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I want to be a pretty princess - Let's Play the Royal Trap
- Thread starter abnaxus
- Start date
Option 2 won
Sometimes I wish that the world could be different.
But what's the point? We're all born with our places in society. We can't change them.
So you are a slave.
I think we've said enough.
Ouais.
<Suddenly, my attention is caught by a sound at the door.>
You must return to your confinement at once.
What's happening?
You were right. No one mentioned the assassin.
Cassidy's going to break the news. There may be a hue and cry. You must be back in your rooms in case of search.
Here.
<He tosses a bundle of fabric at me.>
<Unrolling it, I find a pair of my special gloves.>
I asked him for them.
I would give you weapons, but they're not something you should risk being found with.
Go now. I'll come to you in the morning when I have more information.
<His manner is abrupt, but purposeful. I need to hurry.>
Good night to you, then.
Wait.
One more thing.
<Suddenly, my attention is caught by a sound at the door.>
<He tosses a bundle of fabric at me.>
<Unrolling it, I find a pair of my special gloves.>
<His manner is abrupt, but purposeful. I need to hurry.>
Holy crap. Away with thee already!
Stay away from this loser.
He's a creep and a rather lame match.
He's a creep and a rather lame match.
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2007
- Messages
- 14,826
FUCK OFF!
Erebus
Arcane
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2008
- Messages
- 4,802
I... It's not like I want to gut you with a rusty spoon or anything !
We will not be defiled
<I step away from him.>
This isn't the time...
Here.
<He hands me a folded bit of paper.>
Don't look at it now. I don't want to talk about it. Just go.
<Not another secret confession...>
<But there's no time to wonder. I have to leave.>
<I carefully hide the note, in case the guards decide to search these rooms, and prepare myself for the night.>
<All other questions will have to wait until tomorrow.>
<...>
<At last, I hear someone at the door.>
There you are. I was beginning to wonder.
I have been kept quite busy.
Have the guards spoken to you?
No, should they?
Should, no.
But with things as they are it is impossible to trust anyone at their word, even my esteemed parents.
Especially them.
So what's happening?
In his favor, Father was appropriately dismayed to discover that he had overlooked a very real threat to Cassidy.
He is especially concerned that the assassin was one of our own guardsmen.
He fears that a rebel faction may have intentionally infiltrated the palace staff.
It complicates matters significantly when those you rely on to defend your heir and investigate threats...
...may very well be the threats you need to investigate.
Worse, treading too heavily among the soldiers may create problems where there were none.
We are asking a great many questions at the moment and attempting to check stories against each other without raising alarm.
My parents have asked me to aid them with these interrogations.
Well, that's good, isn't it? They trust you.
Or they want me to believe that, since their previous attempts at controlling me have shown their flaws.
They can't trust you to obey without question, but they can trust that Cassidy's safety is your priority.
If they understand that much about you, and recognise your value in that respect... then perhaps you can build from there.
If that's what you want, that is. I'm not really one to talk.
What do you mean?
My parents had plans for me, I took a better offer. We are not much in communication anymore.
Plans? Bestowing some unwanted cow pasture on you as your hearth-hold?
Not even that much. Our resources were limited, and I was the younger daughter.
They intended me as a perpetual lady-in-waiting, my sister's shadow and support, and nothing more.
A shameful waste of your talents.
Yes, well. There you see: a daughter's lot may not be easier than a son's.
<I tried to tell him that once before, days ago.>
<Many things have changed between us since we first met that night in the passage behind the ballroom.>
<I didn't know him, then. He was a prince out of place, a man raging against the fate his birth had decreed him.>
It's a good thing you were wrong about Cassidy and Caspian, you know.
What do you mean?
You thought Cassidy was really your brother, and you wanted to give him back the life he should have had.
If you resented being a prince, with no power of your own unless a woman chose you...
How much harder would it be for your 'brother' to give up being the heir in order to become just another son?
That... I never thought of it like that.
Well, it doesn't matter now.
No...
Well. I came to inform you that with all the investigations I am required to take part in, I will be busy this day.
Cassidy's movements have been restricted even more than before, and the guards are on watch.
I think we will have to forgo meeting for today.
Good.
What?
Oscar wanted me to come and see him. So if you and Cassidy aren't available, that works out well.
Mmm.
Are you prepared?
What do you mean? I thought you said the king is trying not to raise a false alarm. The guards haven't even been in here.
Unless they're sending patrols around the walls with crossbows or rifles, I should be fine.
Of course.
I should leave. There are many interviews to be held. I intend to return tomorrow.
Should you have need before then, however, you may be able to send word via the guards.
Right...
Is there something wrong that you're not telling me?
I don't know.
<And with that, he makes his exit.>
<If there were some specific danger, he would tell me, wouldn't he?>
~So glad to see Prince Dimwit again /Dolores~
<He takes my hand and squeezes it hard.>
That's exactly what Cassidy did when she first saw me yesterday.
Well, I'm sure she can't have been half as happy to see you as I am.
I've been worried about you.
The guards have been holding me in 'protective custody'. They only let me out to attend official functions.
Official?
Oh, Cassidy's aniversari!
I'd almost forgotten. I haven't exactly been to the celebrations.
They're trying to make it seem as though everything is back to normal.
So the festivities carry on, and my presence is required to represent Ocendawyr.
Other than that, I've been trapped in here. I wanted to see you, but I couldn't.
I did tell you to stay away.
I understood your suggestion, but I don't take commands.
<That's an unusually harsh tone from him.>
Are you angry with me?
No. I'm worried about you.
I'm afraid that you're letting yourself be drawn into something that you'll regret.
