Helo

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Ariella, Anastasia, Farim & Callum

Part 4

Location: Prince Callum’s Tavern
Time: 3pm

_{Part 1
Part 2
Part 3}

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Farim felt the cool breeze coming from the fan as the Princess fanned him. He couldn’t help but giggle and flush slightly (more than the alcohol was making him) as he felt the slight bit of pampering from his friend. “Oh why thank you, dear. You are too kind! Would you like me to fan you?” He coyly asked as he held his hand out to request the fan.

“Yes!” Anastasia handed the fan to him and waited eagerly.

His hand grasped the fan, letting it spread out with a flick of his fingers. With a single hand he began flicking the fan up and down to send small bursts of refreshing air toward her. He couldn’t help but keep a smile as he thought about the image of this. They were the fanciest-looking group in the entire building and were definitely the goofiest, but Farim did not mind one bit. He simply lived in the moment with his two friends, and that was more than enough for him. “Does this help you, Princess? Although I doubt no amount of fanning could stop you from being hot.” He chuckled, perhaps too loudly as he kept fanning her.

Ariella looked behind her shoulder to the loud chuckle coming from her friend’s table. Farim and Ana giggling and being silly. She sighed lightly but a smile spread on her face. She was happy for her friend, she wasn’t sad that clearly the emotions were strong between them but more so that it was so hard to find company that she could enjoy. She turned back around giving them more time to giggle amongst themselves. Thankfully she still had her book.

Callum cradled the glass of amber liquid in his palm. Its scent tickled his nose as he drank from it, the cheap spirit burned its way down into his unsettled stomach. But it was warm, it let him barrow warmth, and when he wasn’t drinking from the glass he was staring into it like it was the only thing left in the world worth loving. As he stared into the glass he felt the guards staring back at him, their disapproval obvious, so once the glass was half gone he felt ready enough to go speak with his sister. He caught a flash of red hair as he turned to look for Ana. Couldn’t be. “Ari?” He asked not loud enough for her to hear. He took a few paces down the bar, close enough to see that it was Arielle. He turned his head to see what she was staring at and caught sight of Ana and one of the Alidasht princes. Cal only rolled his eyes.

”Ari, welcome to my tavern, far more comfortable than the palace don’t you think? Callum liked the atmosphere at the tavern, it just felt like a place he belonged. Then he saw that Ari had a book with her and smiled. “Any good? He asked gesturing towards the book.

Ari was so deep into her book she hadn’t noticed Prince Callum walk in. Trying to drown out the giggles behind her and the general chatter she focused perhaps a little too hard on the words that crossed the page. Mindlessly, she slowly reached for her drink but a familiar voice spoke her name, pulling her out from her book.

“Oh!” she said rather surprised to see Prince Callums smiling,“Thank you, It..it really is, though maybe the palace would be better.” She paused with a smile on her face as she lowered her voice slightly. “Because then I wouldn’t have to listen to those two giggling like school girls behind me.” She closed her book and set it down on the bar top in front of her. “ Jokes aside, I really do love this place. I was just looking for some place to relax and my driver brought me here. It was a bit a surprise to say the least, seeing your name on a tavern but it is a very nice establishment. I may end up making it a go to place for a drink. “

She looked down at her book then back up at Callum with a sheepish expression. “ Oh, um.. Yeah” she laughed lightly “If you like tragic stories about two lovers who were destined to be together but fate was cruel to them.”

She paused for a moment to see if he was still interested in her story, seeing as he was she continued. “ The women was a servant in a rich home, who ventured out in the woods running into a prince who was escaping his duties for the day. They met and clicked, her bold nature and his curiosity seemed to just work. They continued to secretly meet until her jealous step mother found out and sold her to a slaver. Now the prince spends his days trying to find her but she fell ill from her poor working conditions. Not sure how its going to end just yet but I am not sure it will be the happiest of endings.” She smiled “ Sorry that is likely not what you expected to hear, I hope that doesn’t ruin your mood.” She took a sip of her drink “ What brings you to the tavern this afternoon?” she asked curiously.

Callum glanced back at Ana and the man she was with. They seemed like they were having a good time and he felt guilty for wanting to go over there and basically ruin the mood. He took another drink and thought about how much trouble Marek could be in just because Ana had decided to sell him out. For what? After that whole speech she’d done this morning what could Alibeth or Wulfric have possibly offered to get her to break? He thought about how he’d really believed her this morning and he didn’t feel guilty about it anymore.

He turned his attention back to Ari as she went into detail about the book she was reading. A tragedy, a genre he had a fondness for, but her summary ended without an ending. “I think tragedy has a lot to teach us because when the fates, or the gods, or the world, is cruel it is often so it can teach us to strive for something better. So now you’ll just have to tell me how it ends another time or I will be forever deprived of some great lesson.” Cal spoke, took another drink, and let the whiskey loosen his words. “For the second time today you have only improved my mood, and I didn’t even have to eat an onion this time.” He added with a smile.

