Magpie
23
Noble
L.I.W to Princess Cera
|
Post by Rosemary McIntyre on Aug 2, 2020 15:36:58 GMT -5
Rosemary thought he'd stopped in his tracks because of what she said, which only intensified her mortification at what she'd been suggesting. She hadn't really meant it that way at first--she just meant because someone else had used the bedding. But with what the two of them were faking, the maids would probably be expecting...well, more of a mess. The realization was what had stopped her before. She was about to apologize for even accidentally saying that kind of thing when he snorted an almost-laugh and she could tell he was amused. Normally she'd have been upset that someone was laughing at her, but instead she had a notion that she'd like him to look amused or pleased with her more often. It was nice to feel like she wasn't only causing him trouble.
"Of course, I can do that. I actually do have a new dress, since I had to replace a few after they were--well, after one of my ex-fiance's visits." She almost made a face as she remembered the mess that had been left, but instead she simply turned their path to lead them back towards her bedroom, walking slowly at first until Sebastian caught up with her and she resumed a normal pace. Her mind wandered back to her previous thought. She'd put Sebastian through quite a bit of grief in a short time, but he hardly seemed fazed by the entire ordeal. She didn't quite understand. She was quiet for a few moments before she looked up at him curiously.
"I beg pardon if this is too personal, but...Do you enjoy your work, as the captain of the guard? I mean, it seems like it would be fairly stressful, but you handle it well, from what I've seen."
|
|
Orion
27
Unavailable
Guard Captain (Warden Inquisitor)
|
Post by Sebastian Arcturis on Aug 2, 2020 16:46:33 GMT -5
Most of Sebastian's work caused him trouble. The entire notion of his job as Captain of the Guard was to meet and solve problems. If there were never any problems, his job wouldn't exist. It was something he had come to accept a long time ago. As for the nature of his other job...well, it was a very similar idea.
He simply nodded as Rosemary spoke about a new dress and the unfortunate fate of some of her old ones. He wasn't surprised. There was a feeling of anger however. Because clearly he hadn't been doing his job well enough to protect her from that sort of problem. The captain caught up with the lady in waiting quickly and then matched her pace.
It had occurred to him a few times, to wonder if he liked what he did. He would have to say that yes, in general, he liked what he did. As a warden, a soldier, a guard. He liked fighting. He enjoyed the politicking quite a lot less on all fronts. As for the people...as a warden he didn't have to be social or friendly or care what people thought about him. In the castle, under the eye of the king, he had a lot more rules to follow. A lot more pressure. But that was all pretty normal. He'd learned quickly that it was best to let stress go than to hold onto it for later.
"I do," he said, tone suggesting that was all he had to say about it out loud, but then he reconsidered his finality. He didn't deny her suggestion that it was stressful, though he did smirk for a moment as she said he handled it well. "I don't let very much bother me," he explained with a shrug. "I became a guard to honor my father and I am still a guard because I am good at it." And not because he was modest, clearly.
|
|
Magpie
23
Noble
L.I.W to Princess Cera
|
Post by Rosemary McIntyre on Aug 2, 2020 17:07:27 GMT -5
She nodded slowly as she considered his answer. It didn't strike her as being overly confident; he was right that he was good at his job, otherwise he wouldn't be the captain in the first place. Stating the facts wasn't bragging, right? She was glad to hear that he'd found work that suited him well, and that he wasn't miserable doing it. She would have liked to say she felt the same about being a lady-in-waiting; it should have been a simple enough job, but she often felt like it was designed for someone quite the opposite of her. She never saw herself as charming or sociable, and she was only passable at doing hair or makeup. She often left that to the other ladies. She could help Cera with clothing, at least, and she always made sure there were fresh flowers on the princess's nightstand.
On the other hand, what he had to say about 'not letting it bother him' seemed to be a kind of magic she'd very much like to have. How did you just...not let things get to you?
"I'm glad to hear that. I'd like to be better at not letting things bother me, but I think I've just learned to always be expecting something negative. My parents are the reason I'm a lady-in-waiting too, although I'm not entirely sure they think I'm honoring them. They have quite a lot of criticism to give whenever they visit." She shrugged. "Still, I suppose I haven't given up or been thrown out, yet, so I must be doing something right."
|
|
Orion
27
Unavailable
Guard Captain (Warden Inquisitor)
|
Post by Sebastian Arcturis on Aug 2, 2020 17:32:46 GMT -5
Bastian only barely understood what lady's in waiting actually did. Oh, he knew they were like...personal assistants. Peers, of course, since the Princess should be attended to by the best, and they would make for better conversation than a commoner supposedly and all the typical fanfare and pomp that went with nobles. Rosemary didn't seem particularly into fanfare. Considering she had dirt under her finger nails. Still, he found her charming by most accounts and had never heard anyone complain or spread rumors about the woman being terrible at her position.
