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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2010 1:12:23 GMT -5
The sun was at it's peak, high in the clear blue sky. It shone warmly down on the wheat fields just outside the gates to Rosplayn. The sound of children laughing and playing echoed all around. "Come here!!" said a male voice playfully, as he ran after a giggling little girl with blond pigtails. She let out a shrill giggle as he wrapped his big hands around her small waist and hoisted her onto his shoulder. "I've got you now, you're mine!!" he said, laughing evilly. The other children turned around and ran to him, shoving him playfully and laughing as he toppled over. They overwhelmed him, and soon he vanished beneath all of them. His deep laugh echoed with theirs. "I surrender!! Please, no more!" he pleaded, waving his hands. As the children got off of him, he sat up, a few still sitting in his lap. His stomach let out a loud growl. This caused a wave of giggles to dance up into the sky. A small boy grabbed his hand and tried to drag him to his feet. "Come on, Mr. Come to our home. Mother will feed you. Come on!"he cried, still trying to pull the man up. With a soft smile, Tieler drew his hand back. "I'm sorry little one, I'm afraid I can't just enter your city without permission."he said sadly. This did not stop the little boy. "We give you permission!! Come on." And soon, the rest of the children had him on his feet and dragged to the gates of the city. As they arrived, Tieler glanced at the guards sheepishly. "Please Mr.," said the small boy to the guard, "Please let us take him to some food and shelter. He's hungry and dirty and we promise he's a nice man." The small boy batted his eyes. Tieler sighed and shook his head. Might as well let the boy try.
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Post by mtdew4kiri on Aug 11, 2010 11:52:20 GMT -5
Before the guard even had a chance to snap at the poor child, a woman with marble-white skin and long flowing blond hair stood next to him. On her near-perfect hourglass body, a set of silver and obsidian sai rested upon her hip. "There should be no problem." Her wind-chime voice greeted; however a smirk was placed upon her lips. They might've taken over Feral, but it was still her kingdom, and she could allow whomever she wanted into the kingdom. "In fact," She continued and crouched down in front of the children and reached out to gently caress the boy's cheek. "I insist we have a small welcoming party for this stranger, our guest." Everyone in Feral knew who she was- there was never any questions asked. The Princess of Rosplayn always walked around Feral, bringing in random children and their families for strong, hearty and noble events they had done. From raising good crops to helping someone in need, The Princess welcomed them all. "Well have your parents attend as well, if you wish them to." She offered, then stood back up and looked over the man with a kind smile.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2010 12:18:48 GMT -5
Tieler felt a sudden unease at the mention of a gathering of sorts, but the children cheered madly. "Thank you, Your Highness!" they said together, bowing slightly then running to inform their parents. The one little boy blushed madly, keeping his eyes on the ground before him. This caused Tieler to laugh. With a small smile, he looked to the woman before him, nodding. "Thank you. I appreciate your hospitality, Your Highness. But I do not wish to impose and cause you such trouble." He found himself unable to tear his gaze from hers, and his smile widened slightly when he realized this.
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Post by mtdew4kiri on Aug 11, 2010 14:34:55 GMT -5
Aurina shook her head and held her arm out to welcome him in. "If you were going to impose on me and cause trouble, then I wouldn't have invited you for some food. It is nothing big, just a meal; no major gathering." She explained. She began to walk back towards the castle. "Come with me, we shall get you cleaned up..." She stated, then paused and smiled back at him. "Your Highness." She whispered softly to him and nodded her head in a small bow. "It's in how you carry yourself." She told before he could even ask.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2010 20:00:15 GMT -5
Tieler tensed slightly, then sighed. "Ah, so you noticed, huh?" he grinned. "Name's Tieler." As they walked through the Kingdom, he glanced around, admiring it. "This truly is a beautiful Kingdom. Heavily guarded, but still beautiful." He'd never seen such a heavily guarded Kingdom. His parents' Kingdom hadn't been like this, at least not that he could remember. As his thoughts wandered, his eyes fell upon the castle. It had been years since he'd stepped into a castle. It would be nice to feel at home again. "Wow. I forgot how intimidating yet welcoming castles are."
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Post by mtdew4kiri on Aug 11, 2010 23:17:37 GMT -5
Aurina smiled, "I'm Aurina." She stated and held her hands behind her back as she lead him on. "We are not a continent of much war... I wish my father would get these guards out of here; send them back to Forelock... But he's intimidated, and not a very strong leader. I cannot do anything yet in being a daughter and Princess." She sighed and shook her head. "I'm still intimidated by the castle and try to spend as much time out of the castle as I can." Aurina stated with an offhand shrug.
