|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 10:12 am
The son of the Duke of Wexbridge was hosting a banquet in celebration of a year gone with no news of the Wolves. The son, the Earl of Chessire, was known for his partiality to Wardens. Rumor had it that the Earl was a hedge witch himself, and that watchful observers might catch sight of a grimalkin with glowing eyes flitting through Colwick Park.
The particulars of the Earl's affiliation with or against the Wardens was important to Eldon Farrington, himself the son of an Earl and entitled to represent his ailing father on such occasions. Banquets, after all, were a place to curry favor and form alliances with other powerful men. They were not a platform for discussions of fanciful rumors that may or may not be true.
In any case, such grand events suited Eldon well. The extravagance of it all was representative of every other facet of his life, down to the gold buttons sewn painstakingly into his coat. His carriage, drawn by four sleek black horses with heads held high by bearing rein, was polished to a sheen and driven by a straight-backed, immaculately dressed carriagemaster who drew the horses skillfully to a halt. His coat was pressed to perfection as he swept from the carriage, followed by two footmen. This lifestyle, after all, was home.
As Farrington's carriage rumbled off, the noise gave way to the soft clop of unshod hooves, a singular set. The viscount deigned to turn his head, as if to investigate the arrival of anyone who had the gall to attend such a ball in anything less than his best carriage. A sneer curdled his expression. The sight that greeted him was a young man, modestly dressed at best - shoes not shined to a sheen, coat with some noticeable wear despite its regal cut - riding up on the back of a stately buck with eyes like the warm glow of a house fire. There was no horse in sight, no carriagemaster, no footmen, just the young nobleman whom Eldon judged to be the kin of some lesser baron.
The buck, who reminded Eldon suddenly and uncomfortable of firewood - strong, hard, but somehow inviting and comforting at the same time - came to a stop without any visible cue from his rider. Farrington knew at once from the glowing eyes that this was a beast of the Wood, and when the buck fixed its eerily fire-like eyes upon his, he felt as if the Guardian was peering into his very soul, seeing and understanding all of his strengths, fears, weaknesses without his consent. But without any semblance of judgement... Eldon shuddered, feeling at once violated and validated. What was this creature, that it seemed to understand without being told?
Farrington shook himself. As the rider swung deftly from the deer's back, Eldon snorted and said to nobody in particular, "One would think a banquet would warrant a more noble means of transportation. Arriving on a deer... the gall. More befitting a fisherman than anyone else." And it was the sort of comment he expected the younger man to suffer in shameful silence.
Instead, he found himself deliberately affronted by an angry retort: "Your heavy carriage and bearing rein will break your priceless horses long before I will my Guardian... my lord." And the insolence in his voice, the brief pause that made "my lord" sound like an afterthought... it drove Farrington's blood to a boil. But before he could round on the rider in a rage, the young man had turned and stalked into the manor.
Eldon bit back the words that had come rushing to his lips. "You would do well to stay out of my sight, rat," he muttered to himself before he, too, entered.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 12:11 pm
Chrysanthemum Fitzpercy had never had much time for the Duke of Wexbridge. He was a friend of her father's, and terribly dull, more like the sort of man that her brother Larkspur would spend all day discussing matters that were of no concern to anybody but petty politicians with. His son, though, had views more palatable to Chrysanthemum. Nothing was so interesting to her as Wardens these days, doubly so now that she was one, and her brother and cousins alike! She had not been out in society long, but parties had turned out to be a little disappointing. Young ladies her age had plenty to talk about, which she could contribute to well enough, but they none of them seemed terribly interested in Airelund or any of the things that occupied her time before she was allowed to enter public life. This party was quite different. She had never seen so many Wardens in one place, and they most of them had their guardians with them.
"Marigold," she whispered, clutching her own guardian, "Do you not think that these are some of the charmingest Wardens that you have ever seen?"
Marigold blinked at her worriedly, clearly perturbed by such a large crowd. This was the first party Marigold had ever been to, and clearly she was not as well equipped to be a socialite as her Chosen. Chrysanthemum suppose she would simply have to educate her.
"It's all very simple, you know," she said primly. "You mustn't speak to any body unless you've been introduced properly, especially not a gentleman. And you must circulate, circulate the room, making charming conversation to every one. And if there is dancing, or if someone asks you to provide music, you must modestly refuse the first time they ask, and then reluctantly assent the second time, no matter whether you would like to dance or play. Since you're a deer, though, it will hardly matter, I suppose. Deer must have it easier than young ladies." Looking around, she wished that she hadn't allowed Larkspur to go off and speak to his political friends quite so readily.
