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 Posted: Thu May 04, 2017 1:51 am
 Joseph ran over to the window when he saw her looking over in that direction. He swung it open, searching for whatever had caused her to faint. He gripped the ledge, glaring outside. "I'll ******** kill you! I don't care what you are, if you bother us again I'll ******** kill you!" He locked the shutters, then shut and locked the window and closed the curtains. He lifted Bethany up, placing her on the bed before he began to pat at her face to try to wake her up. "Wake up! It's gone! Woman, you're trying my patience!" He growled, frustrated for it seemed like on top of all of the trouble she'd invited into their lives, he'd be forced to go another night without getting any. She'd probably be pissed off if he tried anything with her when she wasn't awake.
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The last few weeks had been incredibly busy. Astrid seldom had time enough to relax, let alone respond to personal inquiries. The insomnia she'd suffered for years was finally paying off, for she was already used to getting little sleep. To receive personal gifts was inappropriate, but considering who it was from her uncle allowed it. It was a fragrance she'd run out of recently, so it wouldn't be unusual for her to have it. Another secret to be kept between advisor and queen. The flowers were an unusual touch, and fairly beautiful as well. It was a fitting tribute to her father's memory. The Archduke had been disqualified to become her husband. In his country he was divorced, which didn't exist in Criaswen. So in the eyes of the church, her people as well as the law, he was still married. What's worse is that he had a mistress and a secret child. All of this had been uncovered by her uncle. Which left only the foreign Prince Maelisa and Lord Kenneth Catanach as candidates for marriage.
She thought it unusual how suddenly her former slave was acting to gain the favor of the people. She didn't think he could focus on the greater picture, instead believing that only those physically closest to him received his attentions. The people's opinions of him were favorable, which pleased her uncle. She had mixed feelings about it all, wondering what his intentions were. She knew that he only wanted to be made King so that he could seize power and make his own dreams a reality. Outlawing slavery, for starters. It was nearly time for her slave to be returned when she'd received word of his being too injured to travel. She'd exchanged letters with Kenneth, inquiring as to what injuries and how. His wife had beaten him. Of course, it was some foolish excuse like that. She would go and see for herself. Egbert was only loaned away and the slave she was using now was practically incapable of doing anything right.
She traveled out to the Margrave's estate. Everywhere she went, the people were talking about the things he'd done to help them. It was irritating to hear this, since she knew what his goal was. By the time she'd reached his home, she was in a foul mood. It didn't help that the place smelled of livestock and manure. The little eight year old slave girl from Idstein was standing beside her, eyes glued to the stones at her feet. She noticed that both the elderly Ailean and his son were waiting for her outside. She could judge by the sun reflecting off of the hairs on his face that Ken had been growing out his facial hair, as was appropriate for the forty day mourning period for men. She looked at him and, merely for a moment, made eye contact with him before quickly redirecting her attention to his father. As before, it didn't matter how much time passed. Her feelings remained unchanged.
Due to her father's passing, she couldn't wear makeup until the six months of mourning had ended. She would try to avoid looking at Ken, with the hope of preventing herself from blushing around him. It was an obvious indicator of how she felt towards him and she didn't want him to believe he held any advantage in this situation. She was here to retrieve her slave, and to settle matters between them. Astrid approached Kenneth and Ailean, somewhat surprised as her hand was taken and kissed where her rings should be. "Greetings, Margrave Ailean and Lord Kenneth. I apologize for the inconvenience my slave has caused you."
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Ailean was happy to see them all return, and congratulated the young couple from Idstein on their reunion. He had hoped that going there and seeing the princess again would convince his son to give up pursuing her. It would be better for him to marry a kinder, gentler woman. One who would treat him as well as he truly did deserve to be treated. One whose memory didn't prevent him from handling sharp objects, hot foods and so on. He stood grimly inside of the doors with Ken, since the Queen would be due any minute now. A few of his dogs were at their feet, staying close by due to how cold it was outside. "Are you sure about this, m'boy? It's not too late, there are more delicate women out there for you to chose." He looked up as the horns were blown, signaling the arrival of a guest. He stepped out with Ken, his knee crunching as he walked. The carriage was approaching, so he took a moment to speak something quietly to Ken. "Remember, until you say "I do" you can always back out of it. You're my son, I won't let you be harmed if you wish to change your mind."
As their new Queen walked towards them, he took a few steps forward to meet her. He was a bit taken aback by Ken's kissing of her hand, but as she didn't seem angered by it he tried to stop worrying about the boy's safety. "Aye, we're happy to host one of yours. The trouble is all his wife's, by the way. Anyway, it's cold out here. Come along you two, let's get inside." He led them into the building, noticing the strange looks Astrid was giving the place. He stopped them just down the hall, directing them inside of the lounge. A fire roared pleasantly in the fireplace, filling the room with warmth. There were a few comfortable chairs and one couch, a chess board, bookshelf, table and very little decoration otherwise. He hobbled over to the fireplace in order to throw another log in.
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Posted: Thu May 04, 2017 11:09 am
Bethany and Joseph had stayed at the creepy town for at least two days, eventually finding out that it was a crazed man obsessed with blood that was terrorizing the town; much to Bethany's disappointment even when the town hanged the man for the murders and near cannabalism. They had made it to the castle and heard of the king's death and were in time for the funeral; Victoria had been able to get Hector recovered enough to attend the funeral; staying close to his side while they stayed home for awhile. Bethany had been sobbing at the funeral; over-run with emotions lately and now she was puking after having ate breakfast.
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Kenneth was excited to see Astrid arrive, taking a deep breath and attempting to calm the grin on his face. Arric was doing wonders for him, the people loved him, he could easily turn away other women as well now. "I don't want a delicate woman, and even when she looks harsh, you saw how delicate and beautiful she was at the funeral right? I regret not coming with you..." He looked forward to Astrid and immediatly took her hand to kiss gently before standing straight again and admiring how she looked without make up. "Egbert is in a guest room right now, he has a small concussion but he can travel in a few days, his wife is also sorry for hurting him but it was the only way to stop him from drinking so much at the time." He held out his arm for her to clasp on to as they walked into the house and escorted her to the lounge and led her to a comfy seat. Gertrude was peeking in from the door way, hoping that if she asked to keep her husband here by showing her the son...would she let her?
