The Princess's Hand

Takashi looks to his right shoulder and remembers that his raven was out with the copy. He turned his attention back to the princess and Travlor. He needed to add another bounty to the board but first he had to find out this man's name. What better way to get rid of him? He could put up the poster and contract the hunters while in a disguise. Then it would be just to sit back and watch the bloodshed. If there were any problems and the hunters tried to rat out their employer then the guards would be after one who did not exist or better yet, after the wrong person. He could easily frame one of the other suitors for this and eliminate two members of the competition at once.


He stepped back a bit, going for the shadows in one of the corners of the throne room. He walked past the other suitors, using them to block Zeira's view of him somewhat. If she saw him then it would appear to her that he was leaving the throne room again instead of heading for the corner. Once in the small amount of darkness there was, he seemed to meld with it. Nobody should notice for the most part since attention was focused on the princess and Takashi was using the other suitors to block view of himself. While in the shadows, he slipped out a piece of paper and a brush. He began to paint a likeness of Travlor to be used on the bounty note.
 
(Why has nobody posted in this for over a whole day? And [MENTION=1872]Legendless[/MENTION] Are you okay with me having Takashi hire bounty hunters to hunt down Travlor? I was hoping that Riddle78's two characters, Soren and Kris would end up taking on contract.)
 
(OOC: Zeke,it's only dead after a month. Be patient. And Kris is owned by Heart...You probably hurt his ego with that,man.)


Soren chuckled at Kris' harsh joke. "Oh,ha ha. Say that again when I can afford salt." Soren followed his partner across the bridge over the dry moat. "Amateurs. So,who was the petitioner for this guy?" He popped his shoulder,causing the corpse to bounce,for emphasis. "And why did he want him dead?" The keep was fairly standard; gray bricks,towering high above everything around it. The moat had no liquid in it; it was just this giant trench with sheer walls. Someone had a masterstroke with this castle,though; Other drymotes were bare dirt or limestone. This one was lined with the same brick that the keep was made of. The keep will be difficult to take,if someone laid siege to the place.
 
(It's okay with me if he does that but it's up to them if they want to take it. It'll be risky considering he is competing for the Princess's hand. But he can do it.)


Travlor was glad that his gift went over well. At least he assumed it did. He stood with the others waiting for the rest to present themselves and their gifts. He meant what he said as well. He wanted to teach her the songs and the language. He was hoping he might get the chance later.


----


Liselle heard a noise in the trees and got herself ready to attack. If she was followed she would go down fighting. She refused to go back to the cell. If she had to die, she'd die fighting.


 
"You should know how the bounties work by now, it's all done through the guild. They just play the role of middle man so that there's no information to track the bounty back; safety y'know?" Kris answered with her limited understanding of the system, plenty of bounty hunters didn't really know how the system worked beyond where to bring the corpse and get the money.


Before they were quite out of earshot, the veteran guard could be heard chastising the recruit, and not pleasantly.


The time seemed to have flown by, as if crossing the threshold of the moat had brought them through time from morning to noon; of course that wasn't what really happened though, a child could tell you that.


The sun now high in the sky, Kris had to put her hood up to keep the glaring light from her eyes, now realizing her hair and clothes were almost dried.
 
(Sorry, I didn't notice. I saw the two names in one post and accidentally bundled them together. [MENTION=1872]Legendless[/MENTION] Thanks for giving me the okay. If those two bounty hunters do take up the contract then that doesn't mean instant death. The fight will be something to look forward to though.)


--- Merged Double Post ---


The raven sitting on the copy's right shoulder looked in Liselle's direction, recognizing the scent of the blood it left on her when it had landed on her shoulder earlier and caws loudly and repeatedly. The copy quickly turns his gaze in the same direction as the raven, his eyes scanning the area in front of him before he picks out Liselle. He walks closer, his posture being relaxed slightly to show he meant no harm but also ensuring he was ready to react in case someone attacked them. One could never be sure of their own safety outside of the city walls with all the bandits running about. He said calmly "Liselle I presume? I sent my raven to free you from the prison earlier and there is much for us to discuss. First of all however, we will be needing to get you a change of clothes to help you disguise yourself as well as a place for you to stay where you will be safe. I have some contacts at a nearby mercenary camp who can help with both of those."
 
