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Lightbringer
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There was a rolling tension from the Princess that Nolian wasn't sure what to do with. He could sense it. He could almost see it at this point and it was strange to see how worked up she could get without saying a single thing. A rich anger. Nolian wasn't sure he would ever figure out what that felt like. Ever. But here he was. She all but dragged him outside, stumbling beside her instead of walking alongside the princess. The guards seemed hesitant to leave and he couldn't blame them but as they scurried off in different directions, Nolian tried to keep up with her pace but his brain was far too confused to tell where or what she was doing. As she slowed down, however, one hand pushed his light blond hair up and out of his face, tousling it just slightly. His eyes flicked toward her, watching the young woman before he glanced toward the pathway when he began to speak. "Look," he finally said slowly, far more relaxed than before. "I don't entirely know what's going on, I'm going to be honest. I don't think it's more of a force as much as something else is definitely going on under the scenes," Nolian prompted with a loose shrug. "But y'know what, it works for me. We act like we're somewhat okay with each other in the eyes of the public and when it's just us? We do what we call pasture presence," he waved one hand, "we might end up in the same space but we definitely don't interact with each other unless we have to." He lowered his arm to his side, taking a step to the side to avoid the tension that was rolling off of the princess. "... but, before we do, can I ask where you got that necklace?" Nolian let his inner curiosity bubble over for just a moment. He could feel that hum again in his chest, a sort of low vibration that rattled just between his heart and his lungs. It didn't feel... it was hard to explain. It was like the feeling of a low instrument playing a low note out loud. You could feel the vibrations in every fiber of your being. But it was just that one spot. It hadn't happened often, only occasionally when some people would pass by. But that necklace... that was definitely the point of his attention. He could feel something from it. |
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Neutral
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That guy. Kayeni honestly couldn't figure out how he got his causalness from. In thinking about it, Kayeni realized he had a slight northern accent. Not one extremely noticeable, but one nonetheless. That innate casualness was going to drive her up the wall so far. Kayeni once again wondered what the heck her father had been thinking. Bringing someone that had looked like a commoner, sounded like a commoner, dressing him up and making him her "suitor"? For all her thoughts on what her father might eventually try force upon her, this was most definitely not what she had been thinking. "This necklace? No, you can't." She said the words sweetly, with no hint of the poison that she felt in those words heard. Kayeni didn't trust Nolian a single bit. Hell no. And in all honesty, even she didn't know how she got the necklace either. But why was this common boy asking about it? Probably looking at it as possibly something to steal, she thought bitterly. She didn't know who he was - at all. Heck, "Nolian Terrence" might not even be his real name. Kayeni didn't know, and she honestly couldn't care less. She resolved to stop wearing the necklace. Why was this guy, who she barely knew, and that her father had dragged from the streets, want to know about her necklace? She could probably guess that this street boy, as ragged as he may have seemed, probably knew everything that the public knew about her. But she didn't know eveything about everyone in the public, and this boy was no different. Honestly, she just wanted to be left alone. She hadn't had time to properly marhsla her thoughts into coherent statements, and hadn't had time to talk with her father over this decision, and she wanted a nap. She honestly couldn't even care at this point at her barbed statements earlier. She usually wasn't one for saying such things, but the audacity and the outright casualness he projected - frankly, she wondered how long she could stand it before she completely snapped. |
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Lightbringer
