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Archive 30 / a-cursed-arrangement
Triggers: coerced marriage, xenophobia, genocide, war, famine, death
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 01/14/2024 22:22
A ship made from bone could only float through the constant use of necromancy. As Rikuma's destination had banned the use of such magic, no Rashouran ships would be able to make it all the way to the Thauviel Empire's capital. The beasts that had appeared after the curse had doomed Rashouris to never see the sun again habitually attacked any helpful foreigner. As the beasts prowled both land and sea, no Thauvian ship would be able to make it all the way to Rashouris's capital. The agreed solution had been to meet over the open water. It had to happen at night, because eyes unused to sunlight had little tolerance for it. The gangplank from the Imperial ship - a large, buoyant vessel made of what Rikuma could only guess was unpetrified wood - was unstable, made for moving from ship to dock and not from ship to ship. She allowed her two attendants to cross first. Agemin, archbishop of the Order of the Circle, and Marchioness Saya of Yashiran, where Rikuma's mother had been from. Both elves were the same age as her, but the closest she could come to having family at her upcoming wedding. Bringing the King and Queen to the Emperor, that sorcerer who had cursed their kingdom a thousand years ago, was too risky. Yet here she was, about to marry his chosen heir. Even after she had fully crossed to the Thauvian ship, the surface creaked beneath her feet in a way that bred unease. A lady's maid who had been sent on the ship guided her belowdeck to the cabin that had been set up for her. It was a small space, unnecessarily lavish. The bed took up half the cabin, and the wardrobe another large portion. The fabrics that draped every reasonable surface and then some had been dyed with rich colour for no reason other than to flaunt that the Emperor could afford it. She tried to remember the name of the heir in question. Was it Athena, perhaps...? .
22:22
Soon, her attention shifted to the dress that had been set out on the bed, intended for her first meeting with the Imperial Heir. A puffy pale yellow thing, with more fabric than she had ever seen on a single garment before. Used to being able to summon undead servants and hesitant about the idea of asking a living stranger to help with the unfamiliar clothing, she didn't change into it. At first, she entertained the concept. She held it in front of her, facing the full-body mirror in the corner. It didn't complement her pale skin and nearly-white hair, and looked absurd besides. "Ridiculous." She tossed the dress into a heap on the bed. "I have a kingdom to run, and aside from dragging me out here for the wedding, he really thinks I have time to dress like a jester who isn't in on the joke." She sighed, glancing at the mirror again as she considered the situation once more. A thousand years ago, the nigh-immortal Emperor had failed in his attempt to conquer the archipelago kingdom of Rashouris and claim the wealth buried within it for himself. No shame in that - an army of the undead with three lich generals was tough to defeat. The shame was in his petulance, the fact that he'd retaliated with a curse rather than accept loss. And now, he'd finally offered a way out. She couldn't have said no to the offer of marriage to the Imperial heir, if it broke the curse and saved her people. But she couldn't help but question... Why now? This was how he won. How he gained access to Rashouris's mines, and to the royal family. Political marriage wasn't unheard of among Rashouran nobles, but even then it was always a free choice, taken with the kingdom's concept of marriage in mind. A spiritual bond, perhaps not one of love, but always in binding two souls together, so that they may enrich one another for an eternity. There was none of that here. She was losing more than just the conflict she'd inherited. .
22:22
One thing remained true: if she was going to lose, she would do it her own way. After a full night and day of the crowned princess of Rashouris isolating herself in her cabin, night fell again and the maid knocked on the door with the message that they were approaching land. Rikuma stepped out dressed as she often did. She wore scholarly robes in all black, adorned with bones. A cloak covered most of her figure, with the hood pulled up to cover her face fully. She approached the two people from her kingdom who had come to accompany her. Agemin wore the robes of their kingdom's holy necromantic order, similar to her own but further simplified. In a way, he looked like home. Saya was the odd one out, in an extravagant sky-blue dress, in what she assumed had to be the modern fashion of the Empire. The swordbelt almost seemed out of place with the rest of her outfit. None of them said a word. Words were often unnecessary. Agemin and Rikuma flanked Saya on each side as they watched the docks grow closer and closer. Better to let the Marchioness of Yashiran take the social lead. With delicate features, thick and flowing black hair, and piercing dark eyes, she looked every bit the part of the lovely swordswoman. Rikuma watched the shoreline, but it occurred to her that she wasn't entirely sure what she was looking for. Emperor Aubron hadn't been very forthcoming with any information. Come to think of it, she wasn't sure he had even mentioned her new fiance's name. Most likely, her betrothed had been left every bit as in the dark as she had. For now, they waited for the gangplank to be lowered. The charming noblewoman and two ominous hooded figures covered in bones. Maybe not the right first impression, but certainly an impression.
22:23
@Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 01/15/2024 21:19
The silver brush sparkled as her hair was brushed again and again to meet her betrothal as if her appearance would make any difference, she could show up only in her undergarments and the result would be exactly the same. Most people would find the day they knew their betrothed a joyful one, but most people being weren't forced to marry a Rashouran, when Althea received the news she had pleaded with her grandfather to break the engagement, marry her to another heir or some noble but the Emperor’s word was final. “ What do you reckon the Rashouris' heir will look like? ” one of her ladies in waiting commented as they dressed her in layers and more layers of a peach gown. “They don't have light so they all ought to be sallow.” “There is also the ears, and pointy teeth, and I heard elves also have crimson eyes.” “Their soil doesn't grow crops so they must be awfully thin.” The ladies commented about her misfortune, all words made her wish more to run away, the thought of the marriage made her skin itch. One of her ladies, Mary, caught up on that and shussed the others as they finished with the dress and adorned her in heavy gold jewelry. “I'm sure they will be a proper match, the Emperor wouldn't betroth his only grandchild to a pale, gaunt, red eyed wretch.”
21:19
The words only calmed her on the surface, as much as she loved his grandfather she also knew that the Empire came first, that was why when her damned parents had tried to stage a coup he took away the immortality that he had given them, leaving old and decaying before granting them the mercy of death. There were priorities, and the benefits of the engagement meant more than her confort. “They might be a proper match until they kill us all for a necromancy ritual,” she said, making the ladies shiver. Mary put the billiment on her head with a small supportive smile. The ship was late, it didn't concern Althea much, she was secretly praying they were lost at sea, but the Duke of Mashin was growing more restless every second. It would be hard news to tell the Emperor that the marriage was over because the other party didn't show up, she could understand where the Duke was coming from. The welcome entourage was large, as big as it had been when the kings from the northern union came to visit, but there was absolutely no joy, in part due to the nationality of the newcomers in another part due to the delay. The women were waving their fans even if it wasn't hot just to pretend they had something to do and the men looked impatiently at their pocket watches. Finally they saw the vessel in the distance and then closer and closer until the newcomers were walking down the gangplank. The heir was dressed in an Empire style blue dress, a bit outdated so most actually what a person from the outside would think was the Empire fashion, she looked surprisingly normal, even pretty if someone asked with her lovely dark hair and eyes.
21:19
The two vultures with the hoods were boneshiling, it was almost cruel for them to force the servants to dress like that, especially all the bones on their clothes, the one with more bones must be the handmaid. The fanfare was played as the members of the delegation took a step forward to greet the woman, it was protocol to go through such pleasantries before actually seeing the bride, maybe it wouldn't be so bad as she expected, the woman didn't look like an elven monster planning a dark ritual.
21:19
@hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 01/16/2024 00:57
Saya all but floated among the delegation with a charming smile, offering all of the expected pleasantries, with more personal details slipped in when she spoke with someone particularly important. Indeed, she tended to the niceties that were beneath (and, if Rikuma were to be entirely honest with herself, beyond the capacity of) a royal necromancer. Clearly, Saya had spoken at length with every servant available on the ship, learning all she could about Thauvian customs and the who's-who of the kingdom. Tedious drudgery, but somebody had to do it, for the sake of diplomacy. For some reason, the swordswoman even seemed to enjoy it. Subtle as she could manage, Rikuma slipped a small fingerbone from one of the pouches at her side. She knew well enough to take the no-necromancy law seriously, but it was a comfort to have. She rolled it between her own fingers, feeling the smooth press of bone in her hand. A reminder that she could handle this noisy port, that her power was not completely gone. Even at night, the Empire was brighter than Rashouris, with the moon shining among the distant stars she was used to relying on. As the trio reached the princess, Saya curtsied, flourish and all. "And you must be Her Imperial Highness, Princess Althea Hiltron of Thauviel. It is truly an honour to meet you at last." Rikuma stood bolt upright, almost frozen at the sight. She had expected... she wasn't sure what she had expected. After all, what was pure evil supposed to look like? Some malicious embodiment of genocide, simultaneously dripping blood of the innocent from her teeth while also looking as though she had never known a day's hardship in her life? It was an absurd thought, of course. Still, she hadn't expected a beauty, neat brown hair pulled back with eyes deep enough to drown in. She avoided eye contact, even if the hood ensured that her face was hidden enough that nobody would catch her staring. .
00:57
Saya continued speaking. "I am Marchioness Saya, and the gentleman to my right is Archbishop Agemin of the Order of the Circle. It is my pleasure to introduce you to your betrothed, Her Royal Highness, Princess Rikuma Celaerna Aelynthi the Sixth of Rashouris, the Undying, Prime Necromancer Adept of the Order of the Circle." That (resolutely loyal) traitor stepped aside, leaving Rikuma to address her fiancee directly. In that moment, she realized she had no words for this occasion. She'd thought of plenty on the ship, something witty that would expose the Emperor as a monster without causing an international incident. She could no longer remember what they had been, exactly. Instead of speaking, she gave Althea a head bow to acknowledge her presence as an equal. Back home, it would have been more than enough, but Saya shot her a nervous glance anyway. "My apologies, the Princess is very shy," Saya excused Rikuma, only for the bone-clad hooded figure to turn her head toward her disapprovingly. "I mean, 'mysterious and otherworldly'." Agemin proved more prepared to run interference on this matter. "It has been a long trip, but we are glad to have finally arrived here." His voice was low and sonorous, the sort that was difficult to hear, but pleasant to listen to. "We have all been looking forward to this occasion with the utmost of excitement. Saya had been excited for the wedding. For someone with no interest in forming a romance of her own, she'd been fascinated by the idea of a foreign royal wedding, and of traveling far to a land of plenty. Rikuma had been excited to see an end to the curse, so that she could finally put her recovery plan into effect and end the suffering of her people. Agemin had been excited to try every foreign wine he could get his hands on. Rikuma found his excuse reductive and bordering on the dishonesty so heavily condemned by the Order itself. .
00:57
Further from where the delegation had gathered, Aubron observed the gathering. They had come in small numbers, and it seemed to him that the King and Queen themselves had not bothered attending. He trusted his granddaughter to handle a simple meeting well enough, but he was prepared to step in if needed. It helped that there were archers stationed along the walls, prepared to fire if the Rashouran visitors chose to attack. It would do no good to put Althea in danger, after the work he had gone to to arrange this union. @Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 01/16/2024 19:53
Althea tried to keep the disappointment away from her face, keeping instead the empty polite smile that all court members displayed ninety percent of the time. Of course the beautiful, gentle looking one wouldn't be the princess, the princess had to the ominous figure whose face she couldn't see, it wasn't hard to picture the horrors hidden behind the hood, together with the lack of speaking that only made her more sure than her previous expectations had been accurate. “I'm sure the long trip must have been very tiring, I can assure you that the good people of Thauviel share your excitement for the union.” If with excitement one meant dread and disgust. “ I must say your dress is truly lovely Lady Saya, very appropriate for such an occasion.” She wasn't sure if people from Rashouris would understand the dig of only complimenting the dress in opposition to the bone filled robes or the use of the word appropriate, it wasn't that subtle despite not being outright insulting but she didn't expect much from a Rashouran Maybe the princess was mute, or simply dumb, even a child would know better than to keep silent when being presented to someone, especially their future wife. Sometimes she thought that the bad reputation of Rashouris was exaggerated, she knew what propaganda was and wasn't unfamiliar with that, when the northern union taxed the Empire heavily rumors about them performing human sacrifices sprung from day to night, but with two silent figures with garbs of bone staring at her trough hoods she felt safe to say they weren't only mean spirited rumors.
19:53
“I hope the entourage was to your liking, we already prepared a carriage and chambers in the castle, would you like to follow me?” She asked as she subtly nooded to one of the carriages covered in gold foil parked a few meters from the pier. The question was rhetorical, like asking about one’s day, even if they had been poisoned and mauled by a bear the answer would always be “very pleasant”, sometimes it was frustrating. After the ride back to the castle she would need a long bath and at least two hours alone with only her ladies in waiting as company.
19:53
@hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 01/18/2024 03:00
The brief moment of attraction became easy to ignore quickly enough that it may have only been a misinterpreted moment of general panic over the situation. Pretty or not, the woman in front of Rikuma radiated a falseness that only made the elf uneasy. She'd read the histories of the war, after all. While she acknowledged that the accounts were likely biased, it didn't change the general idea that nothing resembling peace could be trusted coming from the Empire. The current moment only cemented the idea that this was not a land of honest leaders. Even so, Rikuma was willing enough to give her the benefit of the doubt that she wouldn't have picked up on the insult behind only complimenting Saya. That is, if not for Agemin, well-meaning but forever ignorant of the internal workings of her mind. "Do not rise to the insult," he reminded her in a whisper, barely audible even to her elven ears. It was only that statement that told her she should be offended. Yet she didn't retaliate. She needed this arrangement to work out in her favour as much as possible. She'd already flubbed the introduction by not speaking, and wasn't about to make it worse. At the mention of a carriage, she glanced over at Saya, who mercifully picked up the cue. She needed to know what she was dealing with, and that meant time with the Imperial princess, away from prying eyes and the expectation of Thauvian manners. "If it is not too much trouble, the Archbishop and I would like to travel separately, to avoid overcrowding you and Princess Rikuma. You deserve the chance to get to know each other, too," Saya said with an apologetic smile. She looked at Rikuma. "Will that be alright?" .
03:00
Thankfully, the words came to her this time. "I trust that my betrothed is not foolish enough to attempt to pose a threat to me." Rikuma's voice was crisp and clear, if a bit monotone. Coming from someone of her short stature, it may have been unexpected. "Nor would I allow harm to come to her, given what is at stake for our people. Thank you for your concern, but we will be alright." She turned toward the carriages. Like her cabin in the ship, it seemed to reflect the gaudiest excesses of royals in lands of plenty. No other words left her on the way to the carriage, though she kept her attention on Althea, studying whatever she could observe of her behaviour.
03:00
@Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 01/18/2024 20:57
So she knew how to speak, that was something at least, and even spoke in full sentences, it was more than Althea had expected. The idea of the two of them on a carriage alone wasn't pleasant but she would need to get used to it if soon they would be expected to share a bed. “One of my ladies-in-waiting will guide you to a carriage of your own,” she spoke to Saya and the other hooded figure whose name she hadn't picked up. On cue a girl appeared besides them and started to walk with them to a richly decorated carriage but slightly smaller than the royal one without the coat of arms, a sparow perched on an ax, some metaphor about small, harmless animals having the capacity to be deadly. The coachman helped her up and soone they were travelling trough the from the harbor to the winding stone streets of the capital, the journey should take about twenty minutes maximum, they would be able to arrive at the castle before the rising sun and with luck get some sleep. She trully wasn't a fan of traveling at nigh, seemed like part of the trip was lost without being able to gaze at the movement of commoners outside and the stone houses with their bright red roofs. “We prepared a small welcome at the castle, nothing too big for now, Im sure we are all very tired and needing a night of sleep so most activities will be tomorrow but the Emperor couldn't wait to meet you personally,” she tried to start a conversation to break the weird silence. What she really wanted to say was are you really going to keep he hood during the whole trip? Wearing a hood at nigh was weird, wearing a hood at nigh inside a carriage was something only expected from a criminal or someone insane, Althea hadn't decided which one the woman was yet, maybe both. @hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 01/19/2024 03:16
Rikuma shook her head when offered help, but quietly thanked the coachmen anyway as she got into the carriage. Thankfully, they didn't have to wait before they were on their way. She looked out the window as they started down the city streets. Between the enhanced dark sight granted by her elven bloodline and the fact that she had lived her entire life in a kingdom of eternal darkness, she had no trouble seeing the buildings and people outside of the carriage. She listened while Althea spoke, but didn't look her way as she tried to determine what sort of answer she expected. Probably something like 'oh how lovely, I would be truly honoured to meet and grovel before the man who cursed my kingdom'. She didn't say what she assumed was the hoped-for response. "Hm. A shift from blatantly trying to kill off my entire kingdom. At least I know he has nothing to gain from trying to have me killed before the wedding. Except, perhaps, for another military defeat to shame him with." In her own mind, there was no implicit threat in her words. It was just how international relations worked: if one kingdom killed another's leader, it was an act of war. Still, it wasn't something people were supposed to say out loud. She kept the piece of bone in hand, rolling it between her fingers. She had foregone gloves due to the considerably warmer temperatures outside of her own kingdom, leaving her hands exposed. They were pale and slim, but graceful, and less skeletal than those unfamiliar with Rashouran advancements in magically-assisted indoor agriculture would have expected. .
03:16
"But I suppose I will be on my best behaviour for the welcome," she added, her flat tone making it unclear whether she was being sarcastic or not. "After all, it would hardly do to act out during a hostage negotiation, particularly when I am the ransom." Then again, maybe 'best behaviour' in this case meant changing the topic. "Anyway, is there a library in your castle? I will likely be spending much of my free time there." @Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 01/19/2024 11:14
Another military defeat, that was rich coming from the heir of a kingdom cursed due to their foolish attempt to conquer the Empire with their necromancy, Rashourans were certainly bitter about that loss but it served them right, they hadn't know who they were messing with during the war. Even the way she spoke ‘hostage’, the marriage would do her kingdom more good than anything by making Althea’s grandfather lift the curse and allow trade with the Empire again, a second chance that they didn't deserve, most people in Thauviel had been more addep of enslaving the whole kingdom, starting with the royal family. “Of course there is.” What kind of castle didn't have a library? It was in the basic requirements together with bedrooms and a throne room. She didn't even try to hide the contempt in her tone, if the elf wasn't going to be polite there was also no way for her to force herself to be, at least in private.” I assume you know how to read, if not we can find something with pictures.” The bone on the elf’s hands sent a shiver down her spine, was that a human bone? Most likely. She didn't give much thought to how the hands weren't as emanciated as expected, Rikuma was a princess after all, if anyone in that nightmarish place would have food it would be her and her parents, the rest of the population’s hands wouldn't look slightly healthy. “If I were you I would also put the bone away before we arrive,” she added before the other had time to react to the library comment,” it might send the wrong idea.” Or keep playing with it, cause an international conflict due to necromancy and break the whole wedding and instead start a war, it was also a viable option. @hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 01/19/2024 15:00
Although the expression wouldn't be seen with her hood on, Rikuma narrowed her eyes at Althea anyway, if only for her own benefit. Nonetheless, she put the bone back in its pouch, despite the fact that it had helped to keep herself grounded in this completely unfamiliar environment. "My apologies. I hadn't considered that your people would be so easily frightened by a small, inert bone, freely given by its original owner," she said. Well, the person had died before their bones had been distributed as necromanic reagents, but that had been in the death plan they'd written while alive. Or had their spirit agreed after death? She didn't quite remember whose bone it was, exactly. She turned her attention back to the window. "At any rate, I am glad to hear Thauviel's literacy rate is finally high enough to fill a library. Congratulations." She tried her best to sound condescending. "I only ask because I am curious to read about Thauvian perceptions on yours and Rashouris's histories. While my own education on the matter was thorough enough and driven by primary sources, I am aware that nothing curated by people can be fully objective - there may still be bias in the selection of materials. Besides, it will be best to understand any possible misconceptions I may be facing during public appearances." .
15:00
She'd have to be on the lookout if it was bad. Would someone outside of the royal family be motivated to attack her? She remained resolute about not using necromancy, but if she had to defend herself, she couldn't guarantee that she would keep that promise. And if she lost consciousness due to an injury, her magic might act on its own. Still, she held out hope that it might be fine. Maybe the Empire simply treated the war as a terrible thing from a bloodier time in their history, and they had regrets about those old ways. After all, Aubron had been the one to connect with the scrying stone in Rashouris to offer an alliance. Even if he'd rejected Rikuma's formal treaty. And the generous trade deal with it. "Enough about that, I am curious about you," she said, because it seemed appropriate that she could get to know her spouse, no matter how loathsome she seemed. "Do you practice any sort of magic, yourself? Or perhaps swordsmanship?" @Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 01/19/2024 16:04
Althea wasn't sure what bias an misconceptions were expected to find but she was very sure the elf won't like anything written about her people on those books, she had read all and each one of them during her lessons and made to write many reports by tutors so she could say for sure that the only slightly positive thing written about Rashouris were that they were quick to surrender after the curse, so not complete idiots. Still it would be impossible to escape reminders of the war, they would try to hide it in front of the foreigners but they were everywhere, in plays, songs, paintings, stories children were told before bed together with every other victory of the empire over their enemies, they had been passed down generations for the course of a century until becoming almost legends. Althea's grandfather and a few of his close companions were the only ones that had been alive during that time and they made sure the knowledge wouldmt be lost in time. “I help my grandfather with some of his spells,” she answered feeling some pride. In the beginning he had been very reticent about teaching her any form of magic but after many pleas he had given in and agreed to instruct her, “ mostly divination, gazing at the future is complicated but very rewarding.” Grandfather hadn't given her many choices in what he was willing to teach, he absolutely vetoed anything destructive claiming she wasn't ready for that so she had picked a school that wasn't destructive on its own but made her eyes go wide every time she saw it in action. “I would ask you the same question but I think I already know the answer.” @hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 01/19/2024 16:39
Her grandfather. The monster himself. Still, divination was a challenging magical discipline, from what little Rikuma knew of it. It almost made Althea slightly respectable in her eyes. Almost. At least this was a more pleasant turn of conversation. "I suppose it is obvious," Rikuma acknowledged, not bothered by that. "Necromancy is a broad category of magic with various specializations, but the same could be said of anything if you dig deep enough." She considered what to admit out loud for a moment, before adding, "I also play the lute, but not magically. Perhaps I'll get the chance to serenade you with it someday, if I decide I like you enough." It was a bold statement, one that could almost have been interpreted as flirting. She realized only after she'd said it, and had to remind herself who it was she was talking to. Her fiancee, sure, but also the granddaughter of a man responsible for millions of deaths. She couldn't trust her, and certainly couldn't let her into a private part of her life. She fidgeted with her hood, pulling it further over her face. Alright, maybe she was shy and not just mysterious. Damn Saya for calling her out on that. "So, divination?" she promised to divert the topic away from herself. @Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 01/19/2024 17:05
Playing the lute was certainly not what she had expected, all accounts described Rashourans as too uncultured and barbaric to have any skill in music or art, despite her best instincts it was something that she was certainly curious about, especially the prospect of a serenade, She had been serenaded many times in the past by a thousand and one suitors but something told her that it wouldn't be anything like the other times, still she wouldn't delude herself to interpret it was a romantic gesture, she had already understood that the elf didn't know how to measure her words. “ There are many different ways to look into the future,” she started to explain, at least it was something she could talk about normally without nationality being a factor, Divination was something appreciated in both kingdoms as far as she was aware, unlike necromancy whose topic it was better to stay away from.” My favorites are oneiromancy and astrology. Astrology is more accurate, the stars are in the sky, you just have to know how to read them, but also more vague, it speaks about the fate of the world rather than the fate of individuals. Oneiromancy is more subjective, like everything about dreams is, some dreams don't mean anything and others do mean but can be confusing, specifically if someone else's dream is being reported, there are always important missing details in a retelling, but it can tell you about your life personally instead of the war that will happen in fifty years. There is also a way to induce premonitory dreams by a mix of herbs and ru-”
17:05
She stopped herself mid sentence, she had done it again, she went and spoke too much too fast, no one wanted to hear her rambling for ten minutes straight, that's what her grandfather always said, she should have better self control than that. “Anyways, I already spoke too much.” She let the fake polite smile creep into her face again instead of the stupid grin from before, the elf must be thinking she was an idiot, not that she cared about what a Rashouran thought but it still wasn't a good look. @hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 01/19/2024 19:42
Rikuma listened carefully, her full attention on the other woman's words despite herself. It was always a beautiful thing, hearing someone speak passionately about something they cared about. Not to mention the chance to learn something, herself. She almost even smiled a bit as her fiancee went on. Then she stopped mid-word, and Rikuma found herself disappointed. The facade slipping back into place was like finally getting a glimpse of something unspeakably lovely, only for the curtains to be unceremoniously pulled shut. Of course the Thauvian would feel the need to quash the impression that she was an actual person. "Runes?" Rikuma guessed. What she wanted to say was that it was fine, that she wasn't hurting anyone by talking about the magic she clearly loved and that whoever told her it wasn't okay to do that should be ashamed of herself. Instead, she said, "and it's alright, I do the same sometimes. The pursuit and sharing of knowledge for its own sake is a virtue." It was the same thing the Order had always taught her. She fell silent, and soon the carriage pulled to a stop. She twisted in her seat to look fully out the window. From this angle, it was hard to get a good look, but she could pick up on enough details to know they'd arrived. The moment the Imperial princess started to seem like someone she might learn to get away with. She wasn't sure whether to be disappointed, or relieved to be freed from that illusion. The carriage door swung open and she stepped out on her own. Or rather, hopped out, because she was only 5'2" and the carriage was not made for ladies to step out unassisted. She dipped her head to the coachman who had opened the door. "Thank you," she said, before waiting for the cue to walk through the palace doors. @Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 01/19/2024 20:16
The coachman whipped his hands on his suit after helping the Rashouran down as if he had touched something filthy, he had enough sense to do it discreetly but Althea still noticed, at least the other woman seemed not to. The heavy wooden front doors of the castle opened for them, the servants had done a good job cleaning every corner and adding as many extra decorations as possible to the already lavish building, the idea with guest wasn't to impress but instead amaze them into submission with all the things Thauvil had and they didn't, like a child showing of their toys to become leader of the friend group. She tried to walk fast but not too fast, grandfather had told her to bring the heir to him as soon as possible and she didn't want to leave him waiting ever for just a second. The throne room had also received the same treatment as the rest of the castle, the oak throne filled with gold and precious stones standing prideful in the middle with a man also covered in jewels and gold sitting on it. Everyone bowed as they entered, then took places in the sides for Althea and the Rashouran princess to stand alone in front of the man. “Grandfather,” she acknowledged him while tilting her head down. Please bow and take that cursed hood off, for the first time she regretted not choosing an area of study that would allow her to learn telepathy, it was one thing keeping it after getting of the ship or even when alone with Althea, even if the last one would earn some looks and whispers, but while being presented to the emperor was a whole different story.