All those scars on Egbert and Ken frightened her to see he had to return; and that Ken wasn't trying to buy him at all. She had saved up money from working in the nearby town, would it be enough to buy her husband? She held the tiny bag of coins before shuffling in and bowing to Astrid. "Your highness, I-I know it's not my place to ask this of you, but please let my husband stay with me, I-I'll buy him if I have to." She held out the bag of silver, having done multiple sewing jobs at a dress shop. "Gertrude...can you wait until she is ready to see Egbert?" Ken asked, seeing the young woman nod and set the bag on the table before shuffling out to see if her husband needed any water or food.
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Posted: Fri May 05, 2017 6:13 am
Joseph was standing behind Bethany, holding back her hair as she vomited into a pail. He wore a scowl, and clicked his tongue dismissively at every wretch she made. He didn't get why she was so sick all the time. "Is your body still rejecting the high quality grub?" He asked, somewhat curious to know if his suspicions were right and her peasant gut wasn't suited for consuming the finest of the fine. It'd been a couple days of this at least. Plus, she was crazy all the time. He'd been so caught off guard when she'd started crying when they'd been told about that b***h that claimed to be carrying his kid. He'd told her then that he'd been locked in his room, under the watch of several castle guards for the rest of the night. He couldn't have been the one to knock her up. But he also wasn't going to lie, and blatantly told her that he may have a couple kids out there he didn't know about.
He watched her vomit up some strange looking bits of food. "You're too small to lose anymore weight. I don't want your breasts to shrink." He commented, genuinely concerned that fat from her breasts would be reduced if she continued on like this. He called for a servant, one entered the room they were in, and he had them go send for the doctor. It was about time she just took her medicine. It sucked trying to kiss her when she tasted like bile all the time.
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Arric leaned back in his chair, one arm draped over the side of the couch. His icy blue eyes were upon Hector. Poor, sweet little kid was stuck in a wheeled chair. He smirked, amused to no end by the sight of Victoria and Ester hovering around the kid. The two of them kept fretting over him and trying to do things for him. He knew it hurt the kid's pride like nothing else. Hell, everyone else could see it. He called for a minstrel to come into the room in order to play some music for them on her lute. "If you keep hovering like that, he'll turn into a frog." He said, pretending to be ignorant of how that one fable went. In the time since their little meeting, he'd been communicating with Ken every week. His plans were working so far. As long as Ken continued to follow his advise and didn't mess up, things would progress as he wanted them to.
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Hector was stiffly in his chair. Moving around still made him feel dizzy to the point of losing consciousness. So for now he was stuck in this wheeled chair, like a cripple. He missed his father, but was also grateful that he didn't have to meet him face-to-face when he was like this. Astrid wouldn't even speak to him anymore. Tory and Ester wouldn't leave him alone. His twin had been hovering around him constantly, hugging and bringing books and things to him. Like he was someone to be pitied. It didn't help that Tory was here. Her intended wasn't around to pamper him either and wouldn't be, for a little more than five months since Tory wasn't allowed to be alone with her price. He closed his eyes, twitching as the lute twanged away. He should've died fighting when those pirates had abducted him. He was a disgrace to the proud name of Inrmis, unable to even fight like a man. He had tried to excuse himself, but his busybody sisters wouldn't let him leave the library. Something about wanting to get him reading again, since he hadn't been able to touch a book since the kidnapping.
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Already? I feel like such a fool. Astrid thought to herself bitterly as a familiar warmth reddened her face. She felt overly aware of herself and their surroundings. If not for his staring and the need to accept his arm out of politeness, she could've avoided showing any emotion. She missed the concealment her make up allowed her, though apart from the shadows under her eyes it hadn't been a problem until now. She focused on looking around the place as they walked, taking note of the violent carvings overhead. It was a very masculine place, in its own way. She caught a glimpse of Kenneth as they entered the room. The stupid grin on his face made her feel unsettled, and she quickly looked in the opposite direction in order to focus on something else. He was different from before. Not as weak, though if put to the test she was certain that he was and would always be a coward at heart. He seemed more sure of himself, but not as brazen as he had been when they'd first met.
She shifted slightly as her heavy fur cloak was removed, sitting down as Ken offered her a place to sit. "I will check on him for myself. He has a way of pretending..." She trailed off as she caught sight of a young woman entering the room. Her senses were alert, she glanced to the two bodyguards which had followed along behind them. They were ready, diligently keeping an eye on things. The girl was allowed to approach her without being searched, which Astrid disapproved of almost as much as the girl's request. Her violet eyes narrowed as she regarded the girl coldly. She kept her comments to herself though, out of respect for Ailean since she knew that the girl was his guest. All information that had been documented had been sent to her by her spies. She waited until the girl had left the room, before looking to the elderly margrave. "Unfortunately, I can only stay for a night at the most. I have much to do."
She glanced over to look at Ken, but before she could say what she wanted to a dog appeared at her lap. It plopped it's large, fluffy paw on top of her hands. "This is one of yours..?" She asked curiously, holding out one hand to let the animal sniff it. Without warning, the massive one-hundred-and-twenty-four pound dog leapt onto her lap. It sat there awkwardly, panting and trying to place its paws down. Astrid used the hand it wasn't sitting on to grab a section of its fur and attempted to push it away. Its fur tickled her face, so she leaned away from it in order to speak freely. "As much as I appreciate the compliment, would one of you kindly get this animal down?" The dog managed to somehow lay down in the tiny space, front paws dangling over the arm of the chair. It blinked slowly, content to stay where it was. As this little interruption occurred, both of her personal maids suddenly came into the room. "Majesty! It's a disaster! Look!"
Maud and Emily ran over to the window and pulled the curtains open, letting in quite a bit of light. There was heavy snowfall outside, the early signs of an unexpected blizzard. Astrid tried to peer around the dog but was unable to, due to the size of the animal and the length of its coat. She pushed again, trying to get the behemoth to move.
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The elderly Margrave shot the two youngsters a look every now and then, curious as to what was happening between them. He could see how happy his son looked and that the Queen was looking anywhere but at Kenneth. The two of them were like innocent babes, it seemed clear to him that there was at least some level of mutual attraction between them. He didn't expect little Astrid to be so meek, however. Especially considering everything he now knew she'd done to Kenneth as well as her other slave. He still didn't approve, but all he could do at this point was be supportive. He surveyed the interaction between Gertrude and the Queen carefully. He felt responsible for the poor young woman, considering everything she'd been put through. He was ready to jump in to protect her, but was relieved when the Queen chose to ignore her altogether.
