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Post by Deleted on Jan 26, 2017 11:13:19 GMT -5
ashrainHere it is! I have to reply to something really quick, so give me about...ten minutes? Yeah ten minutes works. We'll work out where we want to start when I finish
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Post by Deleted on Jan 26, 2017 11:30:44 GMT -5
Oi, I'm back
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Post by ashrain on Jan 26, 2017 11:34:22 GMT -5
Hey
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Post by Deleted on Jan 26, 2017 11:36:36 GMT -5
So where should the plot start? Like when they both hear news about the marriage?
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Post by ashrain on Jan 26, 2017 12:00:10 GMT -5
Maybe should I have Theo come and tell her or should we make it into like a full court affair.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 26, 2017 12:02:39 GMT -5
Hm..which one do you think would be best?
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Post by ashrain on Jan 26, 2017 12:12:24 GMT -5
I'm not sure because it would be easier just to have Theo come and tell her but it would probably be more realistic to make it a big thing which is announced in front of the whole court she is the princess and it's a big alliance between the two courts.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 26, 2017 12:25:52 GMT -5
I think we could just do the with Theo. Who says it has to be realistic you know?
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Post by ashrain on Jan 26, 2017 12:50:39 GMT -5
((True true)) As Theo walked the familiar route towards Arabella's room he felt something inside him break. He had walked this walk thousands of times at least but he'd never felt like this before. Never felt like something had changed irreparably in the course of a day but it hadn't even been a day. All it had taken was a 15 minute conversation between him and the king to send all his dreams crashing down like a house cards when one pulled one of the bottom cards out and that's what the king had done whilst smiling at him as though he was giving him the greatest favour in the world. For a second Theo had felt almost like he would yell back and make the king listen, explain to him everything that he had been through and make him actually listen and make someone notice him properly but he didn't. Instead Theo had bowed his head and looked at his feet as though they were the most interesting thing that he had ever seen and then left the room the only thing heavier than his feet being his heart.
Theo looked up as he came to the door behind which was Arabella's room where he was almost certain that she'd be. He hesitated for a second before raising his hand to knock on the door. He wanted nothing more than to run away and pretend that he had never spoken to her father but instead he knocked on the door twice the sound garishly loud to his sensitive ears before turning the handle and pushing the door open slowly.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 26, 2017 13:00:43 GMT -5
Arabella had been practically been bored out of her mind as of late. Even in such a big castle one could easily grow bored. Especially when she wasn't allowed to wander around too much in the first place. Apparently it wasn't very good etiquette. Arabella wasn't one to normally go against her mother and father's rules so she only went to places that she knew. One of them being her room. She was too lazy to leave her room and speak to her maid, and her mind didn't want to focus on books either. So she was out of luck.
Arabella was sitting on her window, staring out at the gardens below. Her head was resting against the glass as she did so. She felt tired yet not tired enough to nap. It was an odd position to be in. So when she heard a knock at her door her head shot up and soon her entire world became the door to see who was there. Was she really that idle today? But Arabella pushed the thought away when she saw Theodore, or as she liked to call him, Theo. "Theo?" She tilted her head a bit out of curiosity. "Is there something you need?"
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Post by ashrain on Jan 26, 2017 13:15:12 GMT -5
"It's your father," Theo said trying to work out the best way to frame the conversation he'd had not an hour ago with Arabella's father whilst also remembering that in addition to being Arabella's father he was also the king and as a result his explanation had to carry a sufficient amount of respect for him. "He's brought your marriage forward. We'll be leaving tomorrow." The reason for the sudden change in time scale was because supposedly the prince was growing far too close to one of their nobles daughters but that didn't make it any easier for him to tell Arabella that her wedding originally set to be a year and a half from now would be occurring in a matter of weeks months if she was lucky. He only looked up meeting Arabella's mix-matched gaze now as he couldn't bring himself to see what he might see in them. It wasn't his fault that her father had told him to bring the message but he was scared that she'd reject him for telling her the bad news even if it wasn't his fault which would make delivering the next part of the message harder as it would mean that they'd have to rely completely on each other for weeks.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 26, 2017 13:32:35 GMT -5
Arabella nearly jumped off of her window seat at the news. "Tomorrow?" She asked like she had never heard the word before. She wasn't ready, not in any way shape or form. She would at least have liked to see him in person once. But of course, marriage is 'buisness'. Arabella was a pawn in this game of chess between her father's kingdom and their rival's. And that was just what worried her. They were rivals. This prince, whoever he may be, must hold her in contempt at the mention of her name. Arabella couldn't live like that, and it didn't matter to her that hundreds of royals have done this before her, she didn't like it.