20:16
@hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 01/19/2024 23:12
As she followed Althea and the others into the castle, she eyed the various decorations. They seemed excessive in terms of quantity. As far as quality was concerned, it was certainly different. Rashouris had its share of fine artisans, but the styles and imagery were entirely different. It was fascinating to see so many brand new things here, but she was glad her face was hidden so the wonder on it wouldn't be visible. It would probably be misinterpreted in a way that was inevitably insulting toward her own culture. They reached the throne room, and Rikuma looked around until she spotted where Saya and Agemin stood to the side. Good. They were probably the only solidarity she could expect here, and their presence came as a slight comfort. She turned her attention forward and bowed, a straightforward motion in the Rashouran fashion rather than the flourish used in Thauviel, but a bow of respect nonetheless. No matter how little she actually respected him. "Your Imperial Majesty. An honour to finally meet you," she said, even though it wasn't, but she was picking up on the expectation. But she didn't remove her hood in front of so many people. The royal necromancer was, after all, considered an emissary of death, and therefore could never truly be comprehensible to the living. As such, her full bare face was not to be seen by the unworthy, lest they meet with an early death. It was a silly superstition in some ways, but tradition was tradition. She found comfort in it, and it would be respected. "My dearest granddaughter," Aubron greeted with what almost even sounded like genuine warmth. Then he addressed Rikuma coolly. "And Princess Rikuma the Sixth. I'm glad to see you could make it, but would you mind removing your hood?" . (edited)
23:12
An awkward silence befell the visitors from Rashouris, and even Saya looked openly scandalized by the audacity. Rikuma had no clue how to respectfully explain the complex cultural concept she'd just been thinking about without sounding condescending. To save her from it, Saya placed the back of her hand to her forehead. The swordswoman's eyes rolled back into her head as she dramatically pretended to faint, making sure to land on the floor with a loud thud. The gasps of shock and even some concern from those standing near her distracted from the awkwardness of the moment. "Lady Saya!" Agemin exclaimed, running over to help her. Inside of her hood, Rikuma smiled to herself. Quick thinking, changing the topic and communicating just how much of a violation the request had been both at once. "My sincerest apologies, Your Imperial Majesty," Rikuma said. "The trip has taken quite a toll on my companions, and it seems hearing your request proved too much. I am sure you meant no offense by it." @Deleted User (edited)
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Althea Hiltron BOT 01/20/2024 00:18
Many things had went wrong in meetings through the years, once an ambassador had tried to offer her a cursed necklace that would make her fall in love with him, in other occasion all the foreigners had brought a sickness that left the entire court bedridden, or even the time a foreign noble had tried to straight up slay the emperor with his sword right there in front of everyone, but someone passing out randomly was a new one. Althea eyes widened in shock but when she turned to the elf she was completely calm and serene, or at least she looked like them from the tone of voice and body posture, as if a close friend wasn't feeling unwell, that left only two options, the relationship between the two was much worse than Althea had originally assumed or the faint was staged, she hoped for everyone's sake that it was the first. “Of course not, I only wished to see the face of my future granddaughter-in-law but I'm sorry if I offended you in any way.” There were two things that Althea could take from his grandfather’s words, the first was that he was definitely not sorry and the second was that he also didn't believe in the sudden faint.” Please take Lady Saya to her chambers and send an healer to assist her in a quick recovery.”
00:18
Four servants ran to help Lady Saya up and carefully, as if she was on the verge of death, walked her out of the throne room into the castel wing prepared especially for visitors, lots of luxury but also lots of guards. “Im sure after a good night's rest we will all be in better spirits but I have to ask if your parents won't be joining us? I was looking forward to seeing them at the union.” There was something on his tone she could decipher, she tried to search her brain to remember if the current king and queen of Rashouris were already in power during the war and the curse, elves lived many years without needing the help of magic like them so it was possible, still with all the simmilar names she couldn't remember the exact dates, something her tutors would crucify her over if they knew. (edited)
00:18
@hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 01/20/2024 21:18
Rikuma had never heard such bullshit before. Even if she couldn't read his tone, she knew enough to know he was certainly not sorry. His presence itself was infuriating, the fact that he could sit on that throne and pretend to be a gracious host after what he'd done. He deserved to be hanging in the Rashouran gallow gardens, not preparing for his granddaughter's wedding. She wondered if he realized how many of her country's common people would be lined up to make him regret becoming immortal if he dared step foot on any one of the islands. As long as the curse was broken first, she wouldn't stop them. Saya stood back up on shaky legs as the servants came to help her. "Oh, ancestors bless you," she said breathlessly, as though still recovering from a fainting spell. It helped that she'd had them since childhood, only now keeping them under control with the help of her family apothecary. Made her a better actress, certainly. "Terribly sorry to trouble you all. I assure you, this happens all the time, it's nothing to worry about. Truly, thank you..." Her voice faded as she was led out of the throne room. Then came the Emperor's question. Rikuma had expected it, but hadn't expected that it would feel like such a slap in the face. If her parents could have come, would they have bothered? Not that it mattered. The outcome would be the same, with or without them. Aside from being indisposed - which she knew better than to reveal - they had a fraught history of their own with the Emperor. They hadn't been alive during the war but her father had been given the same offer before his coronation with Aubron's previous heir, and had refused. It would certainly have made their presence here awkward. .
21:18
She kept her composure as she shook her head in response. "They send their regrets, and their kindest regards," she said, fairly certain that her parents both would have had some choice words for him. So did she, and she barely held back from saying them out loud. "Unfortunately, they have important matters to attend to at home, with Rashouris's recovery plan taking the highest of priorities for the time being. I am sure you will have the opportunity to meet them should you accompany us to Rashouris after we are finished with business here. Unfortunately, they will not be able to speak with you, per se, as they have taken a vow of silence after their prior failure to save Rashouris." If remorse was what he wanted to hear from her father, she would provide it. She preferred to be blunt and wasn't good at cues, but her advisors had helped her work out what it was Aubron might want to hear. It gave her a convenient way out of telling him the true reason for their silence. Still, she hoped Aubron would let her leave the throne room soon, as she did not want to be here at all, but especially not on the throne room. @Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 01/21/2024 01:51
It was honestly a good thing her parents hadn't come, the more Rashurans in the land the more hatred and unease would grow from the common folk and nobles alike, the many guards weren't just to keep the foreigners in line but also for their own protection, Althea didn't doubt for one second that is the elven king and queen were to attend the wedding and attack on their lives would happen for sure. She briefly wondered what would happen if she and her grandfather were to step foot in Rashouris and the answer quickly became another point in the long list of reasons of why she would rather die than ever getting close to that thrice cursed kingdom and its people. But the elf was undeniably well spoken, their conversation in the carriage could have been a sudden attack of eloquence that would be shattered when in such a high stake situation as meeting the emperor but she held her ground nicely, if ignored the detail about the hood. Cheers, Althea wouldn't be getting married to an absolute fool. Maybe it had been naive to expect a princess to not know anything, even in such a backwards place as Rashouri they royals needed to receive the basics of education, the best of the worst as her governess would put it. Her betrothed would still be lacking in morals, decency, personality and probably looks but being able to spill some witty words was better than nothing.
01:51
“When the time comes we will be able to work around the language barrier, after all we have much to discuss about the future of both kingdoms,” her grandfather spoke, there was greed in his voice, he had told her all about the Rashouran mines when explaining to her why the engagement was important, they would be a source of enormous wealth for the empire, a deal too good to ignore together with his plans of turning Rashouris into a vassal kingdom.” Alteah, please accompany our guests, they must be tired and I don't wish to retain them for longer, we will have much time to talk in the future.” He waved his hand dismissing those present in the room to return to their beds, Althea knew that despite the hours they wouldn't go straight to sleep, they would take the opportunity to spill all the venom on their thongs and then return in the next day for more fuel to their gossip, she had no doubt that in a few hours dozens of rumors about her fiancée's refusal to take off her hood appear, each one more scandalous than the last. Lady Saya had already been taken to the chambers after her fainting spell. Fortunately the rooms of the Archbishop and heir were right next to each other, unfortunately they were in the east wing of the castle as far away from the royal chambers as possible. Five guards followed them from behind as they walked, maybe a little paranoid from her grandfather's part but better safe than sorry. She tried to hold her thong but curiosity got the best of her. “a vow of silence? So your parents never speak? How do they manage to rule a Kingdom like that?” It was not a common practice in the empire, she didn't know it was in Rashouris, all text books spoke of it as an old-fashioned dead practice and didn't bother explaining more than that before moving forwards. Maybe the rulers refusing to utter a word was also a reason Rashouris had become such a miserable place.
01:51
@hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 01/21/2024 03:07
With every word he said, Rikuma's hate for him only grew, a feat she hadn't even realized was possible. Nonetheless, she couldn't help but be grateful for the dismissal, even if the presence of Thauvian guards around her felt vaguely threatening. She kept her head held high anyway, walking beside Agemin. The two had been bitter rivals growing up, while they had received their schooling together in the Order's ossuary beneath the royal palace. It had been a rivalry that had solidified her assertion that she was a disappointment (as she was convinced he had been proven the better), and had driven him toward excessive drinking (as he was convinced she had been proven the better), but had evolved in adulthood into something resembling friendship. His presence was at least familiar. Still, her fiancee was talking to her and, for better or worse, that demanded her attention more than silently taking comfort in the one person out of the current entourage who she knew wasn't wishing for her death. "That is what silence means, yes," she confirmed. "Their decrees are written, of course. All Rashouran citizens receive a robust education. Before the curse, our literacy rate was ninety percent. The curse forced people to move into the cities if they were to access food grown using indoor growing techniques - such as magically-created artificial suns - which meant its survivors were concentrated in population centres, eliminating the gaps in educational service implementation. The only good things to come out of the curse were magical innovation driven by necessity, and the increase of our literacy rate to one hundred percent, so everyone has the ability to read and understand new laws..." .
03:07
She trailed off as she realized she had gone off topic to discuss history, policy, and implementation. "...Anyway, final decisions are written. As for occasions such as meetings with advisors or public speeches, they brief me on the matter in writing ahead of time and I act as their voice. This system both allows them to keep their vow and gives me a few human lifetimes' worth of experience in matters of governance before I finally ascend to the throne, myself. It is not common for a ruler to take such oaths, or even a standard practice of the Order, but it is permitted so long as they can still complete their duties. As long as they follow the law, we do not regulate how anyone practices their religion." A nervous part of her hopes that the innovations she'd mentioned hadn't also been made in countries like Thauviel where they weren't as necessary. What if she'd just made Rashouris sound backward by describing them as innovations? To their relief, they reached hers and Agemin's rooms soon, and she could change the topic. She turned to her fiancee and dipped her head in a show of respect she didn't fully feel. Put on a show, no matter how the dishonesty burned her. "Thank you for accompanying us, but we will be fine on our own. Goodnight, Althea, and rest well." She turned toward the door to her room and paused in case the other princess wanted to say anything first. @Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 01/21/2024 04:16
Each word hit her like a slap, one hundred percent literacy rating? It had to be a joke, in Thauvil reading and writing was still a skill saved for the nobility, bourgeoisie and a handful of merchants that decided to be self taught for a chance to try to rise in life. The thought of even the poorer classes knowing how to read was insane, even before the curse a ninety percent rate was unthinkable for the land of wild and violent pagans described in all historical accounts. The so-called innovations weren't that impressive, artificial suns had also been created in the northern kingdoms, to give them light during the season of the years they were drenched in darkness, and the knowledge had been spread and perfected through all continents, but the literacy rating did leave her speechless, and a bit spiteful. “Good night for you too, I hope the morning sun won't be too harsh on you.” I hope it burns you to a crisp until you are as dry as the land of your home kingdom where you should have stayed. She returned to her room with the great effort not to run, they had only one week before the wedding, tomorrow a hunt followed by a banquet with all the court to introduce Rikuma to the nobles, on the fourth day a visit to the city for her to be presented to the people, there was no way that it would go well. And then marriage on the seventh day. Grandfather truly didn't want to waste a second. The days without any activity were technically free days, or as free as they could be, but she had freedom to go on with her life and ignore the Rashurans except for some public appearances, until in the seventh day when they had to consummate the marriage. Oh Gods, she would need to light up a candle for that and start praying more.
04:17
Once she entered her chambers she was attacked by eight very curious ladies in waiting and a scandalized governess, a governess that wasn't supposed to be there since she didn't had to job to get Althea ready for bed, before she could ask what the woman was doing there she started her usual song. “I can't believe it, I can't believe, the misfortune, the horror, what have we done for the Gods to curse us like this?” It wasn't hard to figure out what she was talking about.” Oh my sweet girl, are you all right? Did they touch you? Mary, fetch us some damp clothes.” “She had been like this since we returned,” Mary whispered with a look of pure suffering. Once the clothes were in her hands the woman started to try to rub Althea's arms and hands as if to wash the Rashouran away. “I told the Emperor, bless him, that this union shouldn't happen, it's profane, but no one ever listens to my advice, that's how we end up with our imperial princess engaged to a monster.” “Governess, you are rubbing my skin away.” Althea pulled her arm back. “It's a small sacrifice for your health, we don't know what diseases they brought from their land, did you notice pale cheeks, streaked eyes, coughing up blood?” “No, they didn't even put the hoods down,” one of her ladies in waiting spoke in a mocking tone before realizing her mistake. “We are domed.” The governess started to make all kinds of religious signs around her while all the girls in the room glared daggers at the one that was foolish enough to open her mouth. “In my funeral want a mass before and after, do not, and I repeat do not skip the funeral chants, not even the ones in the old language, they are essential- oh what Im saying you will all die first.”
04:17
There was not much talking when she got like this, best to nod their head and let it go, many had tried and failed to fight the religious force of nature in front of them. There was no convincing her that they weren't all going to die and go to hell for speaking with a Rashouran. “Tomorrow I will give them a piece of my mind, it's a sacrifice that I make for all of you, if they bring diseases I might not be able to protect your bodies but I will save your souls.” “Very noble, giverness,” Althea numbly agreed while her ladies in waiting took of the many layers off her dress and headset and dressed her only in a simple night gown, the governess was still rambling to the poor ladys as she closed her eyes to sleep.
04:17
@hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 01/21/2024 16:21
Rikuma nodded and stepped into her room without a word. Expecting to be alone, she breathed a sigh of relief. Then someone cleared their throat, drawing her attention to the three ladies in waiting assigned to her room. She let out an embarrassing squeak of surprise and she jumped back, but quickly caught her breath. Terrible first impression. "Terribly sorry, I was not expecting anyone to be here." In Rashouris, they did not have living servants. Everyone was either self-sufficient or could summon undead constructs to help with manual labour. The Order taught that it was cruel to use living beings for tasks that did not require, and in fact were known to extinguish, the flames of life within each person. That it prevented people from living up to their full potential for the betterment of society. Her diplomatic advisor had taught her to expect living servants, but that had not gone as well as he had probably hoped. "We do not know whether they currently have slavery or paid employees there, and Aubron was not forthcoming," he had warned, "nor the etiquette for living staff. Err on the side of caution and treat each servant with the same respect you would give the Emperor." "That is absurd," Rikuma had countered, "I do not want to blood eagle the servants." Her advisor had let out his signature exasperated "Princess!" and she had assured him that it would be fine because Aubron was immortal... but not immune to pain. Anyway, she could tell the servants were staring at her, even if she didn't pick up on their disgust. Still, she could deduce that they likely did not want to be here. She looked down. "Thank you for showing up, but I prefer to get ready alone for tonight. I am sorry you went to the trouble of coming here, but I hope you all rest well tonight." She bowed, and the maids looked confused. Still, she stepped aside and they all filed out as requested. .
16:21
Once the room was empty, she opened the wardrobe. It was full of clothes that had been prepared for her, but were most certainly not hers, and could not have been further from her tastes. She closed the door to it and opened the trunk of luggage that had been brought over from the ship. Mostly black, some bones, much more comfortable and familiar, custom-made for her. She changed into her sleeping robe, a long red one made with a sheer material at the sleeves. It was closed and secured with a broad ribbon that tied at the back, but exhaustion had begun to set in, so she admittedly half-assed the tying process. A gold key hung from a chain around her neck, the most important thing she had brought with her. She settled into bed and pulled the blankets over her. It was miserable. Agreeing to a sham marriage under duress, being forced out to an unfamiliar land where her home was universally hated, playing nice with the family of the man who had killed millions of her people. There was no escape, and no way to save Rashouris without sacrificing something she lacked the words to properly grieve. She curled up, grateful that she was alone now and could let the tears fall freely. They led her into hours of merciful emptiness. In the morning, Rikuma's world exploded into a blinding white heat. The light, even through the window, was brighter than any she had ever seen before. Once she opened her eyes, a gasp of shock escaped her throat and she buried her watering eyes in her hands. Yet nothing, not even closing her eyes could save her from that searing pain. Not giving the entire palace the satisfaction of knowing she was being successfully tortured, she gritted her teeth and pulled the blankets over her head, burying her face in the mattress. It was only in the solace of darkness that she could piece together what it was. The sunlight. Of course. She'd never seen a real one before, and had been unprepared for its inescapable brightness. ~~~
16:21
Susannah had been given the dubious honour of dealing with the Rashouran princess. She had wanted to refuse, but had gone unlistened to. After the previous night's dismissal, she had hoped helping her would no longer be her duty. Instead, she was the sole lady in waiting responsible for her. Luckily for her, she found herself waking up with a horrific stomach bug that would prevent her from doing her job for the day. Unfortunately, propaganda and superstition had made her certain that it was the work of a necromantic curse placed on her. Never mind that the other ladies were fine and that she'd been warned that that milk had gone bad. Surely, there was evil magic afoot. Clutching her upset stomach, she searched the halls for her supervisor, soon finding her outside of the Imperial Princess's room. "Madam," she called, not modulating her volume. "I cannot tend to the Rashouran princess today, I-" She retched, covering her mouth to ensure nothing escaped. "She cursed me! She came into her room last night holding human bones and speaking in tongues, then told us to leave! I have fallen ill with a terrible necromantic curse!" It didn't matter that it hadn't happened. Surely, her word was enough.
16:21
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Althea Hiltron BOT 01/21/2024 18:41
The governess eyes went even wider than usual at every words that come out the girls mouth, she was responsible to coordination and well-being of all the ladies in the service of the crown, she prided herself in being the palace matriarch, the majestic emperor took care of state affairs and politic but she had changed his diapers before he got his immortality that he so graciously extended to her and his close companions, for centuries she made sure that the court kept it's splendor and nothing got out of order. The emperor controlled the empire but she controlled the castle. No new girl was hired or slave brought into the castle grounds without her permission, no royal child didn't have her as head of their household, no soul fell into sin under her watch, and no Rashouran would threaten the children under her care. She had argued with the emperor to not allow such a blasphemous wedding but he had dismissed her concerns every time, one of the few times she doubted his judgment, and only one night later her concerns had been confirmed. She knew what she had to do.
18:42
“Susannah,” she spoke with such a abrupt loud tone that the girl jumped almost emptying her stomach on the carpet, if she did she would be responsible for cleaning it, curse or not the girl had to clean her messes,” go to the church and speak to the priests, do anything they tell you and do not speak to anyone, you might pass them the curse. Pray to the Gods while you go if you see shadowy figures do not answer them.” Once the girl had run along it was time to step into action. Instead of only wearing the pendant with the symbol of Heilina, mother of the gods, that she always wore around her neck, she also wore all the necklaces and bracelets and rings with religious symbols that she possessed, and just in case it wasn't enough she also carried a rune-embedded cane usually carried by priests in religious ceremony, the should at least offer some protection from the nercromany. With a last small prayer before the attack she steadied herself and opened the doors to the elf princess's cameras in a single fluid movement. “I demand you lift the curse you cast upon this castle, you filthy demon.” She raised the cane high to intimidate the evil and summon the Gods.” Release us of your evil presence and let the good people of this land rest- look at me while I speak to you. That is very improper.”
18:42
She raised her eyebrows in indignation when she noticed the way the elf was hiding itself under the blankets and marched to pull them over to keep with her speech. —------------ “Your majesty, your majesty…Althea!” Hands shook her awake umceremously. She had been having such a good weird dream were she was under a starless sky surrounded toushand candles with flickring fire everytime she put one out another immediately light up. “What?” She turned to Mary without even trying trying to be polite, she asked to be woken up latter, that wasn't late it was breack of dawn and she wanted to sleep. Mary didn't even had the decency to look appologetic. “It's the governess, I saw her marching into the Rashourans wing drenched in religious simbols. The woman's words from last night came to her, she had been to tired to care and honestly tought they were nothing more than her usual delusions. She had been around since before Althea's grandfather became imortal, she loved to say she had changed his diapers, being basically a historic landmark herself gave her a certain immunity to act in ways that no other member of the court would dare, in other words she never knew when to stop. “Help me dress before she causes an international incident.” She probably already has. @hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 01/21/2024 19:26
Time passed, and the blindness faded. Yet the light outside remained unbearably harsh and burning. When the door to her room opened, she almost felt a sense of relief. A servant! She could politely ask them to close the curtains and - nope. She was being yelled at, and she didn't understand why. She had done nothing wrong. Wrong room? Had Agemin done something foolish? Perhaps she should not have brought a prominent religious figure to a country where their religion was illegal, after all. She curled around herself and gripped the blanket tighter as she felt it start to shift. "Wait," she said. "I have no clue what you're talking about, but please just... close the curtains? We can talk about it, but it's too bright in here." But her words were muffled by the pillow, and her grip strength was nothing short of horrendous, so the blanket was pulled away, letting the searing light pour down on her. She clenched her teeth and buried her face deeper into a pillow until she could barely breathe. She probably looked pathetic right now, but she didn't care. She just wanted that cursed light to go away. Was she committing an act of great cruelty, allowing its return to her country? Perhaps the curse had been a favour after all; they had certainly learned to adapt, in their own way. But even as she thought it, she knew her country was still inhospitable even to its own residents. "I don't know what you're talking about, really. What curse? Curses aren't necromancy, they are a matter of sorcery." She would have thought that an Empire rules by a sorcerer would acknowledge that much, at least. "I haven't done anything, I swear by it. What happened?" She was trying her best to sound calm and rational, but the only interruption to the harsh light outside was the shape of something being lifted threateningly above her. .
19:26
"Ma'am?" The deep voice from outside was as welcome a relief as Rikuma had deluded herself into thinking the sun would be. "I understand the appeal of mystery, but I must advise against violating the princess in her chambers in such a manner." Rikuma cringed at the word 'violating' as Agemin stepped into the room, hands raised in a gesture of peace. The elf - half-elf, really - had changed out of his religious garb and into the 'modern' Empire tunic and trousers provided to him, though his expression made his discomfort in the strange attire clear. His dark auburn hair had been brushed neatly back out of his face, though the dark areas around his golden-brown eyes made it clear that he'd stayed up all night to watch the sun rise, a practice in subtle adjustment over time that Rikuma regretted not trying for herself. "Lower the cane, please," Agemin added, looking back over his shoulder at the sound of approaching footsteps. He turned his attention back to Rikuma to bow even though she couldn't see the gesture. "And I apologize for barging into your room, Your Highness, but the door had been left open."
