Aims

REBELLION {Aims&Sunflower}

I'll get a reply out sometime Today. I'm behind on homework. XD

REBELLION {Aims&Sunflower}

The twins were on their feet in one switch motion, knocking the heavy chairs to the floor with a loud noise. They had one hand on their swords, the other across the opposite’s chest. They both caught themselves at the same time, bringing their hands back to protect themselves. Daelyn’s head spun. He wasn’t even sure how this had happened, but the man had a knife. The woman had crows that didn’t look all that threatening, but the look in their eyes scared him. He inched closer to Daryn, until their sides touched. He glanced at Daryn, not surprised to see her face a brilliant shade of red. Even he was afraid of her temper.

Daryn felt her face turning red long before Daelyn saw it. She didn’t enjoy being threatened, especially for something she had simply thought and wasn’t intended to be an insult. The mage had used his power to twist it out of context, and it filled her with a feeling of belittlement. She made herself a mental note to not think around Inaris, who she strongly distrusted. Her hand squeezed the hilt of the sword at her side, ready to draw, but Daelyn was gripping her other hand, his eyes darting around the room in panic. She looked at Triver, who looked a little scared, if not a little aggravated at his mages. Her anger finally reached its boiling point when Ser’deni pointed at her and her brother, trying to figure out who kicked that cursed vulture.

“Your bird was trying to kill us,” Daryn reminded her, almost shouting, “And it would have, had Daelyn not kicked it.” She turned to face Inaris, finally letting go of her sword. “And you! How dare you violate my thoughts like that! You have no idea what harm has come to the two of us at the hand of His Majesty the King. Am I surprised that Prince Triver is not like his father? Yes, but I am also very glad.” She stopped to catch her breath. “Don’t ever let me know you’ve used your power on me again, or the consequences will be heavy.”

“She doesn’t mean that,” Daelyn interjected, his face turning white. He pulled her back, wide eyed.

“Yes, I do. I will not be threatened by the likes of these two.”

“I promise, she will do you no harm.”

Daryn swung around to face him but stopped. His face was calm, a little frightened but calm. She saw the desperation in his blue eyes, eyes that darted back and forth between her and the prince. Letting out a long, slow breath, she turned back to face the three of them. Her hands shook; her face still burned. Yet, she fought her temper, for the sake of her brother and the prince.

It was Daelyn that picked up on the prince mouthing the two of them words. He wasn’t sure what he could do to help him, but he needed to get his sister out of here, before she evoked the wrath of the two mages. The last thing they needed was a fight. As much confidence as he held in Daryn, he knew she would lose that fight.

“Your majesty,” Daelyn said, breaking the silence, “I think my sister needs to air out her temper. Would you like to join the two of us on a walk around the castle? We’ve yet to see the grounds.” He grabbed Daryn’s upper arm, yanking her towards the door. “Ser’deni, I ask for forgiveness for what I did to your companion. I was protecting my own, like you are now.” He turned to the prince a final time, “We will be outside the doorway. If it is okay, you might want to tell your mages to take a leave. I can ensure your safety; my sister is no threat to you.” With that, he yanked Daryn out the door, shutting it behind him.

Daryn turned to glare at him, gritting her teeth. Daelyn rubbed his temple, closing his eyes to her.

REBELLION {Aims&Sunflower}

The entire tour around the castle was nothing short of creepy for Daryn. She was uncomfortable around the mages, even more so when they acted like normal human beings. Seeing them joke around, it made a shiver run up Daryn's spine. She kept a quiet distance, taking in the magnificent sights of the palace. Daelyn, always being the opposite of his sister, found the mages to be intriguing. To see them acting normal was wonderful. It allowed Daelyn to understand who they were, outside of being the King's pawns. He felt almost refreshed, seeing them joke around. He did sense Daryn's discomfort, keeping an eye on her through the walk.