”If the giggling is bothering you then you’re in luck. I’m here to talk to Ana and I’ve got nothing amusing to say to her.” He added.

Ari nodded at his understanding of a tragedy, a smile spreading on her face “ That is exactly why I enjoy reading them so much, so many layers to peel back. Life is complicated and messy, it's what makes it worth living. The ups and downs in our stories is what makes us in the end.” She smiled, taking another sip of her drink. “ I will be sure to share the lesson, perhaps over another drink sometime?” she suggested. He seemed much more comfortable here then he did at the event, and she couldn’t blame him. “ I promise, no onions then either. I am happy that I improved it, but it sounds like I may need to improve your mood after your conversation with Ana” A smile still on her face as she let out a small nervous laugh.

“Couldn’t agree more. And what one makes out of tragedy defines them so much more than what they make out of good fortune.” Callum added. “And if you’d like to continue this discussion over a drink, or trekking around barefoot in a ravine, I’m in.” Cal offered with more enthusiasm at the second option this time than when she’d first suggested it.

Ari turned in her seat and gestured to the bartender “ Whiskey please, make it a double.” she said. The bartender nodded and began to prepare another drink, sliding it across the bar. Ari pushed it over towards Callum. “ You may need this, she’s pretty deep in.” she smiled. “ I'm not sure anything you say could ruin her mood right now. I am happy she is happy, the giggling wasn’t that bothersome truthfully. I just quickly became the third wheel in the evening and decided I was best suited over here with my book.” She took another sip of her drink. “ May I ask what you plan to speak to her about?”

Callum thought for a long moment as he stared at the second drink. He didn’t know what he should tell Ari, because he did want Ana to know that he saw what she did as a betrayal. Not just to him, to Marek, to a friend. But he didn’t want to cause drama between Ana and the rest of her friends. He finished the rest of his first drink in a quick gulp before pulling the second one closer. Even though he knew he shouldn’t, but it was there and it would be rude to decline. There ya go Wulfy, best effort, I thought about not drinking this one. “Thank you, for the drink and the advice, I can’t let someone out drink me in my own tavern.”

“She let a friend of ours down. I want her to make it right. Beyond that, I think it’s up to her if she’d like to tell you about it.” Callum kept his answer vague.

“Well, no more third wheel, now we’re a whole carriage. I’d like to get this talk with Ana over with and maybe finally meet one of our guests from far off Alidasht.” Cal pushed the first finished glass closer to the bartender and picked up the second one.

Ari frowned, “That doesn’t sound like Ana, but I understand. Sounds like a situation indeed…Ah, Yes. The future Sultan. “ Ariella smiled lightly before finishing her drink. “ Common, let’s rip off that bandage of yours so you can actually enjoy that drink.” She slid off the chair, her feet finally touching the ground after dangling from the chair for so long. Reaching down to grab the hem of her gown again knowing full well her mother would kill her if she got anything on it. Ari began walking towards the table hoping Callum followed. She wobbled slightly as her legs steadied, the drinks were very much kicking in now.

Reaching the table she held onto the sturdy object for balance, swaying slightly as she steadied herself. Ariella smiled at Farim and Ana, “ Hopefully I am not interrupting anything too serious. Ana, look who I ran into.” She said, looking over her shoulder to Callum.

“Ariella!” Anastasia’s eyes snapped to the red-haired girl as soon as she heard her voice. She smiled wide and reached for her friend with wiggling fingers. As her words sunk in, she had then noticed Callum approaching as well. Somehow, her smile grew bigger. The princess then clumsily got to her feet to throw herself forward to capture her brother in a hug. “My favorite little brother! “ She let go after a moment, realizing she was probably embarrassing him. “Are you doing okay? I hope you don’t feel ill today after last night.”

Farim kept the fanning motions going for a moment, feeling his hand begin to sloppily waft the blades to and fro after a few swings. Then he saw the Princess get up and practically jump towards someone after a short few words from Lady Edwards. He got up from his chair and turned to the duo who had returned to the table and placed the fan onto the table. With both hands on his hips, chest slightly puffed up he greeted the both of them with an enthusiastic and joyful grin. “There you are, Lady Edwards! I was honestly worried I had scared you off suddenly. But I see you went to the bar for a drink and found a man instead!” He chuckled for a moment before realizing what the Princess’ words meant. Little brother? Oh so this….Ohhhhhhh~!

