Spirits of the Earth

"It would be a new festival," Melora announced as she strolled across the large distance inside her room, her servants taking quills fervently to parchment. "And we can call it 'The Lighting of the Lake'." She smirked at the idea.

"My lady?"

"Yes," she cut them off, and continued as she stared thoughtfully out a window. "And it will become a regular ceremony in which there will be wine and dancing, but it will be different, you see, in that even the commoners can join in on the festivities." Spinning around, she studied the faces of her servants, who appeared slightly shocked she wished to include the peasants, but they said nothing and scribbled it down.  "Oh, and of course, lets not forget the true icing on the cake, where all men, women and children of Connloath who wish to attend purchase and light the floating candles."

"Floating candles?"

"Yes?" Melora stared at her servant patiently.

"Do such a thing exist?"

"If I say it does, you can make it so," she remarked smoothly. "Now, those are minor details. I'd like for the candles to rest upon petal like boats, that will cup around the flame and enhance it's glow." She stared at them as they began to understand her plan to make candles float, and sharpened her gaze when they hadn't wrote it down, and they promptly did so. "Now," she began, pacing once again. "This will be partially in relation to the pre-announcements to Aella's birthday party. She will be coming of age now and it would be most fitting to make a pre-announcement, so that any suitable persons can make sure they are free of obligations to attend." She smiled, much like a cat as she added beneath her breath. "And also the fact declining will not be tolerated."  Facing her servants again, she smiled.
"Now, are you all well versed in what this ceremony will entail?" she asked the words so sweetly, that it jarred her servants everytime.

"Yes, my lady," one said, bowing her head. "You wish to light floating candles upon the lake."

"And?" Melora raised a sharp brow, but kept her cool countenance.

The servants weren't sure what to answer.  Melora faltered, but never frowned.

"I thought it was obvious why were would send floating candles upon the lake, considering what I mentioned earlier," she said, only sounding mildly impatient as she stared down at her long fingernails. "But if I must spell it out, I must, but be sure to write this all down," she said, narrowing her violet eyes upon her servants. "The reason the men, women and children of this town will light glowing candles of radiance across the lake, is to express their true devotion towards beauty." She smiled as her servants remained silent.  "You see, the candles are meant to float towards the woman in the land they found the most beautiful." She lowered her lashes as she peered admirably at herself within the mirror. "So don't you see? Myself, will be included in the royal ladies they have to select from and..." this is where she paused to turn around, looking face-front at her servants as she approached. "And this will be Aella's first chance to prove herself as the most beautiful woman throughout the land." 

"But my lady, is that not the reason Aella travels with you throughout the other duchies?" one servant questioned, and Melora's smile grew wider across her face.

"Yes, it is true, I do like to keep my treasure of a daughter with me at all times as I travel across Connloath, bless my soul, lest I get lonely, but I digress, it is not a known fact that her beauty is unsurpassable!" she said with a good hearted laugh.  "And whose to say she IS the great beauty most of this land praises? Perhaps it is only wise to hold the people accountable for such accusations!" she declared, and waved her servants off.

"Now go! Make the announcement. I want banners posted in every corner throughout Matron's Hollow, and any buildings near the lake. Any town and village nearby should be notified as well, that at week's end, there will be a grand ceremony!" and as she clasped her hands excitedly together, her servants bowed their head and went off to begin the preparations.
"And a grand ceremony it will be indeed," she commented into her lonely chamber, her smile stretching even wider across her lips.


News spread quickly throughout the town as the people prepared excitedly for the Lighting of the Lake.  News that not only the duchess there, but her beautiful and famous daughter, Aella, would be joining the ranks, and in fact, that very day, the two were to be paraded through town.
Rumors spread quickly that candles could be purchased from the Duchess's men, and that any could participate in lighting a candle and sending it off into the lake, pushing it towards the woman they deemed most beautiful throughout the land.  So far, the only names familiar (or popular) was that the competition seemed to be streaming between mother and daughter- that both Duchess Melora and her youthful daughter, Aella. 

It was an exciting announcement indeed, as horns bellowed, welcoming the menagerie of carriages and displays that were paraded through the town's cobblestone roads.  Flags were raised and waved, dancers were fluttering about, singing songs traditional to the land, and even some unique to Hellvion itself: the duchy from where both Melora and the famous daughter, Aella had been from.

But the most exciting display was when a magical float, carried upon gilded wheels and ornate horses, passed through the town where, there in the center, upon the most ornate carving of gold, glittering chairs sat both the duchess, and beside her, forced to stand and in one of the most outrageous but beautiful garbs- her daughter, the beautiful Aella.

Around here, and all of those celebrating in the cloud, fell delicate white feathers and gold and green confetti that sparkled against the bright, blue and cloudless sky.  Though everything that day was beautiful, it was obvious extra attention was paid to both the duchess and her daughter, for the rumored long locks of Aella were worn down and in incredible curls that were locked and laced onto the perched, golden cages of birds, that were stationed at every outside corner of their royal float.

Even her dress, which, though most Connloaths did not wear, had been made an exception, since the gown was wide (though with layered, lacey pants beneath, that were swallowed away, hidden beneath the massive skirt), that of which flowed at great lengths behind Aella and spilled off the very float in which she stood upon to where a set of eight ladies (four on each side) walked behind them, carrying the delicate, but intricately embroidered designs upon.

Her dress was beautiful, made of pure white snow and gold, and across the front, which swept low, was trimmed with a ruffle of pure white feathers, and the same treatment was trimmed upon the front details of her skirts.
She wore gold earrings, though they would be lost in her golden hair, had they not been so large and glittering with enormous diamonds.

Though out of all of the extravagance that was on display, it could not be denied that both duchess, and the sweet face of her daughter, might very well be the most beautiful of them all.



OOC: I hope this all makes sense, I didn't realize it was almost 3 in the morning when I was finishing this up for Aella's first post!
I've tagged all characters meant for this thread, but if you wish to join it, PM me first (only because I have a few ideas here in mind, and would prefer knowing who might want to join so I can keep things steered in a pretty consistent direction) Either way.. yeah...

BEHOLD THE OVERLY EXCESSIVE-NESS OF DUCHESS MELORA!

Drills were postponed for the day as word arrived at their camp of a grand festival being held in the neighboring village--oh, and that attendance was not optional, as the duchess Melora had decreed it so. It would have been a heinous insult for even the military to snub it!

While some of the seasoned soldiers groaned and groused, Faolán and many of the younger recruits celebrated. It was an excuse to get out of practice for a little while and just relax--and some of the other boys whispered about the village girls and plotted out the whirlwind romances and broken hearts they hoped to secure. (Or, at the very least, a quick romp in the hay somewhere, or a notch in someone's bedpost.)

Faolán was most excited about the lights and dancing, as silly as it was. And admittedly, he was a little nervous about there being so much nobility present. He only had two changes of clothing, so he chose the pair that was less dirty (which was the pair he hadn't just been practicing in) and washed his face, hands, and feet in the local stream before he changed. He used water to slick back his hair before he tied it back again, but his bangs flopped right back into his eyes in wet strands.

Oh well. At least it was more orderly now.

He had a go at polishing his boots, which really meant just scrubbing and picking all the mud off them, and then he was ready to go. Adjusting the belt around his tunic and buckling his sword on, he headed back to camp in time to leave for town with the rest of his company.

Hopefully he wouldn't make an utter fool of himself.



Upon entering, he was immediately dazzled by the decorations.

There was confetti everywhere, and flags, horns bellowing, dancers singing songs he recognized, and birds chattering away in cages. It felt like he had walked into another land, and when he saw the float...Ansgar's breath, was that what it was like to be royalty? Because that must be the duchess--no, she was too young. The daughter? He'd heard the celebration was being held in honor for a daughter, and...whoa.

His company dispersed when allowed, heading off to take full advantage of their leave, but Faolán remained rooted where he was, staring up at the float.

Dear Ansgar, I probably look like such a bumpkin, he thought, closing his mouth when he realized it was hanging open. And, alright, so he was. His own village was tiny, so tiny it hadn't made its way onto any maps he'd ever seen, and it had certainly had no festivals like this. It had been mind-blowing when he'd been into his first city, and this? This was another one of those moments. This blew everything else out of the water.

And suddenly, in the presence of all this pomp and beauty, he felt incredibly plain, became acutely aware of his worn clothes, and wished he'd maybe scrubbed his boots just a little longer.

Not that I'd even be noticed, anyway, he thought.

Especially not by someone like her.

As the parade came to pass, directly before the young lad, the very pretty youth, who was capturing his fancy, turned to look directly at him.  Her face, which had once adorned a smile, turned more genuine as her violet eyes sparkled to life and her cheeks gave way to the gentlest blush.

It was then, the tall knight, decked out in his full suit of arms (minus the helm), where his dark brown hair fell wildly about his face and shoulders, raised a single hand at the girl.  This knight, an obvious high ranking gentleman (notably, a General), stood forward from where he had once been standing behind Faolán in the crowd. He wore an equally jovial smile, one that seemed to seemed to chisel into his face quite handsomely.

It was at this motion that the Duchess herself turned her gaze towards them, and even wore a more appraising smile that lit her own violet eyes like jewels when she recognized the General from Allar.  She motioned, discretely, towards one of her servants and suddenly a man came passing into the crowd, paying no heed to the plain looking younger man as he pushed Faolán aside and approached the General with a bow.

"Sir, word from the Duchess," he said, handing over a sealed parchment.  "An invitation. Do not delay in a response."

But the General did delay in his response, paying only attention to the young man who had been cordially pushed aside for its delivery.

"Are you alright, lad?" he asked, purposely turning his back to the messenger, who know shuffled nervously when ignored.  "You should be more careful, festivities like this can cause a stampede of men you know. It's best not to get in the way." He chuckled politely, then turned to the messenger and nodded, finally accepting the letter. "Tell her I'll reply as promptly as I can," and with a bow, the messenger left. "Nobles." the general said with a laugh, then allowed his eyes to slide back down towards the younger gentlemen, whom, upon observing much earlier, he fancied that the boy hadn't seen such extravagance before.
"This is quite impressive, is it not?" Serenus commented. "But in all honesty, it's too extravagant for my tastes." His arms settled as they folded over his chest, but the smile on his face never left him as his eyes returned towards the fanfare as the parade continued to pass.

It seemed that no sooner had he thought that when she looked at him. She looked at him and smiled.

Warmth flooded Faolán's face, spreading clear to his ears. She'd noticed him. She--

He was still internally flailing, though on the outside he was frozen in awe, when someone abruptly shoved him out of the way. He gasped, stumbled, but regained his footing and spun around to face the person, mouth open and words on his tongue. "Hey, why don't you watch--!"

But they never made it further than that.

Because that was when he saw that the person who had pushed him was a servant, and the person the servant had passed him by to get to was a knight, decked out in full regalia.

Faolán shut his mouth so fast his teeth ached, swallowed the rest of the words, and turned back around with his shoulders hunched and one hand covering his face. Oh man. And when he heard, over the din of the crowd, exactly what that servant was saying, his mortification only increased. They were delivering a message to the knight from the duchess. Oh jeez. And he'd come so close to telling that guy off! He wanted to vanish into the crowd and started to edge away, but that was when the knight spoke up.

To him. Completely ignoring the servant.

"Huh, wha?" Faolán spun back around and made his best effort at looking calm and composed, looking back and forth between the knight and the servant and feeling a little ridiculous for drawing so much attention and flustered because the knight was paying attention to him before addressing the servant. He stared up at him, dumbstruck for a beat, before the man's words registered.

"Me? Oh, hah, yeah, I'm fine. Never better!" he said with a laugh, brushing himself off. "Takes a lot more than a little bump to knock me down." And then, remembering his place and just who he was speaking to, he jolted in alarm, straightened up, and snapped off a salute. "Er, I mean, I'll keep that in mind, sir! Thank you!"

The servant left, but the knight stayed, and as he continued, Faolán relaxed a little--and felt kind of dumb for getting flustered. It was just, man. So many important people all over the place. He'd never dreamed of brushing elbows with an all-out knight, and especially not one important enough to get the duchess's attention.

He nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's very impressive, sir. Honestly, I've never seen anything like it." He paused, staring ahead at the float. "She's really pretty."

Erk!

He threw up his hands. "Uh! I mean, it's really pretty! The festival, that is. All the decorations and stuff! Really fancy, that!"

Serenus chuckled.  The young lad reminded him of his son, Angsar rest his soul.

"Yes, she is very pretty, isn't she?" Serenus commented, his eyes remaining solely upon the float as it faded away, disappearing down the street while the last remnants of fanfare fluttered about.
"You know who she is, don't you boy?" the General asked, keeping a hand thoughtfully rested against his beard as he looked down at the young man.

"Keeping staring at her like that and the Duchess might have your head." His smile stretched to his eyes after he spoke his statement, appearing like a happy snake.  Chuckling, he then added,
"But I wouldn't fret. The duchess hardly has time for commoners." He looked down at the sealed letter and laughed dryly.  "If you ever become a General like me, you'd better know your way around politics." Again, the man laughed as he pocketed the letter. "For they can be more dangerous than games on the battle field."

It was about that time a man approached the General.

"General Serenus," the other knight saluted. "You are needed in the barracks."

Nodding his head, Serenus replied, "Fair enough. I'll be there shortly. Tell the men to wait.  Practice will commence once the parade has ended." The soldier nodded and was on his way. "Oh, to be a young and impatient soldier in training again," Serenus lightly commented beneath his voice with a light chuckle, though it was then his eyes returned most amused-ly to the young boy.

Faolán ducked his head, tearing his eyes away from the float. "Oh. Would she actually...do that?" he asked, blinking. "Just for looking?"

From the way the knight was smiling, he had the inkling that he was pulling his leg, but one could never be too sure. He'd heard stories growing up about the way nobility acted, and beheading someone for looking at their prized daughter didn't seem too far out of the realm of possibility. But he'd thought that, maybe, it was an exaggeration.

"Well, that's kinda extreme," he added with a frown, brow furrowed, and rubbed his neck. And then he just about choked at what the man said next.

A general.

Jeez. Next thing he knew and he'd be bumping shoulders with the Grand Duke himself with his luck!

Granted, this man, this...general...didn't seem super severe of anything. After the initial surprise, Faolán found himself relaxing again. There was something very laid back about him, and the way he delivered  the comment with a smile and a chuckle set him at ease. Or, well, more so than he had been; he was still a little worried about doing something epically stupid in front of him. His retainers would love hearing that he'd made a fool of their company in front of a general, he was sure!

But then, wasn't this whole occasion supposed to be all light and fun and whatnot? Even the general himself seemed more interested in the celebration than whatever business he had back at the barracks, so if he could get away with a little frivolity, surely he wouldn't be judged too severely today.

"I reckon that's why I'm a soldier, sir," Faolán said. "Don't got a head for politics or nothin'." He peered around the general and down the road where the float had gone, then looked back up at him. "Say, where are they going?"

"Probably staying as guests at the most expensive place here," Serenus replied lightly, then chuckled again and eyed the lad as he rubbed his chin. "A soldier, eh?" Eyeing him up, he then remarked. "Fresh blood, are ya boy? I see no suit of arms. Are you in training? You do seem rather young, so I suppose it would be fitting."

Turning away from the boy, he watched the tail end of the parade and shrugged.
"Say, if you're a soldier, shouldn't you be training?" he eyed the boy suspiciously, but then gave another laugh. "But don't worry about it, I'm sure the regiments here are on holiday, busy enjoying themselves for this occasion." He smirked over it, rubbing his chin again. "Though, if you want to see what real knights do, why don't you come swing by the barracks? I wouldn't mind getting a chance to show a novice a thing or two with a sword. Most of the men I train tend to be hardened already, and have become veteran shoulders and have no one left to spar but me."  Serenus laughed at that.

