Magpie
21
Engaged
Lady in Waiting to Eleesa
Tier 1 Character
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Post by Anemone Sellar on Jun 7, 2020 1:03:51 GMT -5
Anemone's heart nearly leaped from her chest as Lucian guided her to look back at his face. His hand was warm after the chill from the winter air, and just as gentle as his words. It warmed her from the inside out that he thought she was kind, too, and that she shouldn't feel worthless. She wasn't sure how to reassure him about that--she was doing her best to get better, little by little. She returned his smile with one of her own, although her eyebrows flew up in surprise as he continued, and told her that he wanted to steal a kiss. Thank goodness she wasn't going to have to bring it up herself because she might have just kissed him as quickly as she could to keep herself from rambling too much.
"It's not really stealing if I give it willingly..." She replied with a grin. "And believe me, nothing would make me happier."
As he leaned closer she brought her hands up to his shoulders to steady herself, and she let her eyes fall closed as their lips met. What a lovely kiss--perhaps the first one she had actually enjoyed. She trusted Lucian, even if they had only met a few times now. Even in a short time, he'd made it clear that he respected her, and her boundaries. Somehow, knowing she didn't have to worry made this that much sweeter.
As they drew apart, she smiled dreamily at him. She felt like she should say something, but she couldn't think of anything at all. If anything, she just wanted to kiss him again.
So, she did. Before he could get out of reach of her short stature she quickly pushed herself up on her tiptoes and kissed him one more time. Where he had been gentle, her kiss was firmer, with just a hint of the possessive hunger that was creeping up on her.
Lucian made her feel safe and almost treasured. Like she was someone worthy of love. She wanted to curl up in that feeling and never let it go. The fear of losing it only made the feeling more intense as she struggled to hold onto it.
She giggled slightly as she fell back to her real height and grinned at him. "There. That one you can call stolen," she teased.
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Soleil
22
Single
Lady in Waiting to Eleesa
Tier 2 Character
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Post by Avalynn O'Shea on Jun 7, 2020 1:08:59 GMT -5
Avalynn placed her hands on her hips as she continued to look up at the sailor man and he admitted he wouldn't look. She narrowed her eyes playfully at him and shook her head. He began to climb down, and she was hoping he was deciding to give in. But when he settled back down and informed her that he would be staying up there for quite a while, she laughed and shook her head.
She turned away and took a few steps away from the tree as if giving up on him. Surely there were other men she could catch. Maybe easier targets than having to climb up a tree for one. But there was something about him... That smirk he had given her. His eyes... She didn't really know. Maybe he would be worth her while. She gave a sigh of exasperation and made her way back to the tree, looking up at him again. "You better get those lips of yours ready to pucker up!"
Avalynn bent down to tie the bottom of her skirt into a knot so that the hemline would not get in her way and trip or get stuck under her feet when she would try to climb. Once she was ready, she clapped her hands together before rubbing them, as if psyching herself up, preparing to climb. She hadn't done this since she was a young girl. Hopefully, she would not be breaking her neck over this man.
Like the sailor, her long legs and her height were an advantage. She jumped and grabbed a hold of a limb before she pulled herself up and began climbing up towards him. This was so so so silly. Was she really this desperate? It was only a stupid game. Why was she doing this? She grumbled with each limb she had to climb up, but she was up in the tree and she was gaining on him. "You better not climb up any higher than you already are!" Her hands were starting to hurt from the roughness of the bark on the branches, but she powered through. She was only a branch below him when she heard a loud scream, that startled her. She yelped and lost her footing on the branch she was standing on and was hanging only by her hands now. Avalynn struggled, trying to swing herself a bit to get her feet back on the branch. She was trying not to panic because this all was rather embarrassing enough.
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Lunari
30
Secretly engaged.
Head of deGrey Trading Co.