If his grin could grow bigger, it would. “This must be who you were telling us about! Well it’s certainly nice to see you, Sir Danrose.” He stopped for a moment realizing that Callum could hardly react to him given that his sister was in the process of nearly toppling him over with her enthusiastic sibling hug.

Callum, having been basically tackled by Ana, nearly fell over. Why is she always so nice? It was always so much easier to be mad at Wulfric. Cal kept a tight hold of his own drink, it had nearly spilled everywhere, and while he didn’t push Ana away, he didn’t return the hug either. Ari wasn’t kidding when he mentioned how drunk his sister was. He glanced over at the ‘future sultan’ and gave his best attempt at a friendly smile. “Just Callum is fine. It’s nice to meet the future sultan.” He offered, very clearly cringing at being called Sir Danrose.

He ignored Ana’s questions and instead offered up his own. “Got anything you want to tell me? Like how Wulfric got that name he was looking for this morning.” There was nothing but disappointment in his tone as he asked.

As Anastasia released her grip on Callum, she quickly picked up her drink and took a sip. However, his words caught her off guard, causing her to spit out a little, fortunately not hitting anyone nearby. She stared at him incredulously, her eyes widening. " “Wait. What?” The words took a moment to sink in, and she frowned. “Wulfric knows? This is like, sooo bad.” She ran her hands through her hair in distress, lamenting, “We need to warn… him… but he’s so hard to find in the day. I was going to find him tonight but what if they find him first? …Fuck.”

The realization then dawned on her that if Wulfric knew, and they were the only two who had been aware, then…

“Holy shit… Callum. Did you snitch?”

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Time: 3:00 pm
Location: Sorian Library to Prince Callum’s Tavern
Interactions:


When his turn came, Cal stood and approached the stage. Another new thing; not being in a library or even at a poetry reading, but participating. Participating was definitely a new thing for him. He stepped up onto the stage but he didn’t touch the microphone, the room really wasn’t that big and he wasn’t going to mumble and whimper out a poem. If he couldn’t speak up in a crowd full of strangers then he couldn’t believe he’d have the guts to speak up when it mattered.

“I’d like to dedicate this to anyone who ever wondered ‘Callum why are you the way you are?’ And, I’m Callum, but you probably already knew that.” He cleared his throat once and took a deep breath as he pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper from his pocket. Unfolded the paper and began to read from it. He stumbled over the words at first but it wasn’t long before he didn’t need to look at the paper to speak. He looked at the eyes that watched him and let all things that cluttered up his head leak out through his mouth. It no longer mattered that his words didn’t feel like they belonged in a sunfilled room, surrounded by brightly-hued cushions and tablecloths, where people drank sober beverages and ate sweetened pastries.

Warning! Callum at peak emo cringe

"Inside my head, it’s always raining
A tempest, a downpour, a light drizzle
Clouds block any light remaining
How much rain does it take to drown?
Why can’t I stop complaining?
Sometimes drowning sounds like peace

So my clothes never dry, I walk around
Cold and damp and uncomfortable
Always the rain to weigh me down
Never the sun to dry me out
Feeling a pull toward the ground
Grasping to keep my head afloat

I think of Callum Danrose the first
A long-dead king who held my name
Known to history as the worst
The darkest cloud to dampen Caesonia
I carry that name like I’ve been cursed
Embedded in my veins since birth

So I slink away from legacies built on pain
Create my own, built on idled rage
In a tavern that bears my tarnished name
I pretend it's grand and different
Drowning somewhere other than the rain
But useless and helpful aren’t the same

I used to wonder if a person can be born rotten
Or if the rot just creeps in
A side effect of all that’s been ill-gotten
But the question that matters more is
Once the rot’s been let in, is hope forgotten
If left out in the rain, Will rot always win

But birds have a different way of seeing rain
They know it’s the best place to find a worm
They brave the downpours for worthy gain
So if the name Callum translates to dove
Then I am just a faulty bird who loves to complain
That’s why I am the way I am
I can't find a worm even in the rain"

The poetry event didn’t last long. Callum wasn’t entirely surprised, Caesonia valued events and contests built around violence over anything else. So he headed back outside, and the library was fairly close to the tavern. But he wasn’t going to get completely drunk, he had things to do today, he was just going to walk by the tavern and see if anything interesting was going on. So that’s what he did, was just walk by the tavern, and then he noticed a pair of guards inside as well. Which meant Ana was there and talking to Ana was on his to-do list right now. So Callum and his guards headed inside the tavern. He decided it would be rude to be in there and not buy anything. Before he headed over to his sister he ordered a drink. He asked for a double because he was only planning to have one drink, maybe two.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Time: 3:00 pm
Location: Sorian Library
Interactions:


Callum’s first thought when he entered Sorian’s public library was that it was too bright. Too much sunlight filled the space, and it was going to harm the books. It also smelled more like cleaner than it did books and now the library felt less like a library and just like another place he didn’t quite belong. He didn’t get it, dark, dusty, and smelling like old books seemed like the already perfect atmosphere for a poetry reading but apparently, that was not a universal opinion.