"But there I go, boosting my own ego, but whose to say?" he shrugged. "It's not entirely my fault I can't be bested in battle." He turned to the boy and smirked, knowing those types of tales always wet the appetites of new recruits.  And, even though it was evident he was not from his own duchy, a soldier for Connlaoth was a soldier, indeed! Even one in training should be seen as a valuable asset.  After all, the men who join are willing to give their lives, no matter how young.

His son knew that far too well... though the family had made him a grave stone, his remains would lie in an unmarked grave, out on a battle field, far, far away.

"Whoa, really?" That got Faolán's attention, and any nervousness he'd felt at being eyed up and down, and lightly berated for not being at training, faded when the man made his offer. Though what did he mean by that bit concerning the other soldiers having no one else to spar? He couldn't honestly be suggesting that he, a total novice, spar against some hardened soldiers, could he?

Because that just sounded embarrassing.

And painful.

Still, it was an offer he couldn't pass up! To get a demonstration from a knight--and a famous one, from the sounds of it!--was a once in a lifetime sort of chance. Though, of course, he was not about to admit that he didn't know who this man was; that would be rude, and he'd been teased enough about his lack of knowledge. Hell, he didn't even know who the current Grand Duke was before he'd enlisted! Oh, the woes of coming from a tiny, rural village.

"I'd love to! If you don't mind, of course. That'd be amazing! Oh, uh, I'll just have to tell my captain and everything but I'm sure he won't mind! I mean, you being a great knight and all," Faolán said, and it was a trial and a half to contain his excitement. He was hardly paying attention to the parade anymore, so caught up in the moment.

"So yeah! Anytime! Oh, uh, I'm Faolán by the way. Faolán Ruane."

"Shall we go now then?" Serenus inquired, staring down at the boy and smiling at his enthusiasm. "You can take notes on how the real knights train, and perhaps, if you're lucky, I can have one of the knights, or even myself, show you a few techniques before you go."

He stared over towards the barracks.
"Unless you have other plans, you can follow or meet me at the barracks. I'll be stationed in the training barracks on the North branch.  Though I'm afraid I may have to read into the duchess's wishes, but training is an important part of our daily lives. Soldiers should be prepared for anything," he studied the boy, rubbing his chin before adding. "Even on holidays."

OOC: I can move them into the barracks on my next post~
figure once they get there, might be fun to have the duchess and (possibly) Aella stop by for a brief visit :3

"Ah! I'd love to! I've no plans!" Faolán said, grinning ear to ear with excitement, and though he was curious to see the rest of the festival, he knew this would be invaluable. This was a once in a lifetime chance! He would be daft to pass it up! "Thank you so much, sir!"

It was an effort not to bounce in place, anxious to get going. "In fact, I can go right now!" No one would miss his presence; the rest of his regiment was probably out getting drunk and seducing ladies by now. He'd be back in plenty of time to return to camp.

Serenus chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm.
"That's very good to hear, then perhaps we shall go now."
The general did not delay as he lead the boy towards the North Branch, the noises of grunting men, steel against steel and men shouting drills filled the air as they walked through the long, stone hall.

"My men will only be here briefly, but it seems they've already made themselves at home," Serenus commented, another chuckle escaping his lips as he lead the boy onward through the maze like barracks and stopped before a wooden door as he fishe out an iron key.  Unlocking it, the door was pushed open as the general stepped inside.  It was here, he grabbed a pair of swords and tossed one, while it was in it's sheath, of course, to the young lad.

"Here, catch," he said with a smirk.
"Why dont' you and I have a fun little spar on our own, hrm? It's not every day I get to play with fresh meet." the general stated with a laugh. "But don't yo u worry, I used to love training the new recruits.  It was rather fun, but I'm normally needed elsewhere."
He paused to consider the duchess's letter- but then gestured for the boy to follow.

"Come." And he lead the boy into one of the back corners of the room. The place was empty, so no audience would be there to entertain themselves watching the general teach the young boy.

"So, Faolán, was it?" he said, chuckling again as he drew out his sword and stared at it.  "They say a knight's true power comes from his heart." he took the blade, then cut it quickly across the air, the noise rung in a single note that hummed between them.  "They say, however, that a sword can be of equal importance." the man chuckled, pointing the blade at the boy and nodded.

"Draw your weapon and we can begin.  It is wise to assume a stance you are comfortable with, balls of your feet normally lifted slightly off the ground, toes curled into your boots to ensure quick, but steady motions."  Serenus demonstrated with a few quick moves, dancing about and cutting the air with his sword.

"See, how natural and fluid my arms move? You need to think of the sword as an extension of your own body. Go ahead and give it a try. I'd like to see how you feel with a sword in your hands."


The general stood back, resting the tip of his blade into the stone flooring beneath them as he watched the boy with interest.
"Remember posture and timing, and keep yourself always in a mobile position, ready to block or thrust your sword if necessary.  Most knights carry shields, but some can do just as well with only a sword in his hands."

He nodded, and waited for the boy to comply.

Faolán followed Serenus, mostly quiet because it was difficult to talk and gape at the same time. Never in his life had he dreamed of being someplace like this, where all the elite--knights and generals and such--were, getting tips from a real knight. All that time, he had been so busy with training and chores and, well, getting attacked by monsters that he hadn't really had a chance to think of the future. Being a knight? That sounded like a really impressive, amazing, glamorous thing that he thought he might like to be.

So lost was he in his thoughts and dreams that he didn't even know the sword it was coming at him until it was practically on him. With a gasp, he caught it, fumbled it, and almost dropped it, but he righted it at the last moment and willed away his blush. Hopefully Serenus hadn't noticed.

He followed Serenus into the back of the room and looked around for a spot to set his own sword (well, his father's sword, actually), which was buckled to his belt. Maybe Serenus just wanted him to use one of his own swords for the purposes of training, which was fine by him! Made sense; the training swords would be blunted, right? He set his own sword down, sheath and all, by the wall before returning to Serenus and drawing the sword he'd been given.

Its weight was different, heavier, than the one he was used to and he had to compensate as a result. He listened as the man spoke, nodding to show he understood, eyes never leaving him as he demonstrated. Shifting his weight, he slid into a comfortable stance, legs shoulder-width apart with his right foot slid forward and body angled. He'd been taught that much already; always present your opponent with the smallest target. He bounced lightly on the balls of his feet and get the feel for his position and let his free hand trail behind him and out of the way, slightly lifted to aid in balance.

He had this part down.

It was the actual fighting part, the sparring, that tripped him up. He had a tendency to want to shy away from the blows and hadn't quite got the timing thing down.

He swished his sword in the air, the motion far more clumsy, and far slower, than Serenus's. "I think a shield sounds like a pretty good idea, personally," he said as he tried to mimic Serenus's movements. "I heard it's good for bashing people in the head if ya lose your sword. I mean, uh, aside from shielding yourself, of course!"

One of the soldiers had told that story one night, about how he'd gone up against some bandits and been disarmed, but managed to defeat the rest with just his shield. Faolán thought that sounded rather impressively heroic.

Serenus witnessed the boy's attempts in silence, the smile never leaving his face.  Though, at his final comment about the shield, Serenus's grin grew twice as wide.
"Ah, clever boy," he said, stepping forward. "But a mastery of all elements will be necessary in becoming a knight. You seem to hold back when you swing with your sword." Serenus moved beside the boy and moved his arm along the boy's, positioning his arm and showing him the motions. "You need not be stiff about it, for any faulty movement could prove fatal."

Stepping aside he nodded. "You need to make every action you do count. What if I were to be coming at you with the intents on killing you? Will you waiver? And then what? A sword and shield might be too late, a heavy blow from a well trained opponent could kill you lad, now, pick up your sword and let's try this again. This time.." the General smirked. "I'll come at you."

The boy had been right that the blades had been blunted, but could still do some heavy damage if it were to hit you (bruises and broken bones, really) and so he pulled away, stood in position and nodded towards Faolán.

"Are you ready to parry my attacks? In doing so, it will help you gain confidence. Now pay close attention to my blade," he drew it out, moving it about in a circle about the air very slowly before pointing the blunted tip at his student.

"Remember, eye on the sword," the general said, then moved at him, quick as lightning, just as Duchess Melora appeared at the door.

Okay, he could do this! He had this! Eyes on Serenus's sword, Faolán readied his own blade to parry and relaxed his stance. Don't be so stiff, right. Don't hold back. Okay, he had this! Besides, it wasn't like the knight would go like all out on someone green at him, right?

The blade came at him, quicker than he expected, and he swung his blade down to block the thrust--and that was when another motion caught his eye, just behind Serenus.

He shouldn't have looked. He should have kept his focus, blocked out all other distractions, but it was enough. It drew his eye--and then he faltered.

Holy God, that was the--!

The blade glanced off his own and slid right past his lousy defense, striking him in the arm, and with a yelp he dropped his sword and clutched the sore spot. It wasn't a direct hit; it was more of a graze. But blunted or not, it still hurt, and he was sure to get a nasty bruise.

"Ow, shiii--!" He remembered, abruptly, that the duchess was there and bit his tongue to cut off the word, face flushing. Yikes.

"Faolán!" the captain growled.  "You need to remain focused. You could sustain more injuries than that bruise you're going to face tomorrow. Remember, you're training to be in real combat.  It will mean the difference between life and death."

Then, bowing, Serenus continued, "But perhaps we shall have to continue this at another time." The captain gave a quick laugh between a twitch in his lips as he turned around to address the Duchess of Hellvion.

"My lady, a welcome surprise," His face wrinkled into a smile as he approached, took her hand and kissed it with airs.
The Duchess's smile grew wide like a cats as her eyes narrowed over at the young boy.

"He looks young. Perhaps only Aella's age," the Duchess commented.
"Aye," Serenus confirmed, nodding towards him.  "I saw him at the festival and wanted to show a new warrior what for. After all, all I ever see these days are politics and battle fields."

He turned to the duchess and it was evident both wear their smiling masks well.

"Well, it is a high responsibility to be a Captain to a Duke," she informed him, strolling to his side, just enough to expose her daughter, Aella behind her. 

Aella had kept her gaze lowered until she was spoken to, then soft, violet eyes were raised across the room as she smiled at Serenus as he reached out and took her hand as well, kissing it lightly.

"A pleasure to see you, my lady," he spoke.
"As always, Captain," Aella said, smiling softly at him, then followed SErenus's gaze as he moved to introduce the boy. Even though he might appear a nobody, he was still in the presence of nobles.

"This is one of the many brave knights in training. His name is Faolán. He and I were enjoying the festivities earlier today and have been practicing vigilantly in order to maintain the idea of a peaceful life and world, that of which we live in, to preserve it for future generations to perhaps they too, might have a Lighting of the Lake ceremony some day for their children."

He gestured to Faolán to greet the royals, and had to smirk, wandering how the child would do in front of the famous.


Though it was the Duchess who made a noise at first.
"Yes, introductions can wait, but my invitation can not-" she began impatiently, but it seemed her daughter didn't quite catch her tone as Aella moved forward and curtsied towards the young man.

"How do you do. It is an honor to meet one of the brave knights for our country," she said in earnest, extending her hand for him to take as a gentle blush graced her cheeks. ANd i twas indeed, easy to see how the rumors were spread- for up close and personal, Aella appeared the picture of perfect.

Ohgodohgodohgod.

Faolán could have curled up and did right there. He was just a country kid! He had never once anticipated being around so many important people--at least not this soon while he was a nobody! And then for those important people to see him making a fool of himself? Hoo boy.

Still rubbing his arm, he smiled politely at the duchess and gave an awkward bow when she acknowledged him--the breathed a sigh of relief when she turned her attention back to Serenus. Oh good. While they talked important talk, he could just...stand there. Making himself small and unimportant so he didn't have to answer any awkward questions or look like a dolt!

Or so he thought.

Because that was when he saw that the duchess wasn't alone. The girl was there. The pretty girl he'd sighted earlier! And suddenly, the situation grew about ten times more awkward as Serenus brought the conversation back around to him again. Either the man was oblivious to his discomfort or he was doing this on purpose. He couldn't tell which.

The guy certainly was making him sound a lot more impressive than he felt! Which would have been flattering were they alone, but right then was kind of mortifying. After Serenus finished speaking, Faolán didn't respond at first, just stood there blankly with an awkward smile on his face. Then he realized, if belatedly, that he should probably be saying or doing something (give the expectant pause!) and gave a jerk of alarm. He opened his mouth to speak, but the duchess cut in.

Which was good because then he didn't have to make a fool of himself, but also a little...ouch. Because maybe the fact that she'd cut in meant that he already had.

It was the girl that rescued him.

She wasn't the only one blushing, because when she greeted him and then held out her hand, Faolán felt hit cheeks heat. Up close, she was even prettier than when he'd seen her from afar, and when he took her hand in his, he found it surprisingly soft, quite different from his calloused palm. His throat felt tight as, shyly, he met her eyes. What did one say to nobility? She didn't look much older than he was, but she was still important, powerful...

Beautiful.

He cleared his throat and hoped she couldn't feel that he hand was lightly shaking. "It's...the pleasure's all mine, m'lady," he said. "You honor me." And then, on an impulse and remembering how Serenus had greeted her, he lifted her hand and kissed it.

The thought hit him while his lips were still on her skin that ohgodmaybehewasn'tsupposedtodothat.

Her mother was right there.

And Serenus was nobility! Or something! He didn't know much about nobility or anything, but didn't nobles like...chop peoples' heads off for less?!

He froze, his eyes widened, and then he quickly straightened. "I...my apologies, m'lady!"

Duchess Melora's eyes crept sorely over the boy, her demeanor growing most sore.  But when the boy reared back, alarmed to have KISSED her daughter's hand so, she was surprised (but also not) to hear Serenus laugh full heartily at the endeavor.

"Now, now, lad, think nothing of it. Any man who would aspire to such graces would do the same. It is only proper, though perhaps the Duchess and I ought to step aside for a moment to chat-" and before Melora knew it, she was being guided away, protesting- "Yes, but my daughter," and in a huff,s he was silenced as Serenus continued as they disappeared into another room, leaving Aella to stand there, blinking and not quite knowing what to do.

She was a girl who obeyed every order of her mother, but is seemed she was lead off by social entrapment, and not very far off indeed, for she could still hear her speaking on the other side of the hall before her violet eyes moved to meet with Faolán's. And she blushed, lowering her eyes and curtsied again.
"I suppose I ought to follow my mother," she began. Then moved swiftly away, catching only a small glance back towards the night before disappearing into the hall.

Faolán watched the girl leave, frowning.

"Bye," he muttered, wiggling his fingers in a wave.

He really wished he could have gotten to talk with her more, but of course royalty wouldn't want to stick around peasantry like him! And come to think of it, he couldn't blame her. What noble girl would feel comfortable around a soldier-in-training, fresh out of the village?

Still, it would have been fun to talk to a pretty noble girl--carefully, so he didn't get in trouble with her mum!

With a loud sigh, Faolán picked up his sword again and started to go through the sets Serenus had shown him. May as well make use of his time! Gave him something to put his mind to, instead of wondering what it was they were talking about.

Aella had wanted to join her mother, but upon hearing her talking to Serenus on more.. er.. private matters, she drew back, a blush across her cheeks. She wasn't sure if she ought to intervene, and felt embarrassed for it and hung about in the hallway, eventually her ears catching onto the boy practicing in the other room. Curiously, she headed back down the hall, peering out from the side and watching him swing about his sword, mesmerized by his movements. Even though each swing was a bit clumsy, after a time, she found herself gently smiling. It was his determination that intrigued her. That, and he looked kind of cute with his hair getting all sweaty and clinging about his forehead.

The more Faolán practiced, the easier it got, and before long he had worked up a good sweat and gotten really into it. He imagined himself as facing off with an imaginary enemy, and decided that that enemy was the monster that had attacked and wounded him not long ago. This time he'd slay it! Or at least in this fantasy. And then hopefully if he ever came across it for reals he'd have the guts and learning to make it pay.

He could practically see its dripping fangs and smell its musty fur as he whirled and parried and thrust, attacking air. "Hah! Stupid beast! Thought you'd come back for the rest of me, did ya?! Well too bad!" He swung at the air where its imaginary head was. "This time, it's not me that's gonna crawl away missing pieces! Now die a thousand deaths ya bloody-ass--oh!"

