the training to use them.

"Would you like to search me?" She tried to sound exasperated instead of concerned at the prospect of him agreeing to do just that.

One of the men coughed into his hand while another grinned. The Captain ignored the two and shook his head.

"I'll take you to her," he said, turning his back to her and walking away without waiting for her to catch up.

After asking a few servants and a cook, Greta, of Yvette's whereabouts, the Captain was able to locate her in the garden. He sighed in mock annoyance as he motioned to the tree, but an emotion akin to adoration enveloped the sun-stained wrinkles that marred his face.

"I'd wager she's up there," he grumbled. "She'll break her neck one of these days and put me in a casket before I can retire. Princess Yvette? You have a request for an audience with Lady-"

He looked to her for a name.

"Not Lady, just Arya."

"Arya," he called out, not bothering to correct the mistake.

~
Interacts with: TheRidingWitch , Korni_Flakes and Roawn

Location: Arthur's Study

Arthur

Theo was not one to get to a point in a timely manner. His overindulgence with words rivaled his drinking habits which had left Arthur without anything more than a half a glass of mead.

Patience, he told himself, schooling his features to convey interest in place of irritation.

Just as he began fantasizing about falling upon his own sword to put an end to the man's rambling, Christie leapt into the room, demanding to see Roawn.

Spittle sprayed Arthur's chestnut desk as Theo sputtered.

"What is the meaning of this outburst?" the man cried out, grabbing his chest as if warding off a heart attack. "Do you tolerate such outbursts from your guardians, Arthur?"

"It is not my Guard, Theo," Arthur muttered, gripping the glass in his hand until his knuckles paled. "I sugges you get to the point of your visit so we can return to our lives."

Theo glared at Arthur and opened his mouth to challenge him further, but closed it with a shake of his head.

"Fine. But I do not appreciate such informal procedures where my heart is tested so. The Guard should be better trained and-"

"The reason why you're here," interrupted Arthur with a growl.

The man's face reddened from the restraint it took not to engage in an argument with the guardian, but after a moment, he relented with a sigh.

"The Council has found it necessary to reach out to the Guard to ask for help protecting the princess. We all agree that Yvette is not safe until the nonsense with the princes has run its course. With that said, we'd like for her to stay here where your group can keep an eye on her and protect her."

Arthur considered his words and after a long pause, he slowly nodded. "But the general populace cannot know she's here. While I don't mind the princess remaining here to ensure her safety for the good of the kingdom, I don't want any others to try to take advantage of the situation or to think the Guard has grown biased."

The Advisor shrugged. "It's not common knowledge that the princess has a right to the throne just as her brothers do. I don't suspect she knows as much and if she does, I doubt she'd fight her brothers for it. That said, I doubt anyone would see you as biased."

"Nevertheless, those are my conditions. If another guardian has an issue with her being here, we'll have to all take a vote. Until then, I'll ask these guardians to escort her here."

Arthur glanced at Louqlyn and Roawn as well as Christie. With three guardians, they should have no issue seeing the princess escorted there safely.

"Very well," Theo said, rising to his feet. "If anything should happen to the girl, I need not warn you of the consequences."

"No," Arthur answered, his voice lowering solemnly. "You don't."

Arthur nodded to those in the room, letting them know the meeting was over and it was time to find the princess. If any more guardians happened to show up, he would send them to assist the three, just in case.

​

 

[Connie]

Interacts with MarieK americanCaeser

Leah! A pretty name to suit a pretty face. A face which Corielle noticed the shift in when she mentioned being a Guardian. When Leah mentioned that she was still on the Guard, Cori took the opportunity to do damage control.
"Oh thats so cool!" She spluttered, "I'm so jealous of you guys, right in the action doing the work for the people...a-and it must be nice that you can be with whoever you want now and use whatever weapons...you..." but Corielle trailed off as she saw the distant look in Leah's eyes. As much as Leah tried to be polite, it was clear the damage was irreversible now, and the proud woman quickly excused herself and feet the scene.

Corielle sighed and turned to look back at Sliv, pleading in her eyes for some kind of reassurance. "Hey, umm, can you help me find Jouverelli?" She asked defeatedly, "Or just walk me back to the living quarters? I have a question...or two-no three!" She rambled, hoping he'd be free to help clear her swirling mind. This not only seemed like a golden opportunity, to get some information from a more experienced Guardian going her way, but also Corielle had been genuinely beaten down by the morning and needed someone to confide in.