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The young man watched her, studied the way she moved and looked back at him. It was in the eyes, the way she just watched him in return. She didn't trust him at all and, as he thought about it, he couldn't blame her. He was a nobody from nowhere dazzled up in a strange fashion, given a title--not a new name but a title--and then thrown into the deep end of a noble circle. But it was the nobody from nowhere portion that she was likely caught on. Her words were sweet but behind her eyes, he could see the venom hidden behind her facade. He let out a slow noise and nodded, looking away for a moment or two. He was used to being frank and casual with other people. They usually relaxed a bit around him when he attempted to bring out common points--things they could bond about. But she had reacted so harshly, so pointedly, that Nolian hardly knew what to do about that. He took in a deep breath, steadied his emotions, and nodded again. "That's alright," he managed a lopsided smile. "Y'know what, can you just... point me in the direction of the stables?" His attempt to keep up the posh accent failed miserably, letting a much more loose and common accent take over his tone. It was a little resigned but mostly curt and kind. "You can call me whatever, I don't really care, but just direct me to the stables and I'll be more than happy to leave you alone for the rest of the day." Or forever. But anything to get away from that necklace. The more he stuck around it, the more it just became an irritating feeling in his chest. It became less of a hum and a vibration and much more of an irritating itch. He was more than certain it was because he couldn't hold it. He didn't know a thing about it. It was just there, mocking him behind the hands of the princess. Not that it mattered that much. He wasn't sure how long he could take. Nor how long he would stick around the stables, the castle or whatever. If it was all just a ploy or not. Nolian wasn't going to care. All he wanted to do was to just get his mind off of what was happening right now. |
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Neutral
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Kayeni considered for a moment, then nodded. " I'll show you. Father will doubtless have some eyes on us, and it'd be best if I could give him something about you having an interest in horses." Kayeni shot a pointed look at Nolian, indicating that she very much did think he did have such a thing. "I'll leave you there." She started to walk towards the stables - unfortunately, they were on the other side of the keep compared to where they were - at a more managable pace, not the "walk" that felt more like pulling a stubborn pony than a relaxing walk with a potential suitor when she was leaving the throne room. "Don't try taking a horse and running away. I know you want to," Kayeni added without looking back at him as she continued her walk to the stables. "I would too." She said that in a slightly less spiky tone, as they had their little truce. The sooner she could dump him in the stables - really, what exactly was he going to be doing there? Brushing the horses down? Kayeni honestly couldn't care less about what he was past "a street kid", but perhaps he was something like a stablehand a few hours ago. Whatever. Kayeni honestly couldn't care less. His common accent, the - frankly - Kayeni couldn't exactly make out what Henry had been thinking when he had dressed the poor boy up like this, but maybe that was just her taste in clothes that was making that decision for her... Kayeni took a immediate disliking to this guy who had been rudely forced into her life by her father, spoke with a common northern accent, and was most definitely out of his depth pretending to be a Diametryan Prince. Not to mention he kept trying to be nice. How on earth could he even be remotely that happy in such a situation? Kayeni honestly couldn't figure it out. Kayeni had never actually argued with her father... but damn. She was rather tempted to. What was he thinking? |
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Lightbringer
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If at all, Nolian was offended by her words, he didn't show it. Instead, as they walked along the gardens and the castle grounds, Nolian simply shook his head and remained more or less, silent. She seemed flustered and angry but not entirely at him. There was something else under her skin. But it wasn't his problem. Even if he, immediately, felt like he could help or should help. It wasn't his problem and his own casual relaxed demeanor seemed to only piss her off more. Clearly, the best approach was to simply shut up, stay out of sight and trouble and not let his skills grow lax.
Skills?
"I think you may be wrong about me wanting to leave so soon," Nolian answered with a loose chuckle. "I don't mind staying for a little bit but I do wish it was under different circumstances." She wasn't wrong about him enjoying the company of a horse. After all, they weren't nearly as prickly or as hard to handle as people were.
He wouldn't let the fancy vest get dirty, no. He couldn't do that to Henry. Bless the poor man's heart. He was trying and doing his job and Noliam just wasn't exactly a noble man. "I can't say I'm too well versed in royal matters," Nolian admitted with a loose shrug and a shy smile. "But is there any other reason to snag ... a not-Royal and make them royalty? Or try, let's be honest ... between you and me? I'm not much of a noble man."
