🎲Winning My Love🎲

[Mutilation Desu]

Miorre trailed alongside Isma'il into the garden. The plants were whimsical, bright and full of life. Never in his life had he seen as many colors and species of exotic flora in one location. She appeared to be somewhat amused so far by the conversation which he took as a good sign things were going well so far. As he wandered, Miorre stopped to admire a cute little rabbit trotting up to greet him. It's pink little nose twitched cheerfully without a care in the world. "Aww it's so friendly-" He froze as it defecated on him then scurried off. A female with long hazelnut curls stumbled out of the bushes hardly able to contain herself with laughter. Miorre flushed and wipped is boot on the manicured lawn. Poor princess Isma'l even assisted on removing the remainder. "Well, I wouldn't be able to claim myself a true knight if I let something as frivolous as that scathe me." Miorre joined Anthea in awkward laughter. Isma'il scolded her sister and he recognized the name almost instantaneously. "Y-y-your Anthea??" he stuttered. The hand he won in the lotto was directly in front of him now and he had managed to make a fool of himself. Flustered now he tensed and gazed deeper into her eyes. "I am the one who's chosen to be your fiance." he said sheephisly.

[raito sakamaki]

Anthea Darling

The Flower Princess



Anthea noticed a man had joined them but she disregarded him because she was no being scolded for not showing her manners. Her laughter died down and she got up slowly and she looked up at everyone. She was the youngest but her height only made her appear even more younger. She curtsied a bit and mumbled "I'm Anthea Darling..." She didn't enjoy being around people. She always feels uncomfortable around people and constantly needs to be in the gardens to stay sane. Suddenly, Miorre stopped laughing and began stuttering like a fool. She looked at him puzzled.

Finally, he spoke and Anthea's suspicions were confirmed. These men were the suitors and the mysterious man was to be her suitor. She just stared up at him in just awe. How could it be this man? He was a necromancer, she could tell from his armor alone. She enjoyed life in it's forms of flora and fauna and he enjoyed dead things. She pouted and crossed her arms mumbling inappropriate insults under her breath. She didn't care much for manners at the moment.

Royal Gardens ; Isami'il, Miorre, and Tomoei ; Embarrassed

[Hillbilly Hikari]

The silence between Darek and herself seemed almost oppressive as they walked the coastline by the castle. She'd taken off her little flat slippers, held them in one hand and walked barefoot next to her suitor. He'd certainly made her an interesting offer earlier to treat this....situation as if they were only two people seeking friendship. Not that that solution really solved her problem. But then again, if Fearghus couldn't convince her parents to let her out of this arrangement then Darek was really her only option. Sighing despondently, Kali pushed some stray strands from her braid behind an ear.

"So....Darek. What is it like where you are from? Our kingdom doesn't have many interactions with the Drakemen, so there is not much know and I find myself curious," her bell like voice carried gently on the soft sea breeze that sent the waves against their feet and ruffled her dress, "How did you find yourself deciding to enter this.....contest? What do you do in your tribe? Are the dragons really gone?"

Once the first question came out, she just kept rambling questions from nervousness.

Where:Coastline
With: Darek
Thinking:
Wearing:Outfit

[donie120]

Darek Drakestone

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Darek enjoyed the smell of the salty ocean air and the feel of the sand under his feet. He had never been this close to the sea before as the mountains where his tribe and the dragons lived was far from any coast. It also cleared away the remaining stench of the necromancer, which improved Darek's mood greatly. The sound of the waves crashing against the shoreline and the touch of the gentle breeze seemed to calm his mind.

He was pleasantly surprised when Kali began to ask questions about him and his people. It was a good sign that she was at least curios about him. Darek scratched the scales on his shoulder as he though of how best to answer her questions. "Well, let's see. I guess the first thing to get out of the way is that I myself did not enter my name for this...lottery. My father, as the leader of my tribe saw it as a way to gain enough influence to outlaw the hunting of dragons and reduce the amount of bloodshed between my people and the humans that hunt dragons. As the future leader of my people, I was bound by duty to comply with my father's wishes. However this dose conflict with our traditions as we do not practice arranged pairings. In truth, my duty requires me to do everything I can obtain a union so long as it dose not conflict with the traditions of my people. So if you are do not agree with this union by the end of our appointed time together, I will be bound by duty to return to my people to continue my task of protecting the dragons. The reason I said that we should not treat this like what it is, was because if I cannot earn your approval of a union, I can at least earn a friendship that may still lead to some form of protection for the dragons." Darek said to her as he looked out at the ocean.

