↘↘↘ let there be -- war ♞♥♚

[zombliez]

Amelia frowned at his response, finding herself frowning more and more as the day went on. Why would he have a plan? Why would anyone think it would be a good idea to have a plan? She felt exhausted suddenly, as if the day had finally taken it’s toll and she was ready to find the lack of comfort that her bed would give her as it had the past few weeks. She leaned back in the chair, resting her check against the downward slope of the top as she kept her eyes on him.

“Just for the next few days? He thinks it’ll be all over so quickly?” She pursed her lips, sure that wasn’t right at all but not wanting to dismantle Julian’s authority anymore than she had.

But she needed to know more about the situation; she couldn’t allow herself to be without information if it could be avoided. “Then what shall we do for the next few days? Or am I to hide in his chambers rather than yours?” She didn’t see anything wrong with the question, not really. Kindle had made his welcome known on several accounts and Julian had only really spoken to her (in a tone that didn’t seem dismissive or as if to avoid) in the past few days.

[Winterling42]

Julian shrugged a little uncomfortably. To tell the truth, he didn't know how long it was going to take, and not knowing any of Kindle's plan did not help him estimate times.

An uncomfortable shrug was how he would have liked to address the entire situation, but it wasn't what was called for. "Um, he did offer. For you to stay with him." Julian was torn between admitting that he hadn't wanted to tell her, and being angry that he wanted to deny her one of the very few choices she was left with. "It's up to you." He tried not to betray his interest in the matter. "I–if you wanted–I thought we might talk?" The question was painfully stilted, and at every turn he hesitated, but it was said in the end.

[zombliez]

Amelia bit her bottom lip carefully as she thought about how to respond. He surely didn’t seem comfortable with the situation and how it was playing out and she didn’t dare let herself think about why that might be. Though Amelia wasn’t a fool and if she thought about it long enough (or rather, if she didn’t deny the idea the minute it bubbled to the surface) she knew exactly why he was acting in such a manner.

She wouldn’t have minded going to Kindle’s chambers if she were being honest. He was nice enough to her surely and despite all his crude remarks she knew full well he would never touch her—really touch her—without receiving consent. But despite such a tempting offer she was finally getting a chance to actually spend time with the court mage whom she had mixed feelings for. Though admittedly she was fond of him despite herself.

It was more obvious now then it had been earlier that he was fighting desperately for some way to keep her around. So despite her sudden sleepiness she nodded softly in agreement. As if needing to verbalize it to further confirm the suggestion she softly commented, “I would like that.” Hurrying for something to keep her from blushing she added, “What ever did you want to talk about, Monsieur?”

[gingerprincessannie]

Aneira didn’t really think when she felt his fingers sliding through her hair, only reacted. She moved closer, hands landing on his chest. He was warm through his shirt and she felt her heartbeat quicken as she looked up at him. One of her hands crept up to his neck, fingers brushing his hair, then she hesitated.

She looked around the stable with wary green eyes. “Maybe this isn’t the best place?” she said, her voice turning up at the end of the statement. Disappointment bloomed in her chest and she leaned into him despite her words.

[Winterling42]

Bizarrely, it comforted him to hear the foreign address, though it was not technically correct and if he'd cared for such things he would have amended her statement. As it was, he felt that the address meant she wasn't as deathly terrified as she might have been. And that loosened a knot in his chest, if only one of many twisted up inside him.

"Um," faced with a direct question, Julian was as a complete loss. Finally a chance for a proper conversation and he had no idea what to say. "I'm not– how about– what would you wish for? A concrete something that could change…well, a lot of things." He shifted uncomfortably, embarrassed at the question. "I'm sorry. Conversation isn't one of my best skills."