That was when he caught sight of the girl, and he nearly fell over his own feet in alarm. He did drop the sword, and it fell to the ground in a clatter.

"O-oh! M...m'lady!" His cheeks were on fire, burning down his neck and clear up to his ears. He scrambled to pick up the sword, fumbling it. "I, uh...I didn't see you there, um..."

He managed a sheepish smile and wiped his sweaty bangs from his face. "...How long were you standing there?"

Aella blushed the moment she was spotted, tucking in her lower lip to try to hide her smile, but the dimples were already there. Her violet eyes sparkled with mirth, and to answer his question, she was honest.
"Enough to witness you slaying the beast," she said, placing a hand over her lips in hopes to stifle a laugh, but a giggle still escaped from behind it.

Faolán's blush deepened, and for a moment he wanted to just sink into the ground. "...Oh." Oh Ansgar. He must have looked--and sounded!--like such an idiot! And all in front of a princess. Well, a duchess's daughter. Were they called princesses? Same difference, to him!

Shuffling his feet, he scratched the back of his neck and managed a weak laugh. "Ahaha...yeah. It's, uh...it's pretty dead now, m'lady! Dead as a doornail. Won't be getting back up again! So you've got nothing to fear!" he said, and pretended to nudge the 'beast' with the toe of his boot.

"Yup. Dead. So, ah, you don't gotta hide back there anymore. It's safe!"

Aella's smile had grown sheepish, but it quickly brightened as his reply. She took a timid step into the room, observing him, then to the 'dead beast' a moment, before lifting her violet eyes back to his face.
"Do you mind if I wait in here with you?" she peered curiously over her shoulder towards the hallway she had just come from. It seemed her mother and that knight were busy. "I haven't much else to do, and it was fun watching you practice. I never have much time to watch how the knight's of Connlaoth practice, so if you wouldn't mind, I could sit quietly over here?" She gestured to one of the waiting chairs that sat off to the side of the room.

"Huh? Oh, no, m'lady! I don't mind!" Faolán said with a smile, and it was true. Quite the contrary! He was thrilled that she wanted to hang around him, much less watch him. It made him feel interesting--and it was really, really flattering that such a pretty, important girl was even giving a simple backwater soldier-in-training like him the time of day.

Problem was, after all that swinging about, he was really starting to feel the effects of his training. His arms and back had grown sore and he felt awfully hot--though now he wasn't so sure how much of that was from all the practice and how much of it was from being in the same room as this girl.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah...though if it's okay, m'lady, I'd like to take a little breather. But you don't have to go! You can stay and we can maybe...uhm...talk?"

Aella remained standing, admiring the sweetness of his sweaty face. There was something about a man, even a young man, that seemed almost heroric when his hair was slicked in sweat, as was the clothes upon his body. At his words, however, she merely smiled and nodded.
"That would be fine. You must work really hard. I heard General Serenus is a very good trainer."

"Oh, he is! I only just met him, and he sure put me to work!" Faolán said, beaming. "He sounds awfully smart and heroic. Really, I feel awfully lucky to have bumped into him, though..."

He ground the toe of his boot into the floor. "Y'know, I guess I have you to thank for all that. If I hadn't come to see the festival, I wouldn't have run into him. And then I got to meet you, too! Which is really pretty neat..."

Aella blushed lightly at the comment, her smile still ever sweet.
"Oh, yes the festival." she looked away, tucking some blonde hair away from her face, before looking down at her feet, feet that were hidden behind layers and layers of skirts. Her cheeks dimpled as she tried to repress her smile, but it was there anyway.
"Yes, it was my mother's idea." She lifted her gaze, violet eyes going to him thoughtfully. "Do you plan to attend the lighting ceremony? It will be tomorrow night, after the moon rises. The whole town is encouraged to come to the lake.  I think it will be lovely. The lake will look like the sky, the floating lantern's like stars upon the water." Her eyes shined at the idea.

Faolán nodded vigorously. "Of course! I wouldn't miss it!" he said, tucking a stray strand of hair behind his ear. "It sounds pretty amazing. Why, back where I come from, we sure didn't have anything like all this. Small village, ya know? Course, we also didn't have a lake nearby or anything..."

He winced, realizing how stupid that must have sounded, and continued on in an effort to cover it up. "Does this happen every year?"

Aella smiled brightly at his enthusiasm. "I can't wait to see it. To see the floating candles will be heavenly. But it's all in honor to celebrate beauty. My mother always stresses the importance of beauty and the wealth within it and how it enhances our lives. It is a subtle thing, like a tree. It takes years for a tree to grow, but when we see it, if it grows just right, we are stunned by it. ANd some produce beautiful, sweet apples, while others, pears. They are all unique and beautiful in their own right, and this festival is meant to celebrate all such things. Though.. my mother.."S he giggled now, but then looked cautiously about, as if worried someone might over hear.. (like her mother) before she leaned in a bit closer towards Faolán and whispered, "Though my mother prides herself in the beauty of body above all else. She says it is very important for ladies to appear lovely, as it is our natural duty. We are to be lovely enough to catch a husband and then make beautiful children." She wrinkled her nose as she gave a playful smile. "While I believe it is all well and lovely, I think a mind should be just as beautiful. Not everyone can be born perfect. And beauty comes in many forms." But then she sighed, looking back over her shoulder again, her cheeks ripe with a blush before she turned back to the boy with a smile. "Though I am happy to be celebrating this. And I intend to celebrate it in my own way. I just hope my mother will allow me to purchase a candle. I'd very much like to participate, too, even, though I am meant to be participating as eh um... what would you call it? One of the beauties, I guess." She then realized she was rambling some and drew back, hands clasped before her as she lowered her gaze sheepishly.
"Will you be buying a floating candle, Faolán ?"

Faolán listened to her description of the festival and the symbolism behind it, and he had to admit he was impressed. That was all so...well, deep. He wasn't much of a thinker himself, as he never really had time for it, what with training and even before it all the antics he got up to back home--didn't really give him much time to breathe!--but she was certainly right, and it was all really lovely, the way she put it...

Then she got to the part about girls making babies and looking pretty for their husbands and he gave a little shudder and a grimace. Eugh. That did not sound fun or pleasant at all, and once again he was reminded of how happy he was to be in the military.

Then came that final question.

A fierce, fiery blush rose to his cheeks at her question, and he pointedly avoided meeting her eyes and stared down at the ground as though it were the most intriguing thing there.

"Well, ah, I suppose it wouldn't be very fun if I didn't buy a candle and participate and stuff..." he said, voice trailing off at the end, before glancing back up at her. "I mean, that would sure be a poor sport thing to do! And you deserve lotsa candles! Er...I mean...well..." Ack! Subject change!

"So! Hey! You said you wanted to buy a candle! Who'd you wanna buy one for?"

"Well, to be honest, I had a few ideas. I always thought of my mother as beautiful, I'd want to let her know that, but in the same thought, I'd want my candle to go out to the people." her eyes went distant, her smile broadening over the idea as she lifted a curled hand to her lips. "For everyone in this whole country makes the world work, like an intricate network. We all live here together, work here together, and make Connlaoth what it is. It's a beautiful thing to consider, even features like the forests and the mountains. Connlaoth in itself is beautiful. But.. I don't know.." she turned away, tucking back a smile and some hair as she clasped her hands sheepishly behind her back. "It probably sounds so silly. My mother says my ideas can be silly sometimes."

"That don't sound silly!" Faolán said, frowning. "That sounds really, well...really noble! And really sweet."

And really selfless. Here he was tripping over his tongue around her and acting like some stupid boy, and there she was thinking about home and country and grand things like that. Gah. He really was a backwater country kid, but he'd lived all his life cut off from the big picture. Made since that a duchess's daughter would have to think about more than just herself.

Getting a little bold, he leaned in closer to Aella and lowered his voice. "Besides," he said, "it's not like your mum has to know, right?"

Aella flushed over the idea. Not tell her mother? She was mortified by the idea.
"Oh! I couldn't possibly -norwouldwantto hide something like that from her. She would have to approve!" Aella said in a rush of words. "I mean, she would be standing beside me during the event after all. " She then smiled over the idea, still a bit uneasy over it as she gave a soft laugh. "She might be upset to realize I've done something without her permission, and that would ruin the meaning behind it."

Faolán tilted his head, frowning. "But why wouldn't she approve of something like that? It doesn't hurt nothin'..."

Aella only stared at him. She wasn't entirely sure how to answer, and because of it, her cheeks gave way to a blush. She dropped her gaze.
"I.. well, it's just my mother does not like me doing silly things. As a lady, I have to maintain the way a lady is perceived." She shuffled about, still uneasily over the question as she idly rubbed at one arm.

Faolán gaped. He had found his own parents overbearing, and had always been rather rebellious in their eyes, but compared to the way Aella described her mother? They were tame. Sure, they had a lot of expectations for him that he didn't want to fulfill, always dreaming of something different, something greater, forging his own path and all that. And sure he had always felt stifled--there had been many an argument and a many a switching as a result.

But what Aella described?

It sounded utterly joyless.

"But...you're just..." She didn't look much older than him. He shook his head. "Are you allowed any fun?"

Aella blinked. She wasn't sure how to reply to such a question. It seemed absurd. So after a time, she closed her eyes and gave a beautiful smile and laugh.
"But of course. This morning's festivities were quite fun. My mother has a lot of wonderful ideas. We get to travel a lot, all over Connlaoth, so I get to meet a lot of interesting people."
but when they weren't traveling...
well, the boy hadn't asked about that.

That still sounded an awful lot like things her mother liked to do, and Faolán found himself feeling increasingly baffled and horrified--and frustrated for her. She didn't seem able to say a thing without mentioning her mother! And that her mother might not even let her participate in her own ceremony, and instead was going to make her just be one of the 'beauties', was just absurd! It was her ceremony! She should be able to celebrate it her way!

"But...but what about you?" he said, and by then he had completely forgotten his place and completely forgotten exactly who he was talking to. He had forgotten that this was a duchess's daughter; right then, she was just a girl no older than him. "What do you like to do? Just you. Not your mother."

Aella was baffled as well. His question made her stare and grow silent. She didn't know how to answer him, and suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable over it before her mind fluttered towards things she did when her mother was away.

"Well I er... I'm with my mother a lot. It's that she cares for me, and we are close." Or so she felt.
"But when she's not around, I do enjoy reading, or walking around the gardens. I practice music. I'm very good on a piano or the harp, though my mother says I need some practice. And I do love going for a stroll, though most of the time my mother likes to come with me. So I rarely have to go n those alone, though when I do, it's normally in our gardens. And sometimes I do like to paint..."
Though she trailed off on that thought, realizing she hadn't painted any more.. because of her mother.

"Oh..." Faolán furrowed his brow. Maybe it was just because he was uncultured and whatnot, and maybe it was because he didn't know the first thing about playing an instrument or how to read, but...

"That sounds awfully lonely," he said, because those all sounded like the sorts of things one did on their own.

Aella grew quiet at the comment. She didn't know what to say. Because, after she thought of it a moment, she realized, it was.

"Well, I hardly notice," she said after a moment. "It's just how I pass the time when I have a free moment to myself." When she wasn't being groomed, paraded around or other wise.

OOC: Ugh, sorry post is lame and probably repetitive :T
I should really go to bed >>
*posts anyways*

"Don'tcha got any friends?" Faolán asked, and then froze, realizing abruptly who he was talking to, and that maybe he had gone too far.

His face colored, heating up clear to his ears, and he ducked his head. "Ah...I mean...I'm sorry, m'lady...I don't mean to, uh...I don't wanna insult or anything, I'm sure ya got tons, of course!"

Before Aella got a chance to respond, she tensed at the sound of her mother.
"Where's Aella!?" the voice came harshly from down the hall. "AELLA!?" then there was a slam of the door, softer words coming from General Serenus and the approaching footsteps.

Aella visibly tensed, freezing up and having no idea what to do, shock and fear evident on her face, and before she knew it, the door swung open wider as her mother, the Duchess of Hellvion, stepped into the room with a heavy click of her heels. And she paused, mouth open as if ready to strike out a few words when her eyes met upon Faolán.
She set her jaw, rage brewing in the depths of her eyes as she snapped. "What is the meaning of this!?"

The words prodded Aella to speak up as she stammered, "Oh, mother! I did not wish to interfere with your private conversations with the General so I thought-"
Her mother harshly grabbed her wrists, drawing her daughter near.

"You thought what? Aella, you know it is unwise to leave my side, especially in the presence of commoners. And your duty lies to your mother!" she hissed, keeping her close. "Perhaps there was too much activity for you today. We will go to the manor house and let you rest before night fall." Then Duchess Melora turned sharply on her heels, eyes narrowing like a hawks as she studied the boy. "You could be hung for less," she warned him with a hiss.
And it was then General Serenus interfered, daring to laugh in the duchess's face.

"Duchess Melora, they are but children. It only makes sense our boring conversation forced your daughter to seek temporary companionship with someone more close to her age."
The Duchess gave the General a dark glare as she held on tightly to her daughter, it hurting Aella's arm, but the girl saying nothing. It took every ounce of energy for Aella not to cry, but her face was getting red ad her violet eyes were sparkling with the threat anyways.

"If I asked for your opinion, General, we'd be going to war," then she nodded her head rigidly to him and cast a nasty glare in Faolán's direction.  "Just remember your place, soldier. This is the daughter of a duke you fraternize with and you are to keep your distance at all time."

"Oh, but mother he did. We were only-" and as Aella spoke, her mother gave a sharper grip of her arm as Aella gave a cry of alarm.

"Silence, my daughter! You must be tired. We'll leave immediately for the manner," Melora said, then bowed rigidly a second time to the General. "Have a good day, sir. I hope Duke Calent remains well." And she cast one more nasty glare back to Faolán before dragging Aella off.

When Aella's mother burst into the room, Aella wasn't the only one that froze in horror. Then, realizing how close he was standing to the girl, Faolán jerked and took a step backwards, and quickly bowed, because panic had set in and that just seemed the right thing to do!

Of course, it was too little too late as the woman began her tirade, and Faolán had no choice but to fall into horrified silence and weather it, watching the interaction between mother and daughter as it played out in such a surreal manner. And the threat?

He was so grateful for Serenus's intervention. The woman was angry enough, part of him felt she might actually order it done.

When she was finally gone, Faolán realized, with a spark of shame, that he was trembling and his heart was pounding. It wasn't all fear, though that was definitely there--he'd never been threatened like that before, much less by someone so powerful, someone who could actually enact that threat, and it all at once made him feel small and vulnerable, made him realize his position and how dangerous that had been. But wasn't fear that made him set his jaw and clench his hands into fists; it was anger.

When they were alone again, Faolán let out a shaky breath that he hadn't realized he was holding.

"What a horrible woman," he said, under his breath like he was still afraid of her hearing even though the door was closed and her footsteps had faded. He couldn't forget the look on Aella's face; she had looked ready to cry, and he couldn't blame her. That woman was a terror. Aella didn't look tired at all, and they had just been talking! Her mother, on the other hand...

He recalled her hand on the girl's arm, fingers whitening, and Aella's alarmed cry.

She was hurting her, and Aella looked scared of her. It all made sense, considering their conversation, the way she couldn't go a sentence without mentioning the woman, her lonely activities, how she never mentioned any friends...that woman was a bully, beating her own daughter into submission and not caring a wink what she had to say on the matter.

Shifting from one foot to the other, Faolán rubbed at one arm without realizing that it was the same arm Melora had gripped on Aella. "She was hurting her."

And he hadn't even gotten to say goodbye.

The General set his jaw, knowing full well the young boy was upset. He couldn't completely treat Faolán like a soldier yet, tell him to man up and ignore it. This was politics, plain and simple. And you did what you were told.

