Circle of Stars (SanctifiedSavage)

[quaggan]

 Val wasn't meant to attend the ceremony, but he sneaked out anyway. It was simple enough to send the guards away - they would jump at any opportunity not to be around him. He was bad luck, after all, and others didn't want to risk being infected with it. The servants were quick to get out of his way as he walked through the hallways of the castle. He managed to make out some whispers and warding prayers muttered as he passed by. His hearing wasn't the best at the moment - even if he focused, there was still this strange ringing in his ears - but some voices just seemed to get through. He should tell the Court Magus about it - but he'd visit her later.

The ceremony took place in the castle's throne room. The guards posted at the door were surprised to see him, but didn't bar his passage. He might not have been meant to be there, but he was still a member of the royal family. Val slipped inside without announcing his presence - he didn't want to disrupt the others. He could see his mother the Queen giving the speech to the squires - well, he should probably stop thinking of them as squires, they would all become knights when it was over.

[SanctifiedSavage]

@quaggan

The day was important for a lot of reasons. Not just because it was graduation – though that was certainly the jist of her excitement and nerves. Becoming a Knight meant a lot of things to Kassandra. It meant a lot of things to her family, too, and that was equally important. There was a long standing tradition of duty and honor. She'd grown up listening to such tales and having those very things impressed upon her.

She strove to make her family proud, and this was definitely one of those ways.

What's more, becoming a Knight meant a lot in that this was really the only way she could help Val. Kassandra was not magically inclined and didn't believe in superstitial nonsense, like so many on the grounds. Her family was a firm believer in crafting their own destiny and not making excuses when things didn't go the way people wanted them to. Magic, curses, all that could be dealt with and were things to overcome. Not crutches or excuses.

On this day, everyone was dressed up. Which meant everyone was uncomfortably warm. Kassandra was no exception. That morning she'd scrubbed herself down and put her hair up, but she could feel sweat already starting to inch its way down her back. The quicker this was over, the better. Then she could peel the ceremonial stuff off and get into practical armor. Or what she called practical. There was no way she'd be fighting in things that restricted her so much or made her so damn warm.

She tried to pay attention to the words that were being said. Gracious speeches and flowery prose, said more for the benefit of those around then the actual graduates. All Kassandra needed was the recognition and the advancement. The new title could be bestowed with but a word. None of this was really necessary. It was important to her family though, so she stood quiet, stoic, and waited until it was her turn to be recognized and stepped forward as she was supposed to.

Then it was on to the next. There weren't that many people in her graduating class, thankfully.

ooc

Danke for starting. I was a bit vague on how things proceeded since I didn't wanna assume too much on your people's? behalf. 8D Also, if you could add my name to the tags, that'd be awesome. It won't let me. <3

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[quaggan]

 He got quite a view of the ceremony from this side of the chamber. He leaned back against the wall, but soon began to wish that there were some seats for him to take - his body was far weaker because of the curse, and it showed. Fortunately, it looked like the speech was almost over.

The ceremonial armour looked really impressive, shining in the midday sun. Yet Val couldn't help but wince at the sight - Kassi made it very clear how uncomfortable it was, and that one time he attempted to try it on, the gauntlets were the only part that he could wear without getting help. He tried suggesting some improvements to his parents, but didn't see any put into action.

Silence fell as the Queen finished her speech and the final part of the accolade began. She picked up the ceremonial sword that was heavier than it look (Val would have known, once he almost decapitated himself when trying to pick it up), but didn't look even slightly inconvenienced when she lifted it in the air and tapped the first squire on the shoulder. Since the boy didn't sink into the floor and there was no indent left on the shoulderpad, she probably wielded it with quite a skill. No wonder, she had to do the ceremony every year.

"Arise, Sir Havelock Nolan" she recited. "Arise, Sir Incanus Accrington. Arise, Sir Kassandra Eimhear..."

Spoiler

I'm afraid it's the first time I heard about something about tags. I have no idea how those function

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[SanctifiedSavage]

@quaggan

The rest of the ceremony went by rather quickly. There wasn't much left to be said, or done, now that it was... well, done. All the speeches and accolades had come from before they were knighted. Once that was over, it was more or less about the nobility around them. Thankfully. Kassandra followed the others out of the throne room as they made their way toward the section of the grounds reserved for knights and those training.

