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 Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 6:10 pm
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Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 9:20 pm
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Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 9:32 pm
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Once Pit left the room, a quiet clank from the corner announced that Atahlea had relaxed. She never took anything for granted, not even after years and years of relative peace. Not even inside the quiet of the castle.
Stepping out of the shadowy corner where she had moved for the best tactical access, she lifted a brow at Maverick. "Still pouting?" she asked, not unkindly.
She'd known Maverick since they were both young. Well, younger--they were still young. She could get away with saying the kind of things that no one else could, as long as no one else was around to hear them. When someone else was about, she would withdraw, becoming nothing more than the guard of a prince.
A few wisps of blonde hair had escaped her braid, and with a frustrated mutter she blew them out of her face. Moving forward, she tilted her head. He really didn't look too happy. Well, fair enough. Not for the first time, she blessed her low-noble birth and youngest-daughter status--she was never, ever going to have to worry about arranged marriages, not with her dowry as poor as it was. And besides, no one wanted a woman that knew her way around weapons.
She didn't begrudge the loss; she enjoyed her work and was happy with it. But the prince had no such chance to make a decision. Leaning against the wall, she gave him a weary smile. "Want to talk about it, or do you just want to keep sulking?"
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Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 11:04 pm
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Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 2:13 am
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gaia_nitemareleft Shino Harumaki gaia_nitemareright
Shino walked around aimlessly and found herself standing right in front of the Kessig palace. She had not realized that she walked this far, but before she could turn around and retrace her steps. Six imperial guards of the palace surrounded her. Shino was from Volvagia, everyone knows that citizens of Volvagia are cold blooded killers who are not to be trusted. She gave the guards a bone crushing stare and told them to pull back.
Shino had no intent on killing any of the guards but if they do attack, it wouldn't be pretty. The guards showed no signs to pulling back, so Shino made her way through the wall of guards. As expected, the guards gave way for her to pass, a smirk crept up her lips. "Nothing can stop me, not even a couple of Kessig guards." But a second after that thought, a naive guard charged towards her, "STOP SOLDIER!" shouted one of the guards but it was too late. Needless to say Shino destroyed him, she was always prepared for any surprise attack.
Shino drew out her chain and immediately slashed the young guard on his right leg. Her facial expression was emotionless but she did enjoy having the upper hand when in came to a fight against men. "You will forever be walking with a limp in your step, you were lucky i chose not to kill you" Shino turned around to find most of the townsmen watching her, never did she like all the attention on her. As she walked towards the intimidated crowd, everyone started to disperse leaving the scene in fear of getting in her way.
This outing did, in one way or another pleased Shino as she had exciting news for the Volvagian King. - The date of the peace marriage of the Kessig prince and the Timberland princess was drawing closer , something that would interest the King greatly
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Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 10:21 am
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Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 5:06 pm
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Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 8:45 am
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Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 2:11 pm
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A quick, bright grin flashed over Atahlea's face; one rarely seen outside the privacy of their personal conversations. Out there, she was the guard. In here, in the quiet of the prince's room, with only the prince as witness, she didn't have to be just guard or warrior--she could be herself, too, and that was nice. Idly, she tucked a bit of loose hair behind one ear.
She didn't bother to answer his remark about her duty. Of course she was always on duty. Not only was he the closest thing she had to a friend, but it was her job to protect him--if anything happened to him, she was out of work.
Crossing to him once he spoke of his real concern, she lightly held her armored hand just above his shoulder--it was not the place of a guard to touch the prince, so this was the closest she could come to a comforting gesture. "It happens all the time in noble families," she reminded him. She knew he knew it, but it was different when it happened to you. "Especially in the royal line. Your marriage was always going to be a political alliance; if not with this princess, then with another one."
What was she doing, talking royal alliances and lineage? she wondered. She couldn't know how he felt; she would never have to worry about this. "You're the heir. You've got to have heirs of your own, to make sure that the people see that the line continues and the throne's in no danger. Otherwise all sorts of messy things will happen. Remember the civil war between those two lesser kingdoms when we were younger, because the one king died without an heir? That's what this is all about. And it could be worse--at least you don't have to live there, right? She's coming here."
She gave him a quick, tired smile. "I know it's a pain and all. Can't say I know how you feel, 'cause I'll never have this problem. But it'll be all right; I know you can manage. Maybe she'll be nice. And if not, well...you're the prince. You'll figure out something."
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Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 2:28 pm
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Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 3:44 pm
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Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 3:49 pm
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Atahlea winced when the prince took her hand and placed it against his shoulder. As soon as he let go, she quickly removed it and placed both her hands firmly behind her back. "I wish you'd stop doing that," she grumbled. "Someone's going to see some day and I'm going to get in trouble. You know I'm not supposed to touch you."
She went quiet and listened while he talked; it was natural for her to wait until he spoke before she did. A flicker of amusement came into her eyes when he spoke of battle and diplomacy. "That's for sure. Diplomacy went out the window with the frog incident. That poor tutor. Maybe I should check the drawers in the princess's room before she gets here." Sure, they'd only been in their early teens at the time, but she had no intention of ever letting Prince Maverick forget it.
They did practices, together and separately, almost every day, and Atahlea knew he was a skilled warrior. But she also knew he had too much heart, too much compassion, for his own good. That was what she was for, that was why he had a guard--to be the heartlessness to his compassion.
She scuffed one boot against the floor, looking a little ashamed. "Ah, well, it's a bit of a different situation. You know how it is. Youngest daughter, no dowry." Though it was a bit of a struggle, she smiled and waved it away. "I know it'll be tough, but you'll manage. Have you considered talking to your father?" she asked, suddenly thinking of it. "I bet his marriage to your mother was arranged. Maybe he can give you advice. Or something."
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Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 4:30 pm
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Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 4:41 pm
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Atahlea just shook her head. "Your lack of perspective is showing again," she told him dryly, with a hint of a smile behind her eyes. "It's not okay. I'm a guard. There are rules. You know that." She stuck very firmly to her idea of the rules, at least as best she could with someone like Maverick around to keep an eye on. He seemed determined to erase the lines dividing them with every chance he got, and she had to run to keep up with him while drawing them again.
"Only because you don't like history," she teased, moving on to an easier topic. "The poor man did his best with you." At his admission, she pretended to look thoughtful for a moment. "Your father is a wise man," she concluded.
She just caught herself from rolling her eyes when he mentioned her dowry--they'd had this argument, however friendly, several times. She was not comfortable having him pay for it. He wasn't her father, nor her brother, nor anyone else who was supposed to deal with that sort of thing. It wasn't his duty. But she had aired these objections several times, and he just rolled right over them. By this point, they could each recite the other's arguments on the topic in their sleep, so she let it slide. But it only reinforced her determination--if she ever should find someone she was interested in marrying, Prince Maverick was going to be the last to know, and he would only know when she told him to show up at her wedding, once everything was arranged and paid for.
Not that this was a big concern. She was young still, and like the prince had said, she would never have the worry of an arranged marriage.
Moving on, she grinned. "What, not interested in interrupting him anymore these days? My, we've both grown up, haven't we?" She shifted her weight easily, letting her body relax while they talked; it was more comfortable to stand than to sit while she was armoured, even in the lightweight guard-duty stuff she was in now.
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Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 4:53 pm
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