Samsul, although surprised at the last comment, didn't say anything about it and simply nodded, wanting to stay off of that topic for as long as possible. He assumed that Geral had been filled in on this plan as well, but since he never talked to the prude, he wouldn't know it Gerald knew or not. The guard was just another guard, but not a Royal Guard like Samsul. "It would be an honor to join you for dinner." He spoke calmly and with a small smile as well as he walked to a chair and sat down, wondering if she loved to read or not, because of the earlier comment about getting stuck in a book. "You know, Anastasia, you could have your food delivered to your room if you so wished. When I was younger, I was tasked with that and delivering food to your mother's study when she would get fixed on something."
GM
Anastasia took a seat when he said he would join her. She smiled softly when he informed her that she could, in face, get food sent to her room. She inspected the book cover and shrugged, "Yes... But sitting here at a table makes me feel more... Normal than having someone bring it to my room. Besides, I wouldn't be doing anything too important. Just some reading that I could do here if I wanted."
She looked at him, "But I won't not when I have company. Maybe, tonight when I'm in my room or when I have time tomorrow," she placed the book on the table a little ways in front of her. She leaned against the table as they waited for their food, "So, what stole you away from my side this afternoon," she teased.
She looked at him, "But I won't not when I have company. Maybe, tonight when I'm in my room or when I have time tomorrow," she placed the book on the table a little ways in front of her. She leaned against the table as they waited for their food, "So, what stole you away from my side this afternoon," she teased.
He would be careful not to bring up anything regarding the plan that would happen some time in the future, but he needed to make it seem like he was picking out what parts to leave in, and what parts to throw away. He moved in his seat just slightly after he had been teased and looked at her calmly. "The Queen wished to know how you were doing out in the town." He paused as he remembered something. "With that in mind, we should head back tomorrow to get your new dress." He reminded her and turned his head as a figure came into his vision. It was only Eric, who was there without any trays or anything. He bowed to Samsul and looked at him. "Hello Samsul, you will be dining with Anastasia tonight?" He asked, which was answered with a nod and a small smile. Eric left once more to prepare more food for the two of them.
GM
Anastasia looked over her shoulder when Samsul looked up at Eric. She smiled at him, glad to hear him call her Anastasia. She would have to pick who she wanted to call her by her first name, she didn't need anyone getting in troubled at her expense. She turned back around once Eric left and nodded at Samsul's reasoning for having asked someone else to watch her, "Reason enough... I don't see how anyone could deny the Queen of her wishes."
She watched him for a moment, then looked down at the table, "You seem to like being around my mother... You don't seem the same around me... Do you wish you could be watching over her still?"
She watched him for a moment, then looked down at the table, "You seem to like being around my mother... You don't seem the same around me... Do you wish you could be watching over her still?"
Samsul let out a small sigh and glanced down at the table. He didn't want to say anything to make her feel bad, since it seemed that she was already getting a little sad. "Your mother is a likable person, and a delight to be around. Although you do share many of her traits from what I have seen, I still know little about you. If I am being honest though, You have done a lot more than she has then it comes to making me do things that aren't within my comfort zone, which in a way is a very good thing." He finished with a small, uneasy smile, unsure if what he had just said made any sense to her or not.
GM
Anastasia laughed a little when Samsul said she had taken her out of his comfort zone enough in one day to beat her mother in the amount of years she had known him. She nodded her head, "Good... Good... Glad to know I'm not the only one," she leaned on her hand and looked at him, "Thanks for being here... Even if you don't want to."
Eric returned and Ana thanked him as he placed their food in front of him. The conversation seemed to lighten from there but was less frequent.
~~~~~~~~
Anastasia sat in her nightgown at her bedroom window. She had woken in the early morning and hadn't managed to get back to sleep. Instead, she grabbed a candle and read her book as she watched the stars disappeared and the sun began to rise. Curled up in her chair, Anastasia read until she heard shuffling outside her door along with hush voice. The guard of her rooms had changed once not to long ago, the man murmuring something about having to sleep. She figured it must now be Samsul returning to his post, the shift seemed too short for any other explanation. She walked over to her door and pulled it open, smiling at him, "Good morning."
Eric returned and Ana thanked him as he placed their food in front of him. The conversation seemed to lighten from there but was less frequent.
~~~~~~~~
Anastasia sat in her nightgown at her bedroom window. She had woken in the early morning and hadn't managed to get back to sleep. Instead, she grabbed a candle and read her book as she watched the stars disappeared and the sun began to rise. Curled up in her chair, Anastasia read until she heard shuffling outside her door along with hush voice. The guard of her rooms had changed once not to long ago, the man murmuring something about having to sleep. She figured it must now be Samsul returning to his post, the shift seemed too short for any other explanation. She walked over to her door and pulled it open, smiling at him, "Good morning."
After receiving his food from Eric, Samsul dug in and only spoke every once and a while. There wasn't much else to say between the two of them, so he simply kept quiet and continued to eat until he finished his meal. He still might have been guarding her for the sake of earning the title, but he knew well that he was slowly growing to appreciate the job and everything that it entailed. She would be the queen soon, and when knew got out about that, she'd need a strong and capable guard with her at all times. As he finished up, he escorted her to her room like the previous night and bid her farewell.