 

[Heda]

{Location: Meeting Hall}
{Interactions: -- }
{Mentions: Prince Renald Office Worker Craig , Prince Naya Korni_Flakes }

Nari found it easy to glean the emotions playing across Prince Renalds expression as her eyes studied him. It's not so much he was easy to read but rather the spy was talented when it came to analysing situations and people. The moment he made his decision and was not backing out of the room away from the crowd and responsibility he was about to take on, Nari made herself scarce. It would do the prince no favours to have arrived seeking to lead this meeting with the royal assassin attached to his hip.

What kind of message would that send?

She knew the children of the late king quite well. Both from interacting with them all and silently observing from a distance but the spy did not care to assume what Prince Renald wanted his approach to be and get it wrong. That could be a first and last mistake.

The spy was currently dressed in her leathers, a black that became a rich, dark red when it caught the light, and a dark cloak hanging over her shoulders. She had pulled the hood down upon entry to the meeting hall. To anyone who knew better, Nari did not appear to be visibly armed. As she maneuvered to the back of the crowd, leaning her shoulder against the wall, her fingers caressed the inside of her forearm, running over the row of small bumps. Darts held to the leather with small straps. They were indeed poisoned and ready to use on anyone who would foolishly endanger the life of a royal but these were her nonlethal set. Nari would never in her right mind walk about with darts that could kill; not unless she was intending to end a life.

Renalds voice rang out over the crowd and Nari's attention was once again drawn to the scene unfolding before her. Amber eyes watched and scanned the sea of faces for anything she did not like. At the first sign of trouble, she would act.

The arrival of a prince and his words shocked most of the crowd into silence at first and for the moment, Prince Renald seemed to have control over the angry mob. Nari waited with bated breath, somewhat proud of the younger prince for taking this step into the limelight.

As she continued to scan the crowd, her thoughts wandered to the whereabouts of the elder prince. What was Naya's plan? He was the oldest and in many kingdoms, the succession of the crown automatically fell upon the firstborn but thus far, Nari had yet to see Prince Naya make any real attempts to seize true control. These next few hours and days would be the most important and Nari would be sure to keep a careful eye on both princes but at this moment, the elusive Prince Naya was failing to impress the royal spy.

 

[Night Write]

[Location, Arthur’s Study]

Interacts: MarieK (Arthur), TheRidingWitch (Louqlyn), Korni_Flakes (Christie)


It was still difficult not to bounce the eyes to Theo’s protruding and hairy mole. It was like another entity demanding attention. Thankfully, over time, Roawn was able to hold onto the situation more closely than be distracted by that mole. Not that he judged the man for having it, it just was what it was. And what it was, was hard to ignore.

Louqlyn was introduced first. He tried to keep distance between them and didn’t look at her, even though her presence burned into his awareness. He didn’t trust her, and most of all, he didn’t trust that she’d respect his physical integrity. To him, a simple sorry didn’t cut it. Thinking about this made it that much hard to focus on the present instead of his pounding head, this had to be a migraine.

Next, Roawn was introduce and he gave a nod to Theo when he heard his name. Of course, the advisor would first remember him for his mutism, most people did. However, he was grateful that Arthur was sure to add a disclaimer that just because he couldn’t speak didn’t mean he was incapable. His eyes darted to Arthur in gratitude.

When Arthur looked between him and Louqlyn, seeking answers for where Arya was, all Roawn could decipher was inquisitive confusion. What the hell was that supposed to mean? What did he want to know? Roawn couldn’t tell so he gave a slight lift and drop of his shoulder, shaking his head. Even though that shake had been small it sent his head into a new level of pounding, he was beginning to feel nauseated, high pitched ringing intruded his attention span.

He just seemed to be getting worse, not better… Maybe he had been worse, but it took time for it to catch up to him. He most definitely had a delayed concussion, not that Roawn realized that. Arya’s suspicions had been right, the crack she heard had been his head hitting the ground with little to no bracing through the confusion and temporary blindness.

“Where’s Roawn?” came a demand by the door, causing the said man to turn abruptly. He watched as Christie approached him with sure and steady steps, driven by purpose. Christie seemed to become aware of his surroundings and had the sense of self to become embarrassed as he told him to be examined. Maybe Christie was right, but right now wasn’t a good time. The guardian held up a hand in a ‘stop’ motion then one finger in a ‘one-minute’…or ‘stay there, boy’ motion. Depending on if the person interpreted the motion as typically used on humans or dogs…or something else, some people saw it as a reprimand gesture… would unfortunately shift his nonverbal tone even though he just meant, ‘wait a moment.’

