V I V L I O N
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- Posted: Mon, 27 Jun 2011 05:39:37 +0000
a d e l e x v a n a d i s
Bodyguard To The Prince of Zuleidi
Bodyguard To The Prince of Zuleidi
- Adele had her arms crossed over her chest, casually leaning against the walls as they waited for the group to move out. She couldn't help but laugh under her breath as Miya told Adora to not talk. At least the blonde wouldn't have to put up with listening to the 'all-knowing' princess. No wonder why Jean and her had constantly played pranks on the Shasta girl while they were growing up. Then again, it had always been that way. For as long as the blonde could remember, her charge had always had a cruel sense of humour...
---
Light foot falls echoed around the stone hall ways of the Zuleidian castle. Physically, she was drained from her morning training. As her daily schedule called for, she had been up since dawn, having started with a group run on the beach, followed by further warm ups. Then it had been an emphasis on defensive manoeuvres with rapiers for the rest of the morning. Over all, it had been productive in her mind. At a cost there were now an array of fresh and fading bruises, mixed with a few cuts here and there, littering her forearms. But no matter what, you would never see the good natured expression slip from her face. Further more, there was a new bounce to her step thanks to the excitement she had for that day's afternoon break. Jean had asked to see her and had said that he had a surprise. Though they generally did end up playing together in her free time, it was rare that he actually asked to see her. A bright smile danced across her lips as the blonde easily made her way through the maze of hallways to the spot where they had agreed to meet. Adele knew she was slightly early. She blamed her over eager pace.
Moving over to the balcony that looked down upon an enclosed courtyard, she leaned against the railing and instinctively began to try and straighten out her blouse. It was wrinkled from wear and far past saving. Realizing that it was a lost cause, she quickly moved on to the next problem. She untied her hair and ran a hand through the sandy strands, getting rid of any knots. Then, with practiced ease, Adele hastily braided her hair before tying it off once more with her red ribbon. She rustled her bangs to make them fall naturally as she cast an anxious glance around, hoping that no one (especially Jean) had seen. Despite her training and tough exterior, she was still a teenage girl with silly crushes and a need to impress them.
---
Jean had known for a while that his personal guard had developed a little crush on one of the young sailors. She acted differently around him, whenever they went to the docks to swim or go fishing, or play hide and seek behind the barrels. She had that sparkle in her eyes whenever the sailor boy came around and he would smile so brightly whenever he saw her. The Prince thought that the boy was horribly ugly and could never understand what Adele saw in him. He didn't know if she knew that he spied on them sometimes.
The sailor boy came around so often in those days that Jean couldn't help trying to formulate a plan to prank him as he did with everyone else. It was a bit of a dilemma, because he had the slightest tinge of fear that the girl would be upset with him. Obviously, it wasn't important enough to stop him. Adele had played a part in almost all of their pranks, but he thought it best that she didn't know about this one. It didn't matter, he thought, because she'd find it hilarious.
That morning was the day of the big event. After some lazy swords training on his part after breakfast, he'd explained to Adele that he wanted to meet her today, somewhere private, elsewhere in the castle. A pigeon had already been sent to the sailor boy, holding a message that told him to sneak into the courtyard to see her (in Jean's best imitation of Adele's handwriting.) He offered to feed the Queen's dogs that morning, didn't do it, and conveniently forgot to lock their cages.
He was a little bit late... Jean wouldn't meet Adele before the sailor boy climbed into the courtyard as 'she' asked him to. He seemed more kempt than usual, with a sea blossom in his hands like in those Shasta plays where the hero proclaims his love for the maiden on the balcony.
"Adele, my sweet," He'd say, as Jean rolled his eyes somewhere hidden behind a balcony on the other side of the courtyard. "You know I've always--"
That was his cue. Like Jean wanted to hear any of that cheesy stuff. The Prince had a small barrel in his hands and grimaced when he pried the top off. The smell of raw meat and its blood stained his nostrils and he gagged and held his breath. Crouched behind the pillars of the balcony railing, he cocked the barrel back and tossed its contents down into the courtyard, aiming for the poor boy down below.
Somehow, elsewhere in the castle, the Queen's dogs couldn't resist the smell of delicious meat. Imagine a horde of twenty little yapping dogs storming through the castle on their way to the source of that smell.
---
The moment she heard the sound of someone approaching in the court yard below, her hands fell quickly fell down on the railing of the balcony for support as she leaned forward curiously. Her blue eyes eagerly waited for, who she expected to be, Jean. Though, if it were possible, her expression lit up even more as none other than Tristan stepped out into the opening. His brown hair glinted in the mid afternoon sun and his equally wide smile had her biting her lip in only the way that he could make her. Thanks to her training regiment and the time spent with Jean, it was always difficult for Adele to become close with anyone; even more rarely, someone of her own age. But what had been unheard of, and nearly unthinkable for the young body guard, was finding someone that she liked more than the person she had been raised with since birth. And yet, there was Tristan.