19:26
@Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 01/21/2024 21:42
The commotion could be heard before being seen, she had Mary help her as fast as possible, no jewels or even headdress, just a simple gown to keep decency and they followed rapidly to find the angry old woman. Althea had expected it to be bad, she truly had, living for so many centuries in her own bubble had made the governess…a very interesting character, but not even in her wildest dreams she would expect the woman to be waving a ceremonial cane, covered in religious jewelry and half praying half preaching to a bed whose owner she could not see but she suspected would be the Rhasouran princess while a man she did not know tried to control the situation. It took all her years of etiquette lessons to not break down laughing, even with the very real and serious consequences the act could have it was just too outlandish for her to watch with a straight face, the governess was known for in her pursue of decency and sensibility to carry out the most indecent and unsensible acts but it was the first time Althea had seen her go so far, not even when the circus troupe had been around. “Althea!” The woman turned to her, still not letting go of the cane.” What is the meaning of this? Why are you undressed?” “And why is the governess so…religiously dressed?”
21:42
She couldn't find the words, she had just given up the headdress and jewelry for the sack of saving time, the governess looked like a character straight out of a comedy play. “Because if no one in this castle is willing to stand up to this disgrace then I will. Susannah told me everything! She told me that she had been cursed, the Rashouran didn't waste time, she approached the ladies speaking in her cursed thong and holding human remains! Cursed the poor girl!” That was actually a serious accusation, necromancy was a capital punishment, if it was true she wasn't sure what her grandfather would do, he was very adamant on the union but such action couldn't go without consequences, especially now that it was public after the governess had screamed about it for half the castle to hear. “Is that true?” She asked the figure on the bed, even if it was the elf could always lie and deny but there was the possibility that she was so unapologetic that would admit everything. She looked like a wretch with her face buried on the pillow so only a crimson nightshirt was visible, at first it was confused until Althea connected two and two together and told Mary to close the window. “ Governess, please let's keep our voices down, most people are sleeping,” she pleaded with the woman who had gone into another tirade about the dangers of necromancy and Rashouris. The man was just ignored, even if she didn't know who he was he could be a murderer and still be a lesser evil @hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 01/21/2024 22:11
Even with her face buried, Rikuma didn't bother to hide the indignation in her voice. "Of course not! Necromancy serves as a gateway between the living and the dead; it cannot be used by the living to curse the living. If I tried, it would only work against myself, because curses are not a necromantic practice. My native languages are not evil and I have not taken any bones from my pouch since we arrived. Even if I had, the most I would be able to manage would be a tiny little skeletal construct. Quite an adorable one, truly." Agemin cleared his throat so she would not ramble on. "What the princess says is true. We do not curse living people, as the living body is autonomous and therefore inviolable. If someone did find a way to do so, it would not be through necromancy, and it would be considered a grave offense." He paused, considered his words, then bowed his head. "If you will forgive the unfortunate wording." Rikuma relaxed as the harsh light was blocked out, curtains pulled shut. Still, she did not uncover her face, with how crowded the room was. It made sense for her to allow her fiancee to see her full, bare face, and Agemin had already seen it before, albeit accidentally. But the other two in the room were commoners, and one of them a rather cruel one at that. She couldn't relax too much. The 'governess' was still going on and on with the rant that told her just how much she would be hated here. She couldn't wait to go back home, where people were not... well, they were as judgmental, but not on such an absurd basis. "Thank you for closing the window. Now, can at least half of you please leave?" she asked, exasperated. "If this matter needs to be discussed in further detail, I will do so with Althea, but unless someone intends to bring me a veil, I need at least half of you out of here first." . (edited)
22:11
Agemin nodded. "Of course, Your Highness." The half-elf looked toward the old woman, then approached with caution. "The Governess, yes? I will admit, I know very little about your religion, but I can tell you seem passionate. Perhaps you could tell me more elsewhere? There are guards all around if Princess Althea needs anything, and it is about time for morning tea." He gestured toward the door for her to go ahead, hoping against hope that she would listen. By the spirits, this was too much to handle while sleep-deprived and sober. He tried to force his hand not to tremble. "Have you ever tried sencha tea?" The attempt seemed silly, but Rikuma was also hoping it would prove in defusing the old witch's temperament and he wouldn't just end up getting attacked by a cane. "Your sacrifice will never be forgotten, Archbishop Agemin."
22:11
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Althea Hiltron BOT 01/22/2024 18:26
Never in a millennium anyone had expected to see a poor fool try to flirt with the governess, and even less expected was the woman to accept the advance. Truly she didn't seem to understand the full meaning of the words and just saw a way to convert another soul away from sin, even if a Rashouran she wouldn't give up the opportunity to do her duty, but not before announcing some threats about godly punishment as she left the room in case the elf princess tried anything. Mary was still staring open mouthed as the governess left with the man as if wondering if it all hadn't been a dream when Althea gave her a small touch on the arm, the servants would have a lot of gossip material that morning. “Find Susannah and figure out what happened,” she instructed the girl as she left the room leaving only the two heirs alone. She couldn't help but feel divided, on one side she knew absolutely nothing about necromancy, only that it was a crime against nature and therefore banned, the explanation could be trie or a load of bulshit and she would have no clue. Susanna was truly not her favorite noble, there was a reason she never wanted the girl as one of her ladies in waiting despite her being the daughter of an earl, she always came out as too airheaded for Althea's taste. If the elf wanted to curse anyone it would make more sense to go straight to the emperor or Althea instead of a servant that wasn't even part of the royal household. Without proof it wasn't anything worth starting more trouble over, if it was true things would go south very fast.
18:26
“You must forgive the governess, she is very…eccentric, I assure you she doesn't speak for all of us.” She actually did speak for most Thauvian people but was the only one loud enough to say it. “ I will tell the guards to not allow unauthorized persons in your chambers for this to not happen again, and ask the governess to be more contained in the future.” As if Althea or anyone besides the Emperor could go through that woman's head, she would have to ask her grandfather to speak for her.
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 01/22/2024 19:12
Rikuma listened to the rest of the gathered people filing out of the room. Soon, it was just the two of them. "Thank you," she said, glad to hear the reassurance, no matter how empty it might have been. Time would tell. "Some misunderstandings are inevitable. Consider it already forgiven." Slowly, she sat up. Straight, pale hair flowed to her mid-back, with a white halo of light behind her from the few rays of sun that escaped the curtains. Her facial features were defined, with large silver eyes that gave off a faint glow in the dim light. There was still a sorrow to her expression, but it was far from the abject misery of the night before. She brushed some of her hair back from her face with one hand, tucking it behind a pointed ear. "Now, what was this about a curse?" she asked quietly. "It is not a skill of mine, but if someone has been cursed in this palace, it should not be taken lightly. Has anybody used a magic detection spell yet? What are the symptoms?" Even though the person in question had falsely accused her, they would get further by focusing on solutions than the information of it all. Of course, there was the possibility that the whole ordeal was faked, but she wasn't about to become the next person to accuse someone of something without evidence. Better to assume it was a misunderstanding based in good faith. A curse from someone else or an illness, perhaps. It was odd sitting here now. In just one night, she'd gone from not even removing her hood in front of her fiancee to being bare-faced and practically undressed in front of her. While Rashouran culture as a whole was not picky about modesty up to a certain point, it did somewhat kill the air of mystery the royal necromancer was expected to maintain. Better in her private chambers than the throne room in front of everyone, though. .
19:12
"If it is possible she merely has a minor illness," she added, "then I might know of something that could help her. Non-magical herbalism, not necromancy. Though if it is severe, the best thing for her is to see a healer."
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Althea Hiltron BOT 01/22/2024 20:19
The second she saw her fiancee’s face her brain stopped registering all words. She had been so sure of the idea of a red eyed monster that the Rashourans were painted as that the sight left her completely frozen. The puppets in children shows had made Rashourans an awful disservice, instead of red the eyes were an icy blue, the body was nor near as emaciated as described and the the features, although sharp, weren't as extreme and grotesque as the engravings shown. In Thauviel fair eyes and hair weren't common, that was reserved to their neighbors in the north that didn't have a blazing sun over them ninety percent of the year, still she couldn't deny the appeal. She wouldn't mind looking at that face more. “Yes, indeed,” she replied despite not having heard a single word, hopefully it was the right answer,” there is an hunt today, followed with a ball tonight, it's supposed to introduce you to the court, then three free days in which you are free to wander, within the limits, and then a small trip to the town to introduce you to the people.” It was easier to list the itinerary instead of wondering why the elf in front of her wasn't a monster, there was no need to tell what would happen on the seventh day, they both knew it. “It's best we call someone to help you get ready since your lady is…unwell.” Maybe she would ask Mary about some court lady noble enough to serve a princess but not strict enough to refuse to serve a Rashouran. @hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 01/23/2024 14:24
That hadn't answered a single one of Rikuma's questions, and she raised an eyebrow to communicate that fact. "Is your refusal to answer my questions because I am still considered a suspect, or did you not listen to a word I said?" The pure disrespect... was something she had to tolerate if this was to work in her favour. She settled for a disapproving look (which likely didn't come across; she did not emote very well, after all) and focused her attention on the description of the week's agenda. It didn't sound too bad, assuming the Emperor didn't plan to spring any surprises on them. "What will we be hunting? What do people here normally use to hunt?" The only wildlife in Rashouris was the curse beasts, but there were occasional hunts of them for their bones and furs, both of which were extremely useful. That, and for sport. Seeking out a dangerous thrill here and there was a universal desire of the living, after all, and the risk of death helped one become more attuned to it. But she was sure this would be different. After all, she couldn't exactly use necromancy for this. She had proven barely passable at fencing, terrible with a traditional bow and arrow, and actually decent with a crossbow, so she hoped the last was an option. Or perhaps some new weapon she could learn about. She could spend the three free days in the library, unless she was permitted to get out and explore the city. She wanted to see what life was like for commoners in the Empire as well, beyond what the Imperial family decided to show her. The reality, not just the best of it. She'd ask about that later, since there was the question of 'her lady', a profoundly uncomfortable statement to her. .
14:24
"Will that be necessary?" she asked. "There is a reason such work is normally undertaken by... let's say constructs... and it is not only necromancy for its own sake. It never is. Death serves the living, but while someone retains independent thought within their body, isn't it a bit demeaning to make them work beneath their ability?" Of course, it wasn't like people had much choice in an Empire where necromancy was illegal and magitech constructs didn't seem to be very common, at least at the level of fine-tuning required for tasks like dressing. She stood up, pushing the blankets carefully aside. "Of course, if it isn't, you could always volunteer to help me, yourself."
14:24
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Althea Hiltron BOT 01/23/2024 19:25
“Isn't it more demeaning to disturb someone's rest by summoning their body to clean a room?” she couldn't avoid the small indignation. The living and the dead didn't belong together, on earth they did their bidding and followed the fate the Gods had chosen for them, and then in death it was time to rest and leave for the other side, not keep being pulled by on a wim. She couldn't image a more awful fate, for her ta pass away but her body staying bewind not underground but moving and working like a puppet for its living masters that ignored the fact that the life on her eyes had been gone for a long time, that it had once been a person with thoughts and feelings whose body they ordered around without a care. Necromancy didn't need much explanation why it was banned, respect for the dead, even just their memory, was a big deal in Thauviel, most times they refused to speak ill of a person who passed away, playing with their bones was just horrifying. “I'm not a servant,” the answer came clipped and dry, the disrespect, did she really expect Althea to help her dress up as if she was nothing but a maid, when there were real maids that wouldn't mind but she insisted on sending them away? How twisted someone had to be to find being dressed by copses preferable to the touch of the living? “You are free to dress on your own or I will call a lady to help but that's the end of my aid.” Better aid if she threw a shoe at that stupid wretched face that had no right to be as pleasant as it was. No, no, the hunt, talk about the hunt don't get mad.
19:25
”We will mostly be hunting things like deer, birds, boars in the royal woods, you are free to just ride along and watch or joining, the weapon of choice is usually a bow and arrow, I suggest just a tunic if you want to hunt to be more practical but if not a dress while you wait with some other ladies that are also not interested in participating in the killing.” that was good she was half sure she took the aggression from her voice.
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 01/23/2024 19:59
Rikuma shook her head. "The body is an empty shell. The spirit never rests, regardless of what happens to the body, but we only contact spirits to pay homage to the ancestors or to ask those who die without leaving an after-death plan what they want done with their bodies - whether it is necromancy or burial," she explained. Agemin would have been better at explaining the philosophy than she was, but she'd try. "We do not shun our dead, but we do not 'disturb' them either. Most Rashourans are perfectly happy with donating their remains for necromancy, because it is a widely held belief that death should serve the living, and all things die. Such is the cycle. And when someone is dead, there isn't the fear of economic coercion that exists with the use of living servants, so it is a truly free choice." She wasn't even sure Althea was open to her explanation, but she had to at least try, to avoid being looked at like some kind of monster. She walked over to the trunk of clothing to get her selections out, but glanced back at Althea was she said she wasn't a servant. She had to try not to laugh. "So what you're saying is that it is demeaning?" she asked. "I would have returned the favour, but suit yourself. I doubt any of your servants will willingly assist me, so I will tend to my own needs unless you get sudden volunteers." She considered the hunt for a moment. Of course the usual weapon would be her worst one, but she didn't want to just sit on the sidelines doing nothing. That sounded boring as all hell. "Do you have crossbows here?" she asked. "Otherwise, I can ask Saya if she brought one." She selected the outfit she normally wore on monster hunts, minus the enchanted fur cloak needed to make the time outdoors survivable. .
19:59
She'd only ever heard of those animals. She couldn't deny, the prospect of actually seeing them was exciting, even if she'd been warned to be cautious with eating any meat. The only animals Rashouris could support the farming of were deep sea fish and silk worms, so anything else was... Unpredictable, in terms of how it might affect her. "Will you be participating?" she asked, curious. "Is it only ladies who might be observing without participating? Agemin is a pacifist, so I do not see him being directly involved in the hunt."
19:59
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Althea Hiltron BOT 01/24/2024 14:02
It was all nice and great in theory but anything could be justified with enough clever words, in practice she would never be able to look at necromancy without anything but disgust no matter how many excuses and justifications the elves came up with. It was that feeling deep in someone's heart that what they saw was wrong and nothing could change that. If Rikuma didn't want servants good for her, she could dress herself, take her own clothes to the washing women, or maybe even wash them herself since living servants were so demeaning. All women in court would praise the Gods for being free from the job of being her personal servants. “There are crossbows, you can use one instead of the bow, the use of the bow is more for tradition and to make things more challenging.” She always found the bow more fun, they were lighter and easier to carry, once mastered they could fire quicker and more than one arrow at a time. “Me and most of the court will be participating, it's a bit of a competition but there is no prize, it's just for sport…I mean, he can not participate, it's just that usually men never want to just observe.” If a woman didn't want it was all righ, only some decads ago they were allowed on the hunts and even if since then the mentality had changed and there was no complaints about women hunting there were still some raised under the old law that didn't show intrest and weren't expected to join. With men it was diferent, hunting was seen as a show of skill, one of every boy's rites of passage, and more recently girl’s, was to go on a hunt with their parents, pacifist wasn't a thing they saw with good eyes, it was mostly linked with cowardice. @hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 01/24/2024 16:58
Good, then Rikuma would gladly participate. It seemed more interesting than the ball that had been mentioned earlier. The latter sounded like a nightmare of being expected to tolerate an hours-long social event, being subjected to emptyheaded conversation while surrounded by more noise than music and enduring physical contact with absolute strangers much to their mutual disgust. Or maybe the Thauvians would avoid her altogether, not knowing what a mercy they were granting her. The hunt was a game of death, though. That was something she could understand. "Then I will be participating in the hunt." Agemin would be glad not to have to participate, at least. Pacifism wasn't a necessary expectation among the Order's clergy, but was common among those who took a strict literal interpretation of the tenets around not hastening death (as it comes to all in its own time) and respecting bodily autonomy (which was quite counter to killing someone). Rikuma herself followed the looser interpretation, in which exceptions were made for the punishment of criminals, killing for food, and death as an act of mercy. It had been the source of many a philosophical debate between the two, but she secretly found his commitment to ideals admirable. She set her clothes of choice on the edge of the bed and looked at Althea. She never knew how to properly dismiss people or ask them to leave without offending them. Back at home, it had been fine. She could just stop talking, stop acknowledging them, and people would walk out of her own accord. Here, she might be expected to actually say things. "I'll see you at breakfast," she attempted. "And thank you again for closing the curtains." How she would handle a day of hunting under the sunlight, unable to hold both a parasol and a crossbow at the same time, she had no idea.
16:58
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Althea Hiltron BOT 01/24/2024 19:37
“You are welcome.” Finally it 's over. After leaving she went straight to find Mary that made a quick resume of the Susannah incident, after a quick trip to a healer and talking to some other girl it was discovered that the fool had just drank spoiled milk, who she had survived so many year with a lack of critical thinking was beyond Althea's comprehension. Still rumors flew, even with everything explained and harmless the idea of necromancy curses was out and couldn't be put back again. She got dressed quickly, not as many rings and necklaces as usual, and headed for the royal forest with Mary also similarly dressed by her side. Grandfather was already, there choosing one from among his various bows, and some other people that liked to arrive early. “Althea, you arrived early,” he smiled to her before kissing her on the forehead,” how are matters going with the foreigners?” His tone was more serious, she knew the answer she was supposed to give. “There were some troubles this morning with the baroness but despite that everything is alright.”
19:37
“I heard about the incident, gladly it was all a misunderstanding.” He stopped one second to look at her face. “Darling, don't look so miserable, I know it's not ideal but we talked about this, it's for the good of the kingdom, once the union is consummated you will be free to move her into a estate house and the most you will see each other is in a handful of public events a years,” he got a little closer to her and spoke in a lower voice,” it's not like you won't be able to take lovers after, she isn't a man so you won't even have to worry about conceiving an heir with her.” He shivered as if the thought of a half elf with his blood was the most awful thing he could think of. The question of heirs between same-sex couples had been very simply solved with spells, but it was something still recent that no one would hold against her not doing it, the same way no one would hold against her infidelity when the partner was Rashouran, it would be painted as a necessary evil. “Yes, grandfather, I understand.” She forced herself to smile despite the same wrong feeling in the back of her chest that came with necromancy. “I knew you would understand.” @hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 01/24/2024 20:04
Rikuma breathed a sigh of relief once Althea left. She only needed to deal with this long enough for the wedding ceremony and any publicity events planned for afterward. Then she could return to her castle in Rashouris, focus on the recovery plan, then prepare for her coronation. Normally, her royal consort would assist in the proceedings, but surely nobody would blame her for excluding this one. Her sacrifice was recognized already; a symbol of it was not required for her to take her place on the throne. She could adopt an heir to raise with the Order's help, and the less influence from the Empire, the better. Her soul would be forever tainted by the union, but her life would go on. Her hunting outfit was a simple military dress jacket over trousers. Her key was hidden beneath her top, and the top half of her face covered with a dark veil. It kept the lower half visible enough, ideal for public speaking arrangements, but was such that she could see without others being able to see her eyes. To her relief, nobody else was in the parlour, so she chose a quick breakfast of various fruits and a sweet pastry before meeting up with Saya and Agemin outside of the castle. "Agemin told me what happened," Saya said. "Are you alright?" She lowered her voice. "Does somebody need to experience an 'accident'?" Rikuma shook her head. "It was a misunderstanding. I am sure my name has been cleared by now." "You're assuming Thauvians are logical," Agemin muttered. "Speaking of, how was your tea date with the governess?" Rikuma asked. Saya smirked over at him. "You didn't tell me it was a date." Agemin sighed. "She tried to convert me to Thauviel's religion. Which I expected, but still..." "Was it effective?" Rikuma asked. "A few lobotomies short of convincing." .
20:04
Saya laughed and handed Rikuma a crossbow before leading them into the forest with the others. The sun was harsh, but Rikuma managed to slowly adjust to it, even with the dots of colour that still danced in front of her eyes and the residual headache. She would work past it and focus on the hunt ahead of her. At the sight of Althea, Rikuma kept her focus on the ground, unable to shake the impression that her fiancee hated her. Maybe the feeling was mutual. But what she really hated was her situation. Her situation and the Emperor. Saya walked ahead excitedly, carrying her bow and arrow, while Agemin stayed behind. "Just be on the lookout for any 'stray' arrows," he warned her. "I don't trust any of them." He placed his hands on her shoulders. "And remember, this is temporary. You have a home to return to. He won't take that from any of us." He may not have understood the workings of her mind, but he was the only one here who understood her grief. She took a deep breath and nodded. "Try not to cry at any of the kills," she said, to his mild indignation, then walked over to join the others.
20:04
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Althea Hiltron BOT 01/25/2024 19:50
“It seems we are all here so we may start without further ado,” her grandfather smiled when a large enough group had reunited on the clearing, by his side were two royal guards.” We shall all meet here again when the sun is at its highest point, then we can go back and feast on the rewards of our hunt. Remember: deers are worth 8 points, boars 12, rabbits 5 and ducks 3.” He was saying mostly to the Rashourans, everyone else had gone on hunts before and knew how everything worked. Mary already had two large leather bags ready to carry all they would get, the two of them worked great as a team, Althea fired the arrows and she located the prey. Before Althea could dive into the forest like the others her grandfather grabbed her elbow. “Keep an eye on the Rashurans.” “I don't want to be stuck with them during the hunt, please, there is no point, there are guards at the edges of the forest they won't try anything.” The hand grabbing her arm tightened until she could feel the strong grip leaving bruises even under the tick clothes. “I mean, of course.” He smiled and let go of her. Mary kept her mouth shut during the whole thing, taking the initiative to go tell the guests the development while Althea rubbed her sore arm. “Me and the princess will stick along with you since it's your first time, the forest is big and people tend to dismiss each other, it would be a shame you get lost on the unfamiliar ground.” @hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 01/25/2024 20:23
Rikuma listened to his explanation, staying with Saya. They could hunt together, as they always had with the curse beasts. But her ears perked up as she overheard the Emperor speaking. So they would continue to be treated like prisoners. She looked toward them, annoyed. An irritation that only grew as she saw how hard he was grabbing Althea's arm. No matter how she felt about her fiancee, she felt more strongly about that bastard, and even moreso about people who treated others like that. She barely heard what Mary was saying. Saya compensated, nodding with the lady's words. "Of course, you are welcome to join us," she said brightly. "We welcome any guidance in these woods, and nothing builds relations quite like hunting together. Right, Your Highness?" Rikuma looked over at them. What a load of nonsense. Still, she nodded. "Very well, then. We could not refuse if we wanted to," she said bluntly. Saya sighed, wondering why she had to work with a princess who made diplomacy so much harder than it needed to be. "Apologies, she is very blunt. Our culture values honesty, and she takes it to an extreme." Rikuma ignored the comment and walked over to Althea. "Ready to go?" she asked, looking down at her arm. "And are you alright? That looks like it hurts. Men like that..." Would be executed in Rashouris, but she couldn't say anything that sounded like a threat to the Imperial crown. "...Never mind. It doesn't matter what I think. Let's go. Probably better if you and your lady in waiting lead the way." .
20:23
She turned away from Althea and started toward the forest, looking back over her shoulder to see if Althea was following. It was louder than the forests in Rashouris. Not only were the trees still alive, rather than frozen and petrified, but everything around them was. Alive, moving, making itself known. It wasn't magic. She was used to magic, lived her whole life with it. This was something far greater. Rikuma looked around her, trying and failing to keep the wonder off her face.
20:23
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Althea Hiltron BOT 01/28/2024 16:56
She focused on the hunt, the hunt and nothing else. No thoughts, just the way the bowstring felt under her fingers and the crisp morning air in the deep breath she took before letting the arrow go. Politics, mariages, political tensions, all became meaningless, the people next to her weren't Rashourans, that place didn't even exist, the only reality was that forest and the dead deer in front of her. “Good one,” Mary broke her out of her trance. The leather bag received its first victim. Althea would have liked to bring her dogs but it was a little counterproductive that kind of help in a competition, still it had been some time since she had taken them on a walk with all the wedding procedures. Mary was in charge of all the talking from their side, she and lady Saya made a good pair in that. In events it was something but out in the forest she didn't felt the need to force conversation, when it was just her and Mary they went the whole day without uttering a word, lost in the silent language that the two of them shared forged in many hours of silently watching the prey before attacking. @hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 01/29/2024 12:13
The initial sense of wonder soon faded, but her anger didn't return yet. It was easy to get lost here, focusing on the task directly in front of her and not on the larger situation. She let Mary and Saya chat amicably as she kept her attention out for any of the animals who had been mentioned. Which was easier said than done, when she had never seen a duck, deer, boar, or rabbit before in her life, save for the occasional illustration in ancient history books. As it turned out, though, it was enough to recognize what she saw. While Mary and Althea worked on bagging the dead deer, Rikuma turned her attention toward the river that flowed between the trees to their right. The sun shone off the water, a sparkling reflection that forced her to squint in order to clearly see the figure bobbing along its shoreline. It was different in full colour, rather than black and white ink, the duck's head an almost iridescent sort of green. She raised her crossbow, loaded a bolt, and fired, despite the way the sun's light made her head ache dully and threw off her vision. The bolt whizzed past them, landing with a thud through the duck's wing. It stumbled forward, wounded but alive, and darted between the trees. Rikuma swore under her breath in Rashouran and lowered her crossbow. The animal would undoubtedly be in great pain out there, and that was something she couldn't abide. While Saya and Mary were talking, she broke off from the group to follow, sure that she would be able to find her way back to them once she'd caught up to and finished off the poor duck. The points didn't really matter to her, but she had to end its suffering. Holding the crossbow in one hand, she used the other to reach under her tunic, pulling out the concealed knife. Normally, it was only useful for crafting blood wards, but it would do the job just as well now.