A man was just now entering the manor with his guardian, she noticed, and she felt very much inclined to talk to him, but he, too, was strange to her. There was no way that she could be introduced properly without Larkspur around, however, Marigold's attention was clearly taken with the sight of the other deer. Inspiration suddenly struck her Warden.
"You must go introduce us," she insisted to Marigold, giving the deer a firm push. Marigold stumbled forward, and, looking back with some degree of petulant betrayal, walked reluctantly up to the newly arrived Warden and his guardian. She stood in front of them somewhat uncertainly, unsure what to do, and then let out a very timid and slightly put-upon grunt of greeting. Walking back to Chrysanthemum quickly, she looked over her shoulder at the other Warden, and Chrysanthemum scolded her quietly.
"You are not a very good socialite," she informed Marigold. "We will have to get you more practice! Oh, and Mr. Farrington has just come in, and I suppose that I could have very well found an introduction for him. Do you think he is a Warden? I do not think he could be half so interesting to talk with, anyway, if he is, he hasn't even brought his Guardian."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2014 8:53 pm
The gentle thrum of conversation greeted Edgar as he entered the ballroom. This party seemed to differ from most others solely in that tonight all of Palisade's noble Wardens had emerged, trailed everywhere by the lovely Guardians. The sight made his heart sink. They were all of them engaged in such banal activities, most of them not realizing that their time was better spent training and learning from their Guardians the most effective ways to fight. When the time came for the Wardens to once again become Sunderland's first line of defense against the Wolves or against any other great threat, how many of these noblemen and women would take up the mantle and fight? How many of these would try to buy their way out of service as so many had done before them?
His thoughts were interrupted by a gentle nudge from Dardanos. The buck had noticed a doe colored rather like autumn leaves making her way uncertainly toward them. She was told to come over? Edgar thought to his Guardian in response, and couldn't help but smile when Dardanos let out an affirmative huff and the doe, arriving, graced them with a reluctant grunt of greeting. When the doe walked unceremoniously away, Edgar's gaze followed her to the lady she returned to. "That is the Earl of Ranelagh's daughter," he said aloud, more for his own benefit than for Dardanos'. "She would like to meet us, I suppose."
And more because conversing with Miss Fitzpercy seemed a more desirable option than any other course of action, Edgar followed the doe to her Chosen. "Excuse my interruption, my lady, but you have quite the beautiful Guardian."
As luck would have it, Eldon Farrington caught sight of Chrysanthemum Fitzpercy right around the same time as Edgar did. Very quickly he decided that, young and beautiful as she was, Miss Fitzpercy was quite the desirable company. And he had taken his first steps toward her when he caught sight of Edgar approaching, beating him to his quarry. A scowl ran fleetingly across his face. That upstart runt! It was the second time in as many minutes that Edgar Ashworth had managed to snub him, and the idea did not sit well with Farrington in the slightest.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2014 9:15 am
Chrysanthemum's delight at the success of her little ploy was plainly written on her face, try as she might to smooth it into a more ladylike expression of disaffected content. She glanced over to Marigold proudly, but aloud, she said, "Oh, it is too good of you to say so, though your Guardian is so very much more majestic! I noticed him at once when you entered the room, good sir, he is terribly striking." Rising from her seat, she proffered her hand to Edgar. He was a more minor lord, she supposed, because she could not attach a name to his face. "I suppose our deer have cleared the way for an introduction. I am Chrysanthemum Fitzpercy, daughter of Mister Cathal Fitzpercy, Earl of Ranelagh. My Guardian is named Marigold, and I do not know whose daughter she is, if anybody's. Perhaps simply the daughter of the Wardwood?"
Being properly introduced did not seem to make Marigold one jot less skittish. She lingered slightly behind her Chosen and peered out at Edgar and Dardanos only hesitantly. Subtly, moving so that the motion might be masked by the folds of her gown, Chrysanthemum nudged Marigold with her foot, causing the deer to step forward in surprise.