Cal added his list to the names of those willing to stand up on a stage and speak. He wondered if this was the wrong move, and tried to imagine a scenario where his reading some terrible poetry could possibly wind up going wrong. All he could come up with was that he should do this, show whoever was here, as much of Sorian as he could, that he was not some grand descendant of a line chosen by the gods for the perfection of their souls. No Danrose belonged up on a pedestal, least of all him.

So he felt good about the idea of him getting up on a stage and embarrassing himself, almost like he had with the onion, but at least this would be more fun. Cal took a seat, with a cup of coffee in hand, on one of the floor cushions. The coffee was fine, or as good as it could be without a couple of pours of whiskey added to it, but the library seemed to think that only cream and sugar were appropriate for coffee and tea. The lack of alcohol didn’t stifle any of his enthusiasm for Vincent’s reading and Cal snapped in appreciation of the man’s words and sentiment along with the rest of the crowd.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Time: 3:00 pm? Almost 3 pm?
Location: Super dank plants shop
Interactions: Riona@JJ Doe


“Your Highness, I must beg your pardon…”

Callum, who was very much standing where people were walking, lost in his head, became an obstacle in the way of an unfortunate shopper causing a collision. Except the shopper was not some random noblewoman, despite being dressed like one, but a familiar face. Callum smiled with recognition, but the use of ‘your highness’ gave him pause. Why?

Oh, right, the guards. Nothing like constant surveillance to fully shatter the illusion that he could be a normal person for a little while. Nope, still the problem child of a royal family whose every move and conversation had to be monitored and probably reported back to his brother.

“No harm done.” Callum returned the curtsy with a proper bow, and at least for once it was for someone he had real respect for and not someone he was just supposed to show respect to. “How about we try looking like we actually like our citizens.” He glanced back at the guards and demonstrated by frowning back at them and using his fingers to push the corners of his mouth into a smile. Their expressions did not change and it was clear these were certainly Wulfric’s sort of people.

“It appears that you possess a discerning palate. If it may not be too impertinent of me, might I recommend the spices over there?”

“I had excellent tudors.” That was entirely true; anything Cal knew about plants had come either from worn and well loved handwritten books or from Riona herself. And Riona knew plants the same way that some people just knew horses or how to hammer metal until it became something beautiful. Some people were just gifted like that. “Thank you for the recommendation. Enjoy your day as well.” If he had to put on an act in front of guards at least it did not have to be entirely fake.

Callum returned to his shopping and headed over to where Riona had indicated, looking over the variety of jarred specimens until he stumbled upon the same thing that had caught Riona’s eye.

The elusive geshrow root. A rare find, something he’d only read the name of, or seen a couple crude drawings of, in books. He wasn’t even sure it grew around here. One of those things you just don’t expect to find, at least not without really looking. But he hadn’t really found it had he?

So why hadn’t Riona snagged it? He wondered, and studied the jar, opened it to sniff for freshness, and tried to figure out if something was wrong with it. It seemed fine. More questions filled his mind. Was it dangerous? An obvious sign of illegal activity? Was he being assigned a dangerous task? Was he helping if he bought it? He tried to solve the minor mystery, never once even glancing at its price tag. Cal decided it had to be dangerous in some way and was nearly buzzing with excitement at the thought of doing something that was possibly helpful.

He glanced back in Riona’s direction, holding the jar, to indicate he’d gotten the message and he was definitely going to buy it. He was met with a look that made the hairs on the back of his neck rise.

Shit. Am I being annoying? Ruining her cover? That wouldn’t be helpful. He put the jar in with the rest of his stuff, and tried to mind his own business. But it was hard not to notice that Riona basically ran out the door, entirely empty handed, right after that.

Right. He was being very annoying and obviously just because someone talked to him while they were forced to be in his general vicinity didn’t mean they wanted to spend their free time helping him shop. And that was fair. He tried not to bother anyone else in the botanics shop before eventually paying for his stuff and leaving.

If he was going to be an annoyance today he certainly had someone in mind for that energy. Looks like it was about time to go find his sister.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Time: 1:00 pm
Location: Out and about in Sorian
Interactions: none


Callum left the palace with a pair of guards following a step behind him just as Wulfric had demanded. Despite how irritating and ridiculous he found the demand, Cal hadn’t even tried to argue with it. Today, being watched and followed suited his plans just fine. Let the guards report every single boring thing he did today back to his brother. Their report would start with his innocuous trip into town to get a haircut.