[zombliez]

Ceatherine nodded in agreement, “Yeah we probably shouldn’t be out here.” His copper eyes held hers for a long moment before he ripped them away to look around the lush grounds, carefully making sure that no one was watching them. Once he was satisfied with his evaluation of the fields he pressed his lips up against her ear. “We could go into the woods, or wherever you would like princess.” His tone was soft and the breath that left his needy lips was warm as it caressed her lightly.
xx

Amelia watched carefully as the seemingly prideful man was reduced to a stumbling fool by the simplicity of her casual response. It confused her, as did many things when it came to the elves that roamed the vast kingdom she was enclosed in. They were complicated, a bit more complicated then anyone she had ever met—excluding herself of course. For at his question she could not think of a single thing to say, not honestly. Nor did any of the things she would’ve liked to wish for have any relevance or any time to breathe, for if they crossed her mind if only for a second she would push them aside—not wanting to seem silly or simple in the least.

For there were plenty of things she could have wished for that would have changed her circumstances surely. She could have been born an elf, an orc, even a dwarf. She could have been born as some mere common girl or a man of noble birth that held a significantly smaller role then her’s. She could have been someone’s unimportant squire who grew up to be a gallant handsome knight. Any of those little changes would have shaped her life in a different manner completely.

But when it came down to it there was one thing Amelia truly would’ve liked to wish for. One thing that she was sure would seem so small to him or to anyone who did not understand the importance of it. It did not come down to birth right, it did not come down to gender or sex—it came down to her brother and the role she was sure would have somehow twisted it’s way into her life.

She would wish him enough. Enough to perhaps love her or enough to be happy with where he was or what he was rather than seeking for something higher—something that would inevitably be at her and her family’s expense without any sign of warning. She wanted to believe that she wished something so peaceful, so loving, for him and yet another part of her—an ungodly strong part of her—wished she would have killed him before he had gotten a chance to ruin everything.

The dark haired woman couldn’t tell Julian that though. Amelia couldn’t tell anyone that. She couldn’t tell anyone anything—she wouldn’t tell anything if she could avoid it. So instead, she lied despite her loathing for the action. “I wish that I wouldn’t have been in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Her eyes fell to the hands lying open in her lap, empty of everything. Her body suddenly felt cold and her heart was as empty as her pathetically small hands. She would always be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

[Winterling42]

Julian felt his heart sink, heavy with his own foolishness and with agreement in her wish. Perhaps if she had simply gone to Kindle she would feel less helpless. Though from what he knew of Kindle, Julian doubted anyone could feel competent for long. It just seemed like anything he attempted, especially with Badb, ended up going so wrong.

How could he have ignored, pretended that there was something for them to speak about that would not cause her pain? He would have liked to ask about her home, but at least knew better than to try that. He would ask about anything, if only it would not hurt her to answer…or to lie.

"I wish that I could speak freely more often." He said at last, and to avoid the double meaning of his own words he added, "There would be so much more to speak of, if fear did not weigh on every word."

[zombliez]

Amelia looked at Julian with mild concern—his answers were always cryptic and miscommunicated. She felt like he was always trying to hide something but wasn’t quite sure himself what he was actually attempting to hide. As he answered her she was mildly unnerved by the fact that she had, well, been somewhat close to right. She knew she wasn’t supposed to contemplate his mannerisms or analyze him as if he was the most interesting thing in the world and yet she couldn’t help herself. However she knew that even if she could have, she wouldn’t have denied herself such an unnatural pleasure.

“If you weren’t afraid to speak candidly, you would be stupid.” She said the words in a low tone, even though she had seen his magic with her own eyes she could not help but want to keep her speech as quite as possible. “It’s a part of being royalty.” She tried to explain though she was sure he already knew such a thing but something about the laws of reassurance made her feel like this was the right way to go about it.

With a heavy sigh she attempted to comfort him again, “You can speak freely with me.” It seemed simple enough, innocent enough and yet when she began to feel heat rise to her cheeks she quickly added, “I am your servant after all my lord.”

[Winterling42]

Something about the way the weight of her sentence rested on the last two words made the pain in his heart squeeze tighter. Sure he could speak without worry, to someone as isolated and demeaned as her. But that wasn't what he'd meant, what he'd wanted. Instead of pleading this, he let out a small breath and said, "And in return I wish you speak freely with me. It is a small thing to offer, but…" The words seemed tarnished, vapid and dull. Free speech was hardly would hardly change her circumstances. "I hope you will not think badly of the offer."