He was three years her senior and a local favourite due to his sailing abilities. From a young age he had taken to ships and began to make a name for himself in sail boat races amongst the youth as soon as he was old enough. And though he may not have been an intellectual by the castle's standards, Adele knew that he had a good head on his shoulders. Further more, he embodied many of the traits that she prided herself in, including being courageous and having a sense of adventure. It would be a complete understatement to say that she admired him. The moment she looked down at him, she was able to completely forget about the prince. She didn't even think to question why the sailor was there, at that specific place, when she was supposed to be meeting Jean. All the blonde wanted to do was to let the other speak, as he clearly had something to say. He seemed to have spent more time on his appearance that day more than usual, as he wore his best sailor uniform which had obviously been pressed. And not to mention the sea blossom in his hands. That had definitely not gone unnoticed.
Adele rolled onto the sides of her feet and began to play with her braid apprehensively as the boy below opened his mouth to speak. But she already knew what she wanted him to say. Ever since they had met down at the docks there had been a spark. To the sailor, she wasn't just the prince's shadow, as so many others seemed to view her. He made her feel like she was her own person and that she could do anything she wanted. They spent nights down at the sea side where he would tell her stories of his travels and the kingdoms he had been to. And he swore that one day he would take her. Honestly, she wouldn't have needed much convincing to leave Zuleidi with him. He treated her better than anyone else and genuinely seemed to understand her. And every time that Jean and her were down at the docks, the blonde longed to catch site of Tristan just to see him smile. It was just an added bonus that he didn't mind her callused hands considering his were in the same state.
As the words began to fall gracefully from his lips, she didn't notice that she was beginning to lean forward in anticipation of what he was going to say next. It was all right in her mind. However, everything soon took a turn for the worst. In one instance, she was looking at the sailor, but then there was suddenly a flash of crimson. Her eyes opened wide in horror and a loud gasp was heard as she shot a hand up to cover her gaping mouth. The smell of gore suddenly overwhelmed her as she took in the sight of Tristan covered in blood and raw meat. Without thinking, the blonde tossed herself over the railing and grabbed a hold of one the posts, allowing her to slide down by a few more feet before she dropped down onto the stone. She grimaced at the rough impact but quickly pushed the sudden shots of pain in her legs to the back of her mind.
Turning quickly to the sailor, she reached out towards him. "Tristan, are you al-" Before she could even finish her sentence, he flinched away from her hand as he attempted to brush off the blood. Adele retracted her hand and looked at him with a pleading expression. "Please, Tristan, I am so sorry." There was no need to explain the situation. The two already knew who the villain behind the prank was. The young prince was infamous for his pranks and generally, she was right by his side. But she had put her foot down when it had come to Tristan. The female had absolutely refused to even think about hurting him. She should have known better than to think that would have made the sailor immune to any pranks. As the two shared a glance, the blonde knew that they were thinking the same thing; she should have protected him.
"I hope you two are happy together." He didn't have to say anymore. The look of disappointment on his face killed her enough. The last thing she ever wanted to do was to betray him, and though she had played no part in the prank, there would be no convincing Tristan of her innocence.
As the sounds of a pack of approaching dogs began to grow louder, Adele looked around desperately for some way to help the sailor get out safely. She nodded her head towards one of the doorways that was more narrow than the others. "Go. Leave." The blonde said stubbornly, trying to hide the emotion in her voice. He opened his mouth as if he were about to say something. However, it seemed that words had run dry as he just ended up letting out a quiet sigh, before tossing the blossom to the floor and running off in the direction that she had pointed him towards.
Quickly taking post in the same door way, she dropped down to her knees and held back the onslaught of dogs as they came running. A grunt escaped her lips as more and more dogs pushed back against her arms, some even going as far as snapping at her arms trying to get past the only barrier that was in their way. Luckily, some had stopped to fight over the pieces of meat that laid on the courtyard floor. But when it was all gone, the animals had smelt the blood and they would not rest until they had satisfied the lust. It was only when Adele was sure that Tristan had a big enough lead, that she dropped her arms, the mutts rushing past her sides, knocking her back and forth.
When they were gone, the guard slowly pushed herself up onto her feet. Her clothes were smeared with blood, a mix of her own and whatever animal had been slaughtered and had been used for a stupid practical joke. The blonde moved to the middle of the courtyard and spun around, looking up in search for Jean. "Jean-Baptiste Laurent! Come out and show your face for once, you coward!" She screamed, making sure there would be no way he couldn't hear her. "I hate you! Why couldn't you let me have this one thing for myself?!" Adele angrily brushed away tears with the palm of her hand. "You couldn't just let me be happy for this one time! You can't stand the fact that someone could be happier than you! Or even better yet, you can't stand the fact that I could be happy without you being the reason why!"
---
Giggling wildly behind the columns, the young Jean-Baptiste could barely look at the scene that he'd created in the courtyard. It was so painful to watch, but in the funniest way possible. That sailor boy of sixteen, who didn't have one blemish on his face or one crooked tooth in his mouth, was now covered in meat juices and lukewarm blood and parts of some animal that he didn't know. It would've taken him weeks to get the smell off of his skin. It wasn't like he didn't reek of fish anyway.
