Rodiak

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

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______________________________________	__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ L A D Y Z A R A I L E S D E M A N L A D Y Z A R A I L E S D E M A N ♖ o u t f i t ♖ S O R I A N P A L A C E , 9 : 3 0 A M I N T E R A C T I O N S : @Inertia M E N T I O N S :

She tucked away her contradicting thoughts and emotions clouding her mind into a tiny, pretty wooden box; Zarai was ready to take on the court. Newfound motivation

"So, who should I pick first?" She tapped the side of Sir Barrios’s arm with the back of her hand, eyes darting from Callum to Auguste and Wulfric. She had thought she would want to start with Wulfric, but now seeing two of the women from Alidasht in the audience, she was willing to skip everyone and head straight to them. Forget the princes, forget her happiness and freedom; she’d exchange it all to be with one of them. Was marriage between two women legal in Alidasht? Oh, that would be a good conversation starter. Or would it be strange if it’s a genuine question? She should have asked Fritz; he probably knew the answer.

"My Lady, that is a bit of an inappropriate question. To pick between them would be—"

"Oh, spare me the whole good knight stuff and tell me."

"Lady Zarai—"

"Ay andale, no le voy a decir a nadie." She tapped the side of his arm again, encouraging him.

"Prince Auguste," he coughed into his hand, looking around to see if anyone had heard. No one had.

Zarai looked his way, catching his eyes and welcoming smile. Nice choice, not bad, Zarai thought with a nod. "Sir Barrios, take me to the prince." She folded her hands neatly on her lap, smiling as the knight behind her pushed her chair to Auguste.

She bowed and lifted the sides of her yellow dress in a modified curtsy, and the knight bowed low when they finally approached the prince. "Prince Auguste," She greeted with a smile. "It looks like we are both here against our will." She glanced over her shoulder to her knight, who still stood behind her. "Sir Barrios, you can wait by the door; I’ll call for you when we are finished." She couldn’t have him eavesdropping on their conversation and

Sir Barrios looked at her then the prince before nodding, bowing, and walking back to wait for Zarai’s signal.

"So," Zarai turned back to Auguste, placing her elbows on the table and resting her cheeks on her hands. "Ignore the bruises and let’s get straight to the point and not waste our limited time. Hmm, on that note why do these things last so little? I doubt you can make a meaningful connection this way." She shrugged, already done with that train of thought. "What are you looking for in a… wife. Are you even looking?" She said the last word as if she had bitten into something sour and did little to hide the fact.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

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______________________________________	__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ S I R M A T H I A S L A R S E N S I R M A T H I A S L A R S E N ♖ o u t f i t ♖(#1) S H O O T I N G R A N G E , 1 1 : 0 0 A M I N T E R A C T I O N S : @Heartfillia , @PapaOso M E N T I O N S :

The hug was unexpected but he returned the hug. Mathias took Lukas from the shoulders of Roman into his own. "Thank you for inviting my son and Mary over during the competition; I appreciate it, Lord Ravenwood." He smiled at the tease from the lord, "Of course, wouldn't want to hurt some egos during my stay here. Had to give Verrick a chance too, didn't want to steal his thunder." Mathias had not been able to win a single archery competition in years now.

"If you ever need a break I would be happy to take Lucas off your hands for a while. The ever so beautiful Mary can join me at any time as well"

"I'd be happy to keep your lordship company, and I am sure this little one would too." Mary reached up to hand over the toy bow to Lukas, batting her lashes at Roman.

"... I’ll make a craftsman out of him yet.”

"You may have to compete with Verrick; he has been training Lukas here since the boy learned to hold a bow. Although, I do think it would do him some good and learn to craft things with his own hands." He was about to say something more but was quickly cut off when Lukas spotted Varrick and began to call him over.