Tier 1 Character
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Post by Wesley deGrey on Jun 7, 2020 1:11:18 GMT -5
He was rolling those blue eyes as he shook his head, still grinning from the ridiculousness of this. "Sure. Anything," he vaguely agreed. So long as she got up. She managed to sit, at least, but that smile of hers had him pause. In that very moment, he wasn't sure whether he should be afraid or not, but there was a gentle curiosity laced in his expression when she took his face. Dare he think she was ready to do something else when he felt her hands leave muddy prints against his cheeks. Now, he just looked defeated. Amused, but defeated. "Ah, yes...thanks for that. You're a gem."
He slowly rose up to his feet alongside her, making sure that she didn't fall again. Doing this chase in the middle of Winter was a crazy idea, and he regretted not having his jacket...not that it would really help at this point. Wesley navigated the muddy terrain to follow her to the river where he would kneel and wash his hands in the chilled waters. It was already making his fingers sore, but he'd pour a bit onto his head to try and clean the mud from his hair. He shivered and shook the excess water away before regarding her.
And here it came. The deal they made. "That isn't your prize," he spoke with a slight grin, reminding her of the game's rules. But it was supposed be a kiss that she requested, not the other way around. And Helene wanted something else.
Crossing his arms over his chest as if it would make him feel even a slight bit warmer, he took a few steps closer to her but kept his gaze downcast. A secret. He promised a secret and he wasn't sure which one to share, if any of them would be "good enough". If there were any that he didn't truly wish anyone else to know. Wesley stood there for a long moment thinking about it before he let out a slow breath of a sigh.
"William is an ambassador. He has the smarts enough to know what is right for a kingdom and what isn't. Triston is on the council, a high honor in Tresteria where he could be regent if he played his cards right. Lucian wields a sword, defends our home and our family from our enemies..." The third-born deGrey paused for only a second and continued to speak before she could interrupt and wonder where he was going with this. Finally, blue eyes lifted to her face; conflicting emotions washing over his own. "And what is it that I do? I don't have the mind for politics, or the obedient nature to be a loyal servant to the military. So, I ran away. I begged my father to leave me his ship...and I ran away." It was more than just a secret, it was a confession.
He turned towards the river, letting his attention focus there while he tried not to let this stupid secret bother him. He was over it, or so he thought. "Because a deGrey is nothing if he cannot make a name for himself." Mother always said. "So, I travel the world in search of that something."
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Magpie
26
Unmarried
Noblewoman
Tier 2 Character
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Post by Marinette Roquefort on Jun 7, 2020 1:14:29 GMT -5
Marinette thought she knew what to expect, but the reality of Margery's shriek and her anger were more than she had anticipated. Panic tightened her throat as she scrambled backward like a crab, stammering helplessly as she tried to form an excuse. She saw Margery's face change when she was recognized, and it was like a brick had just been dropped in her stomach as the dread hit her. She wasn't going to be able to get out of this. Not if Margery thought she did this on purpose, and she clearly knew who she was. She likely hadn't guessed the real reason, but that wasn't going to stop her from attacking Marinette, either.
"I-I'm sorry--I-I--"
She made it to a tree and tried to use it to push herself up, but she still wound up on her butt in the mud, just a sitting duck waiting for Margery to reach her. Somehow, sitting there, hearing herself get called an insolent bitch, Marinette reached her limit. She was still scared, certainly, but she had nothing to lose. She was nothing, and she had no prospects. She may as well say what she had to say, now.
"Actually, no, I'm not sorry. You're a greedy, selfish woman who doesn't deserve Olivia and William. How dare you try and chase after the man's own brother like that, when you're already engaged? You clearly don't care about him at all, seeing as you let him run off in completely the opposite direction." Once she got going, it all came pouring out of her, and her volume rose as she went. "And how dare you ignore that little girl and treat her like garbage? She's lovely, and smart, and funny, and she deserves far better than you."
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Lunari
34
Widower
Tresterian Ambassador
Tier 2 Character
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Post by William deGrey on Jun 7, 2020 1:34:51 GMT -5
William had stopped running a long time ago. He was taking this time to simply be out of the castle in the fresh (albeit cold) air for a little bit. Something told him Margery wouldn't find him. Maybe he figured that she wouldn't even bother. It both annoyed him and yet...didn't, and he knew why. He really did but just wasn't willing to openly admit it yet.
