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Petite-Guard [Closed] - Printable Version

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Petite-Guard [Closed] - megs - 10-12-2017

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RE: Petite-Guard [Closed] - megs - 10-12-2017

“I’ve chosen a few candidates for Celeste’s personal guard.”

It still felt strange to Julianna to be the one seated behind the desk when speaking to her husband. Her stolen memories were still incomplete, but hazy and clipped images of speaking to her stern looking husband (though he was just her boss at that time) as he brooded in a large leather chair sometimes came to mind when the my spoke in her office.

Her ears twitched subtly, noting the movements of the dogs behind her. Jules was often surrounded by various canines and had three of them today. Her own greyhound was assisting her in petting sitting Celeste’s papillion and Nic’s toy poodle. They slumbered peacefully on plush dog beds in on corner of the lavish office. “I haven’t interviewed them, yet, since I knew you would want to be there.” She didn’t need memories to know that. Owen was fiercely protective of their youngest daughter, even before this latest intrusion: A would-be kidnapper had slipped into Celeste’s room. Thankfully he’d been stopped by Owen, though both he and Celeste had suffered injuries.

A lingering terror still gripped her after that night The queen did her best to continue focusing on work, while balancing the upheaval of the castle’s current guard and security protocols. It was a lot to balance, and Julianna was glad to have her husband and daughter back home.

Green eyes flickered to the sling that supported the weight off his injured shoulder, ears pinned backwards, before darting back to his face. They had time to discuss the matter of guardsmen while Celeste was making up the midterm she had missed while in the hospital under the watch of a carefully selected proctor and a temporary entourage. Thumbing through the files on her desk, she found a specific one and deliberately placed it on top of the file. Ears twitched as she pushed them all towards her husband. “Personally, I think that Atlas Weatherfare is the best choice.” Julianna didn’t go on to defend her decision, Owen would look through all of the paperwork himself before choosing to agree or disagree with her.


RE: Petite-Guard [Closed] - saronym - 10-17-2017

Owen lounged in one of the two leather chairs that were poised before Julianna’s desk in her study. He had one leg crossed lazily over the other as he leaned back into the comfortable chair. His gaze was locked on the wall somewhere behind his wife’s head. It was only a grunt that signaled that he had heard her breach the subject of Celeste’s need for a personal guard.

The subject sent his mind back to that so recent evening. Gun fire still rang fresh in his mind. In the moment he hadn’t felt anything but a rush of motivated rage to take out the man who had manhandled his child. In the aftermath his mind reeled with shock at having once again stared down the wrong end of a gun and taken fire. It seemed he couldn’t help but catch lead.

Wet against the hand that hung over the chair’s arm roused Owen from his reverie. He blinked and turned his gaze downwards to meet the dark brown eyes of his German Shepherd. The dog’s long pink tongue lapped at Owen’s fingers trying to entice them to scratch behind his ears. His tail began wagging when Owen refocused his attention.

“Atlas huh?” Owen responded at last while his hand moved from the dog’s reach. The normally obedient dog pushed forward some to rest his snout on Owen’s thigh. The better to give his owner the pet-me eyes. Owen tsked at the dog for begging. “Ruger.” He muttered the mild warning under his breath though was clearly endeared enough to scratch compliantly behind the canine’s ears.

Owen gave his wife a skeptical look but didn’t offer any verbal pushback. He didn’t have any concrete arguments against Atlas except that he was the son of a man Owen found insufferable.

“Weatherfare looks pretty good on paper.” Atlas looked good everywhere. Owen remembered Atlas’ face from when he gave them report on his investigation. Angular and handsome. Too handsome for Owen’s taste.

“There was another applicant I liked.” He responded levelly without trying to sound argumentative. He strategically adjusted his arm in the sling. Maybe he could get her pity vote on his candidate pick. “Last name Barlena. He did - uh - diplomatic security for what was it thirty years now?”


RE: Petite-Guard [Closed] - megs - 10-18-2017

Julianna watched her husband, patiently. Her gaze was drawn back to his injuries at his not so subtle adjustment. She rolled her eyes upwards in thought, as graceful fingers laced together on the surface of her vintage desk. “Santiago Barlena,” she recited, neither of them bothered to sift through the files to find that particular candidate. Between Julianna’s photographic memory and Owen’s attention to detail, they didn’t need to. “Not native-born, two tours in the military, graduated in the top ten percent during his training…” trailing off, she wrinkled her nose as if she’d said something she didn’t like. That was not the case, he just wasn’t the candidate she had picked.

