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Post by Tigeress on Apr 14, 2010 17:38:20 GMT -5
Erua-Nixie stepped out of the carriage in front of the palace, taking the hand offered her by a servant. She saw Ine-ashia just behind her, their eyes connecting for reassured assurance that the other was alright. When she smiled softly, the other woman nodded her head in silent understanding. As her feet touched down, she began to walk inside, feeling the cool presence of Ine-ashia at her back. Her priestess was her best friend, and her guardian. The woman, especially for a priestess, was a lot more powerful than she looked.
On the book, it was a marvelous political tactic. It made sense that she'd want to have her priestess accompany her on important expeditions out of their home lands, so there was no reason to suspect her as a guard. She even had other 'fake' guards, and while they would also protect her, it simply wasn't the same as Ine-ashia's capabilities. She hated to be dishonest, but it was for the good of her family and all of Kuvaqite.
She bowed her head gently in thanks to the King's attendants, being polite wan't below her simply because of her birth-given status. She accepted it for what it was, she was not very different nor better than anyone else, she'd just been a lucky child. But she took the blessing seriously, and that's why she was here. While some might have cried to marry for true love, she knew it was her payment for having lived such a luxurious life. It was time that she stepped up to her duties and gave back some of what she'd been given.
Perhaps the sacrifice wouldn't even be that bad, perhaps he would be someone amicable who she could come to be close with. Maybe love wasn't even out of the equation entirely, who could tell? If she went in with an optimistic mind, it would be less uncomfortable for her.
"Silvanos will be along shortly, my lady." She bowed her head in return to the gesture of the attendant as he left to continue his duties. It seemed she wasn't the only late arrival, there were others milling about that she didn't recognize as being from this region or hers. Perhaps the company of one of the other arriving princesses?
"Wind Elementals."
Erua-Nixie made an inconspicuous structure with her fingers as a reply to the mental message. She was unsure how the woman managed it, but telepathy was beyond her capabilities. So they'd devised a system of hand signals.
When the guards had started to disperse, the faintly oriental looking woman stepped up closer to the princess and smiled faintly. "My quarters are seperate from yours. Another princess has guards she is keeping with her, I will be in a similar area to their accomodations. I'm sure we'll find each other with ease." Power breathed along Erua-Nixie's skin, and hers sparked in response. She calmed it with ease, years of training making it a simple thought now.
"This is good to know, I think you are a bit paranoia, ashia." The princess smiled disarmingly, the look warming all of her rosy-hued face and making it hard not to feel her warm empathy. Ine-ashia's smile was forced, mostly for appearance of anyone watching their hushed conversation. "Paranoia makes me a good guardian to you, princess. I'll keep it with me." Though her attention seemed to be on Erua-Nixie, the woman knew that her priestess was also scanning the room even now, as they spoke.
The water elemental was truly blessed to have such a guardian, and in return she could say she was probably the only one who knew anything about Ine-ashia. They'd been through a lot, and she felt it was right to have the mysterious woman be a part of such an important political step in her life.
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Post by Talia on Apr 18, 2010 22:34:57 GMT -5
Shockingly emerald eyes watched the arrival of the water elemental’s entourage. Her arrival was yet another reminder of what Zephyra was currently being forced to endure. Just the thought of her being entertained by the High King himself was enough to make him tremble with ill-concealed rage. If he so much as touched her, hurt her...His snowy wings rustled with irritation as he sharpened his sword with a whetstone, surrounded by the garrison from Nivern.
Snick... Snick....
Snick.[/b]
Eventually even that rhythmic noise, the only one that had brought him any semblance of sanity since this morning’s departure from Zephyra’s side, ceased to comfort him and he began to pace the room, drawing wary expressions from the rest of the elemental guard. He scowled ferociously at them. Never before had he lost his authority, and now here he was, at the bottom rung of the food chain, surrounded by his own guards that were sworn to report him and his every move. Any wrong-doing that he could and would commit would be turned right back to Levanteran, who would create a world of hurt for his beloved.
