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 Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 9:39 pm
Kyla Alessandra Dio
Snow crunched softly underfoot as two young men made their way through the trees toward the partially frozen stream.
"While I find the restraint you exercised surprising, just a little more would have gone a lot further. As in doing nothing. For once." The taller of the two berated the other youth, sounding exasperated, though his countenance betrayed his slight amusement, and resignation. Such situations were clearly expected.
"I couldn't just let it slide! That idiot - "
"Yes, he was being an idiot. You know he's not a bad guy, he was just - "
"I know. That's why I didn't beat him to a pulp. Then I would have been the bad guy. I just needed to do it. And as you saw, it wasn't much of a fight. I hit him, he hit me. We reached an understanding."
"I was wondering how he got you, he's not trained like you. I thought you might have been distracted from concentrating by your emotions. I guess I should have realized you wouldn't forget all reason over something like that. And you were right to take a hit and leave it like that. Flattening his pride after he's down would have been a little excessive, and showing off your abilities would only bring unwanted attention."
"Yes, I know Kieran. Can we drop this already? We need to get in some sparring practice before we head back - Joran always knows if we skip - and we haven't even put our lines in the water yet."
"Haha alrighty Ky." Kieran smiled, reminded of their task. "I'm looking forward to the festival this weekend. Let's catch a lot today. Mrs. Coram's fish pies are superb." They set their packs by a large oak growing on the bank.
"Not to mention that dish Auntie Bern makes, when she bakes the fish with lemon and... whatever else is in it... so good..." Ky rummaged about for their fishing equipment, clearly visualizing the feast ahead. A dreamy grin spread across his features.
The creek was covered over with ice and snow in some parts, but rushing water continued under the crust. The two set up at a gap in the ice, and cast their lines.
"You should put some snow on that. It's starting to swell a little." Kieran gestured to the reddened area just under Ky's left eye.
"Right, thanks." Ky gathered some snow in a gloved hand and held it to his cheek. He drew in a little breath with a hiss as the cold made contact with the inflamed skin.
"You know, it's kind of cute how riled up you get when it comes to your sister -" Kieran knew he was baiting the boy.
"I do not." Ky retorted hotly. "This had nothing to do with her."
"Oh really?" Kieran glanced sideways to see both cheeks flushed. "Then what exactly was it?"
"I took exception to his nose." Kieran raised his eyebrows. "It's always been a little crooked, so I straightened him out. Now it'll be reset, and he'll make sure to keep it straight from now on."
"Right." Kieran chuckled under his breath. Ky kept his eyes on the river.
They sat in silence for a short moment. The woods were quiet around them, still and peaceful.
"You're a good brother." Kieran spoke.
"Shut up."
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Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 9:39 pm
Allετε Mαяιαηεlα διο  “Allette, are you even listening to me? Allete!”
Light violet eyes gazed out from the small cottage, staring not at any particular object or scene through the glass hole in the wall, but far beyond the peaceful country outside. Allete Marianela Dio stared through unseeing eyes at a scene far beyond the range of even the best vision.
“They’re coming,” The soft soprano voice rose barely above a whisper. Violet eyes morphed to chestnut, finally focusing on the dark pine framing the sun shining down between the trees and spattering the loamy earth below. “Yvette! Did you happen to see where Ky went?”
Peeling potatoes by the sink, Yvette Bern had brown hair, dark chocolate eyes, and an agreeably plump figure. “Oh, so now you’re interested in talking, are you? I’ve been calling you for the last five minutes, Ela.”
“I’m sorry, Yve, but I was doing a bit of scrying, now have you seen Ky?”
“I saw him walking with Kieran into town, but I think they were planning on heading towards the river to do some fishing,” the 32 year old replied, leaving Kieran and Ky’s real intention in going into the forest unvoiced. As silence prevailed, she glanced sharply towards her charge, now nearly old enough to take her rightful place once more, “Why, did you see something?”
“Send someone to tell them to be diligent in fishing. The first person you can find who knows the truth, preferably Kieve, but anyone will do in a pinch. We’re having guests for dinner.”
Yvette dropped the potato and was out the door and running just as the potato hit the ground.
Allette stood slowly from the seat she’d been sitting in as Yvette prepared the noonday meal and plucked the spud from the ground, rinsing it off before continuing where Yvette had left off. “She didn’t have to leave in such a hurry, I left her plenty of time to inform them of our evening guests without causing any undue trouble,” the girl muttered to herself, “Oh well, I guess lunch will be on me.”
She had finished up the potatoes and started on the carrots when Yvette returned, looking far less flustered than when she had left. “I found Kieve and asked him to go help them with the fishing. Even if he doesn’t catch anything, he can at least help them bring everything back.”
Allete glanced inquisitively towards the woman she considered her elder sister, “I did say they would stay for dinner, didn’t I? You didn’t really need to go haring off when we haven’t even had lunch yet, our guests shouldn’t arrive until the afternoon. They’re still at least a couple of hours away. Or did you have some other reason to leave in such a hurry?”
Yvette glared at the younger girl’s implication, though Allete just grinned innocently, “You know well enough that keeping you two in order is well enough for me. I told Kieve to spread the word around before finding the boys. A little warning can go a long way.”
“Of course, Yvette, of course. I’d never think to tease you about the newly widowed baker who’s been by more often lately with extra buns and pies.”
Yvette harrumphed and puttered about, throwing the newly cut potatoes and carrots into the simmering pot of beef stew over the fire, “Well if anyone would recognize courting, it would surely be you, wouldn’t it love? Yesterday made.. what? The fifth boy to ask you if you’d mind if he came courting? Not to mention that boy I could have sworn Ky was demonstrating his famous right hook on as he was walking to the stream.”
Allete blushed hotly as Yvette laughed, her revenge exacted, and the two continued on with their bantering as they amiably cooked lunch for their “family” and relaxed into the everyday life of Cambria. Allete wanted to enjoy this life while she could. It was sure to end far too soon in the future.
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silentbreeze90 Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Jan 09, 2011 5:46 pm
Kyla Alessandra Dio
Ky and Kieran lay panting in the snow.