“Atlas does look good on paper,” she repeated his words back to him, not quite ready to give up on her own choice. “Specialist Weatherfare comes from a long line of loyal guardsman and soldiers. His own father included.” She mentioned this intentionally, to gauge her husband’s reaction. She didn’t think he was above damning Atlas for being Lanzo’s son. There was something else about Atlas that bothered Owen, but she’d yet to pinpoint what it was.

Ears shifted to muffled dog yips from behind her. One of the three animals in the corner was fussing in their sleep. Once again, furred appendages rotated to her husband. “Atlas is 400 years old. There’s not another candidate here that is half that.”


RE: Petite-Guard [Closed] - saronym - 11-22-2017

With Ruger’s head resting on his thigh, Owen continued scratching lazily behind the dog’s ears while Julianna spoke. He couldn't help the frown that crossed his face at the mention of Lanzo. It was common knowledge that the two often butted heads.

Owen’s lips pursed in an unsatisfied and unconvinced kind of way. “You know what I’ve noticed about people that age is that they are complacent and rigid individuals.”

He shifted his injured arm around. The aching told him it was time for another pain pill. He was already ready for their meeting to conclude but he didn’t want to admit it to Julianna.

“What does a four hundred year old man want with playing guard to a twenty-something girl? What does he know about modern security concerns?” Owen waved his hand at his own flimsy excuses and then changed his line of argument.

“Look I know this kind of guy. Very recent former naval black ops. Come on that was me. He will immediately bore of looking after some girly girl. That kind of man lives on thrill, danger, and excitement. Barlena has the discipline of a tried security professional who is used to the, well frankly, the drudgery that will be required in this post. Atlas won’t be temperamentally suited for it. Can you imagine if I was your guard back then?”

Owen didn’t know how aptly his comparison between himself and Atlas revealed his underlying concerns about the pairing. That a man like Atlas would pose a kind of threat to Celeste in the same way Owen had posed to Julianna once upon a time.


RE: Petite-Guard [Closed] - megs - 01-05-2018

Julianna waited patiently for Owen to conclude his further counter-arguments. Owen as one of her personal guards was an entertaining thread of thought. She didn’t know why he pegged Atlas as more likely to be a problem in that way than Santiago. Ears twitched as he rearranged his injured arm. Her posture didn’t change, but her gaze lowered to the appendage. She knew that if she continued going back and forth with him, she could wear him down. His arm would start bothering him more than the contest of wills, but she didn’t want to win that way. Unsettling her husband’s comfort wasn’t worth getting her way.

“Very well.” Her voice was sharp, and while it was obvious that it was not very well she conceded to him nonetheless. “I will make the proper arrangements and inform Agent Barlena of his new post. You may call your daughter and inform her of her new personnel.”

It seemed that the trade for picking the guard would be performing the more difficult of the tasks at hand. Celeste would not be pleased to hear about the infringement on her privacy. Julianna pushed her chair away from her desk. She rounded the furniture until she stood in front of Owen and leaned against it. She touched his face gently. All that queenly authority dissolved and she was back to playing sweet wife.”But you can do that after we take care of your arm. And coffee, perhaps?”


RE: Petite-Guard [Closed] - saronym - 01-17-2018

Owen nodded gravely when she conceded to him in that we’re-not-quite done way. He understood that the weight of Barlena’s success and failure would be felt almost exclusively by him. The man had better not disappoint after Owen had stuck his neck out with his wife over it.

“It’s settled then.” He said with a kind of pleasant neutrality to his voice.

His eyes tracked his wife as she crossed the room to him. He tilted his head back slightly to look up at her when she touched his face. His eyes fell closed for a moment and he smiled as if her touch were a great comfort to him. “Sure.” He agreed to her plan of attack. “I could use another cup of coffee.”

When Owen stood, so did the loyal Ruger. Owen offered his wife his good arm to escort her into the other room. He was surprised to find Celeste in their kitchen so early that morning. He wondered if she had trouble sleeping, like he did, after the so recent accident.

“Good morning, sweetheart.” He said to his daughter glancing at Julianna to see if they should go ahead and break the news to her. “You sleeping, okay?” He asked without masking the concern in his voice. “If you’re having problems, Nicholas could help you with that.”


