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 Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2017 8:17 pm
Gertrude watched with fear, trying to avert her gaze whenever someone looked her way. She wrapped herself in the blanket, leaning back in the chair as it was nearly impossible to sit straight with her belly so plump. The man spoke and she understood most. "Boon?" She questioned, becoming surprised as Ken helped her understand the man cared that she was pregnant and had sent a doctor for her. He nodded to Ailean and covered his eyes to avoid seeing the women being inspected. She seemed afraid of the male doctor, as he inspected her stomach, feeling the baby kick and hearing it's heartbeat before letting her get her dress back on. Ken helped translate as the woman became frightened at the word bed. "She says she would like to go to her room and rest." She attempted to get up, having help from Ailean as she stood and kept the blanket around her. She mumbled how thankful she was in her language, moving to her room with Ailean and crawling in under the blanket to sleep.
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Bethany rode as fast as her horse would go, feeling his arm around her cold chest, reaching town just as he passed out and rushing to find a doctor. They brought him to the building, treating his wounds and keeping him hydrated as she needed to go inform the commander of his injuries. What would she have to do to get him to stay in bed and rest? She returned to the town to tend to him, keeping a wet cloth on his forehead and making sure his injuries stopped bleeding.
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Victoria smiled, looking to Hector's shocked face before nodding to her father that he was worth it. The lunch was very silent, once the meal was over, the king stood and walked to the door, motioning for the prince to follow him as Victoria followed Astrid to return the jewels.
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Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2017 10:36 pm
 Ailean walked alongside the poor young woman, helping her get around whenever she needed it. He helped her get up into bed and pulled the covers over her. The scratches on her feet had been cleaned and wrapped, as well as any other injuries the doctor had been showed by the girl. He had a pitched of water and a glass set on the nightstand. Then called for a female servant to come and sit in the room with her. "Sweetheart, I'll look for someone who can understand you. In the meantime, if you need food or help getting to the toilet, Elsie will help you." The middle-aged woman curtsied at her introduction and sat down on the side of the bed. She sang softly, to help the girl fall asleep. Then took a seat in a rocking chair and began to knit something as the girl slept.
Ailean hobbled back to Ken's room with a grave expression on his face. He sighed, stopping to stand next to the fireplace. By the look of the puppy it was sound asleep, cuddled up against Ken. "She's comfortable, at least. Don't worry yourself about this new girl, Gertrude." He waited for Inga to return to be with Ken, until excusing himself for the rest of the afternoon.
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Joseph was out for the next day, waking up in the evening. He was unaware of the trouble he'd unintentionally caused, for the blood he'd left behind as they'd traveled here had brought a pack of wolves and a few bears to the town. A few of the villagers were missing now, probably due to the wolves. His head felt heavy, but he tried to sit up anyway. He was too dizzy to manage, however so he flopped back onto his pillow. He groaned, feeling something small but heavy hit his chest when he moved. He opened his eyes again a few moments later, looking around the room. He didn't recognize this place, the ceiling looked to be low and the room was poorly decorated. He noticed that Bethany was by his bedside. "What did you do to me?" He asked, his voice soft and head and leg throbbing in pain. He could remember the fighting and getting on a horse. The sensation of something soft against his arm, then nothing. It seemed obvious to him that she'd done something to him, probably hitting him with something to render him unconscious. That would explain why his head hurt.
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Barthomieu bowed to Victoria, before leaving to follow along behind her father. His bodyguard followed him a bit more closely this time, those dead eyes of his looking for any threats without blinking. He would discuss his offer with the King and any arrangements that would be necessary. If he must duel any of her other suitors for her hand, he was prepared to as a gentleman.
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After arriving too late to hear what all of the commotion about, she could sense the heavy air surrounding the meal. Hector was glaring daggers at the foreign prince, and most unusually the man was seated next to Victoria. It was a repulsive sight, the two of them together like that. Clearly, Victoria didn't care that he was a liar and a coward. The presence of a tall, pale man with grey lips and a stoic expression didn't go unnoticed either. She tried to put it all out of her mind, even as Hector persistently questioned Barth. She was amused by the reaction Ester gave to hearing that the foreign prince had lied to her sister. Mainly because the little girl seemed to like him at first. When she'd started crying like her six year old brother, she'd been excused from the table. As lunch finished, she noticed Victoria approaching and did her best to appear indifferent. She walked with her to her bedroom, where she began to remove her jewelry from the younger woman. "It appears to have been quite a lively meal, thanks in part to our guest. I trust you weren't disappointed to learn of his true identity?"
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Posted: Thu Apr 20, 2017 12:03 am
Gertrude nodded, having learned quickly that no one could understand her pleas, her master could as she knew the language for some reason. She laid down, looking to Elsie with wide eyes before becoming comfortable and falling asleep. She dreamt of her husband, where was he now? Had he been made a slave as well? She knew what happened to male slaves, but if she could just get him back into her arms, she wouldn't care. Her job was to protect their child and find him or wait until he found her.
Ken had dozed off slightly, waking up when Ailean entered the room and told him not to worry about her. "I'll try not to, but if she needs a translator, I can help you better understand her." He watched Inga become excited to see he was awake yet stay right where she was. "I'm fine, Inga, come on, lets try some of those." He pointed to the bottles of medicine, moving the out cold pup to the end of his bed so he could let Inga look at his wounds. "And Ailean? I know your wife and unborn child died, this might be God's gift to you, to save this child's life." He smiled as the man walked out, holding his arms up just enough to have Inga unwrap his wounds.
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Bethany had stayed awake until Joseph woke up, leaning against the chair in her armor this time instead of wearing a stupid dress. "You fought bandits and stopped them from taking me to rape. I managed to get you on a horse and to a doctor before you bled out." She felt his forehead then checked some wounds before relaxing. "Get some rest Joseph, you need time to heal." She wondered if he remembered wrapping his arm around her exposed chest to prevent frostbite while riding? How instead of just killing bandits, he tried to rescue her? It was...admirable.
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Victoria thought it went well, even when her little siblings had to be excuses because they were crying. she followed Astrid to her room and let the woman take the precious jewels back. "I was, but it know he didn't lie because he wished to get to you through me or simply to meet with the king...I've never had anyone do it simply for love before." She wondered what he would trade to win her win, what was her father asking for? Exports? Gems? Money? Oh she was anxious to know already. "If father says yes, will you come to my wedding, Astrid? Whenever your around, everything goes to smoothly!" She held some hair up so Astrid could get the earrings, having to inspect each one for any missing gems.
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Posted: Thu Apr 20, 2017 3:30 am
"Ah, I'm glad ta hear that, let me tell ya. You men and your talk, it's too rough for the likes of me. I'd like some warning next time, so I don't have to hear it. Now let's see that arm." Inga went on as Ken raised his arms. She set both cases down on his bed and first went about removing the old linen from his wounds. She had a little smile on her face as she did it, biting her lower lip as if to try to keep the words in. But, she couldn't. "Oh! I can't believe you went and said such a thing, you softie!" She playfully smacked his shoulder with a bundle of dirty bandages, grinning from ear to ear. "You little scamp, you, cheerin' on your old man like that. It's like you've been family for all your lives! Such a sweet little fellow you are." She cleaned up his wounds before picking up one of the bottles. She didn't recognize the medicine within, spotted one of the little scrolls of information where it'd been and picked that up.
She squinted, sighing through her teeth as she read it. "What tiny handwriting and look, some of it's in a foreign language. How annoying. How is anyone supposed to understand this? Can you read it?" She held it out for him to take, unlatching the lid of the container in order to sniff at the contents. She hadn't noticed that the foreign language was merely scientific terms, which were in Latin. The instructions were overly detailed and contained a lot of extra information in regards to the ingredients used and the various uses for it. It was the same for each of the medicines she'd made for him, even those he was supposed to consume with his meals. This one was mainly to be used sparingly, just a small amount would go a long way and it was also important not to use too much as it could prove to be deadly. A little tingling sensation was to be expected, followed by a mild lingering warmth. Inga placed a few clean rolls of linen and packs of gauze next to him and waited for an answer.
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Joseph frowned as he listened to her story. He watched her cautiously as she checked on some of his wounds and touched his forehead. He couldn't really move too much now if she decided to attack him again, like he'd known her to so often. He remembered vividly the treatment she'd given the last man who'd made an advance on her. That guy hadn't even tried to take her as his woman, he just wanted to use her for a bit of fun. Joseph knew that she must be angry with him for that, since they were arguing before he abducted her. Or at least he'd tried to, until they were interrupted. He tried to sit up again, only to fall back against the pillows. "Of course I did. I'm the only man that can touch you." He reached over to grab on to her hand and tried to pull her closer towards him. He was really only trying to see if her arm was okay, but didn't express his intentions at all. If she was acting like this it meant that she hadn't been hurt. He looked up at the chest piece of her armor and scowled at it. "That dress looked better on you." He remembered how many men had been interested in her when she'd been wearing that dress. He shifted in his bed, letting go of her arm and looked away from her. "I guess you don't look too bad in that either. If you wear it you won't tempt other men."