It was there that, after congratulating one another and helping with the removal of the ceremonial armor, they began to disperse. Some would redress in fancy, nice clothes and rejoin family in the throne room. If they came from such breeding stock. Kassandra and her family, while they were certainly a respected sort, were not that high up. So she lingered behind to take extra care of her things. She'd see her family later on that night. It wasn't that she wouldn't be welcome back in the throne room after her most recent promotion, she just didn't feel like getting all dressed up to go back in.

That wasn't really her scene. Hadn't been why she'd wanted to be a Knight to begin with.

Leaving the ceremonial armor on its stand, gleaming and polished, she moved away to collect the armor she was more familiar with. What she could actually fight in and not melt in the warmth of the isle.

This left Kassandra relatively alone in the barracks while she started to strap on the leather that would go on beneath the bracers. If she was going to meet her parents and siblings after all this, she at least wanted to do it while she was wearing some armor. Just not that armor. They'd probably poke fun at her too.

OOC

No problem ^_^ At the bottom of the thread there's the [ add tag ]. Just click that and type Sanctified. That's all there is to it. Then it'll show up for me. <3

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[quaggan]

 While Val was tempted to wave and try to catch Kassi's eye, he didn't want to take the risk. His friend didn't believe in the curse, but her lack of faith has never stopped it before - and even if she didn't mind the catastrophe that was sure to follow, the other new knights would be very angry to have their ceremony ruined because of his presence. He ended up hovering around until it was over.

He waited a while, just to give her time to get out of the ceremonial armour. He had a feeling that if he bothered her before she managed to change, she'd throw some of the pieces at him - and though while he was a kid, he enjoyed the game of dodging a lot, his physical ability has since declined. And he didn't want to ruin her day by accidental injury on his part.

He knocked on the door, carefully. Fortunately, the wood didn't rot under his touch as usual.

[SanctifiedSavage]

@quaggan

Kassandra had only managed to put on the under armor – the leather padding and casual cloth for everyday wear – when she heard the knock. It didn't occur to her that it would be anyone of rank or nobility because, well, they didn't generally make their way to the barracks and certainly wouldn't have reason to be there now when there were other nobles to mingle with elsewhere.

Just not her style.

She made her way to the heavy door and tugged it open, smiling easily when she saw who it was. "I didn't think I'd get to see you today," she said by way of greeting, stepping to the side so he knew he could enter. Kassandra didn't believe in curses, certainly, but she could chalk a lot of what happened to him to... well, bouts of really bad luck. But if it meant that she could do things to help make his life a little easier, of course she would. What friend wouldn't do the same for their own? More than that, though, she just didn't think it right how some others treated him.

Were the roles reversed on any one else, she was certain they'd have wanted to be treated better.

Then, because she couldn't help but add, she said, "And I'm actually a Knight now. Can you believe it?" There might be a bit of childish glee and pride still left in her.

[quaggan]

 Val cautiously made his way inside, testing the floor. He might have appeared to be paranoid in this regard, but after encountering rotting wood that could hold a grown man in full plate armour but not his lesser weight and stepping on all kinds of unpleasant tools, the least he could do was to pay attention. In most cases, it didn't help one bit, but caution was an admirable trait to foster.

"Congratulations, Sir Kassi" he smiled. "So, what's next for the aspiring knight? Slay a dragon? Save a fair maiden? Crusade relentlessly against uncomfortable ceremonial armour?"

[SanctifiedSavage]

@quaggan

She watched him for a long moment before sitting on a near by bench. Kassandra knew why he was doing what he was, but it still tugged at her heart in an odd way. Like watching someone fumble a precious piece of china and know you could do nothing to save it, nothing to stop it from breaking. She wanted to help him, desperately. Kassandra just had no idea how.

Eventually, she looked down at her hands and shrugged a shoulder. "I had actually thinking of becoming a palace guard, you know? Getting to protect and all that. It's sort of been my thing." She glanced up and flashed him a faint smile. Her goal, of course, was to be able to be his guard. No one else wanted the post. Kassandra just wasn't sure how they'd take to her volunteering for it. Or how he would. "I've never been big on adventure – I'm quite happy here. I'd much rather feel like I'm making a difference in another way."

With a breath, she sat up a little straighter. "Getting to be a guard will mean I won't have to stand around on ceremony, too." Her small smile still in place, she added, "What about you? What is planned for you?"