RE: Petite-Guard [Closed] - megs - 01-20-2018

Celeste regarded her parents carefully over a bowl of cereal as they entered the kitchen together. She sat awkwardly in the chair at the table. One of her long slender legs was tucked towards her chest, and the was bent inwards in a sort of half cross-legged position. She held the bowl in one hand and fed herself Cheerios in a timed motion. She was still wearing her pajamas, and her phone was buzzing on the table with the constant flood of incoming notifications.

She didn’t answer her father immediately, she just watched. Green eyes followed their movements from beneath a fall of dark curls. She had noticed the look her father had given her mother, and then the small shrug her mother had returned. They always did that, spoke without saying anything.

A smile breached her features after she chewed and swallowed her current bite. “Good morning,” she sang sweetly, as if she wasn’t at all suspicious of them. She freed her hands of the bowl to pick up a glass of dark red pomegranate juice. “No, not trouble sleeping,” she lied. “Just up early. Busy day today.” Not a lie. Celeste had a lot of things to finished before she returned to school. She continued watching them as she took a long drink.

“What’re you two up to?”


RE: Petite-Guard [Closed] - saronym - 01-21-2018

Owen read Julianna’s noncommittal shrug as a sign that he would proceed at his own discretion. He could tell Julianna wasn't happy with him. She wasn't angry. She just wasn't pleased at the way their negotiations went. Barlena better not fuck it up. Given Julianna's stance, he saw no need to delay the news even though he knew Celeste would take it like it was a sentence. He could recall the time they assigned Anita a guard and how poorly she had taken that news.

Owen moved up next to his daughter and bent over to bring her against his good side in an awkward one-armed hug. He pressed a kiss against her forehead. “You’re always so busy.” Celeste had an active social life and always had something going on for school. It was part of the reason why they felt it necessary to assign a guard to her. So many of her activities left her rather vulnerable.

Owen sank down into the chair next to his daughter. He pulled it out so that he could face her directly. He sat so that he wouldn’t be standing over her. So that, perhaps, the news would go over easier.

“Your mother and I have been talking,” those were the words he knew Celeste would hate to hear, “and we’ve decided to hire a personal guard for you. The gentleman we’ve chosen is Lieutenant Santiago Barlena. And he’s very experienced. We’ll have you two meet soon. Today, even. He’ll be starting immediately.”


RE: Petite-Guard [Closed] - megs - 02-02-2018

Celeste leaned into her father’s hug, but her hands remained on her coffee. She sipped at the cream colored liquid with a watchful now focused on her mother who had gone about busying herself by preparing coffee for herself and her husband. She hummed in response to Owen’s commentary that she was always busy, and he gaze trailed to follow him as he sat down.

He was correct in knowing which part of the conversation would upset her. Dark brows furrowed and she frowned behind her porcelain mug. It was short and round and had ‘meow’ written on one side in a pretty script. The best part was there was a little cat figurine inside the mug that peeked out as you drank the coffee.

There was a silence following Owen’s explanation of the current events. Julianna’s movements filled the air as she stirred cream and sugar into her own coffee Then her gentle steps and the clink of mugs being arranged at the table. The scrape of the chair as she joined husband and daughter.

Celeste’s ears twitched once. And then twice. She sat up straighter and placed her own mug back onto the table as she cleared her throat. “That’s very considerate.” Her tone was even. Pale green eyes bounced between her parents and then she smiled. The woman had a suspicious air of calmness around her that caused Julianna to pass a look towards her husband.

“I look forward to meeting him.”


RE: Petite-Guard [Closed] - saronym - 02-19-2018

“Thank you.” Owen said pleasantly when Julianna placed a mug in front of him. He immediately brought the steaming beverage to his lips and chanced a sip at it.

Owen seemed to miss the subtle changes in his daughter’s countenance and tone of voice. He also missed look that Julianna gave him. He was smiling wistfully at the mug that his daughter had chosen to use that morning. That silly cat mug. Memories flooded back.

To Owen Celeste sounded acquiescent enough so he nodded. “Good.”

“That mug is ancient.” He said pointing at the cup that Celeste was using and changing the subject from her new guard. He leaned to the side to look at his wife. “I didn’t even know we still had that thing. Did you?” He laughed and shook his head. Owen was already carried away in the story that came to mind about the mug. “You brought that thing into a Central Command strategy meeting. You were a little bit late, remember? And anyway, I was giving a presentation and you walk in with this ridiculous mug. But then you took a drink out of it and I saw that cat and I choked on my coffee because I started laughing while I was drinking. Your face got all red. Darcy about murdered me because the board was there and he thought we were flirting.”