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Egbert stumbled into his room, hearing the door shut and lock behind him. He felt like a b***h. He'd groveled in front of that harpy, and like the evil b***h she was she didn't care to give him so much as an answer. She wouldn't help him and he knew that maybe Erwin would if he tried begging him. The young man just couldn't bear the thought of putting himself at the mercy of another man. This left him with the only choice he had left which was to run away. He'd tried before, only to be tortured for it. He would just have to keep trying. He'd have to find Gertie, to get to her before some evil man beat her to death. His heart squeezed at the thought of her suffering. His only consolation was that he believed no men would find her attractive enough to attack, since she was pregnant. He'd feel like such a failure if he couldn't even be there to fight for her otherwise. He slumped onto his bed, feeling the straw poking at his wounds as he lay his weight against the mattress.
He stared up at the ceiling, his drunken mind thinking about his wife. He could see her face, almost hear her voice. He wanted so dearly to go to her, to find and keep her safe. They'd run back to their country and together, go somewhere safe and build a new life for themselves. He stayed there in his room, day dreaming about his wife and child, his old life as well. He'd also lost his father and mother to the fight, though they'd died fighting to defend their village. When it came time for him to perform his evening chores, another slave came to wake him up. He unsteadily left with them, constantly looking for any little opening he could take that would let him escape.
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Astrid noticed that one of the little jewels was missing and sighed, placing it back in its case with the rest of the set. "I will of course be there for you when on the day of your wedding. I pray that the man you marry will be worthy of you, dear sister." She said, forcing herself to smile in order to acknowledge the compliment that'd been paid to her. She removed the earrings, one at a time, and set them down. "Tory, if you marry that man you will be leaving Criaswen. Could you really bear to? You'll be in a strange new place. Certainly if father allows you to marry Prince Van Amee. you will be married within the year. Still, even with all of that time to get to know him, will you really be all right?" She hated to admit that part of her concern from her sister had come from thinking of how Kenneth was faring now. He was in a situation that was similar to what Victoria was facing. He was living in a strange place which he'd never been to, as far as she was aware at least. With a man and others who he barely knew.
He was something of a social butterfly, but that didn't keep her from thinking about him. She would never even entertain the idea that she was worried about him, at all. She would doubtless never admit to it either, even though she'd spent so much of her precious time making the various medicines she'd sent to him. All after hearing from Ester about his current condition, being worse off than when he'd left the castle. Victoria would be all by herself, with a man she didn't know that well. The people of Caritas spoke a foreign language so she'd be dependent on a translator until she could learn it.
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Posted: Thu Apr 20, 2017 11:25 am
Kenneth laughed lightly at Inga as she said their talks were to rough. "Sorry about that, I'm use to talking to other male slaves, no one really listened to us so we were free to talk gross-like." He let out a breath, the bandages coming off felt like his back could breath again for a short time as she cleaned at old blood, checks stitches and made sure he hadn't any infections either. "I know that girl pulled at his heart strings, he won't let her return to slavery with a child about to come, it would risk the child's life or both and I don't think he could handle knowing it." He took the little scroll and read it, understanding the instructions and some latin, but sighed as she had wrote to use it sparingly, setting it down to look to Inga as she readied clean bandages and gauze. "Just a tiny amount will do, too much is deadly, she even gave an amount, put a finger dab on a cloth and rub it together then gently rub it over my back." He explained, watching her and wincing as it came in contact with his wounds, soon feeling as if warmth was coming from it. He held his arms up to let her wrap himself again.
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Bethany rolled her eyes as he tried to excuse his rescuing her. "No you can't touch me." She let him grab her arm, was he checking that bruise again or trying to get her to lay with him? She pulled her arm away as he let go, looking to the small bruise on her wrist. "Pretty sure it don't matter as long as I'm a woman, men are tempted by whats under this." She sat back down, letting the doctor in to check on his injuries as well. "The commander says you fight good for fending on bandits, but you still need practice." She explained, standing up to leave them alone since he needed to be undressed to check wounds. She would wait outside the door of course, not leaving the town without him.
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Victoria let her hair back down as she finished retrieving the jewelry. "Yes, I love my country, but to experience another place's culture and stories would be amazing! I will learn the language, know the culture and it would be one kingdom we don't have to invade, because if it tried to go against Criaswen, we could easily stop it." She blushed lightly at the thought of marrying Barth, to be his wife and of course she would have to invite Ken to the wedding as well. "Oh! I must write to Kenneth! He would love to hear an update! I wonder if he has written back yet...?" She trailed off, waving to her as she shuffled off down the hallway to get materials.
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Posted: Fri Apr 21, 2017 4:21 am
"Oh." Inga said as she looked at the paste-like substance. She stuck a finger in it, using some gauze to be a barrier between her skin and it. "Don't mind if I do." She did as instructed, rubbing the mixture over his wounds. "Such a strange medication, isn't it? It's tough getting it to be even on here. Most stuff, don't ya just use a ton of it anyway? Why make it so strong. It's like--... Oh, I'm sure it's not that." She went on and on, stopping herself before she could say that it was like the person who'd sent him all of this wanted to kill him. She placed the clean gauze over his wounds and wrapped it tightly to keep it in place. She pat his shoulder after she was done. "There. How do you fancy a little walk, hm?"
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Joseph was dizzy as he was made to stand up. The doctor kept him propped up, before helping him to sit down on the bed. The ceiling was too low for the giant teenager to be able to stand up comfortably. His wounds were checked, cleaned and redressed. The doctor had some meat brought up, which Joseph made him taste to prove that it wasn't poisoned. He ate it quickly and the meal refreshed him. In about ten minutes he was able to get up and move around on his own. He was stumbling and had to be careful to avoid falling face-first into the floor. He got dressed, with the doctor's help, and was brought out to join Bethany. The wagon had been found with several items missing. He got up into the front seat, looking over the map to figure out how they'd get home.
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Astrid bit back a sigh, Tory was such an odd girl. The culture of Criaswen was much superior to any other. Though the time and resources could be spent invading a more worthwhile country, that was the only benefit to Victoria marrying into the Van Amee's. She closed the case and was walking it over to put it away with the rest of her jewelry when Tory mentioned Ken. She jumped slightly, the case slipping from her hands and clattering on the ground. She hadn't expected that sort of reaction. She looked over in Tory's direction to see the girl hurrying off down the hallway. She released a sigh and crouched down to pick up the case. She checked on the jewels to make sure they were still in their proper places inside, before putting it away. She left soon after, not bothering to change clothes, and went into her study to resume her work. She was busy for most of the day, and continued on into the night. So much new information was being shared with her that she hadn't been allowed to learn. She was determined to put that useless man out of mind so she could focus clearly on the pursuit of her goals.
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Posted: Fri Apr 21, 2017 5:12 pm
Kenneth glanced at her, hoping she wouldn't waste any as he could just feel the threat by Astrid if she did. "She uses special plants, some poisonous in large doses but still okay as medication. A walk...? Sure." He set his arms down, moving the pup and lifting it up. "Wake up Rubert, wanna go on a walk?" He set the pup down as it revved back to life and begun running to the door and back to Inga as Ken slowly stood with her help. "I will have to thank Astrid for the gifts, she'll kill me if I don't." He joked, although he felt like she would if he truly ignored her while accepting gifts.
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Bethany watched Joseph closely as he was allowed to leave and get on the wagon, climbing up to sit beside him and take the reigns. "Your not driving this time." She made the horses move forward, going back to their camp this time since she didn't trust him after his attempt on taking her with him to the border. She did have to peak over to the map to see which road to take, the snow covering everything made it difficult to read signs.
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Posted: Sat Apr 22, 2017 7:45 am
((Nearly two months later...)) Ailean sat in his lounge, drinking tea with the young slave he'd freed and his rather energetic younger sister. She was happily chatting away, all too eager to spill all of her own stories to the girl. Gertrude had been learning the language, but he wasn't sure exactly how much of what his sister was saying she understood. His son had left a few days ago to visit the royal family. He'd had a talk with him beforehand, warning him to be very careful. At first Ailean didn't want Ken to go. He feared that Princess Astrid would do something to harm the boy, especially considering how she felt about him. It wasn't particularly safe for Ken to leave the house either, for the letters from his stalker had become gradually more and more violent over time. Ken was with Yitta, but the two of them together were fairly defenseless. He felt like a worrywart, but he hoped that Ken would send word of his safe arrival soon. "Gertrude, how are you feeling? Do you need water, or perhaps something to eat? More clothing for your child? Speaking of, how is your little one faring today?" He asked, glad to interrupt his sister as she was going on about her husband who happened to be a Duke with a stutter.
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He huffed, bringing an axe down upon a log, splitting the wood into two pieces. Over time, he'd tried to secure a place for himself here. The snow was too thick and heavy to clear enough for a shelter, the weather was too cold for him to rough it outside like he wanted. So he'd been stuck shacking up with Bethany, who persistently denied his advances. She didn't even have to decency to flash him when he'd asked her to, cause he wanted to see what she had down there. He was going to just tie her down and undress her by force, but had learned that attempting to do anything to her would cause her to attack him when he wasn't expecting it. After chopping enough firewood, he brought it all into their cabin and set it near to the fireplace. He tossed a few logs in, then went over to his cot to sit down. He tore off his coat and tunic, unintentionally ripping the fabric a little in the process.
He'd fought with the other trainees, easily beating so many of them. But still, practically every day he had to fight them. Having him as an opponent had made some of them stronger, but he'd also accidentally killed one or two. Others either fled or took their own lives. He'd lost his temper several times and had rampaged through the camp until that woman-thing showed up to stop him. What's worse is that it'd been nearly two months since he'd gotten any tail. Every time he tried to leave camp to go into town, there she was. The one time he'd made it out without her being around to catch him, she'd caught up to him and stopped him from getting what he wanted by beating up his intended partner. He crossed his arms over his bare chest, which glistened with sweat from the day's efforts and pouted. He'd yet to make sure everything was working properly down there. His hair had grown back. ********, that had itched like hell. Why'd they have to shave everywhere, even his a** and back?