Eve decided she would go next, get it over with. She drew in a breath before walking up two the queen and princess. She curtsied to the two before speaking. "Queen Atra." Eve said softly while looking at Atra. "Princess Lierah." She said while turing her look to the princess. "I come here today, not as a suitor, but as a woman wanting to gain honor and pride to her name, and to grant the princess the choice of choosing her husband." She said with with out fear or nervousness lingering in her voice, she said it with confidence. Eve knew this sounded as stupid as it did to her, but she couldn't say she was here as a suitor. Eve also knew that the Queen was probably angered by what she had said, good, that's what she wanted, the thought also made her smile. Eve held out a small wooden box to the princess. "My gift to you is a small music box, the song may be a bit sad, but it's beautiful and soft such as yourself princess." Inside there was two figures, a princess in a long purple dress, and a knight standing next to her, ready to defend. Eve remembered what Ian had said to her, she reached for the band, and held that out to the princess as well. "And this is from my friend, he sends his regards." The band was covered in colorful gems, and actual gems, not fake. Eve smiled to both the princess and queen.


Here's the song:






 
Liselle straighten and relaxed a little as a man appeared. She listened to what he said and nodded. The raven did help the story but being in that cell for so long made her trust small. She looked at him, eyes narrowing.


"Why? Why did you help me?"


But Liselle felt like she already knew the answer.
 
Heldar slipped back into the throne room, noticing that little had changed while he was gone. Several people had presented their gifts to the princess, but not all the suitors. quietly slipping through the crowd, he returned to his seat, and signaled to one of the guards. "Hand this note to our queen, and only to her. I will know if you read it, and that will end badly for you."


the note read ""Geraldo found the mountain prison a disaster, all guards dead. Liselle was not among the prisoners left, and her key was missing. Geraldo could not discover her trail and is returning with all haste". Heldar had used his dark gift to view the events, but there had been black arts involved in the rescue, so he couldn't discern what happened then.





Geraldo rode up to the village of Gerin, near the capitol of Azador, his horse near collapse as he handed the reins to a stable boy. "Take good care of 'er, she's been ridden hard" He said as he headed to the city guard's quarters. Entering their barracks, he went straight to the captain, who rose and saluted Geraldo, having worked with him before.


"I have need of your men. i received report of bandits, being led by a certain Neko. We need to find her." As was expected, the captain began to jot down the information, then asked. "Well then, how are we to find this Neko?" Geraldo replied quickly and simply "Your orders are this. Watch the roads, She'll probably be in disguise, and we don't have any good descriptions. If you see any suspicious Nekos send a report address to me at the capitol. Do not engage directly or try to apprehend her yourselves. She is incredibly dangerous. Oh, and I'll need lodgings for the night."
 
The copy replied "You have guards in the kingdom who are loyal to you and not the queen. That in itself shows that you are a respected figure in the kingdom and an important one if Atra visited you in person to tell you of your death sentence. I need someone to assist me in my takeover of the kingdom. I freed you from the prison for that reason. I am but one person with many contacts. You have a potential force to back you. That and I couldn't let such a pretty face rot in a cell." The last sentence was just a bit he added in to see the effect it might have if any. He did not mean a single word of that last sentence either as the world could burn for all he cared if it meant fulfilling his clan's ambitions. He then added in "Now we must get moving and quickly. It is only a matter of time before guards begin patrolling the roads for you. While they can be avoided by simply moving through forests at night, it would be more beneficial if you could move freely while in disguise."
 
Lierah once again dipped into a short curtsy before the female, a fleeting expression of relief flickering upon her pale features. Though her eyes lingered upon the music box. How eye-catching, something she could use to keep her favorite jewelry, and none of the heavy nonsense her mother kept forcing upon her neck. She had been asking Zeira for one of these for quite a while, though the maid always replied with a soft shake of her head, for the stores no longer sold such a thing. And now this woman held in her hands one she desired.


