ʀᴏʏᴀʟs ♛ ᵃᵈᵛᵃᶰᶜᵉᵈ ʳᵒᶫᵉ ᵖᶫᵃʸ ♛ discussion

A laugh escaped Cam Krãsa's mouth as she swept out of the library, holding a tattered book in hand. It was a hardback book and the illustrations were washed away with age. It collected dust over the years and was published before her grandfathers were born. Little did she know it was one of the only books from the old days still around. Little Cam in her long red braids had no clue, nor would she care. A good book was a good book.

It talked about this girl named Cinderella who was treated poorly by everyone. Her eyes were glued to the chapter book with 200 pages. It wasn't a large book, like her favorite series, but it would fill her schedule for a few hours. Her purpose in this section of the first floor was to take a short cut to the staircase leading to the second floor. She wanted to make her way up to her grand balcony upstairs. By then it was nearly noon and lunch would be soon. Until then she planned on reading up on her balcony. Maybe a ride on the horses and some tea with one of her sisters would take up her agenda for that day.

{Cam's Gown:(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]}

The voice of that could only belong to Cam's cousin rang about the room. It wasn't everyday Adira just showed up at the palace. She looked nice, as usual, and was presentable. Mother would be happy to have another person to yell at, she knew that already. Holding her book out so a maid would take it, she smiled that brilliant smile of hers. A beautiful smile it was. Her feet, hidden underneath the white gown she wore, gracefully walked to her cousin. The book was taken from her and brought to her room. It would wait. She did desperately want to pick it up and finish the story but family came first in her world.

As always Cam looked, walked, was perfect. It was the goal she thrived to complete. Most of the time she actually did.

"Oh, Adira, what a pleasant surprise on this dull afternoon! I've missed you so much," Cam exclaimed as she went in to hug her cousin.

With a pleased expression Cam stepped back. Many questions needed to be asked. Why wasn't she told her cousin would arrive? She would've had the cooks make cakes and prepare an early lunch. She'd have ordered flowers and had one of the nicest guest rooms be prepared. While Adira explored the castle she'd make sure arrangements were made to make her sweet cousin comfortable.

"Will you be staying for the Krãsa Day ball? Maybe I'll have a maid fetch tea and scones for us? How about we sit down?" Cam said quickly, pounding on the questions. With a short pause she then continued to talk. "Dear cousin, I'm sorry about the questions. First of all, how have you been?"

((I'm bored... Do you two mind if Saf is just, like, guarding Cam? Not really doing much, just standing there? XD))

((Yeah, sure!))

Following Adira Cam plopped down next to her. The front doors were sealed shut and the gate was closed. A carriage left and bells were rang. Maids rustled and the eight princesses of the castle were all in gowns, looking beautiful as usual. A maid came over and took her orders.

"I have been great. Yes, I'm fond of books and since your last visit I've read many. It has been so long. You grew at least five inches, you've aged in grace, how beautiful you look. How old are you, dear cousin, now?" Cam questioned.

"Don't ask such silly questions," Cam teased. "Of course you are welcome. If you would I would have you stay forever and become like a ninth princess."

Tea cam in painted cups with the Krãsa cress design. It was beautiful and ancient. The scones were delivered on matching plates. The maid curtsied and ran off.

"Lunch will be soon but I can't pass up a good plate of scones and brilliant warmed tea." Cam commented. "Have you ever read the tale of Cinderella?" Currently, she was in the middle of reading the great story of the beautiful girl who was sadly treated poorly by her only family. There were princes in the story, just like in reality.

Saf stood by the door. He was the only guard inside the room at the moment, the other two guards on duty were outside the room. One was always in the room, and the others were outside was usually how it went. Usually he was the one inside. And, well, the reason for the wasn't exactly that he was the best out of the three so he could operate alone to protect the princess. It was more that his two partners didn't want to have to stand guard with him. Or be seen standing guard with him.

And he was pretty bored at the moment. Princess Cam had another guest, a cousin by the looks of her, and it wasn't as if either of them wanted to talk to him. It was like this quite a lot. Just him, standing there awkwardly in case something happened (which it never did, and even if it did he wouldn't be much use), with his heavy too-big armour sagging on his shoulders.

((Yay! XD))

A smile played on Cam's lips. Her cousin blushed as she sipped tea. Eating a scone, she laughed. After she finished chewing she assured her cousin it was alright.

"Oh Adira, I read that hours ago, don't you worry. This is a stress free zone. Actually, while on the topic of stress, will you be attending Private Tutoring with my siblings and I? It is a great form of education. Lots of one on one time and we learn so much. They teach us languages, how to write, the most complicated math, and we always understand it. Great tutors they are." Suggested Cam as she took a sip of her tea.