[quaggan]

 "Well, I can agree with the part about ceremony - although guarding involves a lot of standing around alone" he chuckled. "Remember this time we caught someone napping inside her armour after blocking its joints? It must be quite a boring job." Boredom was a worthy tradeoff for peace - the travelers stopping by the islands always had interesting stories about the intrigue of Serenian provinces, infighting of Adelan lords, that one time a tsunami hit nearby Thanatos... Listening to such tales was fun, but no sensible person would want to live through them.

He blinked, the question having caught him by surprise. "Planned for me? Well, to be honest, I have no idea" he confessed. "It's a bit funny now that I think about it - I knew more about my future years ago than I do now. I imagined I would marry either one of the nobles or a capable foreigner to strengthen the kingdom, but now I doubt anyone would want to risk union with the cursed one. I suppose it's my fate to become this generation's hermit uncle who never contributes apart from making jokes during large gatherings."

Should he be happy about it? He supposed it was one way of looking at it - he wouldn't have to marry someone insufferable, and he wouldn't have to worry about keeping his spouse happy. And it would be cruel to demand that someone shackled their whole life to him.

"I imagine that would leave me with a lot of free time to do whatever I want" he concluded. "I should really see about picking up a hobby."

[SanctifiedSavage]

Kassandra snorted at his interpretation of what guards did. For some, it wasn't far off the mark. Standing around at certain points and watching over empty hallways. She didn't want to be some sentry guard, no no. Kassandra had hardly trained to be a Knight just to do that.

She crossed her arms and shook her head. "I don't mean to stand around. I mean to actually be someone's guard. Not a wall prop or door jam." Not that the palace didn't need those, she supposed.

When he talked about the curse and all that, she looked away so he wouldn't see her frown. It was a pile of rubbish, but there wasn't much Kassandra could say or do about it. What was to be decided was all on his family and... well, whatever that meant. "Well, even if you are to become a hermit uncle, you'll still have me around." She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "And yes, if you're going to have as much free time as you think, you really should pick up a hobby. Something to take your mind off of all this... nonsense."

@quaggan

[quaggan]

 He couldn't see Kassi's expression, but just her turning away was a reminder enough. Unlike virtually every other person he met, she didn't believe in curses, and didn't avoid him because of that. It truly set her apart - not just as the staunch disbeliever, but also as the only constant source of support he had - and he was truly grateful for it, even if he didn't fully understand why wasn't she affected by its power.

He didn't understand, but he could try - he should try. "Can I ask you a strange question?" he began. "Do you think we should tell the Court Mage or my parents about your idea? She believes that I am cursed, but if she's wrong, then we should steer her onto the right track."

[SanctifiedSavage]

They'd been friends long enough that it wasn't a secret between them that Kassandra thought the whole curse thing nonsense. Her mother and father were big believers in forging your own destiny and creating your own luck. If everyone believed that the bad things that happened were because of some curse, then they were likely to warp everything that happened around him to fit that narrative.

Kassandra wasn't one of them.

She turned back to him, chasing the frown away with a better crafted neutral expression. When he asked, she nodded a little. She was always free for him to talk to and would never break such a confidence. Knight's honor aside, they were friends. That meant more to her. What he had to say though... Kassandra shrugged one shoulder. "It's hard to say. If they haven't believed you this far, I'm not sure if they will now. Once a dog has a bone to chew, it's hard to pry it from its mouth." Something her dad liked to say about people stuck in their ways. "I won't stop you from trying, or say that you should believe it yourself, but some of the nobles, begging your pardon, wouldn't know how to dress themselves without guidance so I barely trust them to know a proper curse."

Kassandra shrugged again before she moved to sit on a bench. "You should do whatever it is that will make you happy. If confronting them will, then do that. If finding something to put your mind to, something else to aspire to will, then chase after that. Whatever it is, Val, you should know I will do whatever I can to help you." Someone had to be on his side and Kassandra was damned determined it'd be her, if no one else would.

To lighten the tone, though, she added with a small, private smile. "I've already gotten what I want. I think it's your turn, hm?"

ooc

@quaggan Your post was lovely <3

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[quaggan]

 She had a point. While he's worked hard to minimise the effect his curse had on his environment, some people still were suspicious of him, and wouldn't trust a word he said. The Court Mage at least tested the hypotheses he suggested, but it was only a matter of time until her opinion of him was poisoned as well. And even if it wasn't a curse, just knowing the truth wouldn't bring about a solution. And Master Linus was bound to figure it out.