He tapped his boot on the floor anxiously. Should he settle for the elderly nurse? She was married to the doctor but rumor had it she was easy pickings. He barely even noticed the letters his family had sent him, the impressive gift Victoria had sent him. He didn't like that she was getting married, but that was another matter entirely. He first needed to take care of this, but how? He couldn't get to a woman and even he wasn't low enough to attack another man for it. Bethany wouldn't, or couldn't, help him out either. So he had to get out of camp, find a woman and make sure he'd come out of that coma fully functional. What if he couldn't have kids? What would he tell his parents? The truth was too humiliating to reveal! After returning, it'd been made clear to him that Bethany had been upset about his exposing her to the cold. He wanted to see if 'they' were okay, but she kept smacking his hands away. Just to keep her from pranking him while he slept, he'd gone out to fell a wolf in order to give its pelt to her.
She was always fidgeting, trying to cover up her impressive, peasant bosom. It was under his bed, he'd been too stubborn to give it to her just yet. Maybe he could use it to distract her, so he could get away? He still didn't get why she was hovering around him like this. He looked over as the door opened and scowled when he saw Bethany entering the cabin. He reached under his bed and tossed the pelt at her. "Here. Take it." He said with a grunt, feeling a bit cold now due to the door being open.
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It had taken a few tweaks and back and forth communications between himself and the father of his intended, but before long their engagement had been made official. He was waiting now for his bride to be to arrive with her escort to visit his palace. He was going to show her around for the first time, so that after they'd been married it wouldn't be such a shock to her. He was excited to show her around. Would she like the city? Would there be enough to keep her interested in him? Her family was wealthier than his by far, though the Van Amee's were still quite rich. He straightened his cravat and stood in front of the doors which lead to the main hall of his palace. In Criaswen, it was winter. Much of the country was blanketed underneath feet of snow. Here in Caritas however, it was pleasantly warm. The sun was out, birds were chirping. The island was alive with life and romance. He wondered how she'd like it, if she wouldn't be more comfortable going back to her country instead since their climates were so different from one another? He resisted the desire to pace back and forth and did his utmost to look every bit the dashing prince he wanted to be for Victoria.
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Egbert's injuries had recovered completely by now. As soon as he was mobile, he was forced to resume his chores. He'd already gone so far as to bed and plead to his master for mercy. A few times, after a bit of heavy drinking, he'd attempted to convince her. Each attempt failed, until the most recent one which he made the previous afternoon. She wasn't happy with him, he swore he'd behave himself and serve her properly if she found his family. She'd agreed to his request, but only if she had the time to spare it. She was always working in that room. He only saw her at meal times, or if someone tattled on him when he was having some fun. He'd just finished scrubbing the floors and was putting away the equipment when a servant approached him. "Princess Astrid has orders for you. Her sister, Princess Ester, is expecting a guest today and she wished for you to help her sister. She says you're to do this every day between doing your chores."
"Ester?" He repeated, managing to more or less pronounce it correctly. The little girl was too creepy to forget. Twelve years old and already she was over five feet tall. The girl was going to be a giant when she'd finished growing, if she ever did. She never spoke, not to him or anyone else but Hector. He'd only overheard her talking to him when he'd been passing by one of the rooms. She was always carrying around pieces of paper and a charcoal pencil. Whenever she wanted to say something, she always wrote it down and showed it to whoever it was. When she smiled, crimeny, it was the spookiest face he'd ever seen. She gave him the heebie jeebies and he didn't want to be around her. He couldn't read Crias, for one, so how was he supposed to help her? Who was this guest? He groaned, scratching at his butt with the brush as he nodded at the other person.
He walked off, going to the wing of the castle where the youngest princess resided. He knocked on the door, jumping when it opened immediately. "AH!" He screamed, leaping backwards in order to put some distance between them. The girl gave him a blank stare, with a bloodlessly pale face. He shuddered and tried to smile. "Aah... Eh... Oooh, wale.. Allo there.." He handed her the paper he'd been given, explaining his orders, and took a step back after she took it. He waited for her to finish reading. The not-so-little-anymore princess nodded at him with that skin crawlingly creepy smile of hers and waved at him to follow her. He did, hugging his arms when she wasn't looking. His master was a cruel b***h, for sure.
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Her spies had relayed some interesting information to her. The whereabouts of Kenneth's sister, the amount of money that had been given to his parents upon his being sold into slavery, the revelation that they'd been the ones to sell him and that they'd been hoping for information, but had abandoned him out of shame like the foolish low-birthers they were. She'd recently sent a spy to go about investigating the fates of the other slaves from Idstein which had been captured or sold around the same time Egbert had been. She didn't particularly care for the disgusting slaves happiness or well being. But, with how time consuming her work had been of late it suited her purposes better to keep him happy. She would find his wife and if the baby had survived, would bring it to the castle along with his wife. He would be bound to behave himself after that, if she threatened to harm them he would work harder. She was confident about this.
Ester had visited her recently, telling her through the usual method that she'd invited that useless man to come and stay a while. Her youngest sister wished to perform a piece of music she'd been writing with Kenneth, and wanted Astrid to attend as well. Ester had even convinced their parents to throw a little event around this performance, having invited several high ranking nobles. It would take place the following day. She would go, for Ester's sake. But was determined to avoid seeing Kenneth completely. She still had that lewd drawing he'd made of her, locked away in a drawer. She'd planned to reveal it to him as evidence of his crime, then punish him for it. But knowing now that he would be under the same roof made her feel very... nervous. She didn't wish to see him now. Perhaps she'd burn the drawing and try to forget the entire thing. The three suitors she'd selected would also be visiting her, having been invited to watch Ester and Kenneth play.
She would focus on getting to know those men. Their assets, personalities and most importantly, their weaknesses. She'd yet to select just one to become her betrothed and eventually, her husband. Criaswen was going to invade one of their neighboring countries soon, to expand their territories. It was rich in spices and other grown things, valuable enough that it should belong to Criaswen. In her opinion, anyway. She would have to chose soon and relay her choice to her father, before the invasion. It was also fairly embarrassing that Victoria was going to be married before her, so she wished to settle this matter as swiftly as possible. She put away the documents that she'd been working on and then rose from her chair. It was time for her to attend a strategy meeting with her father and the advisor in preparation for the attack. She left her study, locking the door behind her, and began to head for the battle chamber.
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Sticky fumbling fingers. Fluttering eyes, trembling heart and quivering lips. She watched. Waited. Waited for her lover to appear at the castle. It'd been so long since she'd spoken with him. Too long. Far too long. What would she do if he refused her? Trap him. Cut out his tongue if he didn't talk to her. Use the spell the old witch had given her. Mirabelle was a poorer noble, though wealthier than your average peasant. She could provide for him. Keep him safe. She would keep him safe. Away from prying eyes. Away from those women who just wanted him for his status and money. She knew better, was better. She loved him for who he was. He knew it, she had faith that deep down he didn't doubt the strength of her pure love for him. She'd prove it to him. Again and again. As many times as needed. He was away from that cruel man who called himself father. She'd save him now. Get to him before the others. She'd been invited to the royal family's little concert. Stolen. Taken from another, used their invitation to get in. She waited, down the hall from the main entrance. She watched diligently, looking for her lover to make his entrance.
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Yitta stepped out of the carriage before Kenneth, instantly turning back to hold up her hands towards him. She waited to help him down from his place, still upset about the pain she so often caused him to feel due to her clumsiness. The dog, Rupert, was laying lazily across his master's lap. She'd been a bit jealous of how friendly the animal was with him. Rupert was a sweet puppy, though he suffered from random bursts of energy. "Master, do you need help? Should I take him away?" She reached for the pup's neck and tugged on its fur to get him to move. The pup groaned, wagging its tail excitedly, but didn't move an inch. The little imp was staring down at her, daring her to try to force him off of his master's lap. If she did, she was sure he'd have another fit of playfulness. She grumbled, looking to Kenneth out of frustration. "Master... he's doin' it again." She still held her hands out to help him get down from the carriage.
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Hector stepped out of their cabin and on to the ship's deck. The boat's horn blew, signaling that they'd arrived at the island. It was larger than he'd thought it would be. The streets were full of people. Stalls lined the streets just outside of the docks, no doubt items intended for tourists were sold there along with fish. In the distance, standing tall and looking glorious was the royal palace where the Van Amee's resided. It was a clean but disorderly looking country, judging by first appearances. He turned to look up at Tory, frowning slightly when he saw her expression. "It's not that impressive... Are you sure you don't want to go home? It's not too late to change your mind. No one would blame you." He was torn between wishing that his older brother had been able to escort her instead. But Arric had a bad disease, apparently, which made him incapable of traveling. Joseph was stuck in the army and their Uncle wasn't willing to leave his wife and children.
He wasn't confident that any of them would've done a good enough job of keeping Victoria safe in a strange country. Even now, he had two swords and a dagger at his belt. He was ready to protect her, should their guards fail to do their jobs. He almost hoped that her 'fiancée' would mess up so he could challenge to man to a duel. A man who would lie to her wasn't suitable enough to be her husband. She was a proud Inrmis woman. She deserved a higher quality of man and it was his duty as her brother to find one for her.