Mathias watched the victor of the tourney, clapping as he finally greeted them. "Good shots there," He couldn't get another sentence in before the bow was shoved into his hands. Lukas squealed happily, reaching down and taking the bow with his free hand. He held it up for Lukas but didn't let go of it knowing the boy would not be able to hold it. "Always the hard worker," he half-heartedly rolled his eyes and nodded once. He was planning on saying hello to Lady Damien, of course, and apologize for losing the competition so soon. At least Varrick had given her an exciting show to watch.

"Indeed, Sir Mathias, you must go and greet that beautiful lady." Mary wiggled her brows, taking the bow from him and motioning the absolute tower that was the knight to lean down for her to take Lukas in her arms. "Go on. We'll be here." She leaned in to whisper, "Also, do try to find out about the new Damien guy; she looked shocked. I want the details!"

"Why? Are you going to start your own gossip paper now?"

"Perhaps, I could start my own and add a small section for single young knights and lords. You can be on the front page! Then maybe you'll finally be able to find a wife, or you can stop stalling and talk to Lady Damien."

"I am not stalling, Mary." Mathias smoothed out his shirt and vest, glancing briefly at the stands. "I won't be long," He turned to look at the remaining party of Lord Ravenwood's and gave them a bow before he left and headed to the tree where Lady Crystal stood. Not too far from him, he heard a commotion coming from the runner-up and a large man who did not seem to have the friendliest of faces. He thought about interjecting but did not wish to see the Lady leave without him saying hello first but soon realized that the two of them were headed to the tree.

Mathias blinked and almost considered walking back to the group, but a glance back and Mary's pointed look made him continue. He could see Lady Damien upset, and rightfully so. A stranger appearing from seemingly nowhere and claiming to be part of your house would upset anyone.

Fingertips red, lips cracked from the freezing winds. A boy stands in front of the gate, demanding to see the lord of the house. Looks of confusion and disgust thrown his way as the boy in rags enters the estate.

As Mathias was approaching closer, he realized that perhaps this would not be the most opportune time. He could deal with Mary's glare for a few hours until she got distracted by some handsome nobleman or just deal with it altogether. Lady Damien looked proper cross with the man; he felt his presence would only cause her trouble. Unfortunately for him, his feet had already carried him over to the tree. Mathias stood there, awkwardly looking between Lady Damien and maybe-to-be Lord Damien, until he quickly bowed to Crystal.

"I-" He cleared his throat, "I apologize; I can see this is not the best of times." He briefly glanced at Cassius, nodding his head slightly in greeting. If the ground could swallow me right now, I would greatly appreciate it. He folded his hands behind him, opening his mouth and closing it again when he didn't know what to say. He should have turned around when he had the chance. "It was lovely to see you. I will be by the stands if you need me, Lady Damien. And if you need any help, do not hesitate to call for me." He bowed again, giving her a small smile before turning to take his leave and escape this awkward situation of his own doing.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

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______________________________________	__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ L A D Y Z A R A I L E S D E M A N L A D Y Z A R A I L E S D E M A N ♖ o u t f i t ♖ S O R I A N P A L A C E , 1 1 : 0 0 A M I N T E R A C T I O N S : @princess M E N T I O N S :

Zarai cheered for Verrick when his victory was announced. Had she wished for the hottie to win? Sure, but this was a Varian win, and a Varian win was like a win for her too. It filled her chest with a sense of pride that quickly dissipated. The argument from the morning was creeping back into her mind now that the tournament was over. What was she doing? She couldn't waste this season, her last season, on ruining her reputation further. No matter how she felt and thought of this whole fiasco that was courting season, she had no choice. Despite the amount of money and privilege she had, she could not run away from the inevitable.

Marriage.

Zarai cringed. Why couldn't she just marry herself? Yes, that would be nice. She was pretty, after all, and if she could, she would kiss herself! Well, not right now. It'd probably hurt. Gods, did her face hurt. Maybe she could ask her knight to fetch her some ice. Oh, and some ice cream to numb her lips. Seriously, that slap did not help at all.

"So, where next, hon? I want to do something you like."

"Hm?" Zarai turned to look at Anastasia. It took her a second, or maybe three, to finally see Princess Saide and Prince Felix had joined them. Sweet, Saide's here! And her brother. She gave them a quick bow and a cheerful wave.