The private dining room was elaborate, a table set in the middle, empty for the moment. The twins were led into seats, and then they watched as Triver helped the servants. Daryn could have fainted, disbelief clouding her mind. The prince shouldn't have to help the servants, but there he was. She was touched by his kindness, wondering for a moment if he was putting on a show for his new knights. He made the comment about no one hitting on Daryn while they ate, and she choked on her food. Daelyn clapped her on the back, and she caught her breath, sitting the bread down she had been eating. Had he noticed too? Everyone seemed to look at her funny, and it was starting to have an effect on her.

Daryn was still panting when the prince made his request to them to think of him as more than a prince. Daelyn thought on that. What else was he? He chuckled at Ser'deni's comment about him being a kid that needed protecting. Surely, that's not what the prince meant. Daryn was breathing normally, trying to find words in her mind. Daelyn watched the gears turn.

"Thank you for your kindness, your majesty," Daryn said, smiling at the boy. Daelyn touched her shoulder for support. "But we are only knights to you, a prince. We will treat you as no less." Daelyn knew that wasn't what the prince wanted to hear.

"But, your majesty, if you were looking for two friends in the Lyker twins, we will do all we can."

Daryn shot him a look of confusion, her eyes falling down to the table. It wasn't that she didn't want to be friends with Triver. She liked the boy's personality. Befriending the prince, though, would only cause a moral dilemma when the time came to betray the royal family. Daelyn would never think that way; he was too kind to tell someone like Triver no. Daryn saw a world of similarities in the two of them. She felt his hand still on her shoulder, and she smiled up at him.

In honesty, it had been a long time since the two of them found friendship in anyone but the other.

REBELLION {Aims&Sunflower}

I like his personality. It's young and playful and naïve. I really, really like it.

REBELLION {Aims&Sunflower}

Enn dug through his satchel, pulling out two new uniforms for them and some apples. He threw the apples to each of them, setting the clothes on the bed.

"I got those for you from the kitchen. Do not expect food to be given to you on a regular basis. Some of us can go all day without eating. Enjoy that." Daryn had already eaten most of it when he finished talking, and she kicked herself. She may have been hungry, but she would have saved the apple if she had known it might be her only food for the day. Daelyn held his in his hand, laughing at the internal battle that crossed her face. He watched her decide to finish it, tossing the core to one of the dusty corners. Daelyn stuck his own apple on the bed, planning on sticking it in his new tunic. Enn continued, "Get changed, and then meet me outside. You'll be staying in the prince's personal guard quarters, so you are pretty lucky."

With that, he walked out the door, shutting it as best he could. The door slipped a little further off the hinges, leaving a huge gap in the frame. Daryn was already pouring over the new outfits, hoping hers wouldn't be so small this time. She held them up one at a time, fingers running over the soft fabric. She threw the taller one to Daelyn, laying hers back on the bed. The fabric was soft, new. The outfits had never been worn, unlike the one she wore now. It was a deep red, a color that reminded her of blood. The sleeves would come down to her elbows, but there was a stretch to the fabric. It would be easy to move in. She put the outfit on, seeing that it did fit her better, but there was still no hiding her femininity. She turned to face Daelyn, grimacing.

"Why are all these outfits so masculine?" she asked, holding her arms out. Daelyn laughed at her, looking down at himself. His old gray boots didn't really fit in with the unworn outfit.

"Because you're the first female knight. Therefore, you are the first female guard to the prince." Daryn made a face, stepping forward and running around the room to make sure she could move. It was easy, and she didn't work up a sweat.

"These are nice," she said, as they walked out the door. Enn was waiting there, digging his toe into the ground. He smiled up at them, nodding his head. Daelyn looked around the area, seeing the same men that were standing around the well the night before. Now, they saw Daryn, with her long curls, her body shape, her sunburnt cheeks. It was as if no one had ever seen a woman. Daryn was too busy picking at her tunic to notice. Daelyn did, though, as men elbowed their friends, pointing towards his sister, incredulous. His fists tightened at his side, anger building up in his stomach. Some man whistled, catching Daryn's attention at last. She found the source of the whistle, shooting the man an obscene gesture. The man and his friends laughed, bending at the middle. Enn chuckled at her, ignoring the men.