His beautiful blonde hair was dishevelled, like he had barely slept, and he felt scruffy and unkempt. The former wasn’t far from the truth, that was for sure. He had tossed and turned since he had last spoke to her.
He would have snarled in frustration if he could have, but he knew that it would draw notice from his watchers. Instead, he steeled himself to observe. Better to occupy himself this way than to dwell. It would not help Zephyra if he did.
The water elemental princess was beautiful enough-as beautiful as he had heard. It was, however, the faintly exotic woman with her that drew his eye. She all but breathed power, and power was something that Komus was particularly familiar with. He had never been imbued with any magical abilities, but he had been tortured with them, after all. The all-too-familiar presence made his skin crawl with remembrance. He could almost feel the magical lashes snaking down his back, taunting him. And it had taken Zephyra to save him.
I should have been able to save her...
He gritted his teeth in frustration. So much for distracting himself. Every train of thought seemed to trail back to her, connect him to her. It was more than he could bear.
He turned his attention back to the newly arrived garrison again, determined this time to be more observant, to focus. The new Princess seemed gracious enough. Perhaps she welcomed the attentions of the High King.
Perhaps he’ll choose her instead. Then I will finally be able to have Zephyra back in my arms...
Stop it!!
He sheathed his sword noisily and flexed his wings, drawing a few frowns. This whole thing was ridiculous. If he could fly off with Zephyra now he would. There was still hope though. He had heard tell of the fire elemental princess’ arrival. They were all here now. Surely Silvanos would be suitably distracted? Maybe he would be able to sneak in a visit with Zephyra without anyone noticing...
Once again, he felt that familiar crawl of power as the Princess’ guard drew closer. He shuddered involuntarily.
Damn them. Damn them all.
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Post by Tigeress on Apr 19, 2010 21:01:27 GMT -5
Ine-ashia let her inconspicuous scouting rest on one person in particular, the very moment she felt attention on herself that was a bit beyond the usual oogling and investigating. She could feel him mentally probing her, as if tendrils of his own power tried to trickle along her skin. Though the temptation was there to slap at it, she simply shrugged them off smoothly, and let tendrils of her own power breathe along him in response.
The water elemental was coy enough about it that it couldn't be traced back to her by anyone but him. There was no point to being that coy, he had already recognized her for what she was and now they were like two wild animals gently circling and preparing to bash their horns together to see who was bigger and badder.
In reality, she didn't relish conflict or being the most domineering presence in the room. She was inquisitive by nature, she liked to push, press, gently, examine, come to understand. Her thirst for knowledge was immense, and though powerful, she was a very moral creature of justice. And though she had indulged in her own form of restorative justice once or twice, it always had a bitter aftertaste. She had dulled her own sense of empathy, but living around the princess made it so that she could never silence it entirely. Which was probably for the best.
In his rage, this man was attracting a lot of attention and increasing the level of tenseness in the room. On the back of her tongue she tasted sweat and fear, and the low hum of the power that all creatures exuded; even those not particularly gifted. But that was all white noise behind the increasingly loud, hot buzz of his power. Feeling it prickle along her skin like a hundred angry red ants, she barely batted an eye at the sound of him sheathing his sword.
Her gaze was in his direction, but her unusual seafoam eyes were glazed over. A small incantation was whispered under her breath, and the priestess used a power that was all too familiar to her. In a moment, he would feel the sensation of a cool breeze blowing across him, probably reminding him of a gentle memory from a pleasantly temperate summer day. This was the most vague image she could send him without knowing anything about his personality, but it would help quell whatever stressed him, less he did something rash.
"I know not your worries, but I am almost certain your reaction will not aid your situation. Do not fight this, I aim only to help." This would be the first time hearing the woman's voice, but she trusted that he would put two and two together.
For all that the princess was smart, she was oblivious to the current situation and her attention was instead fixated on a member of Silvanos' greeting party who had indulged her in conversation. More than likely, this was in fear that the woman would have the temper of a fire elemental if not appropriately tended to. In reality, Erua-Nxie could have sat all day and at the end, only felt a little tired. She had patience even beyond that of the priestess, or anyone she'd ever met.