She took the box with hands steady, very unlike her movements when she reached for the gifts presented by the males. Her lips parted to say exclaim her thanks, green eyes alight in her delight. But the words never left her mouth. Zeira's swift hands were about the box before it hit the ground, though her green eyes were upon the princess's startled features. She followed the line of her gaze with questioning optics, worry upon her mug. Although, what she found Lierah's stare set upon was no threat, but a boy, around her age, Zeira suspected, but she could find no name to fit the man.


Lierah did though, she recognized the man as Louis, her father's former messenger. One she used to see only a few times, and only spoke to a few times. And she took a liking to him, until of course, he'd disappeared. She'd forgotten about him since, and needless to say, upon seeing his face, she felt a slight jolt.
 
(I'm still in the rp and I'm keeping up with the reading, but there nothing for my character to do but watch so I'm not gonna post until that changes. No rush I like reading :)
 
([MENTION=1872]Legendless[/MENTION] I forgot to add it in but Takashi's copy is dressed how Takashi really is under the illusion spell he is using to give the appearance of the black robes. So he was the swords on him and the like as in his pic.)
 
A guard silently made his way to the Queens side and handed her the note-he bowed and walked off. The Queen twirled the note in her hands a couple times before opening the small piece of paper. Her eyes scanned over the message, her face remaining neutral. The beating of her heart was like a drum.





"Geraldo found the mountain prison a disaster, all guards dead. Liselle was not among the prisoners left, and her key was missing. Geraldo could not discover her trail and is returning with all haste".


The words kept ringing in her ears like the tolling of a bell.


She ripped the piece of paper in half, then fourths, eighths, sixteenths and once done, walked over to the garbage can and threw it away. She curtsied to the others.





Was this the voice of Fate? Crying like some old Bellman through the world?





“Forgive me children, but I must take my leave. My Husband has called for me,” she looked out at the suitors, her eyes as blue as violets that are like fantastic moons that shiver in some stagnant lake. She changed her vision over to the Princess, “Remember to behave,” she said before making her way across the room and made a hand notion for Heldar to follow her as she shut the doors behind her. The gesture was all strength and will, like the stretching of sea-birds wings.


The penalties of Liselles treason will fall like thunderbolts from heaven upon her.


 
Liselle thought about it. She scoffed at the Atra comment. "I was there with Atra when she competed. She knows I know about her and have seen what she can do and that is why she left me to rot and now wants me dead. Most of the other old competitors are dead or her pet." Liselle thought about the men who went over to her side and frowned. She then nodded at Takashi's words. "If it is to bring her down I will help. Let us go."
 
(As a note, the Crow caste comprises the Karasu clan, close relatives of the clan and its most important allies.)


The copy said "Excellent. Follow me." He turned his gaze to the raven on his shoulder and whispered something to it, the raven nodding in reply before taking off. He turned his attention back to Liselle before saying "The raven will be guiding us to the camp from the air." He turned his gaze now to the sky, his eyes following the raven. It spiralled above, looking over the lands before finding the camp. To signal the copy and Liselle, it cawed before flying off towards the camp. He followed the raven's path, waving for Liselle to follow.


Just a short distance outside of the forest the two were in was the camp. This camp belonged specifically to a small group of assassins from the Xzia Empire's Tracker caste who were taking contracts in foreign lands both to acquire money and to ensure they would be within a short distance of Crow caste members in the event that something went wrong. Of the members in the camp there were Malyss who was a young mage which one would not expect much of based on appearance and was a member of both the Crow and Tracker castes, Amaya who was a young lady wielding chains infused with lightning magic as her weapons and Shui Khan who was a man in his forties that was a master martial artist and also known as the monkey king due to him having certain similarities to a monkey such as a tail.
 
Instead of the girl next to Louis going, it was the boy besides her that went up to greet the Princess with a gift. It turned out to be an elven song book, making the sandy blonde boy cringe on the inside; it looked like he had some competition after all. The man before her had presented her with a mysterious box, and Louis noticed that he was now missing from the room. He caught him return though, and turned back to watch his love accept the present given to her, almost entranced.