So, he took his time to casually walk and backtrack towards the castle when he heard the loud ear-piercing shriek. A shriek that he, unfortunately, recognized. Regardless of what went down, Will couldn't help but wonder if Margery was in trouble so he was off into a sprint, trying to pinpoint where it had come from. Eventually, he'd hear her screaming and berating someone. His pace slowed, peering through the brush to find the duchess completely coated in mud and advancing on another woman in her fury.
Then Marinette was talking, throwing barbs right back. Only it was different. It wasn't mindless bantering. He found himself walking forward again, far slower this time as if he was in a trance, just as Margery stopped abruptly in her steps.
"What do you even know?" the duchess spat, a wildness in her eyes. "You just show up one day and suddenly you believe you know everything? Didn't your mother ever teach you to stay out of other people's business?!" The madwoman advanced again, but was immediately halted by William's presence. He was mere feet from them now.
Margery looked to him completely horrified, her lips moving as if trying to come up with some sort of excuse. But she knew he had heard all of that, and she was unable to argue it. She wouldn't be standing there, gaping like a fish, if it weren't true.
"William, I-" "Go," he interrupted her, in a surprisingly calm, but stern voice. Yet there was no saying he wouldn't snap at her again if she attempted to argue now. "Just go back to the castle before you make a bigger fool of yourself...and apparently of me." Margery drew in a deep breath and huffed it out in frustration. Her narrowed gaze flickered to Marinette with a silent, vengeful promise before stomping away, nearly tripping again in the process.
When she was gone from his sight, he moved to Mari's side and offered her a hand to help her up. "Are you alright, Lady Roguefort?" he asked, not knowing how to address any of what he had just heard and witnessed.
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Soleil
30
Single
Queen's Guard
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Post by Stefan Gifford on Jun 7, 2020 1:37:18 GMT -5
Stefan couldn't help but grin at the sight of Aric laughing so much. It was a nice change in what he had witnessed in the days prior to leaving Aralore. Everything had been such a nightmare since Edward's arrival. It was good to see a smile and laughs coming out of the man, even if they were at his own expense. Yes, he was tall. And yes he still stood at neck height to the damn hedges.
He laughed as Aric admitted he needed to try and breathe. He listened when he explained that this little game had become a tradition every year, and he smiled.
"I doubt that..." Stefan admitted, shrugging his shoulders. "I think I intimidate women because of my height and size. I will never be the handsome gentleman type... Just the tall, big scary guy who people shouldn't mess with." He grinned. That didn't bother him much, because he had a job to do and he took that very seriously. He loved his queen. Perhaps not in the way Aric did, but more so in the way Orin did. And he'd do anything for her. Aric, too, he had decided.
He shook his head in response to Aric's question. "Not really. I've been so busy lately... And don't want to get too distracted. Your wife is more important to me than my own love life. When she almost died..." He fell quiet and frowned, glancing down at the ground, shaking his head. He did not want to imagine what may have happened if she had. Stefan had been born in Aralore and he remembered a bit when the king and queen were killed and Alexandria had disappeared. Life had not been easy after that, and he remembered the amount of joy and light that had returned to Aralore when its queen retook her throne. "I... Don't want to go back to a life where she is not our queen." He quietly admitted. "So I will do everything in my power to make sure that does not happen."
He smiled at Aric and then pointed at him. "And you! Don't go falling into any more oceans." He grinned and shook his head. "We can't lose you, either, now."
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Tendy
27
Widowed
Noble
Tier 3 Character
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Post by Helene Hewitt on Jun 7, 2020 1:39:52 GMT -5
Helene tried not to think about her actual prize. The prize that the hound was supposed to receive. That would just get...messy. The mere thought of kissing anyone after what Stephan had done to her was so terrifying the mere thought was nearly crippling. Still...So far Wesley had proven to be far better than her former husband, and she barely knew him. But she also knew not to judge a book by it's cover. Something told her Wesley was different though. He reminded her of Elliot. Maybe it was the sailor in him that made her a little more trusting.