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Post by Talia on Apr 20, 2010 20:05:33 GMT -5
The first sinuous strands of power that traced along his flesh made him shudder automatically. It wasn’t that he had anything against that woman in particular-he was sure of the power’s source now- but he had a particular aversion to magic, especially that originating from unknown sources. He could almost picture it coming from invisible flails, wincing as they laid bare the flesh of his back and ripped into the plumage of his wings, spattering them with crimson...
He tried not to flinch openly. He was made of stronger stuff than that. But the temptation to cringe was ever present. His safety was never assured. Sure, he could put up a good enough fight if anyone attempted to do what had been done before, but he lived in a constant state of fear. Deeply rooted, sure, and indiscernible to the public eye, but there none the less. It made him full of self-loathing. What kind of man was he if he could not save the woman he loved?
Despite the fact that he was a soldier in title, he too did not enjoy the thought of conflict- not anymore at least. Not that long ago he would have jumped at the thought of a fight, enjoying the adrenaline and the rush of power that coursed through his veins. Now he tried to avoid it. He had seen too much bloodshed already. To Komus, power in magical form invited conflict. There was no distinction between good magic and bad magic, and he was unsure of this woman’s intentions.
He knew that she was directing this magical attention on him- he could see it in the way that the others around him remained unaffected. It made him even more uneasy- why him? Perhaps he shouldn’t have made such a show out of singling her out...
Then the power altered into something dramatically different. Not that it had ever been particularly hostile to begin with, but it was far from threatening now. He felt relaxed as his muscles unwound, and familiar memories of times long past at Nivern played across his memory.
When her voice echoed through his head, he almost started in surprise. He had not thought that she would have connected with him directly. Who was this woman? He very quickly felt like the fool- he had obviously been making enough of a show of his anger to attract attention, even from guests that knew little to nothing about him and his kind.
After a good deal of thought, he decided that perhaps the best way to deal with this situation would be to approach the woman. At this point, he had very little left to lose, after all.
He casually crossed the hall, being careful to politely nod to those that he passed and assist those that needed assistance in the process. It wouldn’t be good to draw too much attention to himself, or his comrades turned traitors would have reason to report him and more. As he drew close he bowed, his eyes guarded and cynical.
“My lady?” he asked quietly, the hidden question evident in his voice. “How may I be of assistance to you?”
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Post by Tigeress on May 2, 2010 13:16:07 GMT -5
There was a certain sort of turmoil that brewed within him, both a temporary thing as if spurred by a memory, and a constant deep-seated feeling from general conflict with his own personality. She assumed that being a soldier, he had done things he was not happy with, most soldiers had this air about them and so she was not too surprised to find it in him. His discomfort with the magic went unnoticed, but she was pleased to see when hers took effect on him.
Visibly he softened, and the loud buzzing of his energy quieted, the red-hot prickling along her skin dissipating into a smooth nothingness. That felt better. It made her smile slightly to see the lines of his face ease up, and she wondered what he was envisioning as he stood there for what felt like such a long span of time. Long after the effect should have worn off, it seemed he waited in contemplation over something.
It was not too surprising when he came towards her, and though he casually made it seem like he was doing a round, she knew his intention long before he came by her. Erua-Nixie's attention was grabbed when the man paused to bow in front of her priestess. Knowing who she was, and what she was capable of, the water princess was a slight bit suspicious.
"Is there something wrong that you require the wind's captain of the guard for?" She hadn't let on, but she knew full well who Komus was. She knew everything about the fire elementals' entourage too, less there become conflict, she wanted to make sure Ine-Ashia was able to handle herself.
The woman only raised an eye curiously at that. She should have known better than to think Erua wouldn't have been otherwise informed about who would be in the palace with them. Especially since Ine-Asia would be staying in that end, away from the princess. She was like an overprotective mother sometimes, but it was touching all the same.
"I didn't mean to interrupt your conversation, m'lady. Please, continue. I wished only to pass the time in my own way." It was a very ambiguous statement, but she knew the princess would understand. She didn't bother explaining it mentally, because she wasn't sure she could. What was going on now wasn't exactly easy to pinpoint, but Erua simply nodded and turned back to the confused attendant.