Cal had spent some more time in his room after the meeting with his brothers. Time he’d spent pacing, and thinking, and staring at the words he’d carved into his wall. He felt as if he should carve something damning about his brother into the wall but he couldn’t bring himself to hate his brother the way he hated his parents. So he refocused his attention on those he could hate. If he couldn’t obviously ruin Edin’s summer plans, he could push Edin until the king started unraveling in front of so many watchful eyes.

At the local barbershop, Callum made an entirely innocent request for a more regal haircut. He described, as best he could, the haircut of his grandfather in the most famous portrait of King George. While Callum knew very little about King George there was one fact about his long-dead grandfather he was sure of, Edin absolutely hated the previous dark-haired king and any reminders of his mere existence. And really who could fault a young prince for wanting to upgrade from a sloppy boyish haircut to something more proper?

Once the barber was done, Callum admired himself in the mirror, making a solid attempt at the same stern look portraits of his grandfather wore. He could see the subtle resemblance; he may not look like Edin’s son but he certainly looked like George’s grandson now. It was one thing to realize this was an option, it was far stranger to see it after having spent most of his life trying to be and look as different from the rest of his entire family as he possibly could. He could continue to lean into this, find out more about how the last king, his quirks and habits, and start sprinkling those in as well.

Callum still had an entire day to kill, a day he needed to spend out of trouble, doing exactly what he should be doing. So he left the barbershop and headed to the tavern with his own name above the door. Where else would anyone expect him to be? He was there long enough to down a few beers and catch up on the local gossip. He heard details of the execution of a ranting lunatic and of a near fight in the park over pancakes instigated by Duke Lorenzo. A few people asked him if he had actually eaten an entire raw onion to which Callum responded by feigning ignorance because he was already tired of hearing about it. But what caught his attention most was the rumored assault against Count Calbert's home. Callum hadn’t even bothered to hide a wicked grin as he’d pressed for more details about the count’s misfortune.

The local gossip began circling back around to the near pancake fight and Callum left the tavern not having drunk enough to hinder him. He had to keep it together all day, nothing to add attention to himself to make his plans for the night more difficult. Because he had a plan for retaliation against Alibeth too, but he’d have to wait for the night for that. He couldn’t allow himself to get blind drunk and miss another chance to make some kind of statement. He’d done that plenty of times already, that would not be trying something new.

Callum needed something productive to hold his focus. His next stop was the marketplace. An entirely benign shopping trip for the list of supplies he’d carefully memorized. Medical plants were certainly not a strange purchase for a prince who spent a childhood plagued by fevers and exhaustion. Nor was it strange to see a prince collecting a variety of supplies to brew interesting new teas or scent the water for a luxurious bath. Sticks of incense were bought to help his sensitive nose and candles because the softer light was better for reading.

Nothing suspicious to the pair of guards who carried purchases and watched with great disinterest as he inspected, sniffed, and occasionally tasted the variety of materials he purchased. Cal spent his shopping trip almost entirely relaxed. This was finally something he was doing entirely because he wanted to. Everything he bought was easily overlooked by those without magical knowledge, and even for those who did know, nothing outright called for suspicion. This was one of the most beautiful things about magic; so much of it could come from the most common ingredients.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Lord Leo Smithwood

Time: Morning, 1 pm
Location: Horse Track
Interactions: none

---

It was a short and pleasant walk from the arena to the horse track. Excitement filled the air here, a large crowd had gathered, and several people were dwarfed by the large and colorful hats worn by many drawn in more for the hat contest than the race itself. Leo headed to the betting station, glancing briefly at the horse's names and odds before placing a bet. It was less about winning, and more about having a reason to care about the outcome. He was distracted for a moment, as Duke Vikena arrived and his voice was heard clearly throughout the track. The Duke wasted no time in announcing the start of the race, and today, Lorenzo seemed far more in his element than last night. The crowd echoed back the Duke’s enthusiasm and Leo admired the flash of the Duke’s attire. Kier too was in attendance but Charlotte appeared to be noticeably absent. Strange, to not see her here in support of her father but there was a lot going on in Sorian today. So once his bet was placed Leo found a seat and waited for the race.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Time: 12:00 pm
Location: Ballroom to Wulfric’s Office
Interactions: @SilverPaw Wulfric


While Prince’s Court had begun with promise, it soon devolved into tedium. No one else brought him wine, or produce to antagonize a king with, or even a simple glimpse at a real person. An hour was spent writhing under a spotlight while a crowd of unfamiliar faces looked on. There was nothing to do but wait around for someone to approach and then engage in what felt like the same conversations played on repeat. It was hard to just sit there and be still and look regal, so he drummed his fingers against the table and fidgeted with the stuff on the table. Callum tried to be still when someone else sat across from him but he held no doubts that every onlooker could see just how much he did not want to be there. Don’t be rude. Don’t be rude. Don’t be rude. He had to keep reminding himself because he kept forgetting.