((ack forgive the length I'm on mobile >.>)) |
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Neutral
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Kayeni replied, perhaps a bit too sharply. But who could blame her? She had been forced together with a random "suitor" that she had no knowledge of, and was so consistently happy it wasn't even funny. "What? Like I hadn't guessed." Kayeni was this close to completely snapping. Honestly, she wasn't even sure how she had managed to keep it together for this long. But, she supposed, it wouldn't harm to tell what seemed to be his suitor something. "The Galcolian throne is something that everyone has their eye. As the sole heir of the throne... and female..." Kayeni twisted her mouth at the displeasure of what she was saying. "A lot of people want my hand in marriage. All of them are terrible. So... I guess my father wanted to make sure they stopped coming by giving me a suitor." She hated what her father had done. She couldn't trust anyone anymore. Kayeni almost felt... like this was a betrayal. Her father had never really cared. Why now, out of all times? And why this guy? Least of all this guy with a big smile, and never seeming to not be happy. How could he even keep smiling throughout of this, Kayeni honestly couldn't figure out. She probably guessed that he had been picked because of the smile, but... damn. Considering a few hours ago he was a likely stable-boy, Kayeni just felt like his expression was slightly... off. For god's sake, he had just been yanked out of his old lie by her father, and put in this place way above his position. Then again, he had just gotten a massive promotion. But Kayeni couldn't help but be slightly irked by it. So she walked along, back ramrod straight, trying to school her features into neutrality as she had been taught her whole life. Unconcerned. But she was still inches away from snapping entirely. |
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Lightbringer
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Nolian's inner smile faltered just slightly. But under the scrutinizing eye of guards and literally everyone else, his outer smile simply remained as it was. He was trying so hard to keep calm, to be kind, to be respectful to the literal princess of the entire country and she was making it so hard. It couldn't be that hard to just suck it up for a little bit, give him a little bit of grace or even just patience. But no, there she was on the border of snapping at him like he was a child--despite the height difference between the two. Inwardly, Nolian rolled his eyes and grumbled the thought that he definitely could make a better royal than she was. But the thought of all that responsibility reminded him of why he definitely was not going to be a royal for long. Nolian shook his head lightly, sweeping his head back and forth for a long moment. What could he say in return? Something to stall for a bit while he gathered his own emotions into the calm, steady, relaxed and casual smile. The inviting face that he tried to keep up--to put others at ease. "I would imagine that would get frustrating rather quick," Nolian agreed with a gentle note to his voice. "Having all of them come to the country--the kingdom--supposedly for you... and to have them looking elsewhere. You want to be the prize but it's not theirs. Why stick around?" He snorted lightly and shook his head. "It's not worth it. It's up to you, I guess. If you want to be left alone, I can do that. If you want to be the sole focus of my life, I can do that too." He shrugged one shoulder, looking around the gardens. "But there has to be something else," Nolian ventured out on the small branch he had in front of him. "Something else that's giving you this reaction. You're tight and tense, drawn taut like a bow string waiting to either fire an arrow at something or snap under the pressure." Or, in some case, a horse ready to spook and bolt. But why? That was his burning question. Why was she so tense? "I'm just some idiot farm kid," Nolian's voice held a slight tinge to it, "I'm sure whatever you say will probably go right over my head anyways. Might as well tell someone rather than no one, right?" |
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Neutral
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Kayeni inwardly winced. In all respect, she was wound up so tight that it was probably a miracle she hadn't snapped yet... but she had been treating her "suitor" rather poorly. Kayeni wasn't one to admit fault often, but she had probably put the wrong impression on him. She wasn't usually like this, but the events of the day had wound her up so tightly that she barely felt like herself yesterday, before this happened. If her father had heard a single word of their conversation, she would be in penance for far too long. She was behaving in a most un-Kayeni-like way. She sighed. This boy - Nolian, it would take some time for him to actually become a prince in her mind, however, that seemed to be what he was now -was right. A bit more elaboration wouldn't entirely hurt. "I was never consulted in any of this. I didn't know you would be a suitor that my father forced on me. And, goddamnit- " Kayeni kicked at a loose stone on the