Aurora Liesma
Bride of Zakroti @darkwolf687; Sister-Bride to Aymiria @Amethyst
Interacting with Zakroti and Aymiria
“It is what you choose to be, not all you are to be. Do you wish for that to be your sole purpose? Would you rather carve something more out? I am open to talk.”
Never before had it occurred to Aurora that she might actually have some choice in the manner in which she lived. All she had been taught, all she had seen had been an attempt to break such behaviors and expectations… and now here she was being offered a choice. The concept took her completely by surprise leaving her more than a little off-balance mentally.
Such thoughts were quickly pushed away as Zakroti’s tone shifted, turning her sense of suffering back onto herself. He all but accused her and her family of submitting to the same cowardice the royal courts had the very first time Drakka came for their women. The man was not entirely wrong, his sentiments somewhat a mirror to her own private thoughts. Too long have her people handed over their girls like they were nothing, going so far as to breed them for such purposes depending on the region. To lose a daughter was an expectation from the moment she is born into the motherland.
But to have him pin those same sentiments upon her family, couldn’t be further from the truth. They were among the minority in their homeland, the closest any Gem would come to inciting true violence against another living creature. While the rest of the country tried to teach them to be obedient and docile, Pyrus taught them to be strong and independent. Devout followers of the fire god knew him to be a mighty protector of his sisters and children, a great force that did all he could to keep the evil at bay. In another world, the Liesma’s might have turned out to be warriors themselves… filled to the brim with a fiery fighting spirit. But no such thing was allowed in the world they did live in, no fist was to be raised against those that might otherwise destroy them. Aurora despised it.
She wished to speak out but knew it not to be the time, sipping at the bitter liquid with the slightest hint of a wince. It wasn’t bad, but it was held a bite she was not accustomed to quite yet. Aurora sat and listened to the man’s explanation with intense concentration as if seeking any hint of a lie or misdirection. If there were any falsehoods, she could not detect them from the sound of his voice and all of his words were confirmed by the shivering girl beside him who could clearly see the events playing out before her.
So, the man responsible is already dealt with. A fitting end to a miserable life. A part of her resented the fact that she would not be witness to the downfall of her sister’s murderer, as nearly all the parties involved were either dead or worse off… but she had to respect the way things were handled. Her sister had been avenged and sent home, perhaps the man was not entirely bad after all. She turned her eyes downward toward her drink, staring into the dark liquid as Zakroti delivered the rest of his apology to the young girl. Pausing to gather her thoughts, Ro finally spoke up, though, her eyes remained glued to the goblet in her hands.
“Knowing my sister… there was little you could have done in order to stop her from interfering. The moment she became your bride and found herself part of your group, your fights became hers as well. Few Gemmenites are willing to pick up a blade, far fewer willing to take one for another.” Aurora sighed, setting the goblet down on the table softly as she glanced out across the room. For the first time since she had left home, Aurora’s demeanor had become calm and relaxed; the smallest hint of a smile hiding behind her features.
“I cannot deny what you have said about my people for it seems you and I share similar views. Our land is built upon tradition and old customs, a chain that binds us to a government that would act without considering the will of the people in its charge. We have no army to speak of, even the palace guards are little more than decorations. Those that reject the old ways are cast out and abandoned, a prosperous country ruled by fear… what a joke we are.” Glancing beside her, Aurora raised her eyes to meet Zakroti’s as she continued speaking.
“My family has been on the bad side of the royals for generations, once a part of the inner circle we are now treated like liabilities. They think our views and our reluctance to remain pacifistic a threat that will destroy an entire country… and maybe they’re right. For when your people came and took my sister each and every friend and neighbor we had stood by and watched, but not my brother. The eldest, he charged the man who had his hands on her knowing full well that no one would have his back and that he very well might lose his life. Still he charged that Reaper without hesitation while our other brother stood as my shield.”
