shylarah

When Royalty Collides (#YIKES)

Rhiannon Heledd Cadfael of Wales

Oh God, what had the prince of tradition-bound Britannia done this time? The thought and others like it shot through Rhia's head when she saw what could only be described as his entourage. Most of the visiting royalty had small, unobtrusive guards or servants. Prince Edwin Drakewine entered with a visual fanfare.

She wished, not for the first time, that she could deny any association with the Britannians. At least he provided her with a good excuse to approach the princess clad in full plate armor.

"Prince Edwin! I hope you had an easy flight over," Rhia told him with a polite smile. "And I don't believe I've met your partner in conversation. You must introduce me." As introductions were made in Edwin's loquacious style, Rhia turned a bright smile on Domitia. Now here's a lass that could keep me on my toes, she thought to herself, then quickly corrected herself. Not a lass, but rather -- what even was the gender-neutral equivalent? A thought for another time. "It's lovely to meet you," she said aloud. "I've heard a lot, but news and social media can only be trusted so far. I look forward to getting to know you in person." Rhia's expression turned sly, and her grin widened. "I have to say, you know how to make an impression. I'm guessing there's a significance behind your armor, but I have to say I do not know it. Would you tell me?"

The Plague Knight Chronicles: Chapter 1

@LordOfTheNight I'm still in, though I won't be posting reliably until next week.

When Royalty Collides (#YIKES)

Valentine/Edelessa of Luxième

Marriage. Betrothal. The words made Valentine shrink farther into herself. She wasn't even old enough to be married; her wedding wouldn't be for a couple years yet, and her coronation a year or so after that. She felt a flash of anger at having this engagement sprung on her, but she was too anxious to keep hold of the sharp clarity it brought. She didn't feel like a princess. She felt like an impostor, and a poor one at that.

Prince Akio talked a little about his home country, mentioning how the crown's inheritance was decided. It was an unusual method, though she wasn't sure if it would be better than primogeniture. Then again, anything would be better if it put her out of the running for the Luxemi throne.

Eventually he asked her about the party itself, a direct question that demanded some sort of response. Valentine tried to find her voice and failed. Instead of a verbal response she summoned a wan smile, though it came close to a grimace. An uncomfortable, sickly feeling curled in her gut. It probably was a nice party, but she was hardly in a state to appreciate it. She already wanted to leave.

𝓣ℎ𝑒 𝓕𝑖𝑐𝑘𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝒻 𝓐𝑙𝑦𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑛𝑎 & 𝓕𝑖𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑛, 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡.

@Briza As a note, those fancy letters aren't viewable on my kindle...or my old computer, which I will be using for the next week. m*settles in to read*

When Royalty Collides (#YIKES)

#ThatHat is go, repeat, #ThatHat is go.

Sparks: O.o

The Plague Knight Chronicles: Chapter 1

just so everyone knows, I will be out of town all of next week and into the second week of January. I don't know how much time I'll be having to reply to things while I'm gone.

When Royalty Collides (#YIKES)

Valentine/Edelessa of Luxième

She really wasn't very lucky. She should have known that she would not be. Of course the one person in the entire room that she least wished to speak to was the one that noticed her absence when Anton arrived and looked around until he was able to locate her. Damn both of them. Maybe she should have used the front door; at least there she'd have had other people to get in his way. But where she was, there was very little resistance to him moving across the floor. She considered darting for the door and just leaving, but she'd promised, and managed -- barely -- to stand her ground.

She kept her head down as Prince Akio approached, trying to remember how to breathe. What she wouldn't give for a nice invisibility spell right about now! But you have to do this. You have to. Valentine had had far too many lessons about her duties, and despite her best efforts a number of them had stuck. She couldn't bring herself to lift her head, looking not at the prince but instead at the ruffle on her skirt. At least he did his research. He didn't call her by her birth name, as so many people kept insisting on doing at events like these. The only reply she gave to his introduction was a stiff nod. Even if she'd wanted to say something, she didn't trust her voice. It would probably come out a mousy, unpleasant squeak if she managed to make it work at all.

Prince Akio offered her a flute of champagne, and while Valentine didn't really want to be drinking she felt obligated to take it from him. It took her a moment to unclench her fingers from around the strap of her little purse, and once she had the flute the wine wobbled dangerously close to the edge of the glass. Valentine knew how to properly appreciate wine, but her first sip was both hasty and larger than was strictly proper, just to make sure she didn't spill it. She still didn't look up at the prince, and she wished she'd left her hair down. She felt terribly exposed, as irrational as that was, and she could feel every bit of tension in her shoulders as they crept closer to her ears. She did not want to be here.

How Not to be a Douchebag 101

Hey, just a heads-up, but I probably will be around only minimally for all of next week. Just so you don't think I disappeared or bailed or...whatever. ^.^ Going on a trip.

How Not to be a Douchebag 101

Rhylaen was glad for Agent-May's support, and indeed the other woman had more authority when it came to the men of science. The lights were dimmed after a brief conversation, and the unknown one seemed more willing to interact because of it.

The dampening bracelets, Rhylaen knew, kept its other powers limited. She'd experienced something similar, years ago, and the memory was not a pleasant one. She knew, however, that the men in the other room would only let her push so far before they insisted she leave. She suspected removing the bracelets would get her in real trouble. "I can't," she told him, brows drawing together in concern. She pointed back at the door, trying to indicate others, and shook her head.

When Royalty Collides (#YIKES)

> S P A R K S , A C I R A S I T
status: very merry

> >
IF (celebrate =1)
THEN
GET (holidayname)
PRINT (Happy [holidayname]!)
ENDIF

>>Run

> Happy Christmas!

!-- code still needs some tuning