"This is a joke isn't it?" Arabella shook her head in disbelief. She wasn't supposed to marry until a year and a half from now, not in a few weeks or months. "Who put you up to it Theo?" She asked, desperate for this to either be dream or sick joke.
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Post by ashrain on Jan 26, 2017 13:46:31 GMT -5
Theo didn't say anything his silence speaking more than any words he could ever say. He kept his hazel eyes on her mismatched ones hoping that the strength of his gaze and the reluctance to tell her anything would be the only answer that she would need as he couldn't bring himself to say anything to her. Theo couldn't help but feel intrinsically guilty due to the fact that he had been the one to break the news to her but he knew that if he had had the option to stop the match from taking place he would've. He knew how much she disliked the prospect of an arranged marriage and as little kids he had joked that he'd save her and they'd run away together but Theo knew that as appealing as it sounded it was a child's dream and he'd become an adult before he'd even realised.
"It's not a joke," He said after several moments his voice low and slightly unwilling to say it but he had to. "Your father sent me to tell me that we're leaving tomorrow."
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Post by Deleted on Jan 26, 2017 13:59:07 GMT -5
Arabella was crestfallen. It showed on her face, the way her eyes were downcast and and the loss of color in her face. She sat back down on her window seat, hands in her lap. Arabella looked at Theo, and then back to her hand in her lap. It was supposed to be a year and a half from now...why would they change that? Was her fiancé being pulled in another direction? If so, then good. It would be better for the both of them.
She ran a hand through her hair, wanting something to do with herself. But right now, she wanted company above everything else. Theo's company, her maid's company, even her mother's would have been fine too. "Can you stay for a little while?" She asked quietly, not even sure if Theo had heard it or not.
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Post by ashrain on Jan 26, 2017 15:05:35 GMT -5
"Sure," Theo said equally quietly after hearing her, his ears straining to hear what she had said before sitting himself down on a small wooden chair which he knew Arabella normally used with her desk whenever she wrote letters or anything of the like. His fingers knitted together nervously a feeling he never normally felt when he was around Arabella as normally she calmed him down after a tiring day like applying a salve on a wound but now he had to calm her down and get her through it.
He forced a smile onto his face as he looked at her. He'd have to help her fulfil her duty as a princess and fulfil her birthright as he didn't think that she'd be able to do this without his help or someone's help at least. "Are you okay," Theo asked knowing the question was a bit stupid considering what he had just told her but he asked her anyway hoping that he could get her to reveal her issues to him.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 26, 2017 17:35:14 GMT -5
Arabella massaged the her temples as if she had a migraine. Which she might soon under all of the stress she was under as of now. She let out a sigh and looked up at Theo. "No not really. I..." Arabella trailed off and as she did so, bit her lip. She stood up from where she was sitting and began to pace back and forth in her room. It helped her think, Theo of all people should know that.
Arabella stopped on the other side of her room, and ran a hand over a slightly dusty dresser. "I just wish I could have met him, so I knew who I was getting married to. Names don't get you very far." That was not what she truly wished, she made some other reason up that sounded pretty logical though. She wasn't sure if Theo caught onto her white lie, but obviously wasn't going to ask him.
{Sorry for poof. Had to babysit.}
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Post by ashrain on Jan 26, 2017 18:38:25 GMT -5
Theo nodded in agreement with her. It was one of the many reasons he was just a lowly knight whose greatest feat was to be born to a soldier who had saved the king's life sacrificing his own in the process which was why he had ended up in the royal court as a child which was when he had met the princess. "Don't worry about this all," Theo said reassuringly smiling at Arabella.
"Regardless of the political results your father wants what's best for you," Theo said desperately hoping that he was right about all of this and that Arabella's fiancee was a decent fellow but Theo knew that if he was a nice guy it would be harder to hate him for being married to Arabella. He met her eyes trying to reassure her and calm her down, "Everything will be okay I promise," his voice was calm and reassuring even though inside of him he was quaking and nervous about what was going to happen to Arabella and to him.