She watched him as he got closer, gearing up for whatever secret he had to share with her. She eyed the river, contemplating if she should wash some of the mud out of her hair before it dried, but decided against it. She was already wet and cold enough, anymore would surely cause her to get sick. She instead focused her attention on Wesley. Listening to what he had to say.
Her eyes softened as she listened to him. She couldn't say she knew what he was feeling, but she could imagine. If she had more courage, more strength, more willpower she would have done what he did. Run away from the problems that haunted her, and kept her to Tresteria. She still craved it. The freedom. "I think you've made that name for yourself you just haven't seen it in yourself yet." She whispered. "Running away means not coming back Wesley. You come back. You run your father's shipping company yes? You took it over from him? Would he have really left it to anyone else but someone he didn't think he could trust? Sounds to me like your the deGrey heir." She told him gently. She looked out past him to watch the river as it trickled on by. Thinking about what her own father would leave her and Mari. If he left the girls anything. Empty mines? A jewelry business?
Helene glanced up at him. Pondering over her next works and actions. "For what it's worth, I hope you find what you're looking for one day Wesley." She told him with a small smile. She stepped forward then, narrowing her eyes at him, before she leaned up on her tiptoes only slightly, and placed a quick kiss on his cheek. Not caring if he still had mud on it or not. It was all she would take in terms of the hound prize. In all honestly it was all she could probably handle. "That's my prize." She told him sternly, before she turned and looped her arm through his. She could hear a loud shriek that sounded like a banshee in the distance that startled her a bit. "Goodness, someone is getting into it." She murmured. She glanced up at him. "Shall we go get warmed up?" She asked with a smirk.
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Magpie
26
Unmarried
Noblewoman
Tier 2 Character
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Post by Marinette Roquefort on Jun 7, 2020 1:58:08 GMT -5
Marinette flinched at the word 'mother' coming from this monstrous woman's mouth. Perhaps her mother would have taught her to stay out of other people's business if she'd had the chance, but seeing as she'd passed away when Marinette was only ten, she'd hardly had time. Tears welled in her eyes, even as she glared defiantly at the advancing duchess. Perhaps she ought to be more afraid, but she had simply accepted her fate, now. Whatever Margery decided to do for revenge, at least she had managed to keep her from hounding her new friend or betraying his brother.
With her attention focused on the other woman, Marinette hadn't spotted William until she halted in her tracks. Marinette followed Margery's gaze to William, and her eyes widened. She hadn't wanted him to find things out like this--she'd hoped to talk to him gently after she'd taken care of the problem herself. He seemed to be a good man, and she was sure he didn't deserve all this theatrical mess. She winced slightly when Margery shot her another murderous look, but she stayed where she was, waiting. She fully expected William to leave her there in the mud, where it seemed like she might belong.
She looked up at him, wide-eyed in her surprise, when he offered his hand. She did her best to wipe her right hand on a clean part of her dress before she took his hand and used both him and the tree behind her to make her way to her feet. once she was upright, she quickly released his hand and turned her gaze to her feet. She was ashamed to have been caught in the middle of that, and she was sure he'd heard what she accused Margery of. She knew she was right, but whether or not he did was an entirely different matter. And beyond that, the way she'd handled things had gone completely wrong. She'd thought it would be simple...and here she was making everything worse.
"Somehow, I feel like I should be asking you that," She answered with a sigh. He was the one who would really have been hurt by all this, and the only one of the three of them whose feelings really mattered. "I'm sorry for causing such a scene. I hadn't thought...I just couldn't let her do that." Her voice trailed to almost nothing as she finished.
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Lunari
34
Unattached
Sailor for deGrey Trading Co.
Tier 2 Character
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Post by Shane O'Sullivan on Jun 7, 2020 10:20:36 GMT -5
Shane expected her to walk away. He felt a little bad for simply not giving in, but...he wasn't really sure he had wanted to play this game. The crew had shore leave, Elliot didn't want him or Wesley causing trouble for a few days, so he thought he'd join in on this so-called fun of the nobles...even if he rarely considered himself one. He was a sailor and merchant, and nothing more these days. If he could give up his title out of spite like he's always wanted to, he would, but then that would leave particular people within his family alone. And he couldn't do that.