---
Ester smiled, gripping her papers and charcoal tightly as she waited for her guest to arrive. She was so glad that this day had finally arrived. He'd recovered well from his injuries, according to his last letter. Everything was ready for them to perform the piece they'd been working on together. She was so excited to be able to play with one of the few friends she felt that she could trust. She looked over to Astrid's slave, who was standing a few feet behind her, and smiled to try to calm the man down. He was probably afraid of being punished if he did a bad job. She stood in the main hall, just a short distance from the castle's main doors. She waited impatiently, bouncing on the balls of her feet and often looking to the door to see if he was here yet.
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Posted: Sat Apr 22, 2017 7:00 pm
Gertrude was sitting in a pretty yellow and white dress, looking much better then she had two months prior. She was glad to have gotten the chance to escape Mirabelle's hold and be freed by Ailean. "Feelin' gude. Ah, n-no sir, my 'ittle boy fares vell(well), I jush(just) wish to still find his papa." She had learned well, although the sister of Ailean was hard to understand since she was still learning. "Inga is watching him." She smiled, seeing his sister's face light up at the thought of a little baby boy in the household, oh did she have gifts. "I glad you let me stay here, my babeh is alive because of you." She did wish to thank Kenneth as much as possible, having used him as a translator and teacher to help her while he was recovering. She had managed to give him her necklace and told him to show it to any from her country in hopes of finding the man who had made it, her husband. It had been her betrothal necklace from Egbert and was her best hope to finding him.
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Bethany had hovered over Joseph like a owl, having dragged him back to town herself multiple times, getting him off females in the camp and stopping fights he had started. She also refused to let him touch her breasts again, haven felt humiliated when he tried to take them both from the country in hopes of doing whatever he wanted with her. "Joseph-!" A pelt smacked the front of her as she grabbed at it and held it out at arms length. "A wolf...pelt...okay. Good hunting, I bet it will be a nice trophy for your collection." She tossed it in a small pile of rabbit, wolf and deer pelts; not understanding it was an apology pelt. Like the others. "We will be marching tonight to a battlefield right past the border, I had some real armor made for you as you are...tall." She looked him up and down before dragging in a box and pushing it in front of him. "Open it, I had it engraved with your family's crest." She sat on her cot, adjusting the armor she wore as she had been wearing it all day already.
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Victoria had been so excited to hear that her father approved of the marriage, she had her tutor teach her the language as fast as possible, but still she could barely speak it. She had done as much research as the books would tell her, begging Hector to escort her as Arric couldn't risk it and their uncle was dealing with his wife having fallen ill again. "It's....beautiful." She shuffled around the deck, scanning what she could see on the island before rushing back to their cabin to change, having brought a outfit made for a princess but a bit more for hot days like this one. As they docked and unloaded, she returned to Hector's side and walked with him. "Brother, we've been raised to the highest standards, we shouldn't frown to those below us but help them! Look at this, women without veils! You see those with pants?!" She fanned herself, distracted at every turn when it came to exotic dancers meant for entertainment and not sex, to the common women wearing beautiful clothing of jewels and sequins. It took them nearly two hours to reach the palace, even the guards dressed differently and greeted them with smiles. "I've never been so happy before Hector, we must stay for the entire visit!" She spotted her beloved pacing and waved to him, being kept from shuffling over by a slow walking Hector.
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Kenneth had enjoyed the journey, bringing Rubert with him and Yitta, having made a small collar for the dog with his name on it; thanks to a local blacksmith. He watched the castle come into view before thinking he saw Mirabelle, but she couldn't be here, no one invited her. He took a breath and looked to Yitta as she couldn't get his dog to move. "I'm good Yitta, my wounds have healed, now Rubert..." He lifted the dog up, snuggling it's nose before setting it down and climbing out with her help. "I can't wait to see her...but first, princess Ester expects us on arrival." He whistled for Rubert to follow, being greeted by the guards and showing the invitation as he would be playing with Ester as it was the first piano piece to need to be done by two people. He passed them just as he heard his name and turned, going wide eyed. "And here I hoped it was my imagination...keep walking, ignore her." He hooked arms with Yitta, lifting Rubert up with one arm to quickly go into the castle and to Ester. The letter had said she would be in the sitting room for her guests, setting the puppy down outside the door and pointing at it. "Behave." He stood up, pointing to Yitta. "Watch him and remember what I told you." He entered the room, closing the door behind him and smiling at Ester. "It's good to see you princess Ester." He bowed gently, looking to Egbert and flashing a smile since he couldn't outright talk to him in front of Ester without her permission. "I practiced the minute I was able to, oh yes...I brought a gift." He took a tiny rock from his pocket, it glistened with the geode in the center in a metallic pink color. He stepped forward to hand it to her, the child nearly being his height.
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Erwin was studying a rather large map of what would be, the countries and land of their percieved world, detailed and raised to show mountains and villages that were known. "The invasion would be worth it if we find a route across the Devil's sea that won't end in pirates or their army of barbarians. There is this bit of land we connect to, small farming land we can enter as a small force at a time." He swept a figurine of a horse and man onto the small bit of flat land. He looked up when Astrid entered and smiled. "Oh! I forgot to mention my king, your eldest daughter now has another suitor, young Lord Kenneth Catanach." William gave him a look then sighed. "Yup. Sent you a gift, I'll give it to you later my dear, we should make sure the concert preparations are ready for Ester and her guest's performance.I say...if this..boy impresses me, I might consider it, he won't do well as a king like me, but will more importantly keep you in power and I bet he's toughened some since Ailean has had him." He laughed, along with Erwin. "Come Astrid, I want to talk to you before the concert." He held his arm out, wishing for some father-daughter time to talk about her future and what he expected if she was to be queen.
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Posted: Mon Apr 24, 2017 8:11 pm
Ailean smiled at hearing that the baby was doing just fine. "It warms my heart to hear that he's doing well. You're both welcome to stay here for as long as you want to. Your presence here has energized the place and as you've seen, the maids all cherish you and your son." He said, sipping on his tea to moisten his throat. He'd felt a dry cough coming along and didn't wish to worry the new mother by making her believe that he was ill, and that illness might harm her baby. His sister grinned, the wrinkles on her face shifting incredibly at the change in expression. "Sooo, tell us about your husband why don't you? I'm simply dying to hear what he's like. I mean, after all that's happened to you he must be an amazing man for you to want him back." She waved away concerned comments from Ailean. She was insinuating that no woman would want a man who had failed to keep them safe. She'd been told about so much of what had happened to this poor girl that she was simply fascinated and wanted to know more. How Gertrude managed to live with everything was of particular interest to her.
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Joseph eyed the crate, but didn't open it. He didn't trust it. One way or another he'd been pranked here and was now a lot more cautious of what he ate, drank or handled. He kicked it away, which pushed it towards the fire. "Good. It's about time I got some action." Then he stood up and started to get dressed again. He had a few hours to kill before it was time to march and he intended to get what he wanted. He tied his coin purse to his belt then went over to the door. He shot Bethany a glare and sneered at her. "Don't follow me this time, wench. Even peasants get the chance to indulge themselves before a fight." With that he went outside and headed for the stables.
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Barthomieu was overjoyed to see Victoria upon their arrival, but was taken aback by the cruel words of her escort. He was surprised by the boy's height and eloquence. Prince Hector was a boy of eleven, yet he was nearly as tall as any other fully grown man. Was this truly him or was King William joking with him somehow? How could an eleven year old be so tall? But, he couldn't just assume or that child may very well take his true love away, never to return. He bowed his head slightly, then straightened his posture. "I apologize on behalf of my people. Ours is a culture much different from that of proud Criaswen's. My people live their lives carefree, but I assure you that they are not as immoral as they appear to be. It is merely the climate, our women are rather delicate you see. It was decided nearly a decade ago that they would be permitted to wear their hair up or to leave their hair uncovered when they leave their homes, in order to avoid becoming overheated."
He cast a worried glance over to Victoria, fearful that she felt the same way as her little brother did. He thought of the old cathedral, one which had been around for longer than his family had ruled. "Won't you give Caritas another look around? I would dearly love to show you the St. Grimhold's Cathedral. It is a glorious piece of history and I am certain that you will understand how strong the faith of my people is once you see it." He waited for Victoria to help him to convince her brother to give him another chance, dismayed at the thought of losing her. He felt an icy presence in the room which sent shivers down his spine and knew that his gloomy bodyguard wasn't far.
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Astrid was silently fuming at the revelation, though she didn't allow her revulsion to the mere thought of a possibility of having to marry that degenerate to show. She maintained an outwardly calm demeanor and walked over to them. "Yes, father." As her father offered his arm, she accepted and left the room with him. She believed his words to only be a show of good faith for the others in the room. He wouldn't really have her marry such a weak man? Not one who had until recently been a slave, even if only for a year's time? It angered her to think that a lifetime of effort could be ruined in this way. Why did that man of low-birth persist? He'd told her that he would forget his feelings, instead being her friend even if she were to marry another man. She fully intended to marry someone else, someone much better qualified to be her husband.
That fool would waste the power given to him, and once married she couldn't.. refuse him certain things. Like his indulgences, he'd be getting fat off of her coin and if a slave or servant complained to him, he'd be soft on them. She held no doubts as to whose side he'd be on then. If she killed him after, she couldn't remarry. She'd committed so many sins over her lifetime and would again. That was one area on which she wouldn't budge. He'd lied to her before, even though she kept her word. If she allowed herself to be married to this man, that was it. Her life would never be as she wanted it to be. She couldn't let this continue and now had no choice but to speak to him later. She felt one of her eyes begin to twitch, and inhaled deeply in order to attempt to calm herself. "What is this in regard to, father?"