((No worries I'll be going to bed soon in like half an hour though so))
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Post by Deleted on Jan 26, 2017 18:52:09 GMT -5
Anger crossed Arabella's features when Theodore tried to calm her down. "Can you truly promise that Theodore?" Her voice raised a bit, but not much louder than she had been talking. How could he promise her something that neither of them were sure would happen. She wasn't an idiot, what chance of a happily ever after did she have like in the books she read? A very small chance. "You haven't met him either, unless you have yet to tell me about that too?"
As soon as the words left her mouth though, Arabella felt instantly guilty. Her features were soft again and her eyes were on the verge of watering. "I-I'm sorry, please forgive me Theo. I know it wasn't your fault." She begged. Arabella shouldn't have said what she did, she could only pray he would forgive her.
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Post by ashrain on Jan 26, 2017 19:30:23 GMT -5
Theo looked down; Arabella was right. He was deluding himself into believing that at least Arabella could have a happily ever after considering that he knew that he wouldn't have one. He had just been trying to make her feel better about everything and suddenly everything had gone wrong like usual. He always messed everything up for himself, his family and for Arabella why couldn't he just do everything right without causing waves and trouble as a result of that. He couldn't even be friends with her for much longer as she'd be in a completely different kingdom and even though Arabella was right in front of them he felt alone.
Despite Arabella's pleading her cries fell upon deaf ears as he sat impassive on his chair. He couldn't bring himself to look up to respond to Arabella as he knew that were he to do so he'd end up shouting at her probably and the first and only time he had shouted at her he had been 14 she 11 and he'd felt something physically hurt inside of them as he watched her cry knowing it was his fault that she was crying like this and he couldn't blame anyone else for upsetting her. He looked up for a second after he heard her stop talking. Her eyes were misted slightly and for a second Theo thought he saw something in them but he blinked and everything went back to normal.
"It's okay Ari," Theo said after a few moments of just silence with the only sound being the symphony of their breathing. "You're allowed to be stressed it's perfectly natural," Theo said referencing to her wedding. Even someone who had known their husband or wife for all their life would stress upon finding out that it had been brought forward over a year and Arabella hadn't even met the guy at all and she know had to marry him.
((I'm going to go to bed know as I have an early start tomorrow but I'll be on tomorrow afternoon from 5 GMT definitely and I'll see if I can post whilst I'm at school but they'd probably just be really short))
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Post by Deleted on Jan 26, 2017 20:13:45 GMT -5
There were no words to describe what a monster she felt like on the inside for taking her anger out on her childhood friend. Theo would never hurt her physically or emotionally on purpose. And it killed her inside to not hear his voice respond to her pleads. She was going to call out Theodore's name once the silence started to make her uncomfortable. Or if he didn't hear her, which seemed also logical.
The knight's response though, didn't match what she expected. She expected him to become angery or leave her to fret about her marriage alone. But he merely accepted her apology. Arabella wasn't sure if she was relieved or still stressed about what she said to her closest friend. Arabella made her way over to Theodore and slowly kneeled down beside the chair he sat upon. "That still doesn't give me permission to take my anger out on you. Theo, you mean the world to me, you've always been there for me, I should never use you to take my emotions out on."
Theodore and Arabella had been close friends almost ever since they first met. Arabella was nine years old at the time, and Theodore, twelve. His father had died a year before that, but Arabella had not noticed him at first. She was always kept in another part of the castle than him. When they first met, it was in the palace gardens. She had been allowed some free time from her studies, and so had Theodore, so coincidentally, they both went to the gardens. Arabella had never forgotten that day, and she had seemed to remember it more and more these past few weeks ever since she had first learned of the arranged marriage. If she were to miss one thing from the castle, it would be Theodore's presence.
{That's fine!}
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Post by ashrain on Jan 27, 2017 12:24:11 GMT -5
Theo looked down somewhat awkwardly as Arabella knelt down beside his chair. It was a reversal of the normal dynamics as normally she was the more dominant of the two when it came to ideas and plans but while he was the more cautious one who'd think everything through but regardless he'd normally follow her lead in any decisions that were to be made whilst now she was the one kneeling down beside him instead of him obeying her.
"Get up already," Theo said warmly as he looked down at Arabella who was kneeling beside him. She didn't belong there on the ground instead she deserved to be a queen ruling over people. "You're better than kneeling to me of all people," Theo ran a hand through his close cropped curls ruefully his hazel eyes not tired but more just weary of this entire mess.