That motion had completely distracted him, causing him to lose his bearings. Roawn furrowed his eyebrows for a moment. What was he here for again? He looked around him to regain the sense of his surroundings. If Christie was paying attention, he’d notice that the back of Roawn’s hair was wet, and eventually, as the meeting progressed, finally, a drop of blood dribbled from some wet strands onto his collar.

Theo continued on and Roawn swore that he understood the words as they came out of his mouth…but what was he saying again? Oh right, the princes. And protect the princess, got it. The ringing in his ears was getting really distracting.

The time came when it seemed the meeting was over, not that Roawn remembered anything except for…Hm…He didn’t know.

Roawn left, his legs feeling so jelly like. His head felt like it was exploding, he was nauseated, his ears were ringing, it was all so distracting that he couldn’t even remember what the meeting was about. He just wanted to head to the Guardian Rooms and just take a nap.

 

[americanCaeser]

Interacts with: Connie
Mentions: MarieK

Ivanoff watched the retreating back of the head of Leah as she walked away (and another part of her back which he appreciates, if you know what I mean). Well, that was a can of worms if he ever saw one. And one he wasn't ready to touch with a ten foot pole if he could help it (unless he wanted to). He knew what happened to Leah, her husband being killed. Was kind of a dick at the time, and Leah was rightfully angry, but they had that stuff sorted years ago. He blinked as the other girl was going all motor mouth at him, looking at him like- oh, no. She was one of those, looking for acceptance from her seniors. At the very least she wasn't a fan. He couldn't stand those types. But first of all...

"What's up with everyone asking me for that fool? They're probably back at the castle in their quarters, little else to do. Have to get back there anyways, so walk and talk and we'll be there shortly." Sliv began sauntering off , pulling his hat down till it almost covers his eyes. Then he yells over hsi shoulder.

"And make the questions quick!"

 

[MarieK]

Interacts with: americanCaeser Connie


Leah

Side-stepping a groove in the road where years of merchant carts had carved out, Leah walked through the crowd with Corielle on her heels. Her attempt at changing the subject was met with a tight smile. But before she could utter a response, she saw Arya coming out of the Guard's home, carrying a brown bag with her as she powered down the street toward the castle.

Leah threw up her hands. So much for finding Ro before the meeting was adjourned.

"Looks like the meeting is over with already," she said, glancing over her should at Ivanoff. "Want to buy me that drink? The Harvest Festival is today."

The festival should be starting soon, if it hadn't already. It was held outside of town in the valley. People from all over the kingdom attended, selling various kinds of foods and crafts, and there was also music and dancing. Some of the men also held a small jousting and melee tournament, as well as an archery tournament which she was the most interested in. If they had no where else better to be, why not enjoy themselves?

Turning back to Corielle, she raised a brow. "Would you like to come? You look like you could use a break."​

 

[FireMaiden]

Princess Yvette
Location:
Gardens
Interaction:
MarieK (Arya)
Mentioned:
N/A
​

As the guards approached the old oak, Aslan rose to his feet, bone forgotten. He eyed them, a low growl humming in his throat which alerted Yvette that someone the wolf didn't rightly trust was growing close. Some people said that you have to trust your animals when judging a person. Yvette almost never listened, as Ashland hated everyone save for the princess herself. Well, maybe not hate, but the wolf was very protective of the princess. Aslan alerting though didn't make the princess sit up. In fact, she wasn't even paying attention to what was going on below her until someone called out.

She straightened, momentarily fixing her hair before looking down. "Good day to you Arya," The princess smiled, looking to the captain at her side after addressing the Guardian. "And good day to you as well," Yvette said, shifting so she was facing the two, her feet legs hanging off the side of the branch now, swinging just slightly as she watched them. Yvette wondered what was going on. She may have convinced Arthur to train her occasionally, but the other guardians she rarely spent time with. Not that she had the time to though. "Has something happened?" The princess asked, tilting her head as Aslan moved, guarding the base of the tree to keep both the captain and Arya at a distance.

 

[MarieK]

Location: The Castle

Interacts with: FireMaiden

Mentions: Roawn

Aslan did not frighten Arya, but she did keep a wary eye on the animal. She could appreciate a princess having an animal such as him to protect her and keep her company. The shedding would have bother her though.

Arya eyed the Captain pointedly, before responding to Yvette's question. His eyes turned to slits as he narrowed them at the woman, clearly not wanting to leave her alone in his charge's company.

"If you'll excuse us," Arya said, nodding toward the princess. "The princess has some private matters to discuss concerning the Guard, who are sworn to protect their kingdom."

The statement hung in the air between them for a moment, then the captain relented with a slight nod in farewell to the princess. Once he had gone back inside, Arya's relaxed and collected demeanor shifted suddenly as she threw down the brown bag filled with clothes which she had brought. The guards had searched it, but saw no harm in the clothes. If they had only known...

