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Post by SlvrNight on Feb 2, 2016 1:41:23 GMT -5
The young woman's aura faded completely and she stood up in an instant, taking a step back in shock. This man? This was him? This was her mother's friend? Wait. He was the king? The king of Jin? Tael Whitemane? She put a hand to her head as if having a headache.
"I thought...I thought it was just someone who shared your first name. I didn't think. I-I didn't think I was looking for the damned king. Oh my god, what do I do? I think I screwed up. Asking a king to leave his kindgom and help me? That's mad."
She instantly fell to one knee, giving a bow and lowering her head.
"I sincerely apologize for my previous insubordination and rude words, your majesty. My name is Triste Makkura and I have arrived in your kingdom to petition your aid in the healing arts."
Perhaps she could salvage this situation if she made up for her lack of proper words and customs earlier right now. If she showed him every ounce of respect she could muster.
Quite frankly, the woman was losing her mind.
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Post by Jisui on Feb 2, 2016 2:12:36 GMT -5
While Triste was prostrating herself to him, the King of Jin slowly grew an amused smirk on his face seeing the young woman's antics. Ah, it never failed. Every time they found out who he really was, they got in a flustered frenzy just like this. Or they tried to hold him for ransom.
He really was glad that she had been raised to be polite (and he knew who to thank for that now). Otherwise this night would have gone quite differently.
Clearing his throat, he tried his best to adopt a stern expression on his face, deep blue eyes staring down at the young woman as if judging her. Folding his arms, his posture seemed to straighten slightly and a commanding presence began to exude from him. He was no longer the friendly hunter that had offered her dinner. The king of Jin was now in front of her.
"Yes... I am Tael Whitemane, King of Jin, son of Jerrod and hero of the Mongrol wars." If one looked closely, a corner of his lips twitched as if he found the title amusing, but he suppressed it. Stepping forward, he moved in front of Triste and softened his expression, a friendly grin spreading on his face as he mussed the girl's hair playfully with his right hand.
"And basically your cool uncle that you never had. Now what do you say we find your mom, kid?"
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Post by SlvrNight on Feb 2, 2016 2:33:25 GMT -5
Surprise filled Triste once again. This was a far different response than she was expecting, but was an incredibly pleasant surprise. She had expected a stern scolding or some form of punishment. Nothing like this. Not a friendly ruffling of her hair or anything of the sort. Relief washed over her and her body eased, a smile crossing her face as she stood up to look at Tael, her self-proclaimed uncle.
"I can already see why mom's so fond of you." She then looked down at the campfire and towards the rest of the forest.
"Should we head out now or wait until the morning? I imagine you can't just leave without letting someone else know anyways, right? Pretty sure people would think you were captured or something if you came to the JX City just like that."
She truly wanted to get him to her mother as soon as possible, but she didn't want to cause any problems either. Whisking away a kingdom's ruler with no one else knowing was an obvious way to cause some severe unrest and possible political problems afterwards.
"Oh, and your spouse. Should probably also let her know you're heading out. Your majesty." Triste added the last part quickly, realizing she may have sounded like she was ordering the king around and wanted to fix whatever disrespect she may have accidentally been showing.
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Post by Jisui on Feb 2, 2016 12:55:54 GMT -5
For now he ignored the "your majesty," but he would have to address that in the future. There was no way his best friend's daughter was calling him "your majesty". He usually got them to break down with the formalities at some point though. "No. We're headed back to the castle first," The king continued onwards to cut off any potential objections from his newly found niece, raising an eyebrow at her condition. He wasn't stupid after all, despite what some may have thought. "Your eyes are bloodshot, there's bags under your eyes and the fact that you got here in the middle of the night means you didn't sleep at all on the way here... am I right?" Not waiting for an answer, Tael stood up, stretching a bit and wincing under the slight cracks he heard. You never liked to hear those. They basically screamed, "I'm old!". "I know you want to get back to your mom as fast as you can, but I'm not returning you to her in that condition... besides, there's a quicker way from Jin to JX City from there." At that statement, he had to suppress a tiny smirk, before it fell somewhat at Triste's words. Hm. His spouse. That was a good point. He wasn't worried too much about his absence, there were people who can handle it without him. It'd be somewhat troubling convincing his wife that he was leaving with an unknown young woman however. Perhaps he should start thinking of what to say. "My king!" A feminine voice screamed outwards in the darkness. Tael froze. "MY KING!" A large thud accompanied the scream this time, and the king just tried to delude himself into believing that she had not just felled a tree in her search for him. "Aw, shit."