What are you talking about?
Prince Callum.
What... what about him?
What happened between you two last night?
He made his intentions clear. He plans to 'invite' you to remain here in Gwellinor.
This is the first I've heard of it!
Maybe he thinks he already knows the answer. Maybe he doesn't care.
He certainly didn't care about forcing your hand before.
Have you forgotten what sort of man he is? He attacked me! Not just once, but twice!
He didn't really hurt you either of those times. He just needed you out of the way.
He held me prisoner and forced me to listen to what I thought would be your murder -
It was a sparring match! A test.
I didn't know that at the time! How do you think I felt?
He threatened my life and used that to force you into an illicit bargain.
He is directly responsible for making us both prisoners in this place.
No, he isn't. He didn't lock either of us up. That was King Preidric.
It was Callum who got me out of the dungeons.
Like father, like son. You can't trust either of them. They'd both use you to their own ends.
Can't you see why I'm worried? Maddie, I don't want to lose you!
<I step away from him.>
<He hands me a folded bit of paper.>
<Not another secret confession...>
<But there's no time to wonder. I have to leave.>
<I carefully hide the note, in case the guards decide to search these rooms, and prepare myself for the night.>
<All other questions will have to wait until tomorrow.>
<...>
<At last, I hear someone at the door.>
<I tried to tell him that once before, days ago.>
<Many things have changed between us since we first met that night in the passage behind the ballroom.>
<I didn't know him, then. He was a prince out of place, a man raging against the fate his birth had decreed him.>
<And with that, he makes his exit.>
<If there were some specific danger, he would tell me, wouldn't he?>
~So glad to see Prince Dimwit again /Dolores~
<He takes my hand and squeezes it hard.>
<That's an unusually harsh tone from him.>
I still hope we can choose neither.
Away with thee too.
Away with thee too.
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2007
- Messages
- 14,826
I don't want to lose you.
Maybe we can start a war.
Maybe we can start a war.
Let's just dump retarted Prince Strawhead
You never had me. Oscar, you don't own me. You and I have always known that our time would come to an end.
I was hired to be your childhood companion. You're not a child anymore. When you marry, whomever you marry, I will be gone.
Even if we returned to Ocendawyr now, your parents might well cast me aside for the scandal hanging over my head.
This whole disaster is Callum's fault, not yours!
Officially, the fault is mine. That's enough for me to lose the royal favor.
You know I wouldn't let my parents turn you out. Don't you trust me at all?
Of course I trust you, but politics and the sake of appearances... sometimes things happen.
I don't know if I would want a position in Gwellinor. But it will be my choice to make.
You say I'm not a child, but you certainly treat me like one.
I'm telling you how things are. What you do about it is your choice.
You have a wonderful opportunity in front of you, don't you see that?
You and Cassidy...
What about her?
Please don't tell me you've been so busy worrying about Callum that you've completely neglected her?
She likes you. I believe you like her as well.
Princess Cassidy is... very sweet. But I don't know her that well. And everyone wants to marry her.
She has other suitors, but they aren't the ones who rode to her rescue.
You saved her from her wicked kidnapper... more or less.
You've shared an experience with her that no one else can replace.
Didn't she talk to you last night?
A bit.
Well? What did she say?
Nothing really... she was just being friendly.
And she asked me to read her my poem, the one I didn't get to finish earlier.
<Oh, dear.>
...what did she think?
She said it was 'cute'.
Oh.
Cute isn't bad. Maybe you should write another one, now that you know her better.
You hate my poetry.
I'm not Cassidy.
As your valette, I have to point out just how much you would benefit by attaching yourself to the heir of Gwellinor.
As your friend, I think the two of you may be well-suited to each other.
If the turmoil and confusion of the past week serve to bring you two together, then it was all worth it.
What is going on, anyway? Have they caught the assassins yet?
Not that I know of.
After all the guards have been questioned, maybe something will come to breath.
I'll probably hear something tomorrow.
<Oscar sighs.>
Try to stay cheerful. I think everything is going to be all right.
For now, I should get back before anyone misses me.
<...>
<When the door opens at last, it requires effort not to rush straight for it.>
Callum.
And no one else. I hope you weren't expecting them.
Why should I be?
You had a meeting yesterday.
Yes...?
There was the possibility that you might have made further plans.
My future is quite without plan at the moment.
However, I have been given the impression that you might have certain plans.
What did he tell you?
That you intended to invite me to remain here, with you. Somehow.
Which is something you hadn't actually said to me yet. I'm not sure why you spoke to Oscar about it.
He is your lord, and your close companion. It... seemed appropriate.
I had not expected his reaction.
You thought he wouldn't object?
I thought that it if he did object, he would express it more openly. Caution becomes him.
It was obvious that he does not approve, but less clear what he would do about it.
He warned me off. Reminded me of the dangers that you and your family pose.
All of which doesn't matter at the moment, because you haven't offered any such invitation.
What is it that you want? For me to take Dolores' place, and serve you as I served Oscar?
What I want is difficult to say. I don't have the power to offer you what you deserve.
I don't want to promise you more than I can give. But I do want you to understand my feelings clearly.
If you could be granted a title... Property, a position, here in Gwellinor...
I-Is that even possible?
Cassidy is the heir, and she has reached her majority. And our parents certainly owe her, and you, a great many apologies.
I don't know for certain yet what it would take. Unraveling this assassination plot, perhaps.
But if it could be done... would you wish it?
<Oh, dear.>
<Oscar sighs.>
<...>
<When the door opens at last, it requires effort not to rush straight for it.>
Yes! Oh gawds, I've got to have this nice stuff!
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