When the two maids announced the blizzard, he looked outside. She wouldn't be able to push Egbert into leaving before his health would allow travel. Luck was on that kid's side, or perhaps Ken's? No, that would make the boy unlucky. He'd have to keep a close eye on the two of them, just to be sure their new Queen didn't fall into old habits around Kenneth. "Ah. That's quite a storm out there. Looks like you'll be staying with us for at least a week. We're more than happy to accommodate you here. Right, Ken?" He said, smiling grimly as he looked at Ken. It was his hope that the boy wouldn't be traumatized by this royal visit, even if that would make him give up on marrying the Queen.
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He was in and out of sleep, due to the herbal remedy he'd been given. His body ached all over and he didn't remember much. What he did know, was that old maid had no business giving his wife that chair. Or the bowls, plates, glasses. She'd thrown everything at him but a chamber pot! Now that he thought about that though, he realized that he smelled a bit like piss. He could hear his boy crying for Gertie and tried to get up. He was unsteady, but was able to move next to the baby's bassonet. He placed a hand on the edge of it, rocking it back and forth until his boy was soothed back to sleep. At least he didn't need changing. Egbert wasn't sure he could manage that without accidentally hurting the poor kid. Man, his head hurt. He slumped over on the floor next to the bassonet and stared up at the ceiling, trying to ignore the pounding in his head.
She didn't have to get so mad at him. What else could he do but drink with things like this? His Master wouldn't free him, Ken wouldn't do what was necessary to free him and he wouldn't let Gertie and his boy go back with him. So really there wasn't any hope. He was just a loser about to lose his family all over again. The worst kind of man, completely incapable of supporting them and he couldn't even keep his wife happy in that other way either. He'd offered alternatives, but she wouldn't hear it. She was too soft on him. She should've been yelling at him, cursing him and regretting ever having married a worthless piece of dog s**t like him. He couldn't even protect them now, or even speak Crias properly after all this time. He sighed, feeling like a useless puss-filled cyst that'd gone all sour and cheesy. "Ah csoda, ha ez kurva adna neki valami ha meghalnék. (Ah, I wonder if that b***h would give her something if I died.) Ah, Gertie..."
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Posted: Fri May 05, 2017 12:27 pm
Bethany took some needed breaths as Joseph held her hair back, she felt terrible every morning and her short temper seemed to be worse whenever Joseph did something stupid or she saw something cute. "S-Shut up, my breasts won't shrink, even if I wanted them to." She scowled at him, trying to stop vomiting when the doctor entered as she was out of breath and swore nothing left in her stomach to cause such a thing. "Has this been happening every morning, after eating some breakfast? No other time?" He asked, getting a nod as she vomited again before it seemed to let up. "I'm not going to say it outright....but have you two been....intimate?" He dug in his bag, giving her a vial to take every morning to help the vomiting while he tried to confirm what he thought it was.
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Victoria couldn't bare to leave Hector alone, trying to urge him to read his books, even his favorite one she set in his lap. "Arric! You know just because Hector is a bit weak right now doesn't mean we have forgotten that your ill all the time as well, I'm pretty sure if you weren't all huddled in furs or near a fire, you wouldn't be walking either." She commented, asking Ester to take Hector and go play the piano for him, maybe it would lighten his spirits if she played a few songs. There was a piano in the library, on the far wall between two shelves full of musical notes.
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Kenneth couldn't help the grin on his face, looking into her eyes whenever she looked his direction only to get a small blush on her face. "I understand, your highness, I can show you to him whenever your ready. " He watched the dog climb on to her without a care in the world, holding back a laugh as she struggled with the huge beast. "Ah, yes, sorry, they are very friendly." He helped get the big dog off, grasping around and sliding it off until he felt the sudden weight and knew when it's paws landed on the ground. "Your getting so big! This is Rubert's litter mate, a bit bigger than the poor runt." He shooed the dog out, inviting Rubert to come in and sniff at her dress. "Oh, a blizzard...I wouldn't say it's a disaster Maud, Emily." He bit at his lip before looking to Ailean then to Astrid, a whole week with her in his home? He wouldn't be able to send any letters out due to the blizzard or receive any. "Ah, yes, If you need anything, just ask me and I can see about getting it." He patted his leg for Rubert to come back over to him and gave him a treat.
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Gertrude walked in with a plate of one sandwhich and cold milk before setting it down and walking over to Egbert. "
Annyira sajnálom, édesem! Talán nem kellett volna leadnom a széket ...(I'm so sorry sweetie! Maybe I shouldn't have thrown the chair...)" She helped him up slowly and got him back on the bed to help him drink the milk she had gotten from the farm nearby. "
Itt van a királyné, megpróbáltam megvásárolni, de ő figyelmen kívül hagyta.(The queen is here, I tried to buy you, but she ignored me.)" She moved her hand through his short hair, it was growing back out after he had told her that Astrid hated long hair on men. Or slaves. Probably both. She stood up and looked to her son before smiling and laying next to Egbert to try and soothe his injuries she had caused.
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Posted: Fri May 05, 2017 11:23 pm
Joseph grinned at the polite language the man used. "Yeah, been gettin' real close to each other. She's my woman. Who else?" He laughed at his own words, confident that Bethany wouldn't betray him. He heard her heave again, and quickly resumed his job of holding her hair back. "I see... Highness, I request a moment alone with your lover." Joseph refused to leave at first, until the doctor began to ask Bethany a series of questions. Then he settled on waiting by the door so he wouldn't have to hear it. When the doctor was leaving, he was informed of his discovery. The news nearly knocked Joseph over. "Pregnant?! How?! S-so soon?!" He watched the man shrug his shoulders and leave. "But--?! Bethany!" He shouted, storming over to her and picking her up by her shoulders. "What's the meaning of this?! How could you get pregnant now?!
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He chuckled, wiping his nose on one of the furs he was wearing today. "I assure you, I'm perfectly content to be left alone. If I had to put up with you nagging women all day and night, I'm sure I'd never survive it. Least not with my sanity intact." He sneezed, but refused to curl up inside of the nice warm fur coat he was wearing. He didn't want to look weak.