He could handle the attention when he was biting into onions or making announcements from atop a table, but doing nothing like he was now, felt so wasteful. Right now he was practically on a stage with enough eyes and ears near him that he could do something that mattered if only he were made of something other than bad ideas and impotent rebellions. So he only tried his best to do what he was supposed to do on this stage and blend in with the scenery, but even as nothing more than a prop, Cal performed poorly.

Then there was Wulfric, placing a grounding hand on his shoulder, offering him a path to escape. He didn’t have to be here anymore. As much as he wanted to flee his chair in the same way Ruby had earlier, he held back. Callum didn’t bother to look his brother’s way, only nodded his agreement and waited. He wasn’t going to let Wulfric know he’d done him a favor, that would feel like a loss in the imaginary war he was in with his brother.

Wulfric made his exit from the ballroom and Callum sat through another conversation that left his mind as soon as it ended. He didn’t announce his departure or wait for any official dismissal; Cal only nodded at Edin and left the ballroom taking the handkerchief and worm pot with him.

But he didn’t go directly to Wulfric’s office, but meandered through the hallways, taking the scenic route, to go see his brother. He studied the railing as he climbed his way up the stairs. He took detours through various rooms looking like a lost tourist as he studied objects he’d seen hundreds of times. He again stopped at his own bedroom and placed the handkerchief and tiny worm pot on his desk. He drank more whiskey. Enough to wash away any lingering taste of onion. He locked his bedroom door as he left. He staggered around the second floor some more, taking the longest path possible to Wulfric’s office. Just to be a nuisance.

Callum knocked once against the door to Wulfric’s office before opening the door and walking in without waiting for a response. “You wanted to see me? Again?” He walked into the room, left the door open, and made his way to one of the couches. He flopped onto the couch and swung his legs up and laid back, letting his feet rest atop one armrest and his head on the other. “Surely a Crown Prince has better things to do than keep tabs on his brother all day.” Callum grinned and on instinct, he poked the bear to see how angry it was.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Time: Morning, 12 pm
Location: Athletic Arena
Interactions: Mina @Tae, Dr. John @Conscripts

As they made their way through the exiting crowd of people and just far enough away from the arena to be greeted with fresh air, John approached. “Exceptional timing doctor,” Leo offered both a quick bow and nod of approval. Leo gave John the details of what happened with Mina during the execution as precisely and accurately as he could remember. Doctor’s appreciated that sort of thing and John was worth staying on the best possible terms with.

He then hesitated for a moment before adding, “With the possibility of recent druggings I hope I did not overact in sending for you. Sorry if I troubled you.” Leo gave a polite smile. True or not it was an interesting notion to float about. A conspiracy in Sorian to drug and make fools of foreign nobles, one that could even be linked to the two youngest Danrose royals, that had some potential to make the summer a little more interesting.

“Anytime, Lady Mina, and if you need anything do not hesitate to ask. May your day only get better.” Leo smiled, bowed, and turned to the ever-reliable doctor. “And a good day to you John. I believe the bull riding is beginning shortly, maybe I’ll be seeing you later.” Leo offered with a sincere grin before heading off in the direction of the arena.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Time: Morning, 12pm
Location: Athletic Arena
Interactions: Mina @Tae
Mentions: Dr. John @Conscripts

“Fetch Dr. Williamson. Immediately.” Leo snapped an order at those closest to him as Mina began convulsing. Fainting was one thing, fits were entirely another. Many around them panicked, but Leo did not, he put that effort into action. He kept her head cradled so she couldn’t knock it against the wooden seating and tilted towards the side, to keep her from choking. It ended a few frightful seconds later. Whoever had asked if she was dead was lucky that his attention was entirely focused on Mina.

Her chest's subtle rise and fall had stopped for several moments too long before a sudden gasp brought her back to consciousness. He echoed with a small sigh of relief and returned her hug. One he was not forced to tolerate, nor did he worry about whether it was appropriate, because comforting a shaken friend mattered much more than how such things were seen in Caesonia. “Nothing to be sorry about. I’m glad you’re okay.” Leo spoke just as she let him go. As Mina returned to her feet, Leo followed and stayed close by her side in case she was still unsteady.

Despite Mina’s attempts to convince herself that she was fine, peaked and panicked would be a more accurate description of how she looked as her eyes darted around the crowd. “It is rather hot here, and the air is entirely unpleasant, would you care to escort me out of the arena? Somewhere with a bit of shade.” He offered his arm to her, a polite and transparent attempt to remove her from the situation that had caused her distress.