He turned back to her with a smile. "Now that we have the uncomfortable stuff out of the way, I shall answer your other questions. They are far more interesting then the details of our arrangement." He said with a slight laugh, hoping to lighten the mood. "First off, as you can guess from what I have already said, there are still dragons in this land. Though there are no where near as many as there once were and the numbers of dragon hunters seems to grow with each passing season. My tribe lives with the remaining dragons in the northern mountains, where the weather is harsh enough to keep hunters away for almost half of the year. It also make it hard to find food and forces the dragons to leave the safety of the mountain in search of food. Before I left, it was my job to go with the dragons when they needed to search for food. When the weather turns warm, I patrol our territory for hunters and deal with them before they find a dragon to kill. One of our problems is that we have a strict belief that one should only kill to survive and we do our best not to kill the hunters. Unfortunately, this only allows for their numbers to grow the next time they come. With my tribe and the dragons losing numbers, it is getting difficult for us to keep up." Darek said to her, trying not to sound overly depressing. "What about you, princess? It would only be fair if you told me a bit about yourself." He said with a sly smile.

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[Mutilation Desu]

Miorre watched Anthea's reaction with utter disappointment. In normal circumstances, hate was a thing he fed off of, reveled in. Their anger and frustration brought him such joy. But this was different. He didn't want her to loathe him at all or any of the princesses for that matter. Miorre supposed she couldn't help feeling this way. It was her parents decision to raffle her like a common slave, not hers. He'd have to work harder to win her over, definitely gave him something to strive for. It was much to early to fret over defeat when she hasn't had a chance to even get to know him in depth yet. "I apologize if my appearance and profession may be a bit intimidating." Miorre said, trying his best for his words to come off as sincere and understanding. "My intentions with you are pure, I merely wish to remain by your side. With me no harm shall come to you. That is my promise to you." He vowed. Despite her opinion of him, he would try to remain true to that oath. It would be his duty to smite those who dared to stand in his way of that. Crush their souls into oblivion and feed off of their life force if necessary.

[Hillbilly Hikari]

"I'm afraid my life is not as interesting as a 'protector of dragons'. I fear my answers will utterly bore you," she reached down, picked up a pearlescent sea shell and watched it glitter in her hands, "I do not know much of the world outside the immediate kingdom. Not the way Isma'il does, with going on delegatory trips with our parents. As the middle daughter, I'm merely trained as a replacement heir should something befall my elder sister. Honestly, I didn't think my parents cared one way or the other who I married until they announced their lottery," she sneered the last word with obvious anger before taking a deep breath to control her emotions, "Once my daily training is over, I'm pretty much allowed to pursue whatever interests me at the moment. I enjoy learning new skills and gaining new information. One of my favorites right now is archery, it's much harder than I thought it would be honestly."

Kaliwen stopped walking and looked directly at Darek, "Since you've been so honest with me, I feel I should be as well with you," she licked her lips in hesitation. She wanted to be honest and tell him about Fearghus. Darek had a right to know her heart belonged to another, that he had competition. But meeting his eyes, suddenly the words got stuck in her throat. So she covered the awkward silence with a smile, "You're much nicer than I thought you'd be. Somehow I had this picture in my mind of my suitor being this horrible drunk who thought to better his lot in life by marrying a princess."

Where:Coastline
With: Darek
Thinking: Why did he have to be so nice?
Wearing:Outfit

[raito sakamaki]

Anthea Darling

The Flower Princess



Anthea didn't enjoy being angry for long periods of time but she knew somewhere inside her she needed to be upset at Miorre and yet she couldn't be. Feeling she was in conflict, two small birds came and sat on her head chirping their concerns. The same rabbit from before came back out quickly hopping over to her. She knelt down picking the rabbit up and petting it softly. She had thought he would remain quiet after she had exhibited her rudeness but he spoke kindly. She looked up at him listening to the words he had to say.

Anthea's eyes lit up slightly hearing him say those words. Somehow she knew he was being sincere and truthful. She went with her instincts and nodded softly. At the motion, the two birds flew off of her and onto his head. She giggled a bit and walked closer to him holding out the rabbit for him to pet "I promise none of the animals will defecate on you. He feels sorry about defecating on you a-and I apologize for telling him to defecate on you." She smiled sheepishly and the rabbit simply stared up at Miorre twitching his nose friendly-like.