"It's best not to worry on the affairs of the nobles, lad," the General began, a hand lightly resting upon the hilt of his sword and his usual easy grin upon his face. "Their world is far different than our own. Spend too long a day amongst it, you might feel like a trapped animal." And he gave a laugh, tossing back his head before shaking it and looking the young man over. "I'm sure it's anger you feel. But know their world works different than our own. The Duchess can do as she pleases. But you, on the other hand, you'll soon belong to the knighthood yourself, and your orders will come from a different hierarchy altogether." His eye scanned the boy.  "As much as it seems peculiar and unjust to us, that girl's mother is just naturally over protective. Being her only child, Aella is the only heir for all of the duchy of Hellvion. It's best not to think more on it. Come, perhaps another sparing match would sooth your mind? " He gave a smirk. "It's not like every day a young knight such as yourself gets the opportunity to train with me." ANd he laughed about that, the laughter being course, like his voice, but carrying easily, like his spirit.

"I thought you were kidding when you said she'd kill just for lookin' at her daughter..." Faolán said, still a little shaken. It was very, very clear that the world of nobles was an entirely different and scary one--and one that made no sense. He guessed he had always figured it was more...glamorous. From where he was standing, though, it looked rather savage and unkind. "It's just so stupid."

With a deep breath in and let out slowly through his nose, Faolán rolled his shoulders to ease the tension out of them and picked up his sword. He was still angry; he didn't like to see anyone treated like that, and Aella was so nice and thoughtful! She didn't deserve that. She deserved friends and people who actually cared what she thought and didn't call her ideas stupid.

Argh!

He shook his head and, with another slow breath, loosened his grip on his sword when he realized he was squeezing the life out of it. "I'm sorry, sir. I'll...I'll try and forget about it," he said, and added with a polite bow, "This really is a blessed opportunity, and I seriously appreciate it, sir."

He slid into position and raised his sword into a defensive stance. He couldn't see what the man found so funny about all this--it wasn't funny at all to him!--but he was right. Another match might do well to clear his head, and at the very least it would provide a healthy outlet for his frustration.

The General gave a good hearted laugh at Faolán's concerns and honest opinions of politics (and more notably, the Duchess's over protective nature of her daughter).
"Just be glad you don't live in their world, Faolán," the General began with a grin. "Politics are like a tricky game of Chess. There are always ways to bend and break the rules, and always ways to cheat and get the upper hand. It's all about who is the most powerful..." His smirk twitched. "And the most cunning."

Then nodding his head, he accepted Faolán's thanks.
"You have a noble heart and good spirit, boy. Focus that on the task ahead, for you will need it in all of your endeavors as a knight." Then he noticed the boy's stance and his eyes lit up. "So I see you are ready." He carefully slid out his blade. "This time I won't go as easy on you. Focus your strength, and not necessarily your anger. Learn how to hone that in and take quick, concise cuts. Now.." he tossed back his cape and stood at the defensive as well. "Pretend I'm that Duchess." he said with a laugh. "Take out all of your anger on me, but keep it focused." He narrowed his gaze upon the boy, grip tightening about the hilt of his sword. "Let's see what you can do."
And then he struck out, goading Faolán into the first attack.

Faolán's eyes lit up at that, and he actually laughed, surprised that instead of scolding him for saying such things, he was joking with him. Pretend he was the Duchess?

Now that was something he could get behind!

Grinning, he shook his head. "Alright, Duchess. Meet your doom!"

So instead of visualizing some monstrous beast as he had while he'd practiced, he visualized another monster--Aella's mother. Part of him felt a little guilty for it, because he didn't really want to hurt her or any other person, yet when he remembered the things she'd said and added some new layers to it bu picturing her terrorizing her daughter, it kind of surprised him how easy it came to him.

Serenus struck out and Faolán parried, then swept in under his blade with a thrust at his middle.

Serenus was surprised at the clean and precise actions of Faolán's swings. His grin grew wider as he guarded himself with a grunt and pushed the blade away.

"That's it lad, keep at it! But stay focused, keep a steady grip on your blade, though keep it loose, like a quill. Then come at me again. Focus your energies. What do you seek to protect? What sort of honor do you uphold? Focus that within your blade and come at me again!"

It was amazing what a few good pointers could do. Faolán was not anywhere near decent--he was still a painfully obvious beginner. But with Serenus's tips, his form had improved, and that made a difference, even if he didn't yet have the strength, speed, skill, or technique down.

Endurance was another thing he'd have to work on.

Breathing fast, he managed a quick nod in response to Serenus's words and came at him again. He tried not to think about his sore, tiring muscles and instead focused on the opportunity he was being given--and why he wanted it to begin with. He wanted to be a knight; he wanted nothing more than to protect his family and by extension his country, to get to travel and save people and be a hero and taste the sort of freedom he could never taste if he remained home.

After a few thrusts and parries, he swung a little too high at Serenus, growing a little careless as he grew more tired.

Serenus could sense the boy was getting tired, and careless... but that was all apart of the training. When the boy swung too high, he cracked his sword heavily against Faolán's in attempts to knock the sword clean out of the boy's hand.
"You are getting careless, keep your arm strong! Knights are never to grow weary. In battle, it could mean your life!"

He could feel that thwack clear up his arm!

With a cry, Faolán lost his grip on the sword and it went spinning across the ground with a clatter. Grimacing, Faolán hurried to retrieve it. His arms were shaking from exertion, but he picked it back up, hid his glower--he was bloody tired!--and smoothed out his expression before he turned back to Serenus.

He nodded, shaking sweaty bangs out of his face. "Got it, sir," he panted. "Okay."

Trying to ignore the burning in his limbs, he strengthened his arm and went at him again, feinting a thrust before going in low.

Serenus smiled and admired the boy's vigilance. Though it might have just taken a rough tongue to get him to fight back.... Perhaps a few more minutes of practice, just to get the boy used to the soreness of sword play and he'd let him rest.

"There, that's it. Keep at it boy and you'll be a soldier in no time!" the general said, tossing his head back in a laugh. Though the sword moves were easy to parry, it was nice to see the boy picking up some techniques in the first go. He had trained young men that were far worse than Faolán. And those young men had become clumsy and careless on the battlefield. Most of those sorts did not live or would become too severely wounded to come back alive.

Faolán gave a weak, tired grin and nodded at Serenus's praise. It made him want to keep going, even though he felt like he was burning up and ready to explode. Meanwhile, the general looked like he hadn't even broken a sweat! Would they keep going until he passed out?! Because if that were the case, Faolán would just have to keep going. The last thing he wanted was to look like he wasn't taking this seriously or worse, like he was a quitter.

He staggered a little, legs trembling, then came in again, swinging his blade as hard as he could to try and copy what Serenus had done when he'd whacked his sword out of his hand.

The general's eyes sparkled as the boy struck hard at his blade.
"That's it, boy!" Serenus cried with a laugh and a grin. "Keep at it! Show me what you got! Show me what you're fighting for and let it out with your blade!"

The elation was swiftly turning into exhaustion and, with it, moodiness as he felt close to dropping, his shirt sticking to him in all sorts of unpleasant ways and every muscle burning. He wanted to tell Serenus exactly where he'd like to shove that blade, but he wisely bit back the quip. The man's sword had hardly budged!

He gave it yet another hard swing, putting his back into it, and this time, though a stronger blow, the momentum sent him tripping over his own feet as the weariness caught up to him.

Realizing only when he caught the falling boy that perhaps he was pushing him to the edge, he only smiled and gave one of his soft breaths of laugh as he helped get Faolán to his feet.
"Very good," the General said with a nod of his head. "Perhaps it's time I ought to give you a break." And he chuckled again and gave a slight bow. "You have potential. Don't let other's steer you other wise." And his smile broadened. "You may be dismissed to go enjoy the rest of your day."

Short of breath, Faolán leaned shamelessly on Serenus until the man put him back on his feet.  Even then, standing was an effort when all he wanted to do was slump to the floor in a puddle of exhaustion. Never was he more relieved than when Serenus announced their session was over.

The rest of the day to himself, huh? Hopefully he wouldn't be too beat to enjoy it! Thirst and hunger called, though, so he at least wouldn't pass out until both had been abated.

Wiping his brow off on the back of his hand, he took a deep breath, flashed the man a tired grin, and bowed. "Thank you, sir!" he said. "That was fun! Uh...I mean, educational. Useful!"

He offered Serenus his sword back, handle first. He stared at the sword, suddenly bashful. "And, um...seriously, thanks. For everything, and giving me this chance."

Serenus nodded, a subtle glint to his eyes.
"Aye, think nothing of it, lad, but it's good to see you are humbled. Not all recruits are as such." He laughed scratchily and accepted the sword. "A lot of times I get some cocky bastards." His grin itched as it grew wider. "Those ones are always fun to break in." Then he nodded again. "Hopefully you will not be too exhausted for the ceremony this evening. I bid you farewell, Faolán. And please.." he studied the boy a moment before adding, "Don't hesitate to look me up before the end of the week. Is hall be stationed here until then, when the Duchess and her daughter return home. THen I must report back to my own Duchy in Allar. And perhaps, fi you are so ambitious, you might be able to join the squadron there, but we shall see." He tossed his head back in a casual laugh. "Though I suppose we should not get ahead of ourselves. I rarely have a chance to attend to men at your level, but never the less," he swept dwn intoa  graceful bow. "I bid you farewell. May the evening be enjoyable." And then the General left.

Head full of new hopes and possibilities, Faolán headed back to town and spent the rest of the day leading up to the ceremony taking it easy. He got a little cleaned up and put his hair back into some semblance of neatness, slicking it back with water and tying it into a tail. There were a lot of things to see and do, though he didn't have much money for it--he was saving up for the night.

Just in case they sold out, though, he bought his candle early, and felt scandalous for doing so.

He'd already told Aella he would, but after her mother's firm warning, it felt like a small act of rebellion. She told him to stay away, but he could still send a candle Aella's way, and the thought brought a smile to his lips as he rested out by the lakeside, candle in his hands.

It was kind of like what Aella had been talking about, about beauty. In this case, beauty triumphing over ugliness. The duchess was quite pretty, of course, but Faolán thought her quite ugly beneath it.

The lake by now was bustling with activity. Vendors had set up areas in which to sell the floating candles, and many lines were beginning to form around them, while others were beginning to stake claims to areas around the lake shore. Though on the opposing side, it appeared as if some of the well-to do families had begun to arriving, lords dropping off their pretty daughters in a fan fair of colors and glittering jewels. Matron's Hallow had never witnessed such a sight, so many lovely ladies, and so many royals to oogle at.

The General was doing his rounds, surrounded by a few of his more elite guards as he passed through the vendor's square, and seemed not to notice Faolán as he simply walked past. There was much for him to do today, much at stake... however, he had an idea that this sort of event would go uneventful..
at least nothing terrible upfront, but he had a sneaking suspicion something was broiling beneath the surface. After all... the duchess had been very displeased that Duke Calent would not be in attendance, and he had a feeling this event had been made especially for him.

Though General Serenus wasn't the only one wary of this event. Though her duchy had been so far away, she had been lucky enough to get word about it at last minute while Lady Valia had made her way towards the Hallow. But really, all of this fuss to expose beauty? Pah! Despite warnings the thing was rigged, Valia's head was filled with bubbling dreams of winning such an event, so when she noted the crowds gathering around, it only helped to fuel her ego- that was, until she noticed when Duchess Melora and her daughter arrived, both in absurdly ornate garments and dresses that glittered off the evening sun's light. Her own jaw had to drop at the beauty of it all, and she suddenyl felt ashamed for not dressing up even more.

But there was still time left in the day to add more dazzles to her costume, so as the carriage rolled she let out a scream. "STOP!" and the carriage lurched to a halt. "Stop right here. I must get into town. I need to add more finesse to my garment."

"But lady Valia.." the coach man tried to protest, which simply landed him a shoe in the face.

"Just do as I say and let us get to town!" but when the coach man tried to turn around, the wheels onthe carriage got stuck in the muddy ground.

"Would it not be wiser to simply joint he other ladies at the other end of the lake? That way you won't miss the event."

"None sense!" Valia said with a sneer. "Now be quick about fixing this bloody carriage wheel before I flog you good!"

"But Lady Valia, it could take nearly half an hour to fix-"

"Oh, what a fool you are!" she shouted, her pink eyes hot with rage before she leaped out of the carriage. "Then I shall see myself into town and make the changes on my own. Just see to the carriage and that it is fixed and come swing by the market when I am done. Post haste!" and with that, the lady in her hot pink skirts rushed off down the way, not realizing that, as she spung around to leave, she had run smack into another person nearby the lake...
a certain wanna be solider in training.

"Why don't you watch it where you are going!?" Valia hissed, throwing out her chest, which were bulging beneath her dress as if ready to pop out, all the while her pretty pink eyes were glaring daggers at him.

Well, things had been peaceful.

"Ow!" Faolán grunted when someone smacked into him and, turning to face them, he was surprised to see a pretty girl. But before he could open his mouth to apologize, she launched into him with sheer rudeness.

He gawked at her. "Me watch it? I was just standing--whoa..."

That was when he noticed her breasts. Which were quite hard to miss, and quite large, and quite there. He'd never seen a dress that exposed so much, and his face colored.

Then he realized he was being kind of obvious with his staring and snapped his eyes back up.

Valia was glaring daggers at the boy, and the moment she saw him staring at her BOOBs, she slapped a hand hard across his face.
"Don't you have any manners!?" she shouted. She was fuming mad, and not only was the young man about to start arguing with her, he was GAWKING at her boobs! At least he could have a bit more muscle and strength in his jaw if he was going to do that. Jutting out her chin and chest, she stuck her nose up in the air, hands on her hips.

"I expect an apology," she said, and her pink eyes narrowed upon him, as if daring him to deny her that right.

Faolán reeled back in shock and clapped a hand to his stinging cheek. She'd slapped him. She'd actually slapped him! And not lightly! Eyes wide, he stared at her in shock, mouth open, and then she had the nerve to demand an apology?!

He knew he should be careful; she was dressed too well to be a commoner. But emotion won out over reason and his spine stiffened and jaw tightened.

"Apologize for what?!" he demanded, hand still on his cheek. "You hit me!"

Valia' eyes widened, her jaw tightened, and a second slap smacked him across the face.
"You ignorant boy!" she cried. Then she gave a stomp of her shoes, grinding her pink high heel into the cobblestone. "Do you even know who I am?" she asked, pink eyes flashing hotly upon him as she placed her hands to her hips, thrusting her chest out once again.

A second slap caught him on the other cheek, and Faolán let out a curse and held up his hands, ready to catch her wrists if she tried it again--or at least guard his face.

"A crazy girl that keeps hitting me for some reason!" And there she went, doing the chest thing again. His eyes darted down briefly--he couldn't help it when she kept doing that--and then he snapped his eyes back up and braced himself.

"Crazy!?" Valia's eyes flared to an even hotter shade of pink, her face becoming red. "You ignorant BOOB of a boy! How DARE you call me crazy!" she cried,a nd this time she took up both her fists and started to beat on him while grunting and giving shrill cries of annoyance. NO MAN WOULD BE SPARED HER WRATH FOR NOT EVEN KNOWING WHO SHE WAS AND DARING TO CALL HER CRAZY! WHO DID HE THINK HE WAS!? If she could breath fire, she'd burn off his head.

Dear Ansgar's left testicle she was crazy!

"Ow, ow, ow! Stop! Stop it! STOP!" Faolán cried, and for a moment didn't even know what to do beyond do his best to dodge and block her flying fists of fury. And she could hit rather hard! Flailing, he grabbed for her wrists, trying hard to catch them--you weren't supposed to hit a girl back, after all!

But as she continued to hit him, his patience snapped. Screw that! He had a sister and they'd wound up on the ground and yanking each others' hair plenty of times!

With a growl, he lunged for her, finally snagging her wrists. "I said cut it--wah!"

He hadn't meant to lunge quite so hard, and the motion sent them both toppling head over heels, with him landing on top.