“Come on, let’s brush this off before it starts melting into our clothes. I’m sweaty enough as it is, and we don’t want to get sick from the chill when we cool down.” Kieran spoke as he got to his feet, brushing the snow from his pants and sleeves. Ky mumbled his assent and rose slowly, sore all over from exertion and a few newly forming bruises. It had been a good sparring session and despite the light injuries incurred, the exercise filled him with a sense of health and well-being. He smiled and performed a few basic stretches. Kieran stretched similarly and winced when he reached his arms up and leaned to the side.
“This one’s going to be purple by tonight.”
Ky grinned, admiring his handiwork. “You fell for my feint.” He stepped forward in a lunge and made a slight grimace of his own. “Of course, I fell for a few of yours myself.”
When they had loosed up, the two straightened and shook hands, coming together in a half-hug. Kieran thumped Ky lightly on the back.
“Good work today I’d say. Joran will be pleased.” Kieran commented, and went to check on their lines.
“Well, satisfied at the very least.” Ky ameliorated, considering the man’s usual disposition and standards.
“Certainly.” Kieran agreed.
A slight disturbance of the quiet in the forest caught their attention. They tensed simultaneously and looked for signs of movement. It quickly became apparent that it was the sound of a person approaching without stealth, still far enough off to be out of sight. They were about to return to their fishing – as innocuous an activity as any, to the eyes of an unknown intruder – when soft whistling joined the footsteps.
“Kieve.” Kieran whispered, identifying the approaching man. The two visibly relaxed with the recognition of a familiar presence. However, a new sort of tension quickly set in.
“What do you think?” Ky murmured, mischief in his smile.
“Of course.” returned Kieran, conspiratorial agreement in his eyes.
They padded silently behind trees and snuck alongside their unsuspecting visitor. Handfuls of snow were quickly packed into spheres, and at a wordless signal, launched. Ky struck squarely between the shoulder blades, while Kieran met his head at an angle, knocking off his cap. Kieve spun about, startled and confused. His confusion couldn’t last long, though, for poorly stifled laughter soon pierced the air, and the source of the missiles became obvious. Choler flitted across his features before dissolving into amusement of his own.
“Well hello to you too, you ungrateful scoundrels. Here I come, offering assistance in your chore, and I find you slacking. Have you done anything of use today?” He tried to sound stern, but smiled all the while.
“We couldn’t resist a good snowball fight,” Ky veiled his reference to their sparring with a believable substitute, “but we did tend to our lines and we’ve had a few bites.”
“Alright, I suppose that’s reasonable. Let’s see what else we can get before lunchtime.”
The three continued on to the stream, where Kieve cast his own line. They traded pleasantries and news from town, enjoying each other’s company. Early into their conversation, Kieve slipped in a comment, sounding all-too-casual, while his demeanor suggested otherwise.
“By the way, Allete mentioned that we’re to have company tonight.” His eyes focused on the line before him. The general mood lost a measure of its cheerfulness.
Kieran and Ky traded hesitant looks…
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Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2011 7:57 am
Allετε Mαяιαηεlα διο Despite the threat of “guests” arriving for dinner, life had gone on as usual among the adoptive family. Although they worked with greater care not to be noticed in their tasks, they had continued in their usual way. Chopping wood, studying history, hunting for extra meat, and cleaning up the house with a bit of… extra help; even dinner had been prepared as usual. Some of the fish that the boys had brought in had been incorporated into their dinner that night in the form of salmon rubbed with a variety of herbs and buried under the coals of the fire to bake in worn clay bowls. Rice supplemented with a variety of dried wild grains stood in a large bowl, big enough to allow seconds or even thirds for the hungriest of their makeshift family and in a slightly smaller bowl stood a simple succotash: corn, onions, beans and tomatoes mixed together and chilled. Besides that there was a thick fish-bone stew left to simmer over the fireplace to be eaten later as a snack, either that evening or the next morning between breakfast and lunch. The food was ready and dinner was served, Joran sitting at the head of the table, followed by Rebecca, Kieve, and Yvette on his right, and Kieran, Ky, and Allete on his left with Catrin on the other end.
Allete sighed as she examined the food that she had just set out on the table. It was a shame they wouldn’t get the chance to eat it while it was hot.
Boots tramped outdoors as their uninvited guests arrived with the most inconvenient timing imaginable. “Alright, you rabble, gather all the people in this miserable nowhere from their houses and bring them here.”
“Yes, sir!”
The captain of the platoon of soldiers sat stiffly on his stallion, looking down on the soldiers who banged on doors and commanded the people of the village to leave their houses. His black hair sheared nearly to the skin, the captain wore full mail, shining orange in the fading light of day as the villagers were gathered around him.
“Alright, you people. We’re here searching for the lost princesses of Roanin. A couple of twin girls, aged 17 with brown hair and brown eyes. Your cooperation in our search is commanded by the order of the high council of Roanin. If you have any information pertaining to the missing princesses, we order you to give it to us immediately.”
Murmurs of surprise ran through the villagers at this news. Few had known of the existence of the twin princesses, and of the few who had known of the princesses, only Allete’s family knew what had become of them. Most had assumed by now that all of the royal family had been slaughtered 12 years ago. If the girls had been alive, surely they would have made a move for the throne by now, and if they didn’t know their histories, then how could anyone be expected to find two girls amidst the millions of citizens of Roanin. They might not even be in Roanin anymore!
Allete joined her neighbours in idle speculation on where the two missing girls could be, her face feigning surprise as she knew her family’s faces would also be. All of them would have to be careful not to let their knowledge show through. Hopefully the soldiers wouldn’t notice them among the rest of the villagers.
Unfortunately, the soldiers did not seem in the mood to take any chances. The captain of the soldiers began pointing at the village girls, all those with brown or near brown hair were pointed out and the soldiers took them aside to be examined more closely. Tsk. Allete concentrated on forming a very thin layer of illusion over herself, her skin becoming slightly darker, and her hands gaining calluses. Most importantly, her concentration turned her eyes a deep amethyst which could never be mistaken for brown. Uneducated as they probably were, the soldiers were unlikely to realize that her eye color was the particular shade of a magician’s instead of a deep blue, especially with the bad lighting.