"Don't know, what else is happening around?" She tapped her chin. "We can check out the fashion district. I need some fabric for a new dress I'm working on. Or we can go somewhere and relax, maybe? We are not too far from the lake. What do you think, princesita?"

"If... If I may, princess, Lady Zarai, your mother is expecting you back in the palace at eleven o'clock."

"What for?" So she could scold her some more? Throw in another slap or two while at it!

"You are to meet with the princes. I understand Duchess Ledesman informed you of this."

"Oh. I forgot." Zarai pressed her lips together. "Well, I'm not going." She turned back to look at the princess with a smile, ready to plan out the rest of their day.

"I apologize, Lady Zarai." Sir Barrios said before the princess or Zarai could say anything further. "Duchess Lesdeman made it clear you were to attend this event, and as a knight under the Lesdeman's employment, I must obey." He moved to retrieve Zarai's wheelchair from the side.

"But..." Zarai's brows furrowed, looking back to Anastasia. She didn't want to leave her alone, nor did she want to be alone. Besides, she already knew the princes, and they knew her; why the hell would her mother want her to attend the court? It's not like she would marry one of them– or she could. Maybe. If Zarai managed to bag one of them, one of them being Auguste or Callum (Wulfric is not even an option), then she'd have more freedom and distance from her family. She'd be royalty! She's also see Anastasia everyday! What if she married her instead?

"My Lady." Sir Barria was waiting now, the wheelchair in front of him.

She glanced at it. She didn't want to go, but it was clear that Sir Barrios was giving her no option. She couldn't run; she couldn't even walk by herself without the help of someone. Zarai gave Anastasia a defeated smile, reaching out to take her hand.

"As soon as I am done, I will go find you, I promise. Sir Barrios will take me straight to you once the court is done, and then we can stuff our face with all of the cake we can find." A small squeeze before she pulled back.

The knight helped Zarai into her chair, and the lady did her best to hold back a groan when the boning of her corset dug at her side. Sir Barrios began to spin the chair around, ready for departure, when Zarai tapped his arm and pointed at the Watchdog. "You. Take care of her and make sure my princesita is not bored. Yes? Thank you!"

"Lady Zarai..."

"Don't have too much fun without me." Zarai flashed Anastasia a smile before saying her quick goodbyes to the rest of the table, thanking Roman for inviting them over.

______________________________________

A sea of beautiful ladies greeted Zarai when Sir Barrios pushed her chair into the hall. A smile immediately spread over her lips, and she ushered her knight to the closest group of ladies dressed to the nines in colorful and expensive-looking fabrics. She greeted the group of ladies, who smiled down at her with excited smiles and giggles.

Their conversation mostly consisted of excitement about meeting the princes; she would rather talk about anything else other than Wulfric's "perfect" hair. Zarai tried to switch topics, and while two of the ladies were initially interested, their attention was quickly robbed by the presence of the princes before entering the ballroom.

So Zarai sat there, face heavy with enough makeup to semi-cover up the discoloration in her face, and a dress that washed her out.

"I hope this ends quickly; I already miss my princesa."

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

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______________________________________	__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ S I R M A T H I A S L A R S E N S I R M A T H I A S L A R S E N ♖ o u t f i t ♖(#1) S H O O T I N G R A N G E , 10 : 0 0 A M I N T E R A C T I O N S : M E N T I O N S :

Mathias had retreated to join Lord Ravewood's table with Mary and his son shortly after. He had bowed to the princesses and prince there, greeting them with a smile. There was some relief seeing Prince Felix there, supporting Lady Smithwood. He had taken a seat next to Mary as she tried to strike up a conversation with Roman while Lukas sat on his shoulders.

A part of him was glad that he had lost so early in the competition. Mathias was able to sit and relax, enjoy the archery and watch Lukas have fun. It had been years since he could take time off without worrying about work or having Lord Larsen pressure him to find a wife. Although that duty had been passed on to Mary during the summer, luckily, she was too distracted by Roman and the pretty title attached to his name. He only hoped that she would stay distracted for the rest of the summer.

