Out For A Gallop

[Raize de Sardet]

It wasn't often that the young man found himself at the Castle these days. Training to be a soldier along side his sister had been going well, but being as their family had no army of their own, it had meant an involved journey to the capitol to join the King's Army. It had been an exciting family road trip a few yeas ago. But their mother and father had long since returned to the family estate out in the country, leaving the twins more or less to their own devices.

Sharing an estate with his sister had never bother the young de Sardet. Sharing a much smaller town house with only a single bathing room...well, needless to say he cleaned up outside for the most part. Which was fine because he was more of less a minimalist unlike his dear brother.

Today, however, he and his sister had ridden home for one of their bi-monthly visits home. Their mother insisted bi-monthly meant twice a month. De Sardet was fairly certain it could mean that or every other and he preferred to stretch it for all it was worth, though he often left the deciding vote to his sister.

It was a peace offering of sorts. As long as they excelled at their training and duties in the army and returned home when asked, the Viscount and their mother would allow them both to continue their life choices. The young man always felt a little guilty, considering there was much more pressure on his sister (neither parent was overjoyed when Raina announced her desire to be a soldier) and to be honest, he had followed his sister's inspiration more than anything.

He guided his horse closely after hers, enjoying the ocean breeze even in the cold weather, wind sweeping back his unruly curls. "What do you imagine Aiden has been up to?" He asked his sister. They were nearly home, the woods the familiar snowed over grounds they had grown up on. He wouldn't be surprised if Aiden knew they were here already, with his magic and all.

Raina de Sardet
Aiden de Sardet

[Aiden de Sardet]

If Aiden was being honest with himself he'd felt a little abandoned by his siblings. Their parents had always been so much more strict with their youngest son about what he could and couldn't do. Where he could and couldn't go. Given that they were sure he was the only one with magic they were always so nervous. "You're far too young. You need to stay home where we can protect you." More like keep him in prison. Still, it wasn't all horrible.

Being out in the country it was easier for him to slip away unnoticed to practice and understand his power. If his parents knew what he was doing they'd be exceedingly upset. They'd tell him how dangerous it was that he was using his magic at all. The only thing that stopped him from going insane was training, working with the horses, and his siblings visits. Lately he'd been traveling into the town to train with the soldiers there. Part of him wanted to follow in his siblings footsteps but another, larger, part of him wanted an excuse to leave the house.

As he was outside wrestling with some of their dogs he suddenly paused. The air shifted bringing with it the familiar scent of horses and leather. He could hear the faint sound of the horses hooves on the ground and could catch the vague sound of his brothers voice. "They're back!" He stated excitedly as he dashed around to the front of the house. Thwo dogs following at his heels. Aiden panted softly as he skidded to a halt in front of the house. His breathing coming out in soft clouds of smoke as he watched to see the two come into view.

[Raina de Sardet]

To be quite honest, Raina loved the fact that she had to be away from home for long periods of time. Of course, she missed her family, but she was at least able to see Raize more often than not. He was a good sport with sharing that small town home, because the only girly thing his sister seemed to enjoy was taking very lengthy baths, so she hogged the washroom quite a lot. She had joined the ranks a little later than he had, so she was slightly behind...however, she made it a goal to rise up to his level and possibly surpass him. Her twin heard this taunt very often, and she was fairly certain that it was getting annoying. Still, when Raina set her mind on something, she usually got it, and this would be a good challenge for her.

Today they were headed home, and she had been a little homesick. Okay, maybe more than a little bit, yet she wasn't about to say that out loud. She always missed Aiden the most when they were gone, so this time around, she opted they come home; despite bi-monthly meaning every other month. There was no point in arguing with Mother sometimes, though.

"Trouble," she answered Raize, an amused grin curling her lips. "The good kind, I hope." Was there really a good kind of trouble? To her, that meant staying away from magic. Despite her teases, laughter, and humored words, Raina worried greatly about their younger brother all of the time. She didn't know what she would do if something happened to him, if he was ever caught...

Pushing that dark thought aside, her smile widened a bit more. "Let's go, I'll race you!" Without giving him anymore of a head's up, she spurred her horse forward into a quick gallop in the direction of Castle Grove. They both knew this forest like the backs of their hands, and their equines would be used to the forested terrain.