“I sent someone to try and locate John.” Leo hoped whoever it was would not just simply return with any doctor, potentially one of the many crackpots in Caesonia, instead of the rational Varian. “We should wait for him as well, ensure no one has slipped you anything.” He whispered the last part. He was not convinced Mina was fine; watching a man burn could cause a fainting spell but not some sort of seizure. These events involved far too much mingling around the common people and it would be too easy for one of them to slip poison into food or drink.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Ariella and Callum

collab with @Tpartywithzombi

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“What a coincidence, mine also likes to call for heads at minor inconveniences. So we have mutually assured destruction to ensure this conversation stays at this table.” Callum offered, far more engaged in this conversation than he was a moment ago. He hadn’t expected her to stay or express a similar dislike for noble life. “It’s a pleasure to meet Ari.” He added and smiled sincerely the way he only did around people who talked to him without a mask on.

“Can’t stay I’ve ever been in a ravine, or too far from here really.” Cal added, not that he’d ever sought out those secluded parts of nature either. “But the gardens make me all sneezy and congested and so I guess I’ve never thought of myself as an outdoor person. Sounds beautiful, the way you describe it.” He took another drink from his glass, partially because it was there and because he didn’t know what else to add. Everything he knew about nature came only from books.

Ari smiled at his interest in the forest she mentioned “ Oh it’s lovely, and allergy free. There arn’t any flowers here per say, maybe a couple berry bushes. Its wonderful, you walk through a arch that a tree has naturally formed and push through some vines and leaves from the surrounding tree. Once you pass there its like a little secluded oasis. There is a river that runs through the little cove” Ari’s face lit up as she spoke about her secret place, her hands drawing a little image on the table as her mind sparked the memory of the place. “ On one side there is some berry bushes and a tree line and on the opposite side is a lush grassy area with a giant waterfall over looking the ravine. Me and the only other person who knows of this place, well we built a little fort out of twigs and dead branches we found. When you enter this oasis its forbidden to wear shoes and me and my friend will actually remove all the troublesome gowns and just wear what a servant may. “ she stopped as she realized she had started rambling. “ I’m sorry, this is likely boring you. If you do ever find yourself interested though, I would love to show it to you sometime. I wasn’t much of an outdoors person myself either until I was shown that particular spot where I could just be Ari.” She smiled “ That would mean you could just be Callum there and no one would be the wiser. “ She looked around nervously as her fingers twiddled on the table top. She wouldn’t tell him that it was actually Anastasia’s place that she shared with Ari, gifting it too her a few years ago. Since then they would run off during their political meetings at the estate and hide in the woods. “ What kind of things do you enjoy doing ? “ she asked actually interested in getting to know this not prince Callum.

Callum chewed at the edge of his tongue to keep himself from saying anything. Mostly things like he thought he might be allergic to the grass too, or that thinking about walking around without shoes on made his skin crawl, and that while it all sounded really nice in theory, he was pretty sure it also sounded like the kind of place where you got eaten alive by mosquitoes, or something worse. He didn’t interrupt because he didn’t want to keep being the Callum that was afraid of things just because they were different from all the familiar things he hated.

Instead, Cal tried to just think of Ari’s spot in the woods only the way she described it and it helped that she seemed to get lost in whatever bit of happiness that place brought her. Then being alone, or with a friend, in a place where everything was very real, even if it was barefoot, sounded a lot better than the palace ever did. “You’re not boring me. This place bores me, same shi-” Callum stopped and changed his wording, ”stuff all the time and none of it matters. So whatever you say that is different from what people normally say in palace ballrooms is way better.”

He took another drink and tried to think of things he enjoyed. “When I’m stuck here, my place is the library, more books than people, and it’s quiet, and organized, mostly. And I do like to learn new things but I never really liked doing new things. Which doesn’t even make much sense because I don’t even like most of what I spend my time doing. So, I guess, what I mean is next time you want someone to walk around barefoot in a ravine with, I’m in.” He was sure to be as honest as he could be in his response, he didn’t want to lie to Ari but he also wasn’t going to outright admit an interest in magic.

Ari listened in with ease to him opening up to her. She was surprised to find out that Callum was alot like her just before she met Anastasia. She had opened her up to so many possibilities she had even yet too try or dare to even try. “ I couldn’t agree more, so much focus on empty promises, money and status. My mother wants me to wed and find someone that can bring me wealth and status, I dont want to disappoint her but at the same time I sometimes wish I were a farmers daughter instead. Maybe then I could have more freedom, less restrictions and wouldn’t need to wear these blasted outfits. “ She bit her lip as she looked back up at him from staring at her fingers. “ Maybe actually be able to experience and live like the stories in those books that sit in the libraries. Sometimes I get envious of the characters.” She found it strange how quickly she was able to open up to him, she had never spoken to anyone so candidly. Even with Anastasia it took her a long time before she really got to know her.