12:13
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Althea Hiltron BOT 01/31/2024 12:37
It took her some moments to realize that the group of four had been reduced to three. At first she just looked around, sure that it was a trick of the light and the elf Rikuma must just be hidden under a shadow but no, she had disappeared. Her grandfather's words came back to her, there was nothing wicked that could happen, righ? There would be no point, except…one could never be too sure. She just gave a quick word to Saya and Mary that they didn't have time to process before she went to follow the footsteps. Maybe it would have been wiser taking someone with her but it was her fiance so it felt like something she needed to do alone. The bow and the arrow were ready to shoot. She wouldn't shoot her fiancee of course, unless the circumstances demanded it, still if asked she would answer that it was in case a boar appeared. Finally she saw the elf, an arrow firmly pointed to the head. There didn't seem to be anything suspicious going on except-no, no, it could be. Was the idiot trying to fight a duck with a knife? It was enough to make her lower the bow and just watch with amusement what she knew would certainly go wrong, she would help if things got ugly but until then it was amusing to watch @hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 01/31/2024 23:04
The duck had fled further into the trees, but eventually stopped when it thought it was safe. Rikuma approached silently, her breathing steady. It would be easy, with her prey already wounded. A mercy, really. Then it turned to face her, and she stopped moving. No sudden movements, nothing to startle it. She approached slowly, but it lifted its head and its uninjured wing as though in a gesture of aggression. No, that was absurd, it was a prey animal. It was just feeling defensive, she assumed. The curse beasts she was used to could comprehend human languages, so she assumed all beasts could. So she tried to reason with it. "I'm here to help yo-" Then it let out a horrible noise, a screech that came from the very depths of all living creatures' collective nightmares. Quack. With that horrific sound, her bravado fled her. She was suddenly aware of her surroundings, including the only other living humanoid in the woods. The beast she had believed to be a duck advanced, flapping even its injured wing now. She turned and fled, falling into place just behind her fiancee. It was an immediate cause for shame. She was supposed to be a powerful, mysterious ruler, yet here she was, hiding behind some pampered imperialist princess. "Is this one of those 'demons' your governess was screaming about earlier?" she whispered to Althea. Quick as could be, she slid the knife back into its sheathe and lifted her crossbow, nocking another bolt. Hopefully her aim wouldn't be off this time. "I thought the curse beasts were bad, but they didn't sound like that." Between the trees, the duck - a perfectly ordinary mallard - turned to face the two of them. @Deleted User (edited)
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Althea Hiltron BOT 02/01/2024 23:25
“It is a duck,” she spoke slowly as if to a small child, because honestly Rikuma was sounding like one,” a duck.” With one quick movement she shot the arrow and put down the poor animal, it was already injured anyways, wouldn't have survived long. It was a shot from a too close range to her liking and a very anticlimactic but alas. From seeing her trying to knife fight the duck to speaking to it and then hiding from a bloody duck Althea's apprehension had truly gone down significantly. Maybe things would have been much simpler if her grandfather had remembered to just send ducks to Rashouris during the war. “Are you not aware what a duck is?” She knew that in their cursed land they didn't have sun so any animals that could emigrated immediately and the others died slowly as without light the plants that they ate began to wither but still they couldn't have completely forgotten what animals looked like. With such a good literacy rating didn't they have at least one book that mentioned that ducks were just ducks and not demons that apparently made an awful sound. It was to be expected that people who mingled with death wouldn't feel scared of a large bird. @hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 02/02/2024 02:18
The condescension was enough to make Rikuma regret having approached her. Her hand tightened on the crossbow bolt, but since Althea had already shot the animal, she forced herself to let go, returning the bolt with the rest of them. She narrowed her eyes at her, barely visible through the veil, though there was no real venom behind the expression. Just vague annoyance - Althea had proven helpful, and she'd admittedly been a bit silly, so she couldn't manage more than that against her right now. "I know what a duck is," she said flatly. "In the sense that they have been mentioned in ancient tomes, but were never relevant to life in Rashouris, and were not a focus of study in any way. Think about it this way: if you read about swords once or twice, but had never encountered any sharp object in person, then one day somebody came at you with a katana, would you be prepared for it? Or would you be too shocked to stop and think 'ah yes, that must be a sword; I have heard of them before'?" She walked over to the duck's corpse and knelt beside it. She was unsure whether the animals here had souls, but was not about to disrespect them by assuming they did not, even if they didn't seem to understand human languages. "You died bravely, but your pain has ended." She kept her voice at a quiet whisper, a bit self-conscious to be addressing the dead in front of someone who she was sure was already judging her. Without the use of necromancy, they were all empty words anyway, but a due amount of respect for the dead. "May your spirit find fulfillment while your bodily remains go on to serve the living." Or to be served to the living, as the case might be. She picked up the body, tucking it under her arm as she walked back toward Althea. Then she stopped again, her attention drawn to their right. There was something there, watching them. She could have dismissed it as her imagination, if not for the large shadow between the trees and the snorting sound that came from it.
02:18
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Althea Hiltron BOT 02/02/2024 08:35
She wasn't even surprised when Rikuma started talking to the dead duck, from all the things she could do like take out the bones or the hearth Althea found that talking to it was the best option. “There is a big difference between someone charging at you with a sword and an animal that doesn't even reach your knees flapping its wings,” she replied,” the poor animal had an arrow in its wing, you weren't in a life or death situation.” She had the feeling that she was being annoying but didn't care. There were few people she has allowed to be annoying to, she was mostly expected to smile, agree with everything and be as pleasant was possible, but in the forest, even a private one, all that responsibility melted, it was her own personal world and she wouldn't change that for anyone, there was a reason she always hunted only with Mary. “Its better we go back, they must be getting wo-” The way Rikuma was looking at the trees made her stop. “Dodge!” The boar charged at them, head lowered to try to stick his fangs into one of their thighs as he ran faster than something that weighed more than one hundred kilos should be able to. She shot an arrow at it while she jumped to the side, grabbing Rikuma’s arm to force her to dodge too, but it was clumsy due to the movement and ended up only scraping the tick skin. @hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 02/02/2024 14:31
Yes, maybe Rikuma had overreacted. With anyone else, she might have admitted as much out loud. But with a Thauvian she was marrying under duress? Absolutely not. She said nothing, in part because there was a bigger problem to worry about. She was already on the move when Althea shouted her warning, jumping to the side to let the massive tusked beast charge past. Now this was more like what she was used to. No wings, no unearthly sounds, just a deadly mass and the knowledge that success or death were the only two possible outcomes. Logically, maybe she should have been more scared. But now she was clear on what needed doing. She may not have had her necromancy, but she had a crossbow. "Let go," she said, the same firm, certain tone General Eec'zor would always give commands during their training. She raised the crossbow again, taking aim as the boar turned toward them, likely further enraged by the new scrape. She fired, aiming for an eye. But this creature only had two of them, and lowered its head as it charged. The bolt instead buried itself in the thick hide of a shoulder. Enough to slow the beast, but not to stop it from coming at them. "Go left," she told Althea, as she herself dodged to the right. In truth, being decent with a crossbow probably wouldn't be good enough in a life or death situation where she wasn't permitted the use of her necromancy. But she wasn't alone. Althea had shown her skill as an archer, and where Rikuma lacked martial ability, she made up for in strategic thinking. She observed the boar's behaviour as it charged, an apparent thoughtless rage at the threats. Body language, direction, the way it paused before changing course... everything carried a potential weakness. They just had to know where to look.
14:31
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Althea Hiltron BOT 02/02/2024 16:14
There was no way to outrun a boar,that was the first thing they learned about hunting them, the second was to despite that never let them get close. She had a clear manual of instructions in her head about what to do in that situation cemented by one hundred hunts. “The river!” If they ran fast enough east the river wouldn't be far, it might not stop the boar but swimming would slow it down. Most animals were hesitant to cross deep water. It would also make them leave the royal forest, the grounds east of the river were no longer private property, anyone could step there to hunt or chop wood, but it wasn't the biggest worry at the moment. At the moment it was more probable being impaled by the boar's tusks than running into a member of the Red Hand Rebels. She could already see the shining water through the mess of tree branches, thank the Gods she was wearing light hunting clothes and not the usual heavy dress or she would sink like a rock and end up food for the ducks Rikuma feared so much. @hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 02/02/2024 16:30
In unfamiliar territory, Rikuma couldn't be sure of exactly where this river was. Now wasn't the time to ask. If water was a weakness for this creature, they would cross the river and attack from the opposite bank. She gave a brief nod. "Lead the way." She'd never been much of a runner, but adrenaline did wonderful things for one's abilities. She followed close behind Althea as they ran. Once they broke from the treeline, she didn't hesitate. It wasn't too wide, so she had little issue tossing the crossbow to the opposite bank so it wouldn't weigh her down. She jumped next. Not making it far enough to clear the river, she landed in the water about three fourths of the way. Cool water closed in over her head for a second, before she emerged, taking in a deep breath. The opposite bank was within arm's reach, so she quickly reached out to pull herself up onto the shore. "Good call," she said, picking her crossbow back up and making sure it was still in good shape. "Now let's finish it off." As she prepared another shot, she looked around to make sure Althea was safe on land. Across the river, the boar had reached the riverbank, but backed away, hesitant as it seemed to decide whether to swim across or give up. After a moment, it began to enter the water.
16:30
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Althea Hiltron BOT 02/02/2024 17:51
It wasn't practical to swim with the bow but it wasn't as heavy and easy to throw as the crossbow and she didn't want to risk it being carried by the river current, so there was no choice but to bite it and force herself to swim with the bow and arrows weighing her down. The freezing water made her gasp but adrenaline kept her moving until the other side, loose stands of wet hair glued to her face when she pulled herself into hard dry land. “Thanks.” Rikuma was already up and with her weapons ready while Althea still gasped for air from the swim. In the end the boar never had much of a chance, if they had been unharmed it would be different but as things were with two shots from each one it could no longer move enough and sank into the bottom like dead weight, a pity, it would have been a good meal, now it would feed only the fishes. At least none of them had gotten hurt, the worst that could happen was pneumonia from the cold. @hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 02/02/2024 18:47
Rikuma caught her breath as she watched the boar sink to the bottom. "Farewell, courageous warrior," she muttered, then looked over at Althea. One corner of Rikuma's lips twitched ever so slightly upward, almost a smile before she looked toward the river again. "I could retrieve it," she commented. "But not legally." She cocked her head to one side. "Think they'll take our word for it?" They'd have to find their way across the river again, but she wasn't feeling in any particular rush to get back. Out here, it was peaceful now that they were no longer being chased. Beautiful, even. She closed her eyes, the water on her skin dulling the sun's heat into something more tolerable. It took a moment for her to register the fact that, to someone not used to the cold that could only come from the total absence of sunlight, it might not be as unpleasant. She opened one eye to look over at Althea. "Do you want to head back before people get worried, or wait a bit longer?" she asked. "I'm fine either way."
18:47
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Althea Hiltron BOT 02/02/2024 21:11
Althea made the conscious decision to ignore the comment about necromancy and focus on the second. “We used to use the system of honor when counting the kills, then lord Bair came back one day saying he had slayed ten pheasants, there are no pheasants in this part of the empire, so now we need some form of proof.” The sun had heated the rocks where she laid to fight the cold of the water, some years ago the hypothesis was considered that she should marry a prince from the north, her atual future marriage was less than ideal still she could keep the Thauvian sun that she adored so much. “Wait just a second, I want to dry a bit.” She was surprised by noticing that Rikuma's presence didn't bother her, in the nature under the sun after a rush of adrenaline everything was so peaceful that she could easily fall asleep, she would if it was Mary next to her but with the Rashouran it felt like it would be pushing her luck too much. @hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 02/02/2024 21:49
Rikuma nodded, perfectly content with staying there for a moment longer. As long as there was plenty of water, maybe she could learn to like the sun after all. And there would be plenty of water, when the ice caps that had formed around the islands and the frozen streams all melted. Too much. She hoped once more that the calculations had been accurate and the dams, walls, and ditches would be enough to mitigate any flooding. Despite the years she'd put into perfecting the recovery plan even before the chance to break the curse had come up, her expression grew worried. "Take your time," she said, instead of voicing her concerns. "I'm in no rush." She wrung some of the excess water out of her hair, but she was sure it was going to be damp for a while. While they rested, she took a moment to count her remaining arrows. They probably wouldn't have time to actually hunt anymore, but that was fine. She hadn't been worried about the points, something she realized to her own shock. She'd always been one to strive for excellence. Stubbornly competitive, some might have said. When was the last time she'd taken time to just enjoy something? "I..." She trailed off, uncertain how her words would be interpreted. More fuel for mockery, if she didn't choose them carefully. Or even if she did. But cutting off the statement with a simple 'never mind' wouldn't reflect well on her either, would it? "...Despite - no, maybe because of - the danger, I have to say, this wasn't bad. I had a good time, overall. Thank you." She straightened out the half veil, wishing she had a proper hood to hide her face behind. She'd settle for simply not making eye contact for now. (edited)
21:49
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Althea Hiltron BOT 02/04/2024 00:02
It would be the perfect moment to an arrow to hit Althea in the stomach, or the forehead if the killed wanted to give a merciful death, Rikuma didn't seem inclined to take advantage of the fact that she was laying on the ground, enjoying the warmth, it did bring some small degree of comfort being finally sure that, at lead for now, the person she was going to marry wouldn't kill her at first chance. The sun was almost at its highest point, if they weren't back at the right time people would get worried but until then there was no need to worry, they were outside the royal forest but not too outside, she doubted most peasants got this close in fear of running into some less civil noble or their prey running into royal property where it couldn't be chased by commoners. “You are welcome.” It was the first time that she had felt something close to positive about her fiance, maybe it was just the happiness of escaping such a close call clouding her vision but she was in the middle of one of those rare moments away from all responsibilities where the world seemed brighter. “ There is a trick I always do at parties to pass the time, tell me about your latest dream and I will see your future in it.” It was nothing more than a trick, most dreams didn't have meaning and people always forget or added things or just blatantly lied, what people chose to tell said many things, just not about the future. Men saying they dreamed of swimming in gold, in hopes of getting it predicted and it becoming as if Althea made fate itself instead of just trying to read its many possible paths. Young people telling that they dreamed of meeting their true love, old folks telling about their family reaching glory, dreams of fame, fortune and power. She was reading them more than their future, they didn't need to know that thought
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 02/04/2024 16:15
The offer had seemed to come out of nowhere, but Rikuma couldn't deny her curiosity. It was unlikely a reliable form of future telling, given the flaws in human memory and the rarity of truly prophetic dreams, but it could be entertaining to see what she thought of. But first, she had to remember a dream that wouldn't bring down the mood. Most of her recent dreams that she remembered had been either nightmares about her marriage and the Emperor's likely attempt to conquer Rashouris again, or power fantasies about finding the one legendary weapon that could allegedly kill him. Neither of which would be particularly cheerful, or safe to voice in this setting. "Hm... that is a challenging one," she said, tapping her chin with one finger as she thought about it. "Memory is flawed, and waking memories of sleeping dreams even more so. I suppose I will have to settle for the most recent dream that will not be too upsetting to discuss at a time of joy." One did come to mind, and she nearly laughed at the memory of its absurdity. "There was one, shortly before my journey here. Agemin, Saya, and I had arrived - though for some reason, Saya was an anglerfish in that dream. I haven't the slightest idea why - and when the doors to the Imperial castle opened, it was filled with every variety of bread imaginable. White, rye, sourdough, brioche, some I couldn't even begin to name... Then I woke up. It was rather absurd, in hindsight, as dreams often are." The royal greenhouse had been struggling already by that point, so the most likely meaning of the dream was simply that she'd been hungry, but it would be amusing to hear a silly dream interpreted as some sort of dream prophecy. "If you actually get anything from that, I admit that I will be impressed... then I would like to know, what was your last dream about? I can't interpet it, but I am curious, and it's only fair to share information equally."
16:15
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Althea Hiltron BOT 02/11/2024 21:25
It was so unexpected and absurd that despite herself she couldn't help but chuckle, it was nothing like the ansers she usually recieved but it was infinitely more amusing. "That had indeed a very profound meaning about your future," she put on a somber expression like an oracle making a deadly prophecy," the angelfish means your companion will leave you to live in the deep underwater after being cursed into becoming a fish, the loaves reveal an even more terrible fate, someone will poison one of the breads, but you won't know wich one and end up eating the deadly one and dying with flour on your face...or maybe you just went to bed hungry and saw an angelfish durint the trip, who knows?" She took to much pleasure in making fake profecies, it was one of the few ways she had of making fun of someone without the risk of an intenational incident, if they didn't happen it was because reading the future was hard and something didn't worj out, not because she made it all up, of course not. "My own dreams are less intresting, I rarely dream or can't remember them, whice is a shame in my area of study, today the only thing I remember about my dream tonight is candles everywhere so I assume I was having a late night read." There were also all the nightmares about how awfull the mariage would be, failing the empire and her grandfather, and hoe monstrous her fiancee would be, those weren't dreams she should be talking about, even less now that the images of her nightmares were so scarily different os reality (edited)
21:26
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 02/25/2024 21:48
Rikuma had never been good at telling when someone was joking, so she appreciated how obvious it was with Althea, intentionally or not. "Hm... I sense logical inconsistencies there," she said. "Will I be cursed - or blessed, depending on perspective - to be a fish and live in the deep sea forever, or will I eat poisoned bread and die? I don't think most fish have much appetite for soggy bread." Pointing out the logical inconsistencies was as far as she got before her serious expression broke and she had to cover her mouth to stifle a laugh of her own. The absurdity of the fake prophecies hadn't disappointed. "But no, I think I was just hungry. Deep sea fish are the only edible animals that can survive in Rashouris, and wheat grows well under artificial suns, so that explains everything." The mention of reading caught her attention, though. At least some Thauvians could appreciate a good book, even if they didn't seem determined to share the joys of knowledge with everyone. Her pointed ears perked up. "Do you remember what you were reading about?" she asked, curious now. But even now that the topic was something of interest to her, the peace of the moment was inevitably tainted. She knew what was coming at the end of the week. What if this was the last time she'd be happy? The smile she'd managed to work up faded with the thought and she looked away, toward the forest they'd come from. If there weren't so many lives on the line, she wouldn't even be here.
21:48
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Althea Hiltron BOT 03/04/2024 12:09
She looked away at the mention of her reading, the only encouraged material was either academically approved books or empty romances devoid of any meaning beyond giving an escape to noble women completely fed up with their husbands, and most important only books of Thauvian authors, nothing of northern romances. Her books didn't fall into any of these categories, Mary helped her get her hands on literature from other kingdoms, only those in a language she understood, of course, they were banned but so much more interesting, specially the rush of doing something forbidden. “It's called ‘A kiss from a lily’ it's a romance very popular in the Empire about a princess that falls in love with a knight after losing her memory,” she lied. If anyone cared to look closely they would notice that she had been reading the same book for the last six months and still couldn't say anything more than the resume on the back cover, thankfully no one ever did. Maybe in Rashouris they had more interesting books, it was already surprising they could read so she could be surprised again finding that they had good literature. “Do you read?” @hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 03/05/2024 01:49
Literature was, she assumed, a safer topic, so she tried to focus on this conversation and not on her worries for the future. But it was hard to focus with the lacklustre description Althea provided. She thought back to the moment in the carriage when she'd gotten her to talk about divination. The difference was astounding, really. "You don't seem very interested in it," she observed. "Is it a dull book?" But she had her own question to answer. Digging up interest in talking about that wasn't a challenge by any means. "I love reading, yes. Right now I'm working my way through the final volume of On Justice and Revenge: The Complete Works of Otaehryn Katou. He was a poet in what is now the Rashouran province of Ekro, where the Order originates, who did most of his work during the period between the Unification War and the Ekran Slave Revolt, which was the series of conflicts that started off the revolution that overthrew the warlord who had originally tried to join the Rashouran archipelago under his rule five thousand years ago. That revolt ultimately led to the establishment of Rashouris as it is today. He wrote a lot about battle, but also very... human for lack of a better word in your language... poems of the suffering he witnessed under the warlord Krothu's rule," she overexplained. "During the revolution, his work shifted as he began working as a scribe for one of Krothu's generals and used his poems to sneak coded information about battle plans to the Rashouran rebels-" She stopped as she realized how much she'd been talking. Possibly the most words she'd said since her arrival, and any moment now she'd get told to just shut up already. She looked down, her face heating up for reasons unrelated to the sun's warmth. "...Sorry. I know that's not what you asked." @Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 03/07/2024 14:02
Every word made her want to know more, poetry wasn't her cup of tea but hell it sounded intresting. Rashouran history wasn't something she was familiar with, even her own history she wasn't familiar with, anything before her grandfather's rule was either undocumented or a vague legend about their past as a tributary province to the east. A unification war and a slave revolt were both things she wouldn't mind reading about, if not counting the small problem that she didn't speak a word from the language. "Outside literature is not really allowed, if you brought any book with you it's recomended for you to trow it away or send it back," she started tactically," unless I can take a look and see that there is nothing... traitorous there, just for safety of course." Mary and Saya would get worried soon, and being outside of the royal grounds was still dangerous but she would only leave after she got what she wanted.