Ine-Ashia took a few steps away from where the princess was casually seated, and turned towards the man. "I did not have intentions of summoning you. I could taste the pressure of your energy and sought to calm you simply. You are the captain of the princess of wind's guard? I know only the slightest about you. I am the priestess to our water princess." She would offer only that, not that she as well was part of the guard. But he may become suspicious if he was clever enough.
She was curious to see how this would turn out.
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Post by Talia on May 26, 2010 17:11:58 GMT -5
Komus had always been overly observant- as a leader among many, he was required to be ever vigilant. As such, he didn’t fail to notice the odd interaction between the elemental princess and her priestess. The priestess was obviously incredibly talented, and he wouldn’t doubt that the princess was using that to her advantage, as most royalty often did. For appearances sake though, it seemed as if the priestess was acting more as an emissary than a guard, which surprised and intrigued the captain. Surely he wasn’t the only one who sensed her power, although perhaps she hid it well around the others…
He almost visibly shook his head as he contemplated their interplay. We are all pawns to the crown, that much is for certain, he thought. He knew that better than anyone. No doubt the woman was acting as a sort of surreptitious guard to the princess. If he were in charge of tactics in her realm, and was aware of the priestess’ abilities, he would have done something similar.
Once he believed he had ascertained the woman’s relationship to the princess, he visibly relaxed. They were on equal ground now, the two of them, both warriors delegated to a lifetime of servitude to their leaders. But this woman… she seemed as if she was in a class all of her own. While he had been relegated to serving the crown in everything, maintaining very little dignity and distinction especially as of late, she seemed to be free of his fetters. He had heard that the priestesses and priests of Kuvaqite were similar to Nivern’s scholars, which would explain the subtle difference in rank. He almost shivered at the thought of his own province’s magical experts. Thoughts of Borelas crept through his mind, insinuating themselves into the darkest corners of his psyche. Some day, he would make that man pay for what he had done to Zephyra…
He locked eyes with the woman before him again, prematurely passing judgement. She was not made of the same material as Borelas, and for that he was thankful. None the less, he assumed that she and the princess were quite close, due to the fact that the priestess was obviously able to protect herself, and the princess’ concern and questions struck him more as a probing kindness than an actual interrogation of the priestess’ activities.
“I did not plan on announcing or introducing myself, but I felt it necessary to thank you,” he said, a bit gruffly. “You made it apparent that I was being a bit… excessive. I gave myself away, lost control. Either way, thank you for doing what you did.”
He paused for a moment before continuing, slightly wary again. He had been through too much too quickly to be entirely trusting of someone of her status.
“That I am. Nivern’s princess is newly arrived at Comeltum. We, her guard, are to remain here until summoned. No doubt they will ask you to do the same until they’ve found sufficient space for all the princesses’ retinues.” He swept his hand awkwardly through his brilliantly gold hair, wincing slightly as the awkward greaves and plates of his armour grated against one another. He offered her the smallest of smiles before continuing, and willed his muscles to unwind. “I usually make it my business to remain autonomous, my lady. Speaking from a purely political standpoint, the more people know about you, the more they can use against you.”
His eyes were veiled at the last, covering some hidden meaning, a wound that was just beginning to close. “I am remiss in my manners, my Lady. I am Komus, and I am most pleased to meet your acquaintance.”
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Post by Tigeress on May 26, 2010 19:45:51 GMT -5
His hawk-like senses seemed to hone in on the brief conversation she'd had, knowing full well by his body language that he was doing the social math in her head. Had she wanted to conceal her relationship better, she might have bowed, apologized more profusely, asked permission to speak to Komus, explained the situation in significant detail, so on and so forth. But their interaction was akin to witnessing a secret language- simple, direct, limited. The only time they interacted extensively was in complete, uncompromisable solitude. It didn't happen often.
Truth be told, she didn't want Erua-Nixie for Silvanos, she rather hoped the woman failed to meet his expectations in some manner. Though in their realm, men had fantasies about women like the princess. Ine-Ashia frowned mentally, this would complicate her life greatly were it to work out. Although powerful, her abilities were tied to certain... conditions, most of which would become threatened by the princess taking up such a sought-after position. Maybe she was hasty to judge, but she had a feeling at least one princess would not like being told 'no'...