They walked on through the bustling streets of the market. As they walked on, random vendors called out about the fresh meats they had just skinned, or the fresh produce they had just harvested, or for the daring the new weapons just forged. Aurina had a smile upon her lips, "Its so refreshing walking with the subjects of the kingdom and continent... Being able to relate to them on a more personal level than what other royalties of the continents do." She happily informed him. "How many other members of a royal family do you think would be able to tell you about a pleasant farmer and his family; names and all? I must say, i envy you... you seem to have no certain place; a wanderer... You... you're like a fine grain of sand," She began to explain, then held her hand out. She lifted a finger; a single grain of sand appeared on the tip, "so delicate, yet strong... but unless it is held down... it wanders and drifts to where the wind directs it." She stated as a small breeze came through and blew the sand away. She turned and allowed her aqua eyes to look at him. "And you only stop when then wind stops blowing, or something catches you." Aurina further observed. "I'm sorry, I must be boring you." She laughed softly and looked back to the sky.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2010 23:45:57 GMT -5
Tieler chuckled, his grin lingering. "Not at all. You couldn't be more right. I know of no other person in royalty who would actually take the time to get to know their Kingdom. They all seem so corrupt with power, and instilling fear and loyalty in their subjects. It's why I left home. My father was a blind ruler. As for my wanderings," he added with another chuckle, "there is no need for envy. As wonderful and marvelous as you may think wandering may be, it gets quite lonely. Never having a place to call home, no family or friends to share it with or talk to." His gaze lingered on her moment, but he was distracted when something pulled on his clothing. He glanced down to see the little blond girl, face covered in chocolate. "Are you a Prince, here to marry the Princess and get rid of these mean guards?" she asked, beaming. Tieler blinked at her question, then glanced at Aurina. After a moment, he couldn't help but laugh. "Well, it's not that easy, little one." he said, kneeling to her level. "Even if I were a Prince, here to marry this beautiful Princess, I wouldn't really be able to force her to marry me, would I? This being her Kingdom, whom she decides to marry is her choice." He cast a subtle glance at Aurina. "And I really would not be able to force these men out of this Kingdom, because married to her or not, the King still rules this Kingdom." The little girl frowned, staring at him with mock anger. Tieler then knelt down, placing his mouth to the little girl's ear. "Keep this a secret; I am here to save your Kingdom and marry the Princess. But you can't tell anyone, got it?" As he pulled away, he winked, and the little girl joyfully ran off. Tieler grinned at Aurina. "Where were we? Ah yes, wandering can be very lonely."
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Post by mtdew4kiri on Aug 12, 2010 0:11:25 GMT -5
Aurina giggled softly as she watched the girl interact with him. "Well then consider this offer something I hope you wouldn't pass up: have someone to come and speak of your adventures about, come have a place to stay when you get weary of traveling. See that Feral, the Kingdom of Rosplayn, is but a place to come when time gets rough... I would love to hear of your adventures, Tieler." She smiled and looked back at the streets. Rina stopped just outside the tall gates to the castle and looked at him. "The people here of Feral, and of Rosplayn in general, have no problem in telling me about things they believe the king should be informed about... they rest easy with me... I hope that, in time, you would place that same trust within me." She smiled, then held her hand out. "A pleasant and well-earned feast awaits you, Tieler. The other guests should be there by now." She told the blond prince next to her. "Be lonely no more, for tonight we eat and rejoice for the wanderer." She added on, then lead him up to the tall, white, glimmering castle.
Inside, high walls with art painted upon them stretched up to the ceiling. Aurina had lead Tieler straight to the dining hall where children's laughter and adult's chatter could be heard. As they neared, servants opened the doors to the hall. Aurina, with her long blond hair and flowing skirt trailing behind her, showed Tieler the way to his seat at the head of the table. As Aurina passed the children, she lightly trailed her fingers along their backs in comfort and lightly bowed her head down as she passed the parents. They, in turn, bowed their heads lower back in greetings and stood up as Aurina and her guest arrived at their seats. Servants came out and pulled the chairs out for each of them, then gently pushed them in; a few more servants were called to help with Aurina. Chuckling a bit nervously, she turned to Tieler, "Being half Earth Elemental has many pros, as well as the cons." She explained as her cheeks managed to turn to a very light rosy-pink. As fast as it came, the blush left and her skin returned to the marble-white complexion. "Eat as much as you'd like, if there is something missing that you want, out cooks and chefs will promptly make it to your liking." She explained to Tieler. A servant went to go serve her food, but Aurina held her hand up, "I am not my father, I choose to serve myself." She softly told him. He smiled embarrassingly, nodded and stepped back to fetch drinks.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2010 0:36:01 GMT -5
He smiled at her as she made the offer. "I don't know if I can accept that. Because I don't know if I'll ever leave here." he said, with a wink. As they entered the castle, Tieler felt a sudden chill of regret wash over him. He suddenly remembered why he didn't like castles; he didn't like being served or treated any differently than any other person. One's title shouldn't make one so important.
As he entered the banquet hall, a memory of his childhood flooded back to him, but he suppressed it. He glanced around, waving to all the children, and winking at the little blonde girl, who smiled widely. When the servant pulled his chair back for him, he nodded. "It's alright, thank you." And shook his head at the mention of the possibility of something missing. "Goodness, no. I think there is enough here to feed me for years." As he watched the additional servants come help push Aurina's chair, he couldn't help but stifle a snicker. "There is no need for explanations nor embarrassment. All Elementals have their pros and cons. Her independence, however, caught him off guard, and he felt his head tilt slightly to the side. "An independent woman, I admire that. I guess I shouldn't open doors for you, or place a jacket over a puddle so you can cross, huh?" he teased, reaching for a salad.