Ari let out a gleeful smile as he accepted her offer to visit her secret oasis. She was excited to share it with someone. ”well..Since we both seem to be in similar situations, I’ll make you a deal. If you do indeed try something new then I too shall do the same, your pick. Name it and we shall do it. I for one have never really experienced anything either, mainly due to all the eyes on me but it could be fun.” she shrugged “ if I were really bold, I’d sneek out of here to escape this dreadful event…” she paused for a moment , since he seemed to be so open with her already she was curious about one thing. “ Is that why you did the whole onion bit earlier? Was it to make a statement of some sort? Onions wouldnt be my first choice but it certainly kept alot of the women away. So many were moving away from the table, and when I saw you struggling after a rather funny display I must say, I felt inclined to come over and atleast relieve you from the burns.”

“I didn’t think the onion would be half that bad. But it was there, and the woman here before you tripped over the chair, and that made a scene, so I made another scene.” He said, grinning that Ari had seen his antics as amusing rather than idiotic. But he also knew that wasn’t much of an answer. Since he had someone’s ear, he finished his glass of wine in a final long drink before leaning forward and speaking in a quieter voice.

“And Edin’s here, and he can’t stand it when things don’t go exactly his way. So I did the first thing that popped into my head because I knew it would make him mad at me, but that’s not anything new. So I guess, it’s only fair to warn you, spend too much time around me and it’s probably going to land you on the King’s shit list.” He leaned back in his chair, and thought about what else she’d said. It wouldn’t be fair not to warn people that he was a bad luck charm, but he also hadn’t tried very hard. He did need to do more new things, what he was doing now was amounting to nothing. So someone who’d push him to try new things had to be a good thing. Plus Ari saw it, at least part of what he saw. And it probably wouldn’t kill him to talk to more people.

“Sometimes I want a different life, I think about being a bird and simply go where ever and do whatever I wanted. Or a farmer and spend my days growing food and feeding people instead of doing nothing and being surrounded by everything I didn’t earn. But the way things are, it’s not right.” Callum paused, realizing he was going too far. A few drinks and his thoughts just leaked right out. Talking about social pressures and suffocating formalities were one thing, but he couldn’t start spouting off about his rotten bloodline that was suffocating Caesonia. Not here, not with someone he barely knew.

“But I have this life, and for whatever reason, my name gets to matter more than a lot of names, so I get to try and use that to make things a little better. Today I thought eating an onion would help, so obviously, not going very well.” He pivoted and twisted his words so that he still believed it, and he wasn’t going to lie to someone who was being honest with him, but most of the truth was closed off. “So here’s a new thing, if you’re still interested, we find something we can do that will make Sorian a little better and do that.” He offered.

Ari sat back and listened , each time he spoke she was just more and more curious about Callum. She watched as he finished back the wine and leaned in dropping his voice as if to tell her a secret of his own which he certainly did. “ Well , that does sound like a wonderful thing and I am for that if that is what you choose but…” she paused “ That is what Prince Callum would do. A civil duty to help make Sorian a better place, and it is a noble thing and one I would gladly partake in but what would Callum do? You don't need to answer now, perhaps save it for another day. Going to a pub with wigs on and different outfits pretending to be farmers sounds fun to me…” she smiled at him. “ Well I do believe I have taken much of your time Callum.” She said as she rose out of her chair. “ To say this was a surprise would be an understatement but it certainly was enjoyable and refreshing to have such a welcomed conversation with someone. I hope we can venture into that little oasis sometime soon. “ Ariella curtsied , her violet eyes fixed on him as she kept her soft smile that she had been holding the whole event. She turned and left the table , walking past the large crowds still forming waiting for their chance with one of the other princes. Ariella however wanted to leave the event on a highnote. Knowing the other two Princes would likely ruin her mood with formalities she decided to set out for a different event.

Callum only flinched at the mention of having fun in a tavern. He tried not to hold that comment against her; she wasn’t there this morning to see that sometimes what sounded like harmless fun ended with a carriage driver being beaten and nearly killed. He could only wonder who Alibeth might find to punish if he was then caught taking Lady Edwards to a seedy tavern while dressed as farmers. He only nodded, and rose from his seat when she did, bowing once more.

“The pleasure was entirely mine, I am the one now getting a trip to an oasis out of this. I’m glad I had the chance to meet Ari instead of whoever it is your family wants you to be.” He said, returning her kind smile and reverting back to a more formal posture as she left. Then he sat back down in his chair and noticed that she had left her wine glass still on the table and entirely full. He pulled that glass closer to him and the strange array of items that were now collecting on his table.