The words were a lie, of course. Many things bothered him. But he tried not to compound that sort of thing. He didn't have the luxury of dwelling on things, not when he was little, not during training, and not now. Maybe it was a sort of magic. As such, he wasn't sure how to offer advise on the topic. He'd suffered a lot as a child. He'd learned to keep it to himself. And eventually he had learned that holding onto things only hurt more latter. Not that it wasn't a constant battle.
Rosemary's self deprecating words pulled a grimace. Perhaps it was supposed to be amusing, hearing her joke about not being thrown out. But that wasn't how Sebastian took it. From the sound of it, she did not enjoy it. He wondered how much of that was the thread of Magnus and how much was that she hadn't gotten over being forced into something by her parents. Since they were being forward... "Do you enjoy your work? As a lady in waiting?"
|
|
Magpie
23
Noble
L.I.W to Princess Cera
|
Post by Rosemary McIntyre on Aug 2, 2020 17:53:23 GMT -5
Oh. Well, she supposed she'd been asking for that...although she wasn't sure how to answer. It occurred to her that she could simply leave out the uncomfortable bits, but she didn't like the idea of lying to Sebastian. Not because he would know, although she suspected he would, but because she wouldn't feel right about it. "Ah..." she began, filling the silence as she searched for the right words.
"Well, there are some things I do like--I like Princess Cera, for example, genuinely I do. She's smart, and kind, and she has such a vibrant energy. She inspires me, sometimes, to be braver. But..." She hesitated slightly and pressed her lips into a thin line. This was the part that got her into trouble at home. "I honestly find the social aspect with large crowds and parties to be...not suffocating, exactly, but overwhelming. It's not a place I'd put myself on purpose. I don't like to be in a noisy crowd, and I especially don't like having to speak with and be touched by people I don't know well. If it were up to me..." She sighed and looked out the window they were passing at the gardens down below. "I'd much prefer a quieter life. Somewhere with just me and the people I trust, and a good garden to work in."
She blushed slightly and gave him a sheepish smile. "It's silly, I know, for me to want out of a life that so many people are jealous of, but I'm afraid I can't help it. I'm very much a wallflower here, and I'd rather be a wildflower, so to speak."
|
|
Orion
27
Unavailable
Guard Captain (Warden Inquisitor)
|
Post by Sebastian Arcturis on Aug 2, 2020 18:01:29 GMT -5
She had, in fact, asked for the question. Whether she gave an honest answer or not hardly bothered him but as she proceeded to speak, he was reminded of another woman. A few, actually. Seemed there were a lot of people in the castle that didn't much like their place in life. At least Rosemary understood what she had and what she wanted. Cera and Camille...well, it wasn't he place to assume or judge, but Sebastian got the feeling from how both spoke to him that those two didn't know what they wanted. Rosemary did.
Somewhere quiet, with just her, her people and her garden. He wondered if she knew what people she wanted too. What had him more confused was that, with all of that and after all her stalker was doing, she was still here. If it were up to me... she had said. As if something kept her here. "So what keeps you?" he asked softly.
|
|
Magpie
23
Noble
L.I.W to Princess Cera
|
Post by Rosemary McIntyre on Aug 2, 2020 18:20:23 GMT -5
Rosemary glanced up at him with a rueful smile as she pushed her hair behind her ears. "It's not really my decision to make. My family is relying on me to represent them here, and since I'm a noblewoman, this gives me a place to be housed and fed that isn't relying on them to meet all my needs. I suppose some day I'd be expected to rely on a husband, and they were quite eager for that to be someone who would enhance their status too, the way Magnus would have."
She wasn't entirely sure why she was spilling all of this at once, but seeing as Sebastian already knew some of her biggest secrets, there didn't seem to be any harm in it. She wouldn't give away the biggest one, of course, the one most likely to see her arrested, but this at least she could share without fear. Aoife had said she should stop pretending...was this the beginning of that?