The next morning, Samsul had done everything that he needed to do and left to go and guard Anastasia's room like he did the day before. As he got there, he encountered a guard who was very tired. Samsul wasn't sure about how long he had been there, but after hearing the guard mutter something about sleep, the Lost Elf relieved him of duty and stood at his post, only to have Anastasia open the door and smile at him. It was still very early in the morning, so he wondered why she was up at such an hour. "Good morning to you as well. Might I ask why you are up? You could still get another hour of sleep if you so wished."
The next morning, Samsul had done everything that he needed to do and left to go and guard Anastasia's room like he did the day before. As he got there, he encountered a guard who was very tired. Samsul wasn't sure about how long he had been there, but after hearing the guard mutter something about sleep, the Lost Elf relieved him of duty and stood at his post, only to have Anastasia open the door and smile at him. It was still very early in the morning, so he wondered why she was up at such an hour. "Good morning to you as well. Might I ask why you are up? You could still get another hour of sleep if you so wished."
GM
Anastasia looked at him when he asked her why she was up. She shrugged, "I woke up in the wee hours of the morning and couldn't get back to sleep. So, I took it upon myself to do some reading..." She yawned, "I finished the books on etiquette some hours ago and," She held up the book that covered what it took to be a ruler and waved it slightly, "I'm a good three quarters through this one now... Although..." She blushed slightly, "I've had to write some of the words down.... I didn't really understand them, so I'll have to ask Gerald about them later," she scratched the back of her head, "We didn't really have school back home... My mama taught me how to read and well... she didn't get much of an education either. I like it when I can do it.... but I have a pretty long list.."
She brushed her hair out of her eyes and held her hands behind her back, assuming the position that she had seen many of the guards take while guarding things, "How is it that you manage to just stand like this for hours?" She looked down and wiggled her toes, "Don't your feet get tired?"
She brushed her hair out of her eyes and held her hands behind her back, assuming the position that she had seen many of the guards take while guarding things, "How is it that you manage to just stand like this for hours?" She looked down and wiggled her toes, "Don't your feet get tired?"
When he had begun actually being a guard, he had the same question. It didn't seem possible for a human being to just stand there and do absolutely nothing for hours on end. At first, his feet did get tired, but he got used to it over time, and simply thought about things that passed through his head as he stood there. "When you start out, your feet will hurt, but it stops over time." He was a little curious as to what words she didn't know or understand, and he might be able to help her since he had grown up and was given a proper education, and a bit more to understand the royals that their exceptional vocabulary. "What words didn't you understand? Since I am to be with you, I guess I could help you understand some to pass the time."
GM
Anastasia nodded her head when he offered to help her pass the time by helping her with the words that she didn't understand. She waved for him to come into her room and set up a second chair by the window before she curled up onto her own. She grabbed her little list of words and kept it to close to herself. Most of the words she had written down after spotting them and were written right out of the book. Others she tried to find after stumbling across them and failing to find them, believed to have spelt them horribly. Not to mention her writing was particularly neat. She looked at her list of words and pursed her lips, as she grabbed her pencil, meaning to write them down. Finally, she decided it was best to just start from the beginning, "Hypocrisy..."
"Hmm." He hummed to himself as he thought of a way to explain the word. It was a word indeed, but he just wasn't sure how to explain it in a way that she would be able to understand. He didn't mean that in an offensive way, but thought that because she stated herself that she didn't have much of and education, and neither did her mother. "When someone believes that their own moral standards are the one and only, and everyone else's standards are nothing." He hoped that the explanation of the word helped Anastasia in some form or another, and although he knew the definition, he had a hard time to explain it.
GM
Anastasia slowly nodded her head and quickly wrote the definition, hoping she spelt it all right. She looked at the next word on her list. She pursed her lips and struggled slightly as she read it, she was sure this was one of the one's that she had misspelt, "Fractious."
The two of them continued like that until the sun was in the sky and Millie, along with Arabella walked into the room. She smiled at the both of them, "Oh, good morning, Samsul, we were curious as to why you weren't at the door," She looked to the Princess, "Would you like us to fetch you some breakfast, Anastasia."
Ana jumped to her feet, "No, no," she looked down and Samsul, "Samsul and I were just finishing up anyways. I should get changed though... into something comfortable for riding, we are going to go and retrieve my dress sometime today."
Millie nodded and the two girls took her into the closet. Millie looked back at him, "You're fine, we'll keep her in here till she is clothed."
The two of them continued like that until the sun was in the sky and Millie, along with Arabella walked into the room. She smiled at the both of them, "Oh, good morning, Samsul, we were curious as to why you weren't at the door," She looked to the Princess, "Would you like us to fetch you some breakfast, Anastasia."
Ana jumped to her feet, "No, no," she looked down and Samsul, "Samsul and I were just finishing up anyways. I should get changed though... into something comfortable for riding, we are going to go and retrieve my dress sometime today."
Millie nodded and the two girls took her into the closet. Millie looked back at him, "You're fine, we'll keep her in here till she is clothed."