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 03/07/2024 15:31
Rikuma tensed at her words. Damn it! She couldn't just throw the book away, and there was nobody she could trust to bring it back to Rashouris safely, aside from her two companions. And they were here for her protection. While the poems had been written before Rashouris had had any contact with Thauviel, of course they contained ideas that might be seen as anti-Thauvian. Such as an opposition to tyranny. "I..." She trailed off, unsure of what to say. "Do you even read Rashouran?" The original language of the poems had been different, a regional language she wasn't fluent in either, but the Rashouran translation was the one she had. And there she found it: a chance to distract Althea from any possible threats. "I guess it would be good for you to learn some of the history, customs, and language, if we're to be..." She couldn't bring herself to call it a marriage, not really. "Anyway, I guess I could teach you, but Katou's work might be a pretty high starting point for learning the language. I'm not even sure how well it would translate into Thauvian, but I could try to translate some for you if you just want to know what's in the book." @Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 03/08/2024 19:38
"Im a fast learner," she smiled. Did she had a particular interest in Rashouran history and costums before? Absolutly on, but she now, even if it was the morbid curiosity of wanting to find out what happens to a body after execution. It was the kind of knowledge she should never get close to, the kind she wanted more. It could be the only good thing she gained from the engagement. "We can start when he both have some free time." They had three free days before the trip to the town and the...marriage ceremonies right after, it was still something she had dificulty thinking about as something that would defenitly happen and not an abstract concept. "Althea," Mary's voice called from the distance," curse the Gods, where are you?!" They must be worried, none of the crown princess were killed by an angry boar or a reber, would be bad for politics. Thinking about it, would the rebels even want to hurt Rikuma? They were traitors but still Thavian... Nevermind, it was impossible to know what happened in the head of those lunatics
19:38
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 03/08/2024 21:24
Rikuma had hoped to spend their free time avoiding Althea. But outside of the palace, she wasn't the absolute worst, and the idea of sharing knowledge always appealed to her, no matter who it was shared with. It was one of the reasons her advisors wanted her to stay away from anyone with any relation to espionage as much as possible. She managed a small smile back. Maybe the threat in Althea's previous words about the book had been unintentional after all. "If I survive the ball, yes. We could start tomorrow." It wasn't an assassination attempt she was worried about. It was the stress of a large social event in an unfamiliar environment. She jumped at the sound of Mary's voice, which was soon joined by Saya's. "Princess Rikuma, I swear, if you've caused an international incident on our first full day here-" Rikuma sighed and stood up. "We're here," she announced, picking up her crossbow. She looked over at Althea. "And we're both uninjured." Saya walked out from the treeline on the other bank of the river and sighed. "How did you end up over there?" "We swam," Rikuma answered, unnecessarily but straight to the point. @Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 03/10/2024 10:20
"We also drowned a boar," Althea added, relishing on the way Mary's face turned from worry to an annoyed amusement. "Then swim back hunting time is almost over, we need to go." Jumping back into the icy water wasn't atractive at all, but a battalion of guards being send to look for them was even less, it wasn't hard to assume everyone would think that the Rashourans did something and go ballistic. The other swim was harder than the first without the adrenaline helping, when she got to the other side the only thing she wanted was to sleep for the rest of the day. "If you want you can go straight to the castle to get ready for the ball and...drier," she offered the foreigners. "Im sure the emperor won't mind," Mary added," you look like you had an adventure so he will probably tell us all to rest before the night, in the Empire we have the habit of party until dawn that's what the three day recovery exists." In Althea's opinion the recovery should last longer, in the governess opinion recovery was for the weak and trough the Gods they should all be fresh and ready on the next day, as stupid as it sounded the woman was always full of energy in the morning so maybe she was onto something there
10:20
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 03/10/2024 17:29
Without the rush of running for her life, Rikuma didn't dare to try and throw her crossbow clean across. If it sank to the bottom, she'd never hear the end of it. So she clipped it to her belt and swam across normally. It took a while, but the cool water was refreshing enough that she didn't share Althea's exhaustion. She would still need to rest - the ball would drain everything she had. Saya helped pull her on shore and straighten her veil as Rikuma wrung her hair out. "Honestly, we bring you out for one morning and you get lost in the woods and fight a boar," she sighed. She gave Mary a look between exasperation and amusement, as though to say 'princesses, am I right?' "And win," Rikuma added. "You left out a key detail." Win the fight, at least. She looked over at Althea. "Sorry we didn't win the competition." At least they'd had fun, though. Saya looked between the two of them and beamed. It seemed they weren't fighting or brushing each other off right now, and that was a step in the right direction. She worried about the ball, though. The princess had always avoided social events. In Rashouris, she could get away with it. Thauviel was a different land with a different culture and more social expectations. She'd keep a close eye out, make sure everything went smoothly. "Let's get you back to the castle and dried off, Your Highness." Saya took off her own jacket, draped it over Rikuma's shoulders, and waited for the other two to be ready before starting toward the castle. @Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 03/10/2024 17:43
She had enough trust that the two would find the path the their chambers without problem, at least not on their part. The talk to her grandfather wasn't that much of a talk, as expected he told her to go change when he saw how wet she was, but only after asking if the guest caused trouble, the other nobles stared when she and Mary walked away, stories about how she was trown into the river would surface without doubt, they wouldn't be a problem, people were bored and needed something to speak about, as long as it didn't reach the peasants everything was fine, they were the ones that could actually believe. She got to skip the banquet and spend the day talking to Mary about the forbidden Rashouran books, Mary pointed out that for that she and the Rashourans princess would need to spend much time together, the thing Althea wanted to avoid, but books were above any protest. The clothes to the ball were much heavier than the usual ones, the double amount of rings, necklaces, gold everywhere around her body until she looked made of precious stones. Most people took off the clothes after a certain hour to joint the less proper party, she never had joined them, she was supposed to stay virgin and pure until mariage, maybe after Rikuma left she would give them a try
17:43
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 03/10/2024 18:11
The few hours of quiet weren't enough. It would never be enough. She looked through the clothes that had been left for her, since Saya had informed her that the clothing she had brought with her - even the nicer gowns - wouldn't suffice for this event. Most were either offensively colourful or made from a material with a texture that was a nightmare on what little bits of skin it touched. She settled on a dark blue gown with gold embroidery and a shawl of gold silk brocade. It felt strange and heavy, but once she'd gotten Saya's help with tightlacing the corset, she found she could ground herself a bit easier with that consistent, more familiar pressure. She kept her jewelry simple but elegant. Bones were off limits, of course, but Rashouris also had plenty of gold and gems. Sapphires went well with the dress, so she opted for earrings and a short necklace from home that incorporated them with the delicate gold metalwork. The longer necklace she always kept around her neck with the key dangling at the end was visible, but the key itself hung low enough to tuck under the neckline of the gown. She'd never liked wearing rings, so she didn't. "You missed the banquet," Agemin commented from the doorway to her chambers. "Of course she did - we're not trying to kill the poor woman," Saya commented as Rikuma turned to face him. "I feel like a marshmallow," Rikuma commented, looking down at the voluminous skirts of the ballgown. "Who needs this many petticoats?" Agemin laughed. "You look fine, Your Highness. Better a marshmallow than a drowned cadaver. How was your swim?" Rikuma sighed. "Preferable to being put on display for Thauvian nobility." She walked toward the door. "Let's get this over. We shouldn't be late."
18:11
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Althea Hiltron BOT 03/10/2024 19:14
Not five minutes had passed since she entered the hall and already half of the people in there had approached asking for a dance, or to kiss her hand, or pure straight up gossip about the soon to be union. She entretained it, she adored it. The chances to escape all the rules were few and spare but as long as parties were on of them she would never miss one, everyone was too intoxicated to care if she spoke a little to much, if she was too bold, if she danced too fast, words lost meaning amidst the frantic movement of dancing feet. Mary left to go find her loved after they bowed to Althea's grandfather as every guest must do, she fancied a young scribe, too stiff for Althea's taste but he seemed good enough, unlike some of the drunk nobles that tought the all the world, and especially the women in it, belonged to them. @hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 03/11/2024 15:43
Rikuma reluctantly entered the ballroom and was hit by a wall of unfamiliar music and chatter and the clinking of glasses and tapping of dancing footsteps and by the ancestors she wanted nothing more than to run and never return. Her mouth was dry as she stepped into the chaos. The one mercy was that most Thauvians avoided her, some even moving to clear a path so they could avoid the Rashouran princess. Good. The whispers and malicious gossip were a small price to pay for a little personal space. She gave the cursory bow to the Emperor, as she'd been advised to do, then drifted away from the crowds to linger along the edge of the dance floor. She kept to herself as much as possible, though it wasn't long before Agemin reappeared at her side, carrying two glasses of wine. "Is one for me, or are they both yours?" she asked flatly. He laughed. "Your Highness, please. I know how to at least appear temperate in my habits. You seem like you could use a drink." He was right about that, so she accepted the glass. "Thanks," she murmured, then took a sip. She never much liked how most wines felt. Dry, which was a very wrong feeling for a liquid to have. But the burn was alright. "It would be advisable to socialize with any Thauvians who are open to it," he suggested in a low voice. "Just a dance or two, to lower their suspicions about our kingdom. This is ultimately a diplomacy event." She frowned and said nothing as she searched the dance floor for any possible dance partners. She hated touching strangers, and was in turn likely to be the most hated person in this entire ballroom. The suggestion was easier said than done.
15:43
@Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 03/14/2024 10:43
The dices rolled and showed that she had won that round of the game, Althea was half aware that she should be entertaining her soon to be wife and not gambling but they would already spend time together due to the books and then even more during the wedding, giving Rikuma some space wouldn't hurt, she would probably be thankful for the break. Without Althea's knowledge a man had already taken to himself the task of speaking to the Rashouran princess, he moved to her unlike all the other guest that gave the foreigners a wide bert. "May I have this dance, you highness?" He smiled to Rikuma, his blond hair and simple but elegant clothes looked out of place on the room full of brown hair and opolence with gold and jewels, most nobles didn't saw the interaction but others frowned and kept themselves close enough to hear without it being too obvious, even if some of them weren't very good at being discreet @hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 03/14/2024 14:28
It took only a few minutes for Rikuma to decide that these events were dull but, so long as she was given her space, peaceful enough. She busied her hands with twirling the wine glass between her fingers once Agemin had wandered off, grateful that he hadn't persisted. Then her peace was interrupted as an unfamiliar man spoke to her. She picked her head up to look at him. Pale hair was uncommon in Thauviel's capital, and the simpler clothing he wore didn't escape her notice. He couldn't have been a commoner - they were unlikely to have been allowed into the ball - which meant he was more likely a foreign visitor, himself. Rashouris hadn't interacted much with the northern kingdom. It was far enough away that they'd had neither peace nor conflict. At most, there had been some passive exchange of scholars and merchants in the days before the curse. Far better than their history with Thauviel, to say the least, which explained the lack of avoidance. She finished her glass of wine and set it on the nearby table before responding. "You may." There was no harm in it - dancing at a ball was, after all, strictly a social activity, and could be perfectly proper as long as it was done properly. Though she was still figuring out Thauviel's standards for propriety. She held her hand out for him as she regarded him curiously. "You seem to already know who I am, but would you care to introduce yourself as well?" @Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 03/14/2024 17:38
He took her hand and smiled as he led her to the center of the dance circle. "Asgerd Seinf, a pleasure." Once in place he didn't wait for her to catch the beat of the dance, instead choosing to twirl her fast in the rhythm of the music and lead the dance himself as he hoped to lead the conversation. "Northern Alliance's Ambassador in Thauviel for the last three years, and also an experienced lute player in case you were wondering." The music got faster causing the pair to move around the room to a corner to another almost running to keep up, despite that Asgerd didn't seemed to be struggling to keep talking and moving at the same time. "I must say I was surprised when I learned about the engagement, relationships between Rashouris and the Empire had been strained at best." The eye roll calling Thauviel an Empire was so implicit he might as well have started laughing (edited)
17:38
@hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 03/14/2024 18:14
At the sudden spinning motion, Rikuma let out a small squeak of surprise, unable to get on solid enough footing to resist. But she quickly caught her breath and listened to his words. He was a fast talker alright, but seemed to get to the point just as fast, which was something she could respect. Her eyes lit up as he spoke of his musicianship, though he didn't stay on the topic for long. She had to fight to catch up with the way he'd caught her off guard, but soon managed to fall into rhythm with him. His apparent disdain for the Empire seemed unfitting for an ambassador, but she couldn't blame him either. The two didn't exactly have the sunniest history either. But she had her own side of diplomacy to worry about, so she chose her words carefully. "Marriages are rarely needed to secure alliances between kingdoms with no history of conflict," she said. "It is my hope that relations can be improved with time and cooperation." It was a very politician-type response, skirting around the real issue of Thauviel's imperialist goals to give an inoffensive response that would appease the nobles she knew would be listening in. She changed the topic. "So, you mentioned the lute? How long have you been playing?" she asked. @Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 03/15/2024 20:30
"Around five years, it's very rewarding doing something we love," he changed the dance rhythm again, this time slower." Do you play any instrument? Acording to these people there isn't much culture in your land but in the north we heard another tales." He had his mind set on one goal, The opinions of the nobles around him did not matter to him, they were indoctrinated from a young age to look suspiciously at all foreigners, foreign ambassadors were keep on the shortest leach possible without triggering a war. All he needed was the Rashouran princess and to get a bit away from curious looks and ears @hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 03/15/2024 21:51
Rikuma nodded in agreement to his words. "Everyone has some sort of culture. Rashouris's is just unfamiliar to the Empire for now," she said. Hopefully that would change and it would become more known, though she still had her concerns that Aubron would do his best to crush Rashouran culture entirely. "But yes, I play the lute as well. Ever since I was fifteen." She didn't mention that she was a hundred years old now, lest he feel inexperienced. He was human, after all, so it wasn't fair to compare years. "Oh, but Rashouran lute is a bit different. The lute as you know it was introduced to the land during our war with Thauviel, but modern Rashouran versions are flat at the back and have a shallower body, so it has less resonance, and the musical arrangements for it reflect the syncopated..." She trailed off as she realized she was rambling again. "Never mind." She looked off to the side to see if she could spot Althea. After all, while a foreign ambassador was still a good person to network with, people might talk if she spent all of her time with him and none with her fiancee. There had to be a balance, not to mention any other nobles who might not avoid her. But at least she was having a better time than she'd expected to. @Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 03/16/2024 17:56
It was going well to him, it was until he saw the other princess coming towards him with a face so annoyed that could rival her grandfather, they looked much alike when mad, it would be fun if the man in question wasn't so unpleasant. "Althea, I mean your majesty, don't worry I wasn't stealing your future wife...unless you don't mind me doing it, we can reach an agreement." He winked at Rikuma taking her by the arm out of the dance circle. "Can't you spend one night without trying to start political intrigues?" Thauvians had such short temper, maybe that was the cause of all their war crimes. "It's not my fault you prefer gambling to spending time with this lovely maiden right were." With that she did look slightly embarrassed, he himself didn't had much room to judge the lack of professionalism but he would still do it. The embarasment quickly turned to the defensive and petty posture that she made a point of hiding from most people. "That's a lot of talking for someone that got send away as an ambassador by his own father because you couldn't keep your pants on." "The ladys love me what else can I say? Mary is also on the verge of running of with her scribe." He shrugged, poor Rikuma was either very confused or appreciating the display of humanity on someone who kept to herself so much, before Mary was the one that could get the marble princess to act like a person, he took pride in being the second to achieve such feat. "It's not like you can say much about dads." Low blow, if they weren't in public he would be cursed in seven languages at once. "Your father sent you to away as a peace offering." "Your father is dead." "Not by choice, yours just didn't want to look at you." "He doesn't mind looking at me, he just doesn't likes it when I speak." @hALloween (edited)
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 03/16/2024 18:33
Rikuma looked back and forth between the two of them, confused at first. She followed him out of the circle before breaking contact gently and stepping away from him. She folded her hands behind her back as she listened to their exchange. A lot to take in, really, and the tension was building. She just hoped it wouldn't be on her to prevent an international incident. Then he went too far, and Rikuma inwardly cringed at his comment about Althea's dead father. Even she knew better than to say that to someone. So she had to interrupt the conversation. Her eyes widened for a moment in what she had to admit was genuine surprise. "Oh, you were flirting with me?" she asked, clear that she hadn't noticed in the moment. "I am flattered-" no she wasn't, it sounded like he did this with every woman - "but not interested. Still, it was lovely chatting with you. Thank you for the dance, Asgerd. We should discuss diplomacy sometime after the wedding." She bowed, then turned to Althea and offered her hand. "May I have this dance, Your Imperial Highness?" she asked, because now they were getting a lot more attention than before. @Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 03/16/2024 18:58
If they weren't in public she would make Asgard wish he was back with his penguins and ice- oh who was she kidding? he could be insulted in every way under the sun and still laugh it off. They whispered the most vile things possible to each other every other week and still she would take him over any noble in the room, not that he could know, his ego was already big enough. Still there were lines he couldn't cross no matter how much that annoyed him. He gave her puppy eyes as she and Rikuma moved to dance, as if she would feel bad for him after he…he acted like his usual annoying self, which was bad enough without people listening to every word as if his crass jokes were Imperial secrets. “Sorry for Asgerd, I would say he usually isn't like this but that would be a lie.” The only thing worse than a northern prince was a northern prince seventh in line with a superiority complex and no self control, it was a very explosive mix everytime he made the suicidal choice of commenting in front of the governess about how superior the north was in every single aspect.
18:58
@hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 03/16/2024 19:24
Rikuma led the dance this time, so she wouldn't be thrown around the room without a chance to get on proper footing again. A slower pace, but well in time with the music being played as she led the way back into the dance circle. Not in the middle - she dreaded being the centre of attention - but among the others enough that their choice of location wouldn't be odd. She shook her head at Althea's apology. "You don't need to be sorry. He was respectful enough toward me," she assured her. "I'm the one who should be asking if you're alright. It was... Inappropriate, to bring up something so personal." A part of her was curious. What had happened to Althea's father? She'd heard the Emperor shared his immortality with his descendants, so how could one possibly have died? But she wasn't going to ask here and now, nor expect her reluctant fiancee to confide in her. Later, maybe. @Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 03/16/2024 20:32
She was about to shrug but that would have ruined the dance, Rikuma was surprisingly good at it, maybe in Rashouris they had something similar, her footing was a bit odd but nothing worth mentioning. "It was a long time ago, Im not bothered by something like that, much less from Asgerd's mouth." Everybody knew the story, most had seen it on full display, Althea herself also had but she had been too young to remember anything more than vague images of two figures crying and begging and eventually turning to dust like corpses that had already been dead for a good century. It was an open secret, something talked bewind closed doors but never out loud, especially not in front of her. The most she got was eavesdropping on private conversations that stopped once they figured out she was listening, she never got to know enough of her parents to remember them, but what she heard made them seem like idiots blinded by greed that got what was comming for them, she wondered how many really tought that, and how many just wanted to avoid the same fate. As awfull as it may sound she didn't mind the theme being brought by Asgerd's insensitive jokes more than the forced silence, it felt like he was the only one willing to acknowlege it had happened instead of pretend that her parents vanished into thin air one day. "As for a private meeting with him I don't recomend, he will either try to seduce you or get you involved in some crazy political scheme, or both." @hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 03/16/2024 20:55
Rikuma nodded in acknowledgement. It seemed odd, to choose someone like that for an ambassador. Surely there were other ways to keep inconvenient nobility out of the way. She let the topic go though, more curious about what political schemes he might have in mind. But she had to stay out of trouble for now. "I never did say I would meet privately with him," she pointed out. "If it is your hope that our marriage will be monogamous within your Empire's standards, I am perfectly capable of not being seduced by anyone I am not wed to." Or anyone she was wed to under duress for that matter, but she refrained from mentioning that for now. "So you are welcome to accompany me for the sake of accountability. I need this arrangement to work out, after all." She let go of Althea with one hand so she could twirl her carefully with the other, staying in tempo as she did so. "But let's not talk politics at the moment," she decided as she pulled her back in. "It is a rather... Grim topic." @Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 03/17/2024 21:20
"I didn't mean that you would fall for his cheap charm, that would be a much bigger insult than you can imagine, but he is not well seen in court, or anywhere, I would strongly recommend to not create ties, I trust you don't need a babysitter to navigate politics." Maybe she was speaking a little more...rash than she would normally but the northen prince had a way to make her mad, it was almost like his own kind of magic to make her loose decorum. When she grabbed Rikuma's hand again after the twirl she got a little closer than she was before, it wasn't odd after all, they were supposed to marry. "I don't know what else can we talk about besides politics, we may play around discussing books but we never forget what's in the center of everything, every sentence one of us sais no matter how innocent always sparkles some less pleasant tought, doesn't it? We will be a bad memory on each others mind no matter the outcome of this." It was the memory of her parents, she knew it was, it was making her say the things on her mind, be more than she should. It didn't matter, it was only a Rashouran, a stupid Rashouran with too smooth hair now that she was soo close and who said thing that someone like her shouldn't, Althea wanted to punch the woman in the face, commit acts of violence she never tought possible and then clean and fix the wounds nicelly. Push all the buttons and fell the wrath just to fight back and have somethings in front of her besides dullness....By the gods what was wrong with her?
21:20
@hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 03/17/2024 22:07
She had a point, even if it was one Rikuma didn't like. She didn't want to be miserable here, but there wasn't exactly a joyful way to exist in an Empire where everyone hated her and her kingdom. Rikuma sighed, but at least Althea wasn't pretending to play nice while barely containing disgust anymore. The usual dishonesty she'd encountered here was exhausting. By comparison, Asgerd's rakish ways and Althea's bluntness were refreshing. "Maybe we both should have had more to drink then," she admitted. "Regardless, no topic would change our situation - that much is a fact, and I'm sure that is something I'm sure we will both detest no matter what else happens." She dipped Althea, as low as she trusted her limited strength to, pausing for a moment. The realization did not escape her that they were rather close right now. Still proper for two fiancees. So why was her heart beating a little faster? "...And no matter how much you can feign trust on the ballroom floor." She pulled her back up and resumed the dance. Maybe she was being too honest, but pretending everything was fine just felt so unnatural when it wasn't. She was marrying the princess of a genocidal Empire so they could exploit her kingdom's resources and exert their influence. Nothing was fine; it would be a nightmare no matter how pretty she was, or how nice their conversation earlier had been. "But it's a shame. I'm sure you could be interesting if you weren't kept on a short leash by someone with a personal interest in keeping you dull and compliant." Too far? Time would tell. @Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 03/18/2024 00:14
Rikuma was leading the dance, it only dawn on her once she was being lowered and lifted again. "Im not dull." Left her mouth as soon as the words reached her ear, she didn't fought against compliant, compliant was good it meant reliable, trustworthy, humble and devoted, all things a princess should be, no one wanted a maiden that acted on her impulses, spoke out of turn and challenged, exactly as she was doing but Rikuma didn't count. "And Im not the one on a short leash." Despite the almost anger in her words she was still the one being guided, she was still making no move to change that." I can leave my chambers without guards following me around." She wasn't the one that had started the leash metaphor but she would end with the upper hand. Asgerd would laugh himself to death if he dreamed about the words on her mind and Mary would suggest running to the countyside and never comming back, everyday it was more apparent that she was only waiting for an excuse to pack her bags. @hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 03/18/2024 00:32
"I will not deny that my physical actions are restricted," Rikuma admitted. After all, she had already acknowledged to herself that she was no better than a prisoner here. There was nothing shocking about Althea all but saying it herself. "Yet my mind remains my own. When I return to my kingdom, I will be free to study as I wish and to speak my mind. Can you truthfully say the same?" She leaned in to whisper, knowing they were being eavesdropped on. "Or is your interest in foreign literature so much more than academic curiosity?" The song shifted, picking up the tempo. More intense, possibly the closest to passion allowed in the art of polite Thauvian society. She glanced at the other dancers, copied their posture - one hand on Athlina's back, the other holding her hand out to the side - and followed along. It took a moment to get a hang of the footwork, and to get used to the shift in tone. It seemed almost angry, in the way a lovers' quarrel might be. Which she was just now starting to realize this might look like. "It just seems wasteful. You're clearly intelligent, a good archer... You have potential. But you're here, living only as a bargaining chip for a man who never plans to give you real power." She couldn't help but remember how Aubron had treated Althea before the hunting competition as she spoke. @Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 03/18/2024 15:15
The mention of the foreign literature made her blood go cold and hotter than ever before at the same time. It was an escape just like hunting, except without any of the calm and peace, it had dawn on her that Rikuma was the only person, besides Mary and Asgerd, that she could speak in any way she wanted without consequences, her kingdom and the Empire already hated each other, the relations couldn't get worst, so decorum be damned. Her living situation wasn't anyones bussines, much less hers. Potential, skill, intelligence, nothing of that mattered, she didn't existed for that. "Are you complimenting me, love?" They swirled and she got closer, enough to be almost uncomfortable but not enough to be a attack on decency." I fell like being the princess of an Empire soon to become five times richer with your mines is more power than heir to nothing, Rashouris in one century will be off the map, even now it's almost irrelevant, just a cautionary tale to enemies our." @hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 03/18/2024 15:37
"Yes, a compliment and an expression of pity," Rikuma said bluntly. "What does your status give you, besides a fancy title and enough money to ease the boredom of not being allowed to rule? Your grandfather doesn't strike me as the sort to share power. Perhaps because he's too busy striking you the moment you step out of line." It was too far, perhaps, but so had Althea's comment been, and the clear hurt in Rikuma's voice and the way her eyes darted away when Althea spoke of her kingdom showed it. She closed her eyes and willed herself not to start crying in public. All she wanted to do was burn this entire palace to the ground with the Emperor still inside. It wouldn't kill him - only one weapon could, and it couldn't be weilded by a Rashouran - but he would feel it. "So that is the plan. I'm glad to hear someone finally be honest about it. But you can't destroy what you've already done your worst to, Darling," she added, full venom in that term of endearment. "And honestly, it's embarrassing that someone would think your petty genocide could destroy a kingdom of necromancers." Before she could say more, Saya tapped her shoulder. The marchioness had spent the night dancing with anyone who saw charm as more important than her pointed ears, and having a grand time. But now her expression was one of annoyance and vague exhaustion. "May I step in, Your Highnesses? That is, if the Imperial princess would grant me the honour of a dance." Rikuma couldn't let go fast enough. "I think we're done here, yes." @Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 03/18/2024 19:20
At the comment about being stuck she lost the rhythm of the dance, her feet stopped working lime they should for one second before going back to normal. She wanted nothing more to tell Saya to leave and go to hell, or to thank her for ending the more violent dance that she had ever been involved in, maybe both, both would be good. Refusing an invitation to dance was seen as a big offense, the cruel words had been drowned by the music but a no couldn't be disguised. Still she would have the last word. "Of course it would be a pleasure," she smiled to Saya before bowing to Rikuma, getting close enough to wisper," when we enslave your people, I will personally take care of you, there are much worse ways to destroy a kingdom than death," before taking Saya's hand to the dance. It was an empty treath but the amazing thing about threats was that you didn't need to mean them, only sound like you did. @hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 03/18/2024 19:44
The look Saya gave Althea made it clear that she had at least picked up on the general idea that a threat was being whispered, and any thoughts of apologizing on Rikuma's behalf fled her mind. "I'll take care of matters here, Your Highness," she assured Rikuma before resuming the dance with Althea, calmer. "I'm sure she didn't mean it. Enjoy the ball as much as you can." Rikuma doubted that reassurance, but turned and walked away anyway, leaving the two of them alone. While Saya danced with Althea, she didn't say a word, which was rare for someone so talkative. She simply fixed the Imperial princess with a disapproving look. Knowing Rikuma, she'd probably been the first to say something unacceptably insensitive, but it had clearly gone both ways. And she had no loyalty to the Empire, so she'd direct her annoyance at the need to interfere like they were squabbling children at the safer target. The crowd was worse now that she'd piqued the curiosity of the nobles. But as long as they didn't approach her, she'd be fine. The Imperial family had some nerve, thinking they had all of the leverage here. But maybe, if she was lucky, Asgerd's fondness for political scheming hadn't been overstated. She'd tolerate mediocre flirtation if it got her what she wanted. There were two paths she could take, and she'd give birth a fair shot. One would require a meeting with Aubron himself though, so she needed to be calmer for that. For now, she sought out the ambassador and hoped to find him alone. @Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 03/18/2024 20:29
Dancing with Saya was nothing new, no talk, no nothing, going trough the motions and following the dance steps until the music was over and she could go back to the dices, they were more simple and comfortable, she had nothing agains Saya, at least nothing personal, but also had nothing in her favour. Asgerd was starring out of a window, the hot climate did not do well with him, most things in the Thauviel didn't do well with him, they also didn't like him back thought, hopefully he would get to go home soon and leave the pathetic excuse of an Empire, he could even invite Althea to the north one day to show her how superior hunting a polar bear was, if she didn't trew a pillow at him first for making her loose face in front of the Rashouran. Speaking of Rashouran when he saw the princess walking in his direction he smiled to himself. "So you seek me again, I knew that we had formed a connection." Physical or political he would take both, political would be more usefull, physical would also be nice, both would be ideal. "How can I help?'