"I'll confess, I thought about just vanishing into the night, somewhere where none of them can hound me, but I haven't exactly got the skills or money to find a new place to live and fend for myself. So as it stands, I'll just have to do the best I can with what's available to me."
|
|
Orion
27
Unavailable
Guard Captain (Warden Inquisitor)
|
Post by Sebastian Arcturis on Aug 2, 2020 18:51:24 GMT -5
Not my decision to make was an all too familiar mantra for the man. Not that he could or would or should share how much he identified with that. Not with Rosemary or anyone else. Camille hadn't entirely be wrong about him. But she hadn't been right either. However, this conversation wasn't about himself.
Rosemary's family sounded much like the usual for nobility. Even for commoners. Women were necessary for a family to grow, but daughters were a burden on that family. Even among the working class, men were more capable. Hearing her suggest she was expected to make herself not a burden on her family, and then the implication of her trading the ability to make babies so that another man might support her instead was...normal. Sebastian wouldn't call himself traditional. The wardens employed women just as well as men. Certainly their roles were...often different and catered to classical male and female roles, but as Warden Inquisitor, Bastian would do anything to ensure his people were comfortable and confident in their roles. Ensure they got to pick those roles. Because he understood what it was like to not have a choice. He didn't understand what it was like to have freedom, however. That was a big difference.
"Then I suppose you ought to find a man that likes quiet and gardens," he suggested, feeling a little out of his depth. Partly with his lack of ability to outwardly empathize (which came from a lot of factors) and partly that he simply felt awkward speaking on the topic of family and marriage in general.
He nodded as she explained her all too logical thoughts about running away. It was the safer bet. At least until her ex-fiance had shown up, he supposed. "You seem to be doing well, all things considered." And that he even meant with her stalker. Rosemary seemed to be keeping herself quite well together. He respected that immensely. "After all this, if I can be of any help..." he wasn't sure where he was going with that and he honestly should not have even offered. He dropped that sentence in favor of another. "Be a lot harder to catch your stalker if I have vanished you into the night."
|
|
Magpie
23
Noble
L.I.W to Princess Cera
|
Post by Rosemary McIntyre on Aug 2, 2020 22:54:46 GMT -5
A man who liked quiet and gardens, hm? She wondered how many people in the castle fit that description. Not many, it seemed, but then, you couldn't always judge a person just by first impressions. She supposed she could do her best to seek out someone like that...although she hadn't the faintest idea where to begin. She just smiled softly and nodded.
His remark that she was doing well in spite of it all startled her. This was a man who had been bitten by a venomous snake and tried to keep going as if nothing had happened, and he thought she was doing well? She couldn't have hidden her surprise even if she had tried, but it soon bloomed into a bright smile. It gave her a sense of pride that he thought so, and even more so that he thought her worthy of helping beyond what was purely 'his job' as he had described the last incident. She'd been so sure before that he was going to think she was useless and two-faced. She didn't know why she wanted his approval quite so badly, but she did like Sebastian. He was stubborn, and a bit blunt, but she felt he was a good person. She soon caught herself smiling like a child on Yule, and she turned slightly pink as she faced forward again and nervously tucked her hair back behind her ears.
"Thank you, Sebastian...that actually means quite a lot to me," she replied softly, still too embarrassed to look back up at him. "I promise, if I decide to vanish at any point, I'll let you know first. If I'm gone and didn't tell you...well, then you can worry." She laughed slightly, although it sounded a little off as she realized that wasn't exactly out of the question. She could very well disappear without warning. She rolled her shoulders slightly to shake off the discomfort, and did her best to return to the topic at hand. "And of course, if there's ever anything I can do for you as well, I'd be more than happy to."
|
|
Orion
27
Unavailable
Guard Captain (Warden Inquisitor)
|
Post by Sebastian Arcturis on Aug 2, 2020 23:21:53 GMT -5
Sebastian liked quiet. Sometimes. But quiet was also boring so emphasis on the sometimes. Gardens...well...he had never really thought about it. He wasn't sure whee she might find someone like that either but it made some sense to the man that if she wanted another person, she should find one that at least wasn't bothered by her own likes and at best would support her in them.
Tried to keep going had been the important part. He was still a little...not quite himself. A bit sluggish, breathing a little heavy.
He noted the surprise and wasn't sure what he had said at first. But she smiled before he bothered to worry about it. She had cried some, but not all that much. She was coherent. Going about her life despite the dread that something terrible would happen. Even the entire issue with making him sleep in her room and talking to Baird about it...he kept reviewing his dreamy memory of that. Rosemary explaining to the other guard that sedating his captain had been a "good idea" sparked a lot of that opinion. She had stood up for herself to a stranger. And he still couldn't contest it had been a "bad" idea. That didn't mean he liked it.