In his retelling of the story, Owen had started chuckling until he was giggling hard enough that he hugged at his stomach with one of his arms and pinched the bridge of his nose with his other hand.


RE: Petite-Guard [Closed] - megs - 03-18-2018

As Owen told his story featuring the cat mug, what seemed to be a flood of dogs entered the kitchen at once. The dogs that had been left slumbering in Julianna’s office woke to discover their abandonment and had sought out their respective masters. Two long and sleek greyhounds and a diminutive toy poodle clamored around Julianna seat the table, while a pudgy English Bulldog waddled towards Celeste, stubby tail wiggling happily. There was a brief cacophony of excited whines, before the new occupants to the kitchen settled around comfortably in the cozy space.

“You probably were flirting,” Celeste replied with a playful roll of her eyes. She’d been hearing recounts of her parents love story for as long as she could remember. And there was a lot of story to tell given that they had been together for nearly fifty years.

Julianna smiled, entertained by her husband’s mirth, but there was a sadness to it that reflected in green eyes. It was a familiar expression that came upon her when she was hearing a story about herself for the first time. Remember? He asked. But she didn’t; her memory still riddled with holes as a result of her brother’s tampering with her mind. She held her mug in both hands as she took a sip of her coffee, her gaze downturned to the liquid inside.

Celeste abandoned her coffee and her cereal to reach down and pull the snorting bulldog into her lap. The dog turned in her arms and to lick her face affectionately as Celeste giggled.

“Why don’t you go get ready?” Julianna suggested as she stood. The dogs at her feet sat up to watch her move around, gathering Celeste’s dishes to take them to the sink. The female greyhound moved just enough to sniff fondly at Ruger, who still occupied his place at Owen’s side.

Celeste and Princess Horsepower, the bulldog, left the kitchen and disappeared for awhile as she prepared to meet her new guard. Julianna remained in the kitchen with Owen, cleaning up as he finished his coffee. Despite having a housekeeper and the like to help manage the sprawling estate, Jules still enjoyed the little things of a normal domestic life.


RE: Petite-Guard [Closed] - saronym - 03-21-2018

Owen gave his daughter a signature skeptical expression at her suggestion that he had been flirting. “If I was flirting I was entirely unaware of it. It took me a lot longer than a week to flirt with her openly.” His glance skirted over to his wife who was apprehensively avoiding the subject altogether. He knew immediately what her sad expression meant. She couldn’t remember.

For once, Owen didn’t mind the canine pandemonium. The dogs clamoring around for space near their owners gave him something to watch when the conversation went stiff. Owen watched as Ruger gave Duchess a friendly lick. Celeste meanwhile was being licked by her own dog. Owen resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

“Too many dogs.” He muttered even as Julianna was effectively dismissing Celeste.

With Celeste retiring to her room to get ready and Julianna fussing unnecessarily over the dishes in the kitchen, Owen had a few moments to notify Agent Barlena of his new post and arrange to have the man meet them at their residence. When that was finished he joined his wife in the kitchen, bringing his then emptied mug with him.

Owen set his mug on the counter by the coffee maker and moved up behind Julianna. His hands fell heavily on her shoulders and he gave her an encouraging squeeze before he let his hands run down her arms. “We’ll make new memories.” He promised her before he kissed the top of her head between her ears. He rested his chin on the top of her head for a few moments before he lifted off of her and pushed away.

“I’m going to get the security reports together for Barlena and call Weatherfare.” Owen explained before he gave his wife another kiss and left the room for his office followed by the ever loyal Ruger.

____

Agent Santiago Barlena was once a handsome man. The evidence of his good looks were still in his square jaw and sharp eyes, but his face was lined with age and his hair was peppered with silver. He was over middle aged but somehow still built like a much younger man.

He applied to and accepted the position as a Veridian royal guard because he expected the job to be fairly straight forward and even easy. The royals already had an extensive security apparatus surrounding them. Therefore, he halfway expected the job of watching over the young princess to be as easy as his last celebrity client. Get her in and out of public places with no fuss. And keep her from going to dangerous places. Easy.

When he presented to the royal residence, he was greeted at the door by other guardsmen and taken through the home to the Queen’s office where he waited to be greeted by the Queen, her husband, and his new charge.