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Post by SlvrNight on Feb 2, 2016 13:42:51 GMT -5
Triste groped her face with her fingers, both surprised and embarrassed that her condition was noticed so easily. Then again, Tael was a king. To be one, you had to have courage, wisdom, and be alert. Paying attention to smaller details was something that he probably had to do all the time and was fairly proficient at. He was correct. She hadn't gotten much sleep at all on her way here. How could she? She needed to get aid for her mother as soon as possible but there was also the fact that she had difficulty sleeping when such an abundance of entities were within her hearing. Triste mentally kicked herself. She should have done more research before heading out. She would have known what area were so concentrated with death and would've tried to avoid them.
"Ah. Yeah. I won't even bother trying to lie to you. Just wanted to get help for mom as soon as possible, that's all." It was a partial lie, but she wouldn't bother a king, of all people, with her little personal problems.
Then a woman's voice screamed for their king, like a mother screaming for their child. The rumbling of a poor tree that just happened to be in the woman's way echoed as its life was cut short and it met its fate on the ground. Triste looked at Tael, a look of horror on her face.
"...If that's her this can go very badly. A king, her lover, in a dark forest with a young woman in the dead of night? Please tell me you are an excellent negotiator and a very charismatic man, your majesty. I'd rather not die tonight."
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Post by Jisui on Feb 2, 2016 14:24:07 GMT -5
Please tell me you are an excellent negotiator and a very charismatic man, your majesty."Well..." Tael began, trying hard to keep a calm face in response to Triste's panic. It was becoming increasingly difficult however, as the pair heard another shrill shriek and what appeared to be the sound of blades running across bark. "The good news is that I think I could be considered both." "MY KING!!" Another tree fell. Tael winced. "The bad news is that it generally doesn't matter when you're up against an angry wife." She would understand someday. Or her partner would, unfortunately. Well. They could always wait it out and hope she didn't find them. He was reasonably sure that he could sneak Triste into the castle. But that might make it worse. His brainstorming came to a halt however, at the woman's next words, which came so softly that he almost didn't hear. "...Tael..." It was spoken with such vulnerability and fear that Tael's face immediately softened. Sighing and grasping Triste's soldier, the king gave her a small smile and gestured to the exit of the clearing. "That's our cue. Come on kid, lets go face the musi-" "Tael...?" The pair's attention was diverted away to the sound of the newcomer. At the other end of the clearing, a beautiful woman about the same age as Tael stood. She had long light blue hair which flowed down her waist and eyes the color of ice. Wearing a simple nightgown covered with a cloak, her snow like skin made her almost seem to be a fairy-like creature in the moonlight. Even as the years went on, she still took his breath away. But now wasn't the time to admire. Immediately upon seeing the king, her eyes shifted to show about three different expressions in about the length of a second. At first it was simple relief, shown in her slight smile, then a coldness which sent shivers down his spine. Upon seeing who his hand was attached to however, the poor queen couldn't help but piece things together in the most logical manner. A brief flicker of hurt appeared in her eyes that made Tael wince. Then they turned cold again. The queen stared at Triste with an expression that was unreadable. As the blue haired woman stepped forward, Triste got the distinct feeling of being marked for death in those ice-like orbs. The air began to chill. "E-Elesia! What are you doing here in the middle of the nig-" Tael began, genuine concern in his voice, before being cut off. "Shut up." And thus ended the excellent negotiator and very charismatic man, Tael Whitemane.
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Post by SlvrNight on Feb 2, 2016 15:44:42 GMT -5
Triste threw Tael a look of bewilderment, as if saying "That was it?! That's your negotiation? Your attempt to save us?!" Although she couldn't entirely blame him. This woman, his wife, the queen of Jin, had a very strong and demanding aura. A presence that demanded respect and fear. The dropping of the area's temperature was like a perfect gauge of her deteriorating mood. The look that her icy eyes gave Triste was one that reminded her of the look soldiers from the Order of the Golden Cross gave her. There was no xenophobic hatred in this woman's eyes though. Simply anger. Anger towards the woman she believed was her husband's mistress.