Oh, he still wasn't happy with her. Saying he was "angry" might be a bit of a stretch, since, as he had already expressed, he tried not to let things bother him. After a long morning and with other things to focus on, his dislike of how she had manhandled him was still there, but instead of letting it continue to poke and prod him, it was an attribute to her character that she now carried until proven otherwise. Needless to say, he wouldn't be drinking or eating anything she gave him.
That...actually he hadn't thought about her vanishing before but she was right, that was something he should be worried about going forward. "Good," he said, simply, nodding. "That would bother me," he also admitted. Because obviously people vanishing would, but he wanted to make that more clear to her specifically. Partly because he realized the way he acted didn't exactly impart the confidence that he personally cared, even though he did. As for her doing something for him...nothing came to mind. Which...was maybe a little telling. "Thank you," he said, more to acknowledge that he had heard her. He wasn't sure what to make of a noblewoman offering to help him.
They arrived at her room again and Bastian stepped up to the door first, holding a hand out for the key. He was here. Might as well check the room first himself.
|
|
Magpie
23
Noble
L.I.W to Princess Cera
|
Post by Rosemary McIntyre on Aug 2, 2020 23:51:08 GMT -5
She herself wasn't sure what she'd do to be of use to the captain, although if she could, she would do so in a heartbeat. Perhaps if he ever needed anything from her herbal kit again, or if he ever needed a woman's help with one of his prisoners or something...although she doubted she'd be in any way intimidating. More if he needed someone healed or calmed down, perhaps. Hm. It was an interesting thought, to wonder what his work was like when he wasn't watching over the king and his assorted activities, or trying to keep her from being murdered in her sleep. She wondered if it got boring, just watching nobles chat and eat and dance all the time. It certainly got boring being the one doing those things, although she couldn't have explained how she managed to feel anxious and bored at the same time.
It made her smile again when he mentioned it would bother him if she up and vanished. She decided she was going to assume he meant that her disappearance itself would bother him, and not only that it would bother him that Magnus had managed to slip past him.
She almost hadn't realized they were at her room, and when Sebastian held out his hand she looked at it for a moment in bewilderment before she caught on to what he wanted. She slipped the ribbon over her head and dropped the key into his hand without hesitation; after all, he'd already seen her room in its entirety so there wasn't any point in trying to hide it. If he opened the door and looked around, he'd see most things were as he'd left them--Rosemary hadn't even bothered to make the bed this morning she'd been so distracted, so the blankets were still heaped strangely in the middle from her makeshift wall. He'd also see the terrarium sitting on the vanity, and she wondered if he'd realize what it was for. She hesitated at the doorway, waiting for his go-ahead before she'd move.
|
|
Orion
27
Unavailable
Guard Captain (Warden Inquisitor)
|
Post by Sebastian Arcturis on Aug 3, 2020 0:13:45 GMT -5
All of those were quite fitting ideas, even the help interrogating someone. Intimidation wasn't the point all the time. Sometimes, making the prisoner feel powerful was useful. Or playing to a weakness. But healing or herbs or the like...that all made much more sense.
It did, in fact, get boring watching other people chat and eat and dance and more. Parties were not his preference. Large crowds of people to watch and Allerick liked his shows of force and open spaces. It would bite him in the ass one day. This was exactly why one didn't just pick up a snake in their bare hands. Sebastian supposed maybe he was a little like his father in that regard.
It was definitely both sentiments equally.
He noticed the hesitation and the look but he was a patient person and Rosemary seemed to understand quickly enough. He unlocked the door quickly and assured himself there weren't more notes or blood or dead animal or dead flowers or dead...anything else in the room and that everything seemed to be in place. Magnus liked attention and control. Even the trap with the snake had been clearly labeled and pointed back to the nobleman. Mostly assured, he pushed open the door further for Rosemary, and would step in after her and pull the door closed.