ground, "- I don't even know who you are! At least for everyone else that's come to me I knew at least something about them. You, you're a blank slate." Kayeni was about to say more, but shut up as she realized what she had said. Crap. Her father was going to actually kill her for being like this. She had been trained form birth to keep calm, not panic, and keep her inner thoughts and emotions to herself. Breaching that code that she had been brought up with, no matter how much she held inside, wasn't something she strived to do. So Kayeni looked sharply at Nolian. "Don't you dare tell anyone what I just said to you, or I swear..." She knew she probably shouldn't have said any of that to the guy - but... damn. She honestly didn't know who to say it to. And, like he had said... he was just "some idiot farm kid". Kayeni felt a bit of guilt about inferring that, but she was never apologizing. She never did that, as a princess. Still, though. Kayeni had feelings. They were just wrapped up really tight and pushed down to where they would never see the light of day. |
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Lightbringer
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There it was. Like a dam that just had a little bit of it released, the pressure of the water came out like a miniature flood. Nolian had figured out quite a bit of it but he figured that it'd be easier for her to say something along the lines of what she was feeling. He had a feeling that she wasn't really consulted on anything considering the events of the day. Nolian recognized that look when he was first dumped in the royal courtyard. Confusion. Not just confusion of who he was but what was happening. That was the point of contention that was bubbling around in her feelings. Noilan's lips pulled into a looser smile, a lopsided look on his face before he let out a small and quiet chuckle. "My lips are sealed," he promised with a firm nod that tossed blond hair up and down. He wouldn't tell anyone else what he had heard even if he had a feeling most people could infer it already. Or maybe they couldn't. He wasn't sure. He was used to reading folks as they rode in. Which ones had stress, which ones were just on a small vacation, which ones were traveling--the likes. "Maybe," Nolian said slowly, glancing toward her briefly before looking back to the pathway, "I can help soothe some of those worries. My name is actually Nolian Terrence. I made it myself," there was a small touch of pride in his words, "I came from a stable in the North--just over the mountains. Well, it was more of an inn for the farmers and farmhands who traveled back and forth during spring and fall." He paused for a moment, thinking and mulling his thoughts over in his mind. What else was there for him to say? "I guess, in a sense, I'm a blank slate to myself. I don't have any memories from before... sixteen, give or take. Most I know is that I showed up to the inn looking like I had just come back from the dead. No memories, no name, nothing. Just kind of picked up on a few names, threw them together and called it mine," he relayed the information with an idle shrug. It wasn't that big of a deal to him. Nolian added a loose chuckle. "I hope that helps at least." |
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Neutral
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Nolian was quite obviously making an effort at this point, and honestly Kayeni couldn't figure out exactly why. How could this guy still be so positive? Although she had stopped herself before she said any more - and believe it when she said there was a lot more that she needed to vent, but wouldn't - she was worried she might have actually said more than she should have. But Nolian had been nothing but kind, and Kayeni had been ready to snap the entire time. But as Nolian spoke, and she wondered. Kayeni honestly couldn't see her father's motive behind this. And given Nolian's backstory- no. That couldn't have been a thing. Kayeni shut it down, but it resided in the back of her brain. Who exactly was Nolian? He appeared to be genuine when he said that he didn't remember anything. That was... honestly wierd as heck. But Kayeni kept it to herself. No point in aggrievating him again when they had their truce going on. Rather than replying to Nolian, Kayeni jerked her head towards the long, flat-ish building near the side of the keep. "We're here. The stables, as you requesed." She shot another questioning look at him. "Although what you're going to be doing here is beyond me." Kayeni hesitated, then spoke again. "Are you sure you're fine here?" While Kayeni might have been cold as ice towards him so far, she wasn't exactly heartless. She did have a conscience after all, and he did seem rather lost though the place. But honestly, Kayeni needed to just go somewhere and have a few quiet hours just to think. Everything that had happened in the past few hours... she just needed a quiet place to think and order her thoughts into coherent lines. If she sayed outside for much longer next to her new suitor, she'd probably snap. And that had never happened before. She still did have a heart, though. Which was why she asked. |
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Spring 
Day 