...Wait. This was the king of Jin's wife. The queen. The Queen of Jin. The gravity of the situation and its possible repercussions fell on Triste's shoulders and her breathing increased. She then fell back to her foolproof plan when she felt she disrespected a powerful political figure.
The young woman fell to her knees in a bow, similar to how she did for Tael earlier.
"I am sincerely sorry, your majesty. This is not what you may be assuming. I have traveled from JX City in search of a healer named Tael, and I did not suspect that this same person was the king. I have come to petition his aid to heal my ailing mother."
Your name you idiot. Introduce yourself.
"My name is Triste Makkura. I am honored to be in your presence."
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Post by Jisui on Feb 2, 2016 23:49:24 GMT -5
"She does this a lot." Tael helpfully added in from the sidelines with an amused look on his face, earning him a healthy death glare from his wife. He couldn't help it, seeing the young woman prostrate herself to Elesia like she did five minutes ago. Triste might have been one of the most polite people he had met in a while.
Regardless, the queen of Jin did not seem too amused. In fact, as she stepped forward towards Triste, the chilling air around them almost seemed to condense to frost, ice beginning to coat around the bare earth around her.
My name is Triste Makkura. I am honored to be in your presence.
With those words however, her anger faded away just as quickly as it had arrived. In its place was sheer disbelief and confusion.
Her husband was not the only one who had traveled with Suna. For years, Elesia had faithfully served as Tael's shadow, protecting and guarding him throughout his many adventures and journeys. She was no stranger to the name Makkura.
And where Tael was perceptive, his queen was logical. Upon looking at Triste's features in depth and piecing together her words, she was able to discern who Triste was fairly quickly. Not to say that she didn't have many, many questions. Glancing over at her king, the two quickly held a silent conversation that only married couples could pull off, ending with a look from Tael that translated to "I'll tell you more later."
She was displeased, but it would do for now. The queen of Jin pinched her forehead as if currently receiving a migraine, then sighed in a somewhat resigned manner.
"...I assume this means you're leaving soon without any guards or prior knowledge, leaving Tsuki and I to run the kingdom by ourselves?"
"In fairness, he usually does most of the work anyway." Tael admitted, before earning himself another glare from the blue-haired queen. Hmm. He was just saying all the wrong things today, wasn't he?
If anything else, Elesia merely looked resigned, as if she was used to this happening. Glancing down at the still kneeling young woman, she nodded before touching Triste's shoulder in a signal to rise.
"...Triste, was it? Make sure he doesn't do anything idiotic." Pausing and ignoring the slightly indignant look on her spouse's face, she continued in a softer tone.
"...And say hello to your mother for me. Now come. Its time to head back."
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Post by SlvrNight on Feb 3, 2016 0:10:48 GMT -5
It was an odd exchange. From the queen's tone it sounded like the king leaving was a fairly common thing. Was he still an adventurer even after becoming a monarch? That was a pretty dangerous and reckless thing to do really. Who knew how many people out there would jump at the chance to hold him for ransom? Then again, he wasn't a pushover. He could probably shoot several attackers in the head with his bow in a manner of seconds. Then add in his experience with magic, which Triste was fairly confident extended beyond mere healing, and perhaps any malicious people had more of a reason to avoid him than pursue him.
The young woman looked up at the beautiful ice queen when she felt her hand upon her shoulder. She obeyed and stood up, a smile on her face. "Haha, don't worry. Nothing should happen. We'll be safe. Plus, he hast way more experience than I do, so if we run into any trouble I should probably be the one avoiding doing anything idiotic."
Ah, so she knew her mother as well? This was the same Elesia from back then? The one who was Tael's bodyguard? Triste's green eyes moved from the king, to the queen, then back again. She didn't know personally, of course, but the idea of a bodyguard falling in love with their charge and actually managing to marry sounded romantic to her. Like something out of a fantasy novel. It made her warm with joy to know that at least some of her mother's old friends managed to find happiness.
Triste followed Elesia back towards the castle, looking behind her to make sure Tael was following.
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Post by Jisui on Feb 3, 2016 1:07:25 GMT -5
"Keep the flattery coming, kid. My ego appreciates it." The king joked with a smirk on his face at Triste's words, following the two women slowly. His words earned him an eye roll from his wife, as a comfortable silence blanketed the trio on their walk back. As the situation truly sank in, Elesia glanced at her carefree husband. He might have joked around a bit too much and rarely seemed to take things seriously... but Elesia knew Tael better than any other person alive.