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Hector's frown darkened, hearing that even his brother had lost respect for him. He was a failure as a human being, how could he have even compared himself to his own standard of manliness? He turned away from his sisters, refusing to move at all except for breathing. He even ignored Ester's writings, which he almost always read. As his twin struggled to push him along in the wheeled chair, he bit back his pride. And his air, hoping to pass out so he wouldn't have to be around them for a while.
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Ester's struggles were ended when a male servant came over and offered to push her brother for her. She walked a little bit ahead, showing him where they were going, until they reached the piano. She hurriedly raised the cover and began to play along with the minstrel's melody. She hoped it would enliven his spirits. A few minutes of playing and she turned around, seeing that he was slumped over and his eyes were closed. He was asleep. She bit her lower lip and began to rub her hands together over her waistline anxiously. She was on the verge of tears again, feeling like she'd also lost her twin when their father had died.
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She shifted uncomfortably as he was removing the dog. She didn't like how close he was, or that she was half-blinded by the sheer volume of the dog's snowy white fur. Once it was off of her lap she sighed in relief. It was quite heavy and uncomfortable. Who taught such large animals to jump on people? "Rubert. That is the small dog your maid was carrying nearly a month ago?" She commented, surprised to see the size of the pup as he called it into the room. She watched the great fluffy thing sniff at her knees with some interest, before beginning to hop around the room like a maniac. Not forgetting the frenzy of her maids, she rose from her seat and strode over to the window to see the storm for herself. At the rate it was falling, if she turned back now they would be stuck on the road. At least bringing some of her work with her hadn't been a mistake. She knew that the winter season of Criaswen could be rough. Why had she taken the risk of coming here? Was that drunkard of a slave truly worth this effort? She wished momentarily that she would've taken the time to go and buy a new one. Her schedule was too busy to train it, so for now she had to rely on the servants and the eight year old slave girl she'd brought with her.
She felt the animal stepping on the edge of her dress before scampering off again, and turned to watch it go over to its master. The two of them were quite a picture together. It was only when Kenneth thought he was out of sight, speaking with the servants and other slaves, that she'd ever seen him look so happy. He was doing well here. So, why would he ever want to return? Was revenge worth giving up all that he'd gained, or did he believe that he could have both? She didn't let her eyes linger on Ken, instead looking to Ailean. "Then I will accept your generous invitation, if only until the roads are clear enough for travel." She had her maids close the curtains again, since it was far too bright outside. Then returned to her seat, Maud bringing a case over to set next to her. She opened it and called for the Margrave and his son to go over the map with her. She wouldn't waste any of the time she spent here, so she'd come here with the purpose of examining the strength of their provinces for herself. Arrangements were made for the three of them to visit the most important barracks later on.
Ailean stood unsteadily, pausing as he always did to let the blood pump through his legs so he could walk. "Now then. I've got some matters of my own to attend to. Excuse me Astrid, Ken. I'll see you both at dinner." He bowed to the Queen before hobbling out of the room to go and attend to his work, leaving the two of them behind. It was a little disrespectful of him, but it was difficult to treat the two of them as anything more than children.
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He rolled towards her as she picked him up, wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her tightly. He walked with her to the bed but refused to let her go. He nuzzled his face into her neck, breathing in her familiar scent and smiling to himself. "hiányoztál. Im ' szomorú részére lét egy kis kurva. Kérjük baba, én nem akarok gondolni, bárki más. Csak te és da. (I missed you. I'm sorry for being a little b***h. Please, baby, I don't wanna think about anyone else. Just you and Adal.)" He propped himself up, ignoring his pains. He wanted to use his time to be with her and not think about the hell he'd inevitably be returned to. He didn't care how much time had gone by, every morning he was so grateful to be able ot be with her. Even if he was a failure.
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Posted: Sat May 06, 2017 1:17 am
Bethany glared at Joseph in between heaves, watching him leave as the doctor examined her and asked personal questions before telling her she was pregnant. "W-What...?" She frowned, would Joseph disregard her now that she held his child?She looked up just as Joseph stormed over and lifted her up. "I don't know! Maybe from when we were drunk in that creepy town o-or the day of the march we had...this is all your fault!" She began to cry right there, making him let go as she covered her face with her hands to sob. "Now I'll be called a whore for real! A slut! I should of never started this if I had known Lady Colette was your mistress already!" She ran out of the room, to her guest room to sob until her emotions calmed down to anger. Thank god she had no access to shields here.
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Victoria looked away from Arric, huffing before sitting in a chair as well and watching him sneeze. "Your pride does you no good, Arric. I guess it doesn't matter, you don't want the throne so I shouldn't worry." She opened one of her own books, sighing as she was not interested at the moment but pretended to be. She had helped Ken out of the goodness of her heart, sending as many books to help orphans learn to read and write, even sent a seamstress to make cheap clothing for poor towns to help. "Arric, your use to coming back from illness, can you help Hector? There must be some loyalty in that cold heart of yours for him." She flipped a page, sighing as although she had found her prince, would Hector ever find his princess? She never thought that maybe the prince wished to be found.
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Kenneth nodded, petting Rubert as the pup was still energentic. "Yup! Ailean gave him to me while I recovered from my injuries, he hates to leave my side for more than a few minutes." He looked to the little slave girl, helping her bring in a heavy suitcase. "I'll get the luggage, you girls should stay in and stay warm." He gathered what luggage he could before the storm got fierce and he retreated back inside, covered with snow. He had examined the map with her before retrieving the luggage, setting it down before walking over to the fire to try and get warm. "See you father." He felt Rubert slam into him as he fell over as the pup licked at his face happily. "Down Rubert!" He smiled, pushing the large pup off and looking from him to the ceiling to see Astrid hovering over him. "Yes, your highness? Are you ready for me to show you the guest room?" He sat up, shoving Rubert off again before standing up and patting the rest of the snow off of him.