No thought was spared for the man that left the room, thinking it only resulted in a bad presentation if the princess had caught him. Which, although she didn’t it seemed one of her maids had…or the two were just exchange glances… Then the man used the line-up for cover and the truth dawned on him, he was drawing suspicion from the maid. Green eyes glanced behind his shoulder, watching him draw a crude note; but he was drawn away from what exactly it was when the girl next to him went up.


His eyes returned once again to the princess as the girl gave him a surprise with a different approach; apparently she didn’t want the princess’ heart. Rather, she wanted the girl to choose her own fate and he found himself liking her already, as he loved the princess enough to let her choose as well. The saying of if you love something, set it free came to mind and he hoped that the girl standing in front of them would come back.


After the girl made her proclamation, she presented the princess with a jewellery box and a bracelet, simple enough gifts. There was a mystery in what exactly the box played though, and he was surprised when she almost dropped it. One of her maids caught it, but his breath caught when he looked up and met the princess’ eyes staring back at his. It was a deadlock of friction and electricity that forced him to swallow under the pressure, once the only female competitor took his spot beside him once more, he took a broad step forward.


His heart seemed to clench in his chest as a response, but he continued despite his nervousness; digging under his cloak for the proper present. When he reached the girl, his words were already lost but he still swept his cloak up, giving him the ability to kneel in front of her. Then out came his gift, a bouquet of flowers that were blue and white, one pastel blue rose in the middle.


“My dear Princess Lierah…” it felt odd saying her name for the first time, and almost remembering he still had his hood up, he knocked it down with his free hand. “Although these flowers may not be the best gift you have got today, I only wish to convey my feelings for you” he continued. A blush was already growing on his face, but he continued “Blue orchids to represent your delicate beauty, and the white chrysanthemums for truth” A pause, “and finally the blue rose…” he drew the rose from his bouquet, standing up slowly. He carefully weaved it behind her ear, as to not prick her, “Love at first sight” he noted, letting his hand linger near her face.


The queen was away from the room, and he was almost tempted to actually touch her, but withdrew from the temptations. There was a chance one of the maids were under her influence after all…handing the bouquet to the princess, he winked before stepping away. His hood flipped back up and he sunk back into position with the rest of his competitors.
 
Takashi felt Louis' eyes upon him but continued drawing his picture of Travlor. He let the paint dry while he placed the wooden cap over the head of his brush, making it look like a stick of wood since the brush was now covered. He quickly rolled up the paper which he had made the painting on, not making a sound and preventing anyone from seeing what exactly he had been drawing with his speed. This paper, he placed in a small, 1 inch thick, 9 inch long cylindrical tube which scrolls and other documents which are rolled up could be placed in. He placed the top on the tube and screwed it on before slipping it inside his robes.


He looked around the throne room and noticed the queen leaving which could only mean one thing. It had to be an urgent matter and it was most likely the discovery of Liselle's escape. He hoped that his copy had already led her to safety to avoid the guards. The clone could fight if necessary but would by no means be as powerful as the real Takashi since he only used enough mana in the process to make the clone capable of using certain techniques and it would most likely disappear after a few hits.


Putting that out of his mind, he turned his attention to Louis and his gift to the princess. When he saw the flowers, he thought "Classic and simple yet somehow still effective." He wondered though how the Princess might react as he expected she might have preferred something less...run of the mill. Anyone could get flowers but an Elven song book and a music box were rarities. A necklace like the one Takashi had gotten the princess was virtually unobtainable outside Xzia. The real competition was Travlor and Eve. Their gifts went over exceptionally well with the princess.


Takashi had no reason to believe Louis was suspicious of him but knowing that Louis' gaze was upon him made him reluctant to dismiss it as nothing. He planned to tamper with Zeira's memories that night but Louis could potentially become another nuisance. He just had to evade suspicion from him and Zeira would remain the only one he would have to deal with. Even if he was not planning to tamper with Zeira's memories in her sleep, he still planned to make an attempt at meeting the princess to chat with her a bit. After all, getting to know her and befriending her would help improve relations between the two. In the end, it could be beneficial and he was out to get every advantage he could. Knowledge of the princess would also help with any challenges in the competition which would involve, just as Travlor had an advantage in knowing of the princess' enjoyment of music and the Elven language apparently.
 