Fortunately, they didn't stay mired in somber mood for long, with the next line giving them a chance to change the subject. Val gasped with fake outrage, covering his mouth with his hand. "I'll let you know I'm perfectly capable of pulling on my nightgown! Give me another ten years and I might learn how to button up my doublet!" Provided that he'd survive the next ten years, but that didn't have to ruin the mood.

He could continue joking about nobles, but her next words were not something he could really ignore. What did he want? Did he even know the answer to the question? He remembered having some outlandish fantasies as a child - sometimes he wanted to be a great warrior who could fight off the dragons (who were never part of Astanill's fauna), or a powerful wizard who could conjure a castle even greater and fairer than the one he lived in.

And now? Now he didn't even know what to do with himself. And while he could start thinking about ways to change that, it would never be as simple as finding something he enjoyed. Despite his best efforts, everything around him ended up destroyed, and all his actions - no matter how well-intended - brought about ruin. He suspected that no matter how harmless a hobby he picked, it would quickly be turned to devastation; if he picked up gardening, any plant he tended could release poisonous spores.

But he shouldn't give up and become despondent. It would be betraying their friendship - Kassi has fought so hard to reach her goal, he couldn't just laze about.

"Maybe I should travel abroad" he suggested. "If I am cursed, that would decrease the amount of misfortune here in Astanill - and if I'm not, perhaps someone could identify the real cause." As much as he cared about his small country and its people, he wasn't completely xenophobic - he knew that there was an entire large world outside the island, and it held untold wonders. He would just have to take care not to linger to long, lest the place he'd be hypothetically staying in fell victim to his curse as well. And of course, there was the question of how to finance such a quest...

Spoiler

Thank you! You too

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[SanctifiedSavage]

Kassandra smiled when he joked about eventually learning how to dress himself. If he didn't know how, there'd be no end to the teasing. She couldn't fathom someone needing an attendant for any manner of dressing, no matter how fancy. Armor, at least the ceremonial variety, sometimes required help, and that was another reason Kassandra hated it. Anything that she had to put on that she needed another person for, because buckles and straps were places she couldn't reach, was impractical.

And impractical was obnoxious.

When he took a moment to consider what he should do, Kassanda remained quiet. Letting him mull it over without any input from her. She couldn't begin to know what to suggest, but more importantly, she didn't want to try and influence him either. Whatever it was, she wanted it to be something Val really wanted to do and not something he thought he should be doing.

At the mention of traveling abroad, Kassandra glanced at him with a grin. "That actually doesn't sound so bad." Not just for the reasons for he said, but because getting him away from all these people sounded better to Kassandra. She didn't care for the rest of the world – her home and family was here – but if it meant getting Val out where he could breathe a little easier... Well, that was definitely worth leaving for. "Probably easy convincing them to let you leave, hm?"

@quaggan

[quaggan]

 Val nodded, his expression still thoughtful. He never thought about leaving Astanill before - he was a member of the royal family after all, he had his duties to attend. But now it seemed like not only a valid option, but the only real choice he had. The best he could do for everyone was not to be around.

"I imagine even the Court Mage would be relieved" he mused. After long, fruitless research on his curse, she was probably being frustrated to no end. It was only a matter of time until she gave up - and that would provide her with a gracious way to resolve the matters - out of sight, out of mind.

"I'm just worried about how to pay for such an excursion" he commented. "I can't just take from the royal treasury." He could accept it earlier, when he believed that he would grow up to become a great prince and pay everything he owed in kind - but he doubted that was still an option at this stage. The least he could do was not burden Astanill further.

[SanctifiedSavage]

Kassandra watched him and couldn't help but be a little hopeful, though she was mindful not to let it show. She didn't want to sway him. If that was what Val wanted, then she'd be all for it, but she didn't want to be the reason he left or push him to do it. Especially if it became something he resented later on.

After a moment, she shrugged a shoulder. "I can always pick up the odd escort jobs – for caravans and the like – to pay our travel expenses. That's relatively easy. Most are always looking for a good sword." She wasn't gloating, just stating fact. Kassandra would never say she was the best – that would've been gloating, but she was now a knight and she could handle common bandits. Certainly, she would make a decent caravan escort. "So if travel is all that is stopping you, that is easily remedied."