"I see that you have arrived at the same time as Mr. Farrington," remarked Chrysanthemum archly, "Do you know if he is a Warden as well? It seems that more and more people are these days, even the Queen herself! And once the Queen does a thing, well, it becomes respectable enough for a party, doesn't it?" If Mr. Farrington was a warden, he seemed to be in no great rush to converse with two of them. He had seemed to be heading towards her, but now seemed hesitant, although perhaps he was merely thinking of her reputation. She was not quite sure how proper it was to speak to two gentlemen at once without supervision. She counted Marigold as ample supervision, the deer acted more like a nanny to her than her own governess, but many Sunderlanders merely thought of Guardians as, well, deer. Even Chrysanthemum, as passionate as she was about Airish history and wild clans and old magic could not particularly fault them for this. You could expect a magical deer to be able to fight terrible wolves, but you could not expect it to know much about preventing young ladies from making indiscreet social blunders, no matter how well the deer happened to be dressed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 9:45 am
Her comment on the majesty of his Guardian brought a smile to his face that warmed his gray eyes and seemed a touch more genuine that the one he usually reserved for banquets like this. Edgar had found, though, that most of the time the lords and ladies didn't care or want to know the difference between a real smile and a staged one, and the latter always worked just as well. "Miss Fitzpercy is too kind," he said, taking her proffered hand and kissing it in greeting. "My name is Edgar Ashworth, son of Lord Edwin Ashworth." No earldoms to be named for his father, but Edgar thought that was for the best. The man was insufferable as it was. "My dear friend here is Dardanos. A champion among Guardians, I say, but he prefers to play the humble gentleman."
The buck eased himself out from behind his Chosen, rubbing his cheek contently against Edgar's shoulder before turning his attention to Marigold. Dardanos often acted as a calming, stabilizing source of energy for skittish or overactive creatures and humans alike. He had a way of... absorbing frantic energy, as Edgar liked to think of it, taking in all in and exuding a sense of calm that had put to ease many of his Chosen's own fears and concerns over the years. The buck stretched his neck to sniff at the doe in greeting.
At the same time, Edgar turned to follow Miss Fitzpercy's gaze, settling on the less-than-welcome sight of Eldon Farrington standing nearby, watching them. Edgar fought to keep his face composed in a neutral, nonjudgmental expression, which proved a more difficult task than he had hoped. Simply put, Eldon Farrington embodied everything Edgar disliked about nobility: he was vain, arrogant, cared only about the trivial things and was so embroiled in his own lavish existence that nothing seemed to matter if it was unrelated to him. Here was a man, Edgar thought, who would turn tail from a war not because he was incapable of fighting it but because he simply didn't care.
"Mister Farrington does not discuss such matters with the public," Edgar intoned, keeping the disdain in his voice to a minimum. If Farrington was Chosen - and Edgar considered it a true waste of potential if he was - he was in no hurry to disclose it. "Of course, I can't say that I am terribly displeased by the sudden willingness to acknowledge Wardens again. It saves me many odd looks walking along the street, and perhaps now we will be able to do something with this gift we have received from the Wood."
Nearby, Farrington's pride and his sense of decorum had raged a full-scale internal battle. Would he let the upstart half a baron best him twice in one night, or would he follow common etiquette and leave Miss Fitzpercy to her conversation? In the end, pride won and, telling himself that she hardly seemed overwhelmed at the moment, he strode up to the pair and bowed his greeting. "Miss Fitzpercy, you look ravishing as always. My compliments. Any man here tonight would be lucky to be seen dancing with you. It was at once a compliment and a thinly veiled challenge to Edgar that the latter didn't fail to understand. Dardanos paused in his greeting to draw himself up to his full, regal height and stare blankly at the intruder.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jan 26, 2014 10:50 am
"A pleasure to meet you, Mister Ashworth," Chrysanthemum replied primly, withdrawing her hand and patting Marigold absently. "And Dardanos the gentleman as well." If his lower title bothered her, she did not seem to show it.
As Dardanos and Edgar became slightly more familiar, Marigold hesitantly reached out to sniff at them back, but still seemed somewhat wary. Clearly she was not used to new people- In fact, neither was Chrysanthemum, but she had had plenty of books to prepare her for coming out into society. She had tried to read them to Marigold, but it was clear that they had been less helpful to deer.