“Throughout the entire ordeal the Reapers had been eyeing my mother and making comments about how it was a shame they missed her in her prime. Others claimed they could find a taker for her if they took her anyway. My father could not leave her side for fear of losing her. That day we learned how powerless we really were. Luckily my brother was spared but the man’s threats of violating my mother while forcing us to watch shut us down. Kasari was dragged away and thrown in a cage kicking and screaming, the last image we would have of her until you sent her back to us.”
“It was the same men who returned when I was old enough to be eligible, my mother collapsed from the stress of it all and my brother had to physically hold the other back from charging the man that took me. The consequences were far too great to face alone… we are the few whose wants and desires are far outweighed by the needs of the many. It is the way it has always been, and for now… will continue to be.” She allowed her eyes to drop once again, fingers wrapping around the goblet and lifting it to her lips. For them at least.
Aurora probably have gone on forever, so much tension built up in such a tiny package… it was a wonder how she hadn’t exploded yet. However, she would fall into silence and remain there as a messenger made his way into the hall and toward Zakroti. In his hands he carried what appeared to a be a letter that was opened and read immediately upon its arrival. It seemed that whatever the letter contained was less than pleasing to the man, his features betraying what she thought to be disappointment. Her curiosity pushed at her to inquire about its contents, however, most of her spark had died down by this point. Finishing her drink, Aurora excused herself and retreated to her room opting to leave the rest of her questions for another time.
Zakroti’s words ate at the girl, picking away at her mind for the remainder of the day. At some point, Aurora had been summoned from her room to accompany Zakroti and his company around the city she had been delivered to. While it was an interesting experience, she found herself more preoccupied with her thoughts than anything else. The conversation over breakfast had brought up more than she had bargained for or had come to expect. Had she really been offered a choice to become something other than just a mere servant? Considering how her sister died, the concept didn’t seem all that far fetched… she just couldn’t understand why.
Despite the lawless nature of Drakka, it still appeared to have customs and rules of its own. One such rule was that her people could not hold any sort of standing… they were looked at like commodities to be bought and sold, the thought that one might actually care for them was… unsettling. But this was a chance, and opportunity for Aurora to live the way she felt was right. Gemmenia could no longer hold her back. She would have been lying if she said the idea was less than appealing.
On the return trip home, Aurora found herself weighed down by the new clothes she had picked out. Nothing too fancy, but it now gave her a nice variety of comfortable clothes to wear about. It helped her feel more at ease to have casual garments, almost feeling normal for the first time in a very long time. One of the servants or guards, she honestly could not tell the difference, had attempted to help her carry the items but she had resisted quite aggressively until they had backed off. It wasn’t until she had returned to her room to drop off her new belongings when a thought popped into her head.
To be honest, it surprised even her. She had little idea of where it came from but what she did know is the very thought filled her with a new sense of purpose and determination. If anyone thought she had pushed her luck as far as it would go, they would sure be appalled by what she was about to do. Turning on her toes, Aurora swung her door open with a fury as she took off running down the hallway; her bare feet slapping against the cold stone.
As it was just about dinner time, Aurora zoomed around the corner to poke her head into the dining area they had been in earlier in the day. Unfortunately, the person she was looking for didn’t seem to be in the room quite yet, causing her to swing about wildly. She knew next to nothing about the layout of the estate, running down corridors at near random searching for Zakroti.
“It is what you choose to be, not all you are to be.”
You dare to tell me that my position here is not set in stone?
“Do you wish for that to be your sole purpose? Would you rather carve something more out?”
No! I refuse to be some trophy or decoration to be added to a collection. I will not be some man’s pet!
”I am open to talk.”
Aurora sped around yet another corner, only this time instead of being met with a long empty hallway… she ran face first into one of Zakroti’s personal guard. Her new husband was rather lucky she had not take the turn a few inches shorter otherwise she would have barreled right over him and sent them both tumbling to the ground. Instead, she looked up at Zakroti from her place on the ground, a half-wince half-determined look plastered to her face.
Prove it.
“I want you to teach me to fight proper!” She stated bluntly, chest heaving for any amount of air it could find.