Royal Gardens ; Isami'il, Miorre, and Tomoei ; Embarrassed

Mutilation Desu

[donie120]

Darek Drakestone

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Darek was glad to hear that he was better then what she was expecting. "Well, I guess I am glad that I did not meet your expectations." He said with a light chuckle that sounded a bit like a low growl due to his dragon-like qualities showing in more then just appearance. He could tell that she was trying to avoid telling him something. It seemed that she was struggling with herself on weather she wanted to say it or not. In that moment Darek took notice of a lingering scent that was coming off of her body but, was clearly not her own. The scent was masculine and stood out from her natural fragrance. It was far too strong for it to be just been around or had slight contact with. No, for scent like this to still be lingering about her, she had to have had extended physical contact with the person that the scent belonged to. 'Perhaps there is a deeper reason that she dose not like the idea of this arranged pairing.' Darek thought to himself.

Darek watched her for a moment as he though about what this meant. 'Perhaps she already has a male in her life that she has already given her heart to.' He thought to himself, sure that it was highly likely for such a beautiful woman to already have found love. If it were true, he kind of envied her. He had only come into pairing age a few years ago but had little chance to connect with with any of the women of his tribe, besides the ones that served under him. Though he considered many of them as close friends, it would have been ill advised for him to seek to court one of them as it would hinder them both in a fight. Either way, he was now curious about who this man might be. He smiled at her for a moment. "You don't have to be afraid of offending me. You already belong to another, don't you? A strong male scent lingers on your body that I can only guess belongs to someone you have deep feelings for and have had recent physical contact with. I am sorry if it feels like I am prying into your personal life but, I don't want you to feel like it is somthing that you must hide. Love is not something that should be hidden." He said to her in a kind voice, hoping that he had not just offended her by being so forward about it.

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[CosmicSpellcaster]

☽ჩuthie ჭenkins☾

♫millions of breaths♫

tab With her hands full of folded and pressed linens, Ruthie made her way down the extravagant hall. The a burgundy velvet carpet flowed across the marbled floors and tapestries sat majestically along the expansive walls. Ruth's favorite depicted a forest scene, with flowers and animals that reminded her of her childhood. Before she became a maid for the Royal family, Ruthie lived with two distant relatives in the country, where she enjoyed the abundance of nature around her. Her guardians became tired of their responsibilities to her when she was 17, resulting in her relocation and employment at the castle. She didn't mind the work, tending to the family, preparing rooms for special occasions, and doing various cleaning jobs, but she often found herself daydreaming.
tab Ruth was aware that the future princes of the kingdom had arrived. The lofty bedding she carried was for one of their rooms. She along with 2 other, and much older, maids had been preparing these quarters for the good part of the morning, making sure that everything was in order for a months long stay, even though they would really only be there a few nights. Her mind was filled with curious thoughts on what the visitors would be like. Many of her daydreams were about traveling, experiencing a variety of people, but her class didn't easily allow it.
tab As she continued about her work, making beds and cleaning surfaces, Ruth began to sing. Her voice was sweet and echoed throughout the surrounding rooms and hallway.

[Kita Crimzon]

ℂal ℂonrad

♫G-O-L-D♫

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tab Cal, biting into a shiny red Apple, strolled through the castle grounds. He had just returned from a mission to the South and came back to hear about the visitors. Unlike most young men, he had opted out of the lottery. He was content financially and prefered that the princesses would choose their husbands. His boycott of the lottery, however, didn't seem very effective. Cal had seen his fellow knight, Fearghus, and Kali interact, he felt bad for both. He began to ponder how her winner would react to this relationship. As a knight, Cal was expected to protect the Royal family in distress. He was sure that if this new guy tried anything on Kali, Fearghus would undoubtedly react, yet Cal was willing to aid if the princess was being mistreated. Cal pushed those thoughts away, expecting the new suitor to be a well mannered guy.

tab As he made his way out into a balcony facing the ocean, he spotted two figures walking on the distant beach. He could make out the slender figure of Kali, and a winged one next to her. So they're here he thought as he gazed out across the rest of the castle ground from his perch. He sat atop the balcony's concrete railing, dangling his legs and continuing to eat his apple. The wind carried a variety of scents and sounds. Blossoms, salty air, a roast, and...clean sheets he thought as he put his head back, bathing in the sun. These smells were accompanied by a sweet singing voice, and Cal immediately recognized the singer. A smile spread across his face as he reminisced about the past three years, which were graced by the presence of Ruth. The two had become quick friends. Cal jumped down back onto the balcony and returned inside, following the angelic voice.