"Yes, my parents would never have allowed me to keep Marigold if they had not felt it to be suitable for a young lady," Chrysanthemum admitted regretfully. "As it was, my brother was not best pleased by the prospect." His talk of action seemed to rouse her though, and she began speaking animatedly. "Oh! But I do think that you are too right. We fall very much into the danger of growing complacent now that Wardens are considered to be so very charming, but should we not be doing something more with our gift? My family has four Chosen within it, myself and my brother, and two dear cousins from Airelund. I have often thought that we were meant to do something to help the Airish cause or to unite Wardens from both countries somehow! The situation in Airelund seems quite dire, and we are so very fortunate here in Sunderland not to have such dreadful social unrest." She let out a little sigh that was not entirely suited to the full gravity of her cause, but perfectly suited to a young girl at a party. it seemed like she was going to say more, but at that moment they were interrupted.
"Mister Farrington!" she trilled, smiling widely. "You are too kind." He seemed to be about to invite her to dance himself, and she felt a twinge of annoyance. She had told Marigold that young ladies must dance at parties, yes, but she did not particularly want to just at present, when she had found another Warden to talk to besides the ones within her family. And one who seemed to have experience! There was no choice for it but to pull Eldon into their conversation, which was not something she herself particularly minded, but from Edgar's tone of voice when he spoke of Eldon, he would not be best pleased. She merely hoped he wouldn't leave. "Your timing is impeccable, we were just now wondering how many people at this party were Wardens and I was just wondering whether such a distinguished person as Mister Farrington might be a Warden, and here you are, as if summoned quite by magic!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 30, 2014 9:40 am
"I know a man who has kept his Guardian a secret from his father for many years, and does to this day," Edgar said with an equally regretful nod. The father was an old-fashioned man who thought magic and nobility had no business mixing, and even the Queen's acknowledgment of the Wardens was not enough to convince him otherwise. On Edgar's part, he might have considered keeping Dardanos a secret from Lord Ashworth, had he not known that anything out of the ordinary would send the man into a rage. Spite, it seemed, play a key role in their relationship.
"The Airish cause?" He echoed in surprise. Not many ladies in Miss Fitzpercy's position took the time to learn about political issues abroad, and even fewer deigned to care. There was something quite curious about her display of passion, not least of which was the fact that it was quite a specific issue to consider. "I imagine we are all too preoccupied at home about the imminent threat of Wolves to even consider using our gift to help our neighbors." Wolves and the fact that Sunderland, for the most part, simply didn't care about Airelund. It was a shame to think that the Queen could rally the troops to fight a threat that seemed less and less real as the seasons passed, but neither she nor her people would stand for an army of Wardens designated to intervene in Airish problems. This, after all, was a nation in which the Eldon Farringtons of society had all the power.
And then, as if they had summoned the devil himself, Farrington was there. They both seemed to stiffen, as if the mere act of being in each other's company was a challenge. But Eldon was the better actor, and he brushed off the tension with a laugh, turning to Miss Fitzpercy. "If there is any element of the magical about me, then surely it must come from an outside source," he said with an air of feigned lightness, just waiting for Edgar to say something impertinent.
He didn't have long to wait. "I should hope not, Mister Farrington. A taxing job that would be indeed for any magical creature."
Eldon's eyes narrowed ever so slightly and slid sideways to fix Edgar with a look. But his words, when he responded were not overtly addressed to Edgar. "Surely you will agree, Miss Fitzpercy, when I say that if Guardians of the Wood are as magical as literature claims, humans like ourselves could hardly overtax them."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 9:41 am
"A shame," Chrysanthemum remarked lightly, sensing the obvious chill between the two men, and placing herself slightly between them. "Having some sort of magical attribute about one's person is quite fashionable these days!" She scratched Marigold's neck gently.
"As for being overtaxed, I do believe that it depends upon the creature and the human, Mister Farrington," she said decisively. "I have three other Wardens in my family, and charming as they all are, their dispositions are quite dissimilar! My brother, for instance, is constantly trying to avoid his Guardian, and the poor dear has a dreadful time keeping up with him. I have to keep him company whilst my brother attends Parliament, more often than not. My eldest cousin, dear Rhododenron, is often imposing her will upon her Guardian, and my youngest cousin, sweet Lavender, is so charming and gentle that I could not imagine her to be terribly taxing even to we mere unmagical mortals!" She paused and smiled wryly. "As for me, I cannot say. It is terribly vain to pass judgements on one's own character in polite society, be they fair or foul." Behind her, Marigold shuddered slightly, and it was apparent that at least one of the party was feeling quite overtaxed by certain humans.