Valia was surprised when the boy actually reacted back. Most just fell beneath her tirade, but what surprised her even more was when they were suddenly entangling limbs, she on the ground and he, well on top of her. Beneath him, anger began to swell after the surprise wore off as she bared her teeth with a growl, breasts heaving as she spoke.
"Get off of me!" she spoke, slapping his cheek another time before smooshing a hand into his face and then chest in attempts to get him the heck off of her.

"You stop hitting me!" Faolán snapped, for he had had enough!

As she pushed and hit at him, he grabbed for her wrists and pinned them down beside her head and straddled her hips. It didn't occur to him how inappropriate that looked; he and his sister had wrestled and bickered well enough that as far as he was concerned, this was entirely platonic and entirely rage-fueled.

He glowered down at her, breathing hard, his face red and smarting from where she'd smacked him. "Stop."

Valia seemed ignorant to their position (well not at first, at first it made her gasp and blush and even something fluttering between her legs), but the moment she recalled he was demanding HER to stop, the battle was back on.
She was fuming so mad and spitting out so many hate filled words, she was nearly blue in the face. The commotion alerted the attention of a few people nearby, and General Serenus happened to be one of them. Spotting a noble lady on the floor, seemingly screaming for help, he rushed to her aid, drawing his blade, but the moment he realized what BOY was ontop of her, he stumbled to a halt.

"F-Faolán!?"

It was then Valia turned, and just about turned red faced when she realized she was caught in such a scandalize act (well.. position) and froze.

"What on earth on you doing to lady Valia!? Get off of her, boy!" he said, snagging him roughly by the arm and yanking him off of her.
Valia was left stunned and on the ground, staring up at the General dizzily as he offered her a hand.

"Are you alright?" Serenus asked. And Valia had no idea how to reply, her cheeks turning hot pink and her eyes glittering with tears, but she accepted the General's hand anyways.

"I.. I think so. But now my dress is ruined!"s eh wailed (though to be fair, it wasn't really that ruined, but the strap on the side was obviously torn, which didn't help much with keeping her breasts in place (which were still fighting against her garment to begin with)). "And it's all his fault!" And she pointed an accusing finger directly at the boy's face. "He just attacked me! Just out of no where! What a horrible, horrible man!"

A familiar voice shouted his name, and Faolán went stiff and wide-eyed. He only had a moment to think, oh God!, another split second to register their position, and then Serenus was pulling him off of the girl.

He stumbled to his feet, face red now for a different reason, and gaped in horror as Serenus helped the girl up.

OhGodohGodohGodohGod.

The fact that they knew each other added another miserable layer to his mortification, just when he'd been thinking it couldn't get any worse. But before he could panic and beg forgiveness from the man, terrified he'd ruined his prospects, the girl--Valia--started spouting off more ridiculous lies.

Faolán whirled on her.

"WHAT! I did not! You went crazy and started hitting me out of nowhere! I was just trying to make you stop!" he said, batting her finger out of the way. "And you sure weren't crying when you were beating my face, so knock it off! You're not hurt!"

Serenus caught Faolán's hand before he lay another finger on her, and gave him a stern warning glare.
"That's enough. Step aside," he warned in a stern and gruff voice. The boy probably had no idea who lady Valia was, but Serenus did. And her reputation to cause trouble was only proved more so now than the other rumors surrounding her engagement.

Then the General turned to Lady Valia with a humbled bow. "Forgive me, Lady Valia, the young knight here has had too long a day in training. He is probably weary and not thinking clearly, so do forgive him, for some of us knights can remain humbled and simple to the fairness of a lady, while we harden ourself for battle."

Valia took all of the words in, but for some reason, digested the words 'hardened' in an entirely different and perverted light. She blushed but blinked it aside.

"Even still, he must apologize," she insisted with a huff, thrusting her chest and chin forward and daring the boy to say something else that was stupid. She had him right where she wanted him, and if she wanted to grind him beneath her pink high heels, well.. she could!

Faolán was fuming, but he stood down and stepped back when Serenus ordered him to--and glared daggers at the girl from behind Serenus's back. What a horrid girl! And for absolutely no reason, too! He had no idea who the girl was aside from the fact that she was obviously privileged, and ugh, but he had had enough of awful, privileged people today!

He watched as Serenus apologized and wondered if the man saw what he saw. If he did, he had no idea how he managed to act so humble toward someone so horrible.

Glowering down at the ground, his shoulders jerked when she demanded an apology from him. For what? She was the one who was utterly rabid!

But Serenus was right there, and he didn't think he'd tolerate more argument. So Faolán looked up and met Valia's eyes.

"I'm sorry you hit me," he ground out.

Valia was wearing a smug grin as he uttered out the apology. But then her smile suddenly dropped.
"What!?" Her eyes narrowed sharply upon him as she gave a stomp of her foot. "How DARE you speak that way, you insolent boy! You worthless peasant! How dare you blame me for your barbaric nature. Why I should have you strung up like a dog, or your feather's plucked, like a pheasant! Now give me a real apology before I order your eyes gouged out!"

As much as Serenus knew his place, he couldn't help but smirk at the boy's remark. But a firm hand upon his shoulder spoke volumes,a nd he hoped the boy was smart enough to know what it meant.

Faolán sucked in a deep breath through his teeth and let it out through his nose. He wanted to say more--so much more--but the hand on his shoulder grounded him. And warned him against that.

It really wasn't fair, having to apologize for something she had done. Wasn't fair--and was confusing as hell. These people lived in a reality that didn't have any rhyme or reason to it.

He clenched his fists. It stung his pride to do this when he didn't feel he'd done anything wrong, but fine.

"I'm sorry," he said stiffly, and added with a tight smile, "M'lady." Even though she wasn't a lady at all!

Her lips have a twitch, quirking up leftwards into a smile. Victory was hers, and the smolder in her eyes taunted him about it without even so much as saying a word. Damn she was being smug, and simply gave a jut out of her hip and her arms crossing against her chest.

"Apology accepted, but to prove yourself as a man, and to make up for all of my precious time you wasted, you have to escort me into town. I need to make haste on my preparations for this evening, and I'm running out of day light. Now I don't want to hear another word from you, just a nod of your head that you'll obey." And her eyes challenged him to dare defy her will. After all, the large General by his side was on HER side, NOT his.

Faolán opened his mouth to protest, then grimaced and clenched his teeth when he remembered Serenus's hand on his shoulder. So instead, he swallowed his words and huffed a breath through his nose, back stiff, muscles tense, and jaw tightened.

Eyes meeting her smolder with a look of sheer bitterness, he nodded very slowly.

Valia's smirk was mean. Though she didn't waste much time, she could wallow in this victory as she walked. Turning around, so that he'd get a fluttering smell from her hair, she gave a quick snap of her fingers.
"Now, hurry up boy. Like I said, there isn't much time. I've got to finish my costume well before the ceremony begins, and I refuse to be out done. So we will not leave the town until I am through!" and she took off, walking with great long strides down the way, nose to the air in a very arrogant fashion.

Shoulders hunched sullenly, Faolán trailed along behind the girl and glowering indignantly when she called him "boy".

"I've got a name, y'know," he muttered. He couldn't believe he'd gotten stuck dealing with this beast! "It's Faolán. And there's really no cause to be so unpleasant--oh!"

His candle! He pat along his breeches and the pouch he used as a coin purse and spun around to look behind him. He must have dropped it sometime during all that slapping and tumbling! He stopped, torn. "I dropped something, m'lady," he said, voice urgent. "I need to go back to get it!"

"Like hell you are!" Valia snatched onto his arm and held on tight. "Didn't you just hear me? I haven't got any time to lose! Now come on!" she said with a stomp of her heel. "We must get into town immediately!"

Her grip was surprisingly firm, and Faolán lamented the fact that she was almost as tall as he. "Please, m'lady! It'll only take a minute!" he said, desperately looking back over his shoulder. "It's a candle! For the festival!"

Valia's pink eyes flared hot as hell.
"Like hell if I'll let you just do what you want!" she snapped and gave a tug on his arm. "And besides, I could give you like a million of those stupid candles.. come.." she grunted, giving a pull. "on!"

Faolán blinked. "Will you?" he asked, hopeful despite what he'd seen of her so far, and slowly started to give, letting her pull him along. Well, "let" was maybe a strong word; the girl was nearly as big as him and resistance was pretty much futile.

"Give me a candle, I mean? I'd pay you back when I could! But I'd really, really appreciate that if you could!"

Valia rolled her eyes and kept on pulling.
"Yeah, whatever," but then she realized something and turned to him, jabbing a sharp finger into his chest. "And you had better use that candle on me." She hissed.

When she jabbed her finger at his chest, Faolán jolted and reflexively batted her hand away. Realizing his mistake, he grimaced. "I'm sorry, m'lady!" he got out quickly. "I...soldier's reflex. We're trained to anticipate attack and...I...I'm sorry."

Valia narrowed her eyes poisonously upon him.
"Keep that up and you'll have a soldier's funeral! Now come on!" and the pair headed off to town, a reluctant Faolan in tow as Valia began to make her way into all sorts of shops, demanding this and that and completely terrorizing the place until her pink poof outfit was even more pink, even more poofy, and she had just about too many diamonds dotting her face and chest she looked like she had a disease. Eevn her hair was in a curly array that looked mor elike lemon snakes than anything sweet, with pearls strung throughout it nad peachy colored flowers and tinier pink ones for accet entangled within.

And the stars were already coming out byt he time she was done, as she paused before a great big, brass mirror and fussed over the tightness of her corset.
"Hrm.. they don't pop out enough.." she grumbled, talking about her boobs as she fussed over them, then darted an eye over to Faolan. Had he just been picking his nose? She glowered.

"You, soldier boy. Get over her enad help with these laces. Then we can get back to the lake so I can win that beauty competition."

Drin spat fire from his mouth in frustration- luckily for him the roof he was currently sitting on, whiskey bottle in hand, shielded him from view. Where was it? Where was the demon? Where was his target? He knew it was here, in this town, but he'd been searching for three days now with no luck, and while he had enjoyed the festive mood of the place- hence the whiskey in hand now- he had a job to do! Surely a mage with access to divination magic couldn't be eluded that long, could he? And none of the spells he'd set up to warn him if the demon had left had gone off either... It had to still be there, it had to! Drin punched the chimney and growled. What was he doing wrong!?

A few moments of headbutting said chimney later, he had it- and noticed with satisfaction that the chimney looked more bruised than his head felt. So far he'd been scrying for the demon he remembered, one that appeared as about a thirty year-old man. What if it could change its shape? What if it had taken a different form, as he suspected it could? Maybe... yes, that could work. He thought he'd known three things for certain about his quarry: its appearance, its nature, and the fact that it was currently in possession of part of his soul. If the first wouldn't yield him any results, maybe he should search based on the second...

The devil had been one of the most conceited, self-centered beings he'd ever known, so, if he scryed based on that, it just might work. His eyes blazed with new-found enthusiasm as he took the nearly empty bottle in hand and tilted it just enough that it wouldn't pour out yet, and began. "Show me eyes that care nothing for what they see. Show me ears that hear only what they wish to hear. Show me a face that conceals a twisted spirit within. Show me the embodiment of self-interest!" As he poured the drink into an outstretched hand, an image came into view...

Arrgh! Drin reeled at the sight and put another dent in the chimney behind him. That was going to haunt him in his nightmares. The woman the spell had chosen to display for him was possibly the gaudiest thing he'd ever seen! Disgusting. What use would such a form be- surely nobody would trust the demon if it looked like that! Unless... maybe it simply wanted to create envy in others through a completely unnecessary display of opulence? Either way, the spell couldn't lie. He'd seen that shop during his time here- it wasn't far, actually. For once things were going his way.

Hopping down from his rooftop- and scaring the passers-by half to death in the process- the hulking man started off. A maniacal grin crossed his face, but he kept his flames in check... for now. He couldn't afford the guard getting in the way this time. He could cut loose once he had the monster in his grip.

The girl was an absolute terror, but Faolán had no choice but to tag along, and the more places they went, and the gaudier her outfit became, the more he concluded that nobles were absolutely, completely out of their minds. Serenus was right--their world was a different one that, to Faolán, felt disconnected from the real one.

As Valia checked herself out in a mirror, Faolán stood by the door, not really paying attention to much but the window beyond as he fretted. At this rate, they would be late! This girl was never going to finish! And...he peeked at her sidelong. Did she...did she really think that looked good? The dress and gems she was wearing now were worth more than what he'd make in ten lifetimes, but it looked terrible.

You obviously just don't understand fashion, peasant boy, he thought mockingly, rolling his eyes. Looking like a walking disaster is the latest style! Duh! Lowborns obviously wouldn't know good taste if it smacked them in the--

Valia spoke, and he flinched. "Yes, m'lady."

Smoothing his face out of its scowl, he shuffled over to her--and then blushed when he saw how tight her corset was, how bulging her breasts, and that she wanted him to...what?

"Uhhh..." He stared at her back, and how intricately it was laced. "I...what do I...?"

Valia jut her chest out even further.
"THe laces, boy! The laces! Just take them and pull them tighter!" she hissed, glaring her pink eyes back at him. "Really, do I have to explain everything to you? Gods, thank goodness I'm not asking you to delace me." She muttered. "Now come on! Hurry up! We haven't gotten all day, er.. all night! The ceremony will begin soon!" and the sound of the bells in town confirmed it.
"Come on, come on!"

Drin noted that the streets were clearing as people gathered for the ceremony. Perfect, he thought, he'd have as little interference as possible. He'd been searching years for this, best if nobody got in the way- he doubted he'd be able to restrain himself if they did. Ah, here was the alley that would take him right to the end of the street that shop was in. Just a few more moments...

The man gave a hop as he went- it was just going perfectly. Now he just had to finish the hunt and cele- squeewsh! Something smashed right into Drin's face, getting everywhere and obscuring his vision. What was that? Ah well, he'd just clear it off and- and the furious buzzing that was followed by painful stings all over answered his question. He'd not noticed a beehive there before... "Bees! Get them off, get them off, get them off! Raaargh!" Fire flared around his hands, threatening to spread and envelope both him and the bugs. No, can't give myself away, just have to get a little closer...

So it was that Drin, having successfully contained his fire, fled the alleyway, covered in angry bees and swatting madly in an effort to get rid of them.  "RAAARGH! Get off! I'll kill all of you! And smash your home! Raargh!" It didn't occur to him that he'd already carried out the last bit of his threat. Astonishingly, the bees failed to grasp the mastery of his diplomacy and continued stinging him.

Drin attempted to slam his back against a nearby wall... and missed, crashing through the doorway of a certain building, flailing and covered in bees. "RAAARGH! Get 'em off!"

Valia took one good look at the man covered in bees ad let out a scream. Instincts set in and all she could think of doing was to SHOVE Faolan clean at the monster of a man before she curtailed it and found a nearby place to dive for cover.

Faolán's face burned brighter when she spoke of delacing--oh God, this was so awkward! But just has he got his fingers on the laces and started to pull them tighter, a screaming thing burst into the room, flailing and covered in...bees?!

Before Faolán could process the nightmare unfolding before him, Valia screamed, and then he was tumbling toward the howling man with a cry of his own. He smacked into the man and they both went down, and then the bees were on them both, and Faolán began to scream as they swarmed and stung, voice high with panic and pain.

"Ow! Ow! Get 'em off! Help!"

Somehow, he managed to scramble off of the man and bolted, blindly, for the door with some bees still flying after him and more still attached to him by their stingers.

A fat vendor with a pencil thin black mustache and greasy, slicked back hair that was cropped short and had a gut that surpassed the stretchability of his pants and a neck far thicker than his head, came wobbly down the road, humming a light and cheery, but off-tune song about the wares he was selling. They were swinging from his cart. Most of the wares were pots or pants, and occasionally a few glinting butcher knives that caught the fading light of day. Here, as he walked along, they were clanging together as he pulled along his cart using his massive arms that seemed to reach down to the ground.