Rosa gaze fell to each suitor. She kept a close tab on their actions looking for anything harmful or in anyway pushy. So far not much had been done to irk her but that one suitor, she hadn't caught his name, whose hand lingered by her face tenderly. She resisted the urge to jump and swipe away the hand. She couldn't trust any of these men or women until she had investigated further but she knew striking the hand away would result in immediate dismissal.


The maid managed to keep her gaze empty, almost dreamy as if she was air brained and simply longed for romance. No, that was not her. Rosa's job was to protect and serve the princess, destroying the queen came second and her own desires were somewhere way down the list. She had not time for recreational fun or socialization. No her job was to watch and not partake.
 
As the queen read his note, Heldar waited patiently. When she rose and signaled to him, he quietly and unobtrusively excused himself, leaving by a different door to join his mistress. Taking a slightly longer route so as to make sure his destination was unknown, he traveled into the scullery adjacent to the throne room. As it was empty, he closed the door before pulling on a hinged torch, opening a secret passageway.


He followed the corridor to a chamber off the Royal quarters. This hidden chamber was where the queen always met with the Cordan clansmen, along with her other loyalists. He then waited patiently for the queen to arrive.


Geraldo knew these mountains well, and he'd picked the best guardsmen from Gerin to assist him. all of them had served in recent wars, and as such he knew he could count on them in a fight. But the damned Neko's trail was elusive. Whoever set this up was well connected, and they were extremely strong in dark magic.


It was the last part worried Geraldo slightly. Sure he used the dark arts as well as any Cordan clansman, but he was not as adept as the one who'd masked this trail. If he didn't know the trail would grow cold, he'd have waited for Heldar to send backup, preferably one of the queens magi.


But that didn't matter at the moment, all that did was finding Liselle and wringing her furred neck. That was what was most important, and bringing her head to the queen would be most satisfying...
 
The princess appeared to be quite flustered, light pink dusting the paleness of her cheeks as she stumbled over her words. Zeira had never quite seen the princess ever this disoriented. In truth, it was quite a sight to behold, the way that adorable blush settled upon her features and her lips clumsily spouting words that she was sure Lierah's own brain cannot keep up with. But the lone fact that she had absolutely no clue as to who the male was, it left her uneasy, shuffling in her place as she shot the princess a meaningful look.


Lierah didn't quite know what she'd muttered as a response, only that it went within the lines of 'thank you' and 'lovely flowers.' Yet she wasn't sure where it went from there, only then did she stop when Louis had moved on back towards the line of suitors. She couldn't tell what went on in her mind, only that it kept repeating the previous moments and the images she'd traced over so many times in her books. Her mind had somehow put the two together, and however childish it seemed, she was pleased at the sight of it within her mind.


Zeira's brows furrowed at the sight of her princess day dreaming. She'd taken the flowers into her own hands, gently shaking it away from the princess's grasp as she turned towards the crowd before her. She was, of course, unsure of her next move. Only that she knew she must steal away the princess for a few moments, as only to cool her down. Seeing as she did appear to be quite overwhelmed with all that was happening. Of course, the pep talks she'd had with the princess in the garden didn't seem to come to mind at this very moment, and she wished to remind the princess once again not to be so nervous.


"A-Ah!" Zeira's emerald eyes flickered towards Rosa, as if to plead her aid, as she spoke, tugging the princess towards the doors of the throne room. "Sirs and Madams, we are very pleased to have met you, unfortunately, the second part of the competition must start very soon." Zeira's voice cracked and trembled, having no such clue as to what the second phase must be, perhaps the fighting? "You are free to disperse and and roam the palace if you wish. Until her Highness Queen calls upon you once again, that is. But until then..."