"Of course, I can see how one might come to the conclusion that Guardians were all so hardy by regarding dear Dardanos and Mister Ashworth. They seem quite perfectly attuned to each other, do they not?" Chrysanthemum finished. "It is becoming popular to be a Warden, but I see very few members of the peerage behaving at all companionably with their Guardians. As I mentioned, my own brother is terribly lax in caring for poor Pansy. Hunting dogs perform a service to us, Mister Farrington, and we love and value them, so do we not owe at least that affection for Guardians?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 3:38 pm
Miss Fitzpercy was quickly proving to be more outspoken than Eldon had expected her to be, no doubt incensed by the topic of Wardens and magic. Indeed, it was a subject that seemed to have gripped the nation in recent months, such that being touched by the spirits of the Wardwood was suddenly held in high esteem. Farrington wasn't too sure he bought into all the hype, but it was a topic he preferred not to discuss in great detail - at least not when it concerned him. Whether that was because he was bitter about his own lack of involvement or because he was doing his best to hide something was not a point he was willing to reveal.
Much as this chatter of magic irked him, Farrington was loathe to quit the conversation. Doing so would be tantamount to admitting defeat and he would not so readily be bested by some upstart baron's brat. Especially not when Miss Fitzpercy was complimenting Edgar Ashworth. Farrington couldn't quite believe his ears. Perfectly attuned to one another? He gave the man a sideways glare and saw both Edgar and his buck staring back with steely intent. He could have sworn the buck's eyes were glowing brighter, hotter than before but this time with a harsher light in them. The look seemed more threatening than warm though the deer itself did nothing provocative.
"I don't suppose I have spent enough time in the company of Mister Ashworth and his deer to make any judgment," Farrington replied stiffly, as if the very thought of spending enough time with the pair to do anything of the sort was a most unwelcome idea. "As for the dogs... why, love may be a stretch, but value, certainly, we do that. I can see why we might similarly value a Guardian if we had one. But if, as you mention, some Guardians prove to be more nuisance than useful, then I imagine the situation changes. After all, a hunting dog that does not do its job does not deserve to stay in a kennel with other dogs that do."
Farrington thought his words very logical, common-sensical even, but Edgar Ashworth seemed to take the comment as an affront. A look of indignation flashed upon the younger man's face, along with a look of barely masked disgust. "A Guardian is not a common dog, Mister Farrington. And it seems to me whether they prove to be nuisances or not depends very much on the Chosen. We can choose to view their behavior as incompatible, or we can find a way to incorporate them into our lives. If they chose us for a reason, the least we can do is give them no cause to doubt their choice." And in some cases, as in Edgar's, they were life-savers in one form or another and it became more an issue of repaying so great a debt than simply being respectful. "But a lord like yourself certainly has greater priorities than this. You can hardly be expected to sympathize."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 4:18 pm
Chrysanthemum faltered. "I did not say that Pansy was a nuisance, Mister Farrington," she remarked primly, but holding grudges was entirely against her nature, and members of her own family had been known to act at least as lukewarm towards the idea of Wardens as Mister Farrington was proving to be. "However, there would be very little for a Guardian in Palisade to do just at present if we assume that their job is solely to kill wolves! Thankfully the city is not overrun. As Mister Ashworth says, we must find other ways to incorporate them into our lives. I wish my brother was more inclined to share his sentiment."
She had not failed to notice Mister Ashworth's skeptical tone when he mentioned Mister Farrington being a lord, and she felt a tiny flare of resentment, but she could not very well argue when she had just complained of how her own brother neglected poor Pansy. There was a grain of truth in his words, Chrysanthemum was of good breeding, but she was a woman, and nothing better was expected of her than to play with Marigold. She experienced one of those little, stomach-churning moments of revelation, for an instant she felt resentment that being a Warden might actually be the best she could hope for in life, and even that was such a role as to be sneered at by the likes of Mister Farrington, but Chrysanthemum was an optimist, and never dwelled on the unpleasant. She was intelligent and charming and well bred! Why should she feel anything less than delighted about her situation? She persuaded herself to smooth over the tiny wrinkle in her happiness and said this:
"I believe that our lords should be quite concerned with Guardians. If the matter is grave enough to preoccupy the Queen, surely it would put the minds of many a Sunderlandian at rest to know that the leaders of our country were all thinking upon the matter together. And the issue is not confined to Sunderland, for I see foreigners upon our soil with Guardians-- surely even if they are a nuisance, their coming provides us with a great unifying opportunity. Common enemies such as the wolves of the Wardwood frequently unite both people and countries far better than a hundred stilted peace treaties might do. I was just about to elaborate that much to Mister Ashworth regarding the situation between Airelund and Sunderland before you delighted me so with your company, Mister Farrington."