Finally the captain climbed down from his horse, examining the girls who had been taken aside. “Too young. Maybe. Wrong color eyes. Too young. Too old. Wrong color eyes. Maybe.” Down he went through the line, those who were determined to be wrong allowed to return to their families while the others were kept together. When he reached her, he stared into her eyes for a long time, and she couldn’t help staring defiantly back at him. No ham-handed brute of a soldier would cow her into complacency. The silence stretched out as he continued to glare into her eyes, trying to get her to back down, but after making her point, Allete finally lowered her eyes, breaking contact. Satisfied in the belief that he’d scared her into submission, the soldier let her go with a muttered “Wrong eye color.” and moved down.
Allete returned to her family, a mulish set to her lips, and grumbled to herself and her family.
“Vulgar, ignorant, louts. Even their barbarian ancestors must be turning in their graves at their behaviour.”
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silentbreeze90 Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2011 6:38 pm
Kyla Alessandra Dio
The rumble of iron-shod hooves and heavy marching boots – standard issue for Roanan foot soldiers – heralded the arrival of the anticipated and unwelcome interruption.
Bu-but…! Dinner! It’s steaming right in front of my eyes and it smells so good!
The pounding at the door ceased as Yvette answered and received the orders to present and gather in the square. Everyone began to rise from the table with a few soft sighs joining the sounds of their scraping chairs even before the door had swung completely closed. Ky rose with a groan after the others and spared one last look of hunger to his dinner.
Damn them! Their terrible search is already horrible and disruptive as it is; why must they do it during dinner of all times?! …Don’t blame me if I overreact to something they do. You’re taking my dinner away dammit!
The captain was rude, harsh, and thorough. Ky tensed when he came to Alette – was he spending more time on her than the others? – but soon enough she was dismissed. Ky felt a measure of relief, though the knot in his stomach only tightened as the captain continued down the line. He only half-heard Alette’s insult as he wondered what was in store for the growing group of “maybe”s. A set of more stringent tests checking more specific qualifications? Private questioning? Surely they wouldn’t be exiled or sent to the capital, would they? Based on his family’s sources and from personal experience, he doubted that any candidates would receive the royal treatment.
“All right, that should do it.” The captian raised his voice to address the villagers once more. “The girls here will be escorted to Yantowin, where the closest government high mage is currently stationed. He will perform an objective test which will definitively prove or disprove their identities. If all is in order, they will be returned home in due course. Their stay over in Yantowin should only last a week or so, provided that nothing interferes with the testing. We will allow three days for provisioning. Frivolities are not necessary. Each girl should bring no more than three sets of clothing. A bedroll is expected, but one will be provided on loan, if necessary, for two coppers. Other travel necessities will be listed and posted here in the square tonight, along with their costs should you be unable to provide them for yourselves.” The captain paused in his recitation and looked about the faces of the crowd. His voice took on a more serious tone. “Due to the unavoidable attention we have brought to these girls and their families, two guards will be assigned to each of those selected. These escorts will watch over their charges constantly until the moment of our departure. Regrettable though the loss of privacy may be, such careful protection is an absolutely necessary mandate.” The captain took another breath and straightened. “Are there any questions or points that require clarification?”
The relative silence in the square broke as the villagers turned to one another exchanging comments of disbelief and confusion. One man’s voice rose above the rest, directed to the captain. “How long is th’ trip expected t’take? Spring plantin’s comin’ up an’ I need ma girl workin’ here. Not ta mention Jodi ya got there too, usually comes to help us when her work’s done at the store. My legs ‘s not as young as they used to, an’ the missus eyes are goin’. I don’t have no sons either. Who’s gonna help or is there some compensation? ‘Cus taxes gonna come same as usual no matter if’n we plant less rows than usual or there’s trouble with the crop.” Old Billy fixed the captain with a stare that expected answers – good ones – and crossed his arms over his chest.
The man didn’t flinch or seem to even notice the stubborn edge to Billy’s speech. He opened his mouth and answered matter-of-factly: “Given recent weather and current trail conditions the journey should take no more than a month, though likely closer to three weeks. We will be making one similar three-day stop in a village along the way. The return trip may take as little as two weeks without the snow, though contending with heavy rains could make up for that.” He deliberately shifted his gaze from Billy and said nothing to suggest that he had even heard the second half of Billy’s grievances.
The murmurs in the crowd took on a hint of indignant outrage as the practical reality of what the girls’ trip would mean set in. This time a woman’s voice separated from the simmering mass. “Two months?! You want to just up and take our girls for two months, with three days’ notice and no help or compromise? And we have to provision ourselves for this forced excursion? Just who ordered this madness? Some daft commander or rich noble chasing fantasies? What would two princesses be doing in some back-country village like ours? This nonsense is time-wasting and expensive; we know our own daughters through the pain of each birth, they belong to us and no one else. Those princesses aren’t here, so do your fellow taxpayers a turn and leave!”
The captain turned cold eyes on the woman and his piercing stare alone caused her to take a step back. “The High Council handed down my orders and none other than a decision from the High Council may rescind them. I take it there are no further questions.” He turned and crossed to one of his lieutenants to convey a brief set of orders quietly. As the man strode off to see them completed, the captain turned to face the villagers once more. His voice seemed strangely compelling, patriotic even, as he continued. Ky couldn’t help but hear something more menacing in the message than the tone suggested.
“Now, before I bid you good evening I must touch upon matters of a most serious nature. Should it be determined that the princesses are found among these candidates, they will not return here with the others. Officers will be sent to meticulously research the circumstances surrounding their time in this village, and inquiries made. Should it be found that their true nature was unknown, yet they were cared for and protected until now through some misguided attempt at kindness, just reward and recognition will come to this village. However, should it be found that the girls were hidden or held by the people of this place with ill intent, keeping them from their birthright and withholding a nation’s most valuable support in its time of need, there will be dire consequences. If word or rumor reaches your ears with information regarding the true princesses in the coming weeks, I trust that word will be swiftly conveyed to the nearest government official. Due compensation will reward such loyalty, and you in turn will have given aid to our great nation. I thank you for your time, and will now retire for the evening. You are dismissed.”