Lierah stumbled after her maid, the heels of her shoe clicking loudly against the marble floor as she was allowed no room for a graceful exit. Not that she minded, her thoughts were still reeling in the story-book like events that went on about her. The simplest of gifts, stunningly beautiful and in her favorite colors, no less. Aside from that, Louis, who she knew naught very well, also knew the meaning of those he picked out. Her hand slapped over her cheek the second they had exited through the door, as if to quell the strange tingling that was left of his touch. And as if she snapped out of her trance-like state, she shot Zeira and Rosa, who she was startled to realize was around the entire time.
 
Seeing that the gift portion of the competition was over and there was time between now and the next, Takashi turned his attention to the corridor which the Princess, Zeira and Rosa had walked into. He wondered how it would look if he attempted to speak with the princess so soon after the portion of the competition was over. Then again, there were things he had to tell her with regards to the gift he had given her. He walked into the hallway and upon seeing the princess with her two servants, he took a bow to show his respect and said "Greetings Princess Lierah. May I receive the honour of a conversation with you?"
 
Flower were practical, yet boring. The princess could go outside and get flowers if she wanted to, but this guy's main strength was charm. Eve wondered if these two knew one another already, but pushed the thought aside as it was none of her concern. As the queen left the throne room Eve saw how frustrated she looked, but then again she always looked like that. A prisoner might have escaped, someone rebelling publicly against her. who knows. As the maid an announcement she thought of what to do. Since she wouldn't go back to the tavern that meant she couldn't change out of her dress. Eve looked down and examined her dress. Eve was guessed that she looked stupid in the dress, but who cares. After shaking her head lightly, she picked up her head. Eve sigh as she placed the tips of her fingers on her forehead. After a a couple seconds she turned back to the competitors. They were all guys, she was the only girl. She smiled softly to them as she spoke. "My name is Eve." She curtsied to them."Pleasure to make your acquaintance." She smiled softly at them. Eve thought it was better to get along with them then to want to murder them off the bat. 'Might as well make nice.' She thought nonchalantly.
 
Liselle kept silent as she looked around the area she was taken too. She knew little of what was going on besides the man's desire to see the Queen gone. But beyond their shared goal Liselle was uncertain of all else. She kept her guard up incase it was a trap. She wondered if she had made the right choice but she would find out soon enough. At least it appeared that she was safe. Or at least safer than she was by herself in the woods.


Liselle opened her mouth to ask questions but then shut it not knowing what to ask first.


----


Travlor scowled as one of the competitors went after the Princess. It appeared that the Prince followed as well though the Prince might have been going back to his room. The elf was not sure. He hoped the Princess would call on him later about his gift and his offer to teach her the words.


When the sole female competitor spoke Travlor turned his attention to her. "I am Travlor. It is a pleasure to meet you as well."


----


Kiel was not happy to be looking like he was following his sister. As he moved past Takashi and the Lierah's maids, he stopped for a moment and looked at his sister.


"I don't want this either," he told her. He reached out as if to touch her but then moved on. He had things to do.
 
Once the two reached the camp, Takashi's copy called out "Amaya, Malyss, Shui Khan!" The trio quickly assembled in front of Takashi and Liselle, running in from their previous tasks. Amaya had been her martial arts with Shui Khan and Malyss was as usual, by himself in his tent as he practised his magic when they heard the call and ran out. Takashi gestures to Liselle and says "This young lady's safety is in your more than capable hands. Her name is Liselle and she will be assisting us in ridding the kingdom of a certain member of the royal family." He turned his attention specifically to Malyss as he said "You are in charge of making her disguise. It needs to conceal her race as well as appearance so magic will be necessary. Guard patrols will be looking for a neko." He turned his gaze to Amaya before saying "You will be her personal bodyguard. You are to follow her wherever she goes when she is outside of the camp and make sure no harm befalls her." Lastly, he turns his attention to Shui Khan before saying "If she needs any messages sent to places which she cannot go in person to deliver them then you will be the messenger." the trio nods to show their understanding before splitting up. Malyss runs to his tent to begin the creation of Liselle's disguise. His plan was to enchant a ring which she could wear to disguise herself, charging the ring with an illusion spell. When the ring is ready, he planned to find out what form she would want it to disguise her with.
 
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