Marigold seemed rather less irked and rather more chided than Dardanos, and everything that Mister Farrington was conveying seemed to make her retreat slightly into herself. As Chrysanthemum rallied, she seemed to revive a little, too. As troublesome as she found the girl, it was clear that there were at least some things that she did admire about her Chosen, after all.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 4:56 pm
"Your naive idealism must be useful when you find yourself faced with inconvenient truths, Mister Ashworth," Farrington replied with an air of amusement. The comment might in part have been aimed at Miss Fitzpercy as well, but Eldon was not in the business of insulting women - bless their hearts, they were women, after all, and deserved a little sympathy. "At the end of the day, practicality is key. Every creature must earn its place in the household. Is a deer so important an animal that we must accommodate ourselves to it? If history gives us any indication, Miss Fitzpercy, their sole job is to kill wolves! That is their very purpose."
He shifted his attention to Miss Fitzpercy, determined to block out as much of Edgar Ashworth as he could. All the while though, he wondered when and how this pleasant conversation had become a politically charged debate. And why, of all things, was he discussing such matters with a woman? Certainly, Miss Fitzpercy was more well-versed in the issue - and others, it seemed - than most women were, and Farrington wasn't sure if that was a positive thing. Surely, a lady ought to spend most of her day knitting and stitching and playing with her small deer and not on subjects such as the correct treatment of Wardens or the Airish cause!
"Or perhaps, if it is so grave a matter, it should be left to the leaders of our country," he suggested, not caring that she might be growing less and less delighted in his company with every passing moment. Or perhaps it simply didn't occur to him that anyone might be displeased to have the chance to share his company. "Issues that concern our national security, and matters of international significance, are certainly not ours to trifle with. And what of them? Even if we were to become invested in the matter, the concerns of you or I would hardly affect the outcome."
"Perhaps not," Edgar cut in, refusing to let Farrington have his way. "But what Miss Fitzpercy means to say is that it hardly means we should purposefully turn away or choose to remain ignorant while hoping that the problems will simply disappear. That would, I believe, classify as naive idealism."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 5:28 pm
"I would much rather accommodate a deer now than a wolf later," Chrysanthemum replied staunchly. "History also indicates that neither of our families became what they were today, Mister Farrington, without embracing every advantage presented to them." She gave him a wry, teasing smile, and stroked Marigold's neck idly. Their opposing views, she reflected, actually matched their divergent heritages rather well. As the daughter of an Airish Earl, her ancestors had needed to be flexible and agreeable to adapt to many changes in the political landscape. As the son of a Sunderlandian Earl, she supposed that Mister Farrington had never felt the need to bend his will to anybody.
Glancing at Mister Ashworth, whose company, she decided, was slightly more agreeable, she interjected, "I believe that we must take advantage of the situation, certainly. Even if we involve ourselves in addressing the situation, if we do no more than deal with the problem and then let things lie, will will miss the opportunities that the re-emergence of Guardians provides. Idleness in politics is just as much a sin as ineptitude in politics! Why, just look at Airelund, where their young and upstart nobles do hardly anything in Parliament! It's no wonder that the people are restless." She seemed slightly more indignant than she ought to be, considering the fact that, technically speaking, she was a young Airish noble herself. "I complain about my brother never having time for Pansy, and it is true, he is so terribly preoccupied with Government that even I rarely see him anymore, but he is at least passionate about what he does. I would die of shame if he were to go about his work half-heartedly."
She was beginning to find Mister Farrington to be slightly boorish. She enjoyed the chance to debate, it was true, but it seemed to her to be the height of foolishness to come to a gala full of Wardens with no desire to discuss Guardians. Mister Ashworth was surely more antagonistic than was really proper, but at least he was willing to earnestly discuss the theme of the evening!
However, Mister Farrington was the son of an Earl, and she could not very well ignore him. She chose instead to make up a reason for his staunch pessimism on the subject of Guardians. He was secretly, perhaps, magical. A wood spirit. Perhaps his true love had been kidnapped by deer. Perhaps his true love was in consort with wolves! If she could pretend that there was a deep, dark secret in his stodgy grumbling, then his company would be intriguing and charming to her again, she was sure.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2014 12:37 pm
"Then let us leave the matter to the lawmakers," said Eldon with a shrug. "As I am not one, it is neither my responsibility nor my desire to shape the politics of this country." After all, what was wrong with wishing to enjoy an unfettered life, as was the birthright of a nobleman? A hard day's labor was not on the books for the likes of Eldon Farrington, and he was perfectly pleased with that. His purpose was to cultivate the proper ties, maintain the good status of his family name, and marry a well-taught young lady so that the estate and the fortune stayed in his father's branch of the family for yet another generation.