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______________________________________	__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ S H E H Z A D I N A H I R K A D I R S H E H Z A D I N A H I R K A D I R ♖ o u t f i t ♖ S H O O T I N G R A N G E , 10 : 0 0 I N T E R A C T I O N S : @Helo M E N T I O N S :

There was a shift, small and almost overlooked, but she briefly saw the tension of muscles in his hands. Nahir siled, considering his offer for a second before giving him a slight nod. "Lord Smithwood, you certainly know how to keep a girl intrigued. A favor it is." She approved. The chance of winning a favor from him was exciting. She was already thinking of what she would ask from him or if she would wait for an opportunity later in the season.

"I'll bet on the stranger from House Damien." She finally said after a short pause. From the previous match, it looked like the man knew what he was doing, and she did not wish to bet for the Woodsman. Who knew if another squirrel would appear again and distract the man.

The next few rounds went by slower than she thought they would. She had asked Ece to bring them snacks while they watched. Nahir ate her fruit tart slowly, keeping her hands and mouth busy while she watched arrow after arrow being shot. The sugar kept her calm for now, but she knew she would have to dip into her cigars soon.

It wasn't long before Lady Smithwood and Lord? Vael went up next.

She shifted in her chair and wrapped the shawl tighter around her as they watched. She tried not to make a sound or move when Lord Vael finally won. Still, she looked at Lady Smithwood with a smile as she clapped for her. "Your sister is a skillful archer," she turned back to Leo.

In the end, the Woodsman won, unfortunately. Still, she clapped for his victory.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

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______________________________________	__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ S H E H Z A D I N A H I R K A D I R S H E H Z A D I N A H I R K A D I R ♖ o u t f i t ♖ S H O O T I N G R A N G E , 10 : 0 0 I N T E R A C T I O N S : @Helo M E N T I O N S :

Nahir had smiled when Leo greeted her formally, appreciating the respect he was giving her even in a much more casual setting. She pulled the shawl tighter around her, taking some comfort from it as she listened to him. It was a shame that he had no recollection of last night, and she had to be honest, it was gnawing at her brain.

“And my apologies for the distress last night caused you and your family, suggesting that party was reckless of me, a habit I should not have brought to court.”

"There is no way you, or any of us, could have known it would have turned out this way." She did not blame him for extending his invitation to her, nor did she blame Princess Anastasia for it either. They would have heard of the private party one way or another and ended up in the same situation.

She lowered her eyes to his hands when he turned his attention elsewhere. They were calloused, the skin hardened from what Nahir presumed various outdoor hobbies. They were large too, but the fingers were too thick. Would he think of her strange if she'd ask for a handprint from him?

Nahir heard him say something to her again, but her eyes had remained on his hands. It wasn't until he was finished talking that she realized she had been staring for a tad too long. She looked back up at him, smiling again after her mind finally registered what he had said to her.

"I thought that mysteries and surprises were the national sports of Sorian. It almost feels like home."

Her knowledge of House Damien was limited. She knew of the Count's two daughters but nothing else. A distant relative? A cousin or nephew? A bastard? The mystery of the man with the noble name did bring some welcomed distraction as she watched him shoot with cockiness unbefitting of a noble.

"Who do you reckon will win?" She briefly looked to the outer stalls in search of a betting stand. "Should we wager on it?" There was a hint of excitement in her voice.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

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______________________________________	__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ S I R M A T H I A S L A R S E N S I R M A T H I A S L A R S E N ♖ o u t f i t ♖(#1) S H O O T I N G R A N G E , 10 : 0 0 A M I N T E R A C T I O N S : @Aerandir, @Tae M E N T I O N S : @Mole , @Silverpaw ,@ReusableSword

Mary and Lukas both cheered for the Woodsman every time he landed a shot, and every time he did not, they'd shout words of encouragement. Mary even cursed out the squirrel that had distracted Verrick from landing his shot, prompting Lukas to do the same. Mathias looked at them both with a stern look that pointed more to Mary than his son.