[gingerprincessannie]

Aneira shivered as she felt the ghost of his lips against her ear, his warm breath sending tremors down her spine. The woods had an appeal, as she knew that they were less likely to be found there, however, going to one of the many rooms of the palace was more her style. She mulled over the pros and cons of the two quickly in her mind, before deciding that the risk of the palace was too great and that they would probably be safer in the woods. Although the woods weren’t the most desirable, she wasn’t entirely opposed, and it was worth it anyhow.

She found Ceath's hand and laced her fingers through his. “The woods,” she responded, her voice a warm thrumming in her throat. “We’ll be less likely to be caught there.”

[zombliez]

Amelia frowned at his politeness. He was beginning to make it very hard for her to dislike him, though it wasn’t for a lack of trying on her part. “Thank you.” She finally managed to say, though her eyes could not meet him if they tried. She didn’t know what to make of the situation still, and her heart was not helping in the slightest. How could she not adore someone who so effortlessly and selflessly brought himself to her aid, even if in a small and seemingly unimportant way? And that was just factoring one simple thing, not all the other wonderful things the elf managed to carry in his character. Him being a mage didn’t even bring her to detest him, mild anxiety was still present when magic was used, but her natural responses were not anything but favorable. Yet, she would not allow it still.

With a crisp voice she added, “I do not think badly of your offer, but it is too kind and one I’ll have to, regrettably, decline for the most part.”

xx

Ceatherine smiled at the woman and before she could protest, lifted her into his arms. She was light enough and even if she had been heavy he was sure his heart would allow him the pleasure of carrying her regardless. His thumb absently rubbed the shoulder his hand was clinging too and his eyes were set on the path in front of him. “Where exactly?” He asked politely, not sure if she had a spot in mind or if perhaps she just assumed that they would figure that out once they were in nature’s belly.

[Winterling42]

"Ah," he said softly. "Of course, as you wish." For some reason the words lingered in the air, but he could find no hint towards a reason for it. He let the silence grow for an uncomfortable amount of time, casting around in his head for some other topic of conversation and always falling short. "Tell me," he said, after starting to ask three different times, "Do you think there is anything salvageable here at all?" There was a hint of wistfulness behind his voice, as if he would have liked to think so but couldn't quite manage it.

[gingerprincessannie]

Aneira looped her arms around his neck automatically to pull herself closer to him. The sensation of his body against hers and his thumb on her shoulder was intoxicating and she found herself struggling to stay focused on the question at hand. A near blush worthy question, as she had, so far, been running on impulse and hadn’t thought so far ahead as to think of a specific place.

Sure enough, heat rose in her cheeks as she bit her lip and blinked at him. “Did you know of anywhere?” she asked quietly, a slight tremor in her voice.

[zombliez]

Amelia was taken aback by his question. It seemed so…lost. As if the man behind the words wasn’t fully confident in his own answer. Her fingers pinched at the fabric of her dress, rubbing it unconsciously for comfort. “I think everything is.” She said carefully, her tone polite and yet still short. She looked at him curiously, wondering what exactly was his motive behind the question.

“I think just because a limb finds itself diseased or lame it does not inherently mean that the body is—nor the soul.” Her words came out in an even almost confident tone. She believed it of course or so she would tell herself that for as long as she could manage to.


xx

Ceath looked down at the princess in his arms, his smile quickly fading into a quizzical frown. He, of course, had no real way of knowing anywhere for them to make themselves uncomfortable in the grand woods of Magnolia's castle. He wasn't permitted to leave the stables except when summoned by one of the many masters of court, which in most cases, did not happen. "No." He said patiently, feeling deflated. "I'm sorry, I...I haven't had any chance to..." he let the words die on his lips. How was a princess supposed to love him like this?