[Raize de Sardet]

De Sardet was certain it was only a matter of time. He had come to terms with serving under his sister a long time ago. As twins, they had grown up together, and she was more often the leader than not. It was a little frustrating getting jabbed about his sister while training but it was one more reason that he would never stop giving it his all too.

He snorted. Trouble indeed. "Don't think there is any other kind when it comes to Aiden," he pointed out. At least from their brothers point of view. De Sardet shared his sisters concerns however, and also shared the fact he didn't think about them.

He caught his sister's widening smile. He knew that meant something was on her mind, something more playful. The call to race still caught him a bit off guard, encouraging his horse after her. His horse trailed a few lengths from the start, but made of some of the ground as they rushed around trees toward the old stacked stone fence. The cold air whipped against them and cut through de Sardet’s lungs sharply and he smiled, trying to catch up to her. It would be close, but they didn’t have much further to go before Aiden and his dogs came into view through the trees, the white washed walls of Castle Grove rising up behind them.

Heedless of winning the race or not, he pulled his black mare up short near his brother, slipping from the saddle nimbly and closing the rest of the distance to his brother to wrap him in a fierce hug. Well, half hug, half sort of headlock, it could go either way. “Aiden! Good to see you haven’t demolished the manor.” He was, as usual, entirely serious, if playfully so. “The Viscount is home, I hope?” That would be their father. Every now and then, the man qualified as a father figure, but mostly he was a benevolent stranger to be respected and looked up to. That wasn’t to say he did not care for his children or they for him. He was simply not a personable man. As it was, it was quite natural they would find themselves called to family dinner soon enough.

[Aiden de Sardet]

As their horses pulled into view Aiden began bouncing excitedly which only seemed to make his dogs dash back and forth with their own excitement. He'd been planning on tackling his older brother to the ground as soon as he was off the horse. Though it didn't seem he had time for that before he was pulled into a playfull hug. The younger de Sardet boy growled playfully and struggled in his brothers grasp as the dogs barked and at the boys. Without much thought he bit the mans arm. Not hard, just a playful instinct.

When they pulled apart Aiden turned to his sister with a big, goofy grin. He opened his arms for a hug before hearing Raizes question. "He's in his office right now." It was generally understood that when their father was in his office he wasn't to be disturbed. There were a few exceptions of course but Aiden had learned to simply leave him alone.

With inital greetings out of the way Aiden calmed the two still very excited dogs and turned back to his siblings. "I can get your horses to the stables if you wanna go inside to see the Lady of the house." He offered with is big goofy grin still plasteted on his face. He walked over to Raizes mare first and cooed at her affectionately as he pet down her face. "And I'll have you know I never cause trouble. I'm the perfect son." He teased as he stuck his tongue out at his siblings.

[Raina de Sardet]

She was tenacious. Sometimes she simply couldn't help it, and would do whatever it took to come out on top. If that meant embarrassing her twin if she managed to take him by surprise, than so be it. Raize certainly had a bit more experience, but perhaps this just proved how much she wanted to excel at this. Raina couldn't easily be stopped once she set her mind on something.

Laughter erupted from her chest as both horses bounded towards the estate, drawing the chill air into her lungs and she knew she was going to break out into a coughing fit if she didn't stop. But she didn't care. It was nice to be carefree and wild for a few moments, considering she had to stick to a strict regime while training.

Soon enough, though, their childhood home was clear through the trees, and her smile managed to widen even more at the sight of their younger brother. The horse came to almost a halt near Aiden, and she was so excited to see him that she didn't even take the moment to wonder who had won the impromptu race. Raina was sliding down from the saddle, landing softly as Raize greeted their young brother. So, when Aiden's arms were held open, she joyously leapt at him to embrace him back. "Good to see you, brother," she told him softly before she couldn't stop the visible cringe on her face at the mention of their father.

Raina truly did love her family, but it was difficult to be completely okay when she was constantly having to prove herself, and sometimes a bit more than her brothers had to. Her discomfort only grew when Aiden mentioned their mother. "Do we have to...?" she whined, keeping her voice down as if she expected the woman to somehow hear her. Knowing Lady de Sardet, it was quite possible.

[Raize de Sardet]

De Sardet wasn't paying much attention to who won either, grinning along with his sister's enjoyment. It was nice to be home.