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Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2011 7:35 pm
Allετε Mαяιαηεlα διο Three days. Three days of keeping herself and her family away from the attention of the captain and his guards. Perhaps her refusal to feign the scared villager had been a bit premature. By now, the captain had surely already marked her as a troublemaker and a rebel of sorts, or at least an uncharacteristically brave one. It was a shame, but there was no way to take back the action now, and she probably wouldn’t have done so even if she had the chance to. Well, this left them all in a quandary.
The villagers were in danger now; the young women were being taken to Yantowin for two months, and leaving everyone with a shortage of hands to do the necessary work. The joy of the coming festival would be shadowed with the knowledge that the girls would be spirited away the day after the festival. She and Ky would be in trouble as well. If anyone were to actually put the pieces together and mention it to a guard, she and her sister would have to leave in a hurry. Ky made a rather good boy, slim with a bust easily hidden by bindings and slightly baggy clothes, but still, the fact that she was a girl was actually rather obvious if people only had the creativity to see it. Besides, the two of them had never made a secret of the fact that they were twins, nor had they truly hidden their names; they’d only hidden Ky’s gender and warped her name to a boy’s. Someone was bound to put it all together eventually, especially if anyone here remembered that Yvette had been stationed in the palace before she returned to Cambria. Hopefully nobody would remember, and with a little less luck, anyone who did remember would be so mad at the soldiers that they wouldn't say anything in their presence. She thought that the bachelors would be too angry to even think past the thought of more than half of the marriageable girls leaving, but the rest... She didn't like counting on luck, but right about now, they needed some.
Apparently, someone was desperate to find them, but Allete wasn’t ready to be found just yet. Not until she and her sister were of an age to really rule, and rule well. Allete had no plans to become a puppet for some noble who wanted to be appointed regent ”until she was ready” and she had even fewer plans to get herself killed for lack of pliability. She and Ky would only return to the capital when she was certain they weren’t walking into a death trap. Until then, they just had to avoid being taken by guards into custody. Just. If only it could be that easy.
Allete turned away from the crowd as the captain dismissed them, her mind running through different possible situations as she walked back toward their house. Behind her, the scared brunettes returned to their parents, a bit of excitement entering their countenances at the thought of getting out of Cambria, though they tried to hide it from clearly outraged parents. They were good girls, but still young. This must seem a bit like an adventure to them. By now, one or two of them may have even convinced themselves that they actually were one of the missing princesses. Well, no matter, they would learn. The other families all began migrating towards their homes as well. The need to rage or gossip put off by the quickly cooling dinners sitting unattended on dining tables.
Joran wasn’t happy. That was obvious. Upon returning to dinner, he had attacked his food as if it were the face of one of the soldiers, and then had proceeded to glare fiercely around the table, as if there were someone at the table ready to go running and screaming their identities to the soldiers.
“You!” Joran glared and leveled his knife at Allete, “What were you thinking? You stood out amongst those sheep, and you know it!” Allete lifted a single eyebrow and gave him her best condescending look. She had already thought of that, and Joran’s angry accusation wasn’t going to cow her any more than the soldier had. But Joran had already moved on to Ky. “You will keep out of trouble. Don’t think I didn’t hear about that little tiff you had with the Johnson boy this morning. You stay out of fights or I’ll set you to doing household chores.” Disregarding any protests she may have had, he turned to Kieran, who raised his hands in a peacekeeping gesture.
“I haven’t done anything wrong!”
Joran harrumphed his reluctant agreement, “Still, you will accompany Allete during the day. Keep her out of trouble since she can’t seem to keep out of it herself.”
Allete felt her cheeks warm as anger rose in her, but she clenched her fists and bit back her automatic retort. If she were going to be queen, she’d have to deal with people just as old, crotchety, and pigheaded as Joran. Probably even more so. She wouldn’t be able to give them the tongue lashing they deserved anymore than she could metaphorically slaughter Joran now. Taking a slow, deep breath, she counted to ten, then counted all over again, ignoring Joran as he continued on without any regard for anybody else at the table.
“No.”
Her voice was quiet, at contrast with Joran’s angrily booming voice. “I will not have Kieran following me around all day. I have enough of that from the village boys as it is. Not only will Kieran get in the way of the things I must do, he will also stick out like a sore thumb following a girl of 17 around. It will draw attention to a place where it does not belong.”
Beside her, she saw Catrin hide a smile and give a tiny nod. At least someone was pleased with the way she was handling herself. Then again, Catrin was probably just pleased with the way she had controlled herself and returned only objective arguments instead of the emotional ones she wished she could just shout out in return. Still, approval was approval. Allete tilted her chin up in defiance, staring straight at Joran.
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silentbreeze90 Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2011 1:33 am
Kyla Alessandra Dio
Ky flushed at Joran’s comments, but tried to form a counter-argument in his defense. When Allete’s firm rebuff cut through Joran’s tirade, Ky had to struggle to keep the grin from his face. He was about to add his own opinions to the discussion, when Rebecca cleared her throat and leaned forward in her chair.
“Joran. Please take a breath before you keel over like poor Joey’s sad attempt at a canoe last summer.” No greater shade of red being achievable, Joran turned purple, and his mouth clamped shut with an audible clack from his teeth. “You do look a bit ridiculous,” Rebecca continued in a soft and reasonable voice, “and I know that embarrassment is never a comfortable suit in which to be, but if you find you’ve put your armor on backwards, it’s best to take it off and learn which way’s up before riding into battle blind and immobilized.” Joran was finally taking a few carefully controlled breaths, and remained silent though his eyes continued to blaze with stubborn anger. “Allete,” Rebecca turned to meet the young girl’s eyes, “in one thing Joran has the right of it. You drew unnecessary attention to yourself and, by extention, our family today.” She addressed her next words to the whole table, looking from face to face.
