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Darkseeker
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Bodhi rolled his eyes. Of course she'd bring up archery. Despite all his best efforts, he had never managed to master the skills that it took to carefully knock an arrow to the bow, pull it back, and watch it soar in a slightly curving arc, hitting the target with a satisfactory thump. It had always been one of his least favorite things to do with their little group of playmates. He could beat all three of them in a battle of swords, a foot race, and once in a while, chess. He could hold his own against Stella's riding and he'd definitely improved his swimming skills. With Ian, it was normally a battle of wits or politics, or perhaps a little jousting or hawking if he was feeling excitable, and Bodhi could normally keep comfortably on par with his young compatriot. And then there had been the Princess. Always choosing archery, which Bodhi despised. He would spend hours in the fields, desperately trying to find his center and shoot well, but it never worked. His mind flashed to himself as a young boy, skinny as all get out, dirty from running around all day, his shirt ripped from an overexcited hawk, but he'd been happy. The day his father had told him what was going to happen to him was still fresh in his mind. He'd been sitting with Ian on the front lawns of the palace, damp from swimming, dusty from running down the long dirt tracks. His father had come up to him, and roughly pulled him to his feet. Harsh words were the only things he ever received from his dad, so he wasn't at all surprised by it. He accepted his fate in front of Ian, completely unwilling to let his friend see him show weakness. But that night, he had buried his face in his pillow, and cried until there was nothing left in him to cry. He had gotten in the dark carriage the next morning, barely having had time to say goodbye to Stella and the princess. He slowly pulled himself out of the rushing flow of memories he'd tried so hard to repress, listening to Stella's lilting words. There was a traveling group coming to the palace that evening, with tumblers, acrobats, and a high wire. He perked up slightly: he'd heard about these things, but was not permitted to take time off from the military to go have an evening of pleasure. Perhaps something interesting would happen with this circus, perhaps there would be pretty girls to woo. |
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Neutral
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Adalia smiled softly and stepped forward, now standing in front of Bodhi. She looked up to him, those bright baby blue eyes shining as they always had. She sighed softly before looking to both of them, speaking up. "I apologize for the way I acted earlier, but I am so grateful you are home Bodhi" She spoke, her voice soft and calm. Though she had been a hot headed one as a child, in the group she was the most well spoken, having a mother's voice when it came to calming the others. She stepped back as she smiled to Stella, then to Bodhi, "I have missed this all too much." The three conversed about the nights events, a smaller gathering compared to the events her father like to hold. He loved to show the wealth of the Kingdom, hosting balls and tornaments. The Winter Ball was the one of largest, and it was only a few months away, the Summers Tornament though was a display of power. Knights from all over coming to represent their Kingdoms in 3 days of trials. It was not long before a maid came to the door, her small hand rapping on the doorframe. "Your Highness" She said softly as she gave a curtsey, avoiding the eyes of the room. "Lady Estella, the Queen Mother requests you to go over evening wear" She said meekly, looking to Estella. For any event, Adalia's mother met with Estella to go over what the princess would wear and how she should be presented, that way she could communicate with the dressing maids and make a plan.
"Thank you Ruby" Estella said with a polite smile, watching the shy girl scurry away after giving one last curtsey. She turned back to her friends, sighing softly, "I must be off Your Highness" Estella spoke, looking to Adalia, who nodded softly. "I will see you soon, do not let her give you a hard time" She said with a chuckle, Estella returning one before she was off, it was no just Adalia and Bodhi. |
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Darkseeker
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Bodhi frowned slightly, and stepped back. "You need to remember that I did not return to be your friend. I was called back to be an escort. Not only that, but now my career is probably ruined," he muttered, turned away, watching Stella's retreating figure. He knew he was being vaguely rude, but he wasn't used to interacting with girls anymore. When he was young, there hadn't been a difference between how he treated Ian and Stella and the Princess, but now he knew better. If he treated her the way he would've, he would get in so much trouble. He dropped his eyes to the floor, and gave her a quick nod.
Bodhi had always been vaguely self conscious about himself, especially his build. It had taken him ages to finally put some muscles on his skinny frame and now he had his new worries. One of his biggest issues was skin-to-skin touch. After fighting in countless battles, he hated the feel of flesh on his. He had watched his friends die, and it made him violently nauseous to feel the dying warm of skin on his. However, this was not something he was keen to share with people, especially those he was once so comfortable with. He glanced down at his hands, which were covered in black gloves. It seemed out of place next to his loose tunic and hard metal chest plate. He didn't hold the princess's gaze. She was so close to him, close enough to touch, and black spots began to drift across his vision just thinking about it.