"If you hold the power to make changes, even if you are not in government, is that not already responsibility to do something about it?" Edgar said, and there was a certain disdainful judgment in his eyes that suggested he was, to some extent, looking down on Farrington for his desire to remain idle. That the Ashworth boy thought it at all acceptable to be judging someone of a higher rank enraged Farrington, and it didn't seem to occur to Edgar that it might prove dangerous to provoke someone with more influence than himself.
"Even opportunities diminish in returns," Farrington answered coldly in reference to Miss Fitzpercy's earlier comment. "At a certain point, some of them simply become useless."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2014 9:33 am
Even good-natured, easily-entertained Chrysanthemum was, at this point in the conversation, vaguely concerned for Edgar, who was of the two conversation partners, the more charming one in her mind. She looked at Marigold, who by now was almost trying to hide in her skirts, and agreed for once with her deer; Now was the time to intervene. Luckily for her, the musicians struck up into a familiar song at that moment, and she seized the opportunity.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, wreathed in smiles. "Mister Farrington, Mister Ashworth, are you familiar with this song? It is an Airish air, and one of my special favorites. My father used to sing it to me when I was small, and in fact, it is said that the subject of the tune is one of my very distant ancestors. Of course, the words are in Airish, so they are not sung at fashionable parties such as this one, but I assure you that the song itself is very charming. It is a song that one cannot help but dance to!" She waited just a moment to give the change of subject time to sink in, but not so long that one of them would rally and return to their verbal spar with the other one. "Oh, but Mister Farrington, you are so very fashionable and cultured that I feel it would be rude of me to keep you a moment longer from all the young ladies I see eyeing you in this very room. I am sure that your dance card is already full to bursting! Several of my dearest friends intimated to me that they would wither and die this night if they could not dance with you specifically. However, if you have any room later this evening, I do hope you will think to ask me. I assure you that my dancing is lighter than my conversation, and I think that at any such gathering like this, to dance with someone later in the evening is so much more delightful. There are so many more charming things to discuss once one has already circulated that during my first few dances, I am afraid I can think of nothing else but the next few!"
Eyeing Edgar, she fancied that she still had several matters to discuss with him. She wondered if he would play along with her ruse, and tested the waters by asking, very meekly, "Mister Ashworth, I do believe that I promised you a dance before Mister Farrington so enlivened our company? This dance is quite as good as any for me, and I would gladly join you for it. Our guardians can surely keep each other company in the meantime. Unless, of course, it was another gentleman who asked me! Silly forgetful Chrysanthemum, if so, but I was near certain it was you yourself." She smiled encouragingly and tried not to think of the terrible impudent example she was setting for Marigold.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2014 8:11 am
Edgar almost didn't try to hide his delight at Miss Fitzpercy's subtle ploy. It certainly was not, to the observant bystander, subtle in its goal to set Mister Farrington off on a new adventure, but then again, Mister Farrington was hardly the observant type. So engrossed was he in his own existence that it would never have occurred to him that anyone was trying to rid themselves of his company. Still, Edgar suspected that, riled as the man was at the moment, any overt expression of glee on Edgar's part could set off Farrington's suspicions.
"If a man of Mister Farrington's importance has others he must visit, it is certainly not my place to intrude," he said, keeping the sarcasm in his voice to a minimum as Farrington sniffed pompously in agreement. "If that means I must dance with Miss Fitzpercy now to avoid competing for her attention later in the evening, then I would be happy to do so." He extended his hand with a small bow and watched out of the corner of his eye as Farrington frowned imperiously down at him for several moments.
"Miss Fitzpercy, if you will excuse me," Farrington said finally. "I will return once my rounds have been made." He bent at the waist, bowing, before sweeping off imperiously to shake more hands and greet more people.
Edgar watched him go, and the irreverent smile returned to his face. "I feared he would never leave."kotaline GOSH HELLO DEAR I'm so sorry I poofed from RP this past quarter! It was kind of a shhtshow but I'm back and have plenty of free time now summer's here. Let me know if you want to pick this RP back up! <3
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