Luckily, he was wearing quite a few layers and he was, in fact, used to being bitten by his younger brother. It was something the younger de Sardet had always done and while sometimes he thought he understood where the urge came from, it could still be painful. It was still surprising and earned a bit of a grunt. He gave Aiden a firmer squeeze in return before releasing him so he could hug Raine hello.

At least greeting father would be accompanied by copious amounts of food. He could already imagine the roast duck, racks of lamb, potatoes, various breads with various fanciful spreads, stuffed shrimp and fish... It was admittedly very distracting. Aiden was saying something about horses and talking to mother and Raina was complaining for all of them. Her twin offered a confident but understanding smile. He knew Raina struggled the most. While he couldn't and wouldn't fight all her battles, he would always be there with her. Especially when it came to their parents.

"'Perfect,' huh?" he raised an eyebrow and snorted. "So you've decided to take over the family business?" He wasn't entirely serious, but he was certain that the closest any of them could get to 'perfect' was to set aside their own goals and follow after their father. And even that might not be enough. Of any of them, de Sardet really did not see Aiden fitting into such a life very well. He was a...wild spirit.

He chuckled suddenly, as if just now hearing what Aiden had said. "Why don't you let the staff handle the horses? Or are you avoiding mother that much?" It was said with a tone that implied the question 'what did you do to piss her off now?' Even as his spoke he waived over a servant and their mounts would be quickly seen to. "Lead the way, O Perfect Son," he gestured toward the house.

The moment Aiden turned his back, however, or if he did, de Sardet was still quite keen on tackling his brother to the ground. He hadn't seen him in a while. And he did owe him one for last time. And for the nip.

[Aiden de Sardet]

The idea of following in their fathers footsteps and continuing the family business made the youngest de Sardets skin crawl. If he was being honest he just didn't have the mind for all that paperwork and numbers. Hunting, tracking, fighting, that's where he shined. The thought of sitting at some big wooden desk all day made him want to tear his hair out. Still, he gave a devious smile. "Maybe I have." There was a one point Aiden had thought about taking over the family business. That was when he was very young though.

The question on if he was avoiding their mother made Aiden hide his face behind the horses larger head. He knew that look from Raize all too well. "I'm not avoiding mother." When was he not avoiding their mother these days. It seemed the older he got the more she tried to shorten his leash. Still, as the staff took the horses to the stables there wasn't much more he could do to avoid.

With a dramatic groan Aiden gave a sharp whistle and pointed back to the house for his dogs to walk ahead of them. He was a bit more concerned with building up his mask to see either of their parents. The dogs trotted inside their doggy door without him considering that his brother might be considering tackling him to the ground.

[Raina de Sardet]

It couldn't be helped- it was this horrible urge to do something rebellious the moment she saw the woman. First it had been chopping off her hair, then it was joining the military, after all the other smaller things she had done throughout the years. She was running out of things to piss their mother off with. Maybe she shouldn't make angering her a priority. She simply sighed at Raize's look, trying to compose herself for the inevitable onslaught of complaints. Raina was quite aware that Siobhan loved her (she loved all of her children), and she was never malicious about her daughter's choices...but the gentle prods and nagging added up, especially for a carefree (or careless) soul such as Raina.

At Raize's implied tone, those eyes looked sidelong to their youngest brother; mild amusement painting her face. Oh, was the woman's attention more for Aiden these days? Maybe that would lessen the burden of her own shoulders. "Well, so long as she's angry at you...it'll be less of a pain for me," she spoke up, chuckling quietly to herself. If only it were that easy. But Raina's own tone of voice implied that she may very well throw her young brother under the carriage if it saved her own skin. So he should be aware.

As the dogs trudged ahead, the trio began to make their way towards the house...and she felt more and more suffocated the closer they got. This caused her to linger behind her brothers a bit, but she still forced herself to continue forward.

[Raize de Sardet]

De Sardet doubted any of them would be spared as they entered the hall, but hopefully they could at least get through dinner before Mother said anything too-

"Children! However good of you to join us! Your father has been worried sick and I half expected never to see you all winter." Siohban de Sardet descended the stairs, dressed in a long layer grey dress that hugged her figure and coupled with the airy black lace scarf, gave her the effect of a dark bird of prey descending upon its dinner. She was not a large woman, but her attitude and presence took up a room. She, more than her husband, was the head of the house, at least in action, if not on paper.