Sebastian wasn't sure what to make of the unmade bed or the glass container with dirt and plants. He considered that for a moment. "Making a small garden?" he asked, offering the key back to her. He glanced around the room again. Likely he could wait around the door for the maid. He didn't want to scare her off immediately.
|
|
Magpie
23
Noble
L.I.W to Princess Cera
|
Post by Rosemary McIntyre on Aug 3, 2020 11:20:52 GMT -5
After accepting the key and returning it to her neck, Rosemary made a beeline for the vanity, eager to show him the terrarium. His guess about it being a small garden wasn't too far off the mark--that was normally what she'd use this kind of container for. But this was a new undertaking. She wasn't eager to touch the snake or really spend a lot of time in its presence, but she couldn't really blame it for what had happened. It was only a snake, after all, that had been plucked out of its own environment, trapped in a small box for hours, then tossed on the floor by a silly girl. And not only that, she was hoping that Sebastian would appreciate her attempt to make amends. He didn't seem to be too upset with her at this point, but she wasn't going to take back what she'd done just because of that. She enjoyed doing nice things for people--and apparently for snakes.
"Not exactly. It's actually a little habitat for your new snake friend." She smiled brightly at him as she reached her arm into the glass tank to point at a few elements. "I've added soil to cover the glass on the bottom and make it cozy, a hollowed out branch for a hiding place, some moss to give it moisture control and greenery, and a few dried flowers just for looks. Since you mentioned wanting to keep him, I thought he at least deserved a nice home. It's not his fault that he got shoved into that box, after all." She looked back at him hopefully. "What do you think?"
|
|
Orion
27
Unavailable
Guard Captain (Warden Inquisitor)
|
Post by Sebastian Arcturis on Aug 3, 2020 12:33:55 GMT -5
His dark eyes followed her to the vanity but he didn't move from the door, folding his arms gently under a faintly curious expression.
A habitat for his new snake friend? A bit odd to call a snake that had bit him a friend. He watched and listened attentively as Rosemary explained the container. It was...actually quite nice of her, to make it for him. Sebastian wasn't sure what to say however.
"Her," he corrected, falling back on something he understood while he figured out how to explain the rest of his feelings to himself and then Rosemary. "My...snake friend is female." He wasn't sure why that mattered but...it mattered to him a little, apparently. It was only a snake, after all, that had been plucked out of its own environment, trapped in a small box for hours, then tossed on the floor by a silly girl.
As for the terrarium... He didn't like it. Not because it wasn't well made or anything. Sebastian understood it to be a gift given out of kindness and well meaning. But he didn't like cages. Of course...it was better than the box. Or just his room. So he did honestly appreciate it. "Thank you, Rosemary." There was also the general awkwardness that the captain didn't often receive gifts. He wasn't sure what to say.
He rushed through that moment to the next. "Whenever you're ready for the maid. I can wait over here." Sebastian gestured to the corner of the room behind the door.
|
|
Magpie
23
Noble
L.I.W to Princess Cera
|
Post by Rosemary McIntyre on Aug 4, 2020 3:25:41 GMT -5
Rosemary looked at him curiously as he corrected her, and once she understood, she nodded. "Right! She deserves a nice home." She smiled.
She was a little worried, at first, that he thought she was being silly, but it occurred to her that he didn't look upset, per say...just a little bit nervous. When he thanked her, she brightened up and was about to say more when he took a quick turn and changed to talking about the maid again. She almost laughed, but she quickly swallowed the impulse. Alright, no mushy feelings with the captain. He was clearly more comfortable talking about work, and she wouldn't try to drag things out.
"Ah, of course," she agreed, already headed for the door. "Give me a moment, I should be able to have her here in just a moment. Oh, wait... What was the name?" She waited for the answer, nodded once, then went out in the hall where she knew she'd be able to catch one of the other girls and ask for Gwen. There was always a few of them nearby, and the girls who worked in this area seemed to be friends, from what Rosemary could tell.
It earned her a couple of strange looks when she asked for Gwen by name, but she made some excuse that Gwen had been recommended by one of the other ladies in waiting as simply the best person to help her with the bedding. (Dressing was something that was too easy, she couldn't really say one person was better at it than any other, could she?) She wished she hadn't had to bring that part up, because she could tell that the girls were amused by her embarrassment about exactly why the bedding needed replaced earlier than usual. They seemed to be teasing her on purpose, but she thought that might just be her imagination.
Thankfully, they didn't try to stop her from finding the maid she needed, and together they went trooping back towards Rosemary's room. It was only about two minutes before the door would swing open again, and Rosemary entered the room with the younger woman trailing behind her.
"I do appreciate your help, Gwen. I try not to be too much trouble when I can and..." she shut the door behind them, revealing that Sebastian had been hidden behind it. "I really do apologize about lying. I'm sure it was quite obvious."
|
|