"Dear gosh no. Just five days a week, seven hours a day. We eat with my mother and father for lunch. Usually we have a break, for the younger kids. I spend my time in my room with a book or studying." Cam exclaimed happily in a whisper tone. "If we had it everyday I couldn't survive."

She wanted to make sure no one could hear her incase a tutor was in the area and it would be a shame to hurt anyone. Cam was always a kindhearted sweet girl who couldn't bear seeing anyone unhappy.

"Would you like a blanket? It is rather cold and you'r arms aren't covered? We got an order of new linens recently." Cam asked.

((Seven days is all week... XD))

((LOL I meant 5 days a week, 7 hours a day. Haha!))

"Mother, well she'll be a topic to talk about another time. I know nothing of anyone else being glum. So I'd say we are all fairly well. What about you?" Cam asked happily.

After they finished their first set of tea and scones more was brought by a different maid Cam didn't recognize. She asked the maid her name and then the girl was off, blushing fiercely. Her now refilled tea was very burning hot so she decided against taking a sip.

Cam's cousin wasn't bad looking, he decided. The blonde hair wasn't really of his taste, though. Red hair looked much better on girls. And freckles. Red hair and freckles was a good combination. It was interesting, whereas blonde hair was so dull. Still better than his own dark hair, though.

After the two girls had some more small chat and finished the tea Cam grew bored. She wanted to do something fun and have everything be perfect for her cousin who just made a long trip.

"Would you like to explore? Lunch will be soon but I think I'm full." She said as she stood up from her seat and bringing Adira with her by the hand.

As she took 2 steps, still holding her cousins hand, she tripped over her own feet and fell flat on her face. She knew she'd fall and in the nick of time let go of her cousins hands and saved her of the brutal pain ringing in her body. She was okay but her head had a bump and a shocked expression made things look worse.

He stepped forward quickly. Too slow to catch her, of course, but quick enough that he still looked like he was doing his job. He glanced at the cousin, rather annoyed, and wishing he could say something back. After all, it wasn't as if he could go back in time to stop her from falling... He knelt beside the girl on the ground awkwardly, with his armour. "Lady Camellia, do you need assistance?"

((Oops. 40 seconds too slow... I'll edit.))

" Sir, don't worry. I'm quite alright." Cam said, dramatically as she put her hand out so she'd get help to get up. She was very light and was lifted with ease.

"Dear cousin, I am very sorry. I'm overly clumsy. My bad." She apologized. Turning on her heels she looked at the guard. "What is your name?"

She always asked that question when she meant someone, royal or not.

"I, er, Sef, your highness. I mean Sefton, I suppose." He panicked a little and said his nickname automatically. Stupid! She didn't want to hear his nickname! She wanted his name! The slight thrill that had passed through him at hearing her ask the question turned to slight dread. Did she mean to punish him, for not catching her? That would quite crush all his hopes... He'd thought her to be much kinder than the other princesses.

"Thank you for your help, Guard Sefton." Cam said, pronouncing his name incorrectly. She continued to smile. "You're excused." She did a slight curtsy before waving her hand gently in a different direction.

She then turned back to her cousin with a sigh. She was always told by her father to thank the Medium's in the household. The less fortunate needed all the thanks they could get, in her mind.

"Adira, how clumsy I am." Cam exclaimed. "Now, shall we go to the great room? Or would you rather take a dip in the indoor pool?"

"Yes, I assume it is. The Great Room had mighty fine artwork and sculptures we can see. They are of my ancient ancestors. I believe there is a painting of me somewhere in this castle. The gardens harbors a sculpture of me as well. Maybe during your stay we could get one done of you." Cam commented.

Her eyes made contact with the guard but she didn't let her cousin notice. He seemed nice and she couldn't help but feel sorry for him. She smile grandly at him before going back to conversation.

"Painting is the only thing I'm good at, besides writing, dear cousin." Cam said gracefully as guards opened the doors for them to exit. No one but maids that were cleaning up the mess they have made were left in the room.

"To the Great room then?" She asked. Cam could tell Adira was wondering why she smiled. "Adira, don't worry, I'm just trying to be kind to the guard. I ask his name because I want to be able to say his name when I thank him. It is only proper. Father told me it was okay to do. That is brings out my kind heart. That was what he said."

She was very calm and nice when she said it. Overall she wanted to make such Adira knew he was just a guard to her.

"Indeed." Cam agreed. "How is the estate? I haven't been their in years? Did you get new hedges like I heard you did? Has the gate been finished and painted?"