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Althea Hiltron BOT 03/18/2024 20:40
@hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 03/18/2024 20:58
Saya occasionally looked toward the crowd to make sure the princess wasn't getting herself in trouble. It was, after all, her job to keep her safe. Once she was content that Rikuma was simply avoiding the crowd for now - probably the safest bet, knowing her - she spoke. "I would advise that you avoid Her Royal Highness until she has had the chance to calm down," she said, her tone gentle enough. "I don't know what you two were arguing about, nor is it any of my business, but she is not one to lose her temper without reason. I would wager that you aren't, either." She sighed. "Once she is available to talk, I may need to apologize for telling her that her fears about the marriage were unfounded." She frowned, still slightly concerned about whatever had just happened. She let her go and curtsied. "Thank you for the dance, Your Highness. Have a good night." She smiled as though nothing had happened and walked off to her next partner, hoping for a spot where she could see what her princess was up to. Rikuma briefly wondered if this was a bad look, the two outsiders talking to each other instead of spending time mingling with Thauvians. Oh well. If everything went well, it wouldn't matter. If things went poorly, they would matter even less. Something still seemed off though. She assumed it was because of his choice of greeting. "Can you please speak less like the villain in a mystery novel?" she asked bluntly. She kept her distance, to avoid getting swept into another dance she couldn't control. "At this hour, the training yard Thauviel's military uses will be empty. Meet me there in fifteen minutes, with your sword. And before you get your hopes up, that is not a euphemism. All I'm looking for is a sparring match, and that chat about diplomacy I suggested earlier."
20:58
It would give her time to make sure she was ready, and to be there prepared. She couldn't give away any more details yet. Not here. She just needed to test him, before she could speak to him on the matter at hand. @Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 03/19/2024 22:35
"You haven't even heard my ominous monologue about my late friend yet," he joked in a good mood until she mentioned going outside, to a sparring match, on a dry, hot and horrible night. His father would never be able to tell him again that he didn't care about the kingdom with the sacrifice he was about to make, gathering all his strength he ansered," I will be there, my lady." Saya left Althea felling weirdly empty, going back to the normal of polite conversation and carefully chosen words. "You too, Lady Saya," she replied back completly ignoring everything else she said. There was still time for more dance and dice, she was about to go for that when she saw grandfather waving with his hand for her to aproach, she followed the suggestion, or more honestly the order, and sat on the small throne besides his, so small and discret in comparison, at least the view was good, she understood why grandfather liked, he could see everyone and everything from there. "You wished to speak to me?' There was no need to speak quietly, from there no one could hear. "You seemed to be having an intresting conversation with the Rashouran princess." She bit her thong." She is my fiancee after all, its only reasonable that we dance and talk." "I wouldn't call that dancing, more like a embellished fight." They hadn't fought, moved aggressively at most, no one left bruised. "I can't blame you for not enjoying such lowly company but don't be so open about it, it has led her right into the claws of our friend from the north." That made Althea raise an eyebrow and it was true, she couldn't see neither the prince or the princess, why did that man always have to try some political scheme?! The last seven failed, the only reason he hadn't been executed was pure luck and her grandfather's desire to avoid a war with the north "Im assuming you have someone following them."
22:38
"Of course, Im not a fool." He send a sharp look to the guards in each corner of the hall . " But I don't want more problems until the weeding. For the good of the Empire in the visit to the city you have to pass the image of strength in this alliance, then consummate the marriage as soon as possible to avoid disputes. Do I make myself clear?" A shiver went down her spine. "Yes, my king." He smiled, too similar of a proud grandad that saw a child perform a nice trick. "Good." @hALloween (edited)
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 03/19/2024 23:22
Saya spotted Rikuma leaving the ballroom alone, which was not a good sign. She sighed, hoped she wouldn't do anything stupid, and sought out Agemin. Naturally, the Archbishop was incredibly wine drunk and caught up in enthusiastic theological debate with some rather disapproving Thauvian nobility. "See, the thing about gods is that they have no reason to care about our petty mortal concerns, right? Any restrictions imposed by their worship must therefore be either human-made or a sign that they desire control, which I would argue renders an entity unworthy of worship. At least in traditions of philosophical and ancestral worship, such as the Order of the Circle, we acknowledge the flaws-" His drink sloshed with each animated hand gestures, threatening to leap from its glass until Saya cleared her throat. "Archbishop, please stop trying to start a holy war," she sighed. "I am not-" She'd pulled him aside. "Stop talking. Are you sober enough to keep the Princess out of trouble?" she whispered so only he could hear. He stared blankly at her and she shook her head. "Fine. Come with me." She all but dragged him out, while still apologizing profusely for his behaviour. Rikuma changed quickly into a simple leather tunic and pants. Of course, any slightly above average swordsman could easily best her in a sparring match, but that was the point - if he struggled even to do that, she didn't see any point in asking him about more than a trade deal. But it would be nice to set him up as a backup plan in case her attempt to tilt the alliance with the Empire more in her favour wouldn't succeed. No matter how much she hoped to solve this bloodlessly.
23:22
She waited in the training yard, having arrived a few minutes before her planned time. The night air was warmer than she'd expected, and she almost regretted deciding on an outdoor meeting. Still she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, listening to her surroundings and letting the clear air outside soothe her as much as she could be soothed. Which still wasn't much. @Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 04/11/2024 20:06
If there was something Asgerd hated with all his soul was sword fighting, mindless brutes that liked waving their toys around, it left him sore and tired and hell he couldn't believe that he had agreed to one now that he was far from his instructors and no one could force him. They used to call him a prodigy with the blade he would rather not have any talent than have to wave steel like an idiot. He didn't bother to wear anything protective and instead opted for the coolest clothes possible, it was understandable why Thauviel was so backwards, no would must be able to work with such oppressive heat; and they still insisted on wearing layers and layers of clothing as in the northern kingdoms, completely ignoring that the climate was not the same. The Rashouran was already in place when he arrive, good, the less time outside away from the cold stone walls the better. "So we meet under the full moon." It was a quarter moon but that was irrelevant." Do we fight, scheme or make love? I accept all three in any order." The party kept going, she could go and dance more, but why loose time with that with more intresting developments happening outside? It was nothing to do with wanting to get away from her grandfather's unforgiving look, not at all. The guard was not hard to find, he was stationed close to a window but out of view from the outside. Not clever. If they switched positions he would be exposed or loose sight imediatly. There was a better place just taking the long walk around the stables and climb the stairs to the little house at the top of the wall, grandfather needed to wire better staff, but for now she would do the trick. She seriously doubted Asgerd would finally come up with a successful scheme but it was better for Rikuma to stay out of trouble if she knew what was good for her, and it was better for Althea to keep her out of trouble. It would be a miracle the day princes of the north learned to mind their business. @hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 04/12/2024 01:41
Rikuma opened her eyes as he spoke. The first statement he made caused her to raise her eyebrows, the gesture barely visible behind the lace veil she still wore. "The moon is not even close to full," she commented, then addressed his question, though not the flirtation. "We are here to fight, and to talk. A friendly spar still, so tell me if I get too... harsh." She drew her sword. The blade was long and thin, with a basic handgrip made of bone and wrapped in leather. "I just need to blow off some steam, and this is the only form of art that will do the job right now. Althea crossed a line she really shouldn't have." In hindsight, she had said some... regrettable things as well, but only in retaliation for the obvious threats to her own kingdom. Her blood was boiling far too much for her to regret anything about it. Her subdued, vaguely bored expression from the ball had fled her face, replaced by a fierce determination. She bowed then stepped one foot back, falling into a simple battle stance. Without any mention of their match starting, she led in with her blade, going on the attack. Her movements were quick, and aggressive to the untrained eye. To those with swordfighting experience, however, there was no venom to it. She avoided any real cuts against her opponent, stopping short if she did manage to find an opening and fighting with the style who truly had learned the blade as an artform rather than practical combat. After her initial burst of movement, she could spar and talk at the same time. "I have to admit, I am curious," she said. "Althea spoke of your 'schemes', but never went into much detail. Exactly what sorts of plans did I miss out on witnessing before my arrival?" It was an important bit of information to ask for; if it was something dangerous, possibly something that could threaten a Thauvian politician's life, he would be perfect. If there was any sign he was against assassination, she would have to tread carefully. ~~~
01:42
Saya and Agemin found a spot among the castle ramparts to observe. It was far enough that they couldn't hear, but what mattered was observation without being seen. @Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 04/17/2024 14:12
He was... honestly disappointed, he had expected the Rashouran to be a sword master, she wasn't bad, not at all, but she was just decent, passable, maybe he should be relieved, it meant that he didn't need to try hard and could redirect all his energy to the talking. It was still better than what Thauviel women, those weren't even allowed to hold a sword, only bows and long shot weapons, he didn't understood the logic, both killed but it was something getting hands dirty with blood and bows being more dainty and a bunch of crap, the Empire still acted like it along, along with allowing then to hunt, was the pinnacle of progress. "Nothing much." Without effort he dodged the steel." There was the one were I tried to usurp my father's throne, the one were I tried to convince the dwarves to help me, the one were I tried to steal some of Aubron's spell books, I have also been trying to contact the Red Fist but I don't know how yet, I will soon!" Althea had to force herself to keep quiet and don't laugh, he was an idiot, a complete idiot, all his plans had failed and would keep failing and failing and he would only get reprimand like a badly behaved child until her grandfather found a way to get rid of him without triggering the north, then he would be gone. The fool didn't even know that guards searched his room constantly and confiscated all letter he tried to send to the Red Fist and stopped any meeting before it could happen. (edited)
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Althea Hiltron BOT 04/17/2024 14:30
@hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 04/18/2024 00:14
He was fast enough to keep her on her toes, at least. Which would have been fun, if this had been purely sparring for its own sake, and not also a time for plotting. Keeping up with him and talking at the same time proved a challenge, but she refused to show any signs of such weakness. Not in front of the only potential ally here. He seemed ambitious. Determined, willing to kill. But ineffective as a planner. That was fine. She had decades of experience that he didn't, in that regard. She kept on her feet, navigating the match away from any nearby windows. "It sounds like you haven't had much success," she stated. "That must be frustrating for you, but determination is a good trait to have in these situations. I do have a few more questions, if you don't mind. All sources on outside lands that I have had access to are from over a thousand years ago and, in enemy territory, it is good to know what I am dealing with." Even so, she hesitated before speaking, aware that it put her concerns, and possibly the reason for her anger, out in the open. But maybe that wasn't altogether bad, for forming an alliance. "What are the laws around slavery in Thauviel?" she asked. "I know it was allowed during the war, and marriage itself wasn't much better, but I also know things change with time." She stumbled for a moment as her feet hit an unexpected rock, but recovered quickly. "I mean, it has been banned in Rashouris since the first queen usurped the throne from the warlord Krothu, so I'm not interested in taking notes from them or anything. Moreso... being aware of the danger here. If I am not truly keeping my people safe, this betrothal is worthless."
00:15
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Althea Hiltron BOT 04/18/2024 12:42
"Theoretically or in practice?" He gave gave a sly smile." About seventy years ago, give it or take, the important kingdoms of this region all signed a treaty on this topic, it prohibited the enslavement of humans and humanoid species. Thauviel was basically forced to sign under the threat of being excluded from trade routes. So legally there is no slavery." He flipped his sword in a more florid and complicated movement that his instructors back at home forced him to learn, the only moment were it had been usefull was in this fight for dramatic effect. "In practice, it’s a different story. They found some very funny loopholes to keep doing as they pleased. Criminals can be sentences to forced labour, and in the regions they conquer it's very easy to make laws ridiculously strict. There is also a clause on wartime, making enemy soldiers work is seen as a part of war, most atrocities are excused under the pretense of war, you can see where this is going, they can declare the start and end of a war whenever they want and there is no oversight if the people they make work are actually soldiers - they have been at war with the kingdom of Frishn for the past ten years even tought it's already more than conquered, the war only ends when they have commited all the crimes they wanted, then war is over and more than half of the local inhabitants will be declares criminals for the most random reasons." It felt good to let the words out of his mouth, he had been received with empty words about things being this way. Even his father shrugged at all his letter reporting things he heard that could be considered war crimes only to be meet with "we already know but there is nothing we can do." Thauviel could be morally bankrupt and buried in debt to the north but it's military power is not something to take lightly unless they wanted to end up without sun for a century Althea on her side didn't find his rant amusing at all, he was a showman, always over reacting and overdoing it
12:45
The war was still going because the enemy hadn't been properly defeated yet, and slavery...it was a necessary evil, that's how all empires had been build during history, his kingdom had been build four hundred years ago with the slave work of the people of Thauviel before her grandfather had elevated them to kingdom and then empire. But no, it's only when others do it that is wrong, if anyone asked who build his precious ice palace he would look around and change the subject
12:45
@hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 04/19/2024 00:42
The idea of theory and practice being different for such an important matter was not promising. His full explanation, even less so. Rikuma frowned, but continued to listen as his movements became ever harder to keep up with. She still made an effort, taking note of his motions and of everything he was saying. She would have to put a lot of work into ensuring that the loopholes he spoke of were closed, and that Rashouris maintained control over its own laws. Which meant she would have to find a way to restrict Althea's authority before their eventual coronation as well. That would likely be the bigger challenge. When he was finished speaking, she stepped away from the match and leaned against the wall, holding a hand up as a sign that she needed to catch her breath. "Stop. I... hate this place," she managed to say. It felt good to admit. "Really, is Thauviel's only redeeming quality beautiful wo-?" For a moment, Althea's face flashed through her mind, before she reminded herself that the Imperial princess was a genuine threat, and should be considered her enemy. "-architecture and nature?" she caught herself instead. "Even the nature is excessively hot, loud, and dangerous." More than anything, she felt a pit in her stomach at the reminder that she wanted to go home. Even the cursed, dark, frozen lands and deadly beasts were preferable over this land of hatred and deception. She looked up at Asgerd and lowered her voice, fully intending to only be heard by him. "I want to end their crimes against my people as bloodlessly as possible, not open the door for new, worse crimes. If that fails..." She hesitated, unsure of how much to say. She wasn't really sure she could trust anyone, even the only non-Rashouran to be nice to her. "Thauviel doesn't want a war with Rashouris, so my death might manage to force their hand, but I'd prefer to live to oversee my home's recovery. I need another plan." (edited)
00:42
She had spent years studying, along with her necromancy, the curse itself. The Emperor's written confession - or boasting may have been more accurate - had left plenty of hints. She'd read every source about the legendary weapon he had bound his life to, the only thing that could kill him and a weapon that he'd ensured during the war could not be wielded by a Rashouran. She straightened up and stepped as close as he would allow before whispering. "If the marriage falls through, I might know where Ashrune is." From the ramparts, even elven hearing couldn't quite make out the whispers. But Saya and Agemin could still see what was going on, which seemed to be the crowned princess of Rashouris stepping rather close to the northern prince. "Weird, he didn't seem like her type," Saya muttered, more curious about the development than anything. Agemin tilted his head, swaying in place. "Y'know... I think Thauvians enforce monogamy. Or at least the Church does, on paper." Saya looked at him and arched an eyebrow, and he continued. "Yeah, and they believe in women being pure til marriage, that kinda thing... shouldn't we be protecting her reputation or somethin'?" "Shit." Saya stood up and ran toward the stairs.
00:42
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Althea Hiltron BOT 04/19/2024 09:19
He tilted his head and slowly as if she could snap and slap him at any time, he liked to flirt, but he wasn't blind to when he might be going to far, he hopped that he wasn't because for once he had something serious to say. "Yeah, I do not recommend martyrdom, it's usually not worth it." He spoke in the same low tone as her." If you know where Ashrune is that can change everything, the kingdoms are at an impasse, they don't want to get together and attack the Empire in fear of happening to them what happened to Rashouris, so Thauviel attacks lesser regions, finds ways to do what he wants without violating treaties and gains power, the only thing stopping the Aubron of getting more ambitious is the monetary part but if they get the mines of Rashouris..." He clicked his tongue." You can't wait to see were the mariage is going, if you really know here it is I can tell my father, end this grotesque farce of a nation once and for all." His mind was working faster than it ever did, the heart with the usual acceleration of when a scheme was forming, he knew what his father would say. "Dethroning a tyrant is not that easy." Thauviel wouldn't disapear sudently if they killed Aubron, but the greateast treath was his magic, Thauviel was strong on it's own but not stronger than all the other kingdoms combined. If Aubron died they could declare war sure that they would win. They started whispering, why did they start whispering? To plot something, her brain ansered, but when she saw Asgerd raising a hand to her check and how close they had got a disgusting burning felling entered her chest, it wasn't quite rage, nor disgust, something more...raw. Maybe it was the normal reaction of finding out your future wife was probably cheating on you, even hating said wife, her doing it with Asgerd might be the biggest offense. (edited)
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Althea Hiltron BOT 04/19/2024 12:05
She needed to get closer to find out what was going on, the guard on his awfull position also wouldn't be able to hear, she went down the stairs silently to get closer, if she went trough the ramparts she could get closer to the stables, from there the hearing shouldn't be much better but she just needed to get an hint of what was happening...for the safety of the Empire, of course, nothing else. She was going so fast that she almost ran past the two figures also spying until her brain connected two and two together and she took a step back. One had already ran in direction of the stairs but she recognised the second. "What are you doing here?" All good manners were erased at the sight of the elf. If at least she could remember his name, he was the spiritual guide or something but the name had slipped from her mind like water.
12:05
@hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 04/19/2024 12:56
Hope was a dangerous emotion in this sort of situation, but Rikuma allowed herself to feel just a hint of it anyway. Nobody had aided Rashouris during the war a thousand years ago, at least according to the records she had read, and necromancy was widely condemned outside of it. She'd assumed nobody would willingly help now, but it seemed that allies were closer than she had expected. Others would help, and all they asked in return was the information they needed and, most likely, the aid of her own military when the time came for war. She considered his words. "I am ninety percent certain. Let me find a way to confirm it. Don't write to him; any method of communication that relies on anyone from Thauviel can't be trusted. Aubron and I communicated via communique stone - it requires a skilled artificer to make one, but anyone can use it, and you only need one to send information, not to receive it." Finding one would be a challenge, since she doubted it would be as simple as taking Aubron's. "Don't act until I give you the word. But we will find a way to succeed." She pulled away as she heard Saya run down the stairs and out into the training yard. "There you are, Your Highness," the swordswoman greeted, almost scolding. "Your fiancee was worried sick about you!" Rikuma's face heated with shame, not at the fact that she had been caught alone with someone other than her betrothed, but at the reminder of her present situation. Maybe Asgerd was right. Maybe it was too dangerous to wait until the wedding. "She was worried about her ability to control me, maybe," Rikuma countered. "Don't worry, we weren't doing anything. I needed some... comfort, given my current situation, but it was all platonic." ~~~
12:56
Agemin looked away from the scene in the training yard as someone spoke to him. "Hm?" He turned toward the Imperial princess. "Oh, we were making sure your captive bride stays out of trouble. Saya's got it handled, so you can just watch from here... wait, what're you doing here?" Despite his intoxicated state, he quickly remembered his manners and bowed. "Your Highness." @Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 04/19/2024 15:03
Althea frowned, he was so clearly drunk, it wasn't unexpected taking what she had already seen of his personality and that getting drunk at least tonight was encouraged. Drunk people got looser thongs, maybe it had been good that she stumbled onto him. "I needed some air, and to see how my captive bride was, but since lady Saya is watching over things I guess I don't have to worry." The hem of her dress brushed the floor as she approached the wall. "I hope you were enjoying the party before all this, Im sure is very diferent from Rashouris." Start small, start easy, don't scare him away. If she could get him to go back inside and drink some more it would be ideal. "Thauviel is known for its balls and parties, especially the wine, but my grandfather keeps the best one on his cellar for special occasions, what they are serving is not bad compared to the other kingdoms - but that one tastes like liquid rubies, I know it sounds weird but I can't explain." --- "Unfortunately all my attempts were ruthlessly denied, I have bo choice but to accept defeat and go back." He bowed to the two woman. "It was a delight to speak with you, princess, I hope we will be able to finish the subject soon." As he left one part of him wanted to make sure that necromancy wasn't involved in those communication stones but it wasn't time to be picky. Enemy of my enemy my friend is, any issue with Rashourans and Rashouris could be figured out after they got rid of the current threat. Aubron didn't want anyone knowing magic besides him, at least the more complicated forms, he remembered the pissy fight the man trew when Althea wanted to learn some of it. He didn't let no one get even closer to his level of power, a stone would need to be stolen from him or imported from a kingdom more free about magic use, the Red Fists would be usefull now, he could find a way to send a message to them during the Rikumas' introduction to the population. (edited)
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Althea Hiltron BOT 04/19/2024 15:26
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 04/19/2024 16:35
Agemin listened with interest. Rubies didn't actually taste good by any stretch of the imagination - back when he'd had a crush on Saya, before learning of her complete lack of attraction toward anyone, he'd done every stupid dare she'd had to offer, so he knew all too well - but he assumed she was making the comparison without that knowledge. His curiosity was piqued, but his inhibitions weren't quite down to death wish levels. "It's a good party, despite the close-mindedness," he said. "I'll wait for the wedding to try that wine, cause I don't plan on getting beheaded for sneaking into the Emperor's wine cellar." He looked up at the stars. They were clearer here, where the sky was a natural sort of dark and not permanently darkened by the curse. It really was a pretty sight. A shame about the circumstances. "I get why you'd be reluctant about the marriage, too," he commented. "Not sure if the princess's picked up on it or not, but you know... It's natural to fear death, and Rashouran culture is a constant reminder that it'll come for everyone in time. Yours and Aubron's immortality is nothing short of heresy, really. Not judging, my point is..." He trailed off, struggled to remember his point, then caught up to himself. "Being afraid of Rashouris might be a mark of intelligence. Just like being afraid of Thauviel is a mark of wisdom." ~~~ Rikuma nodded in acknowledgement and glanced over at Saya, unable to tell if she believed them or not. Saya said nothing to indicate either way, but instead bowed to Rikuma. "Let's get inside, Your Highness," she suggested. "Heat exhaustion is still a real threat here during the day, and now is not the time to test your constitution." Rikuma's mind was more on the plans being made, but she complied anyway, following Saya into the castle. @Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 04/19/2024 17:21
Death was something to not be talked about, it had no place inside the walls of the palace, it only reached the peasants, other kingdoms, it was nothing but a treath to those that tried to go against the Emperor. Sometimes her thoughts wandered there, on what it would fell like, if it would hurt. No, the last question was ansered. She was sure it hurted, people at executions cried and screamed, just like her parents had. "We have diferent definitions of heresy," she forced the words to be calm and polite despite the gruesome images spinning in her head," but Im confident that the mariage will be successfull, my grandfather has everything planned, he always has." If a hint of bitterness entered her voice it was only for her to hear, the Rashouran was probably too drunk to notice, even thought he was handling the drink better than she expected, maybe elfs were more resistant
17:22
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 04/20/2024 14:09
"Of course we do," Agemin answered casually. "Every religion has its own definition of heresy." He looked over at her. "And of 'successful marriage', it seems." He looked up again, thoughtful even through his buzz. But more loose-tongued. "Y'know, High Priestess Maeneine was dead-set against the whole thing. Said breaking the curse wouldn't be worth the cost. I kinda thought it was because she's always been against any change, even positive, but maybe she had a point." He shrugged. "Time'll tell. I'm sure this sucks almost as bad for you as it does for the princess. Er... the other princess." He rubbed his temple, the alcohol starting to fade and the dehydration becoming noticeable. "I need another drink." He stood up and looked down. "Er... where'd the princess and Saya go?" ~~~ Once Rikuma had left Saya's side, she went to her chambers at first. Only because carrying live steel to the ballroom for a private meeting with the Emperor would not have looked great. She didn't bother to take the time to change into the dress she had worn to the ball, as she wasn't going there to dance. She returned to the ballroom as she was, ignoring the other nobles as she walked directly toward the Emperor. At least she still had the sense to bow before speaking. "Your Imperial Majesty," she said. "If you have time, I need to speak to you. Alone." Aubron narrowed his eyes, suspicious of the elf's intent. Still, he knew she could not do any meaningful harm, and waved his guards away. "Nobody can hear us if we speak here," he said. "But you would do well to remember your manners." Rikuma frowned slightly, since that had been her attempt at manners without sacrificing urgency. But there were more important matters to address. "My apologies. Your customs are still unfamiliar to me. Anyway, I am here to renegotiate our agreement."