He had changed and matured somewhat from the eager, reckless prince that he used to be. Too many battles had been drawn, too many friends had been lost to remain that person. Particularly him. But the part of him that so deeply cared for his friends had never changed. It was probably killing him on the inside that one of his oldest companions was ailing. But he kept a constant smile for Triste's sake. Later, when he was away from the eyes of the world, he would bare everything that he was feeling. But not now.
Yes... he was that kind of person, and that kind of king, Elesia thought absentmindedly as she felt the arm of her partner snake around her waist with gentle affection.
Jin Castle 8:30 AM
To be honest, Tael had been reasonably sure that it was going to be a sofa night for him.
Fortunately enough, his wife had softened enough to the point where he managed to enjoy a nice fluffy bed for the night. On a related note, Tael had already begun the spoiling process with Triste by finding her the largest and most plush guest room he could possibly find. Not only was it about two or three sizes bigger than Triste actually needed for one night, the bed was literally soft enough to be compared to a giant marshmallow.
Anything for his favorite niece. Or only niece.
At the moment, he was finishing up the preparations to head to JX City and waiting for Triste to wake up. Admittedly, he also wanted to get there as quickly as possible. Preferably he would have also brought along some other healers, but it was impossible on such short notice. His own expertise would have to do.
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Post by SlvrNight on Feb 3, 2016 21:19:03 GMT -5
Jin Castle 8:30 AM
Triste was lying in her oversized bed, covered in baby blue sheets and her head resting on three pillows. The bed had a metal headboard and footboard, both of which were obviously often polished. A beautiful ceiling fan spun quietly, covered in intricate designs and made of a black material. The floor was covered in a light grey carpet and there was a single window on the left side, its frame made from a golden material and its deep blue drapes shielding the room from the light outside. Her clothes were hung on a nearby rack, drifting slowly in the small gusts of wind that sneaked inside.
The young woman shifted in the bed, stirring from her slumber. Her eyes flitted open and she looked around, briefly forgetting the events of the previous night. She quickly sat up, her blanket flying off and sliding off the mattress. Her heavy breathing quickly slowed to a normal pace as she remembered.
"That's right." Triste mumbled. "I'm in the castle. In Jin. I found Tael. Yeah."
She looked towards the bathroom connected to her room.
"I need to get ready. Wouldn't want to make him wait."
Jin Castle 8:45 AM
Triste walked out of her room and into the hall, back in her clothes from the previous night, and with her eyeshadow, eyeliner, and black lipstick reapplied. Her eyes no longer had such a deep look of exhaustion and he movements were more precise, more graceful. It seemed like the night of sleep in such a comfortable bed had worked wonders. Part of her wondered if there was some kind of arcane enchantment on the mattresses to increases the comfort of its users.
As she went, she saw the king waiting for her and she immediately increased her pace, stopping a few feet in front of him.
"Oh gosh, I'm sorry! Did I make you wait, your majesty? That was awfully rude of me and I apologize." Triste bowed respectfully, her hair falling forward and upsetting her balance for a moment.
"So how are we getting there? We're gonna walk like I did or take some sort of transportation?"
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Post by Jisui on Feb 3, 2016 23:25:36 GMT -5
When Triste arrived, Tael was speaking with what appeared to be a Jin soldier, a serious expression on his face that contrasted his carefree grin of the previous night. Although, hearing Triste's words, he fought fairly hard to keep a smirk from tugging at his lips.
Ah, there was his daily apology from his new niece. At this point he had figured out that it was less of Triste being uptight, and moreso that she was just overly polite by nature. It wasn't like he minded though, it was actually kind of endearing to him.
Best to wrap this up quickly however. Snapping his attention back to the soldier, Tael paused before giving his orders.
"Relay what you've just told me to the following people: Moras, Johan, Rosen and Tsuki. Then tell Johan to have his rangers scout the Astoria borders. Understood?"
"Yes, your majesty!" Snapping in a quick salute, the soldier quickly departed to fulfill the mission that his king had given.
Turning around, the king's formerly commanding presence seemed to fade away and melt into a warm geniality upon seeing Triste. Giving a hearty grin, he walked up to the bowing young girl and ruffled her hair again affectionately.
"Sorry about that kid. Looks like I was the one who made you wait after all. Come on, I'll answer your question in the courtyard."