Another of his insecurities came out in the fact that he refused to use names unless he really cared for someone. If you use names, you get more attached, and being in the army meant people come and go, whether through death or simply the shifting of battalions. He closed his eyes, hoping the Princess wouldn't notice that he wasn't as touchy-feely as he used to be, and also the fact that he hadn't said her name once in the hour he'd been back in her presence.
"Unless you need something, I will wait in the hallway," he said slowly, already getting ready to go. He ran a hand through his dark, messy hair, chewing on his lips. |
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Neutral
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Adalia was quiet as Bodhi spoke, his words feeling like a knife through her chest. Once he was her friend, they were so close, she would rely on him when she needed to vent. Now, he clearly wanted nothing to do with her. The last part hurt the most, saying how his career was ruined. She didn't want this either, even more now that he would have to be stuck here instead of living the life he wanted. She looked to him just for a moment more, her brows furrowing, rosy tint of her cheeks fading as dissapointment took hold. The Princess looked away finally, adverting her eyes from him as she soon turned, walking away. "I understand" she said quietly, watching the floor infront of her as she made her way to the small alcove that jutted from the wall. Her friend was truly gone, replaced with just a mere stranger. She sighed quietly to herself and sat, looking out the window before picking up a book she had been reading. "I'm sorry you had to come here" she said before going quiet once more, opening the hardcover and flipping through the parchment pages until she found where she left off. |
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Darkseeker
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ANNNNNGGGSSSSTTTT hehehe TIMESKIP The afternoon had passed in long hours of alternating sitting and standing outside the Princess's room, watching the dust particles dance lazily in the breeze that fluttered through the open window opposite him. He was desperate for movement, Bodhi wasn't used to standing still for long periods of time. Because of the years in military training, he'd become used to being in constant motion, like a river. Standing still for even short periods of time had always been a trial for him, and the fact that the princess had decided to read all afternoon had left Bodhi antsy and agitated. To his relief, just as the sun began to go down, and he was beginning to count the fireflies he could see flitting through the spacious gardens, Estella came back to help the princess dress, and Bodhi was allowed to step out for a moment. He walked back to the kitchen with brisk steps, finally using a bit of his energy. He snatched up the tiles and a couple more unsupervised tarts, and wandered back to his new position. He settled on the floor outside the door, setting up the tiles and tin soldiers completely absentmindedly. Without realizing it, he'd managed to set up a typical battalion outline, and all of a sudden, the memories hit him hard. There had been quite a few battles that had stuck with him, coming back to haunt him, but this was one that had truly affected him deeply. As he watched the tiles, they seemed to morph into soldiers, and he could practically see the tiles changing into bunkers, and faceless tin men morphing into his comrades. Flashes of gunfire seemed to leap across his vision, and he buried his face in his hands, feeling the tiles crush beneath his fingers. Bodhi hated flashbacks. They were a common occurrence now, but they still haunted him like a lonely, needy child, and his vision clouded. The memories were painful, the ability to now look back, and see the many mistakes he'd made, the lives he couldn't save then, but maybe, just maybe, actually have been able to save them? He blamed himself for every death that occurred under him, from the lowest foot soldier, to the riders beside him. He made a guttural sound in the back of his throat, not noticing that it had grown dark around him. The servants that passed by simply ignored him, and the soldiers that passed knew the look, and knew better than to intrude. He pulled himself back to reality, and frowned at the mess in front of him. Some of the tiles were smashed, and multiple tiny tin men were mutilated. Bodhi started to stuff the broken toys into the bag, and sweep the cracked porcelain dust out of the way when he heard Stella say something, and the door opened. It was quite a sight for his old friend, Bodhi knew it. His hair was messy, and his eyes were full of pain and angst. The dusty floor, and the clear sign that the game had been a battle, and it was easy to tell by looking at the shaking young warrior on the floor what had occurred. Bodhi quickly stood, kicking the tiles away, dropping his pained eyes to the floor. |
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Neutral