"Giving you a weapon might not be a good idea," he said, still laughing, "But that is what we need to do first." He lead them both away, towards another building outside the castle. It was a smaller stone building, another one room all to itself. This door stayed on its hinges, though, Daelyn noticed. They stepped inside to see the walls lined with swords, shields, armor, bows, and quivers full of arrows. "You may choose a sword to carry. It will be your sword from here on out." The twins found belts with sheaths for their swords and then began to look at swords. Daelyn lifted every sword he came to, tossing it from hand to hand. Most of the swords didn't balance right or they felt too heavy. Eventually, he found a sword in the back, dusty from not being used. It fit in his hand, didn't tilt one way or the other. It wasn't heavy, but it wasn't too light. He took it, watching Daryn inspect the weapons. She simply touched the hilt, probably getting a years worth of history from feeling the grooves made by hands over the years. He watched her pick one up, running her hand the length of the blade. It was a newer sword by the looks of it, but it had an imprint in the hilt. Daryn stared at it, thinking. Her brows furrowed, and then she turned back to the two of them.

"Why that one?" Enn asked, making a face at her.

"It is a newer blade, forged within the past five years. Yet, the person who carried it used it often. It's experienced, and it's young." She fell silent, putting it away. Daelyn could have finished her thought. Just like them. Young and experienced. Enn shrugged his shoulders and led them out, walking towards the castle finally. They walked in, following him through the corridors and halls, watching the many maids bustle on past them. Daryn got more than one strange look, but several of the maids gazed at Daelyn as they walked past. Enn turned the corner into a room filled with white. They must be in the infirmary. Enn led them towards the back, where the shadows of three people were cast against the ground. When they came around the corner, it was the prince and two of his mages. Daryn recognized the female.

"Your majesty," Enn said, bowing at the waist to the royal figure. Daryn and Daelyn did the same, standing on each side of Enn. "Your knights, just as you requested. With that, he left, leaving Daryn and Daelyn standing there, hands behind their back. A feeling of awkwardness passed over Daryn, looking at the two mages, who had been laughing at something when they walked up. It was odd, seeing them in this position.

REBELLION {Aims&Sunflower}

Your post was wonderful. I am going to work on getting one up as soon as I can. I went to reply last night and fell asleep with my computer. So yeah. I need more sleep.

I plan to do some thing with Enn, too. I just haven't figured it out yet. I'll make sure Daelyn keeps an eye out for Triver. ^^

REBELLION {Aims&Sunflower}

That's fine! Thank you.

REBELLION {Aims&Sunflower}

Daryn and Daelyn eventually sat at the far end of the table, listening to the conversations around them. Daelyn picked at a piece of bread, staring at the lines in the wooden table. Daryn found a bowl of fruit, popping small pink berries into her mouth, eyes darting from face to face, following conversation. The female mage who had healed her earlier seemed to be close to the prince, who was acting like a baby and not eating. She had to make him eat, telling a story about how she threatened him at one point and time. Daryn laughed to herself, shaking her head. She had to remind herself that he was just a boy, young enough to still be naïve about the world. Young enough to still not understand the pain it caused its inhabitants. Even Daryn herself didn't quite get it, and this cruel land had taken her mother. The king who had just deemed her unfit to be a knight had ordered her mother to be executed, on her knees in front of the entire village. Daryn didn't see the king in Prince Triver's eyes, though. Maybe there was hope still.

Both of them were caught off guard when the prince approached them. Daelyn looked up, bowing his head low, gazing up at the prince. Daryn found her tongue, bowing her head as well.

"Thank you, your majesty," she said, with a smile. Daelyn watched her, waiting for the sea to boil in her eyes. He knew of her temper and inability to think before she spoke. He had long ago given up on stopping her. He didn't see that, though. Instead, he watched her smile, a cute little smile. Daryn was attractive, if you didn't look just like her. She continued, "We are both very sorry that you had to be present for the trials. By listening, we know how much pain it has brought you. May you never have to endure it again." Daelyn was surprised, letting his face show it. She was never so kind. Daelyn wondered what she saw in the prince's young face.