“Our goal over the next three days is to avoid attention. Now, just how we accomplish that will take a great and varied number of actions and general behaviors that I could detail and train into you given much time, if you were recruits to spycraft. Fortunately, the reality is that we have already achieved this end result, through our years spent building our home here and living our village identities day and night. It is awkward fakery and a sense of not belonging among the surroundings that catches the eye of a watcher. And a better watcher will also notice those who are forgotten too easily, have no identity, and leave no footprint – those who work too hard at hiding.” Joran calmed as each of Rebecca’s words resonated with his sense, untill a rueful grimace twitched at the corners of his mouth. “With soldiers in town for the next few days, most of our fellow villagers will be keeping their children on their best behaviour, and trying to avoid squabbles, and neighbourly contention. No one knows how involved this squad may choose to be with village life, or even if conscription could be a possible danger to troublemakers. We, too, should try to conduct ourselves in polite efficiency throughout the next few days. However, the need to maintain a semblance of normalcy is of the greatest importance. This means that Kieran will not be stalking Allete, for that is simply impractical and may prove greater danger than protection. We shall hope that Allete’s small contest of wills will be overlooked; she certainly wasn’t the only villager discontent with the process, and many others put voice to their opinions in open disagreement. That being said, every one of our household will check on the others periodically throughout the next three days on the way to a neighbour’s, doing chores, passing in the street, and so forth. Ky and Allete should try to avoid crossing paths, though, and if you are together, you must endeavor to subtley project your differences. You are related – brother and sister – but our visitors need not know you are twins. While doing all this, try not to deviate from the usual daily tasks in ways which might cause our neighbours to comment. Also, sparring and other lessons are on hold for the duration of the soldiers’ occupation. For the main part, do not try to nullify your personality, for we are safe in our identities as members of this community. Simply avoid major conflicts, and do not challenge the authority of the crown as held by her armed forces.” She turned to address Ky, “I was told that you handled yourself well this morning regarding Jacob Johnson. You did not push your advantage in a brawl, and conducted yourself in just the way a young man your age would react in such a situation. Joran, Kieran has done well with Ky, as have you yourself, raising him to be a respectable young man. This morning was just an example of a couple of boys acting like a couple of boys. Of course over the next few days you will want to keep a lower profile, Ky, but it is of high importance that you maintain your identity within the village, for our accepted and unquestioned presence here is our greatest camoflauge.” While those at the table looked thoughtful, Rebecca took a moment to think of what else there was to say.
“We never really did a great job of changing our names.” Joran commented. “I know that we have a few different nicknames floating around the village, in use by all; do you think we should try to use one or two specific ones more often over the next few days?”
“And out of simple subconscious suggestion, the other villagers will hopefully find themselves repeating our usage. Yes. I think that we should try to refer to Kyle as Zander as much as possible, while Allete will answer to Ela.” Rebecca squinted a little as she thought over the possibilities. “I fear that Mari might be noticed as an odd coincedence given the lost princess’s known middle name.” She muttered as an afterthought.
Ky found himself pleased by the arrangements and no longer felt a need to add to the discussion. As would occur from time to time, he spared a thought for rememberance of his origins, and the identity tightly hidden within his villager persona. He was as much the object of the soldiers’ seach as Allete, for his birth name was Kyla Alessandra Dio, twin sister to Allete Marianela Dio, and together they were the lost descendants of royal lineage. Corrupt forces within the capital had forced their escape at a young age, and it seemed that those with ill intent continued scheming at the present. Kyla stared down at the grain of the tabletop and focused on a whorl in the wood as she repeated the simple words over and over again as she had for the past twelve years, I’m a boy, I’m a boy, I’m a boy, I’m a boy. I am a boy. I’m a boy. Allete is my sister. I am her brother. I am her brother and I love her. I’m a boy and I’m her brother. I’m a boy.
Each repeated thought formed a layer of protection, and her true self embraced the life of brother Ky. He looked up to read the faces of his family.
Kieve and Yvette seemed satisfied, while Catrin took a moment to remind Allete to avoid most use of magic, aside from maintaining a slight alteration of her eye colour when in public, diminished when with those who know her well, but present in some shade at all times.
Joran grunted a brief apology for his overraction, filled with a frustration with which most of the table could empathize, “It’s been all too long and all too short a time. We’ve not dealt with much beyond the first integration to town life, and now I’m swept back into the intrigues of court. I wish I could just meet the enemy in plain battle and have it done with! Please excuse the worries of a hard old sword. I lost my head in alarm and pranced and struck at shadows like a green young guard on his first night’s watch. Foolish.” He glanced at Rebecca and gave a curt nod. “Thank you Becca.”
She accepted with a tilt of her own head, “Those stone ears of yours hear reason given a proper dusting. We’ll get through this if we keep calm and keep to the path we’ve lain. Now what say we make for bed? It’s been a long day, and the next three grow no shorter.”
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Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 10:17 am
((It's not great, but it is at least a post.)) Allετε Mαяιαηεlα διο Allete narrowed her eyes and made a small “hmph” sound as Rebecca rubbed her face in the mistake she already knew she’d made. Why couldn’t they leave her be about it, they hardly needed to insult her intelligence by stating the obvious in such a demeaning way. She was already beating herself up about it; they didn’t need to add insult to injury. Well at least Rebecca was being fair about it. She had, after all, started by heading off Joran before he went off on some tirade at Allete,
Shrugging off her own irritation, with herself and with the adults who seemed to still believe her a child, she forced herself to listen to Rebecca instead of tuning her voice out. Yes, she already knew everything the older woman was saying, but hearing it spoken aloud wasn’t going to kill her, and she did deserve the small lecture that was included.
Surprisingly, the days passed by rather quickly, the soldiers actually staying out of the way of the festival preparations for the most part. For her part, Allete avoided contact with the soldiers, especially their leader, and they in turn seemed to have forgotten her show of bravado. Chores were completed with little harassment, although the selected “maybes” worked nervously under the eyes of their escorts, dropping baskets of fresh fish, spilling water newly drawn from the well, and generally making nuisances of themselves. The villagers were displeased; old men all ready to wage war on the soldiers prevented only by the better sense of their wives and children who pulled them away from confrontations.