He was the first thing Valia saw as she went screaming bloody murder down the cobblestone street- pink dress and train flailing behind her like a long-scrolled curtain. Her breasts were about ready to pop clean out of her dress, and her pink high heels, about ready to lit up sparks on the stone street. Despite all of her wailing, the poor vendor didn't see her coming, nor the plague of angry bees that were following suit, and as Valia approached, she grabbed onto a pot and whirled around, still screaming as she began to bat the bees away like baseballs, her arms flailing with desperation and madness.

"GET THEM AWAY! GET THEM AWAY!" she cried. But she gasped as she realized a few were getting around her line of defense, one stinging at her neck as she gasped and smacked her hand at it, then another daring to run up the bustle of her dress as her pink eyes widened and she dropped the pot and ran like hell, right towards the lake where she plummeting clean into the waters.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

And on the other side f the lake....

Aella had been minding her own business, excitedly preparing for the day as one of her servants was tending to her pretty pink make up and flowers adorning her long, shining blonde hair when she heard a scream on the other side of the lake. Turning around with a gasp, Aella placed two hands to her cheeks and cried, "Oh! That poor girl has fallen into the water!" Little did she know...
Duchess Melora took one look across the water and sneered, placing a hand upon Aella's shoulders as a gesture for her to move back from the shore line.

"You shouldn't stand so closer to the waters yourself. Now, wait here a moment while I go speak to General Serenus again. It seems he had gotten my letter," her mother stated, grinning widely, like a cat, as she abandoned Aella temporarily to slip off towards where their carriage was parked behind a coven of trees.

Aella simply nodded, standing there at full attention as she waited for her mother to return, but she seemed to be taking an awful long time...
and as the sun continued to set, Aella found herself not only anxious, but now bored as she blew a breath upwards towards the bangs of her hair. ANd despite her mother's warning, she walked lightly along the shore line, her eyes curiously peering over towards where the other, pink-dressed girl had been flailing about in the waters and found herself smiling, even as she tried to tuck it away. It seemed like that girl ws having fun, and she sighed enviously.

His brother would be furious. Coming here rather than searching for his siblings first was incredibly selfish of him and he knew it, but Laighean couldn't help himself. He was drawn to the merriment of the festivities and the fact that this might have been the only opportunity to enjoy himself after an eternity of boredom. His only regret was that his sister wasn't here to enjoy it . At least she remembered how to have fun.

Predictably, Laighean's interest wasn't necessarily in the actual festivities themselves. Parties had women. Lots of them and THAT was something that he WAS interested in. And oh boy were there a great many bonnie lasses ! So many, in fact, that poor Laighean did not know where to begin and so he moved through the city with a spring in his step , his heart light and giddy like a young boy who'd just been told that he could have his pick of anything in a sweet shop.

He flirted with any pretty thing that gave him the time of day. And he was handsome enough to receive a fair bit of attention though it was all quite harmless and he was somewhat dismayed by that. Ah well! The day was young and he was confident that he'd get lucky before the night arrived!

He found a fair young lass around his age selling candles, a Sister of the church it seemed . "Ansgar smile upon you, sir. Perhaps I could interest you in purchasing a candle for the ceremony tonight?"

Laighean smiled back at her, "Ye certainly could, lass. " His eyes drank in her image, but there was hardly anything lewd about it. His gaze was appreciative.  She was a pretty one! Had he any money, he'd buy as many candles as she asked him to! He shook his head, "Ah'm new t' the area. Ah don't suppose ah'd be askin' to mooch if ah asked ye what this Lightin' the Lake thing is aboot?"

The Sister's smile grew but the expression was innocent. Clearly , she did not have the same thing in mind as he did, " Oh, no. I don't mind explaining at all. " She told him cheerfully.

And while she was explaining, he was only half-listening while he thought of a way of asking her for a dance later when... quite unexpectedly a woman in pink came screaming by with a trail of buzzing rage following her. "Guardian's fangs! " Laighean was wise enough to step clear of the peculiar sight. Unfortunately, the poor sister did not . With a shriek, she dropped her box of candles that she'd been selling and ran away down the street and toward the lake as fast as she could whilst swatting feverishly at  some of the enraged bees that had broken off from pursuing Valia in order to pursue her.   

"Wait! " Laighean called after her, "Ye forgot your...." He looked down at the box of candles and frowned. He bent to pick them up and was about to follow after her when a woman approached him with coin in hand. "Two, please."

Laighean stared at the woman and then at the little boy who clasped her hand tightly. "Sorry?"

The woman frowned slightly at him, "You're selling candles for tonight, aren't you?"

"Er..." He looked back over his shoulder toward the lake and caught a glimpse of the pink girl and the sister taking a dive into the lake to escape the bees. He turned back to look at the woman , "Aye, sure. Tha' ah am, miss! " He grinned at the woman and her child and accepted the coin. He gave them a candle each, " There ye are! Enjoy th' festivities! " He waved as they departed. Business concluded, he started to turn toward the lake to give the Sister her box back when someone tapped him on the shoulder and offered him coin.

"I'd like one."

Laighean sighed.

ooc: Hope this entrance is alright, folks. Ehehehe.

Well, so much for that plan. Drin growled, and gave up on ever being rid of the bees with any subtlety. With a growl he summoned his flames to envelope his body, vaporizing the bees nearly instantly. Then he peered around at the now empty shop- well, at least nobody had seen him. Spitting fire in frustration, the mage started off in search of his quarry once again, his face now swollen from the bee-stings. Now, where would she have gone... ah, the lake, of course!

Quickening his pace, Drin caught sight of the woman as she condemned another poor girl to the same fate and charged into the lake. With a shout, he sprinted after them, nearly knocking over the man who seemed to have been roped into taking over the second girl's business. For an instant he wondered what had happened to the other young man- he'd not planned on causing trouble for him. Soon enough though, his thoughts were turned back to the hunt, and he bellowed "Give me back what's mine!" before giving a great leap into the water.

Valia gasped, a curtain of her long, golden hair suctioning to her face. She couldn't see, she couldn't breath, and was still flailing about within the water, crying out, "I can't swim! I can't swim!" and when Drin dove into the water, she INSTANTLY latched onto him, screaming to high hell within his ears.
"Save me! Save me! The water's going to eat me!"
A silly thing to say but.. in her frantic state (and with the bees now gone) all she could think of was to latch onto the closest thing for salvation- and unfortunately for the bee-stunged mage, that was him.

It was only seconds after Drin leaped into the lake that Faolán joined the group of them, plummeting into the water--both to escape the bees and to bloody save the noble brat! God, could this day get any more miserable?! His heart beat quicker just imagining what would happen if Serenus--or, God no, her parents, shit!--found out about any of this or worse, if actual harm came to her while he was supposed to be chaperoning her!

It was lucky that he at least knew how to swim, having grown up near a water hole that the village children liked to play in, but it was a little difficult when so much of him felt swollen and awful and puffy. Not to mention that he was wearing boots that were now full of water and dragging him down.

The bees gave up their chase, and Faolán swam his way to where Valia was clinging to (and basically drowning) the crazy bee man.

"Lady Valia, let go!" he said, reaching for her. "C'mere!"

OOC: lol, Rhi you typed Aella but I know you meant Valia <3

--------

The moment Faolán approached and asked her to let go, she shrieked out, "No! Can't you see I'm drowning you fool?! I will not let go! I might die!" And she continued to flail around incessantly, desperately clinging onto the 'bee man' without a break- and as Faolán suspected, she probably was drowning him!
And now all eyes appeared to be on the water, where a girl in a pretty pink, shimmering dress was now appearing to dissolve into a pretty pink, shimmering mess upon the waters.
"Help me! Help me!" she continued to cry and wail...
in the water that was only four feet deep.

Drin flailed. For such an intimidating man, perhaps one would expect something else. Perhaps one would expect him to thrash, or fight, or something, but what he did could only really be called random flailing. He wasn't the best swimmer to begin with, and with the girl pulling him down he could already tell he wouldn't be able to get back to land. He yelled, "Demon! First you steal from me, then you try to drown me! I'll kill you, I'll kill y- gurglegurglegurglegurle." Water flooded into Drin's mouth as he sunk under. This was it, he thought. This close, and he was going to drown. Sparks came to his eyes and then were immediately extinguished by the water. He wouldn't die like this. No! Not a chance! Not this close!

...And then his feet touched the bottom. Oh, he thought, giving a great heave, straightening himself up, and immediately emerging from the water- lifting Valia's head well above the waterline in the process. The big man spat and spluttered, glaring at everything around him. "Right. Shallow water. I knew that. Now..." he looked to Valia. "Give me back what's mine!"

Valia was beyond tears and was down right sobbing as make up  and diamond glitter streamed  down her face.
"Gods, I'm going to die! I'm going t o die!" she cried, clinging on around Drin's neck in a death grip and refused to let go.

ooc: I assume people were not waiting for me to post. (Good lord, I hope not! ) It's been about a month since anyone has posted though so I'm going to tackle this now even if I don't think Laighean is particularly interested in water fights with bees!

ic:

He found the bee train to be a great source of amusement as he sold candles. The people of this world were so strange! Part of him felt bad for them and especially for the poor priestess who was now floundering about in the lake while the other three people were- well, he wasn't quite sure what to make out of that scenario! There was a girl in pink whom was perched on the shoulders of a large man and then there was a boy who was swimming towards them and there was a lot of splashing around and ....bees.

If he didn't know any better, he would have used his water magic to deter the angry insects  , but Connlaoth , like Aella had told him , seemed to be terrified of magic and so he refrained. Those poor people would have to fend for themselves. He needed to finish selling candles! He didn't know why! He just needed too! Besides! This candle business was introducing him to a lot of gorgeous opportunities, you know! He winked at the young lass he sold the last candle to, " How'd ye like to 'ave a candle lit dinner with me this evenin'?" Well, that was incredibly forward but Laighean was hardly ever subtle about what he wanted anyways! He waggled his eyebrows at her and put on his most charming (in his mind) smile . The lady blushed and shook her head. Then a man appeared behind her with a nasty look on his face and Laighean took the hint, laughing in good humor. There were always plenty more fish in the sea!

Candle business concluded, he made his way to the lake to find the priestess whom had just pulled herself to shore and was lying there on her back, gasping for air. Laighean knelt down beside her and placed her coin box on her stomach, "Ah sold all of yer candles. " He grinned broadly, "So ah was thinkin' ye might -"

"GET LOST, CREEP!"

Laighean pouted. Well, that wasn't very nice! 

The day was getting later, the sky now turning violet with the first dusting, soft sparkle of stars. The festival was to begin shortly as people began to gather at the edge of the lake shore...
and on the side Valia and company were located on, they were beginning to get a lot of peculiar looks since the storm cloud of bees had long vanished.

But on the other side, a very pretty and lonely girl was looking around, and despite the sun's light waning fast, she happened to catch sight of a particular man against the crowd- a very peculiarly familiar one indeed.
Gasping, she stepped a bit closer his way and muttered, "Laighean?'" Though who's to say the boy could actually hear her, considering he was on the other side of the lake where clouds began to form.

With a few more hours left til dark, Laighean started contemplating whether or not he should find his siblings and rejoin them. He hadn't really lucked out with many of the ladies he'd flirted profusely with. Oh sure, he'd probably had a dozen kisses , but nothing beyond that. And poor Laighean was just a little disappointed, but the disappointment was quickly lost in the festivities.

He wasn't sure what was going on either , but he stood among the crowd gathering before the lake and watched them curiously. Honestly, these people were so weird. He considered leaving the lake to return to the drinking ,the feasting and the dancing when he looked up and spied a lass across the lake. From where he stood he couldn't quite tell that it was Aella , but he waved nevertheless and called, "HEY!"

And some people raised their heads to look at him as though he'd lost his mind.

Fortunately for Laighean, he was oblivious to that. 

Aella's purple eyes went wide as he waved at her. Her body went rigid, flush heating to her ears before she realized...
Oh no! Wasn't he a wanted criminal now? She looked around nervously to see if any of the other servants noticed (or remembered) but they seemed too engaged within their own conversations to care. She just hoped he wouldn't draw any unnecessary attention her way as she tried to gesture towards him, with a weak wave, to cut that out!

The lass was looking his way , but he wasn't sure if she could see him or if she might have been ignoring him. Part of him was disappointed when she seemed to be giving no indication of noticing him. But then, he grinned. It looked like she was waving back (which she really wasn't , but it wasn't as though he could see the subtle "knock it off, you dummy" gestures that she was trying to make). "She's wavin' back . Hallo lady across the lake!" He waved some more.

"Is that Aella?" And the more he thought about it....well, the castle looked familiar too.  By the Guardian's fangs! Wouldn't that have been hilarious? "Ah think it is. Tha' dress is way too big..." He pouted. Laighean hated those silly poofy dresses Connlaothian nobility seemed to favor. It wasn't as easy to put his hands on...oh..."

He looked down. "Eh?"

A girl of perhaps eight or nine touched his hand with ....

"Oh. Is this fer me?"

The child nodded, "For the ...celbreyshin."

Laighean accepted the 'floating candle' and grinned, giving the child a pat on the head, "Why thank ye, lass. Ah'm afraid ah danne 'ave any coin though."

The child beamed up at him , "It's kay . I have one too. It was my bruthoor's but he said it was dumb so you can have it since you don't have one."

"Well, then! I'll be 'appy to accept. Thank ye."

He then looked across the lake and held up the candle for Aella to see. Then, with his free hand he gave her the thumb's up and winked . Though she probably couldn't see the latter.

Aella paled. It seemed Laighean just wasn't getting it, but then he was distracted and for a moment, she breathed a sigh of relief-
but another moment later, he was happily holding up an unlit candle, that of which she could barely make out across the river.
So she blinked, not just once, but twice, before her mother returned behind her.

"The ceremony will be starting soon.." Duchess Melora said, cold hands upon Aella's shoulder.

Aella could have jumped clean out of her skin when her mother returned. Thankfully, for now, Melora's eyes were avoiding Laighean's direction.

ooc: I don't have much to go off of here so I hope you don't time progressing a bit.

ic:

Laighean grinned like an idiot because Aella was still looking his way. He wasn't waving anymore. He knew he had her attention and he was quite pleased!

She totally digs me. Lasses always do. Way to go, Laighean, ye're sooch a braw stallion.

It was only a pity that he couldn't cross the lake and say hello up close! For one thing, he didn't think the people here would have an appreciation for his water-walking spell and for another thing...he was a wanted criminal...oh. Right. He'd sort have forgotten about that.

"There he is! That's the mage that tried to kidnap Lady Aella! Arrest him!" One of the Hellvion Castle Guards had spotted him .

"Oh ,shite!" Laighean had no other choice but to run with two guards tailing him. He weaved his way through the crowd, rarely pushing anyone and being slowed down a LOT because of it. Fortunately for him, the guards were also having quite a hard time maneuvering because of how many people there were and how absorbed in the festivities they had become. People simply didn't move!

He finally broke away from the larger crowd that was gathered before the lake and made it back into the city proper with the guards not far behind. At least here he could run faster, but so could the guards. They , however fit they were, were hindered by their heavy , decorative heavy armor (ooc: not sure if you imagine Hellvion Guard wearing plate or chairman or perhaps a little of both. I will leave that up to you. Either way, they're both heavy.)

Laighean paused in one of the alleyways and looked up. The moon was already beginning to rise. "Oh dear...ah better 'ide before..."

"Gotcha!"

"Shite!"

He looked forward and behind. Both exits were blocked. "Nae, boys. Let's not be hasty here..."

"Careful! He's casting a spell!"

"Put your hands down! That's an order!"

Laighean rolled his eyes and started waving them around in an overly animated fashion, "Ah'm a castin' th' meanest, scariest spell in all of Connlaoth!  "

The guard before him dropped his sword and torch , his expression looking horrified.

Laighean chuckled, "Oh, c'mon! Ye cannae be serious, lad. Et was joost a wee joke. "

The man's eyes were wide, his complexon pale and  he was shaking .

"What's wrong with ye? Ye look like ye've seen a ...."