The lady would be wise to turn around and find herself another hare.
'You better get those lips of yours ready to pucker up!' "What?" he was alarmed, because she was actually going to climb up this tree to get to him. Shane was both worried and impressed and stashed that flask away temporarily; his hand wrapping around an upper branch so that he could lean down to watch her. She was a tall and lithe thing, and it didn't take her long to start climbing. Color him impressed!
A laugh rumbled within his chest. "I won't move. You have my word." And that was when they both heard (and most likely everyone else) a loud cry, like a shriek of the banshee. Normally that meant a bad open, that someone's death was upon them, and that was a little nerve-wracking. But along with it came the lady's own yelp and his attention immediately dropped from the vastness of trees back down to her.
The gentlest of curses fled his lips before the sailor quickly lowered himself from his branch to one adjacent from hers and grabbed a hold of her hand. "S'alright, lass. I've got you." They weren't terribly high up but the fall would hurt, and he wasn't about to let that happen considering he was the one who convinced her to climb.
"Alright, come on now..." Shane was more murmuring to himself at this point as he began to pull her up with one arm, hanging onto a sturdy branch with the other. He didn't let go until she was safe and sitting down, and then he was doing the same; turning to face her where their knees nearly touched. "Well now, I definitely did not expect you to actually do it." Now, he was laughing again; a mixture of surprise and appreciation.
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Lunari
30
Secretly engaged.
Head of deGrey Trading Co.
Tier 1 Character
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Post by Wesley deGrey on Jun 7, 2020 11:42:41 GMT -5
Where had that come from? Wesley was telling himself to share something ridiculous from childhood, but instead, all of that came pouring out and there was absolutely no way to stop it. He just kept talking until he was standing there in silence, staring at the freezing river and feeling like a complete moron. Wesley always felt like the inadequate brother, always the one to "mess things up", and he went along with it. If only because it allowed him to be free. He was loud, sure, but he was carefree and tried to enjoy life one day at a time. Maybe there was nothing wrong with that.
Blue eyes blinked when Helene began to speak, drawing his attention back to her once agin. She was being kind when she didn't need to be, but he didn't argue it. Maybe he did come back, but he ran the moment something felt wrong or uncomfortable...yet he didn't voice that either. The company was his father's little project, and Wes was the only one that took an interest it, simply because his brothers were clearly meant for other things- tasks and jobs they did very well.
His lips parted, as if to express some of this, but the bet had been for one secret, and that would be going down the rabbit hole if he said anything more. These were his thoughts, worries, and burdens. Not hers. His face softened considerably, though, eyes filled with gratitude for her verbal comfort regardless.
"Same to you, Helene," he murmured back. Something haunted her, that much he knew, and he couldn't help but assume that she was spiraling and trying to find her footing. And in that moment, he wanted to reach out to her and still the madness, even if he knew not how or why.
Wesley continued to watch her when she closed the gap between them just a little more, noting the way she narrowed her eyes as if she were contemplating something. There came a gentle huff of laughter when she placed a kiss to his cheek, and he was suddenly grinning again. "Fair enough," he replied replied before, whatever calm had washed over him in that moment, was suddenly broken by the sound of a dying cat. No, it was a woman shrieking? Dear God, what was happening out there? "Maybe it was Margery..." he found himself saying out loud. If only he knew just how right he was!
With her arm through his, they began to walk back towards the castle. The sailor's mood was certainly returning because that mischievous glint was back in his eyes as he regarded her. He didn't have to say it for her to know the insinuation that would've spilled from his mouth at her question. Deciding to spare her, he'd pull his arm from hers to slip it around her back if she allowed it; hand running up and down her arm as he held her to his side. It was for her benefit as much as it was for him- he was damn freezing now!