It was the middle of the third round when the invitation from Lord Ravenwood finally reached the trio. Mathias looked back to spot Roman and gave the man a wave. He'd have to thank him later for offering a seat for them. Mary wasted no time, wishing Mathias luck and letting the boy give his father a quick hug before hurrying up to meet with Lord Ravewoon, whispering to herself.

Mathias only managed to catch the phrases "secure the bag" and "you'll help me charm the lord, little guy".

It wasn't long before the final round was over that Mathias approached Verrick, smiling at him and congratulating the man on his win. "Not bad for someone shooting with their weaker hand," He looked towards the Shehzadi, "Three point difference. I am sure you would have shot bullseye with your good arm in every round." He patted Verrick on his good shoulder this time.

Up next was Lord Cassius Vael against Issac. Mathias found it odd that people would only write themselves in as just their first name, but this was a public event, and it was probably a common man trying his luck. He watched the three rounds, distracted by his own upcoming match.

It was over before he knew it, and Mathias was called forward to the front. He had removed the blue blazer and rolled the sleeves of his blouse for better mobility before he approached the front. He turned back briefly, scanning the crowd for his son. Unexpectedly his eyes met briefly with those of Prince Wulfric, making him straighten out his back, but with the sound of his son's voice, he quickly spotted him near the bottom with the rest of Ravenwood's party. Seeing Princess Sadie and Prince Felix there also brought in another wave of nervousness that he had been trying to fight off. He did not wish to disappoint them, but at least whoever won this time would be a win for Varian.

When Lady Thea approached, he bowed to her in greeting and wished her luck before they were instructed to begin.

Mathias had once been good in archery when he had first picked up the bow, he'd been good until he realized that others were far better than him. The blade suited him better, he preferred to be up close to his opponent, their movements easier to read and see.

For the first round, every arrow landed on target without a problem, and although his score was low, he felt some confidence growing. Behind him, he heard Mary and Lukas cheer, he'd hoped that Mary would behave herself around the Prince and Princess, but that was clearly not going to happen.

The second round was worse than the last with only twelve points; at least there had been no misses. He shot two near misses and one just above the yellow line for the final round. His last shot, although a bullseye, was not enough to secure him the win.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

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______________________________________	__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ L A D Y Z A R A I L E S D E M A N L A D Y Z A R A I L E S D E M A N ♖ o u t f i t ♖ S O R I A N P A L A C E , 9 : 3 0 A M I N T E R A C T I O N S : @princess , @mantou , @ReusableSword M E N T I O N S : @SilverPaw

With a hand firmly placed on her side to help with some of the pain, Zarai watched the tournament with an ever-present smile on her lips. She'd cheer when Anastasia would, encouraging the "cake man" against Leo Smithwood. She agreed with the princess that he'd thrown Kazumin under the wagon back in the Entrance Hall and therefore did not deserve cheers from them.

Ser Barrios had arrived shortly after the first round, handing out their snacks, and Zarai had named him "The Knight of Sweets," a name he seemed to enjoy. It was much better than any of the names she had thought for him when her mother said he would be following her everywhere.

She ate quietly, ignoring Wulfric's arrival to their little group and instead concentrating on the Alidasht beauty down in the field. A distraction for them both from Anastasia's brother. "I wonder if all of their women are as pretty as her." Zarai tried to whisper, but the crowd around them made it hard to do so. "Her sisters too, and the tall one. Layla? What I would give to spend a night—"

Next to her, Ser Barrios cleared his throat, and Zarai shot him a glare for even daring to overhear her.

"Zarai, it looks like we got an invite to the VIP table! Wanna go over and see Roman? It looks like he's got the best view too!"

"VIP table and the best view? I am already convinced." Zarai stood up but let Anastasia and Wystan go before her so she wouldn't hold them off her slow pace. She glanced back at Wulfric, sticking her tongue at him before letting an uneasy Ser Barrios help her down the stairs.