"G-g-ghoooooossssst!" The other man behind him cried and charged forward with his sword in hand. He passed through Laighean and smacked bodily into the other guard, the impact knocking the pair of them unconscious.

"Ooookay then. Guess tha' takes care o' that!" Laighean shook his head at the pair and stepped over them even though that action was entirely unnecessary.

As Laighean passed the torch, he felt something in his foot. Sensation from the light. He bent to pick it up and gasped. "Well, this interesting...." Part of him that was exposed to the flame's light became whole again. "Wonder if me brother has this part figured. "

ooc: I'll leave it up to you to describe the ceremony since you know more about it than I do. >>   

((OOC: Whoops. I may or may not have dropped the ball on this one...))

Well, on the one hand he hadn't drowned, and on the other the stupid demon-girl wasn't responding to his demands. That was no good, he'd never get his soul back like that. Ignoring the girl clinging to his neck (the large man could breath well enough now that he was upright), Drin trudged onto dry land.

The big man looked at Valia with almost literal fire in his eyes and growled, "Not if you shut up and give me back my soul, demon! Quit crying and hand it over, now!" Giving her a good shake for emphasis, he looked around to make sure there wasn't any trouble approaching. He didn't want to have to fry anyone before he could finish his task. A few soldiers were running after another man, but nothing coming his way yet...

"You heard me! Hand it over. You know full well what I can do if you don't!" As if to demonstrate, Drin looked up and opened his mouth, and a thirty foot spire of flames shot out.  Shutting off the blast and glaring at Valia once more, Drin's vengeance addled mind slowly pieced things together... "Oh. Connlaoth. Right. Bad idea."

Valia stared at Drin..
and stared and stared and stared before suddenly her eyes rolled away, her grip on his neck slackened; and she fainted dead away onto the ground.

And as if on cue, the very moment Drin's mouth flames went out; the entire lake shore fluttered into tiny speckles of flames, for what wasn't heard during all of the ruckus was Duchess Melora announcing the start of the festival, which included all of the rules the group would not have heard;
Though it was evident something was going on, as each floating candle took to light, and the crowds were all gathering up to the shores and pushing their candle toward the island in the center, hoping their glowing flames would head towards the most beautiful woman of their choice.

Valia wasn't the only one that went pale with fright at the sight of the flames.

Though in Faolán's case, at least he didn't faint!

He had just pulled himself from the water when it happened and, gasping in horror, he drew his blade--which may have looked more impressive, if he didn't look like a drowned rat, his clothes clinging to him and making him look even thinner, and if water didn't pour from his sheath as he drew his sword. All in all, the effect was more comedic than intimidating.

"Get away from her, mage!" he said, and hoped his quavering voice was interpreted as being caused by the cold. Behind him, the lake lit up, and with a sinking feeling Faolán realized that the man's flames probably went unnoticed because of the distraction. It couldn't have had worse timing.

Still, he used the distraction to his advantage (he hoped!) and lunged for Valia, grabbing her under one arm and dragging her away from the man as quickly as he could--what with her weighing more than he did with that ridiculous sopping dress weighing her down, and with him trying to balance a sword in his free hand and look somewhat menacing!

God, he was going to be in so much trouble! This was not how this escort job was supposed to go!

While Valia remained unconscious in the boy's arms, a lot of things were going out without notice. Like the start of the ceremony, a reckless fire mage being on the scene- and most importantly- Valia herself missing the show! With the candles all being lit up, dancing like the stars that now glittered int he skies above, Aella stood beside her mother and watched in breathless wonder at such a sight.

"Oh, mother... it's so beautiful," Aella gushed, eyes sparkling as they reflected the sight. And as the announcements were being made for every man, woman and child with a candle to push their floating candle towards the most lovely of women, Aella seemed not to notice. She was in too much awe at such a sight of beauty before her- for the entire lake lit up like the night sky.

The lake was lighting up beautifully, and Faolán was stuck here, dragging the horrible Lady Valia away from a crazed mage! Fortunately, it didn't seem like they were being followed, and once he had dragged her a safe distance away, he propped her up against the side of a building. Panting from exertion (Ansgar was she heavy!), he looked her over and gave her a shake, trying to wake her.

"Lady Valia? Wake up, please!"

And, when that didn't work, he slapped her lightly on the face. "Valia? Valia! Get up!"

At the slap, Valia lurched into awakenedness, and the second she realized she had no idea who this man was that held her, she freaked out and clobbered him- but a moment later, she soon realized she did know this jerk and proceeded to clobber him again.
"What is this meaning of this!? Unhand me!"

"Ow! Ow! Valia!" Faolán yelped, and threw his hands up and ducked his head in preparation for a third strike.

"Hold on, let me explain, please! You fainted, m'lady. I just rescued you! There was a man and he was making flames and I pulled you away from him and--" He took a deep breath, having run out of air somewhere in all that gushing. "And you're okay now! We got away! So don't hit me!"

"What!?" Her words came out barked and angered. But as she remembered it, her cheeks flushed.
"But I..."
But oh.. what was this? Something glittering caught her attention as she sat up at attention, eyes going wider than the tower of Uthlyn.
"By Ansgar's name!" she exclaimed, a hand over her lips. "They've started the ceremony without me!"

"M-m'lady, they have, but there was a mage. A man with fire. Making fire himself. Out of thin air!" Faolán said, trying to stress the importance of what he had witnessed. A mage had come! And used magic! By her!

"We have to report that, m'lady! He could hurt someone and that's like--that's against the law!" But he also knew he couldn't leave Valia; it was his job to guard her, to escort her, and if he were to leave to report the mage and something were to happen to her, it would be his neck. "The ceremony can wait! This is way more important!"

Valia didn't care, as terrible as that was to say, as she shook her head and turned from him.
"The man will hang once it's reported! Go away and do that why don't you? I have a ceremony to get to!"A nd with that, she grabbed onto her skirts and began to run off, not caring if the boy was following her or not. She'd just die if she were to miss this! But even as she ran, she knew in her heart...
It was too late.

"But--Valia!"

With a frustrated sound, Faolán had no choice but to go after her. Or rather, he did have a choice, but it might end with him in serious trouble! Though...not immediately reporting the magic use might, too.

It was a no-win situation, but in the end he picked the job he had been assigned. A soldier never abandoned their post, right?

"Valia, wait up!" he called, catching up to her finally, and grimacing. Was the ceremony really almost over?

It couldn't be over...

Tripping over her own pink high heels, it wasn't until she was hitting mud did the weight of her failure truly hit her-
and she sat there a moment, hot pink eyes pooling with tears.

"Oi! Valia!" Faolán came to a stop beside her and reached down to help her up. That was quite a spill! And right into the mud!

And then he caught sight of her tears.

Uh oh.

"Valia? Are you alright? You're not hurt, are you?"

Faolán's voice cemented her back into this reality as she shot her hot pink gaze towards him.
"DO I BLOODY LOOK ALRIGHT!? LOOK AT MY HAIR! MY CLOTHES! EVERYTHING IS A MESS! THIS NIGHT AS GONE ALL WRONG! IMPOSSIBLY WRONG- AND I CAN'T EVEN PARTICIPATE IN THE CEREMONY NOW! I'm too late!" And into a spell of weeping she went, her sobs seemingly swallowed by the night.

"Uhhh..." Faolán stood there awkwardly, not quite sure how he should handle this. Because, well, she was right. She did look a terrible mess. The night had gone terribly wrong. And they had missed the ceremony, when he'd really wanted to go and send Aella a candle, because goodness knew she deserved it, and he'd said he would, and now he wouldn't get to.

Shoulders slouching with his own building disappointment--if he hadn't been stuck here with this brat, he would have made it, and would have had less bruises--he sighed.

"I know..." he said slowly, staring at the ground. "I'm sad about that, too. But, er...why don't we go back and...like...get you cleaned up a little?"

"Go back?" she sniffled weakly, before rage over took her. "GO BACK!?" The words were now barked as she whirled around and glared angrily at Faolán before giving him a hard slap across his cheek.
"I will NOT back down! Not from this! Not from anything. And you will help me! All I have to do is get over there!" And she pointed to the middle of the lake, on the strip of land where all of the other pretty noblewomen now stood. "You! Find me a way! Or I'll.. I'll.. I'll scream!" And by Ansgar's name she would do it!

"Ow! Ow! M'lady, no, no, please!" Faolán yelped, throwing his hands up to block any follow-up blows. Her and her bloody hitting! He bet Aella didn't flip out and smack people. "Don't scream! Please don't do that. Okay? We'll, uh...we'll find a way. I'll find a way. A way to get you..." And then he traced her gaze to the middle of the lake and grimaced.

"...There. All the way over there?"

God, he hated his life right now.

Rubbing his stinging cheek, he looked over at her and couldn't help saying the first thing that came to mind.

"I guess we could swim?"

At such a remark, Valia glared at him and crossed her arms over her chest, which helped to amplify them immensely.
"I am not swimming!"

"But you're already wet..." Faolán said, and couldn't help but glance at her chest before jerking his eyes back up. Whoops. "Besides, how else are we supposed to get there?"

Valia's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Find a boat, or some way to get me over. But I refuse to swim!"
Also, the sad fact, she did not know how to swim that well....
Either way! She had this man at her disposal and she was NOT going to let him off easy on this one! If there was a way to fix this, he had better do it and do it NOW.

"A boat?" Faolán looked around, chewing the inside of his cheek. He hoped she didn't mean him to steal a boat, for he certainly didn't have the money to pay for one! And he was certain that stealing, even at the order of nobility, was still illegal.

"Ah...as you wish, m'lady. Wait right here, please!"

Hopefully she wouldn't wander off.

With that said, Faolán turned and jogged up-shore. There had to be a boat around here somewhere, because people had to cross to that island somehow. A fishing boat, maybe? Did the lake have much fish? He didn't know, because he'd never looked. Yet, sure enough, he found a little rowboat dragged up onto the shore, a dingy thing, but it would work. The owner, however, was nowhere in sight. Faolán worried at the hem of his tunic for a moment, looking this way and that for a sign of the owner, but they were probably off to watch the ceremony.

Dammit!

He quickly returned to Valia.

"I found a boat, but I don't know where the owner is..."

"IF the boat is left unclaimed,then it is now under the ownership of myself, and I order you to take me to it, and take me across that lake!" And she gave an impatient stomp of her pink high heeled shoe and waited for him to obey.

Faolán gave Valia a pained look, but his shoulders slumped as he gave in. She was a noblewoman, after all, and an important one.  So...surely people would understand that he'd just been doing what he'd been commanded to do? It wasn't like he could disobey a noble's command, right?

Right...

"Um, alright. It's this way, m'lady."

And so he lead her to the boat and motioned her to board first, as seemed proper. Nobles always got to do things first, after all. Though as he stood there, another thought struck him.

He didn't know the first thing about rowing a boat.

But he also knew Valia would have none of that, so...guess he was going to learn on the fly?

And hopefully not capsize them.

Ansgar help him.

Motioning was completely different than gallantly assisting the 'princess' into the boat, so she stared at him lamely a moment before those pink eyes flared with anger again.
"Aren't you going to at least offer me your hand?" she spat.

Really! The nerve!

Shit!

"O-oh! Yes! Of course, m'lady!" Faolán said quickly, his face coloring in embarrassment from that mistake. He thrust out his hand for her to take, and silently cursed his life.

This entire day was a disaster. Why couldn't he have gotten picked to guard Lady Aella instead?!

Finally, some gallantry! (or at least, some proper respect!) Accepting his hand, Valia daintily stepped into the boat-
but what she wasn't prepared for was it rocking beneath her weight as she stepped in, and with a gasp, her arms flailed forward, and soon she was in a tangle of limbs with the boy on the bottom of the boat- which rocked enough to splash water in on the pair as the lady gasped and clung to the poor boy, and boat, until her knuckles were turning white.

"AH!" Faolán cried out as Valia fell into him, and before he knew it, he was on his back on the bottom of the boat, which was rocking crazily--and Valia was atop him.

Guess it was only fitting, since he'd landed atop her that time...

"Ow...Valia..." Faolán wheezed, the back of his head throbbing where he'd smacked it on the boat and his ribs aching where she'd dug her elbow into him. He coughed up water that had splashed in his face and squirmed beneath her, but it was hard to right himself with the boat rocking, and in adjusting his legs, he wound up accidentally pitching Valia forward onto his chest. Groaning again, he flailed and grabbed at her--

And wound up grabbing a handful of her bottom.

Valia let out a squeaked yelp when she felt his hands upon her rear, and her cheeks flared pink as her eyes as instincts kicked in as she slapped him, hard, across the cheek. Perhaps if soldier were any other soldier she might have enjoyed being frisked, but... but...
It was the principle of the thing that she loathe this man.
Loath him!!!!
So she did, and did so with her eyes.

"OW! Would you please stop hitting me?!" Faolán yelped, and instinctively grabbed her wrists to pin them above her head--which didn't look much better, considering their current position. He glared down at her, meeting her seething loathing with loathing of his own, because he'd about had enough of her and her hitting and AWFULNESS!

"Enough is bloody enough!"

She glared at him and thrust her chin and breasts out defiantly.
"Unhand me! Or I'll see you hanged!"

Faolán sucked in a breath and let Valia go with lightning speed. Jerking away from her, he backed up until he was sitting at the opposite end of the tiny boat.

"Sorry! Sorry!" he said, holding up his hands. "You...you can hang folks for that?"

Valia's cheeks were pink by the time she was released, and she glared over at the boy as she went about, fixing her dress and hair. She looked him over. If only she hadn't decided to hate this boy, she might have wanted to indulge in being frisked. But as it stood, she was a stubborn one, and was NOT about to let him touch her!

At his questioning of her authority, she glared at him.
"Of course I can!" she snapped. "My father is the Duke of Highheart! He might even torture you before a hanging!"

Faolán went very pale, and swallowed hard. He scratched at the side of his neck, as though imagining an itchy rope tightening around him. "That's horrible..."

"So is what you're doing to me!" she snapped. "Now get to paddling! We're missing everything!" she wailed.

Faolán stared at Valia, wondering how it was that someone could say, completely straight-faced, that missing a festival was just as bad as torturing and hanging someone. Nobles were awful! To threaten lives so easily, and take them on a whim, for such minor things! Well...nobles were awful, except for Aella, who was sweet and gorgeous.

Why couldn't he escort Aella?

Still cursing his luck--Ansgar had to be testing him this day!--he dug around along the sides of the boat until he found an oar, and then, with another sigh, he took a seat at the back of the boat and started to row.

Unfortunately, he had no experience with rowing, and ended up rowing on one side alone, which just made the boat turn in a giant circle.

"What are you doing?!" She barked. "We're going in circles! Paddle this thing so we go across the lake! And if we end up in the waters again so help me! You really will wish you have been hung!"

Faolán gave a frustrated groan and slapped the oar against the water. "I'm trying! But I've never done this before! How do you make it go?"

"What!?" Valia shrieked. "What do you mean you don't know how this works!?" He was a commoner, wasn't this like- sort of what they did all day!?

"I mean I don't know how this works!" Faolán said, as the boat continued to spin in a slow circle. "I didn't live by a lake. I've never even been on a boat! Do you know how to do this?"

"What!? How dare you ask me such a question! And how can you be so inept?! if you're what the Connlaothian military is comprised of, we're all going to be screwed! Now stop making us go into circles and figure outhow to row!"

"They didn't train us on boats!" Faolán snapped back. "If ya asked me to fire a cannon, I could do that!"

Frustrated to the point that he'd already forgotten her threat about hanging, Faolán dipped his oar into the water on the boat's other side and rowed, making the boat spin in the opposite direction.

Seeing how he obliged in trying to fix the situation, but failing horribly, the woman sat up and stomped her heels in the boat.

"FIX THIS NOW! FIX THIS NOW! OR I'LL HAVE YOUR HEAD!"

But even as she had her little tantrum, the glittering candles were already making their way towards their mark....

"I CAN'T CONCENTRATE WITH YOUR YELLIN'!"