"Thank you...by the way," he added, his expression growing serious for a moment while he kept his eyes on the path ahead. He meant for her words and that she hadn't needed to make them feel better about them.
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Tendy
27
Widowed
Noble
Tier 3 Character
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Post by Helene Hewitt on Jun 7, 2020 13:07:27 GMT -5
"Now that would be something I wish to see." Helene laughed. If the devil woman as Olivia had called her happened to trip an fall into a mud muddle? Helene was pretty sure that would make nearly every deGrey's day. And hers, and Marinette's. They started to walk back, and Helene tried to avoid some of the bigger patches of mud, but also saw no point as she was covered head from toe in it.
She glanced at him when he pulled his arm from her and felt as it slipped behind her back and he began run his hand up and down her arm. She tensed for a moment, just as a reflex. Normally her skin would feel like it was crawling at that moment being so close, but surprisingly she didn't which surprised her. She peaked up at him out of the corner of her eye. Wesley deGrey was just full of surprises. He's doing it because he's cold. A voice told her. Nothing more, or he's doing it so you don't fall ill. She reasoned with herself. He's being nice. A good friend! Yes, Wesley was quickly becoming a friend.
Helene looped her arm around his waist so it was easier to walk for the both of them, and so they could share in each other's body heat. She imagined they looked quite the muddy pair, and she almost laughed at the image of Mari's face at seeing the two of them. When he thanked her, she looked up at him in surprise. His expression was serious, and he didn't look at her. She had the feeling he meant it was about what she had to say about his secret. "Any time." She told him. She had a smile on her face and then turned her head to look ahead. "Your secret is safe with me as well." She said poking him in the side.
"And thank you, this was definitely a worthy way to repay my debt. I can't think of the last time I laughed, or ran so hard. It's been a very long time." She sighed. She glanced up at him. "So thank you. Truly." Sh whispered.
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Lunari
34
Widower
Tresterian Ambassador
Tier 2 Character
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Post by William deGrey on Jun 7, 2020 18:14:14 GMT -5
It wouldn't have been right to walk away and leave her there in the mud, especially after the creature that was Margery Decant had scolded her. By the look on his face, however, it was most likely clear that he had heard every word Marinette yelled back at her...but his mind was being slow in processing it. What do you say to that? When someone you barely knew saw through the woman's lies, worried about his own daughter?
A part of him was so thankful for it, yet at the same time, he wanted to shield his face from the shame of it all. This is where his loneliness got him. Now, however, he realized he would have come to this conclusion sooner of later, but even still. William wasn't sure how to deal with it anymore, and that was disgraceful.
So, as he stood there with his hand held out to her, he was looking at her but was struggling to do so. It took everything within him not to look away in the embarrassment of this all. After she stood and broke contact, his gaze also dropped, refraining from letting out a heavy sigh. Marinette was speaking, though, and dark eyes rose up to her face; his own expression a mix of confusion and gratitude now.
"No, I'm not alright," he said honestly, his voice low and quiet. "But I suspected. I knew better, I just-" William paused there and shook his head, a hand running down his face in frustration. Lady Roquefort didn't need to listen to him vent. Although he turned from her a little, his head tilted as if trying to catch her in his peripheral. "Thank you, though..." His jaw clenched and he finally let out that sigh. "I'm just sorry that you found yourself in the middle of it. You...shouldn't have had to. That is my fault, my lady, and I fear even the biggest apology will not be enough." At least he could willingly admit it. And now he was going to have to go back to the castle and face this all.
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Lunari
36
Married to Alexandria
King Consort of Aralore
Tier 1 Character
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Post by Aric Demarais on Jun 7, 2020 19:04:21 GMT -5
Peering through a small opening in the hedge, dark eyes observed the grounds for a sign of Alexandria. Hopefully she didn't get lost. The area he and Stefan were in was far less forested and more open, so Aric silently hoped that she had seen the direction he had gone and followed. He wasn't concerned about anything going terribly wrong because it was safe here, and they were still close enough to the castle.