When the group finally arrived at Roman's table, she pulled away from Ser Barrios and greeted Roman with a smile. "Thank you for inviting us, Lord Ravenwood! Amazing price you put out, too; that bow is so beautiful."

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

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______________________________________	__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ S H E H Z A D I N A H I R K A D I R S H E H Z A D I N A H I R K A D I R ♖ o u t f i t ♖ S H O O T I N G R A N G E , 1 0 : 0 0 I N T E R A C T I O N S : @Helo M E N T I O N S :

She could hear yelling when the palanquin arrived at the archery range. She pulled back the sheer white curtain to peek out, but from her position, she couldn't quite see who was making such a commotion.

"Shehzadi, we've arrived late; we should make haste." Ece, a tall woman with an ever-present frown, stepped in front of the window to look at Nahir. The two of them had known each other for a while now. Ece was the daughter of one of the great houses from Saru, making her a noble lady. She'd followed Nahir to her trip to Caesonia as a lady in waiting, but in truth, the woman would rather be a şövalye, or knight, than a lady.

Nahir nodded and hurried out of the palanquin while Ece instructed the driver to wait by the side.

The registration had almost closed when Nahir arrived and wrote her name quickly before she was instructed to the bows. With not many left, she picked the closest to her and hurried to the range where the other competitors were now lining up.

She spotted Lord Smithwood when the host announced the first round. Nahir clapped when his name was announced and tried to get closer to get a better look, but her spot wasn't the best due to her tardiness. Behind her, Ece approached the Shehzadi with a chair for her to stand on. Nahir smiled, climbed the chair, and waved at Lord Smithwood. "Best of luck!"

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

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______________________________________	__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ S I R M A T H I A S L A R S E N S I R M A T H I A S L A R S E N ♖ o u t f i t ♖(#1) S H O O T I N G R A N G E , 9 : 3 0 I N T E R A C T I O N S : M E N T I O N S : @ReusableSword

The trio had gotten early to the competition that morning to register. Mary had been talking about the event even before they left Varian, trying to convince the knight to partake in it. When Mathias initially refused, she tried to convince him with the opportunity to meet young ladies. Ladies that he could court and hopefully one day marry. When that didn't work, she went to Lukas, promising that he would see his father shoot arrows and win a prize for him, something big and flashy.

It worked in the end after Lukas threw a bit of a tantrum but what was important was that Mathias had agreed.

"If Duke Vikena and Count Calbert are really sleeping together, who do you think pitches and who receives?" Mary peered out of the paper to look at Mathias, trying the various bows laid out on the table.

"I am not sure," Mathias replied, pulling on the bowstring of one of the weapons to check its resistance. "Count Calbert is too proud of a man to be the receiver." He picked one of them up, pulling the string again before examining the weight of it by balancing it on his palm. He was too concentrated on the bows laid out before him to really pay any mind to the conversation at hand.

"Really?" Mary sounded unconvinced, "I think the Duke is the pitcher."

"What's a p..pi.. pitcher?"

Mathias blinked, looking back to see Lukas sitting next to Mary and a toy bow at hand. "It's, uh, when..." he looked at Mary for something, anything! Lukas was too young for this conversation, and this was no place for it either! The sudden need for a response had stunned the battle-worn knight into silence.

"It's when you..." Mary looked back at Mathias, completely unsure what to say as well. They had been caught off guard, too deep in their thoughts to remember that a child was sitting right next to them and their inappropriate conversation. Mathias dropped the bow and walked to Lukas, smiling at the boy.

"It's just when a—"

"Good morning sir, I am Lord Roman Ravenwood I have a quick announcement to make regarding the prize for the winner of this competition... We will be sponsoring this competition by offering a one-of-a-kind prize to the one that wins this tournament! ... A once in a lifetime prize, a masterwork composite longbow fit for a prince, An Ivory Handle made with silver inlays and the symbol of the Ravenwood master craftsmen! Use it as a tool, a wall decoration, sell it for five times your annual pay! If you win its yours!"