Finally the night of the festival arrived, a feeling of forced hilarity permeating the air. The villagers were determined to make the most of their last night together with their girls and heaped food and fun upon the chosen. Followed around by soldiers who acted like hawks sighting prey, most of the girls were kept dancing in the various round and couple dances with only short breaks for food. Inevitably some found the attention too much and retired shyly to corners, refusing further invitations whilst others drank in the experience like flowers bathing in the sun.
Allete danced, but only when asked (which was rather too often in her mind), attempting not to draw attention to herself by dancing either too much or too little. Still, every now and then, she felt eyes on her and only managed not to search for the stare through a great effort of will. She had a feeling that the leader of the soldiers hadn't forgotten her at all and was noticing her popularity among the boys of the village.
So she wasn't surprised when the man stepped in front of her. She was surprised when he asked her to dance. Of course the invitation was phrased more as a demand, but he still asked her to dance. She agreed easily enough; there were enough people here that anything he might be thinking of trying would quickly be stopped by the villagers.
"So the defiant are brought to heel by those wiser than themselves," he sneered, referring to her seeming docility, "Oh how the brave have fallen."
Allete was displeased to say the least. The nerve of this council's dog. Still, she kept her countenance and voice pleasant and steady, belying her very real anger, "Courage and intelligence are not mutually exclusive." Biting down on the other words that threatened to spill out and put all her efforts from the last three days to waste, she smiled mildly. Her efforts were rewarded when the man frowned at her refusal to be baited, and a true smile did grace her face as the music cut off in the background.
"I'm terribly sorry," she spoke just as he opened his mouth to try again, "But the song has just ended, and I'm rather tired from the dancing. I do believe I shall take a break and relax with my family."
She left him standing in the middle of the dance floor, gracefully turning aside other invitations and going to sit with Yvette on a bale of hay. The older girl gave her a knowing look accompanied by a sigh, "Were you at least polite?"
"I am always polite, thank you very much. Besides, I was smiling the whole dance, I defy you to prove otherwise." She examined the room for signs of her twin, "I wonder how Zander is doing. I haven't seen him all night. I do hope he's at least having a pleasant evening."
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silentbreeze90 Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 3:43 pm
Kyla Alessandra Dio
Ky was having a marvelous time. She downed another two-bite-sized pasty in one mouthful, and took a last swig of apple cider before running off to join a circle of her friends doing a crazed sort of jig to some fast fiddling. A light sheen of sweat had glazed her forehead before the merry tune came to its end and the next song began – a slower tempo, with a group dance familiar to most of the villagers. Ky took a place near the center of the formation, and began the traditional steps.
At the dance’s completion she returned to the food-laden side tables for refreshments. Then she approached a group of girls and asked one for a dance. The blushing maiden giggled and accepted her offer, and over the next hour she continued to dance with a different girl each song. With the celebration in full swing, the musicians began to add in a romantic couples’ song every once in a while, during the first of which Ky excused herself and found her way to the corner where Rebecca was sitting.
“This is fun.” Ky remarked with a smile as she plopped down into a chair beside her.
“The food’s good and I’m mostly being left alone tonight so I have to agree.” Becca replied and took a drink from the mug at her table. “You certainly looked like you were having a good time out there. Though I don’t know if everyone else is.”
Ky had noticed a feeling of hesitancy and tension at the beginning of the evening, but couldn’t quite remember if it was the same as the usual amount of nervousness mixed with excitement. Of course she was feeling the added worry that someone might suspect something was off with her, but her friends soon had her carousing with the rest of them, daring each other to ask a pretty girl to dance a couples’ dance, with the added reasoning that many of them would not get to see some of the girls for weeks helping to bolster their courage. Ky took a moment to survey the gathering of people and felt an edge of forced joviality in some of their actions, noticing brief glances between villagers that she’d missed earlier.
“What are this kingdom’s fighters coming to?” She asked with resentment, as she watched the service men prowling after girls like rats. Their leader actually approached Allete and she almost growled when she saw the two of them begin the next dance together. “It’s disgusting.” She spat with scorn.
“Now Zander, you are young and impetuous. These honorable men protect and serve our country. They deserve an evening of fun and frivolity.” Rebecca’s voice held nothing of sarcasm, only the tone of an elder correcting an empty-headed boy. Her eyes flashed a warning and Ky held her tongue. If her sister could dance with the man, she could certainly keep herself from spouting opinions that could bring trouble if overheard. She was supposed to know better, but her temperament always seemed to get the better of her.
“Yes Becca.” She continued the play in her expected role. To any watching eyes or ears, she was a cowed young man, repentant, or at least more concerned with ending the lecture and returning to the festivities. “I’m going to go get more food.” She stood with a slight scrape of the chair. “I’m sure I’ll see you again later.”
“Save me a dance, young man.” Rebecca joked.
“I will if you will.” Ky responded sincerely and Becca looked aghast. She laughed and called over her shoulder, “It’d be fun!” before disappearing once more in the crowd.
Partway through the next song she found Allete sitting with Yvette and noted that their seating seemed to be furthest from the food tables. She skipped over to them and extended a hand to her sister.
“Dance with me Ela-Bella?” She asked with an infectious grin.
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Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2011 11:05 pm
Allετε Mαяιαηεlα διο Allete looked up from her discussion with Yvette to find her twin grinning happily down at her with hand outstretched. Glancing around through the corners of her eyes, she saw that the captain was occupied in an exchange with one of the crotchety old men of the village. Old Tom would probably keep the man busy for quite a while with his numerous plaints for the ears of those in the capitol. She could almost feel sorry for the soldier. Almost.
“Alright, Xander-flanders, but just one dance, alright? I’m starting to get a bit peckish, so I’m thinking of dropping by the refreshment tables,” she answered with a light smile of her own.