She remembered when she was 14 she spent a week with her cousins. It was a blast and they had lots of fun during that stay. They swam and laughed. When no one was around they went in the pool when it was very cold, but they didn't care.

((Post at the Great Room?))

She'd pronounced his name wrong, but at least she'd tried... He tried to not be too hurt about it. Then she met his eyes. He blushed quickly, slightly visible under his helmet, and looked down at the floor, then hurried after the pair as they exited the room.

Scarlett was supposed to be heading off to bed or just ready to change into her nightgown, but instead she was heading for the main gates just outside of the Entrance Hall. She had her hair twisted up into a bun so that it didn't reach her hip length where it would be easily recognizable. She had on a dark red spaghetti strapped cami and a knee length black skirt. It couldn't be passed as a dress, but however did manage to pass the mark for appropriate to wear. Her flats hardly made a sound as she walked to the doors, her head down.

((Salut?))

((Wind?))

Bea walked in, taking off her grey coat her aunt had given her. She looked up at the ornate entry in awe. It had been a week since she had last been here, and she was still stunned by everything. She called a servant over to take her bags to her room and sat down on a chair gracefully. She pulled out a book since she didn't see any of her cousins or sisters, and immediately got engrossed in the fairytale story. Something slipped out of the book when she closed it, and she bent down to pick it up. It was a short story that she and her best friend Fiona Rose Holden had done before she died. Not willing to deal with the past, Bea tore the paper in half and started crying.

Alex walked into the entrance hall, hoping that something worth of interest would happen. As she looked around, she saw a young girl, probably only thirteen, sitting on a chair and surprisingly crying. The girl looked like a princess or some sort of royalty, but Alex hadn't seen her around the castle ever before. Maybe she was a cousin of some sort. The girl tore a paper from her book, and Alex just had to walk over to see what had happened.

"Hello," she said, softer and a lot calmer than usual. She also had a more sympathetic tone to her voice, "I am Alex, a lady-in-waiting. Do you need anything, Miss?"

Bea looked up at Alex and drew out a handkerchief from her pocket. "I don't believe so. I just... Nevermind." She shoved the scraps of paper back into the book and took a deep breath. "No, this part of the book is, um..." Bea thought for a while, trying to find a word that worked. "This part of the book is really sad," she said quickly, trying to cover up the awkward conversation. I guess she's a servant, so I guess I'll just ask for a strawberry lemonade. she thought. "I guess I could have a strawberry lemonade, though. I'll be in the lounge, so bring the drink there." Bea couldn't believe how much she had messed up that conversation, but she tried to remain calm and walk to the lounge.

Alex looked at her skeptically. It must some really depressing book, maybe she is just really emotional, she thought to herself. Or maybe she's hiding something...

Alex just stood there, thinking, while the girl was pausing and trying to find what to say.

She started to reply to her, "Okay, I'll see if we have the materials to make strawberry lemonade, I mean, this is a castle, so they probably do, but -"

The last thing Alex heard was "I'll be in the lounge". She ran quickly to the kitchen. "ONE STRAWBERRY LEMONADE!" She yelled, then waited for it. Alex then grabbed the strawberry lemonade, and ran to the lounge, trying not to crash into anything.

((I meant the sitting room, so I'll post there.))

((Sounds good!))

At times his job seemed awfully tedious. If he wasn't escorting some pompous royal persona to a gathering event, he was senselessly training. When he had immersed himself in this occupation, he had always known that the job wasn't all action, bloodshed, and war like common misinterpretations, but he'd expected something a little more than standing around watching and watching ladies and gentlemen flirt and flaunt their wealth while he waited for someone to offend whoever it was he was guarding over -- all the while, knowing too well that nothing would happen and they'd go home with no issue. Like many times before, he ascended the grand stairs.

It was walking up the stairs that he was all too familiar with, but the grandeur of the entrance hall never ceased to make him feel inferior. It was a grand, massive scale. The flat portion of his blade swayed in its holster, slapping against his left leg with each step. He tugged languidly at his gloves, slipping them off of his slightly sweat-moistened hands with a reluctance that suggested it was one of those days. His fingers itched to unbutton the buttons that kept his black uniform glued to his chest, but it'd be rather unforthcoming to begin undressing in the entrance hall, where everything and everyone bustled.

Rose walked into the entrance hall. Her parents said that she "needed a break at being queen". Queens don't take breaks, they can't! Of course, she's only eighteen, and her parents aren't that old, so it wouldn't hurt them to rule the kingdom for a bit. She was still very annoyed by it.