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Yitta nodded, the few loose curls that framed her face bouncing with the quick motion. She looked down at Rupert with an nervous smile. "Okay, pup. You stay. right. where. you. are." She pointed down at him as she spoke, lifting and lowering her arm for emphasis. The thirty pound pup looked up at her, a little drool dribbling down from his loosely hanging lips. He tilted his head one way and another, back and forth as she spoke to him as if he didn't understand. Then, as soon as she'd finished he got up and ran off down the hallway. "Rupert! No! Bad boy! Get back here!" She whispered, her heart beating wildly with anxiety. She hesitated before following the fluffy white menace down the hallway, apologizing to everyone she passed for the mess he'd left in his wake.
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Hector stayed close to Victoria, not approving at all of their surroundings. "I see them. This county is without morals entirely. Joseph would love it." In Criaswen, if a woman went outside without wearing a veil of some sort they were seen as whores. To be without a veil was to attract dangerous attention. It didn't make a difference if the veil were sheer, or if it covered all of their heir. Their eldest living sister was fond of wearing such things, her veils always leaving the top of her head uncovered and held in place by a luxurious circlet, of which she had many. Even peasant women kept their hair covered. So when he saw all of them, and the dancers only made it worse, he only saw them as a bunch of prostitutes. He was going to give that Prince Barthomieu a piece of his mind when they arrived.
He noticed quickly how distracted she was by all of the sin around them, so he held on to her hand and pulled her in closer. Then closed the curtain to block out the outside. "That's enough for now." And he remained firm on that, closing the curtain every time she'd try to look outside again. By the time they'd gotten there, he was fuming. Hector was more of a pacifist compared to his other brothers, preferring to keep to his books and avoid physical combat. But he'd gotten prepared as all boys of royal birth were in the art of fencing. He held on to his sister's arm to keep her from running like an idiot to her fiancé. Then stepped in front of her to face Barthomieu.
"Your Highness, we've suffered incomprehensible forms of indecency, the likes of which are too much for a woman of my sister's breeding to be forced to withstand! We were greeted by sights of unspeakable morality! This is low, even for a foreigner! If this is how little you think of my great and humble sister, we will return to Criaswen immediately and by God, we'll put a stop to all of this immorality!" He was certain after hearing the prince's explanation that these people were so backwards that they were centuries behind Criaswen in terms of culture. How could he let his sister be married to such a man who ruled over a backwards country like this one?
---
Ester hurried up to him, holding up a piece of paper. Welcome back, Kenny. I'm delighted to see you again. How is your health? She'd written this beforehand, as she rarely spoke to convey anything. So when he'd presented a gift to her, she scrambled to write her gratitudes. She looked up, taking the gift and holding it gingerly as she looked it over. She tucked it against her chest as she wrote something down. Then held up the parchment for him to read. Thank you, it's lovely. She noticed him paying a bit of attention to Egbert, and looked back at him. Nothing was off about him, except that he looked a little scared when he noticed her looking at him. She wrote something down on the same paper, and held it up for Ken to read. Do you wish to speak with Egbert for a while?
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Posted: Mon Apr 24, 2017 9:52 pm
Gertrude nodded, glad for how much he wished to help her out, it felt like back at home where her village helped anyone in need. "Oh, they help a lot!" She said, referring to the servants and maids helping her with taking care of her son. She became surprised as his sister asked about her husband and thought for a second on the best word she could use. "Ah...he is young, was tavern's son! Eldest. Not bright no, but we fell in love and married. We had a little house being built, he was....proud when he knew he was soon a father. I...I miss him." She frowned, missing her husband more than anything in the world and just hoping she could at least learn of his fate. "Oh, the big...p..pup? He sits at my son's door all the time, is this er...noomal? (Normal)" She asked, not understanding why the old male dog wished to stick close to her baby boy, having walked from Ailean's room during the night and got into her son's room, laying beside his basset.
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Bethany frowned as he didn't even look at her gift, what would it take to impress this man? She couldn't just let him go screw some whore...could she? "Fine...but if your not back before the march, I'll drag you back." She slammed the door behind him and sighed, looking to the pile of pelts and picking them up. "I guess...their soft?" She set the wolf one on her bed and smiled before realizing the heat to her cheeks and how loud her heart thumped. "Fine! That b*stard wants some indulgement, I'll give it to him!" She grabbed the wolf's pelt and raced off, seeing him still at the stables and getting his horse ready. She stopped, why hesitate? He was right there, she could just grab his belt and- what was she thinking?! She looked to a young stable hand who spotted her and motioned for him to grab Joseph's coin bag, which he did quietly and let it fall into some hay he was turning over for the horses. Bethany hid behind the stables, waiting for him to leave and having a rather stupid smile on her face.
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Victoria was equally shocked, she knew Hector could be mean to slaves and people of low birth but...this was her betrothed! A soon to be new Irnmis...a new older brother for Hector. "Brother, I understand what we've seen is strange, but let us learn of their faith and culture, surely these people still believe in our Lord, right? Besides, Barthomieu here told in his latest letter of the country's grand library, filled with ancient works and texts, not just poetry but of the paranormal! Oh isn't that the church you told me was truly haunted?! We must see it! I will not leave this country until I prove everything he said in his letters was true to me!" She clacked her heel, crossed her arms and turned from both of them, truly trying to convince Hector with her stubborness.
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King WIlliam smiled as his current eldest took his arm and he walked with her down the halls, empty for once due to the concert. "Astrid, you are my most beautiful daughter, strong, both in the mind and in the heart. I want nothing more than for you to rule this country. Now as you know, a queen has little power if her king wishes to take control." They turned a few hallways down. "This is my advice, a weak king is your best option and if you must take this...Catanach, then I only wish to let you decide." He stopped and picked up a package on a table before handing it to her as a dog came running through, knocking it from his hands. A young red haired lady passed as well. "You! Stop!" He roared, mad.
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Kenneth smiled, glad to see her so happy to see him. "I'm doing good, my wounds have healed,
still getting back into shape, but otherwise the doctor said I was healthy." He got wide eyed when reading the letter. "Yes, please, I will meet you at our pianos." He bowed again, watching her leave and turning to Egbert as he seemed to relax without her around. "I need your help my friend, my father rescued a young woman from slavery and she is searching for her husband." He took the woven necklace out of his pocket and set it in his hands for him to look,
trying to hide the little trinket in case he would get in trouble.
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Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2017 2:27 am
"We'll do out utmost to locate your husband." Ailean tried to reassure her, knowing well that the man was probably already dead by now. His sister seemed to be amused by Gertrude's description. "Seems an odd fellow to fall for though I guess I can't blame you. Tavern men can be quite fun, at times." She giggled as Ailean sighed gruffly, a clear sign that what she'd said had bothered him. She then pat the girl's shoulder. "Ailean's right, my dear. You'll see your man again, in this life or the next. What have you decided to name your little darling?" Ailean interrupted to respond to a question he only just realized he'd forgotten to answer. "Ah, er, yes. It's not unusual for the dogs to be protective of children. He means no harm, he's just helping you to keep watch. If you're not comfortable with--I mean, if you don't like him being there I can keep him in another wing of the castle."
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Joseph leaned back slightly as the door was slammed in his face, then scoffed at the girl's hasty reaction. If he knew she'd be like this, he would've just told her beforehand. It wasn't right for him to go so long without companionship. He went to the stables and got one of the horses they kept there. Willow wasn't happy to be left behind but she was too fine an animal. He couldn't trust the peasants to keep their filthy hands off of her. If they decided to harvest this borrowed animal for meat or to steal it for their farms, that would be fine by him. He failed to notice the coin purse being removed from his hip and rode off through the camp, to the road. He found a willing woman quickly in the closest town, but soon realized that he didn't have his coin purse.
He cursed the peasants, and started a fight. Once he'd beaten his challengers, the woman he'd chosen placed her hands upon his waist and invited him up to her room anyway. He happily went with her, checking her body for signs of disease before he started to indulge himself. The more he kissed her, the more like his old self he felt. His blood pumped through his veins with new life and he felt like he could overcome any boundary. He shouted a warning as the door opened. The woman hadn't even removed his pants before the interruption. He had to stare at the intruder for a few moments until he could comprehend what he was seeing. "What the hell are YOU doing here?!" He shouted at Bethany, holding his pants up and storming over to her. "Unless you're going to join us, then get out!" He had his hand on the door, the other held a pillow over his crotch to shield the obvious sign of his excitement from view.
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He agreed with Victoria completely, but her brother had other ideas of how they'd spend their time. "As you wish, then. I will do what it takes to earn your approval. Only if the beautiful Victoria, who has stolen my heart in its entirety the moment our eyes met, desires me to give up on her will I ever do so. I will show you I am man of my word, Prince Hector." He placed his hand upon the side of Victoria's waistline, only to remove it when Hector smacked it away. He offered her his arm, as instructed by Hector and with her by his side he walked them to a carriage to make the journey to the ancient cathedral. "Lovely Victoria, you are even more beautiful than when we last met. Your eyes, they sparkle. Mon chéri, I pray journey was not rough for you?" As he spoke to her, seated across from her, he reached over to gently caress her cheek.
