“I can only hope.” The petite horse master led the guard and both horses through the stables until she found two empty box stalls sectioned off next to one another. She presumed there would be some benefit in keeping the brothers close to one another. “It will be a long and irritable visit for the both of us otherwise,” she she continued, as she opened the doors so they could be led into their new holdings.
Her ears perked at Sanders’ comment, and she laughed lightly. Tail swaying as if he’d told some amusing joke by suggesting she would be going to the banquet. And perhaps he had. It wasn’t uncommon for the lower-ranking staff members to tease one another about attending more fantastical events. When Loch glanced at him, she realized that he was being serious. She pressed her lips together and cleared her throat, ears twitching as she returned her attention to her task. “No, no, I won’t be attending. Servants don’t attend such gatherings. Except for Lady Maeve of course, but she’s not really a servant. Me? I just stay here with the horses.” Loch didn’t usually make a habit of rambling on, but she found herself doing so in the Eskran guard’s company. “I kinda prefer besides. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it though. I hear they’re real nice.”
She stopped her work for a moment to shake the hand that had been offered to her. “Nice to meet you, Ser Strafford.”
Maeve sat stiffly against the back of the chair she occupied. The auxiliary staff bustled around them, clearing away finished dishes, and refilling drinks and attending to any request that fell upon them. She sipped at her water, mostly to have something to do with her hands, but also to hide the frown that the emperor kept pulling forth on her usually more neutral expression. She continued to hold the goblet as she focused her sights on their guest, her thumb running rhythmically across the rim.
“I have no intentions on returning to Eskra, Lord Hartwydt” she replied in a moment of boldness offered to her by the candid nature of their conversation. The country she had been sold out of and the one it had become under his command were different places, but she had no interest in finding out how different. She had heard stories, but there was nothing there she intended to see for herself. Maeve was notoriously unforgiving. Another delicate sip of water, eyes rolling away from him to settle anywhere else. “Veridian is my home now.”
The handmaiden allowed the adviser to hold her attention. Pale purple eyes held hazel as he spoke. She could not decide if his eyes were mostly green, or mostly blue. Too much warm brown in them for her to really choose. She decided to save the matter for another time. She nodded politely at his introduction. “A pleasure,” she mumbled, still unwilling to divulge whether she too had a surname.
She was distracted by the maid who had taken a seat on the emperor’s lap. Maeve cocked her head in an attempt to catch the girl’s eye, but she wasn’t paying attention. Too busy giggling and pouring rum directly into the emperor’s mouth at his request. Her copper colored ears and tail fidgeting in time with her amusement.
Maeve pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and sighed sharply, as she attempted to focus on Holland’s questions. She was quickly becoming overwhelmed by the liveliness of the banquet. It was loud. Lord Hartwydt was not the only one of his party acting foolishly.
Before Maeve could think to answer Master Rivers’ question, the double doors to the banquet hall were pushed open. Her head snapped in the direction to bear witness to the new arrival and her stomach knotted at the sight.
Julianna stood in the center of the threshold, Sairus and Coltrane flanking either side of her. Livid, was not nearly an accurate enough adjective for the expression on her pretty features. She was still dressed in the leather boots and riding pants she had left in that morning. Her white shirt was dingy with a fine layer of dust and it had fallen off her shoulders revealing sun-kissed skin and a cluster of spots. Her braid had been knocked out of the bun, falling tangled and twisted over her shoulder.
To Maeve, she looked a mess and this was not what she had pictured for a first impression. Julianna even still word the short sword she likely rode out to practice with. The strap of the scabbard cut across her chest, the pommel peaked out above her head. As well as her tail, an angry silver streak that flickered behind her head.
Her presence did nothing to immediately stifle the revelry. She snatched riding gloves from her hands and handed them off to a steward who was quick to make her presence and her loyalty known. Julianna stepped forward, the guardsmen trailing behind her until she reached the end of the long table which Lord Hartwydt currently sat at the head of.
The diminutive queen stepped into an empty chair to gain the leverage she needed to step upon the table. Only then did the officers begin to quiet. Curious about the woman who had begun stalking down the polished oak piece. She had no care for the drinks she knocked over or the dishes she displaced as she made her way to the opposite end. She stopped once when she reached the melting ice sculpture that was leaving an impressive puddle on her silk table runner. She looked down at the water around her boots, too angry to lament the loss of her pretty table decoration. Moving around the sculpture she continued until the toes of her boots met the end of the table.
Maeve stood quickly, she bowed to Julianna and her face burned with the shame that the queen refused to feel for herself. “Your majesty,” her words were a greeting, but her tone was pleading. Please get down from the table, please do not cause a scene. They went ignored. Julianna’s tail fell to her feet as she first turned her attention on the maid who immediately removed herself from the emperor’s lap. She bowed quickly, russet ears falling against brown hair and Julianna’s eyes tracked her as she moved to a corner of the hall.
Julianna took a moment to look around the room which had gone infinitely more quiet comparatively. Her ears twitched, and she stood with her feet apart and placed her hands on her hips. Sharp green eyes looked down at Owen, brow furrowed with her obvious displeasure.
“High Emperor of Eskra, Owen Hardwydt, I presume?”