14:09
The insolence. Aubron seethed silently, but he couldn't deny his own curiosity. Most people knew better than to be this bold. As it was, he had his plans made; what leverage could this girl possibly have to think she was in a position to renegotiate anything? What terms could she possibly introduce that she thought could make a difference? He smiled, self-assured enough, and nodded. "I am listening, Princess Rikuma."
14:09
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Althea Hiltron BOT 04/21/2024 11:30
"They went back to the ball, I saw them passing trough the left corridor," she lied, maybe they had really gone back to the ball, it wasn't the priority," if you want I could show you the kitchens, the servants won't mind giving you some drink and it's away from curious looks. Balls can be suffocating, especially when all the guests are watching you like a hawk, I would know that." Without giving him time to accept or decline she grabbed her arm and started walking, not strong enough to be rude or odd, more like a strong suggestion while making enough small talk that he wouldn't leave. The kitchens weren't far away but she took an alternative longer route to grab someone. Mary always choose the same desert hall to court her scribe, she needed to get more creative. "Mary, what a coincidence." The look Mary send her made very clear that she knew it wasn't a coincidence at all, at least they were both proper, the scribe immediately took his hands from Mary's waist with a bright red face. "Your Highness," he stuttered looking at the ground, poor man. "I was taking a walk with...our esteemed guest." For the Gods she would need to learn his name soon." Wouldn't you like to accompany us? We are going to the kitchens so I can show him real Thauvian wine." There was nothing that Mary wanted less, but she knew her duties well. She wispered some words at the scribe's hear that made him go even redder before grabbing the Rashouris' free arm and sending a delighted smile like there was no one else she would rather be next to. Peer pressure was a beautiful thing, it made people half less likely to go again the tide, and the tide at the moment was reach the kitchen to get the man as drunk as possible while making him believe he was the most intresting thing in the whole castel
11:30
@hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 04/21/2024 14:29
Agemin wasn't about to reject hospitality. Was this the Thauvian version of hospitality? Hell if he knew, but he'd err on the side of good manners and follow along, especially if it meant getting some more wine. And probably water, or else the hangover would be a nightmare. He followed along into the castle, giving a half wave to the two near-strangers in the hall. He smiled as well, because at least they seemed to be nice. All warnings he himself had provided against trusting the people here fled his mind as he followed. "Kind of you to join us, Mary," he said as they walked. "But I feel kinda like a prisoner being escorted. Could you two ladies maybe... let go?" ~~~ "I have learned some interesting details regarding the laws here," Rikuma explained. "Other kingdoms may be willing to allow loopholes, but I personally refuse to ally myself with slavers, especially when there is a risk of my people being the next targets." "Slavers?" Aubron laughed. "Oh, Asgerd has the strangest ideas sometimes. 'Slavery' is such a strong word for putting everyone to work. We signed the same agreement as every other kingdom... well, except yours, that is." Rikuma didn't take the bait at the end. After all, no international agreement had been necessary to create the same laws. "Then you will have no problem ensuring that the enslavement of all individuals, regardless of crimes or war, is fully outlawed. I want it in writing, and effective immediately. Otherwise, well... we have found ways to survive the curse. It is only a matter of time before we find ways to break it without your involvement." It was a nuisance, to be sure. Cutting off such a labour source would force Thauviel to either put off their public works projects for years, or eat into the wealth they would be obtaining from the Rashouran mines. Not to mention making the actual mining process far more expensive. Still, it was a temporary setback. He would let her think she had the upper hand for now.
14:29
"Very well, Your Highness. Anything else?" he asked. "We already agreed on a religious exemption when it comes to your ban on necromancy," Rikuma said. "I also want it explicit that the Order is free to carry on their spiritual activities, so that you can't get around the exemption by banning the religion itself. In exchange, we will provide our aid in compensating for your lost work force with the reanimation of any dead whose spirits are willing to help." He was no fool; he knew very few, if any, Rashourans would willingly assist the Empire, even after death. Or especially after death. He leaned in close. "I will give you this much for now, but be mindful that you do not make further demands, or your precious kingdom will never get to see your corpse." "I do not fear martyrdom, and the True Masters of Necromancy - I'm sure you remember our three lich Generals - know exactly what to do if I am killed here," she replied evenly. "But for the sake of keeping the agreement running smoothly, I will keep that in mind." Even if General Scolen had openly expressed enthusiasm at the prospect of flaying Aubron's skin from his body and fashioning it into a cloak for generations of Rashouran monarchs to come. She, personally, was not eager to wear a cloak of human skin. The threat didn't pass Aubron unnoticed. He would let it slide for now, but would have to have a talk with Althea in the morning. Another plan was brewing in his mind, and he was almost disappointed he hadn't thought of it sooner. (edited)
14:29
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Althea Hiltron BOT 04/21/2024 15:26
They chuckled to each other with practice at his words. "Sorry," Mary gave him a sickly sweet smile," people here tend a bit handsy amongst friends, especially when drink gets involved. I hope you don't take it the wrong way, most lords wouldn't say no to the idea of a woman on each arm." "Don't compare him to those man, he is a spirital guide, he has more culture and education," Althea commented. Mary caught the idea. "Of course, my mistake. Seems like I've only been in bad company so far." They relaxed a bit the grip on him, if only to not make him fell like the hostage that he was, until they reached the kitchens. The servants looked like out of control bees buzzing from side to side without stopping, a big part of them didn't even notice the intruders but went they did they fell into a deep bow, probably praying that there was no problem with the food and they weren't about to be whipped, the relief was obvious on everyone's faces as Althea waved them to relax while Mary took the Rashouran to a quiet corner of the kitchen while Althea dealed with the head cook. "Bring the strongest wine you have, keep it comming," she wispered," and make sure the guest proves all of them." The woman lowered her head. "Yes, your higness." Soon they had a small comfortable room heated with several fireplaces with pans on top, enough wine to intoxicate an army and a eager to please servant that seemed about to cry if the Rashouran tried to deny tasting a single one of them. The small woman's "don't you like it my lord?", "Did I do something wrong?" and "Im so sorry, forgive me" were enough to make anyone fell ashamed, the woman was a great actress or needed therapy. (edited)
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 04/22/2024 11:19
Agemin hadn't thought of it that way. If he had, he truly wouldn't have minded the idea in other contexts; the Order had no such taboos on clergy enjoying themselves, as long as it didn't take priority over his spiritual duties. Except he didn't bring that up, considering the fact that one of them was engaged to the royal princess and the other had also seemed rather spoken for as well. As they arrived in the kitchen, he stood back to give the serving staff some space. They seemed... afraid, and he felt sorry for them. Were they even here willingly? But there was something waiting for him that was far more important than any of that. He was more than happy to sample all of the wines, though his smile was still a bit tense at the excessive apologies, which he met with a variety of thanks, reassurances, and "ma'am, are you okay?"s. Even that tension eased as intoxication set in, and before long, he invited the neurotic servant to drink with them, beyond caring whether she was allowed to or not. Clearly, the man was ready to talk without a single thought of filtering his words. ~~~ Aubron stood up. The musicians' time to play was almost over, and the after-party would begin soon enough. It would be no place for his granddaughter's fiancee. "Come to my study, and I will ensure it is all set in writing for you," he said, offering his arm. She stared blankly at it, and he sighed. "You put your arm through it... honestly, is that not the norm in Rashouris?" "We are not especially... touchy, with strangers," she admitted, doing as instructed even though a part of her recoiled at it. He guided her out of the ballroom. "I am not a stranger; I am your future family."
11:20
She kept quiet and looked away from him until they reached a smaller room. There were bookshelves. The books he kept out in the open were all legal texts, as he kept his magic tomes well-hidden. Especially from certain weaselly diplomats. He took a seat behind the large desk in the centre, gesturing for Rikuma to sit across from him. She did so, albeit uneasily, as he began to write out the new, agreed-upon laws. She didn't need to know they would be temporary. "While we are here, do you have further requests?" Rikuma hesitated. Was there anything else she missed? She thought back to the dance with Althea, but the only piece that she kept unaddressed that hadn't been too vague to do much about was her own words. In any context, it would have been cruel to throw such a personal matter in the other woman's face and not actually do anything about it. "It is personal, rather than something that I expect to be written into law, but regarding your noted treatment of your granddaughter..." She trailed off, not wanting to seem accusatory or to give him the wrong idea about their relationship. What was the most Thauvian way to put it? "I expect that my bride will come to me at the end of the week uninjured," she said. "If, on our wedding night, I find so much as a single bruise or scrape on her body that isn't simply an old scar unrelated to you, our agreement is null. As my future wife, I hold her under the same standard of protection as myself, and will not tolerate any harm or threats to her." She sure knew how to inconvenience a person. Not by much, though; they had healers, and he knew enough healing magic, himself. Should he need to be more forceful to ensure her continued good behaviour, he could make sure it left no mark and happened out of her sight. "Of course, Your Highness. I apologize if my methods of caretaking have offended you."
11:20
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Althea Hiltron BOT 04/22/2024 19:31
He was wasted, elfs had more resistance to alcohol than she initially expected but nevertheless he fell like any other would. The servant girl didn't knew how to resist his offer to join them so she did, giving alcohol to someone with so much anxiety was not a good idea, she didn't became more anxious, on the contrary, it gave her a surge of courage and in a decided drunk speech she declared that the Emperor could suck it and she would become a bard before trowing a bottle on the ground and leaving...good for her? Her fellow employees seemed horrified so maybe not so good. Back to the elf. Mary took charge of handing him more drinks after the girl left, At that rate they were going to wipe out the royal wine reserves. There was a predatory smile on her voice as she spoke. "Enjoying yourself I see." Mary chuckled filling another cup." Someone else also seems to be enjoying herself...your princess and Asgerd or maybe someone else?" Mary stopped for a moment almost letting some of the wine fall on the ground. "Is this relevant?" She wispered on Althea's ear. It was, and it was not. She couldn't explain but she needed to know more than anything so she wispered back," can you image the shame of my future bride having an afair with Asgerd!?" "...good point." She went back to finishing filling the cup and put it on the man's hand, but didn't resist making her own questions disguised as innocent comments . "I have heard a lot about Rashouris, but all banal and well-known information, I would love to know more about the royal family... something most people don't know." Not very subtle but drunken men couldn't be dealed with subtlety, the inuendos had to be trown at their face and metaphors explained as for six year olds for them to get the smallest idea of what was going on
19:31
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 04/23/2024 12:41
Clueless about potential consequences, Agemin was more than happy to encourage the servant girl to go ahead and follow her dreams. He applauded as she walked out, ignoring the horror of other onlookers. "Happy for her," he commented, reaching for another glass. He paused at the question, taking a moment to pick up on the meaning behind her words. After all, Rikuma was very much not enjoying her time in the Empire. Her choice to go with Asgerd was further baffling. After a moment of thought, he shrugged. Rashouran royals weren't discouraged from having lovers either, but their position probably make it challenging to find them, given the focus on mystery and power that came with the crown. "Not sure," he admitted. "I've never seen her with a romantic partner, even though we basically grew up together - Rashouran clergy and nobility are both educated in the Ossuary, so there's a lot of overlap. She's always been pretty private, more focused on her studies than anything. The entire royal family's like that. Very insular." He finished off another cup, unaffected by their whispers. "I guess for a while she was spending a lot of time with Roshia, and Rikki seemed pretty affected by her death. Don't know any details beyond that, though. Could've been platonic." He leaned back in his chair and considered. "No, I wasn't close to the royal family as a whole. But I'm sure the nobles and clergy all remember when the King and Queen's vow of silence started. The circumstances were... odd, to say the least." ~~~
12:41
'Offended' was one word. 'Enraged' was another. Rikuma didn't comment on that, and instead bowed politely to the Emperor. "As long as we are in agreement about how things are to proceed henceforth, all is forgiven," she lied. She was a very forgiving person. Just not toward him. She silently let him write for a moment longer before speaking. "Now, the new decrees are to be signed in blood, yes?" Aubron grimaced at that. "What? Why would we do that?" "So that the agreement is soulbound. It is symbolic, not true necromancy, but still important." She paused, taking a moment to pick up on the disgust in his expression. "Is... is that not done in Thauviel?" "An ordinary signature in ink is legally binding enough," Aubron said. "Oh. Very well, then. That will suffice."
12:41
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Althea Hiltron BOT 04/29/2024 21:58
Roshia, what an ugly name, trully awfull, the person it belonged to must have been just as awfull, a trully despicable creature. For some reason she imaged a female version of Asgerd but with pointy ears, stuff from nightmares. "What was that Roshia like?" "The bigger question is hat do you mean with odd?" Mary took the leed while, Althea's questions weren't making sense. It wasn't like her, she was asking all the wrong things, maybe it was some plot between her and her grandfather that no one else knew about, those questions about the Rashouran princess love life were very out of place, but there must have been a reason, right? Thinking about it, if the emperor was personally involved Mary would like to stay out of the way, their ruller was a very wise and powerfull man, but it didn't stop her from felling cold all over her body every time he spoke...or when she helped Althea dress and spotted a new bruise. The emperor was powerfull, the kind of power that it was better not get too close. @hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 04/30/2024 19:49
Now this was a party! While Agemin's primary vice was known to be alcohol, gossip was a close second, and one he had lived with for longer. He downed another glass of wine then leaned forward, eager to tell the stories he was being asked for with no regard for the propriety of doing so. "Now I don't remember her too well, but Roshia was an Order necromancer adept. A bit younger than Rikuma and myself, but not by much. She was always pretty curious, and seemed really interested in the princess's independent research - see, all nobility and clergy, regardless of their area of academic focus, are required to complete at least one independent study of some sort alongside the usual mastery of learning before they can be considered ready to lead, but some - Rikuma included - do more, even after their formal education is considered complete... where was I?" He paused. "Oh right, I didn't expect Roshia to get along with Rikuma as well as she did, since she was pretty cheerful too, but I guess they balanced each other well, once Rikuma learned to tolerate joyous companionship. Rikki's always been pretty grumpy. I'm sure you already noticed that." But soon, he found himself distracted by Mary's question. Because it was a bigger question. He quickly shifted all of his attention to Mary as he explained.
19:49
"That was long ago, before Roshia's friendship or relationship or whatever it was with the princess. We were still in our schooling when her father came down to the Ossuary to pull Rikuma away from it. That's it. No explanation, nothing. Completely unprecedented - a noble or royal heir can only be taken from their studies if the situation is dire. A week passed before anyone heard from any of the royal family. When they did make an appearance again, Rikuma explained that the family had been ill and under quarantine. I mean, she definitely looked like that might've been true. Her parents seemed as fine as they had before, but she was clearly unwell. And the king and the queen consort had taken a vow of silence, so the princess had to speak for them." He refilled his glass. "Very unusual. I've never heard of that happening in Rashouris before." ~ With all documents signed, Rikuma could finally leave Aubron's study. A guard stood outside of the door, and followed her to her chambers. She ignored his presence, for the most part, her mind racing. She had to find a way to send a scout to the suspected location of Ashrune. She couldn't do that under the watchful eye of the Emperor's guards. Saya and Agemin would stop her from doing anything so dangerous, and sneaking out either alone or with Asgerd would be suspicious. There was nobody else trustworthy in the palace. But by the time she reached her room, she had already begun to form a plan. ~ Aubron waited until the princess was out of earshot before leaving the room. She had made herself into a pest. A short-term problem; now all he had to do was work on pest control.
19:50
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Althea Hiltron BOT 04/30/2024 20:13
The freaks got sick and decided to make a vow of silence to thank their monstrous deities or something, big deal. It much smaller news than Althea had been expecting, a disapointment actually, even the governess stories had more substance and Althea suspected that half of them were either completly made up or distorted to the point of having nothing to do with the truth. So that Roshia had been joyfull, that sounded like Asgerd, why did Rikuma like someone apparently so cheerfull? It didn't sound like herself, did she had an affection for happy people without any control that went around acting like idiots laughing and smiling whenever they wanted without a care in the world, that's not how things worked is Roshia was like that then she ended up dead for a reason. Only fools had the privilege to act acording to frivolous things like emotions, passions, desired, instead of duty. The sudden noise of the door opening almost made Marry drop yet another bottle of wine that she was serving their already drunk guess. "My princess," a guard spoke, on of her grandfather's personal ones," the emperor wishes to speak to you." His wishes were law. She didn't want to leave, she wasn't in the right place for it, her skin was hot, her chest too tight, it was because of the argument at the dance, nothing else. Too busy striking you. Dull and compliant Who was she to speak? To walk in with impossible pale hair, soft skin and such a detestable attitude as if she knew anything about other peoples lifes. Marry gave her a small smile as if saying, go I will handle this. Walking to her grandfather always brought the normal amount of dread that seeing the emperor caused in everybody but this time it felt more justified, he would be able to see right trough her, he always did. Two polite knocks on the door before entering. "Grandfather, you wish to speak to me?" She could ear the governess on her mind, keep your voice stable and soft silly girl, not too shy, not to rude
20:17
Mary watched her leave, the small usual amount of worry but there was nothing she could do besides continue the task at hand. One more drink, he would pass out from the drink soon, maybe, a human would have already, she wasn't sure how it applied to elves "Looks like it's just the two of us now?" If felt wrong, it put more pressure on her to not mess up, if the whole thing was a plan from the emperor himself and not Althea then failing would have much harsher consequences." Any more intresting stories from your home country?"
20:17
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 04/30/2024 20:31
Aubron regarded Althea with a cold stare as she walked into the room. While the usual forms of discipline may have been off the table - nothing was stopping the Rashourans from speaking to the palace healers, so it was best to keep visits to them at a minimal - he still had the threat of death, of taking away the gift of immortality. He tapped his fingers against the desktop as he spoke. "Come in." The servant behind her closed the door before he continued. "Exactly what is it that you said to the Rashouran princess?" he asked, then frowned. "She seems to believe that she is in a position to be making demands right now, and went so far as to threaten to dissolve your engagement or nullify the marriage if I refused." He leaned forward, narrowing his eyes. She seemed nervous, and he could only assume there was a reason she should have been. "I am sure you understand how important it is that she doesn't become a problem, yes?" They needed that gold from Rashouris if they were to continue their conquests unimpeded, after all. He gestured toward the chair across his desk, almost as an afterthought. "Please, sit down. I want to hear your explanation, and then we have to consider how to control the damage you caused." ~~~ Agemin shrugged. "Guess so." He drank some more, predictably. "What is it you wanted to hear about? History, Order philosophy, stories about the royal family specifically...? I'm sure you already know about the last time Aubron tried a political marriage with the throne, right? With Rikuma's father and..." He trailed off, memory failing him. "...Er... one of your princess's parents. Can't remember which, he never really seemed to care about the gender pairings as long as it got him what he wanted."
20:31
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Althea Hiltron BOT 04/30/2024 22:09
The mention of the late crown prince and princess made Mary's blood freeze, no one talked about them, the emperor made it very clear that was forbidden, especially around his granddaugther. Asged didn't realize the danger he walked into every time he brought them up, despite all his scheemes it might be the thing that would cause more consequences if the emperor ever found out. They were like shadows, every portrait and document had been destroyed, Mary didn't even know their names, hells, she wasn't sure if Althea knew their names. The execution had been so long ago before she entered court, she wasn't around to see it and if she had she might have been too young too remember. For most part it was as if the emperor never had a son, daughter?, which one even was his child? It was terrifying, what death could do, make someone disapear as if they had never existed. "Don't speak about them," she advised, it was for the best to help him avoid international incidents, and after all she had got him drunk for information, it was fair," I don't know if you are aware but the emperor strongly...dislikes that topic." She didn't knew anything about the emperor having tried the mariage idea before neither why it hadn't worked out but like most things involving Althea's parents it was best to not know. ------- Why was she so worked up? It didn't even make sense, Asgers said things worst to her dayly than what happened ay the ball but hearing them from Rikuma had such a stronger effetc. Breath in, breath out, hands clasped in front of you, straight posture, don't have your head too high, keep it low enough to be respectfull but not weak. The mantra of what to do didn't help much while hearing his words. Threats? Dissolve the marriage? And she was apparently to blame for that because the Rashouran didn't know her place. Her limbs felt stiff as she sat down, she never liked how he always made her sit down but he remained standing, it made her fell small, more then usual.
22:14
"I know how important all this is," she tried to assure, the mines would be the last step, without being dependent on the gold of the norse and bound by debt they would be able to finally conquer the major kingdoms." I didn't say anything to her to make her believe that she was in a position to make threats, you saw her speaking to Asgerd these ideas must have come from his wind head." She had said thing more than she should but nothing in that direction, even so better not to mention the words spoken in the little angry dance in case any of them might have been the cause. "What demands did she make?" She hopped she wasn't pushing her luck @hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 04/30/2024 22:34
Missing the first word at first, Agemin kept talking. "I am curious how your people tell it though. Oh yeah, in Rashouris it's a love story for the ages," he continued recklessly. "A tyrant, unaware of our laws, tries to force a political marriage with our crowned prince, only for the prince's lover to swoop in and save him from a cruel fate by defeating her opponent - his fiance - in a duel? I mean, yeah the Emperor breached contract and..." He trailed off. "Oh wait, you said don't?" How weird, being asked not to share words. The transmission of knowledge had always been held as holy to the point where even instructions for forbidden acts, such as sacrificing one's soul to become a lich, were easy enough to learn in Rashouris. He frowned, puzzled by that concept. "He's not in the room, so why would we be banned from discussing them between just the two of us? Is it... hm..." He thought of one possible explanation and seemed to think he was lowering his voice as he instead spoke in the loudest whisper known to man. "Did he kill them?" Catching what remained of his wits, he waved a hand dismissively instead of awaiting an answer. "No, no, you don't have to answer. I don't want you to get in trouble. It just seems weird, y'know? Like he's definitely trying to hide something." ~~~
22:34
Aubron, recalling what he had seen of the fight at the ball, scoffed. He didn't believe her for a single second. "You argued earlier, as you yourself confess. She came to me with the conviction of someone who firmly believes she is protecting herself." The determination he'd seen of her had chilled him for a moment, before he'd remembered that it didn't matter how confident she may have been in her ability to destroy him: what mattered was that she couldn't. He looked down at her, contemplating for a moment whether to describe what she had demanded or not. After a second, he picked up the parchment scroll from his desk and thrust it in front of her face, but started speaking immediately afterward, rather than giving her a chance to focus on reading in peace. "As you can see here, she thinks she already has the right to dictate our laws," he said. The document outlined every guideline necessary to close the loopholes that allowed the use of slave labour in certain circumstances, as well as ensuring the freedom of religion that Rikuma had demanded earlier. The instructions were detailed, written in his hand but clearly the words of someone else, dictated by someone with a keen mind for legal matters and close attention to detail. "-And she has the nerve to dictate how raise my own heir," he continued. "No wonder Rashourans are all soft, undisciplined savages. Like that Archbishop of theirs... imagine a man choosing pacifism, of all roads." He pulled the scroll away. "It seems it is not enough to simply project strength to the public and consummate the marriage. We need her true cooperation to avoid any further... trouble."