Thank you Roman Ravenwood for the distraction.

"Look, Lukas, your prize if I win!" Mathias scooped up the boy and pointed toward the tall man and the beautiful bow he was holding. Its intricate design and colorful had certainly caught the knight's attention. A fine weapon that would serve a good purpose if it were at his disposal, Lukas seemed to think so too. The boy "oohhed" as wiggled in his father's arms with excitement.

"No, I think you're right." Mary said, making Mathias turn to look at her again. "Count Calbert is definitely the pitcher." She had gone back to the paper, clearly uninterested on the newly announced prize.

"Papa, what's a p..pi.. pitcher?"

"Shi... Sorry."

"It's someone who throws a ball." Mathias finally answered, giving Mary a look.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

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______________________________________	__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ L A D Y Z A R A I L E S D E M A N L A D Y Z A R A I L E S D E M A N ♖ o u t f i t ♖ S O R I A N P A L A C E , 9 : 3 0 A M I N T E R A C T I O N S : M E N T I O N S :

Zarai almost threw up in her mouth, but she smiled through the disgust as she gave Edin one last bow. She managed to catch Lord Ravenwood's smile, and she returned it before sticking out her tongue and pointing subtly at the king as a sign of disgust. Behind her, Francesca cleared her throat, and Zarai quickly lowered her hand and relaxed her face just as she was pushed outside the hall.

Their trip back to the guest house was quick, seeing as Francesca grew tired of pushing her around and opted for a carriage from the palace to the guest house. Once they were in the confines of their chambers, Francesca waited no time to berate Zarai as she had never before. The girl stayed quiet, staring past her mother's twisted expression to the wall where a fly was currently resting. Her mother's words faded to the background, and everything around her felt numb; she liked numb.

"Are you listening to me?"

If she were numb, Zarai wouldn't be able to feel anything. It was like standing outside in the snow, barefoot and unshielded from the biting wind. If she stayed still for long enough, eventually, all of her surroundings would disappear. The bone-chilling wind turning into a warm embrace.

"Pon atencion, estupida."

Zarai's head whipped to the side, and she was back again. No snow to tend to the burning cheek. She looked back at her mother, staring into the blue pools that were on the verge of overflowing.

"No tienes idea de cómo me duele esto, levantar mi mano contra ti. Zarai, por favor, es una tortura verte así. You can't continue doing this to me, your father. We worry for you and your future."

Zarai didn't reply. knowing that anything out of her mouth would just upset her mother further. Instead, she nodded and tried to find the numbness again.

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It looked like Zarai would be chair bound for a few days; what a great start to her summer. She had planned to participate in the archery competition and hopefully make it past the first round. Archery wasn't her strong suit, seeing as her mother forced her to learn piano rather than how to shoot with a bow. It would have at least been a fun activity to start her morning. Now, Lady Lesdeman was to await for the King to call her and give her statement on the events of last night. She would much rather be one of the targets at the competition than see that ball of walking lard.

"My Lady, are you certain we are heading the right way?" Ser Berrios, a man on the shorter side with dark brown hair and gentle eyes, had been appointed to Zarai as a bodyguard by her mother. She knew him or at least had seen him around her home. He'd been knighted by her father years ago; he had always struck Zarai as a suck-up.

"Yes, now push faster, Ser Barrios." Zarai pointed down at the hall, "Onwards, my knight, for I must see Her Highness." There was nothing that Ser Barrios could do now but sigh and push Lady Lesdeman down the hall as fast as he could, giving some of the guards an apologetic smile.

When they finally arrived at the princess's wing, Zarai pointed to the door where two guards were stationed on either side of it. The knight nodded, pushing the chair at a normal pace now until they reached the door.

"Hello, gentlemen," Zarai smiled up at the guards, "I'm Lady Lesdeman, here to seek an audience with Her Highness Princess Anastasia. Oh, this is my knight Ser Barrios; he can wait outside if you would like. You'll be a good boy, right?" She smiled back at the man, who only gave her a defeated look.