He sat still for a second on the chair before he allowed a small almost tentative smile to cross his face. "Besides you'll have plenty of time to make amends for it considering that you're stuck with me for another few weeks," Theo said his voice more lighthearted almost joking than before. That had been the second part of what the king had told him and the only bit which made Arabella's leaving at all positive even though he knew that it would make the parting all the more harder but he couldn't help be glad that he'd been granted at least this to make up for everything which he had been forced to endure throughout his youth and adolescence.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 27, 2017 19:31:58 GMT -5
Arabella only raised her eyebrow at Theo when he told her to get up from her position on the floor beside his chair. She knew it wasn't very lady like or proper. However, Arabella always thought that Theodore's presence was the only exception to the rules of etiquette. He had known her for long enough, she didn't need to act like the princess she was around him.
Arabella instead changed her position from kneeling, to sitting down. Of course, she sat like a lady because of her dress. Arabella wouldn't push that boundary. "If it was anyone besides you I wouldn't be sitting on the floor while you were in my chair." She countered in a friendly way.
Her mood was instantly enlightened though, despite hearing again about her marriage, when Theodore told her the only real bright side to this situation. Arabella grinned but slight confusion shadowed her featured, "So does that mean you're taking me?" Arabella tilted her head to the side slightly out of some of the confusion she felt. It was a habit of her's.
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Post by ashrain on Jan 27, 2017 19:51:22 GMT -5
"Well I have old bones unlike you," Theo joked hearing Arabella and seeing her adjust her position from kneeling to a sitting position. "I need to sit down more than you do." Him being older than Arabella was true as he was three years older than Arabella but as a knight he had been trained to stand up stock still for hours without movement or emotions.
He enjoyed the fact that they could act so relaxed amongst each other as it made it easier for them to just enjoy each others presence and it was never awkward as they were able to talk about literally anything at any time regardless of what was going on. Theo had lost count of the number of times as kids when they were yelled at because of them whispering to loudly. They had tried separating them but they had always found a way to meet up again until everyone gave up on separating them as they knew there was nothing they could do to separate them.
"Your father," he began his voice hushed in a confidential whisper so that Arabella would have to lean in to hear what he would say. "Has decided that I'll be your escort to your marriage." He waited for a second allowing this to sink in before adding, "And due to unrest at the border your father is just sending me as he feels a small group will be more successful."
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Post by Deleted on Jan 27, 2017 20:32:13 GMT -5
Theodore occasionally made himself sound so much older than Arabella, but he was only three years older than her. Which, with the two of them being so close in age, it made them even better friends. Before Theo, Arabella didn't have very many friends or people to talk to at the castle. Everyone else was older than her, or her baby brother (who is nine years younger than her). So his company was very much appreciated.
Arabella couldn't hear Theodore at first so she had to lean towards him to hear what he had to say. She found what her friend had to say to be the best bit of news she had heard in the past few days. Even if her time with Theodore would be limited, it would be better to spend her last few weeks with him than today to be her last day with her best friend.
"That's wonderful Theo, I was worried today would be my last day with you..." Arabella gave him a sad smile, knowing how bittersweet this would all then out to be. "Would it be wrong of me to embrace you?" She asked, not sure if she was allowed to or not. Arabella has in the past (mostly when the were younger), but right now it just felt different, maybe because she had not done so in a long time.
{Sorry, was busy for a little while}
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Post by ashrain on Jan 28, 2017 9:59:42 GMT -5
Theo looked down at Arabella, his lips curving up into a smile. He wanted to hug her more than he could express the words for. This would be one of the last times he would be this close to her as after they arrived at her fiancée's kingdom wich was neighbouring to her father's she'd be swept into a place which Theo wouldn't be able to follow her down. He knew he couldn't as they were no longer the little kids that they had been when they first met and she was a lady and he was a knight now, he stretched an arm out without realising fully what he had doe and he encircled her shoulder pulling her skinny frame towards him.
He held her for a few second pulling her close, imprinting every detail of her onto his mind before releasing her all to soon but he knew that were he to hold her any longer as it would be changed from a steadying innocent gesture into something which to a stranger would look almost inappropriate. Pulling away but keeping close enough that he could see the lighter flecks in her blue eyes he pushed a strand of black hair out of her face.