Arya grinned up as she pulled out a simple pair of pants and a plain, white shirt, along with a brown, hooded cloak.

"How would you like to run away for an evening and go with me to the festival?" Arya asked, remembering the animal and slowling her movements to avoid startling him. She rolled her bottom lip between her teeth, then straightened and hooked her thumbs beneath the belt around her waist that had been carrying the weapons the castle guards had confiscated.

"You see, I need to get my mind off of... some things," she explained, barely avoiding saying Roawn's name. "I thought finding some handsome farmers to dance and spar with might help and I thought maybe you would like to get away from all the drama for one night."

She held the clothes out for the princess to inspect. "These will help conceal you and I know a way out of the castle without being detected."

Although she did not know if it was wise to admit such a thing to the princess, she hoped Yvette would keep her secret and see her more of a friend than a guardian.​

 

[americanCaeser]

Interacts with: MarieK (Leah) Connie
References: MarieK (Arthur)

"Eh, you go on ahead and I'll meet you there. I need to speak with Arthur and make sure the nobles haven't killed eachother yet. Plus," He adds as he jerks his thumb over his shoulder at the newbie trailing behind, "I have to make sure this one's all settled. But you bet your ass I'm going for that drink. Heh heh."

Ivanoff shrugged Kingdom Slicer off of his shoulder and placed it up beside the doorway of the Royal Guards home in its traditional place. There's probably a story or song out there of the knights that live "beside the blade that can cut the kingdom" or some poetic, philisophical nonsense like that for how long it's been used for that. Stepping inside, he pulls off his long coat and straw hat before tossing them on the rack for that purpose and heads into the halls of the fabled stronghold of the kings mightiest champions. Whether or not the greenhorn would follow was up to her as he trudged forward.

 

[Korni_Flakes]

{Arthur's Study}

He observed, as the Guardian made a couple of gestures with his hand, Christie chose to interpret them as "stop" and "be quiet" or "wait". Obviously, Roawn wanted to be there for the rest of the meeting, so Christie walked up to one of the chairs near a wall, and sat down. He then watched quietly as the stain of dark red on the back of the man's collar grew bigger and bigger, counting minutes until the men would stop talking. When the meeting finally ended Roawn got up, and left the room, and Christie followed him, assuming they're both heading to the Medic's bay.

Christie quickly caught up with the man, and they walked in silence for a bit until it started to get a little awkward "Hey, uh I know that you've probably had a long day, given the injury and all, so I just wanted to say that I'm not following you to be annoying, I just tought there's no need to walk alone since we're going the same direction, right?" He looked at the walls of the corridor they were walking trough "So you're not going to Medic's bey, huh. Then I'm just going to join in so I can look at your injury when we get there, also you should press the wound to prevent the further blodloss" He reached out a hand with a gaze to him.

 

[Night Write]

[Hallway]
Interaction: Korni_Flakes [Christie]
NPC: Gertie


Roawn made it to the bottom of the stairs and started to walk towards the Guardian rooms, but he was pretty wobbly and loose jointed, almost like he was just drunk or sleep walking. He gave no response or indication that he heard Christie until he reached a hand out to him. He looked in Christie’s general direction with hooded eyes, instinctively taking his offered hand into his own.

Now they were holding hands with Roawn staring in Christie's general direction. No one was home. There was probably a fair amount of swelling around his brain at this point. Naturally, he’d heal faster than the average person and likely, the crack wasn’t as bad as the average person who cracked their head the way he did. But he did take a high momentum blind and disoriented spill with the weighted mass of two bodies without bracing his skull. The wheel was present, but the hamster had left the building.

Gertrude, or ‘Gertie’ as she was often called, just happened down the corridor heading the opposite way that Roawn and Christie were going. She was in her late twenties, early thirties and worked as a general ‘helper.’ Sometimes she fetched things for the medics, helped cook, cleaned something or other, planted something, or mended socks. She was great at mending socks.

She happened across the two as they held hands, gazing at one another. “Is… everything alright here?” She asked, pausing, looking between Christie and Roawn. She furrowed her eyebrows. “….is he drunk or something?” She asked Christie noticing that Roawn just wasn’t present. “I mean, I’m not judging, you know, men and women…men and men…There’s a pole and hole in the end, amirite?” Gertie gave an inwardly cringing smile, hearing how absolutely dumb she sounded. “Not that women and women are a problem, double ditches are great for-you know what. Never mind.” Gertie’s face was a deep, deep maroon red. “You boys ok?”