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Egbert relaxed the moment the spooky little girl left the room. "Végül ő ment. (Finally, she's gone.) Hhaow, ar yew?" He'd started talking the moment she'd left without realizing that Ken had as well. When he saw the necklace, he picked it up and looked it over with a sniff. "EH ez úgy néz ki, mint valami a hazám. Azt hiszem, láttam már ilyet, de tudja elhelyezni. (Eh, this looks like something from my country. I think I've seen this before, but I can't place it.)" His battered fingers felt the knots and he squinted at it, barely remembering traces of fragments of a memory of this thing. It looked dirty, had to be at least a year old too by the sign of wear on it. "Ki tudja, hogy ez szar, hogy az eljegyzés nyaklánc? (Who do you know that's this shitty at making a betrothal necklace?)" Was asked as he recognized what its purpose was. He turned it in his hands, licking his lips as he was still trying to grasp what it was about it that he remembered.
He looked up at Ken, smiling mischievously. "Ne menj körül az én mester, akkor kap a fogak kiesnek, a doodle készült, az ő oka. A feleségem törni golyóimat, por, ha valaha is volt, valami ilyesmi... (Don't go around my master, you'll get your teeth knocked out cause of that doodle you made of her. My wife would smash my balls to dust if I ever did something like...) He held the necklace up in front of him, fussing with the clasp when the realization hit him like a ton of bricks. He nearly dropped the necklace before gripping it so tightly that his knuckles went white. His eyes were wide and desperate as he looked at Ken. " Az én-m Gertrude! A feleségem! Hogyan szerezted ezt? Hol van ő? A baba? Az életben? Ezek mind életben? Nem csak ott állni, ostoba picsa! A picsába kedvéért beszélni! (My Gertrude! My wife! How'd you get this?! Where is she?! Our baby?! Is it alive?! Are they both alive? Don't just stand there, you daft c**t! Speak for ******** sake!)" He began to shake Ken with all of his strength, all while shouting at him. His deep voice bounced off of the walls and he was so desperate to have his questions answered that he didn't even realize how violent he was being with his friend.
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She didn't often get to speak with her father alone. Though throughout the years she, as well as her siblings, had been lavished upon with gifts of all sorts time was one thing which hadn't been given so freely. Naturally, she was disappointed by the words of her father. Like her Uncle, it seemed he too was pushing for her to marry that man. They were interrupted by the appearance of a dog, and a girl who Astrid recognized as being one of Kenneth's maids. Astrid caught the package that had been knocked out of her father's hands swiftly, and held it with a calm air about herself despite their irritating circumstances. She was the bearer of his letters and anything else he'd sent to her over the last month or so. She watched the two chaotic beings run off down the hall, then turned to her father. "I understand, father, and will give your advise serious consideration. I have only known him to be a coward. A weak king he would most certainly make, though I do not know that he wouldn't take advantage of his position if he were to become my husband." She looked to the package and opened it, not minding that her father would be there to see what it was.
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Smile, curtsy. She told herself as she was greeted by some of the men who were present there. She wasn't a bad looking woman, although her complexion was unfashionably tanned and freckled. She'd also worn plenty of perfume to aid in her seduction of her target. She looked around for him, even now, and was anxious to go to him. He needed to know that she was there. She loved him so much, she was sure that his father was the one keeping her away from him. If only she could save him somehow! Take him away from all of this nonsense! Away from the villains which surrounded him as if he were some fair maiden in a fantasy! She curtsied to one of the men who was persistently asking her if she were staying in the castle tonight and what her name was. "Lady Misha is my name, Highness." She said to the man. His clothes were the slightest bit unkempt, he stank unpleasantly of sweat and his breath smelled rotten. His stubble was uneven, and his chin was swollen with fat. She didn't want to deal with him at all, not caring that he was a Prince Victor from some place called Bexlock. She endured, even as he boasted of his successes and asked her if she wanted to become his mistress.
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Yitta ran through the hallways, calling after the pup in the hopes he'd stop. She blushed deeply as the King was knocked into. "I-I'm so sorry, Your Majesty! A-and Y-Your Grace!" She called out in passing as she hurried after the beast. "Rupert! Get back here, naughty boy!" She groaned as the pup rounded another corner and stopped suddenly. She quickly caught up to him and gasped as she saw his fluffy little tail raise. She covered her mouth and nose and tugged on his collar, hoping it would stop him from relieving himself on the floor but it was too late. He left a huge pile of his feces on the floor and right after began to run around again like a maniac, knocking Yitta over as he fled. She scrambled to her feet, gasping in horror as she noticed some of the unpleasant stuff was on the skirt of her dress. "O-oh! No! Rupert! Don't run away! Get b-back here! Oh! Ooh, what do I do?!" She exclaimed as she looked from his waste to the fluffy little speck growing ever further away, torn. She'd just have to hope that no one stepped in it and she hurried after the pup.
She was fortunate again that he stopped, this time to paw at a door. It opened for him and he was outside, her heart jumped into her throat and she was even more concerned now that he was out. "NO! Boy, come back here! I'll give you a steak, I promise! Just come back! Your Daddy's going to be so upset!" She hurried out and managed to get close to him as he'd stopped to pee on a tree. He turned, panting and wagging his tail as he looked up at her. She groaned aloud again and reached down to grab for his collar. "Feel better now? Can we go back inside? I have to clean up your mess!" The pup raised his head, sniffing the air, and then ran back into the castle. In his flight, Yitta was pulled forward and fell flat on her face. The collar pulled from her hands as he fled again. She was in tears now, feeling quite hopeless as the dog was determined to ignore her commands. She got to her feet and started to limp back into the castle to find the pup again.
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Hector's jaw tightened, for once in his life he was seeing red. "Tory, you're better than this! You deserve more than to live out the rest of your life like this! If he's fine letting you see such things now, what will he do after you're married?! He has no honor! I won't let you be damned to spend the rest of your life with a man who won't be able to protect and provide for you and any children you may have!" But, he would be lying if he wasn't even the littlest bit interested in reading the works left there. He turned to look at Barth. "You--You're ridiculous, you know that? I promise you, if you commit any more crimes against my sister or if you don't convince me that you'll be good to her, I'll have the future queen of Criaswen completely destroy this place! All of the literature, the people, buildings and animals will all be left scorched in her path! Do not for a moment believe that you can underestimate a Inrmis!"
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Ester nodded with a smile, happy to hear that he was doing much better. She curtsied before departing for the great hall, where their piano was set up. She greeted the guests with a curtsy, hand shake or by holding up her written greetings. She was so excited to perform with a friend, for the first time as well. The only other times had been with her tutors. Hector had them executed if he thought they were bullying her, so she'd had several over the years. She wasn't upset though, more glad to have someone she could trust watching her back for her. She gripped the papers and charcoal pencil she had tightly against her chest and wandered over to the piano. Then sat down, going over the music in her head so that she wouldn't make any mistakes.
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Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2017 1:30 pm
Gertrude smiled again, the thought of seeing her husband made her so happy again. "Oh he was one who cleaned and served drinks! He tried to sing, very awful. Likes to drink." She got wide eyed as she mentioned the next life before shaking it off. "Ah...little boy...I wish to name him after one of your lost siblings sir." She looked to Ailean, smiling because she was grateful he saved her life and she couldn't bare to name her son without Egbert's whereabouts yet.
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Bethany watched him leave then gathered the little sack of coins from the hay and rushing back to the cabin. She was content to let him have his way now, but the thought of another women touching him, it made her blood boil. She stomped back to the stables and mounted a horse before riding off to the town. When she heard of rumors a tall man had beaten other men for women's attention, she couldn't help but see red as she tied her horse to a pole with others and ran up the steps of the inn to each room before she found them. "No! You, slut! You will not touch him!" She shoved Joseph aside and grabbed the girl by the hair to toss her into the hallway and slam the door closed. She looked Joseph up and down before grabbing the pillow and throwing it back to the bed. "Go get it. Don't look!" She went behind a curtain for dressing and undid her armor before coming out and shoving him forward on the bed. "If you wanna claim me, I'm going to claim you." She was blushing and trying to hide her chest, having it still bound by wrappings to keep it contained.
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Victoria huffed at Hector, patting a loose curl before stuffing it back into her veil and taking Barth's arm to walk with him. "Oh, never give up on me, my prince! Oh the journey was lovely, I've never been on a ship before and neither has Hector, he must of puked the entire way!" She laughed, stepping into the carriage and watching Hector sit next to her instead of her prince, but she still enjoyed him as he caressed her cheek. "I can't wait to see the cathedral, and Hector, shoosh. Let us act like tourists and enjoy the sights and history of this place." She turned to Hector and took one of his hands to hold to tell him to let her enjoy her time with the prince and to not make him so uncomfortable.
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Kenneth smiled, patting his back gently since he had also been injured around the same time. "I am good, ah, oh well, I was hoping for a clue or something." He sighed, turning to check on the hallway when he heard Egbert stop his conversation. "She found that doodle...? Hm, what's wrong?" He turned back to Egbert, shocked as the man grabbed his shoulders and shook him to answer his quetions. "Ő él! Mindkét! Ne rázz! Most éppen apámmal laknak, egy hónapja született ...(She is alive! Both! Stop shaking me! They are staying with my father right now, she gave birth a month ago...)" He got the man to let go and had to sit down, taking a breath and the dizzy feeling from all the shaking. "She searches for you night and day, praying, asking any who pass our road, says she doesn't care as long as your alive and return to her, but if you Astrid's slave...I doubt you've done anything to earn freedom from her, I barely got away." He sighed, thinking of maybe he should ask to take him.