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Post by mtdew4kiri on Aug 12, 2010 0:52:09 GMT -5
Aurina laughed softly, "there is a need for such feelings when one is very self-conscious about the weight." She pouted, but smiled on more. "There is still nothing wrong with being a gentleman, Tieler." She jokingly chided him. "I like having my free-will and being able to do things as I please. Now, when I get old and can't do such things, then I will be grateful for all of it. until that time comes, I wish to do as I can." She smiled wider. A servant came back with an open bottle of wine and set it down before her. She grabbed the bottle and poured a bit into the chalice in front of her. "Would you like some?" She asked and held the bottle up for him. "It is the sweet nectar from local farmers... of which, the brewer is attending this feast." She winked, then nodded to an elderly man sitting next to the blond little girl that had confronted Tieler before. "I much rather enjoy tending to local crops rather than anything shipped in from other continents... it seems to have a better... closer to home taste." She explained as she, too reached, for one of the many salads decorating the table. "If I remember correctly, these vegetables are from Farmer Uolan, whom is the uncle of the blond girl... and the meats are from the herder..." she looked down the table and laughed softly, "just at the other side of the table, the Perchanson family..." As she had mentioned the name, the father looked down the table at them. Aurina took her glass and held it up in a toast to him. She beamed a smile at him from behind the glass and took a sip, then returned her attention to Tieler. "I do hope you'll enjoy the local harvests as much as I do." She softly stated, then returned to look at the food and placed more upon her plate such as potatoes, lamb, beef, turnips, and even a few vegetables that were native to only this continent.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2010 15:56:55 GMT -5
Tieler nodded. "Ah, right. I apologize for my insensitivity. Yes, please." he added, accepting the bottle from her and filling his chalice. He listened intently, glancing at the people as she spoke of them. When Aurina silently toasted Mr. Perchanson, he nodded and smiled. Then, after a moment, grabbed his glass and stood carefully. "Excuse me, sorry to interrupt. I just wanted to thank you all for this magnificent meal. It is by far the greatest, and, hands down, freshest welcoming I have ever had. I am truly honored to be in the presence of such magnificent people. To you." he said, raising his glass. But he did not return to his seat, he, instead, turned his attention to Aurina. "And to you, Your Highness, for letting a tired, hungry wanderer into your Kingdom and making him feeling right at home. To you." He smiled at her, then cheered "To Feral!" Finally taking a drink, he now sat and returned to filling his plate, once again, with only vegetables and fish.
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Post by mtdew4kiri on Aug 12, 2010 19:38:07 GMT -5
Aurina looked up at Tieler as he made his toast. Before he had thanked her, she raised her glass in cheers as well and took a small sip. Everyone else had followed, then fell silent once more when he continued on. A smile spread across her face as she held her glass up once more and gaze at him over the brim of the chalice. "To Feral." She called out, and was followed by taking a drink as cheers of 'Feral' by the guests rang out in the hall. Once he sat back down, she turned to look at him and set her glass back down. "You didn't have to do that." She smiled softly and returned to eating. After a few moments, she finished the meats and vegetables off her plate, and grabbed the bowls of fruit. She carefully moved through each piece with her napkin before deciding on something similar to an apple.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2010 20:20:57 GMT -5
Tieler shook his head. "Nah, of course I did. It would have been rude of me not to." He watched as she carefully went through the fruit with her napkin, and found himself smiling as she finally decided on what he could only assume was an apple. "I never could eat apples." he said frowning slightly. "The skin always cut up my gums." He finished off his plate, and helped himself to a little more salad. After he was done with that, he looked around. "I think I'm about ready for some dessert."
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Post by mtdew4kiri on Aug 12, 2010 21:24:58 GMT -5
Aurina help up the apple-looking fruit. "This isn't an apple." She smiled, then easily pulled the skin back and off the flesh of the fruit. "In fact, you don't even eat the skin... well, you could.. but it is very chewy and not very tasty. This is just called the ryv fruit. It's just very similar to an apple, but the texture and taste if very different. It has the sweetness of an apple, however." She smiled, then looked around. "Desserts shall be served shortly, after the table is cleared of the entrees and salads." She smiled. "And after, I'll show you to either a hot spring or to the bath... whichever you would prefer." She smiled with a small wink.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2010 22:58:18 GMT -5
Tieler laughed at himself. "Right, things are never as they seem. I should really learn to pay attention to that." He stretched slightly, patiently awaiting dessert. "A hot spring sounds like heaven." he said, grinning. It had occurred to him that he had not cleaned up before eating, and this made him grimace slightly. "So, mind if I ask what the story is with the Forelock guards invading your Kingdom? I understand if I am out of line by asking, but I am rather curious. It just doesn't seem to make sense to me. If your father is still the King, why would guards from a completely different continent, under the instruction of a completely different King, come here? Are they trying to take this continent from your family?"
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