Reaching out, she placed her hand in her sister’s and used it as leverage to pull herself out of the bales of hay she’s been immersed in. The song was a slower one, but fast enough to prevent most couples from effectively slow-dancing, which was good. She could stand close to Ky and talk to him quietly and the music would cover their voices and keep anyone from listening in.
Together they made their way to the clearing being used as a dance floor, and they began dancing together, in much the same way as she had been dancing with the captain earlier, though they stood closer and actually enjoyed the dance. As they danced, she watched the villagers around them and finally she spoke to her twin sister.
“Xander, I think we should leave. Look at the villagers, the danger and inconvenience we have forced upon them without their knowledge. The nobles are getting desperate, and their dogs in turn are heaping misery upon our subjects. What would you say to heading towards Zurin? We would be free from harassment there, and the villagers would be safer without us here to be discovered. I was planning on broaching the subject with Catrin in the morning, but I wanted to know what you thought before I did.”
((Er... Sorry it's kind of short, but conversations kind of necessitate shorter posts so that they can actually talk back and forth...))
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silentbreeze90 Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2011 7:53 pm
Kyla Alessandra Dio
Leave? Cambria had been their home now for longer than they’d lived in the capital. Ky had friends. Ky had a home. Ky had a life.
Ky had a lie.
A lie that endangered those friends and that home. Allete was right; it was time to move on. No, their life here wasn’t a lie, but their long-held secret was a weighty source of danger. Clearly something was happening in the capital. Something had changed, or for some other reason, someone’s plans were moving forward. It had been twelve years. Why now? Or had they always been moving toward this point? Ky made every effort to keep a light smile on her face.
What exactly had been happening in the capital for the past twelve years? Over the past few years Ky had sometimes wondered if what they were doing was right. Why couldn’t they go back? But then, would it make a difference? In the smaller towns and villages, daily life wasn’t much affected by the changes in the capital. Taxes hadn’t been increased that severely, and everyone supported themselves with their own labours.
But the injustice of it! Something had happened that night twelve years ago, and the truth was never brought to light. The soldiers in town seemed to be a sign, the start of something – but it all began twelve years ago – or, before that?
The truth was that Ky knew very little. Over the years whenever she’d felt the impulse to take action, she’d always listened to the sound reasoning of their protectors and guardians. They were too young – two young children. They must stay safe and train. Stay hidden, and live, for the sake of the kingdom.
For the sake of the kingdom.
For the sake of their people. And the people of Cambria?
Allete was right; it was time to leave.
“Yes. I’m with you.” But, Zurin – not the capital? Admittedly, as much as Ky wanted to march through the front doors of the castle, she knew better. So Zurin. “But I don’t think we should go just to change hiding places. I think we need to start… something more.”
Ky kept in time with the music and they turned about the floor; her eyes could not leave her sister’s face.
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Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2011 10:29 pm
Allετε Mαяιαηεlα διο Allete had spent a lot of time thinking since the soldiers had first arrived three days ago. She’d thought about her people, mainly: the ones who had exiled themselves to this tiny little village to hide the heirs-apparent to the throne, the ones who had sheltered them without ever knowing just how much danger they were actually in, and all the rest of the innocents who were suffering just because somebody in the capital was determined to find them. To the townsfolk, this latest invasion by the soldiers was absolutely absurd; to them, it was impossible that they would ever meet the two lost princesses, much less be sheltering them in their tiny hamlet, just as countless others across her country were doubtless feeling the same.
To Allete, this latest incursion was a personal affront. How could anybody in the capital be doing this to her people without her permission? The council might rule in the absence of an heir, but they were not all powerful, and she would have something to say to them once she took her throne back from them. Ky might not realize that the usurpers to her throne were breaking the laws with their man-handling of her people, but she knew the laws of her birthright by heart: Catrin and Yvette had drilled them into her very being.
Oh yes, Allete had been thinking a lot lately. Mostly about how angry this current situation was making her, but also about what she and her family were to do from here on. It wasn’t as if she had much else to do now that her lessons had all been cancelled to better hide from the soldiers. So it came as no surprise to her to hear the words that came from her “brother.”
She tried to hide the laughter in her eyes by ducking her head and leaning it into Ky’s shoulder. “Oh, Xander, you didn’t really think that hiding was all I had in mind, did you?”
Picking her head back up, she grinned at her sister, her eyes glinting mischievously. Her eyes darted to both sides to check that nobody was listening and she whispered the next words, just be on the safe side. ”Joran will probably have a fit if he ever learns of it, which is why I’m hoping that he’ll stay here instead of coming with us, but I’d like to be able to celebrate our eighteenth birthday in the capital with a coronation. Zurin’s court might be a good place to start gathering supporters, don’t you think? We have less than a year to go, so maybe wishing for a coronation on our birthday is a little too optimistic, but we can start. Besides, I want to know what really happened that day 12 years ago.”
Her face lost its happy mischievousness and took on a look of concentration. Over the years, she had sat down with each of their guardians and gotten their stories of the attack that sent them running, but it didn’t seem to make sense. The pieces didn’t fit together at all. Everyone claimed that Symian assassins had just suddenly turned up and killed off the royal family, but the Symians had been close allies for ages and there had been no indications that they had any wish to change their position as an ally. Then there was the reason they had run. She understood why their guardians had wished better for them than just locking them up to become puppet queens, but there was also the attack on them when they left to consider. Intelligent people did not shoot arrows at people kidnapping their five-year-old future queens. Not if they actually wanted those future queens to return safely. Something was going on in her country, and she wanted to know what it was before she returned to take her place as queen. She would not be a pawn in somebody else’s game.
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silentbreeze90 Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2011 12:12 am
Kyla Alessandra Dio
Oh yes they were most definitely twins, and today their thoughts were matched. Allete always had more in her mind than she said in words; Ky grinned in response.
Joran would have to be circumvented, but – a coronation by their coming of age? That might be a little ambitious. Then again, they’d been hiding and studying and training for some vague “when you’re older” for over a decade. It was time to set a date, or at least properly acknowledge their goal. Zurin would be a good place to find support, and possibly some answers. They needed to learn the details of the current situation, the balance of power, and the standing and position of anyone involved in the incident “that night” twelve years ago.