He moved back away from Arabella smiling comfortingly her, his voice warm and reassuring, "It'll be great." He promised. It would be amazing he'd make sure of it. They had always talked about going on an adventure together as children and this would give them one last chance to be able to do that before they were finally forced to actually grow up.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 28, 2017 10:21:18 GMT -5
Arabella was more than happy that Theodore didn't find her question strange and did hug her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself to him. It was comforting to her, and he was warm. Arabella had closed her eyes as they embraced, and found herself disappointed that he let go. If she could, she would have held on, as Theodore was the only thing really keeping her sane as of now.
Arabella gazed at Theodore curiously as he kept himself close and pushed the hair away from her face. He hadn't normally touched her hair before now, or generally anywhere near her face. But she didn't mind, her hair was bothering her anyway.
"I don't have any doubt in my mind that you will make it great. Without your scheduled duties as a knight we'll be able to have more fun." She tried to sound hopeful, but even though they didn't have their normal duties of their positions, they still had things to do. Arabella was still a princess, and Theodore was still a knight. They had their own jobs. "How do we plan to get there though?"
{Sorry, might be poofy}
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Post by Deleted on Jan 28, 2017 10:33:00 GMT -5
{and Theodore is going to make me cry lol}
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Post by ashrain on Jan 28, 2017 11:49:26 GMT -5
Theo smiled as he heard the optimism which was infused into Arabella's tone for the first time since he had come to visit her room today and he felt a goofy grin cross his face as she sounded actually interested and engaged in what was going on and their plan for how they would get to the other kingdom undetected. It would be quite a feat for them to be able to do it successfully considering that they would be going without any of the privileges that Arabella and even he were used to greater luxury than they would be.
"Well," He said thinking out loud as he remembered the plan that he had come up but he couldn't quite remember the finer details that he had come up with but it wasn't exactly that detailed in the first place. "The entire point of it just being me and you is that we'll be discreet more unnoticed then were he to send a large party of soldiers as a guard. Tomorrow we'll leave here by horseback and we'll travel together to get to the other kingdom."
As Theo finished his sentence he remembered the reason why they were doing this all. He was taking Arabella to her future husband who she'd marry and disappear forever from his life and he'd loose his best friend since childhood.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 28, 2017 12:01:53 GMT -5
Arabella heard how Theodore's tone changed as he talked about 'the other kingdom'. It was when he said that did his smile disappear and so did Arabella's. It was bittersweet that they could finally have the adventure they always dreamed of, only to say goodbye to one another in the end of it all. She would be married, with children of her own and ruling at Prince Elliot's side as queen. It was all happening so fast, Arabella wasn't sure what to make of it, besides dreaded.
Arabella moved her gaze down to her hands and then back up at Theo. "I...I could always write to you Theo..." But even Arabella knew it wouldn't be the same. He would never physically be there to greet her in the morning or talk with her until the sun went down. Not only that, but if she wrote too often, her fiancé might get suspicous. He might think she was writing to a secret lover even though that wasn't the case.
And Theodore had his duties as a knight. If he had his mind on awaiting Arabella's letters, he would become distracted from what he would need to do. Even if that was a bit on the extreme side of what could happen, it was still possible. But she was sure Theodore would have his own reasons for why that wouldn't work either.
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Post by ashrain on Jan 28, 2017 13:24:57 GMT -5
"Yeah, you could," Theo agreed even though he knew that the entire idea of her writing letters to him for the rest of their lives despite what happened to either of them individually was unfeasible and far too unrealistic for this mess that was life was. Besides he knew that it wasn't a good idea the scandal which would ensue if anyone found out the future queen of Allia was still writing letters to the knight who she had known since they were both children considering that it was more of a fairy story or even a legend than real life.
He shook his head trying to clear his head of all these excess surplus thoughts. If he continued thinking about this and going down this trail then he wouldn't be able to do his job effectively and the only thing which was important was Arabella's safety as they went on this journey. He rose to his feet from the chair he had been sitting on in one abrupt yet fluid movement running his hands through his cropped hair in frustration once he reached his feet. He didn't know if he could do this properly and protect Ari as that was and had to be his priority.
Theo ran his fingers along the fabric which made up his top slightly unsure about what to say to Arabella to change the subject from this as he couldn't, wouldn't talk about this to her. "We'll leave tomorrow morning and we should arrive in two weeks," Theo said resorting to the few facts that he knew but he left out the fact that the two weeks was very much an optimistic idea and factoring in any issues which may arise it could be over four.
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