Her ears perked at Sanders’ comment, and she laughed lightly. Tail swaying as if he’d told some amusing joke by suggesting she would be going to the banquet. And perhaps he had. It wasn’t uncommon for the lower-ranking staff members to tease one another about attending more fantastical events. When Loch glanced at him, she realized that he was being serious. She pressed her lips together and cleared her throat, ears twitching as she returned her attention to her task. “No, no, I won’t be attending. Servants don’t attend such gatherings. Except for Lady Maeve of course, but she’s not really a servant. Me? I just stay here with the horses.” Loch didn’t usually make a habit of rambling on, but she found herself doing so in the Eskran guard’s company. “I kinda prefer besides. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it though. I hear they’re real nice.”
She stopped her work for a moment to shake the hand that had been offered to her. “Nice to meet you, Ser Strafford.”
Maeve sat stiffly against the back of the chair she occupied. The auxiliary staff bustled around them, clearing away finished dishes, and refilling drinks and attending to any request that fell upon them. She sipped at her water, mostly to have something to do with her hands, but also to hide the frown that the emperor kept pulling forth on her usually more neutral expression. She continued to hold the goblet as she focused her sights on their guest, her thumb running rhythmically across the rim.
“I have no intentions on returning to Eskra, Lord Hartwydt” she replied in a moment of boldness offered to her by the candid nature of their conversation. The country she had been sold out of and the one it had become under his command were different places, but she had no interest in finding out how different. She had heard stories, but there was nothing there she intended to see for herself. Maeve was notoriously unforgiving. Another delicate sip of water, eyes rolling away from him to settle anywhere else. “Veridian is my home now.”
The handmaiden allowed the adviser to hold her attention. Pale purple eyes held hazel as he spoke. She could not decide if his eyes were mostly green, or mostly blue. Too much warm brown in them for her to really choose. She decided to save the matter for another time. She nodded politely at his introduction. “A pleasure,” she mumbled, still unwilling to divulge whether she too had a surname.
She was distracted by the maid who had taken a seat on the emperor’s lap. Maeve cocked her head in an attempt to catch the girl’s eye, but she wasn’t paying attention. Too busy giggling and pouring rum directly into the emperor’s mouth at his request. Her copper colored ears and tail fidgeting in time with her amusement.
Maeve pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and sighed sharply, as she attempted to focus on Holland’s questions. She was quickly becoming overwhelmed by the liveliness of the banquet. It was loud. Lord Hartwydt was not the only one of his party acting foolishly.
Before Maeve could think to answer Master Rivers’ question, the double doors to the banquet hall were pushed open. Her head snapped in the direction to bear witness to the new arrival and her stomach knotted at the sight.
Julianna stood in the center of the threshold, Sairus and Coltrane flanking either side of her. Livid, was not nearly an accurate enough adjective for the expression on her pretty features. She was still dressed in the leather boots and riding pants she had left in that morning. Her white shirt was dingy with a fine layer of dust and it had fallen off her shoulders revealing sun-kissed skin and a cluster of spots. Her braid had been knocked out of the bun, falling tangled and twisted over her shoulder.
To Maeve, she looked a mess and this was not what she had pictured for a first impression. Julianna even still word the short sword she likely rode out to practice with. The strap of the scabbard cut across her chest, the pommel peaked out above her head. As well as her tail, an angry silver streak that flickered behind her head.
Her presence did nothing to immediately stifle the revelry. She snatched riding gloves from her hands and handed them off to a steward who was quick to make her presence and her loyalty known. Julianna stepped forward, the guardsmen trailing behind her until she reached the end of the long table which Lord Hartwydt currently sat at the head of.
The diminutive queen stepped into an empty chair to gain the leverage she needed to step upon the table. Only then did the officers begin to quiet. Curious about the woman who had begun stalking down the polished oak piece. She had no care for the drinks she knocked over or the dishes she displaced as she made her way to the opposite end. She stopped once when she reached the melting ice sculpture that was leaving an impressive puddle on her silk table runner. She looked down at the water around her boots, too angry to lament the loss of her pretty table decoration. Moving around the sculpture she continued until the toes of her boots met the end of the table.
Maeve stood quickly, she bowed to Julianna and her face burned with the shame that the queen refused to feel for herself. “Your majesty,” her words were a greeting, but her tone was pleading. Please get down from the table, please do not cause a scene. They went ignored. Julianna’s tail fell to her feet as she first turned her attention on the maid who immediately removed herself from the emperor’s lap. She bowed quickly, russet ears falling against brown hair and Julianna’s eyes tracked her as she moved to a corner of the hall.
Julianna took a moment to look around the room which had gone infinitely more quiet comparatively. Her ears twitched, and she stood with her feet apart and placed her hands on her hips. Sharp green eyes looked down at Owen, brow furrowed with her obvious displeasure.
“High Emperor of Eskra, Owen Hardwydt, I presume?”
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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
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 12-24-2016, 03:04 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 12-24-2016, 04:01 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 12-24-2016, 05:11 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 12-24-2016, 05:57 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 12-26-2016, 01:17 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 12-26-2016, 03:15 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 12-27-2016, 02:41 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 12-27-2016, 04:15 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 12-27-2016, 07:49 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 12-27-2016, 08:40 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 12-28-2016, 08:29 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 12-28-2016, 08:51 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 01-01-2017, 05:23 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 01-02-2017, 11:48 AM
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
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 01-20-2017, 02:11 PM
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
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RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 12-28-2019, 08:44 PM
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
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RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 01-20-2020, 04:42 PM
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RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 03-01-2020, 05:47 PM
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RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 07-25-2020, 12:57 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 03-02-2020, 11:19 AM
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RE: Love & War [Closed] - by saronym - 09-12-2020, 01:02 PM
RE: Love & War [Closed] - by megs - 09-25-2020, 01:11 PM