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William sighed as she caught the gift, standing straight and tall again to watch her open it. "I can tell he has entered your heart during the ball, but maybe I could be wrong. I was drunk." He laughed, the package contained a bound book filled with pages of poisonous plants and their pictures, space for names and descriptions but every page decorated with the plant and diagrams of it's leaves or berries. The first page signed; 'To Princess Astrid, I can not keep my promise so here is my declaration that I wish to be your king. - Kenneth Catanach' In the worst hand writing as he was left handed and was a better artist then writer. The king tilted his head, nodding that it was impressive. "I shall leave you to go see him, you must thank him for the gift, don't take too long as the concert begins soon." With that he walked off down the hall, hoping to go praise little Ester before her performance.
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Little Arthur was following one of his nannies when a couple pounds of fluff came scratching at a door so he pushed the door open and let him out before a lady ran past in desperation. He smiled, watching her struggle and stopped the dog when it returned through the door and hugging it. "Mine!" He tried to lift it, the nanny shaking her head. "Not yours." "Mine!" Repeat, repeat. Yitta would have to be brave to take the pup back from the little prince because the nanny sure wouldn't.
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Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2017 7:21 pm
While his sister seemed delighted by this offer, Ailean was less enthusiastic. "That's kind of you, but it's not necessary." He smiled to try and put the girl at ease, he didn't feel comfortable giving her a name for her child. Something about a new life being named after a dead man was off-putting. His sister on the other hand lit up. "Nonsense! The girl asked, Ail! Don't be rude." She gave him a light smack on the shoulder and looked to Gertrude, excited to spill the names of her siblings. "We have eight brothers, you know! Lamont's out of the question, since he's still alive.. We should get him to visit! To bring presents for the baby and new mother!" She held her wrinkled old face for a moment, a little color touching her features as she squealed with excitement. "Oh, babies are such darling little things! I still remember how sweet my children were when they were that age."
"And then they grew up to become barbarians. You've got enough of them to start a new clan, Murdag." She waved away his comments, but thanks to his interruption she didn't go on about her own family. The girl wanted to know about her brothers, so she'd tell her. "There was Adalsteinn, he's the oldest. He was a great soldier and military man, all around. Could plan a battle and execute it with inhuman precision. He was my personal favorite too, you see. Whenever my brothers would pick on me he'd always make them stop." She looked pointedly at Ailean, who looked up to the ceiling and pretended to be completely ignorant of all past pranks he'd played on her. Murdag cleared her throat and continued on. "A great and noble man. He died a valiant death at the battle of Cogstin. It was nearly across the country, most of his fellows had already fallen in battle. He held his own against a legion of forty men and cut their numbers in half before one of them ran him over with their horse."
She sighed and made the sign of the cross. "These things happen, you know. When your family is as old and noble as ours. The second born was Kaison. He actually joined the missionary, traveled all across Criaswen helping the needy and building shelters for the homeless. He died when he went to spread the word of God to one of our neighboring countries. They thought he was a spy, according to the report we got. It was a violent passing, but he held strong to his faith till the end. A brave but peaceful man, was he. Ailean was the third son so we'll just skip past him. The fourth was Hallvor, he died in the war which followed soon after Kaison was murdered. A bunch of other people from Criaswen were killed so the royal family decided to go to war to put and end to the murder of our people. The enemy had explosive powders though, and to protect his fellow soldiers Hallvor sacrificed himself to destroy their stash. We never did get all of the pieces of him back for a proper burial... I do hope he's forgiven."
She said a little prayer for him then and there, which gave Ailean the chance to pour more tea for her and Gertie. He called for some snacks to be brought in, since he knew there was still some time left until his sister would be finished with giving her little summaries of their brothers, nine in total since she was including him. "The fifth son is Lamont, who is still alive and ruling over a small town in Lividus. It's still in the old style and there's a lot of land, just not many people. It's towards the center of Criaswen, next to a major mining town so his people provide much of the food for them. Important business, though not as glorious he does tell me about a bar fight or two that he's gotten to break up. Torvald died of the plague. He was a soldier and doctor all in one. They were sent into one of the hot spots to help restore order and to treat the sick. He helped many, but paid the price. Yngvi also died of a disease, before the end of his ninth year."
She paused again, taking up a piece of buttered bread. "Let's see... Where were we..? Oh, right. After Yngvi was Ernouf. Ernouf died after carrying an old woman and all seven of her dogs out of her home. It was on fire, you see. The blaze burned too brightly to be put out, so he did his best to save as many people as he could. He inhaled too much smoke though, and ended up fainting. After a few days, his body shut down and that was how he died. The last of my brother's was Cnut. He suffered an illness early in his life and never quite learned how to pace himself. He was always an ambitious boy, overcompensating if you'd ask me cause of the weak body he was left with after he'd recovered. He was climbing Letum, one of Craiswen's tallest mountains. His body couldn't handle the lack of air and extreme weather. He slipped and died upon hitting the rocks at the base of it. He'd gone with a small team of others though, so fortunately we were able to give him a proper burial."
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Joseph stumbled back as she pushed her way into the room. He was startled as she yelled at his whore and then tossed her out. "Hey! What's--?!" He was cut off as the pillow was ripped from his hand and he was told to go get it. He waddled over to the bed, picking it up to cover himself as when she was in this state he didn't know what she'd do. It was better to just protect his more vulnerable areas, for now. He stopped himself after covering his crotch with the pillow again. Why was he doing this? Acting like a coward and following her orders? He looked over to the curtain she was changing behind, seeing the outline of her silhouette. As she emerged without her armor on, he eyed her suspiciously. Did she want to wrestle him, to fight him with no weapons or armor to assist her? He could respect that, but as he was shoved he fell back on to the bed.
He looked up at her in shock as she climbed on top of him. "What?" He asked, totally confused as to what she could be doing. Why was her face red like that? Why was she on top of him, dressed down? As he stared up at her he found himself to be conflicted. It didn't help him think about the situation, being that most of the blood pumping through his body was being redirected elsewhere. But, a woman on top? Was she a woman? He propped himself up with his elbows. "You want me now?!" He asked, but even as he asked that he was already moving. He pulled down her pants to look at her pelvis. Not what he was expecting. He couldn't hold himself back anymore, and as he ripped off the wrapping which flattened her chest, he pulled her down to kiss her passionately. He didn't quite get what she'd meant by claiming, but would think about such things after satisfying his lust.
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He beamed at her, admiring her beauty and strength of will. "My love, you are as resilient as the summer rains, yet as beautiful as the spring. Words can not express how greatly I love you." He desired to kiss her free hand but as he reached for it, Hector smacked his hand away. He smiled begrudgingly, and decided to tolerate the little man. His intended didn't seem too pleased by this however. So, he tried to console her. "Beautiful Victoria, I will not fail you. I understand how your brother feels, I was also his age when my sister was married. When her lover show up, I yelled 'Quand les porcs volent!' at him and challenge him to a duel." He said with a light hearted laugh, explaining afterwards that what he'd said in his language meant 'When pigs fly!' As they arrived at the cathedral, he got out first in order to help her down. The little prince seemed content to watch him, for now. So, Barthomieu offered her his arm and walked with her. It was customary to instead hold a lady's waist while escorting her, particularly if you were interested in having a romantic relationship with her. But he knew, as the last time he'd tried this his hand had been slapped away, that Hector would not approve. So he did what was seen as being the most proper and polite method in Criaswen.
He still wished to hold her waist, walking somewhat behind her so that he could whisper sweet nothings to her. But he told himself to be patient, he wouldn't fail to appease her little brother. In nearly four months, they would be married and he would have the rest of their lives together. He would have to be more reserved while courting her in front of her brother. It would be difficult, for two so passionate as he and Victoria. "Ah, my love. Do you see them? Yellow tulips. It is a sign that our union is meant to be." He said, kissing the back of her hand after gesturing towards the flowers. They were around the base of the stairs which lead inside the cathedral, mixed with others in a visually pleasing way. He smiled at her lovingly, before walking with the two of them inside of the building. The ceilings were high and arched, the windows were tall and made of stained glass. The pews were all beautifully carved and polished. The entire place smelled pleasantly of incense and a woman was playing the pipe organ, which was positioned to the side of the altar.
He paused at the entrance to remove his glove and dip one of his fingertips into a basin which held holy water. He touched his forehead, heart, right should and lastly the left. Then proceeded onwards. "It is one of the oldest churches in all of Caritas and the oldest to be able to still be used for worship. The others have crumble, it is too dangerous to explore them now. Grimhold is beautiful, in its own way. The rumors are many, however."
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Egbert stopped shaking Ken at the sort explanation. "Ő...? Az apád? Várj, az öreg? Vannak biztonságban?! (She is...? Your father? Wait, the old man?! Are they safe?!)" He asked, approaching Ken with panic alive in his eyes. "Hol volt? Az fáj? Ő táplálja őt? Mi a helyzet a baba egészséges? Mindent, ha kell?! (Where was she?! Is she hurt? Is he feeding her? What about my baby, is he healthy? Everything where it should be?!)" He began to pace around Kenneth as he recovered from being shaken. He stopped as he came to a decision and grabbed hold of Ken's shirt. "A pokolba, hogy kurva, ő nem eltartás én-ból az én-m család. Hol vannak? Meg kell látni őket! Vigyél nekik, meg kell látni őket a saját szememmel, vagy nem fogod elhinni, te! (To hell with that b***h, she can't keep me from my family. Where are they?! I need to see them! Take me to them, I have to see them with my own eyes or I won't believe you!)" He was beginning to sweat profusely, every fiber in his being demanding him to go to his wife's side.