RE: Petite-Guard [Closed] - megs - 03-25-2018

Celeste had left the kitchen, slobbering bulldog in tow, to do as her mother bid. She put on a light-colored and dainty vintage style tea dress decorated in a lovely floral pattern. She chose matching heels that boosted her already impressive height, and brushed her curls back into a high, swinging ponytail. This was nothing like how she normally dressed. It was just the show she put on when she had to do something particularly princess-y, and in some ways, a deception. Something about the dress and the heels made her look coy and well-behaved. With the addition of a bright red lipstick she was almost the spitting image of her mother.

She performed the task rather quickly, because she wanted to meet this new guard before her parents did. The sound of her heels were sharp on the elegant stone tiles of the hall as she paced briskly towards her mother’s office; Princess’ claws scraped as she waddled to keep up with her owner. Celeste wasn’t positive that is where they would be meeting, but it was a pretty damn good guess, since it was where her mother conducted all of her official business.

The princess paused, just before turning the corner to smooth out her hair and her dress and make an appearance at a calmer cadence. The guards at the door to the office greeted her with nods and smiles. She was familiar with Rian and Sasha, manning their usual posts. “Is the new guard in there,” she asked, keeping her voice low. A mischievous grin spread over her features. Rian nodded while Sasha rolled her eyes. They opened the door for her, and announced her arrival to Agent Barlena. Celeste dipped a polite curtsy as the door was closed once more.

“I give that guy a week,” Rian muttered to Sasha.

Celeste smiled, bright and polite, to the man before her, and decided, in that moment, there was something about him she did not like. Perhaps, she was quick to judge, but she was her father’s daughter after all. “Agent Barlena, wonderful to meet you. I hope your trip to the Isles was a pleasant one?”


RE: Petite-Guard [Closed] - saronym - 03-30-2018

Santiago turned at the sound of the door opening. When he saw that it admitted the princess herself, he was a bit surprised and jumped up from his seat to give her a deep bow. “Your Royal Highness.” When he rose he clasped his hands neatly in front of him and nodded. “Thank you, my trip was quite comfortable, indeed. The Isles are beautiful. The weather suits me and everyone has been so welcoming.” He passed of these banalities of conversation as if she might be personally complimented by his unoriginal compliments to her homeland.

Before the conversation could go much further, Owen was the next to enter the office. He walked with a quick, purposeful stride as if he were hurrying. He was, in fact, trying to beat Julianna to the office that he might have a private word with the new guard. Owen had intended to reinforce the idea that failure would not be an option. He had staked a bit of his expertise on Barlena for personal reasons and wouldn’t take kindly to being shown as wrong before his wife. In short, Owen had intended to threaten the new guard.

He stopped suddenly realizing Celeste was already in the room. “Oh good you’ve met.” He said while tensely accepting a bow from the Agent. Owen wasn’t into the royal treatment so much.

Owen was of course accompanied by the ever loyal Ruger, who looked Agent Barlena over and sniffed at him suspiciously before following his master to the other side of the desk.

Owen cut right to the chase. “We have intelligence reports for your review, Barlena. As well as details about the security situation at this and our other residences and Celeste’s school. You’ll be expected to file, at minimum, weekly security addendums. You will also attend weekly security briefings. We have already set in place emergency response algorithms that you’ll be expected to memorize which detail how you will address emergency and other situations that may arise. Those algorithms include how to pass information up the chain of command and when to contact myself or the Queen directly. We are, of course, always open to suggestions on how to improve our security apparatus. Once you’ve familiarized yourself with the material, please feel free to have open discussion with me or my wife. Our doors are always open. Note that the algorithms are a rapid response technique and are not in any means the only possible way in which you could respond in an emergency situation. They’re a blueprint. You have your own mind and you may find you need to be creative. By all means. My daughter’s life is in your hands so you better be damn sure you know the algorithms and have a good reason for deviating.”

As Owen rattled off instructions at a rapid and no nonsense pace that harkened back to his military service, he moved around the office in search of the files for their new security guard. With one arm pinned up to his chest in a sling, Owen was left with just the other which made straightening papers out somewhat difficult. The new agent was left simply nodding along.

Owen stopped his gathering of materials to look at Santiago. “Do you follow, Agent?”

Barlena seemed to jump a bit and straighten. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Owen held out his hand, “Please. Sir is fine.”

“Yessir.”

“We have already suffered an attack here at this residence. Failure will not be tolerated and will be subject to immediate termination. Do you understand?”

“Yessir.”