While continuing down the list of words, Samsul tried his best to help her, and despite knowing all of the definitions to the words, he wasn't really the best at explaining things, and he was sure that some of them were wrong. With the sun in the sky and the two handmaidens entering the room, Samsul turned his attention to them and nodded slightly, not needing to speak at this moment. His eyes drifted back to Anastasia as Millie and Arabella took her into the closet. Not wanting another indecent to happen again, Samsul was getting out of his chair, but stopped as Millie spoke up to him. He simply nodded and sat back down again.
GM
Millie smiled at Samsul as he sat back down. He was getting awfully relaxed. Normally, she figured he would choose to stand anyways. She gave him a nodded in return before she slipped into the closet with the other two girls. It wasn't long before they came back out, Anastasia wearing a simple deep red dress. She walked over to Samsul and grabbed her books, smiling, "Shall we go get some breakfast? If I keep reading maybe I'll come across more stange words."
Smasul had noticed the look that Millie gave her, but chose not to say anything. He slowly rose from his seat and stood still, waiting for when Anastasia came out with her simple dress. His eyes followed her as she went to pick up the books, and he nodded at her request. "Yes,we shall." He nodded and slowly walked to the door, opening it for her and motioning for her to walk through. He closed the door and stayed at her side as they went through the halls and had little to say.
GM
Millie frowned slightly when the two of them left. Samsul had been standing, it seemed he wasn't as comfortable with the new laid back princess as she had thought. Too bad, he always seemed to be a little wound up, relaxing would be good for him.
Anastasia walked out the door that Samsul had opened for her. They walked to the dining hall in relative silence, neither having much to say. She took a seat at the usual table and laid out the two books she was working her way through. She smiled at Samsul, "Do you read much? Or is all of your time taken up by your guard duties?"
Anastasia walked out the door that Samsul had opened for her. They walked to the dining hall in relative silence, neither having much to say. She took a seat at the usual table and laid out the two books she was working her way through. She smiled at Samsul, "Do you read much? Or is all of your time taken up by your guard duties?"
"Much of my time is taken up by my guard duties. I read occasionally, but it isn't very often." He spoke as he sat down, keeping his eyes fixed on her as he spoke. Many of the books he ready were to help with his technique when fighting, and many others were about past battles involving his race. Those books were few, but he wanted to know about his race's past as much as possible.
GM
Anastasia nodded her head, "I used to try and read when I could with Mama... Books are rather expensive though... But I'm thankful for it, not many people even know how to read... I think it would been far more embarrassing if I didn't know how to read yesterday... With Gerald being so adimant that I do."
She began to flick through one of the books, "I'm not used to reading this kind of... literature, though. It uses larger words and sometimes seems to talk itself in circles," she shook her head, "The books we read were simple and made up. I'm not used to instructions and information like there is in these ones... It's strange," she said with a laugh. She looked up at Samsul and smiled, "What's your favourite book? Mama told me I used to make her read secret garden over and over again."
She began to flick through one of the books, "I'm not used to reading this kind of... literature, though. It uses larger words and sometimes seems to talk itself in circles," she shook her head, "The books we read were simple and made up. I'm not used to instructions and information like there is in these ones... It's strange," she said with a laugh. She looked up at Samsul and smiled, "What's your favourite book? Mama told me I used to make her read secret garden over and over again."
He wasn't really sure what to say about his favorite book. He didn't know if he should actually tell her about his favorite book and take the possible fate of getting nagged about it, or to just think of some other book and hope that it went well. In the past few days that Samsul had known Anastasia, his entire routine of life revolved around being a knight and a guard, so having a book that would only aid those two jobs seemed like something that she would be able to poke fun at. He paused for a large moment before deciding to speak. "My favorite book it called The Lost Wars. A history book, in a way, of my ancestors."
He sat another moment in silence and thought about her first statement, about many people not knowing how to read. It was possible that when she ruled the country, she could make that a goal and set up areas for children and even adults to learn and get an education. It was sure to cost money, but with so many people being smarter and somewhat better than before, the kingdom could be rebuilt sooner than expected.
He sat another moment in silence and thought about her first statement, about many people not knowing how to read. It was possible that when she ruled the country, she could make that a goal and set up areas for children and even adults to learn and get an education. It was sure to cost money, but with so many people being smarter and somewhat better than before, the kingdom could be rebuilt sooner than expected.
GM
Anastasia watched him as he seemed to be thinking. For here, The Secret Garden had always been a go to as a favourite. She never thought that maybe some people didn't just know. Especially when they spent entire days working. That could have been why she took to Samsul so easily. He spoke only of work and made her believe that that was in fact all he did. She could appreciate that. Sure, she didn't only do one job on the farm back home, but there was always work to be done. If Samsul had been some kind of snotty Prince who never worked a day in his life, she most likely would have been rather bothered that he was ordered to follow her around. She was pulled out of her own head when Samsul started to speak of his favourite book. She smiled, "A history book? That must be fascinating. Tales of war and heartbreak and it is all educational.... Although, isn't your ancestors history rather... dark. Was it not hard for you to read at all?"
© 2007-2024