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Gertrude smiled, clinging close to Egbert and leaving little kisses all over his face, pushing him back down as gently as she could. "Mindig szeretlek, te idióta, és ha ellopnélek, különben meggyőzöm Kenet, hogy hagyjon veled.(I will always love you, you idiot, and if I must steal you I shall, otherwise i will convince Ken to let me go with you)" She ran a finger along a scar on his chest, was this caused by Astrid or the slavers...? She hugged him tight, burying her face into his chest to just think of him and her son Adal.[/color
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Posted: Sat May 06, 2017 3:26 am
He was stunned as she accused him of being the reason she'd gotten pregnant. He pondered over it for a moment, rubbing the few hairs that were growing on his somewhat-feminine face. That she complained of being called a slut or a whore didn't make a huge difference to him. She was his woman, he'd just tell those accusing her that and if they didn't get it they were just too stupid to understand. "Yes... You're right... I'm just too manly!" He looked up, completely oblivious to where she'd disappeared to. "Hey, I was talking! Bethany! Get back here, woman!" He shouted down the hallway, looking both ways before he decided to go running for his bedroom to see if she was there. When she wasn't, he ran through the hallways until he'd reached her room. He tried to open the door, only to find that she'd locked it from the inside. He pounded on it with one fist while jiggling and pulling on the door handle to be let in. "Hey! Open this door! Why did you run? We were talking! Hey!"
He finally grew impatient and backed up, prepared to plow through the door since he couldn't think of any other way to get inside. A maid seemed to know what he was planning on doing. She produced the key and very quickly opened the door for him. He ran inside and grabbed Bethany by her sides and lifted her into the air with ease. "No more running away!" He paused, ignoring any kicks or punches she'd aimed at him as he processed what she'd said before running away. "I don't even know who that b***h is! I told you I was locked in my room that night! I couldn't knock anyone up, cause I killed the maid I--!" He stopped there, not wanting to let her know that he'd forced himself on anyone before.
He genuinely feared what she'd do to him if she found out. "I-I'll marry you! I don't give a rats a** about the time of day or whatever bullshit they're telling me! Let's just go now! To the chapel, the priest will hitch us! Tory will be our witness! What say you?"Oh, he hoped he'd been quick enough to avoid suffering her wrath. He was stronger than her, true enough. But it was what she could do to him when he was vulnerable that worried him. What if she attacked while he slept? Or lured him into bed only to attack him there instead of putting out?
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Arric smirked at her, rubbing one finger under his nose. "I'm shocked by what you're inferring here, my honorable sister. I do care for our brother's plight. Sadly, I'm completely incapable of helping him. It would be suicide in this house. You saw the way mother looked at him when you arrived." And he was right, their mother looked at the wounded Hector like he was a piece of rubbish. A pile of waste set before her. She was a harsh, ruthless woman worthy of respect. She'd have to be, to become a member of this family. Still, it must've stung poor Hector quite a bit to be treated this way by their mother. She wouldn't even look at him now. Just like Astrid wouldn't look at him. He rubbed the smooth, ghastly pale flesh on his chin. "I'll leave such a feat to wise elders like you. You've done a fine job. He's breathing and everything. I'll bet he'll even be able to eat on his own volition soon." He was laying it on pretty thick here, since she was getting on his nerves now. When she was just harassing Hector or anyone else for that matter, it was funny. But now that he was in her sights he had to be nice. He loathed being nice. He considered leaving, to go and check with his slave to see if Ken had sent a response to his last message yet.
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Astrid was alarmed that the Margrave would leave her alone with Ken. The servants didn't count. It was improper for her to be alone with one of her suitors during the mourning period. Before she could think of the words to say to stop him, he left. She sat in silence, only looking over to Ken when she saw movement. He was at play with his pet. It was best to keep distance between them, until she would be able to leave. She rose to her feet and walked over to the soft-brained fool and his loyal dog. "Yes." She stated, waiting impatiently for him to get up. Then she followed after him, maids, slave and bodyguards in tow. As her servants brought her luggage into the room, she directed Kenneth to leave it. She had him show her to an empty room, then she shut the door behind them. "I'll keep this brief. I've no intention of marrying you. You're happy here, you've made that clear. Give up on your revenge and be grateful for the life you have now." She crossed her arms over her chest, glaring down at him but keeping a few feet of distance between them.
He was making himself into an impressive candidate, which she couldn't tolerate. She needed to put a stop to his plans now, before she had to make her choice. At this point, she feared her lips might betray her. She might speak his name, instead of Prince Maelisa's. It would be selecting the man she wanted, instead of the one who was best for Criaswen and she had to do what she could to stop that from happening.
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Egbert pouted comically, puckering his lips and whining like a child, looking up at her with those large green eyes of his. "Azt mondtad, hogy egy másik srác neve... (You said another guy's name...)" He pretended to cry, dramatically throwing one of his arms over his forehead. "Ó sors! Ó sors! Milyen kegyetlen, nekem egy nyomorék, és a feleségem is szánakozó nekem! Milyen kegyetlen! (Oh, fates! Oh, fates! How cruel, me a cripple and my wife is pitying me! How cruel!)" He then gathered up his strength and pounced on her. He rolled her over to be underneath him and he grinned giddily. "Most elkészült! (Now you're done for!)" He tickled her mercilessly, occasionally sneaking in a cheeky pinch here and there all while dodging her hands like the expert he'd become since they'd been courting. He waited for her to call out for mercy before he began kissing up her sternum, to her chin. Then down her right arm, from the tip of her ring finger, down to her shoulder and he did the same with her other arm. Then loomed over her, both of his hands on her shoulders.
"A férje egy vadállat! Nem hogy durva, Erzsi? Jobb csendes, vagy majd támad újra! (Your husband's a beast! Ain't that rough, pookums? Better be quiet, or I'll attack again!)" He was grinned ear to ear, happy to tease her, though usually after pinning her down like this he tried to get lucky. Now, all he could do was to try to make her laugh and smile. To fill her days with wholesome happiness. He'd figure out all the difficult stuff later, making her happy came first.