No work is going to get done at our kingdom! Rose complained to herself in her mind, and this kingdom seems so disorderly, even the guard looks like he doesn't want to be here and he's just fixing his gloves. If he was at home, I so wouldn't put up with that...

Rose walked closer to the guard to see what exactly he was doing; he was just pulling his gloves. How exciting.

Dracarys had always seemed to have this odd ability to detect when people were advancing on him. Perhaps it was the way his skin tingled as if the atmosphere had become a living entity, or the way his spine sent impulsive shivers throughout his body. Once his gloves were removed, he flexed the fingers of his right hand, feeling the way the freshly made cut stung. "Splendid. Now holding a sword will be painful." The wound had stopped bleeding for the most part, but he was still going to have to clean it once he got to his chambers and wrap it in bandages. At this moment in time, his skin tingled and his spine shivered and he glanced up to see a vaguely familiar face. In terms of relationship, she meant nothing to him. She was, however, a relative of the royalty here -- he knew this much. Whether she actually had a claim to anything was beyond him.

This was the part he really hated about his job; forced to bow down like a dog to the will of younger generations just because they were born with the right blood. He had yet to meet royalty that wasn't pompous and used to receiving everything on a silver platter. He had yet to see royalty actually work for something. At any other time of day, he'd be rushing to put his gloves back on and would bow down, but he merely stood there idly as he took his sweet time putting his gloves back on to cover his hands and to cover the wound. "Your Majesty," he greeted in a monotone voice, bringing his eyes up from his hands to her. "May I be of your service?"

It was like a broken record to him -- saying that phrase; 'may I be of service to you' is something he asked everyone who had a position higher than his. Who was here to serve, after all.

Rose turned around to see the guard looking at right at her. Then he spoke to her.

May I be of your service? Hmm, what could he do to my service? She thought with a bit of a cruel smile, but then she went back to a normal look, Let's see, he could be training right now; he looks like a wimp. He could be getting me a chair or showing me to my room, and her could be getting me something to drink. He should know that the royalty are way above him. What is he doing instead? Standing around doing nothing.

Rose put on a sweet smile to ask her question, but she couldn't help asking it in a rather cold tone of voice, "Why are you just standing around and not doing anything of help? Is there anything that you could be doing as a guard to actually do something? I'm actually quite surprised you aren't in war or something."

Her harsh, spitting words did little to effect him other than to agitate him further. She spoke as if she knew where he'd been and what he'd done today -- she acted like he had been standing here for hours and not just mere seconds. His eyes narrowed, regardless of his relatively calm looking face, and his body grew rigid and taut with the pending likes of a counter to her words. He seriously consider asking her an equally rash, rhetorical rant of questions, but that'd only get him in trouble with the higher ups -- the ones who were ever higher than the likes of her. "I've been overseeing political meetings lest an assassination attempt is conducted and I am to take action." Despite his cold, empty eyes, he kept his voice cordial and level.

"Look, little girl, if you knew anything about politics, you'd know we're not in a war. Perhaps if you were to stop strutting around like a peacock and start doing something other than piss people off, you'd know this."

At this point, his voice had abandoned all sense of serenity. He was now clearly piqued by her, and it was clear that today wasn't a day where he'd simply mutter apologies and bend to her will. In this new age, they were going back to old times, and women were beginning to become less entitled. He disagreed with the inequality of women, by all means, but he actually found himself wishing that this lady of the evening was condemned to a house where she'd do nothing but rear children and cook. She had no better use.

Her name was Rose, but she was only a weed in his garden. Unwanted.

Rose just stood there with a cold smile, "My kingdom that I rule just had a war, and we are on the other side of the world. The communication between our kingdoms is not very good. And you have no right to even talk to me unless I ask a direct question, much less talk back to me," she said arrogantly.

The guard was extremely annoying. Talking back to a queen is unheard of, punishable by death. It's extremely disrespectful! Rose didn't want to be here at all, but this guard was annoying her so much, she wanted to get the head guard from her kingdom to whip him into shape. She still had her poisonous smile.

((Wouldn't her kingdom be part of Krasa, because it's one of the nine (or seven, I can't remember) realms?)

((Omg, yes, I it's a smaller independent kingdom, though))

The realisation of his mistake hit him like a ton of bricks and his face fell into an unreadable mask of stoic coldness. Had she been anything less than a queen, he would gladly lose his head if it meant being the one person who wasn't afraid to tell it how it is. Nevertheless, somehow, some way, she was a queen. A very bad one, he'd think, but a queen nonetheless. He hated acting like a loyal, obedient dog, but being a dog was better than disrespecting a queen, no matter how vexing they may seem. It was a shame such beauty held such an ugly personality. Though he couldn't really be one to talk; he was not much nicer than she.