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OOC:

[Mutilation Desu]

Animals flocked to Anthea as if to comfort their master. The princess nodded in response after his confession and then two little birds fluttered and perched themselves onto his helmet. Miorre smirked, pleased by her apology. Her will was like putty in his hands. "You'll have to try harder than that to get me roused. It's hardly anything to dwell on." he assured Anthea he bore no hard feelings at all for the act itself and took it in as a harmless trick.
Cautiously Miorre reached out and patted the rabbit. The creature attempted to bite him but it's small frontal teeth could not pierce the leather of his glove. "Feisty little thing, isnt' it? He just needs to warm up to me." He retracted his hand, knowing full well he wasn't very good with animals unless their origins had roots in arcane black magic such as ravens, vultures or velvety black felines.
Somewhere in the distance he could faintly hear the sound of a melody drifting from the castle. Although not in his particular tastes, it was indeed a lovely tune. Probably one of the kings personal musicians rehearsing a serenade for a special occasion.

[Hillbilly Hikari]

The first emotion Kali felt was pure relief. She didn't have to hide anything anymore, he was going to let her go! Oh how could she contact Fearghus? Would Cal know where he was? Part of her just wanted to break down in tears. She'd sent her lover off today with no way to assure him that she would be able to stay with him, and now...now it was perfect! The waves of the coast tickled at her toes as Kali took in a deep breath and almost fainted as the horror set in. How could she be so stupid!?

A quiet gasp seemed to stick in her chest as she blinked back tears. How could she be so stupid?! She'd been in court for years, knew the intrigues, the kind voices with sinister intentions! Of course he'd want to know if he had competition! Licking her lips, her teal eyes calmly settled on her suitor and tried to keep her voice level and calm as to not betray her panic, "As my parents have informed me many times, Lord Darek, anything in the past must stay in the past. So while your instincts may indeed be correct," her lips and voice trembled as she struggled to maintain a cool, distanced demeanor, "it is now your job to make me forget the past to the mutual benefit of both our families."

Instinctually, her dainty elven hand grasped at the fire gem hanging around her throat and sent out a silent wish to be in Fearghus' arms, just one more time. She was sure that just once more and she could let him go, let him be happy, while she did her duty to country and family.

"We should head back. The King and Queen will want to formally meet you, as well as the staff will need to show you to your room," without looking back Kali turned and walked back towards the castle, cursing her family with every step.

Where:Coastline
With: Darek
Thinking: Why did he have to be so nice?
Wearing:Outfit

[Expect A Spectre]

Giving Anthea a chance to apologize, and giving herself a chance to cool her head, Isma'il headed to a nearby fountain under the rouse of cleaning her hands. She gave her hands a quick dunk even though they had not gotten dirty. She listened to the conversation of the Necromancer and her youngest Sister as she washed. Isma'il had to admit she was impressed when he managed to not be angry. 'He either has more patience than a Saint, or serious dedication to his end game.' She observed. Pleasantly surprised at Anthea giving a proper apology and the pair seeming to get along, Isma'il relaxed. With Kaliwen off with Darek and
Anthea playing nice with Miorre, she was free to get to know the man she'd been paired with.

Feeling much better, she approached the winner of her hand. Compared to the other winners, he was rather normal. No wings or tails, nor an intimidating suit of concealing armor. 'He is easy on the eyes though.' She admired, greatly amused by his hair color. Much unlike the younger two Darling daughters Isma'il actually was excited to meet her winner. Now she could finally get this marriage thing out of the way. Having never loved before, it did not bother her to be told who to marry. She'd actually been counting on her marriage being arranged. She hadn't quite been thrilled to find out how it had been arranged, but still was happy not to be doomed to spinsterhood. Isma'il bowed lower and more formally than the first time she'd introduced herself to Tomoei. "It appears that you are the winner of my hand. It is a pleasure to finally be able to talk to you." She spoke honestly. She motioned towards the castle as she asked, "So, would you like to take the tour?". Glancing over at the adorable scene of Anthea, Miorre, and the trouble causing bunny Isma'il thought it best to let them be. A genuine smile broke across her face as everything seemed to be calming down. As she escorted Tomoei towards the castle and out of the gardens, she couldn't hold all the questions in her head. "Mind my asking where you are from?" She inquired, looking at him as she walked. Absentmindedly her right hand twirled her string of beads while she waited for his response. Part of her was hoping he was from distant exotic region of Aranea, while another part was hoping for for him to be local of a nearby town. As the pair approached the enormous doors to the castle, the future Queen signaled for servants to open the doors for them. She felt confident that everything was falling into place until a visibly upset Kaliwen came into view.