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Posted: Sat May 06, 2017 12:45 pm
Bethany was smothering her face into the clean bed sheets, crying as she heard him pounding on the door before hearing it unlock and lifting her head up. She kicked and punched, pausing to hear him out, had he really been a virgin as well when she took him? No...he was a man, they had needs and he seemed to relax and experienced with it. She wasn't the first, and she knew it, but to marry him...that would make her his only woman. "M-Marry me...?" She wiped at her eyes sniffling and nodding. "Then grab your sister and lets go! This baby is yours and your marrying me!" She struggled to be put down, wanting to compose herself since she had only met his siblings briefly at the funeral. "I-If I'm pregnant...I can't go back to the army, I can't fight with a child, let alone a royal child in my stomach..." She pouted, not really wanting to put down her sword and shield, but if Joseph would marry her, she would carry his child. "O-Oh the priest won't marry us without your sister's approval, no one can marry during the mourning period so unless your uncle approves while she is gone, we will have to force that priest to marry us!"
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Victoria shut her book quickly before looking to Arric. She wasn't exactly a kind, romantic woman, she was an Irnmis! Bred to be cruel and strong even to her siblings. "Oh? I am very wise as your elder sister, as I've helped Hector to recover to live...you've done some things to haven't you?" She stood up and dropped the book in his lap before neatly setting her hands on her waistline. "You best be careful little brother, without father around, only mother stands in the way of our feud for the throne." She had no interest in the throne, she wished to protect Astrid as the current queen, and Ken was her ideal king. "Now excuse me, dear brother, I must get Hector to his room." She walked over to Hector to push the wheel chair away, letting Ester follow so she could stay beside her twin. Ken had been good to hide his true intentions from Victoria, but she had become suspicious of his sudden...bravery. Boldness was more like it. She had sent a letter straight to Yitta, asking her if her master had been in contact with anyone recently other then his father and the staff of their house.
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Kenneth set the luggage down, Rubert was licking at the slave girl's face, trying to make her giggle her smile before becoming frustrated and running off to torment Yitta or even Inga. "This is your room, the dogs tend to roam and sit wherever they want to keep the door closed." He led her to an empty room afterwards upon her request, turning to her as she spoke. "Revenge? You...you think I hold some kind of grudge against you for being your slave? It's in the past, I'm not giving up on trying to marry you. I am grateful for my life, but I'd be so much happier with you." He stepped forward, looking up at her slightly and although on the inside he was nervous and scared, right now he was being brave to show her he truly wished to be her husband. "It's your choice, your highness, I know I still have one prince to compete with, but I'll take him down to if its to marry you." He smiled slightly, being nearly two footsteps away by now.
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Posted: Sat May 06, 2017 9:18 pm
Joseph was shocked that she'd even think about going back to the army. He set her down on her feet and put his hands on either side of her face to make her look up at him. "I'll never allow you to go to war again, it's too dangerous! If you're my wife, I can't let you be in harm's way. We'll live here together--There's a barracks on the grounds, you can train and fight there if you want to! It's not over! But I won't let you get hurt like that again!" He realized he was smushing her face together, and though it looked really funny, he did his best to not laugh. He seemed to process what else she'd said. He didn't understand why the time of day mattered, it wasn't even morning now. But her honor was on the line here! She couldn't give birth unmarried! He was ready to scoop her up into his arms, but he remembered how careful his mother had to be when she was pregnant. "You have to stay here and wait for me! I'll come back with my Uncle, he'll give us permission I know he will! I promise you, we'll be married before the day's over! Just rest, you have to be careful now for the baby!"
With that he guided her into a chair and then ran off out of the room and through the castle, looking for the royal advisor. When he found him, he tried to explain the situation at once, completely disregarding whatever the man was doing at the time. He realized slowly, that the man was beside his ill wife, who looked horrible. He looked between the two of them, uncertain as to what to do. But he knew he had to get this settled quickly. He'd wait there if he had to but he was going to get an answer. Hopefully his wife would be on his side, it wasn't right for him not to make an honest woman out of Bethany.
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Arric's smirk widened and he began to cackle loudly as Victoria left. "It's clear that's not what you want out of life." He said, watching her push the unconscious Hector out of the library. She couldn't be romantic and frivolous if she had to claim the crown. There would be too much work, she'd never last a week of such effort. He waited a while longer, before raising a hand to stop the minstrel's playing. He got out of his chair, pulling the large coat around him tightly, and shivered at the sudden change in temperature. He sneezed twice, then once his body had adjusted, he walked out of the library. He returned to his section of the castle, where his slave informed him that no response had been given to his last letter and that there was currently a bad storm where Kenneth was. Which meant that Astrid would be stuck with him. How easy it would be for Ken to mess up everything they'd been working for.
He could just picture that little weakling curling up into a ball and cowering before her. What Inrmis woman could marry a man who couldn't even stand to be around her without pissing himself? He knew that Astrid probably felt like a monster, since it was plainly obvious that there were feelings between the two of them. That wasn't good, the kid needed more confidence. The Margrave wouldn't stand by if his son were in real danger anyway. He wrote a message in the smallest handwriting he could muster, on a piece of paper which he cut to be the right size.
I'm aware of your new circumstances. Don't lose your head. What ever she does, you must not show fear. Remember to avoid being alone with other women, even servants. Flirting with anyone else is absolutely forbidden. She can't kill you without going through your father first so don't panic. Use this pigeon to send me word of what's happening. Ask questions if you need to and as with all of our other letters, burn this one as well to keep our secret.
Arric headed for the aviary, which was between his and Joseph's quarters. He selected a messenger pigeon and slipped his rolled up letter into the tube on its back. He sealed it tightly, and brought the bird over to a window. The weather was clear here. While it took nearly a week to travel to Bleakburn, this bird could make it there in a few hours.
He pet the feathers on its head, telling it where to go. It was a good thing he'd shown the thing where that estate was before this happened. He released it, watching it fly off in the correct direction. Then he returned to his room, shutting the door behind himself and his slave. He tossed a large number of logs into the fireplace and had his slave light it up for him. Then went to his desk and began to jot down notes in code, in latin which would keep track of his progress and movements in a very cryptic way.
_______________
Ester followed along closely, anxiously checking on Hector's condition as he was brought back to the room they shared. They were nearing the age when they'd be given separate quarters, but for now she was glad to be able to be close by when he needed it. She looked up at Tory, before looking back down to her papers. She wrote what she wanted to say, then held it up for Tory to read. Nothing's working! Tory, what will we do if he is never able to walk again? How will he survive, will he even be able to get married when he's older? What about your wedding? She was tearing up, eagerly waiting for her sister's response to the point that she was impatient for the older girl to finish up.