Just as his thoughts turned to those of his servitude, she had been considering her own. Her relationship to the princess had become both a gift and a curse. And power was a wonderful thing, but it lost its charm when it meant you were always on the front lines of battle simply because you had it. Sometimes she wondered what a more simple life might have been like. But for all the harm she'd encountered, she smiled at the world of good she'd been able to do because of her abilities. She'd saved lives, been the influence for hopes and dreams coming true.
His stare suddenly burned into her, and she forced her mind into that blank, misty field that she went to in order to become completely unreadable. Inside her mind it would feel like walking through a hazy morning meadow, nothing distinguishable in sight. His tone spoke of his feelings, and she couldn't help but wonder what had put him in this state in the first place. She'd actually heard a lot more about Komus than she'd lead on, and this wasn't part of it.
"You are more than welcome, I assume you've undergone a few hardships recently, it's the least I can do to show my empathy." Her expression was careful as she studied him, flicking from one eye to the other. It was true, she'd felt bad for seeing him so un-centered, his power unbalanced and asking for attention and trouble. But she couldn't help her comment fishing for an explanation, if subtly so.
The water elemental was completely understanding of the wary approach. For a woman of her stature, it came naturally. Men were intimated by her, even those who didn't understand why they were... they just were. But if one could understand her power or feel it at all on a heightened level... well, it was guaranteed to set them on edge a bit.
"Of course, I had anticipated this with all the commotion in the room currently. I think all of the guards must be feeling the tension. So much political influence in one place, it's practically asking for assassins." Her voice registered her distaste without meaning to, she didn't like that such a thing had even been considered for 'fairness' or to 'save time'. Though she understood the situation, she didn't have to be happy that it made her job harder, and put at risk someone close to her.
She regarded him with a steady gaze, it seemed he'd picked up rather quickly on her importance and real position behind the Kuvaqite royalty. Impressive, and, pleasing. His body language became more relaxed, natural, and so she let her icy exterior shift just a bit. Give an inch, take an inch.
"You are a wise man Komus, I now am beginning to see the captain behind the reputation." She smiled then, the look entirely harmless and pleasant. The conversation was distracting him from his earlier woes it seemed, grounding him and getting his head back in the game. Good, she couldn't afford to lose such a powerful potential ally. It seemed life lessons had been hard on the man, but for every person who understood it, a painful story was usually close behind.
"I hope we will come to be more natural around each other in time. For now, I can indulge in formalities." Her smile was a bit roguish for a moment, before settling into a ladylike upturn of lips. "I am Ine-Ashia, and I am most pleased to make your acquaintance as well."
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Post by Talia on Jun 21, 2010 18:50:11 GMT -5
Their mannerisms were almost alien to him, although he was fortunate enough to have been exposed to a wide variety of races since he acquired his captaincy. The winged folk tended to be more abrupt, up front and verbal in their dealings and political intrigues. With them, every word was measured, every reaction deft. The winged folk were also known for their notorious tempers, tempers that rivaled that of even the fire elementals. Komus’ outburst had not been entirely unnatural by wind elemental standards, although he had internally berated himself many times in the course of mere minutes for being entirely too obvious. Decorum was necessary. Keeping his temper in check meant the difference between life and death for him; it also saved Zephyra from any particularly difficult situations that might arise as a result. To him, the relationship and interactions between Erua and Ine-Ashia had been deft and intricate, but still slightly identifiable.
Certain things do have their benefits, he supposed.
Quietly, he judged the little-known water elemental princess. In truth, he knew very little about the High King and his tastes, but she seemed courteous, kind, and well spoken, all characteristics that would prove to be beneficial in this court. Also, by all indications, she had quite a bit of common sense bred into her, and, through her communications with Ine-Ashia, he could assume that she was well versed in the intrigues of court. Both she and Ashia also possessed a sort of ethereal beauty- she was the light to Zephyra’s dark, and he could only hope with a sort of possessive fervor that the King would take more kindly to this woman’s softness and geniality than to Zephyra’s hard edges and scars. He wanted her to himself, and he would share her with no other.