22:34
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Deleted User 04/30/2024 23:02
A love story about a duel was not even close to anything she could expect but wasn't the priority. "He didn't murder them," she was quick to correct, it was best to stay away from such misunderstandings, even if her voice was extremlly low and she had to look over her shoulder for every words, sometimes nobles gossiped about this forbidden topic, some of them had been whipped over that, it wasn't oficially the reason but everybody knew." They were executed, no one is trying to hide something, is just not a happy thing to talk about." She wondered how the other kingdoms tought about it, Rashourans didn't know because of their condition but everyone else was aware. --------------- The document was very well done, she was forced to admit, covering every single loophole she could think about, who did it obviously knew what they were talking about. If only the person who did it wasn't such a pain. It also confirmed suspicions, she was the one that had started the slavery talk, just as a treath, a way to draw blood but Rikuma had been too proactive and they temporarily, she prayed it was tenporary, lost most of their workers. At least her grandfather wasn't focusing too much in how Althea was indireclty direcly responsible for the problem. She wanted to question what he mean with telling him how to raise his own heir, the knowledge she had been brought up in the conversation made her fell sickeningly hot again. With all the treaths about subduing Rikuma and her people the talk must have gone in the direction of control your granddaugther "How can we achieve that? She has already show that she is not afraid of making demands and she is... bitter about the empire, even if she sometimes knows how to be diplomatic." It would take an idiot to thing that the Rashouran didn't despise all of them, she couldn't be trully controled trough fear nor made to trust them, conditional cooperation in marriage was possible but she didn't think that was what he was talking about.
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Althea Hiltron BOT 04/30/2024 23:02
A love story about a duel was not even close to anything she could expect but wasn't the priority. "He didn't murder them," she was quick to correct, it was best to stay away from such misunderstandings, even if her voice was extremlly low and she had to look over her shoulder for every words, sometimes nobles gossiped about this forbidden topic, some of them had been whipped over that, it wasn't oficially the reason but everybody knew." They were executed, no one is trying to hide something, is just not a happy thing to talk about." She wondered how the other kingdoms tought about it, Rashourans didn't know because of their condition but everyone else was aware. --------------- The document was very well done, she was forced to admit, covering every single loophole she could think about, who did it obviously knew what they were talking about. If only the person who did it wasn't such a pain. It also confirmed suspicions, she was the one that had started the slavery talk, just as a treath, a way to draw blood but Rikuma had been too proactive and they temporarily, she prayed it was tenporary, lost most of their workers. At least her grandfather wasn't focusing too much in how Althea was indireclty direcly responsible for the problem. She wanted to question what he mean with telling him how to raise his own heir, the knowledge she had been brought up in the conversation made her fell sickeningly hot again. With all the treaths about subduing Rikuma and her people the talk must have gone in the direction of control your granddaugther "How can we achieve that? She has already show that she is not afraid of making demands and she is... bitter about the empire, even if she sometimes knows how to be diplomatic." It would take an idiot to thing that the Rashouran didn't despise all of them, she couldn't be trully controled trough fear nor made to trust them, conditional cooperation in marriage was possible but she didn't think that was what he was talking about.
23:04
In in two days they would have the trip to town, mariage right the next day, most of the time she didn't believe it, refused to process the notion that she would be a married woman in less than a week. It was easier to think of it as a distant future instead of something so close.
23:04
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 04/30/2024 23:52
"Murder, execution... The only difference is who does it," Agemin said. Executions were commonplace in Rashouris, sure, but he was also critical of those. "What was their crime, then? And why should unhappy topics be banned, when they are a part of life? We wouldn't have any idea of what things are good if they weren't compared to the bad." He finished this glass as well, then stumbled to his feet. "I should rest... Oh water," he remembered. "I'll drink some water first." Anything to mitigate the morning's inevitable hangover. ~~~ "Must I explain every little thing to you?" Aubron snapped. He raised his hand, remembered the agreement, then lowered it. Words only... How tedious. He took a deep breath and smiled, the sort that tried to appear serene but always held a certain emotions to it. "As an Empire, we cannot gain her trust. As an individual, you might stand a chance." He lowered his voice, taking on a conspiratorial tone. "Gain her trust. I'd say her love, if Rashourans are even capable of such emotions. Present yourself as an ally, not an extension of my will - just see to it that you remember what you really are - and do what you must to gain equal power to her own in Rashouris. You will go with her after the wedding to aid with the recovery efforts, so you will have time. She already likes you enough to forbid me from any physical discipline, so you may well have a chance not to disappoint me." It wouldn't be enough alone, he knew. The Rashouran princess was a variety of unpleasant things, but stupid was not one of them. She had sent that message clearly enough. "Then, when she fully trusts you and you have her political power in your hands, make sure she stays out of the way... Permanently. She is not truly immortal, after all, and we don't want her getting in our way."
23:52
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Althea Hiltron BOT 05/01/2024 10:17
She quickly got up to help steady him or else he would fall face first on the ground. With a small wave of wand servants brought a water jug, she doubted that it would help with the massive amount of wine he drank but maybe it could have some placebo effect. "The servants will help you return to your room." It was better to end things there, he didn't seem like he knew much and she, herself, had revealed more than she should have." Good night, it was a pleasure." ------ She flinched at the raised and but to her surprise he lowered it, and not in direction of her face. His plane sounded impossible, Rikuma wouldn't fall for that so easly to the point of letting someone from an enemy nation have control over her kingdom, but Althea would still do it even if it was doomed to fail. When he said that he was prohibited from physical discipline was when things became confusing, why would she have demanded that? She had nothing to win from it. Then killing, of course it would end in that, one small part of her had hopped for some unknown reason that the outcome would be imprisionment even if she knew better than that, grandfather didn't like loose ends, if he wanted someone or something finished he would go trough with it until the end. "Yes, my emperor." There was always a shift between grandfather and emperor, a coldness when politics got involved. "I will go find Rikuma and appologize for our argument at the ball." She stood up, the apology was the more logical steep but made her fell her stomach twist." May I leave?" @hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 05/01/2024 10:55
Aubron nodded. The apology sounded like a good start to get the enemy to warm up to her after all. The new plan was going to take a lot longer - years, even - but he had all the time in the world. He would see it through. "You are dismissed." He smiled again, and there was an unspoken threat to his expression. "I am sure you will not fail me." ~~~ Rikuma had set to pacing around her room for the first few minutes. Getting an escort to bring her into town shouldn't be too difficult, as long as she acted willing to comply with any rules presented for the outing. The question would be how to get away from them for just long enough. She'd need plausible deniability after the fact, to avoid scrutiny. Wandering into a crowd would be a nightmare, but her best chance. Once she had the plan in mind, she changed into her nightgown and set her veil on the bedside table. The sounds of the ball - or at least, the afterparty - still drifted from downstairs, and she cursed her elven hearing for still being able to pick up on it. Since she wouldn't fall asleep any time soon, she settled into bed with the candlelight still lit and began to read the book of poems she had told Althea about earlier. @Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 05/01/2024 11:21
She took off her hood and had one of the ladys in waiting help her change from the elaborate ball gown to a much more simple dress that she only wore when she was planning to spend the day in her room only with her ladys, it wasn't Thauviel fashion, it had been a gift from a merchant of the north, it was soft is was confortable and it might make her look less like the enemy, a nightgown would have been too much, or too few depending on the prespective. The lady in waiting offered to go with her but she denied insisting that she would only go for a short walk in the garden. The walk to Rikuma's room felt too long and too short, it gave her brain time to think about everything that could go wrong but not enough time for a strategy. The guards kept close to the Rashourans' chambers bowed to her then looked at each other with confused expressions but made no movement to stop her from knocking on the door. @hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 05/01/2024 11:28
Absorbed as she was in her literature, Rikuma didn't hear the footsteps approaching. So when the knock on her door came, she jumped, then scrambled to hide the book behind a pillow. She couldn't help but resent that she even needed to do so. "One moment," she called. Since she wasn't sure who would be on the other side, she pinned her veil back in place and threw on her cloak, but kept the hood down. Hopefully a suitable balance between modesty and showing some of her face. Once she was ready, she opened the door. Her face didn't show her surprise, but a hint of it slipped into her voice. "Althea? What are you doing here?" Probably getting a head start on making her life a complete hell. @Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 05/01/2024 11:35
Her mouth was sudently very very dry, so she forced a smile while she tried to regain the ability to speak. "I just wanted to appologize for what happened tonight at the ball, it was very out of place, I shouldn't have let Asgerd get me in such a bad mood and blow up on you." Good job, keep blaming Asgerd as if he was the reason why her chest was tight and she felt such a need to push the elf away as soon as she could. She had been more fine with the Rashourans at the begging then she was now, her hatred had grow for some reason, but not all of them, lady Saya and the one she couldn't remember the name were fine, Rikuma was the one that had some point had made her brain start working wrong @hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 05/01/2024 13:53
Of all the horrifying possibilities, an apology was the last one Rikuma had expected. Surely, it wasn't that simple. Was there some larger plan behind this? Every instinct wanted to accept it, to forgive her, but given the stakes... She straightened up, trying not to be too distracted by Althea's soft features or her dark hair and eyes. "You shouldn't have," she agreed. "Do you even understand the ramifications of the threats you made? You crossed the one line I can't tolerate." She had entered the agreement expecting to suffer, yes, but it was only supposed to be her that suffered for it. Then her own words came back to her with a hot rush of shame. She looked away. "Still, I will admit I was... Not exactly right either," she said. "I should not have thrown such a personal matter in your face. Nobody deserves to be hurt like that by their own family. Not even you." It wasn't like it was personal or anything. There was no reason she should feel any protective instinct toward Althea, of all people. She just really hated seeing anyone treated so harshly. That and she really hated Aubron specifically. Okay maybe it was personal in that sense. @Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 05/01/2024 14:47
None of the replies was satisfactory, she understood very well what she had said, she wasn't an idiot, even if she had acted like one. Then the talk about her family life again. Did Rashouran not discipline their children? Maybe they did let them run around destroying everything without consequences. Being hit was bad not because the action on himself was, it was because it hurt and meant that she had failed and everyone would see that, like a criminal being whipped, it was mean to be bad but still necessary and not exactly wrong. "I would appreciate if the comments about my relationship with my grandfather stayed to a minimum." Then remembring that she was supposed to be acting nice and friendly and all that she added." I understand that the customs are different in your homeland so I take no offence from anything you said earlier. Once again Im so sorry, I fell terrible, if there is any way I can make it up to you ." @hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 05/01/2024 15:01
Rikuma took no offense to her request, and instead nodded in response. "Very well then. I will not bring it up again unless you do," she agreed. "In exchange, I would appreciate if you avoided further threats toward my kingdom." It was all very straightforward, a blunt exchange of requests. She could relax slightly, in familiar territory now. She walked away from Althea and sat on the side of the bed. If she couldn't sleep anyway, she might as well speak with her fiancee. The more she understood her situation, the more prepared she would be for the inevitable war to come. It wasn't that she wanted her company, or like she was enchanted by the face of this woman with hair that reminded her of the leather binding the ancient tomes in her library at home. "You can sit, if you want," she said. "There is a chair over there-" she nodded toward the reading chair that occupied a spot in front of the fireplace - "or you can sit next to me, if it does not violate your culture's concepts of propriety." Concepts she was still working to wrap her head around, but was trying to respect nonetheless. "But there's no pressure. You can also leave if you prefer that. The choice is entirely yours." She looked toward the window. "During our earlier conversation, I was trying to empathize. I was sure your situation was also bad in its own way, and I had the impression that you were being prevented from reaching your full potential. It didn't come across that way, and I overstated, so I apologize for that." But there were other topics to address, and curiosities to satisfy. "When I was sparring with Asgerd, he mentioned the Red Hand in passing. Who is that?" @Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 05/01/2024 15:12
She wanted to stay but as much as she wanted to leave, this time she didn't had to deal with her own fellings as she had her orders and that went above everything and anything. She sat besides Rikuma on the bed, physical proximity can create the feeling of emotional closeness without there being any, that's why everyone shock hands, walked arm in arm and wrapped their arms around anyone theh wanted to keep their eyes in, no matter if it was a friend or enemy. "There is no need to appologize." She ran a hand trough her hair, it was impossible to do with the headpiece, the governess called it an awfull habit but everytime she had her hair completely free she couldn't stop her fingers, especially to calm herself, that's why she usually kept it on a braid when without the hood on." The Red Hand is nothing much, a bunch of pseudo revolutionaries, they seem under the impression that the Empire mistreats it's own people and they are the choosen saviors of the land. They don't do much more than cause small annoyances."
15:12
@hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 05/01/2024 16:01
Rikuma's attention drifted to the way the fine strands sifted between Althea's graceful-looking fingers. She looked away quickly, avoiding eye contact as she usually did. She reminded herself to take Althea's description with a grain of salt. Of course she would spin it in the way calculated to best represent the Empire. The Red Hand clearly had motive. What they seemed to lack was power. Power could easily change hands, and came in many forms. "Still, we should be careful," she said. "Particularly with our forthcoming alliance. I have no doubt that such a group would consider the person poised to bring wealth to Thauviel more use to them dead than alive. No matter how I feel about their goals, I have no choice but to aid in yours instead, and would therefore be their most likely target if they chose to get serious." It was true, in a way; she would have to be cautious with how she courted the Red Hand. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to avoid focusing on the reality of this arranged farce of a marriage again. No matter how cruel the situation, she refused to cry in front of the enemy. Weakness was unforgivable. She'd learned that early on in life. She had one important task, one way to justify her life, and it didn't matter how that was achieved. And if she was right, and if the northern kingdom pulled through, she could still keep her freedom. "I can't pretend I want to be here, I'm sorry. And I know you don't want me here." She opened her eyes. "Don't bother to deny it, either. Dishonesty is one of the worst disrespects possible." There was no rancor to her voice; she spoke matter-of-factly. It was no personal insult to her, but an acknowledgment that their situation was far from ideal. @Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 05/01/2024 16:18
That was what she mean with impossible task, every felling had been made very clear long ago, except...it was not so clear, at least in her case. Her hand felt as if they were moving on their own when they moved slowly to grab Rikuma's pale ones, they were soft, for some reason she hadn't expected that. "I know that you would rather be anywhere else in the world than here and I have said some pretty awfull things to you tonight but...I want you here, so much that I can't explain, and if you let me I want to make this all thing as less awfull as possible for you." She didn't know where the words were comming from or how much of it was a lie and how much was the truth. Sitting so close looking directly into her eye the line between the lie and the truth became very blurred, she just prayed to every God and saint that her face hadn't gone red. @hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 05/01/2024 16:37
The sudden warmth was unexpected, but not unpleasant. Still, Rikuma instinctively tensed at the sudden touch, her own face warming up slightly. She looked down at their joined hands and tried to think clearly. There was no reason for her heart to have skipped a beat at that touch, even if physical contact had never been considered normal between near-strangers where she was from. "That... doesn't make sense." She looked away. "I'm not so clueless that I don't know what people here think of me. This union itself is a violation. I'm sure you are capable of great kindness if you try - most people are - but that doesn't solve the real problem. Unless you can somehow convince Aubron to accept my original trade deal instead of the marriage, anything else would only be a bandage on a decapitation." She sighed, wondering already if that response had been a little too intense. "I know, you never said solutions. As for mitigation... I honestly don't know. I'm still concerned about the threats you made, even if I've legally managed to stop the threat of enslavement. For as long as I'm alive, at least." @Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 05/01/2024 17:00
"Im not allowed to say this in public, even now it's not very wise, but what my grandfather has done to your people and is still doing is awfull, and there are more people thinking that than you would believe." Actually no, most of them except the Red Fist lunatics would agree that all is fair in war, but grandfather said for her to present herself as an ally so that was what she was doing." Its not an easy thing to say about your own family, my grandfather after you arrived he had a very stern talk with me about being too empathetic with the enemy, I guess that's why I spoke such awfull words to you, I didn't want him to be angry with me anymore, his rage hurts." And now she was outright lying. The only glimpse of truth was that his grandfather was not nice when angry but everything else completly made up @hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 05/01/2024 17:20
Rikuma allowed herself to relax slightly at that. Just the acknowledgment would be enough for now. "Thank you," she said softly. Maybe she was nice, after all. Too bad Rikuma and Asgerd had to kill this woman's grandfather, but he needed to die regardless of who his family was. "Even when you look at the numbers - how many died of starvation and exposure, even within the first month of the curse alone - it doesn't compare to seeing its effects. All I want is to end the suffering he's caused, without unnecessary bloodshed. There has been enough of it already, from the moment Thauviel first invaded Rashouris. Probably before then; it just wasn't as visible to us." She changed the topic, worried that the current one was not only too heavy, but bordering on seditious. "Anyway, I'll admit that I did enjoy our earlier conversation by the river. I have always enjoyed good literature. You mentioned before that you have a library in the palace, yes?" @Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 05/01/2024 17:30
It was working! Just agree with her in every political matter seemed to be a great strategy. "Yes, if you want I could take you there tomorow. With the trip to the town the day after and then the weeding there might not be much free time before or after." She wondered if it was a good idea to mention that she would be joining Rikuma when she returned to Rashouris, better not, herself hadn't accepted the idea yet so it was better to build some trust then act surprised. @hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 05/01/2024 17:58
Bland agreement was... oddly boring, compared to the lively debate she had expected. Rikuma was almost disappointed, but that feeling was soon held at bay by the agreement to see the library. Except, tomorrow wasn't the best of times. She had something else to take care of before she could tend to such frivolous matters, and it was easiest if she could lock herself up alone and meditate for a few hours after the first part of the plan was set into motion. "I was hoping to see town myself, in the morning," she admitted. "With a guard if needed, of course. The planned trip will be an appearance for public relations purposes, and I would prefer to see the reality of life in Thauviel's capital - the highs and the lows. I hope you don't mind if our library visit takes place later in the day." By the evening, she would be fine, and prepared with her knowledge. She would still need to schedule a meeting with Asgerd after she was certain of her findings, and the sooner she did that, the better. "That, and I will admit that I did not perform well in my sparring match against Asgerd. I am sure I would do better with a clearer head, so I would like to schedule a rematch against him before the next day's official tour of the city. It would be embarrassing if I were to not at least show some intention to make good on any of the threats I made to him after our first round." @Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 05/01/2024 18:10
She forced the disapointment out of her face and made a understanding expression show up. "I understand but you should be carefull when going into the city, even with a guard, Im not even saying this just because of where you are from, being a noble also brings many risks." Althea in a perfect world would also go and keep things under control but the princess walking trough the streets wasn't a good idea even with guards, despite her attemps to tone down everything the Red Fist was a treath that had gained supporters despite the lack of funding, they couldn't make the job easier for them. She couldn't see why Rikuma would want to see the unpolished version of the town, it was dirty, dusty and overall awfull, or at least that was what Althea had heard, she had never been allowed to see it but the descriptions all pointed in an unpleasant direction. The prospect of Asgerd being beaten to a pulp was more satisfactory. "He could benefit from a defeat in fencing even if I find it dificult to happen, the sword is his only natural talent. You will need some clever trick if you want to humble him a bit."
18:10
@hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 05/01/2024 18:47
"I will be," Rikuma promised. It was genuine enough, because she was sure there would still be a large enough portion of the city that hated her. But it was a risk she had to accept, if she was going to do what needed to be done. "Still, you can tell a lot about a society by how they appear at their worst. Not so much from how the best-off live." She considered Althea's words about fencing. She'd nearly always used clever tricks in her matches back at home, but most of them involved necromancy. She would have to think outside of the box for this fight. She leaned forward and tapped her fingers against her own knee, considering the possibilities. But she'd have all day to figure it out, and actually winning a fencing match wasn't a real priority. "I'll think of something," she said. "And from what you've said, I'm sure he is very convinced of his own abilities with his sword." His shameless flirtation, once it had been pointed out, was one of his more annoying traits, and she didn't mind poking fun at it. "I look forward to teaching him a thing or two about defeat." She yawned and stretched her arms above her head. It had grown late, and the afterparty had mercifully quieted down. "Sorry," she said. "But I think we should both get some rest. It has been quite a night." @Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 05/01/2024 19:04
"Agreed." She got up but wasn't sure what to do, sometimes the goodbye was done with two kisses or a hug between friends, they weren't friends but a handshake was too formal. Better to just do nothing since they were at a point were things would only be akward. "Good night, see you tomorow," she smiled and left. Back at her room she found Marry that helped her out of her dress, "did the Rashouran say something intresting?" Mary frowned and hid her facez thankfully Althea didn't notice. "No he was too drunk, it was just rambling." She wasn't going to admit being the one that talked too much With that she was satisfied and went to sleep, very troubled and weird dreams, snakes wrapped around roses, climbing trough her legs forcing her to lean into the roses and get cut on the thorns. Is made her wake up covered on sweat. @hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 05/01/2024 22:18
Rikuma waved goodbye as she watched Althea go. What an odd encounter. She wished she was better at telling how sincere people were. A part of her dared to hope that Althea had meant every word of it, because that would mean the situation wasn't as bleak as it may seem. She would do well to figure out how widespread the Red Hand was - not just members, but sympathizers, provincial leaders of conquered lands who wanted their own sovereign thrones back, even people who were wavering slightly in their devotion to Aubron. And if she wasn't so bad, it would mean less to worry about when Aubron was dead and Althea would inherit the throne. Then there was the question of timeline. Killing the Emperor without the wedding happening would make war inevitable. If she was married to the new Empress, it was still extremely likely, but with a small chance of prevention. But the risks of her own death or the Emperor walking back his promises would be higher. She blew out the candle and settled under the sheets to rest. Some problems could wait until morning. In her dreams, the sun didn't burn. Rashouris, full of life, was nearly unrecognizable as the rays of light warmed the stone of the palace exterior. Her children played in the long-melted river that now flowed past their home, a welcome break from their studies, while she watched to ensure nothing got out of hand. She sat with a book in her lap and her head against someone's shoulder, soft and well-fed beside her. The trees and grass still carried the morning dew, crimson droplets marking anything that touched it. The bloodshed had been unpleasant, but necessary and long ago. The world had healed since then. An arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her close, and she smiled, knowing she was safe and loved at last. Everything would be fine. She woke up the next morning, still mostly at peace but very confused.
22:18
@Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 05/02/2024 08:19
The dream wasn't difficult to interpret, snakes were a very common symbol of cunning but also of betrayal, roses love, in bloom like the ones of her dream hinted to a new love. Just because it was easy to understand in theory didn't mean that still didn't made her head hurt, she had been neglecting her studies since the Rashourans arrived, today might be a good time to look deeper into it. Having made up her mind she moved to the small room reserved for her full with every matterial that she could desire, grandfather hadn't been happy with her wanting to learn about any magic art but once he agreed he made sure that she had everything she would need and more with the condition of always telling what prophecies, visions or signs she saw @hALloween (edited)
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 05/02/2024 17:52
A knock on the door drew Rikuma's attention. She put her veil back on, wondering who it might be this time. Althea, perhaps? She wasn't sure why that was her first guess or why, when she opened the door, she was disappointed to see that it was instead a young woman she had not met before. The girl outside of her door curtsied, and Rikuma had no idea how to respond. Mercifully, she did not need to. "You must be the Princess Rikuma of Rashouris, yes?" She smiled. "I hope I didn't wake you. My name is Fara. I've offered to serve as your lady in waiting here." Rikuma blinked, puzzled by the sudden turn of events. Sure Althea had said she wasn't as hated here as she thought, but the others had all seemed avoidant nonetheless. "Why?" was all she could think to say. Fara blushed and looked down. "I know, I am only a peasant maid instead of a proper lady of Thauviel, so I may be drifting above my station by aiding such an important guest, but the way I noticed the other staff treating you seemed... wrong. Please, forgive them for not knowing better." Rikuma looked away and waved a hand as dismissal, mildly embarrassed. "It is already forgiven. Er... I don't normally ask for help, but if it's really what you want to do, you can come in." She opened the door wider and stepped inside. @Deleted User
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Althea Hiltron BOT 05/03/2024 09:25
Herbs, incense, runes, all that was needed for self induced visions, that and years of study of course. She put the room into darkness closing the windows, not because it was needed but the clarity annoyed her when walking up. Her eyelids became heavy but she knew her eyes wouldn't close, once Mary said they kept open staring into the nothingness, it was described as a mix of fascinating and sinister. The incense smoke settled deep in her lungs as the room became cloudy. It was dark, everything was dark. Dark and the smell of blood. The snake got ready to bite while screams sounded, at the last second the fangs stopped inches away from pale soft skin, the venom dripped onto the ground. @hALloween
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Rikuma Aelynthi BOT 05/09/2024 12:25
The one advantage of having help again was that Rikuma could finally get the corset laced tightly enough to provide the familiar pressure she wanted from it. While they worked, they talked. Fara seemed to enjoy talking, an unfortunate pattern Rikuma had noticed among the few people here who weren't openly hostile toward her. Or perhaps this was a nefarious plot by the Emperor to drain all of Rikuma's energy before breakfast. "This dress is so lovely," Fara commented, stepping back to look. The dress in question was simple, black linen to avoid appearing too obvious as nobility. "Are there a lot of fine artisans in Rashouris?" "There are," Rikuma replied despite her mild confusion. "This is not the best example of their work, though..." Fara blushed, embarrassed. "O-oh, I see. Of course, Your Highness." She looked down. "When you are ready, Emperor Aubron would like for you and Her Imperial Highness to join him for breakfast." Nothing killed Rikuma's appetite quite like the idea of sharing a meal with a man who she was convinced was the worst who had ever lived. Still, she had to go along with things for now. She nodded. "Let's get this over with, then. Please, Fara. Lead the way."
12:26
@Deleted User
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