She approached Raina, her very public favorite, first and gave her a warm hug. "Raina, dear, it's quite impossible to keep your brother in line without you. I hope you've had better luck with that one." Her tone, while soft and conspiratorial, as most certainly not joking and indeed meant for the young men to hear. As her favorite, Raina was expected to do more, to be the best, and that largely meant being the best at running a house, not at being a soldier.

"Raize, your father wishes to speak with you after dinner," Siohban said over Raina's shoulder without so much as letting go. Business first for him as usual, just to remind him what it was he too was supposed to be doing that wasn't soldiering. She did eventually pull herself away to hug her eldest son. "The ride wasn't too hard on you, was it?" Her long dark hair was kept in a braid, but there were a few calculated pieces at her temples that 'escaped' capture and these often served to make de Sardet sneeze. If those didn't the amount of jasmine perfume the woman used often would, enough to bother even her non-mystic son's sensitive nose.

De Sardet frowned faintly (mostly in an attempt to not sneeze) but couldn't help the annoyed sigh. "No, mother. It's lovely to see you," was all he said, however, as if she had said as much to him. He knew she meant that even if she didn't say it.

She pulled away from him much sooner and gave Aiden a beaming smile with calculating eyes behind it. "Wrestling with those animals again?" She noted the damp spots on his trousers at the knees and cuffs. "You'll need to freshen up before dinner," she said, passing a rather light judgement. She was more than aware of what her son was, that he was like her. Not something she spoke of often, or ever. It in fact made her feel much more attached to her youngest son, which meant she wanted him to be careful. And running off almost every night was not her definition of careful. Still...she did want him to be happy...just...to find that happiness somewhere less likely to get him killed.

"Dinner is being prepared as we speak. Accompany me to the parlor," she spoke generally as she walked, not waiting for their agreement. Her dark gaze settled on Raina with a smile. "How fairs the capital? We heard news there were...uninvited guests at the last royal gathering? Were either of you there?"

[Aiden de Sardet]

The second the sound of Siobhans voice echoed through the room Aiden had to bite back a groan. Of course he knew his mother loved him. Both of the senior de Sardets loved all three of their children. There were clear favorites, their youngest not being one of them, but they did love them. Still, he felt like a prisoner in his own home. As if nothing he did could please their parents.

As she hugged their sister Aiden let out a soft sigh and locked his fingers together behind his head. He barely payed attention as she spoke to his siblings. Letting his eyes and mind wander around the house. He knew better than to just walk away, as much as he wanted to. That would be terribly rude of him. When her attention was directed at him he felt a pang of anger. He hated the way she talked about his dogs.

Of course she wasn't as close to them as he was but in his mind they were as much family as Raize and Raina were. Though he would admit after rolling around in the snow with them he his clothes were a bit damp and grass stained. "Of course, mother." As she called for them to join her Aiden held back a bit. "I'm going to go freshen up." He stated quickly before moving up the stairs to his bedroom.

[Raina de Sardet]

'And I half expected never to see you all winter.' Well, damn, maybe they should've just waited until spring. Raina was regretting her decision now.

She held back a sigh as their mother descended the stairs before her eyes lifted to the woman's face. To say she didn't enjoy the warm embrace would have been a lie, but it was their mother's words that always bothered her. She undermined her siblings in ways, and Raina never appreciated it. And, were it not already clear by then, she had to hear the underlying tone in Siobhan's voice. No, the woman didn't like the path her daughter had chosen. Although she didn't forbid her from pursuing it, she would just constantly remind her of what she should be doing instead.

"He's been perfectly fine and looking after me," she told her mother a little bluntly. In truth, the twins took care of each other. There was never only one when each needed someone to watch their backs. That was what siblings were for, it's what they did. Now, if only they could nab Aiden from this house...

As her young brother was able to escape this moment, she and Raize were forced to follow their mother into the other room. Her back straightened and shoulders squared before she reluctantly walked. "Some of the rogue Mystics tried attacking the king," Raina answered. "But we were not there. He still lives, of course." Were the news different, everyone would have heard otherwise.