As he thought of her, his emerald eyes glazed over momentarily in what could best be described as a troubled expression. Not a day had passed that he hadn’t thought of her. Not a day had passed that he hadn’t wondered at her relationship with the King- how things were progressing, whether or not she thought of him... or worst of all, whether or not she ceased thinking of him, and thought of another instead.
He mentally pushed his thoughts aside, shouldered them bodily to the back of his mind so that he could better hide the turmoil within. He had made enough of a fool of himself for one day. This woman, Ine-Ashia, had been and was a welcoming distraction. And he couldn’t help but note that she was certainly as beautiful, at the very least, as the princess himself. Just thinking of such things made him wince inwardly. Even his own thoughts were betraying him nowadays. He dropped his eyes to the floor for a moment, careful to avoid the woman’s gaze. He would not think of such things. Could not. Although...
Try as he might, there was some deep seated rage swirling and eddying around in the chasm that was his mind. For all that he loved Zephyra, he also resented her at the moment. She should be fighting for them. Fighting. He had begun to doubt her resolve in the face of this King’s charisma. From what he had gathered thus far, she had put up very little resistance when meeting the King. Far less than he had hoped. Selfishly, a small part of him wanted to see that fire in her again, and was disappointed and hurt by the fact that she hadn’t reacted in the manner that he would have liked. Did she really think of them now? Did she?
My own self-doubt will destroy me eventually, he thought wryly.
The woman’s expression was blank, unreadable. For a moment, he worried that he had let too much show, that she had already made far too many conclusions. Her next sentence confirmed the fact that he had been too transparent in his dealings with her kind. He frowned ever-so-slightly, the corners of his mouth turning downwards just a fraction.
“This... situation has not been easy on any of us,” he offered in return, his expression carefully studied. “Although we, as a race, are most decidedly happy that the King has taken such an interest in our Princess. No doubt you share the same sentiment for your Lady.”
He frowned again, the expression entirely unwelcome on his handsome face. Zephyra had always told him that frowning marred his features- she loved to see him smile. She was so beautiful when she smiled. It had been far too long since he had seen her happy... “Our Lady’s security is of the utmost concern to us. I too fear assassins. The King has had enough trouble on a regular basis with them, and I fear that the Lady who wins over our High King’s affections will prove to be quite the target indeed.”
He couldn’t be near her. He wasn’t allowed, not now, not ever. Not really. For appearances sake he would be able to be there in a day’s time or so, but closely under watch. Always supervised, always judged and reported on. After all, it would look rather odd if the Captain of the Guards was unable to guard his own Princess. Not being able to personally guarantee her safety ate at him. He had always made sure she was safe.
He felt the tension slowly sap out of him as she became more relaxed. She seemed to be a calming presence to him somehow. They were both curious, both testing the others' boundaries, examining their motives and relationships like a complex game of chess. He rolled his shoulders slightly, attempting to ease their rigidity. Ever muscle was taut, strung tight like a crossbow. His chest felt leaden, his wings heavy. He flexed them slightly, testing their stiffness. His whole guard was suffering from anxiety, but he bore the burden of their worry as well as his own, and it was beginning to show.
He smiled, almost imperceptibly at her compliment and nodded ever-so-slightly, his golden hair ruffling a fraction with the movement.
“You are more than you seem Milady,” he responded, his smile widening. “It seems we have a bit in common, to say the least.” He outright grinned at the last, his smile slightly impish as he sketched out another bow. “Ine-Ashia. Your Princess seems to hold you in high esteem.”
This woman was a welcoming distraction, a soothing balm on his hurts. Perhaps he could forget about his troubles for awhile...
...just for a little while.
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Post by Talia on Jul 28, 2010 18:16:16 GMT -5
((OOC: If you've lost your muse for her for the moment, let me know. I can bring Silv in now that he's done with Siva, or I can just close for now, do a quick self RP, and we can open something up again later. Just let me know ))
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