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The Princess had kept to herself in her quiet bed chambers, focusing her mind more on her studies rather than the conversation that had occurred. She would rather her mind be lost in the history of ruling, she would find time to speak to Bodhi once they had both settled on the new way of life. She knew this would be a dreaded job for him, to sit and wait for her to move before he could do anything. He was always one to be on the move, never sitting still. Why did her father have to choose him of all people, yes it was great to see him again, to know he was alive. But it hurt even more knowing he did not care. She could see in his eyes he was happy to see Stella, but he princess, it was as if she was nothing anymore. It was some time before her dressing maids arrived once again to get her ready, pushing past Bodhi who sat at her door, the younger maids barely noticing him there. The door was closed behind them, the sounds of shuffling heard inside as they prepared the princess for the nights event. Adalia hated this all, always having to be transformed into an exquisite sight to see anytime there was something other than a normal day. She felt like she was on display for her parents to show off. But as usual, she kept quite as she was dressed, while her hair was pulled in different directions. It had not been long before the door opened once again, Stella and Adalia making their way to the great hall. The princess was dressed in a stunning Red and gold dress to match the Kingdoms colors, her collarbone line in a ruby necklace and a matching crown on top of her golden hair. As she made her way out of the door, she paused slightly to see the crumbled toys surrounding the knight who sat near her feet. He gaze softened as she looked down to him, watching his eyes advert from everyone as he stood. She knew by the look to keep quiet, this was not time to question him. Sighing quietly to herself she continued on course. As the group walked down the stone corridors, the music grew louder, the sounds of lutes and similar instruments paired in harmony. The large wooden doors opened as the princess neared, the crowd inside separated, eyes instantly shooting in her direction.
"Princess Adalia, true heir to the Kingdom of Reyes" was announced by a man who stood near the door, announcing the royals arrival. Applause boomed as Adalia took a breath, walking down the parted path of visitors. She had always hated this attention, her stomach filled with butterflies as she watched the eyes on her. Everyone taking in the details of her. Adalia stopped at the end of the path, turning to Stella with a smile, "Stella, please go and enjoy yourself tonight, I shall be fine." She said softly, placing her hand on Stella's. She could tell by the look in her eyes that she was about to deny but Adalia was quick, "Go enjoy" She said once more with a chuckle. Stella smiled and chuckled softly, "Okay, okay". Adalia watched as Stella disappeared into the crowd, looking back at the princess once with a smile before she was gone. Adalia sighed softly, slowly walking through the visitors, her hands softly in front of her folded. She gave out a few hellos, thank you for coming, all the simple words as visitors spoke to her, but truly she wanted to just be alone and away from the crowd. She had already forgotten that Bodhi was a few feet behind, she was not use to him yet, so when she found a place to stand for a bit she was startled to see him. She looked to Bodhi, catching his eyes for just a moment before speaking, "You too may go enjoy the event, I will be fine" She said. |
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Darkseeker
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Bodhi refused to hold her gaze, dropping his eyes to the floor with a curt nod. He waited until the princess was out of sight, then wandered around the full ballroom, not interested in socializing. Unfortunately, everyone else was. Lords who'd known him was a child, new princes who didn't recognize him, desperate ladies, they all came to chat with the young soldier. He politely answered each question and query that didn't pertain to his parents, and made sure to carefully explain where'd he'd been, his duties in the military, and why he was back. In the end, completely exhausted and overwhelmed, he found his way out into the gardens. It was dusky, but there were bright torches along the paths through the garden, and it was warm and breezy out. To his delight, there were new paths that he didn't remember from his childhood, and he quickly followed them deeper into the palace grounds. The first one he took led him to a dead end, which irritated him slightly, but he his spirits were bolstered when he got back to the place where the paths diverged and found Stella, who'd been searching for him. She offered him some of the delicacies from the party, and they wandered the dirt tracks together, enjoying the soft sounds of the night, and the newfound territory. They spent half an hour in the sprawling grounds of the estate before heading