Frustrated and irritated to the point that her threat didn't even faze him this time, and aggravated enough to block out whatever she might have said in response, Faolán dipped the oar in the other side and got to the boat turning again. He had to think about this. There was an obvious solution here, and he was starting to see it. Maybe...?

He dipped the oar in to the right to make it turn left, then quickly switched to the left to make it go right, which straightened it out a little. Pursing his lips, he did it again, and propelled them forward a bit in the process. Was this seriously how people did it? Already his arms were getting tired!

"I think I got it, so just hold your horses," he grumbled, and started to row, though they rocked precariously and spun awkwardly here and there, but at least they were going forward now!

Just because he had found a solution did nothing to sate her impatience, her fury.
"What are you doing!?" she shrieked. "You need to paddle faster! Can't you see the candles have already begun to float? If I don't get to that island with the rest, I'll just die!" And to emphasize her anguish,s he stomped her pink high heels again, but this time- there was a sharp crack as her heel went through the bottom of the boat, and soon water was bubbling up beneath it onto the floor of the boat around her sunken heel.

OH.MY.GOD.

Water leaked into the boat, spouting up around Valia's heel, and Faolán whirled on her with a wide eyed look of horror.

"Did you seriously just--?! Well NOW you've gone and done it! I hope you're happy, because now we'll be lucky we don't drown!" he said, and started paddling faster. "Don't move! Don't move your foot! Keep it right where it is!"

The next noise came out as a garbled shriek that sounded like that of a drowning bird. Her wings, er - arms even flapped much in the same fashion of one as well, and she was shaking her head, too.
"You- you expect me to stay still!?" she could have cried. "MY FOOT IS STUCK! HELP ME GET IT OUT!!!!!!! NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"NO! LEAVE IT THERE!" Faolán snapped in a panic, rowing harder. They were far away from shore now, but not yet close to the other side, though they were making better speed. Fear was apparently a good motivator!

"Seriously, Valia, don't move! The boat will SINK if you do! SINK! And we're way out here! Please, Valia, just hold still!"

"Sink?!" Her voice came.out in a shrill cry as she froze in terror at the idea. Then she began to sob angrily as she shouted, "Then row faster!!!! Row faster, damn you!!"

"If I could row any faster I'd be doing it!!" Faolán shouted back, his voice rising in panic, because she wasn't the only one terrified of the notion! The idea that he was talking to nobility had completely left him. Right then, he didn't care! He put his back into it, his arms burning with pain and sweat pouring down his face.

"You're the one who wanted a boat! Just haaad to have a boat to get to the place and raise a fuss and stomp around and break it!"

More water was pouring in, for Valia's squirming had opened the hole a little more. Now Faolán was sitting in water, but the shore was closer, too! They could still make it!

"Just whatever you do, don't move!"

Valia let out a shriek, her hands clutching into tight little, white knuckled fists.
"YOU THINK I WANT TO DROWN!?" she squawked, face so red from anger and her screams.
"Just get us to shore! Get us to shore! Get us to shore!!!"

"OH MY GOD do you ever shut up?!" Faolán shouted, throwing his hands into the air.

And the oar went with them, flying from his hands and flipping through the air to land with a splash in the water far out of reach.

Valia's jaw dropped.

"You... you... YOU IDIOT!" she shrieked, the boat rocking as she trembled.
"We.. we... WE NEEDED THOSE!"

"OF COURSE WE NEEDED IT!" Faolán said, throwing up his now empty hands. "But someone kept yelling at me when I was trying to concentrate and get us out of the mess and now look what happened!"

Valia couldn't believe this.
"Are you really trying to blame this one me!?" she shrieked.
"Just FIX it and fix it NOW!"

"Well I'M not the one that stomped a hole in the boat!" Faolán said in exasperation, and it was in that blessed, blessed moment that he caught sight of another small boat out on the water.

Whirling in that direction, he started waving his arms frantically. "HEY! OVER HERE! HELP!"

Ah yes. He was such a manly hero.

Valia whirled around to see the other boat- and the other boat looked at them-
But even as Faolán went on flailing his arms about- the other boat seemed to simply ignore them as they continued to paddle in their own direction.

"NO! WAIT! COME BACK!" Faolán yelled, and waved his arms more frantically, jumping up and down--

Which was the last thing he should have done, because the boat rocked, tipped, and pitched them both into the water as it capsized.

And down into the waters she went with a dark splash. It was enough to steal her breath away, and coupled with the confining dress, Valia could do little else but to begin to drown as her arms moved frantically and her feet twisted uselessly, for her pink heeled shoe was still lodged in the over turned boat, preventing her from getting out of the water and away from inhaling more of it into her lungs.

When Faolán popped back up, he found himself in the air pocket created by the capsized boat above his head. Panicking, he flailed to stay above the surface and grabbed at the sides to stay afloat, finding purchase in the rickety floor boards that he wedged his fingers between as his choking breaths and gasps echoed hollowly in the water chamber.

And it was right then, as he held himself above the water, that he realized Valia was gone.

At least, until he saw she wasn't gone--she was still there, her foot wedged right near his head!

She was trapped upside down and drowning.

"Oh no...no, no, no!"

As much as he might despise the wretched girl, he couldn't just let her drown. And not just because the duchess would have his head. Moving fast, he grabbed at her shoe and wrenched at her foot, and quickly found the heel wedged in too far to pull out--at least not while he was fighting to stay afloat. And so he grabbed instead at her leg and struggled to pry her foot free of her shoe--and just about cried with relief when her foot popped free--

And kicked him in the face.

For a second he saw stars and tasted copper--and water when he dunked beneath the surface--but he reached down frantically and grabbed onto anything of Valia's he could as he scrambled to get hold of the boat again.

And then his flailing hand caught her fingers, and pulled.

Though it wasn't his fingers he inevitably grabbed, but her toes! And soon her silky smooth leg was pulled into his grasp, her dress, not plastered heavily to her body as her breasts, nearly bursting from the thing, heaved as she gasped and sputtered for breath, clinging to him and anything she could as she continued to cough and cough, long blonde hair suctioning around her face and temporarily blinding her.

OH DEAR! THAT WAS HER LEG!

And despite the dire situation and the very real threat of drowning, Faolán blushed quite furiously when he realized he'd been inadvertently feeling up her leg! Her very, very soft, womanly leg, oh God! He was so going to hell for this if she didn't order him hanged, that was sooo inappropriate! But maybe he'd be forgiven because this was life or death!

And while his mind was still reeling, soon Valia was clinging to him as surely as her dress suctioned to her form, her breasts pressed against him, but he forced the panic away and wrapped an arm around her to keep hold even as he gripped the boat with his free hand.

"Hang on, okay?" he shouted over the sounds of her coughs, his voice echoing in their little chamber. "We gotta get out from under here, so just...hang on and don't drown me, alright? We gotta go under..."

Valia barely had begun to get her wits about herself, but at his suggestion to go under, her lips curled incredulously.
"What!? You want us to go back under the water? Are you crazy!?"

Faolán opened his mouth to snap at her, but got a mouthful of water instead that set him to sputtering and choking. When he could speak again, hoarsely, he glowered at her. Which, he realized, she probably couldn't actually see in the dark.

"Okay, so if you don't wanna go under, what else do ya suggest, huh?!"

Valia paled and her breath caught in her throat. She was too panicked for this! Too panicked for ALL of this!

"I don't know but do something!" she wailed. "I can't die here!"

She was too young and beautiful to die! And she had yet to get laid!

With a frustrated sound, Faolán took a deep breath and let it out slowly, reaching for patience. "You're not gonna die! Unless we stay here and run outta air!" he said, but had a feeling there would be no calming her.

He had to take control here! Be decisive! Be a soldier and act!

And so he gripped her tightly, guiding her arms to wrap around his neck and praying she wouldn't strangle him. "Speaking of air...hold your breath!"

He sucked in a breath, hoping he'd given her enough warning, and abruptly ducked down beneath the surface, bringing Valia with him.

Valia was scared stiff and gave a yelp when her arms were guided around his neck. She gripped onto him tightly, pressing in close so that their bodies were snug and she, nearly popping out of her dress. But when he proposed they go under the water and for her to hold her breath, she blinked.
"What!?" she asked, voice shrill. "YOu can't be serious. Oh Gods-"
Splash. She soon found herself submerged into the yucky lake waters again, but at least she was smart enough to hold her breath- and being underwater made her cling to boy even harder.

With Valia clinging to him, Faolán freed up his hands and felt along the edge of the boat. He pushed them down a little deeper, but then gripped the edge tightly and pulled back up.

They were only beneath the water a few seconds before their heads broke the surface on the other side, Faolán panting and coughing up water that had gotten up his nose and scrabbling at the slicker surface of the boat's belly for purchase. "Shit!" he gasped, trying to get a handhold, but his fingers kept slipping, making them bob and splash in the waters.

When Valia resurfaced and gasped and sputtered, she had a better time gripping onto something solid since she more or less clung to him like an octopus and wailed, "I'm drowning! I'm drowning! Gods, I'm too young and pretty to die!"

"Stop clinging!" Faolán gasped and choked when her clinging started to strangle him. He went under the water, taking her with him, bubbles bursting from the surface as he struggled to rise up again, but her dress was so big and poofy and waterlogged that it was dragging them both down and tangling about his legs.

And for a moment there he thought that maybe she was right and that they were both done for, that this was how he could go, drowned by a big, stupid dress and a stupid, bratty girl and that it really, really wasn't fair at all--!

But then he suddenly felt a hand grabbing the back of his shirt, and then he was lifted, along with Valia, and hauled over the side of a...boat?

An older man glowered at them. "What the hell are ya two kids doin'?"

Stumbling into a soggy heap on the boat's floor, Valia was in hysterics as she sobbed and wailed.
"We were going to drown! We were going to die!"

Faolán coughed up a mouthful of water and gave the man a bleary-eyed look--then scowled at Valia.

"Because of her damned poofy dress," he grumbled as he pushed himself up onto his hands and knees, and finally flopped back onto his rear. But it was his job to be her escort and keep her safe, blah blah blah, and...well...it was a pretty sad sight to see her like that, bawling and genuinely afraid, and he'd been pretty damned terrified in that moment, too, when they'd gone under with no way to get back up.

Despite what he felt about her, his bleeding heart shed another drop, and with a sigh, he scooted closer to her and put an arm around her shoulders.

"There, there..."

The fisherman still eyed them both in puzzlement. "O...kay...so y'all want a ride to shore now or what?"

In too much shock to shrug off Faolán's attempt at comforting her, she only nodded while shivering as the man asked about returning to shore.

"Yes! Yes of course!" came a scared, shrilled attempt at an order from the girl. And as the man shook his head and got to paddling, Valia hadn't realized she was shivering and huddling close to Faolán for warmth.

"...Weird kids," the man grumbled with a shake of his head, raising an eyebrow at the sight of Valia's overly ornate dress--now soggy and ruined--and started to row them to shore. "Ya oughta be more careful. Dress like that, why, I know a lady once drowned 'cause her dress took her down. Ain't no game, you kids shouldn't be goofin' off 'round the water if ya can't swim."

His lecture went on, but Faolán zoned it out. Though it was true--Valia's dress had been a hazard! And right then, with her looking all half-drowned and pathetic and terrified, it was easy to forget this was the girl that had tried to beat the literal shit out of him.

So he let her cuddle close, deciding this was what future knights did. No one ever said the damsels they rescued had to be kind.

"There's gotta be some bonfires going," he said at last, still ignoring the old man's lecture. "We'll find one and get warmed up, okay? Get something hot to drink. That sound good?"

Valia shivered and kept close to the boy.
"Just.. just row quickly! Anything is better than being out here!" she barked, trying to keep back her tears.

For the more experienced boatman, it only took a minute to get from one side of the lake to the other, and Faolán noted with a scowl how easy he made it look. He could have sworn he'd been doing the exact same motions! Bah.

But soon enough, despite the old man's grousing, they made it to the other side and he grunted that they should get off, and grumbled something about "Bart's not gonna be happy about his boat". Faolán ignored it; he might have felt more guilty and sympathetic if he wasn't freezing his ass off! But right then he was on a mission to get Valia to Ansgar-be-damned dry land, get her warm, and not get hanged for screwing this up so epically!

Shivering and teeth chattering, he hopped out of the boat and held his hands out to Valia. "C'mon. We're safe now!"

Accepting his hand, she got off of the boat as quickly as she could, but one heeled foot got caught on the lip of the boat, and with a squeak, she fell into the boy's arms.

If there was one thing Faolán had learned, it was that girls were damned heavy. Valia toppled into his arms, and Faolán let out a yowl of surprise as he grabbed at her--and sent them both toppling over onto the  muddy riverbank.

Now was she not only wet and cold, pert nipples poking out beneath the fabric of her dress where it clung heavily to her form, but she was now half covered in disgusting, goopy mud, too! With a wail of horror, the young lady proceeded to clobber and shake the poor boy.

"What are you an imbecile!? My clothes and hair! By Ansgar's name!" she sobbed. "It's more ruined than what you did to it before!"

"Ow! Hey!" Faolán yelped as he once more found himself in a familiar position--pinned beneath Valia as she whaled on him. Only now she was even heavier, that sopping, ridiculous dress of hers adding at least fifty pounds, he was sure!

"Hey, stoppit! Ow!" He grabbed her wrists after several failed attempts, what with mud in his eyes and her fists flying, and strained to keep them still. Be the bigger person, that's what his ma always said! But he really wanted to just grab her hair and smack her to see how she liked it. He'd just saved her!

"Your hair and dress, boo hoo! We almost DIED! And I saved ya! Remember that part?! You could say thank you or something!"

"True heroes don't act so disasterous!" she wailed. "Especially to their betters!"

"Their BETTERS?! I never imagined my betters wrestled boys in the mud!" Faolán shot back childishly as he gave a sharp twist of his hips and flipped them both over, so Valia was beneath him.

Valia let out a yelp, heaving near breathless beneath him. Her face was flush.
"What are you doing!?" she wailed and began to wriggle. "GET OFF OF ME OR I'LL HAVE YOUR HEAD!"

"Maybe losing my head would be better than puttin' up with you!" Faolán snapped back, so utterly DONE at this point that her threat hardly fazed him. Let her threaten and scream! He was so DONE! So done with her childish, bratty behavior!

"Now stop hitting me and stop screaming and carrying on! I'll let you go when you promise not to hit me, okay?! Goddamn, I'm on your side here!"

"What?" came her shrill reply. "I'm not making you any promises! And I will have your head for such insolence you... you... you rat!"

"I SAVED your ass! And you've been nothing but mean to me when I did nothing to you!" Faolán shouted back, realizing how childish that sounded but unable to take it back now. But really, the unfairness of it all was unbelievable!

"You want I should just toss you back in the lake?!"

Valia was taken back.
"You wouldn't dare!" And her eyes narrowed on him murderously.

Faolán glared right on back, riding high on adrenaline--which was making him bold and reckless.

"You sure ya wanna make that dare?" he snapped back.

She couldn't believe him! And some of the color lost her face as her jaw dropped open real wide before she bucked up, and closed her eyes real tight-
And screamed.

OH GOD NO!

Faolán's eyes went wide and he clapped a hand over her mouth, forgetting in the heat of the moment that this was not just any bratty girl, but an important bratty girl!

"Ansgar's balls! What's wrong with you?! Stop! I'll let you up if ya stop screamin' but ya gotta calm down and promise you'll stop and listen!"

"What!?" Valia squeaked. "How dare you threaten me you little heathen! I'll have you hung! I'll gave you skinned alive and your head on a pike and all of your family shamed!" she wailed. "GET OFF! GET OFF! GET OFF!!!!"

It was hopeless with this madwoman!

And though Faolán was spitting mad, the instant she brought his family into it--oh, that cut him to the core. He instantly sobered, his face paling. He didn't want them to get hurt because of him.

Scrambling off of her, he brushed uselessly at her ruined dress. "Alright, alright! Calm down! I wasn't threatenin' ya!"