Rather than give chase, Isma'il allowed her sibling to pass without blinking. Once the young woman was passed, Isma'il held up a slender finger asking for a moment from her suitor. Flagging down a maid, Isma'il requested Kali be immediately seen to her personal chambers. Kaliwen would be safe in her own room until Isma'il could talk to her. After sending the first maid off, a second was quickly commanded to summon a knight to find Darek. With no knowledge of what just occurred Isma'il felt it would be safest to let a knight find him. As the second servant took off, Isma'il refocused on her male company. "I'm afraid I have to make this a very short tour. Is there somewhere you'd like to see right away? The kitchen? Library?" She asked in an apologetic tone. Isma'il hoped that nothing terrible happened between Kali and Darek, so he could provide company for Tomoei while she tried to calm her dear sister down.

Whereabouts: The Great Hall
Company: Tomoei

[CosmicSpellcaster]

☽ჩuthie ჭenkins☾

♫millions of breaths♫

Ruthie finished her song right as her work in the visitors' hall was finished. She went to a window, unlatching the lock and swinging the windows open. Leaning out, her hair caught the salty sea breeze, which brought life into her. From the window, she could see the expansive ocean to the right and the neutral rooftops of the city to the left. It was a picturesque panorama that Ruthie hoped the visitors would admire. Although the castle wasn't hers, she felt proud of its beauty and surrounding landscape since it had become her home.

Ruthie left the window, keeping the stain glass windows open. She proceeded down the hallway towards the center of the castle when she came across an alarming sight. Kali, walking with another maid, seemed in quite a bit of distress. The maid looked at Ruth with a desperate and grave expression. Ruthie understood her body language and began walking swiftly to fetch a pitcher of fresh warm water. As she went, her mind immediately went to Kali's soon to be betrothed. All three sisters had been extremely welcoming and friendly to her. Although she was a servant, she felt like the princesses were much more like friends and that made Ruthie always willing to wait on them.

Ruthie reached a steamy room, divided by hanging clothes, sheets, and blankets. Ruthie navigated quickly through the maze and grabbed a pitcher of warm water and a small wash cloth. On her way out, she came across another maid who seemed to be flustered. As soon as the girl saw Ruthie, her expression changed to delight end relaxation. "Ruth! You wouldn't happen to know where Cal is? Isma'il needs someone to go and find princess Kali's winner, Darek. I'm not sure what happened but I hope she'll be okay" the woman said. Ruthie shook her head, "No, but once I drop this water off to Ms. Kali I can certainly help you look, maybe I'll find him on my way there. If I do I'll send him towards Isma'il's way." The maid smiled in agreement and allowed Ruth to be on her way. I wonder what this Darek character is like Ruth thought to herself as she mad her way to Kali's chamber.

[Kita Crimzon]

ℂal ℂonrad

♫G-O-L-D♫

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As Cal rounded the corner of a hallway that lead into the central part of the castle, the lovely song ended. He planted his feet into the marble floor, standing like a statue in the middle of a grand foyer. He bent his head forward and then back, popping it as he went. Why'd you stop little Ruthie? he thought in a sad tone. Cal assumed that by now, Ruth had moved locations, and without her singing, he had nothing to go off of. He sighed and then headed in the kitchen's direction. I think it's time for a snack.

On his stroll he encountered many of the castle staff flying about in dashes, preparing for more than the usual number of people. As a knight, Cal received no special attention other than a few perks which included pantry rades and evenings in the Maids' quarters, "looking out" for them. Usually on those nights, however, he spent time with Ruth, catching up on the juicy gossip of the castle and sharing with her, and the others that would listen, stories of his missions and previous life. They especially liked his tale of hiking to the top of an unbelievably high mountain, meeting ogres and trolls along the way. At the top, he'd meet a dragon. After his stories he would look at Ruthie, who he knew was full of wanderlust, and promise to take her on an adventure one of these days.

Cal stopped at the kitchen and grabbed two cookies. They were short breads with a berry filling. The cook, an elderly woman swung a playful wooden spoon at him, Mr. Conrad, those are for this evenings dessert!" Cal managed to dodge her attack, swiftly getting himself behind the woman. He then twirled her around, clumsily dancing with her as she giggled hysterically. " Oh, please forgive me Miss Rose, I shall remember better next time," he said playfully. He suddenly spun her around and as she stumbled to regain herself he escaped to the door, with five more cookies filling his hands.

Cal chuckled as he finished his second to last cookie when he saw Ruthie. His heart fluttered with happiness at her cuteness. She was carrying a large pitcher, with water that's sloshing echoed throughout the hallway. Cal, instead of approaching her, decided to stay were he was. She looked determined and busy, and it took every ounce of his will for Cal to not interrupt her duties. He sighed in aggravation, leaning up against a pillar, hoping she'd return this way, and not as busy.

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OOC: Sorry I haven't been on much~