Lochellen’s ears pushed forward as she accepted the reins from the emperor with a respectful nod of her head. The obstinate nature of the steed was immediately brought to her attention as soon as as its master began to walk away from him. It didn’t help that the horse was at least two feet taller than she. Her tail swayed awkwardly behind her knees, as she attempted to lead the horse towards the stable. It took two steps backwards, stretching the reins between them. As if out of spite. The rest of the horses had been content to make their way to the stables with little insistence, determined to get out of the baking sun.
This one, a black Percheron, held steadfast to his position in the middle of the courtyard. Loch looked over her shoulder, black ears disappearing against her black hair as she watched Maeve lead the emperor and his company towards the castle. She looked back to the horse, who tossed its head, pulling at the reins.
"Come now," she murmured, snapping open a pouch on her belt with her free hand. With two fingers she pulled a perfectly carved sugar cube and held it in her palm for the stallion. "You must be hot," she suggested, wiggling her fingers enticingly. "There's water at the stables."
Fine. He had referred to the room as merely fine. Maeve frowned, since he wasn’t looking at her. She had prepared the room herself and she knew it was exceptionally more than fine. Maeve didn’t move from the post she had taken up by the door, because she had not been dismissed. As articles of clothing and armor began falling away from the emperor she averted her eyes towards the ceiling. It wasn’t as if she expected him to completely undress while she stood there, but if he did, it wouldn’t be the first time that something of the sort had happened to her. She had learned to police her actions to save her own sanity.
Her gaze only dropped when he moved onto the balcony, they immediately fell to the valet who was eagerly picking up after the emperor. Which was fine, she was not particularly in the mood to attend to his every whim herself. Just some of them.
“Of course, Lord Hartwydt,” she replied, just loud enough to be heard. “I will be nearby if you have need of me.” With another bow, she moved out of the room, sealing the heavy doors behind her. She spared a glance to the men waiting outside of the suite, before she laced her fingers behind her back and slowly moved towards the opposite end of the hall.
“Your majesty!”
Julianna halted her horse to the sound of her title, turning her head to and fro to find where the voice had come from. She noticed a foot messenger pushing his way through the crowd and making his way towards her. He stopped in front of her horse. “Lady Maeve has sent me to find you,” he stated, before quickly delving into details on the approach of the Eskran emperor and his men.
The queen didn’t dare voice the irregularities in the story. She didn’t say that she had extended no invasion to the Eskran empire. She couldn’t afford to have the word make its way through the port city, potentially inciting a panic. And she certainly couldn’t let the information reach towards further edges of the continent and designate her as some sort of incompetent.
“Thank you,” she said to the boy, quickly turning Onyx around with a tug on the reins. “Make sure the people know that the Eskrans are welcome as long as they keep peaceful,” she directed of the boy, as he received his second shining golden coin of the day.
Sairus trotted his chestnut stallion to catch up to the queen’s side. He leaned towards her, balancing himself in the saddle to keep his voice lowered. “An invitaion?”
Julianna shook her head. “What do you think it means?” Sai tilted his head to glance at Coltrane would brought up the rear. Starling kept a median pace next to them, and did not wander too far from the group.
Her ears pricked to attention and she sighed. “I have no idea, but I suppose we will be finding out.”
This one, a black Percheron, held steadfast to his position in the middle of the courtyard. Loch looked over her shoulder, black ears disappearing against her black hair as she watched Maeve lead the emperor and his company towards the castle. She looked back to the horse, who tossed its head, pulling at the reins.
"Come now," she murmured, snapping open a pouch on her belt with her free hand. With two fingers she pulled a perfectly carved sugar cube and held it in her palm for the stallion. "You must be hot," she suggested, wiggling her fingers enticingly. "There's water at the stables."
✥
Fine. He had referred to the room as merely fine. Maeve frowned, since he wasn’t looking at her. She had prepared the room herself and she knew it was exceptionally more than fine. Maeve didn’t move from the post she had taken up by the door, because she had not been dismissed. As articles of clothing and armor began falling away from the emperor she averted her eyes towards the ceiling. It wasn’t as if she expected him to completely undress while she stood there, but if he did, it wouldn’t be the first time that something of the sort had happened to her. She had learned to police her actions to save her own sanity.
Her gaze only dropped when he moved onto the balcony, they immediately fell to the valet who was eagerly picking up after the emperor. Which was fine, she was not particularly in the mood to attend to his every whim herself. Just some of them.
“Of course, Lord Hartwydt,” she replied, just loud enough to be heard. “I will be nearby if you have need of me.” With another bow, she moved out of the room, sealing the heavy doors behind her. She spared a glance to the men waiting outside of the suite, before she laced her fingers behind her back and slowly moved towards the opposite end of the hall.
✥
“Your majesty!”
Julianna halted her horse to the sound of her title, turning her head to and fro to find where the voice had come from. She noticed a foot messenger pushing his way through the crowd and making his way towards her. He stopped in front of her horse. “Lady Maeve has sent me to find you,” he stated, before quickly delving into details on the approach of the Eskran emperor and his men.
The queen didn’t dare voice the irregularities in the story. She didn’t say that she had extended no invasion to the Eskran empire. She couldn’t afford to have the word make its way through the port city, potentially inciting a panic. And she certainly couldn’t let the information reach towards further edges of the continent and designate her as some sort of incompetent.
“Thank you,” she said to the boy, quickly turning Onyx around with a tug on the reins. “Make sure the people know that the Eskrans are welcome as long as they keep peaceful,” she directed of the boy, as he received his second shining golden coin of the day.
Sairus trotted his chestnut stallion to catch up to the queen’s side. He leaned towards her, balancing himself in the saddle to keep his voice lowered. “An invitaion?”
Julianna shook her head. “What do you think it means?” Sai tilted his head to glance at Coltrane would brought up the rear. Starling kept a median pace next to them, and did not wander too far from the group.
Her ears pricked to attention and she sighed. “I have no idea, but I suppose we will be finding out.”
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Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 12-16-2016, 02:18 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 12-18-2016, 04:25 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 12-23-2016, 08:42 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 12-24-2016, 06:58 AM
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RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 01-05-2017, 10:16 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 01-07-2017, 02:21 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 01-11-2017, 03:46 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 01-12-2017, 11:36 AM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 01-16-2017, 09:41 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 01-17-2017, 11:16 AM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 01-17-2017, 10:39 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 01-18-2017, 10:06 AM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 01-19-2017, 09:08 PM
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RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 02-14-2017, 09:10 AM
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RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 05-07-2017, 09:28 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 05-10-2017, 11:49 PM
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RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 12-17-2019, 01:33 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 12-17-2019, 05:29 PM
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RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 01-12-2020, 07:10 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 01-14-2020, 07:14 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 12-29-2019, 02:17 AM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 01-14-2020, 06:11 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 01-17-2020, 02:35 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 01-17-2020, 05:02 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 01-31-2020, 06:36 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 02-06-2020, 06:24 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 02-21-2020, 05:59 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 01-20-2020, 04:42 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 02-01-2020, 02:51 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 02-07-2020, 02:26 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 02-21-2020, 09:46 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 03-01-2020, 05:47 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 03-10-2020, 07:28 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 07-04-2020, 12:48 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 07-25-2020, 12:57 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 03-02-2020, 11:19 AM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 03-14-2020, 12:34 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 07-23-2020, 09:57 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 08-25-2020, 11:02 AM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 09-12-2020, 01:02 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 09-25-2020, 01:11 PM