back, and it was one of the most enjoyable moments of Bodhi's entire life. Catching up with an old friend is always nice, especially when one has suffered so much between the times since last seeing each other. As they walked back into the hall, they quieted significantly. It was clearly time for the traveling group to show off their talents and skills, and Stella managed to find them seats close to the floor space that the acrobats and high wire walkers had chosen. The show was wonderful, and Bodhi managed to mostly push the lingering thoughts of death from his head. The party went late into the evening, but by the end it seemed to be dragging on. Bodhi was out of patience for lingering guests, and left the ballroom in one of the wee hours of the morning, heading back to his tiny room. Since he had agreed to be with the princess at nearly all hours of the day, it hadn't been a priority to the castle to give him a good room. A small cot and chest of drawers was all that fit, but he was too tired to care. He stripped down to his loose fitting tunic and breeches, and collapsed on the cot, falling into a deep sleep. |
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Neutral
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The night was dragging on for Adalia, she was not one for events, especially not after the day she had. But she had to go on as normal, keep a smile on her lips as she mingled, danced, laughed. It was all going well, but she soon needed some air, it was too hot and stuffy inside that room, and she just needed a break from all the people. With that she excused herself and made her way outside, smiling as the warm breeze welcomed her. Adalia let out a long sigh as she stepped down into the garden area, just decompressing herself for a moment. The sounds of the event faded with each step, a nice change of quiet from the overwhelming volume of inside. Though the quiet was soon broken as she heard faint chuckles and footsteps nearing. Ada stepped to the side, watching as Bodhi and Stella passed by laughing. They hadn't even noticed Ada and where she stood. Ada's relieved smile faded as she watched them enter back into the building, why was he so perfectly happy seeing Stella but not her. She hated the thought of it. Ada soon returned inside as the main event began, but found a maid on the outskirts. She let her know she would be heading to her chambers for the night, that she was feeling a bit ill. With that she was off and into the halls, the maid going to find the Queen and inform her. The long walk through the stone corridors was dreadful, her mind racing with thoughts, but an idea did come to mind. She needed to know why Bodhi was acting like this. Just to settle her mind. Ada stayed in her chambers that night, having a maid draw her a hot bath and soon relaxing in bed as the sounds of the event slowly dulled into silence. It took awhile her Ada to fall asleep, but she soon fell into a deep slumber, her body needing rest. - The Next Morning - The sun soon rose, peaking through the soft silk curtains of Ada's room to wake her. She groaned, rolling over and away from the light that invaded her peace. But she knew that the sun being up meant her maids would be here soon. Just like clockwork the light rapping against the wooden door could be heard before Stella and her maids entered. Two went and opened the curtains and windows while the other set her silver tray of breakfast on her table. "Good Morning your highness, it is such a lovely day today" Stella spoke, ready to inform the princess of her day. "Today you shall meet with Lady Marila for your reading studies and meet with Lord Romani after to start discussion on commanding guards. Afterwards..." Stella began to explain but was soon interrupted by Ada. "Today I shall take Enzo for a ride. Now that I have protection and all" She said, standing from her bed. A maid slipped on a robe for the princess as she stood, Ada making her way towards the alcove where her food awaited her. "But the King and Queen will not be pleased" Stella spoke, her brows furrowing. "I shall not waste a lovely day like you said, to be stuck inside studying. I can do that when the day is gloom" Ada spoke, sitting down and picking up a pastry that sat on her tray. "Please inform Bodhi we will leave in an hour" She added once more before taking a bite. Stella sighed softly and nodded before she was off, knowing her friend would not be too happy with this. For now, Ada enjoyed her breakfast and the sounds of the morning birds singing, letting her body and mind wake before getting ready. Today she did not have to wear some elaborate dress and crown, she could wear what she loved, simple dresses. She got herself ready in a dark blue dress that would be easy to ride in. She looked nothing of royalty besides the quality of the fabrics. It was not long before she had made her way outside and to the stables where a large, gray, Andalusian stallion awaited her. Enzo let out a loud nicker as he saw his rider approach, the two having an amazing bond since he was just a colt.