There was no need for further words, as they completed the rest of the dance. Onlookers might see excitement or concentration for the steps; their faces were flushed, their eyes bright and focused. Determination and fierce passion coursed through their blood, burning with questions and anticipation.
…
Somehow travel preparations and goodbyes finished on schedule, and the whole group, soldiers and girls, rode out on the fourth morning from their arrival. There were no dramatic disturbances, and some of the chosen girls were even excited by the chance to visit a significantly larger town. One or two of the younger girls nursed hope in the wild dream that they might secretly be royalty – many of the soldiers nursed headaches and sensitive stomachs after overindulging in ale and food at the festival the night before.
Early morning chores were finished before the awaited departure, and the family returned from the village’s edge to gather for breakfast together. Ky’s knee bounced as she picked at the scrambled eggs in front of her, glancing at the faces of everyone around the table. Lying in bed, late last night, the girls had decided to present their decision to everyone in the morning after the soldiers left. Ky felt slightly guilty of shirking responsibility, but had convinced Allete to broach the subject – she had always been the more diplomatic of the two. She looked to her sister at her side, sitting calmly, quite composed – to all eyes an image of complete serenity, unless one looked very, very closely. Her nervousness was indistinguishable from Ky’s, however, as they currently shared the same emotion. Allete placed two palms neatly crossed on the table, her posture regal, though the very tips of her fingers may have quivered imperceptibly.
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Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2011 3:32 pm
Allετε Mαяιαηεlα διο Allete sat quietly at the breakfast table, staring at the plate of food that stood before her without touching it. This was a good idea. She was certain of it. She had mentioned it casually to Catrin even before the soldiers had intruded upon their peaceful lives, and her mentor had been supportive; they’d even begun extra lessons so that she would know what to look for in spotting allies in the intrigues of court before the soldiers had arrived and forced her hand. So then why was she so nervous now? So nervous that she had no appetite for the hearty breakfast set before her, so nervous that she had to push her fingertips into the table to keep them from shaking.
“Allete, what’s wrong, dear? Not only haven’t you touched the food in front of you, you haven’t even touched your utensils. Are you sick?”
“No, Yvette. Thank you for asking; I haven’t come down with any illnesses.” Allete steeled herself with a slow, deep breath before continuing, “I was just thinking about the best way to broach a new subject this morning.” She turned her head slowly, allowing her eyes to rest upon each of her family members for a long moment. They should all be able to see the advantages of her plan, even Joran, stiff-necked, spavined old war-horse that he was.
“I believe that it is time for us to leave Cambria. Xander and I are now 17-years-old. We are almost of an age to claim our birthrights, and the efforts of the council and their dogs to find us have increased exponentially with each year. I fear that soon we will have no choice but to give ourselves up in return for the safety of our citizens if we remain here. However, if we were to leave the danger to the villagers would decrease, and we would also be safer from discovery. Therefore, I propose that Xander and I head towards the capitol of Zurin to make some allies in preparation of our return as monarchs.” She paused to judge her elders’ responses. So far so good. Initial shock at her blunt suggestion had turned into acceptance, and even nods of approval from most of the adults. Well good, she had expected them to accept this proposal easily. The first half was the easy part after all; it was her next proposal that might cause trouble. Her plan wasn’t the safest plan in the world, but she needed the freedom it would give her to snoop as much as she wanted and find out what had happened so long ago..
“We shall remain here until the soldiers return with the girls who were taken to help out in labor shortage and to prevent any suspicion from falling upon our hosts, however we will leave within a week of the girls return. Although they are scared now, by the time they return, every one of the young women taken will be teeming with tales of the ‘fabulous new objects’ they saw in the city. Their talk in turn will excite the villagers about trade opportunities, and it is there that we will find our reason to leave. I suggest that we take a small party, consisting of Kieve, Kieran, Rebecca, and Catrin to Merryvale with goods from our village to be traded for objects that the villagers wish to procure for themselves. Then, Catrin and Kieran can return here with the requested goods, while Keive, Rebecca, Xander, and I make our way into Zurin to Bernay to settle ourselves.”
Her announcement received shocked silence as all of the members of her family considered her plan. Kieran sat back with a little smile on his face, looking rather like a cat that just stole the cream. Kieve and Catrin seemed in favor though perhaps a bit worried, and said nothing, merely thinking through her plan rationally, and coming up with solutions to problems that might occur.
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silentbreeze90 Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 2:45 pm
Joran Dirkman
Joran had to admit to himself that over the years his two charges had grown into wonderful people. He was hesitant to call them young women, for he feared that choices made in their childhood had changed Ky’s identity more than just superficially – but that was another matter.
Before him, Allete sat, poised, her simple posture inherently commanding dignity and respect. Joran was suddenly reminded of their late mother, whose image of strength and authority came from an inner conviction and virtue. Allete’s words sunk in slowly, an icicle’s drip down his spine, and a hard knot formed in the pit of his stomach. His knee-jerk response was to object, and worry set in, but immediately following came the stony understanding that “time” had indeed come. He listened on as Allete continued, a proud fire raging in his veins. This was his Queen. It was nothing as simple as birthright, his loyalty went deeper. Dio was a house of honor, and this Honor was not a simple word, bandied about with a breath. It was a way of life, a conviction, of substance thicker than blood. Joran formed his being around this core truth. It held him in his seat when other emotions threatened to take over. These were the little girls he had protected all those years ago, the girls he had raised and watched over through the seasons.
And he had seen them grow.
The princesses would travel to Zurin, the cover-story was a good one, and while Joran wished to accompany them, a glance from Rebecca silenced his comment. It made sense for him to stay, for more than a few reasons. He expressed his acceptance of their plan, and contributed to the practical discussion of supplies they would take, the spare wagon that required a new axle, and other technical aspects of their decision. Meanwhile, half of his brain was busy planning a new training regimen for Kieran and Ky. They were about to begin their most intense two months yet.
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