"Your majesty," a voice said, over them, "May I please take these two with me at this time? I must show them to their new quarters and see them to rest." This was Enn, standing behind the two of them. Daryn found a window, noticing that darkness had fallen. Daybreak would creep up on them, and her body still ached from the trials. She wanted a bath to scrub the blood and filth off her body. Enn grabbed them both by the arm and made them come, allowing them both to bow and excuse themselves. They followed behind him, quietly.

The knight's quarters were closest to the king's quarters. They were near the stables, little stone rooms set all in a line. The doors were wooden, solid doors, with gaps that would let air in. Enn led them down to the end of the line, to a room that's door hung off the hinges. He pulled a string of keys off his belt, unlocking the door, although Daelyn was sure he could have kicked it down first. They were led inside. The room itself had one bed and one tub, empty. The bed had a blanket folded neatly on top of it, covered with a thin layer of dust.

"You will find a change of clothes on the bed. I will bring uniforms for you when I know your new position," Enn said, watching the twins move around and inspect the dirty corners of the dungeon-like room. "Latrine is out back, and you'll find water there as well." With that, he left them standing in the dark room, staring at each other.

"You find a light, and I will fetch water for a bath," Daelyn said, walking out the door. Finding the candle wasn't hard, but feeling around in the dark for a match was. Daryn found it after some time, glad that the candle shone even a little light. It shed its light upon the center of the room, where she sat it. It didn't reach the corners, but she didn't wish to see the dirt accumulated there. She dug through the things on the bed, pulling out two new tunics and pants. She pulled the blankets over the bed, pulling her boots off.

Finding the water was a lot easier than expected. Men gathered around a well, shirtless for the most part, laughing with their entire chests. Daelyn walked through the crowd, hooking his bucket to the hook and lowering it down into the water. The other men just stared at him, probably wondering who he was. But no one talked to him. He raised the bucket back up and took the water back to the room. It took five trips to fill the tub, and many of the men who watched him gave up.

Daryn took a bath first, scrubbing every inch of her body with a torn off piece of her old tunic. They had found some dirty soap on the tub, cleaning it with the cold well water. The night's air was warm, and the cold water felt good, despite it all. Daryn liked the bite of the water, dressing in her new outfit to sleep in. She combed through her hair with her fingers, waiting on Daelyn to bathe. He came out shivering, clearly unhappy about his cold cleansing. They cuddled together in the tiny cot, face to face, forehead against forehead.

"I'm so proud of you," Daryn whispered, finding his hand under the blanket, "Mother would be proud." Daelyn felt his heart drop, smiling.

"You're just as magnificent as I expected," he replied, generating a laugh from his sister. She let out a long sigh and was quiet for the rest of the night. When Daelyn could be sure no one was coming in on them, he finally drifted to sleep, a rest that resembled death.

When the sun began to rise the next morning, a cock crowed it's wake up call somewhere across the palace. Orange beams of sunlight curved around the door, scattering across the dirty floor. The blanket was wet with morning dew, and Daelyn felt his hair standing up in all directions from the moisture in the air. He shook Daryn awake as he stood, stretching, getting his memories all back together from the day before. Daryn growled at him and rolled back over, asleep again.

"Daryn, Enn will be here at any moment," Daelyn said, shaking the cot under her. She punched him in the stomach, rolling out of bed with a angry look on her face. They took turns taming each other's now clean hair, picking out curls and knots. They almost looked like two different people when there was no dirt on their noses. A knock sounded on the door.

"Good morning, new kids," Enn said, coming on in, despite Daryn telling him to go away. "You two clean up very well," he added, looking over the two of them in their new blue tunics and black pants. The emblem of the kingdom was threaded onto their right sleeve. Enn's eyes drifted over Daryn a moment longer than she was comfortable with. The tunic was a little too short on her, coming up higher than she liked. It was also too small, showing that she definitely was a lady. Earlier, the twins tried swapping out, but Daryn's was embarrassing on Daelyn.

"You'll be glad to know that Prince Triver has requested for you to be his personal knights," Enn said, smiling at both of them.

REBELLION {Aims&Sunflower}

You did good. I'll put them to bed and do a time skip. :)

REBELLION {Aims&Sunflower}

Okay!