Being a boy of thirteen at the time, the Prince was a very ugly, skinny little kid. He had red blotches on his face, freckles on his nose, shaggy blonde hair, and a bit of a snaggletooth. Adele looked no better, mind you. She looked like a boy and hadn't quite grown into her ears yet. She was short, too. She climbed down that balcony with the quickness of one of those little yappy dogs that were about to spoil the day.
Jean hadn't expected them to try to eat the boy, just ruffle his feathers a bit. They were such small creatures that he didn't expect them to cause so much damage. The Prince covered his mouth with his hands to stifle his hysterical laughter. He had to wipe the tears from his eyes. Somewhere on the first floor, there was a whistle and the dogs retreated in its direction. Now, Adele had been left in her lonesome. Her face was a sour mix of anguish and anger and the screeching sound of her voice ruptured the silence of the Palace, gaining the attention of everybody who could hear it.
After a few moments trying to compose himself after being surprised by Adele's screams, hiding his laughter the best as he could, but failing to keep a smile from his face, he stood. Revealing his hiding place on the balcony, Jean waved down at his Guard, as if nothing had happened.
"Adele Vanadis, what in the seven hells are you screaming about?! Shut up!" There was no way in the world that Jean would have met her downstairs. She could beat him up, especially since he couldn't choke down his laughs. "That was funny! Did you see his face?! Oh, shut your yap, if he really likes you, he'll be back!"
...and she wouldn't stop screaming at him.
"Adele!" He shouted back. By that time, other members of the staff of the palace were hanging out of the windows to get a glimpse of what was going on. "If you hate me so much, then go away! If you are not happy, then I don't want you here! Go! Shoo!"
---
Adele didn't care about the attention she was attracting due to her screams. She would already be getting in trouble for the missing meat that Jean had undoubtably taken from the kitchens, along with the mess in the courtyard and the fact that the Queen's dogs had been let loose on a wild rampage. Though everyone would know it had been the work of the jester prince, the responsibility lay on her shoulders. She was his personal guard and thus, any foul action on his part might as well have been her own. And because the prince could not be punished (despite maybe a brief scolding), she was the next best thing. If she were going to pay for his actions, she felt like she at least deserved to be able to let her thoughts known.
As Jean finally showed himself, the blonde rooted herself in place and glared up at the other. She knew he wouldn't dare come down to the same floor as her. He was smart in the sense that he fought like a coward. Understanding and accepting the fact that he could never win a fair physical fight, he would prank anyone but always from a safe distance. And yet, the expression the young prince wore was as clear as if he had been standing right in front of her. There was no remorse in his actions. He felt no guilt what so ever. The smile forced an scowl upon her face. "I saw his face clearly and it was not funny!" She snarled as he claimed that he would be back if the sailor truly liked her. "He won't be back because he'd have to put up with you! And no one would willingly want to be around you!"
From behind, Adele could hear the sound of approaching feet. The steps were heavy and the blonde knew what would soon be coming. No matter if Jean wanted her there or not, she'd have to leave. Swallowing back everything else she wanted to shout out, the guard seemingly collected herself and raised her chin as she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked over her shoulder back at the Captain of the Guard and let out a short sigh. Taking the time to shoot one last disgusted look at Jean, she followed after the Captain as he led her out of the courtyard with a firm grip.
The sad part was that she knew by tomorrow morning she would have forgiven the prince. Pulling pranks was a part of his nature. She believed that he didn't have any ill intentions. The blonde knew that she may have been lying to herself, but it didn't matter. She couldn't leave him. He was the only person that ever stayed around for long.
---
Adele pushed the memory to the back of her mind as she was soon addressed and told not to speak either. Holding up her hands defensively, she shrugged her shoulders. "Understood." In all honesty, she wasn't even in the mood to talk. All she wanted to do in that moment in time was to possibly get into a fight and let out some anger and that giant worm was looking like a pretty nice target. But it seemed like she wasn't the only one who had violence on the mind. With a rather curious expression on her face, the female watched as the Dradecuian guard led a drunk outside, quickly followed by a blood curdling scream. Normally, she would have been terrified by such a display but desperate times called for desperate measures.
As the other guard walked back into the common room and cleaned off her sword, Adele could only think of one word to reply to the question put forward. In a nearly deadpan tone, she raised her eyebrows, "Terribly." The blonde then nodded her head to the door and used her hands to usher to the door, "Shall we head out?" It wouldn't be a lie to say that she was impatient. All that was on her mind was to get out into the underground city and find some way to rescue Jean and hopefully, recover the King and Queen of Dradecus in the process. After all, the life of a guard is always about putting someone else's well being before your own, no matter how painful.
(( written by // rada han et hood ))
" I will not bow. I will not break.
I will not fall. I will not fade.
I will take your breath away. "
I will not fall. I will not fade.
I will take your breath away. "