He barely heard the door open, but the moment he heard his master speak his name his mind went blank. His body remembered the pain she'd put him through and he lowered his gaze and shuffled over to her quickly. His body trembled uncontrollably with fear and he tried to make himself look as small as possible. This wasn't easy, as he'd grown nearly two inches since the last time he'd seen Kenneth. This made him taller than Astrid, now. He stood by the door when told to, and stayed quiet until called for again.
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Astrid's heart fluttered with excitement as she looked over the material within the book. The illustrations were very detailed, perhaps there was more information inside than she'd previously known? She looked up to her father as he told her to go and see him. She watched his back as he left, silently cursing him for giving such an order. A mere written reply had sufficed for the others. She understood why he was willing to consider Kenneth to become her husband, but she knew that it would be a terrible idea. She was certain that he was using her to help others who weren't deserving of any sort of charity. He'd lie to and manipulate her once they were married, possibly even while they were engaged. He'd abuse his power to undermine hers. What's worse, she didn't want to gain any new diseases from such a man of low moral character. Still, she had to at least pretend to be considering him.
She had no choice now, but to go and see him in person. She held the book, deciding to return it to her room first as a maid looked for where he was located. Then after placing it down on her nightstand, she left to go to the sitting room where he was currently with her current slave. She held no doubts that he was trying to come up with a plan to free the lesser man, being so soft of the heart and mind as he was. She entered the room, narrowing her eyes at the sight of her slave threatening him. It wasn't appropriate at all and she hadn't given him the orders to, yet. "Egbert." Just speaking his name was enough to get him to come over to her, afterwards she told him to stand and face the wall. She then fixed her full attention on Ken. She strode up to him and, as he was still seated, she raised one foot and then promptly stomped downwards onto Kenneth's crotch.
She twisted it as she continued to press down, before finally removing it. "Your failure to comprehend basic language skills is astonishing, though not quite as horrible as you are. You dared to draw me in such a compromising position, practically naked. There is no point in denying it. Your depravity knows no boundaries! Is no woman safe from your filthy, pathetic little fantasies?" She wasn't satisfied that she'd hurt him enough so she then proceeded to stomp on his foot as well. "I meant what I said. Even if you go back on your word, I never will. I will not marry you. You're not a man, but a horrid beast straight from the second circle of hell! And I do not practice bestiality." She crossed her arms before her chest and glared down at him, waiting for a return of some kind.
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Yitta sighed in exasperation, panting as she finally caught up with the naughty little pup. The baby animal seemed to get along well with the small child. "Oh, thank you so much for catching him. I've been chasing him for so long." She crouched down to be more at his level as she tried to catch her breath. She pat the puppy's soft fur, smiling at the child without knowing who he was. "Do you like him? His name is Rubert. He's my master Kenneth Catanach's dog." She was totally oblivious until she felt it was time to take the dog back to his master. She tried to get the child to let go, only to be screamed at. "I-I'm sorry, but it's time for him to go home now. May-maybe you can play together again after the concert? M-my Master is s-staying the night. Uhm.. Pl-please?" But the child wouldn't release him and as she listened to the nanny's explanation she felt the color drain from her face.
She looked down at the two of them, puppy and child. Then to her dress, which was covered in dirt and the puppy's waste. "Uh-uhm... Would... How about we do this, hm? I-I'll go and change clothes and come back for him later?" She smiled sheepishly as she waited for the child to respond. Then, to her horror the puppy started to chew on the boy's nose, wagging his tail excitedly. When the boy let go with a cry, the little rascal was off running down the hallway again. "No! Rubert!" She ran after him, now not sure if she'd have time to clean herself up. She couldn't embarrass her master, but also couldn't risk losing something which was so precious to him.
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Hector wasn't happy at all with their current situation. It wasn't fitting for a woman of her good breeding to be engaged to a man who celebrated immorality. His father had agreed to it, so there truly was little Hector could do to stop the marriage from happening. But, they didn't seem to know that or perhaps they didn't care. He looked at Victoria's hand as she took one of his and turned his head away defiantly. He wouldn't accept this union so easily. He'd made a promise to help her find a good man, for her own good, and he would keep his word. As they toured, he would keep close and absolutely block and attempts the two made at kissing or being close to one another.
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Ester moved her fingers over the keys, mouthing the notes to herself soundlessly when she noticed her father's appearance in the room. She smiled, and got up to run over to him. She wrapped her arms around him as she gave him a hug, then looked up at him happily. "Father... Thank you..." She managed to speak, her voice frail and difficult to hear from how rarely she used it. She was grateful for the party, for the chance to be able to play with her old friend and just for allowing him to bring the dog along even though the queen didn't usually allow for animals to be inside the house, alive.
little mintchan ((Second circle of hell is the lust one. XD She really does think he's a man-slut. ))
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Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2017 1:15 am
Gertrude had the feeling she would regret getting his sister started again as she mentioned many names and how they died and that one was alive still so she couldn't use that name. "Adal. I think his name should be Adal, he is my first born and I hope this is okay with you." She smiled, taking Ailean's hand and touching it with her forehead as a sign of respect before doing the same with his sister. "I had siblings too, three little brothers, one went to marry young woman, he went to another country and later I heard he had been poisoned by his wife. The second youngest became a loud drunk, which is how I met Egbert, he died when village was attacked. The youngest became a messenger, delivering letters for many nobles." She smiled, thinking fondly of her three brothers, but also missing them and her village dearly. A new messenger came in, bowing to them and handing Ailean some letters before leaving. One letter was from Kenneth who sent it when the city had been in sight.
'Dear father,
I am safe, I see the city and can't wait to perform with princess Ester. I will return at the end of the week, when this reaches you, I should be in the city performing with her, I will leave on friday morning and return that night, don't stay up if your tired and continue to drink the medicine bottle princess Astrid gave me, one spoonful with your coffee or tea should do it a day.
Signed; Kenneth'
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Bethany glared at him with her rosy red cheeks. "Stop talking!" She demanded, letting him be on top after he seemed to confirm she was indeed a full woman. A few hours later they were getting redressed and she couldn't help but ignore his smug face. "Don't say a word. Also, next time get me a new shield or sword or a bear's pelt, if your trying to impress me. Any man can slay a wolf." She huffed, waiting for him so they could get to the march and get to the fun stuff of dealing with a real battle. "Don't do anything stupid if we get into any fights with the enemy, since you won't wear the armor..." She looked to him, the red color returning to her cheeks before she looked away quickly.
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Victoria was in awe when seeing the cathedral, how big and beautiful it stood while others had fallen. "It's beautiful! Oh, when we get married, can our wedding be here? In such a beautiful cathedral?" Anyone could tell she was swooned by the beauty of the country, removing her glove as well to dip in the water and do the motion. "Hear that Hector? You might see a real ghost or prove this place isnt haunted!" She looked back to Hector, waiting for him to become distracted so she could pull Barth and get some alone time so they could talk and hear poetry.
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Kenneth couldn't answer Egbert's questions, even when he grabbed a hold of his shirt then promptly let go when Astrid came in and he saw the same fear he still had in himself. His heart pounded and he paled when seeing Egbert shake like a leaf and go to the wall. "Astrid-" He let out what should of sounded like a yelp, but came out as attempted when she stomped on his crotch and he held his hands there when she moved her foot, closing his legs and shaking from her heel having twisted there. "I never meant for you to see that- ow!" He winced, moving his foot and looking up at her. "I can't help it, you might be able to forget that your heart was pounding when I stole that kiss, but I can't, and I'm not a beast!" He finally stood up, still having to slightly look up at her as she was taller, but Ailean had taught him to stand up to her, to not be afraid, but why did his hands still shake? "If you don't want me to visit monthly, I will still write you letters but I want Egbert. You give me him, I'll court you from a distance. You don't even have to read my letters." He crossed his shaking arms, taking a breath as he was set out to return Egbert to his wife and child. "His wife and child were found, they are staying with my father, I wish to reunite them." He stated, not knowing about her promise to Egbert to find his family.
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Arthur was content to saying the dog was his before it chewed at his nose and he wailed, letting it go as it sped off and the nanny took over in lifting him up to calm down. Prince Victor had attempted to woo a Lady Misha, it failed as she stated she was in love with some guy name Kenneth Catanach! He turned the corner to spot the pup and quickly sweeped him up in his arms to hold as Yitta caught up. "Keep your runt in control, you scullery maid-....hm, where is your master?" He smirked, tossing the pup back down and pinning her to the wall. "Bet you would make a nice concubine, how good are ya' at feeding me grapes?" He got close to her face before Rubert bit and tore the back of his pants, making the man having to grab them to keep them together. The pup tugged at Yitta's dress to pull her away, growling at the man as he looked to Yitta.
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William smiled, watching her touch the keys and mouth what he presumed to be the notes she needed to play. He lifted her up as she hugged him, hugging her back and smiling. "Anything for my children." He set her back down, putting a hand on her shoulder to show how proud he was at how big she was. "You grow bigger everyday, are you ready for the concert? Need anything? Lets hope this boy impresses the nobles and such, if I had know he could play music as a slave, I might of put him as an entertainer instead of her personal slave." He noted, kind of disappointed they had let free talent gain freedom.
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