When the guardsman spoke, Aric was looking back over to him before finally deciding to have a seat on the ground. It was cold, but at least it was dry. "You doubt it?" he repeated, almost disbelieving the man's words. The prince chuckled lowly, but hopefully it was clear that he wasn't laughing at him. "You're probably one of the nicest men I've ever met, Stefan," he told him with sincerity. "Now, don't get me wrong...you can be outright terrifying." Another laugh, he shook his head and let some of the mirth die away. "There was a time when I was completely miserable. I didn't care for anything, and this...broodiness turned into anger and frustration. I'm fairly certain I had scared Alexandria a few times, unintentionally." It was whenever he got heated about something, he couldn't always keep calm. He was far from a physically violent person, but a loud voice could be just as frightening. "And she still managed to love me."
The corner of his mouth twitched up into a light smile. "You're an honorable man, Stefan...but there are also others devoted to keeping her safe. You are allowed to have your own life and still be loyal, I promise you." He was certain the queen would tell him the same. Aric didn't want to see anyone not experience anything in their lives if they had the chance to...this coming from the man who felt like he wasted years of his life.
Another laugh at the mention of that deadly fall overboard. "I'll try not to. It was damn cold!" he exclaimed in humor.
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Magpie
26
Unmarried
Noblewoman
Tier 2 Character
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Post by Marinette Roquefort on Jun 7, 2020 19:07:04 GMT -5
As William drew his hand over his face, Marinette raised her hand, almost setting it on his arm in an attempt to comfort him, but she hesitated and withdrew it instead. She didn't feel she knew him well enough to touch him, let alone be the one comforting him in this; she might do more harm than good. She truly felt for him, nonetheless. She knew he'd lost his first wife somehow, and now when looking for a companion, he'd been unlucky enough to find someone who had taken advantage of his loneliness to further her own ambitions. She couldn't even imagine what it would be like to have that hope, and then have it ripped away from her. Perhaps it was better that she had never expected to find love--she couldn't suffer the loss of something she'd never had.
At his apology, however, she jolted her head up sharply to frown at him. "Absolutely not, you have nothing to apologize for," she told him firmly, "I'm the one who inserted myself into your personal life, and I purposefully went after Margery when I saw her going this way. It was stupid, but it was my choice. It's only fair that I face the consequences." She sighed and shook her head.
"I had hoped to put a stop to things, then mention it to you gently, rather than this...nonsense." she gestured to the mud pit which still bore the marks of a struggle. "You deserve better. Truly. And for that I am sorry."
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Lunari
30
Secretly engaged.
Head of deGrey Trading Co.
Tier 1 Character
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Post by Wesley deGrey on Jun 7, 2020 19:49:06 GMT -5
"I would pay to see that woman trip over herself..." he blurted out quickly, laughing at the thought of it. At times, Wesley didn't understand what his eldest brother saw in Margery, but he had also seen what Catherine's death had done to him. And as darling as Olivia could be, the girl had her moments of being completely insufferable. She was a child, after all, and William did his best. Wes certainly didn't think he could do it, raise a child alone like that, on top of lacking that companionship of a wife. It had broken his brother, and perhaps why this deGrey was still unwed. After the loss of his sister-in-law, he had actually been afraid to ever get close to someone like that, despite how William tried to be strong and hide how it had affected him. Then Aric losing both a wife and infant daughter.
These thoughts nearly made him stop in their walk, but Helene's presence beside him kept him moving. His arm secured her against him gently, as if he needed some extra stability; the warmth of her keeping him from yet more worries of the past. Hadn't he blatantly told her that he didn't let the past dictate his present or future? So, why was he suddenly letting it all happen now?
At least he smiled again. It was softer than usual, and he only looked over at her when she promised to keep his secret safe. Wesley nodded with a light chuckle. "I'll be holding you to that, lass," he said. Then, he wasn't expecting what she said after, and the grin finally reached his eyes while he regarded her. "Well, then...any time you need a good laugh or to roll around in the mud-" Wes paused to wink at her. "You just let me know. I think it's safe and foolish to say...that I'd make dumb bets with you any day."
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