Reluctantly, he fell to one knee, assuming a 'proposal' position. Kneeling before her was almost enough to drive acidic bile up his throat, but he pressed on. "You have my sincerest apologies, Queen Rose." He spoke between clenched teeth, and spoke with a tongue that tasted of poison. "I'm at your mercy, but I only ask that you do not remove my head. Any other consequence you choose and I will undergo it willingly."

The guard fell to his knees. He had finally learned the proper respect, but he seemed hesitant. Rose wasn't going to question him at the moment, he had learned to do what she wanted, and that's how it was supposed to be.

"Ah, so you've actually been smart, I thought that you might want to avoid being decapitated," she said with a slight smirk. "You do have a tongue of poison, a wise tongue wouldn't have talked back to me. I'll grant you mercy this time, but let me warn you, when I decide on a consequence it won't be painless."

A normal eighteen year old wasn't as cruel as Rose. As a matter of fact, Rose was probably the most cruel, deceiving, and sometimes manipulating eighteen year old that you would ever meet. If you were any lower than royalty or not a loyal subject of her kingdom, you would not want to cross paths with her.

A foolish part of him had expected her to be just satisfied enough to refrain from continuing her arrogance and pride, but as she had begun, she ended by belittling him as she always did. Though he supposed he deserved it -- and by no means did he really mean he was sorry. She had deserved every harsh word he'd thrown at her. He only lifted his gaze off the floor when she began speaking of granting him mercy, and he was sickened by the relief that flooded him. "Coward," he thought to himself, mad at himself for practically begging. Perhaps it would've been more honourable had he just agreed to getting his head cut off.

He finally stood back up to his full imposing height, taking a deep breath. Torture, whatever it was, he didn't care. "I didn't expect anything less." A consequence that was painless was nearly unheard of, after all. Matter of fact, he'd give her ideas just so he could take away the joy she'd feel if she had assumed he was scared of her. "Perhaps you should break a bone -- it'd hinder me useless for awhile. Or cut off the tip of my tongue."

Rose smiled coldly as the guard started to give suggestions of punishments. They definitely didn't inflict enough pain as he deserved for his stupid, careless actions.

"Ah, let's see, breaking bones wouldn't help, bones can heal. Cutting off your tongue is nasty and gross, so I'm not doing that either. Now, I have an offer. You can either have both your arms, both your legs, and your neck broken painfully, which is pretty boring, or you can serve me and be at my assistance for a month." She told him will a sweet smile that definitely made her look more innocent.

At this, Dracarys' eyebrows arched incredulous to her proposal. Serving her for an entire month was painful, though he had expected her to take some sick, twisted, sadistic pleasure in inflicting physical pain. It seemed she liked the deliberately gradual hurt that could only be felt with mental turmoil and strife. In a way, getting hanged would have been so much less painful; he would've died the moment that rope snapped his neck. Nevertheless, he still had unfinished business on this earth, and fully intended to live at least until tomorrow. "Fine. But I'm not fetching your food or your drinks though -- that's not my job."

Her self-proclaimed innocence did not fool him, and he knew better than to fall into the clandestine trap of her crooked smile. "Protection -- that is it."

Rose looked at him happily, he accepted her offer that she wanted him to accept.

"Don't worry, I'll get some lousy maid to get my food and drinks, yes, you'll just do some protection duties," she said sweetly. "Protecting me shouldn't be too hard, should it?"

Of course the guard wasn't only going to protect her. He was going to greatly suffer beyond imaginable, and that was Rose's whole plan, it was working out just as she knew it was going to work out. She smoothed out her silk gown and twirled her long hair that was in a slightly twisted style. This was going to be fun.

Silence pervaded the atmosphere around them as his contemplation fixated on her, his eyes entirely unreadable as he assessed her features and her body language. Whenever he had to be around a certain individual for an extended period of time, he liked to get to know them through their body language, but she was entirely enigmatic. "Okay?" He held up his hands slightly as if to incredulously ask 'what are you doing?'

"Are we going somewhere or are you just going to twirl your hair like a lovestruck school girl?"

Love Stuck school girl? That's what he called Rose?

"I am not a freaking little love struck school girl! I would watch your tongue!" She said harshly. If he insulted her again, she would probably torture him cruelly, and that would definitely not be a pretty site. Not at all. "We are going to go somewhere, we are not going to stand around in the entrance hall forever. We will go to library. Now."