[Raize de Sardet]

There always seemed to be a strange dichotomy between their mothers words and her actions. Loving hugs and poignant words as to their professions or social lives, gentle encouragement to be themselves but (and especially in the case of the youngest brother) the attempt to enforce control over them. She undoubtedly meant well, but it could be quite stifling.

Their mother only offered a thoughtful hum at Raina's assertion. De Sardet glanced over at her appreciatively. They did take care of each other. He would wholeheartedly admit Raina did a much better job of that than he did, but he was there for her just as much as she was for him. It was a little...awkward the way their mother brought it up. Less for himself and more for his sister.

He followed the women into the room. Their mother perched in one of the armchairs and as she sat, tea and other amenities were placed on the coffee table. The young man found himself in possession of a cup of tea. Not his favorite, but warm liquids were probably a good idea. It at least earned a slightly less disapproving glance from their mother, which didn't hurt.

The matriarch had of course heard that the King, Princess, and any significant nobility were indeed unharmed. From her perspective, it was a scare tactic by this new faction. While she still was not certain of her personal opinion on these "Fae" or whatever they called themselves, she was certainly...curious. They had proven they had the power to get the drop on the King, but beyond that...it was much too early to know if they could prove a more valuable ally and safety than being 'loyal servants to the crown.' Officially, of course, mystic blood in their family or not, the Viscount was still quite attached to their current leanings.

"Tried, of course. The king has competent soldiers," she said, though somehow she made it not come off as a compliment. "I worry that, with these terrorists about, you may not be safe in the town house."

De Sardet lowered his cup of tea. "Mother, we are perfectly safe and capable. Besides, father would never sell the place anyway." While Castle Grove might be the family home, having a place in the city to stay was necessary for work. "Where would you stay when you visit Ethion?" They had some family, certainly, but De Sardet knew his mother liked having her own 'kingdom' as it were. He clearly didn't take her implication all that seriously.

[Aiden de Sardet]

Aiden was glad to busy himself with wiping off any dirt off his skin as he changed into cleaner, and warmer, clothing. Feeling and looking more presentable he pat his dogs affectionately on the head before joing his siblings and mother. Great, talks of mystics and the king, always fun. It wasn't that the youngest de Sardet had any extreme leanings either way. It was more along the lines of how uncomfortable the talks made him.

While he didn't agree with many of the more extreme rogue mystics it didn't help that he was magic himself. Being a mystic child in a family that supported the crown so much was...difficult. It only served to point out that being who he was, what he was, was wrong. That he needed to hide such a large part of what made him him. Aiden took a seat and a cup of tea that he didn't really plan on drinking. Just holding the cup to not upset his mother. As much as he wanted to speak on the subject at hand he held his tongue.

Anything that he had to say wouldn't be recieved well. At least not by the Lady of the house. Perhaps his siblings would be more inclined to listen to his opinions but he'd tried having these talks with their mother before andvwas generally shut down rather quickly. It was just easier to keep quiet. Aidens normally relaxed and playful expression had erased into a blank slate. One might almost mistake it for boredom but that wouldn't be a very polite expression to show.

[Raina de Sardet]

She was wondering if her twin was feeling suddenly as uncomfortable as she was. The moment Aiden came back, she knew that he was just by his silence...and she didn't like it. Raina lazily leaned back in her seat, not bothering to take a cup of tea because there was clearly no whiskey in it. That would warm them all up real quick, but she wasn't about to voice that in front of their mother.

So, what did Raina think about these rogue Mystics? It was hard to say, because she really didn't know the reason herself. Serving the crown was one thing, however, that didn't mean she agreed with the king's tactics, especially when her own blood possessed magic. It was why she worried so much about her young brother accidentally doing something foolish and getting himself caught. Still, these Unseelie were vicious, too extreme, and a part of her wished she had been there that day. That pride would have taken over, daring her to prove these rogues were fools.

'The king has competent soldiers.' One of her eyebrows quirked, "Indeed, he does." And I could be one of them, mother. I could be far better. Again, she didn't voice the words in her head as she refrained from a sigh when their mother continued. This time, Raize tried to explain, and she smirked lightly.

"Plus, more sentries have been placed around and through the city. The guard will not allow this to happen again." Honestly, it shouldn't have happened at all, but when the king wants his party...well, he tends to get it.