Turning about and walking towards the end of the hall, the king's cape flourished about before settling behind him. It seemed he had changed his clothing to reflect more official matters. While his ensemble was much the same, his tunic and trousers were clean and seemed to be made out of silk rather than rough cloth. Replacing his cloak was a deep navy blue cape clasped about his neck, with the crest of Jin emblazoned on the back. Likewise, his boots had been replaced with a pair that looked freshly polished, and the leather bands at his wrists were replaced with gold bands.
As for his young charge, Tael was pleased to see that she looked significantly more rested than the previous night. It would simply have not been good for anyone if Triste had returned to her mother with him, and collapsed on the spot.
A bright light and the distinct roar of... something, signified the end of hallway. Reaching the courtyard, amidst the various flowers and trees that populated it was a large creature that looked like a huge lion. At least, its lower body was. The creatures head and talons belonged to that of an eagle, as well as its large wings that seemed to blot out the courtyard sky.
A griffin. A rare and endangered species was going to be their ride to JX City.
"That answer your question?"
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Post by SlvrNight on Feb 4, 2016 1:09:13 GMT -5
It was a stark contrast really. The Tael she was talking to the soldier and the one she met last night seemed like completely different people. The tone he held when speaking to the soldier and the way he stood and carried himself was definitely that of a leader, one with confidence in his ability. Then add on the fact his clothes were now made from silks, golds, and various other materials often saved for those in high positions. Part of her wondered if she had dreamed last night and if there was something else that happened.
The Astoria borders? Triste couldn't help but overhear. Was there some sort of conflict going on with another territory or was it just a precaution? She considered asking but stopped herself. Asking a king about his dealings with a foreign state wasn't respectful for someone of her stature, especially when she had no involvement in it. It was simply nosy.
Her mouth opened in silent shock once she followed King Whitemane into the courtyard. She took a few cautious steps forward, marveling at the rare beast. The courtyard itself was a thing of beauty, trees and flowers of varying breeds strewn about. But all paled in comparison to the griffin. Triste cautiously moved her arm forward and placed a hand on the majestic beast's side, her shocked expression gradually turning into a smile. She could sense it. She could feel the spirit of the animal. Could feel its noble soul and intense loyalty to its caretaker.
"A griffin..." She muttered, still in disbelief. "Krizno is going to be so jealous."
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Post by Jisui on Feb 4, 2016 1:51:58 GMT -5
Krizno.
Well.
That was a name Tael hadn't heard in a while. Generally considering his experiences with said name, he honestly didn't have a great opinion of it. He hadn't heard of him in a while though, considering he got his updates from...
...Well, if he was still in JX City and Triste knew him, then it seemed that he was doing fine.
"...His name is Notus." Focusing his attention back on Triste and his griffin, he walked up to his faithful companion and gave a gentle stroke to the griffin's side. "I already prepared him this morning so that he wouldn't... well, tear you apart."
That probably could have been phrased better, Tael realized. "Its fine," The king attempted to hastily reassure her, before leaping on to the back of the beast. "Griffins are just... selective in who they want to ride them. You'll be fine."
Regardless, his precautionary words seemed to not be necessary in the end. Notus seemed to respond well to Triste's touch, giving an odd version of what seemed to be a purr before bending down to allow her on to his back. Even Tael seemed to be somewhat surprised by the turn of events. Notus didn't even warm up to Tsuki that fast.
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Post by SlvrNight on Feb 4, 2016 2:20:02 GMT -5
"Ah yeah. I'd like to avoid getting torn apart, so thanks for that." She said in mix of a joke and genuine gratitude. Triste then took a quick step back as she heard Notus purr and lowering himself to allow her on. She was relatively surprised at this considering the king just told her griffins could be picky with their riders. But she wasn't going to jinx herself and simply smiled. She hopped onto his back, sitting behind Tael and wrapping her arms around his waist.
"I've never rode griffin before and I'd prefer to not fall off and die horribly. Sorry, but I'm gonna clamp onto you for this trip."
The young woman was ready to head back to her hometown whenever the king was ready. She silently wondered how the people of the city would react, seeing a graceful, and rare, griffin riding down into the place with a famous and well-loved foreign power on its back. Would be quite an entrance, although Triste wasn't sure if Tael wanted to deal with all those people and such. Maybe he'd just prefer to land near her home? It was in a more quiet district of the city, so there wouldn't be nearly as big of a crowd until news of his arrival spread.
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