After that, though... She wasn't sure where he'd want to go. Kassandra's knowledge extended to combat, not the vast world. She'd not had time to study maps and other kingdoms. Truthfully, she wouldn't have cared to. Such things didn't hold much interest to her. Kassandra hadn't really thought she'd ever leave... Though now that she was faced with the possibility, she probably should've read at least a book or two about some nearby places so she could've known where not to go.

@quaggan

[quaggan]

 Val frowned. "Well, I assume from the mathematician's perspective, relying on you is an improvement from relying on the royal treasury, but I'd feel bad about it. Well, I'd feel worse than usual. I can't just go on mooching off friends."

He was starting to get tired - more of a feature of his weakened body than any lack of strength on his part - so he crouched down on the floor. One of the very few advantages his curse granted him was the excuse not to worry about dirtying his clothes - everyone knew that they would be ruined anyway. "But I imagine it would be hard for me to, uh, procure funds on my own. I'm not entirely without skills - I mean, I can almost dress myself, that's gotta count for something - but my curse has a way of sabotaging whatever I do."

[SanctifiedSavage]

Kassandra shook her head and frowned a little. "You shouldn't ever feel bad about relying on me. That's what friends do. Help each other out when it's needed." Especially when it meant getting out and away from this place, but she didn't say that part aloud. Rather, she just wanted to make sure he knew that it wouldn't have troubled her at all to do anything that would help him do something he wanted to do.

Service in the aid of friends was never a problem with her.

When he crouched, Kassanda smiled a little and patted the bench next to her. "You can sit next to me." Proximity didn't bother her, not in the slightest. When he said he could dress himself, she snorted a laugh and nodded a little. "Yeah, let's market that and see how much we could make on that, hm?"

Kassandra didn't respond to the curse bit. They both already knew how she felt about that particular bit and it wasn't fair to continue beating an already dead horse.

@quaggan

[quaggan]

 She was right - partially, at least. Friendship was all about reciprocation, and Val wouldn't ask any friend - let alone his only friend - for something he could not repay. And it would be hard for him to even try, considering that the curse would sabotage any attempts on his part. He didn't raise this objection - Kassi didn't believe in curses, it would just sound like he was making excuses.

He took the invitation, sitting down on the bench. "Well, since most of the people outside us poor ignorant aristocrats can dress themselves, I don't think I can use this skill to make a living, let alone earn money for traveling." He folded his arms, thinking. "I have some knowledge pertinent to my position - heraldry, etiquette, a language or two, but while it might be impressive in Astanill, I'm quite certain that the foreign nobles have their own tutors that are far superior..."

Was there anything he could try? So far, the Court Mage's research was clear on the matter - he attempted almost every task, just to see if there are any loopholes in the curse. What did they overlook? He couldn't give up. There had to be a way.

[SanctifiedSavage]

Kassandra smiled a little at the self-depreciating remark, but she didn't encourage it. Val had enough people poking and prodding at him, she didn't need to help. It might've been a general statement about the nobles, but he'd include himself in all of that. Even if she didn't think he should.

They certainly didn't think he should be.

The Knight leaned up and stretched some, watching him mull over his options. She didn't want to say aloud that he probably didn't have a lot of applicable traveling skills or those marketable to such a task. It'd sound negative and she wanted to encourage him to leave. Not dissuade. So, instead, Kassandra simply said, "It isn't a big deal for me to take up jobs along caravans and for you to come along. It really isn't. Think of it as you'll owe me, hm? If that makes you feel better."

She certainly didn't think of friendship in those terms, but she understood that some people didn't like to seem like they were taking advantage, or that they felt they must immediately repay whatever sort of debt they felt they owed. Relationships just... didn't usually come with some manner of account that needed balanced every month. Kassandra would help when she could, because she cared and she was a friend. In turn, Val would when or if he could. That was just how she saw it and how her own family operated. Mutual love and respect wasn't measured in such easy terms and didn't require being paid back.

But if it made him feel better, she'd offer as much. Nobles frequently got caught up in who they might owe what. For that, Kassandra was certainly glad she'd not been born into a high house. "So, it's whatever... or wherever... you might want to try. Really." Most roads wouldn't be closed to a pair of travelers, as far as she knew, and most places could be traversed with honest work. Unless he was thinking of something particular.

@quaggan