Ada smiled and chuckled softly, patting the stallion's thick next before mounting up, ready for the adventure of the day. |
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Darkseeker
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Bodhi woke late due to staying up into the wee hours of the morning, and found with a pang of homesickness that, in the night, he had moved to sleep on the stone floor. It was much more similar to the barracks that way, and it struck him as odd that while he'd been in the military, he had missed this: beds, hot baths, lazy days. Now that he was back to the easy days, he missed the strict regimen of the military, especially the camaraderie with the other young men in the Forth. He shook his head, and hauled himself to his feet, tossing the blanket to the side. He was half-dressed when he heard a knock on the door, and, assuming that it was one of the male servants, pulled the door open. To his surprise, it was Stella, and he suppressed a grin as he watched her eyes go wide, and her cheeks flush. He turned away, splashing some water from a basin on his face as he listened to her words, and cursed under his breath. "You're coming on the ride, right?" He asked desperately, and opened his mouth for another dirty oath, but Stella glared at him, and threw her rosary beads at him. "Say a prayer instead," she said, rolling her eyes. He threw the beads back to her, and watched her leave, skirts swishing as she headed back to her duties. Bodhi's fingers went to his neck, where his own chain of beads hung. He'd shunned his prayers over the years of the military, not seeing a point in praying to the saints when he was so busy studying, then fighting for his life, but he'd kept the beads with him, and occasionally had taken the time to say one of the litanies or creeds, but he supposed that now that his life was emptier than his new room, it would be worth rejuvenating that habit. He slowly finished dressing, and made his way out to the pastures. Bodhi's childhood stallion was long gone, but the mountain equine he'd brought with him when he'd first came still grazed lazily in the pasture, and he leaned against the gate, ignoring the Princess, who had already mounted her horse. He pursed his lips, and let out a low, leaning whistle. His horse perked its head, and quickly trotted over, and he ran his hands over her body, carefully checking her health, and her feet for rocks. He didn't bother with a saddle, he rarely did. Bodhi didn't use a saddle during wars, and it wasn't worth training the horse to be calm with one if he wasn't going to do much pleasure riding. The bridle he selected was standard military issue, and he quickly slipped it over her nose. "Easy, Seymour," he murmured, patting her neck. The horse stamped her feet, clearly impatient to get moving, and Bodhi hid his face in her warm neck. "I know how you feel." He mounted easily, taking a second to find the most comfortable spot on Seymour's hard back. He nudged her to a walk, and closed part of the distance between the Princess and himself, stopping with about six feet between them. He saw no reason to be very close to her, he was her escort, nothing more. She was going for a ride, and he was keeping an eye out for threats, which he could do perfectly fine behind her. |
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Neutral
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Adalia watched as Bodhi bonded with the steed he rode in on. A smile pressed on her lips, it was nice seeing a similar bond with a horse that she had, to see how she responded when he called her. She stayed quiet as he checked over the mare, bridling her up before he swung his body up on wide back. Adalia waited for him to settle and glance to her, taking that as a cue to head out. Ada turned and looked to the guards at the stable gates, nodding to them. The gates were pulled open, the world beyond in view now. Adalia urged Enzo into a strong walk as the pair left the safety of the stone walls, the two now exposed to the open world. Adalia's lips curled into a larger smile once the castle began to fade, this was her peace, this is what made her happy. She wanted to be out in the world rather than stuck behind walls. Adalia kept them walking for a bit, guiding them through paths and trails of farmland. She would occasionally waive to a farmer or his wife, some nearing to say hello, offer the two something to eat for their journey, these people loved her.
Soon they were nearing the edge of the farmland and headed towards the forest. It was a familiar trail, one they would take as kids. Near the edge of the farmland was a small, dilapidated tool shed. The white paint was chipping off, vines covering the sides, the glass from the windows now gone. Adalia slowed Enzo to a halt nearby, dismounting to the ground. "I'll be right back" she said, walking to the shed. It was quiet as she disappeared into the broken building, the vines rustling around. Enzo kept his ears pointed towards the building, the retired warhorse waiting for his rider. Minutes went by, silence. Right when Bodhi was about to check on her she emerged again, this time with a new accessory. On her hip was a long sword that was sheathed, the intricate silver hilt design shimmering in the sun. She never traveled without protection in her, even if she did have a knight at her side now. With ease she mounted back up, adjusting her seat before they were off once more.
their ride continued in silence again, the two weaving in the trees and following an old path. It had not been ridden in ages but there was a slight hint of it still. She led the way still, following the trail for another 45 minutes until a clearing emerged. A large pond was seen, surrounded by flowers, the trees created a perfect hideaway. There were remnants of old training dummies and archery targets from years before breaking down and hiding in the vines that began to cover it. Adalia smiled brightly, dismounting once they arrived. She slipped Enzo's tack off with ease, sitting it near a tree before letting him graze. |
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Winter 
Night Weather: 
Blizzard Moon: 