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Astrid's cheeks flushed with color, she felt uneasy. Her heart rate had picked up, she feared she might start to sweat and her arms and legs sort of tingled with what she could only describe as being excitement of some kind. She was hesitant to take a step away from him, but it was becoming even more difficult to remain focused when being so close to him. She took two steps back, though she managed to keep glaring down at him. Why did he have to smile at her like that? She was quite for a moment as she tried to think of a rebuttal of some kind. She took a half-step forward, reaching out for his neck with one hand. To her surprise, she missed. Her hand landed between the base of his neck and left shoulder. She'd intended to squeeze his throat a bit in order to threaten him, but she settled on driving her thumb into his flesh.
"Did you really think I'd believe such a lie? You can claim to not care about everything I've done to you, but it's impossible for it to remain in the past. Your body is covered with the scars of old wounds, most of which I caused you. I doubt you played any part in getting rid of my other suitors. The King proved to be a lustful man even worse than you are, one of my maids is with child due to his forcing himself on her. The Archduke also had others. Unless you arranged some sort of companionship for them, you had nothing to do with them being 'taken out'." Though she was pressing into his flesh to try to hurt him, she also tried to maintain the distance between them. Even though she was acting violently, for whatever reason she kept remembering segments of their meeting in the library, all that time ago.
She remembered the warmth when she'd hugged him, even if it had been awkward due to his injury at the time. "I won't allow myself to be fooled by your lies. I demand you tell me the truth! What are you plotting?! Tell me now! Do you think you can poison me or kill me in my sleep?! Is that it?! Why do you insist on marrying me instead of one of your lovers!"
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2017 1:05 am
Bethany sniffled, looking pretty funny with her face smooshed and smiling slightly as he seemed to be...panicking. Worried, he truly loved her, didn't he? "Y-You mean my previous injuries...?" She was shocked as he guided her to a chair, not knowing he could be so gentle. "Yes! Get your uncle and marry me!" She patiently waited there, scared of what to do if she held a baby now, is that why she ate so much then puked or had mood swings? Erwin was holding his wife's hand tightly, praying to not let God take her away as He had taken his brother. He looked up to Joseph, sighing as the kid really had gotten a woman pregnant this time and was unwise on what to do. His wife whispered something softly and he nodded, looking back to Joseph. "You have my permission, get Victoria to be your witness." He sighed a quick note and handed it to Joseph to give to the priest, it was temporary but they would still be considered married, just if Bethany desired a real wedding, she would have to wait six months. "Joseph...understand you will be a father, I can help you become a good one, but Bethany won't be able to satisfy you until she gives birth." He warned as the boy ran out and he returned his focus to his ill wife.
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Victoria lifted Hector up gently to set on his bed with Ester's help, pulling the blankets and tucking him in gently. She read Ester's notes and took a deep breath. "The doctor said any day now he should be free completely of the poison, if he can't walk, I'll force him to, he is an Irnmis!" She huffed, handing Ester a small bottle of medicene. "Give it to him every five hours, alright?" She smiled, leaving to return to her room and wonder who she could find to help her brother. Thats when she felt familiar arms spin her around to face him, confused as to his situation. "Oh Joseph...I'll do it for you." She sighed, going to retrieve Bethany and bring her to the cathedral.
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Kenneth took another step forward until her hand reached out and he backed up again, her hand going to his shoulder and pushing her thumb in there. He took her hand gently and kissed it, holding it in both his hands while smiling. "No, it won't remain in the past for as long as I fear you, but I don't anymore. I fell in love with you, your a strong and beautiful woman. I'll get scars no matter what. I don't know how many times I've told you this, but..." He stepped forward, quickly pecking her lips before stepping back. "Your the only woman I love, I'm not plotting or trying to kill you, I truly wish for you to be mine and I to be yours." He saw her face turn red and backed up further, why did he have to go and kiss her? "Kissing you at the ball, you took my first kiss just as I took yours." He laughed lightly, hearing a knock and going wide eyed. "The curtains! Hide!" He hurried her to some large curtains and pulled them around her to hide the queen. He quickly answered the door, poor Yitta had lost Rubert when he fled outside. "I'll go get him, huh? I was talking to myself, the queen arrived earlier and I'm so nervous! She is in her room I believe." He answered her questions before telling her to go stoke the fire in his room as he closed the door just enough before leaving to retrieve Rubert. The dog had managed to go down the road lost, being carried back by Kenneth an hour later. He set the dog by the fire in his room, grabbing blankets to wrap himself in and flopping on his bed once his shoes were kicked off.
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Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2017 1:16 am
After the small ceremony was over, Joseph was waiting outside of the toilet room. Bethany was puking her guts out inside, with Victoria assisting her. Joseph picked at the cuffs of his sleeves, his nerves shot. He hadn't thought about only bedding this one woman. His dad had mistresses, didn't he? He was doing his utmost to remember any signs to prove that, so he could use it as an excuse. What if she was sick all the time? He had his needs. He also wished to check on his pets. Arric wasn't too good with them. His pet mountain lion had escaped, killed a maid and been on a killing spree in the city. His other animals needed more attention, grooming, a proper diet, exercise and challenges. He'd done what he'd needed to in order to keep Bethany away from the battlefield, since she was no doubt carrying his child. He knew she'd been a virgin before she'd given herself to him. So it could only be his.
He growled to himself, complaining under his breath about everything and nothing. He didn't know why he felt like his clothes were too tight, or why he was sweating when there was no reason for him to be. These stupid white clothes made him look like a pansy. The sounds Bethany was making in there were disturbing. He needed air. He unbuttoned his shirt, ripping apart the material of the undershirt so he could expose his neck and chest. He walked out of the church, tossing aside his clothes as he began to roam about the courtyard, trying to figure everything out.
________________
Later in the day, after sharing a rather awkward lunch with Kenneth and Ailean, Astrid was in the Margrave's armory. Various weaponry was hung on the walls, arranged neatly. She was picking out a suitable weapon for the purpose of dueling Kenneth. Ailean had challenged the two of them and regardless of Kenneth's protests, Astrid never was one to back down from a challenge. She selected a fine rapier and dagger for herself, then stepped aside to allow Ken to pick a weapon. "Chose wisely." She said softly, yet clearly as she walked a few paces away to take her stance. She tested the weight of her weapons, measuring the length with her eyes and taking a few practice swings to become more comfortable with the weapons.
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Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2017 1:14 pm
Bethany was happy in the ceremony, she was now legally married while pregnant and the minute it was over she ran off to puke while Victoria held her long hair. It had to be his child, unlike that Lady Colette who lied straight to his face! Oh if she ever saw that woman again...Victoria was trying to keep poor Bethany cool by fanning her, asking a servant to bring cold water, lots of cold water as the girl might get dehydrated with so much puking. "Well now your an Irnmis! A short....chubby one, but none the less you are now Prince Joseph's princess and wife!" She tried to cheer her up, helping her stand once she stopped vomiting and getting her to drink some water.
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Kenneth had received the messenger bird, burning the tiny letter and sending his own to confirm what he needed to do. The lunch had been awkward enough, he had trained a bit in swordsmanship, namely taking short traveling trips to a nearby town to learn from a expert swordsman that the prince had sent. He also took lessons from a farmer with Ailean's approval, but that was only for defense. He went with them to the armory and sighed, rubbing the back of his head and choosing a rapier and a short sword. "It's an honor to duel with your highness...on equal terms..." He smiled, joking since he had never had an advantage when it came to her and weapons, he was either unarmed or drugged so now was his chance to defend himself. He was conflicted though, if he won, she might think he was too strong to be her king, but if she won, would he be considered too weak? He would have to try and make it even to get her approval. "Are you sure you can duel in a dress?" He asked, walking with her to a small ballroom, big enough to duel in since the weather outside was...white.
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Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2017 11:50 pm
She smirked, eyes straight ahead of them as they made their way to the ballroom. A somewhat dramatic place for a few simple non-lethal duels. It was suitable in a way, since she was certain that if put to the test he'd crumble. After beating him into submission on so many different occasions, even when he tried to fight back, if put in a similar scenario it would be a miracle if he didn't wet himself. "I do not require a shorter skirt to fight you, nor shorter heels. Your chances of surviving are improved this way." She answered, fully confident in her ability to defeat him. She was known for her prowess with a blade, and the rapier was her favorite. It wasn't a particularly useful weapon in a battle. It depended on the swiftness of its user and on one strike to kill. She was among the fastest at the castle. But for a match against this failure of a man, she needn't be at her best.
She was amused by the images her mind conquered up of him being defeated, perhaps even humiliated by her in front of his father. Once in the ballroom, she waited impatiently for the servants to clear the floor. A glance around the place was enough to tell her that is was just as grimly decorated as the rest of the estate. Gruesome depictions were carved into the ceiling, the few windows were high up and barely enough to light the room in the daytime. It wasn't bright enough outside, so she requested more light. Ailean had the servants light a few of the candelabras, positioning them for as much room as possible. She sheathed the rapier and dagger at her hip, slipping a pair of leather gloves over her hands to try to prevent calluses from forming. Then turned to address him, her long skirt twirling with the quick movement.
"Do try your best. I assure you, you aren't capable of hurting me and I..." She smiled coldly at him, unsheathing her rapier and dagger somewhat slowly to allow the light to reflect off of the metal. She meant for this to be intimidating. "I will do my utmost to avoid killing you." She shifted her feet, putting most of her weight on the balls of her feet. Her rapier was held with the hilt low, as she wished to strike non-fatal points on his body. Her dagger was held a bit higher, nearly equal level with her chest, ready to deflect his blade to allow her attack to strike him. It was a stance designed for quick movement. She stood there, shifting slightly to keep herself ready to move as she waited for his father to give the call. "Duel!" She stayed still, watching his movements to see if he'd make the first move.
She saw that he wasn't, so she seized the opportunity to strike first. She stepped forward, striking the open space between his arm and chest instead of hitting his chest. To strike his chest with a non-dueling rapier would easily pierce through his flesh and kill him. She used her dagger to strike aside his short sword since at this range the rapier couldn't deal a lethal strike.
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Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2017 12:56 pm
Kenneth let out an exasperated breath as she claimed it was for his survival, but that didn't stop his sweaty palms from gripping his weapons ever so tightly. "I've never faced her like this...I-I..I can't cower now." He shook his head, looking to Ailean as some servants set up lights for the duel. Why did he have to challenge them both? Was he trying to see if he still held some fear for Astrid, if those scars he had would still haunt him? "Hm? Your wearing good heels while dueling? A bit arrogant, but it's your choice." He snickered, smiling as his uncle said for the duel to commence. "Three hits and I win said Father...three hits and she wins..." He raised his rapier just slightly, unsheathing the sword as well as she seemed to examine if he would make the first move. He couldn't, he shouldn't! His heart raced as she stepped forward first and went for him with her rapier. He stepped back, lifting his arm and just barely missing the dull point of the rapier. He had meant to use his short sword to go for her at this distance but she knew his movements too well, striking it aside but he couldn't let her keep moving so easily. "I hope it isn't an expensive dress..." He silently apologized to both the dress and his father as he stabbed the sword into the part that laid on the floor just barely and moved to get behind her.
Hopefully it would give him enough time as he still gripped the sword, taking it back out and backing up to go for the back of her arm with his rapier. He hated rapiers, they were thin and wobbly and after being a slave, scared the living daylights out of him. "I'll try my hardest not to disappoint you, your highness." He would have to do something about these rapiers later, he just wasn't skilled with them like her.
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Posted: Tue Jun 13, 2017 1:11 am
His surprise attack on her skirt distracted her momentarily. It was an expensive outfit, even if it was all white. Now with a tear at the bottom, it was useless. She'd have to throw it out. Which made it yet another on a long list of personal belongings of hers which he'd ruined. Never before had she hated his shorter height than now, for he was putting it to use. She was more accustomed to sparring She allowed him to get behind her, but with a quick step to the right to avoid the rapier and a few steps back she avoided his attack. She spun again, thrusting the tip of her dagger against the material of his shirt. Even though she'd like nothing more than to gut him at this moment, this was only a test of one's skills. "Did you really think you could strike me from that distance?"
"Break! One strike for Her Majesty."
Astrid stepped back, giving the same amount of space as when they started. She readied herself again with the same stance and waited until his father called for them to begin again. Her eyes wandered over his form, paying close attention the way he moved and closer attention to the fool's fatal points in order to attack them later.
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