Rodiak

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

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______________________________________	__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ S I R M A T H I A S L A R S E N S I R M A T H I A S L A R S E N ♖ o u t f i t ♖(#1) S H O O T I N G R A N G E , 10 : 0 0 A M I N T E R A C T I O N S : M E N T I O N S :

Mathias had retreated to join Lord Ravewood's table with Mary and his son shortly after. He had bowed to the princesses and prince there, greeting them with a smile. There was some relief seeing Prince Felix there, supporting Lady Smithwood. He had taken a seat next to Mary as she tried to strike up a conversation with Roman while Lukas sat on his shoulders.

A part of him was glad that he had lost so early in the competition. Mathias was able to sit and relax, enjoy the archery and watch Lukas have fun. It had been years since he could take time off without worrying about work or having Lord Larsen pressure him to find a wife. Although that duty had been passed on to Mary during the summer, luckily, she was too distracted by Roman and the pretty title attached to his name. He only hoped that she would stay distracted for the rest of the summer.

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______________________________________	__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ S H E H Z A D I N A H I R K A D I R S H E H Z A D I N A H I R K A D I R ♖ o u t f i t ♖ S H O O T I N G R A N G E , 10 : 0 0 I N T E R A C T I O N S : @Helo M E N T I O N S :

There was a shift, small and almost overlooked, but she briefly saw the tension of muscles in his hands. Nahir siled, considering his offer for a second before giving him a slight nod. "Lord Smithwood, you certainly know how to keep a girl intrigued. A favor it is." She approved. The chance of winning a favor from him was exciting. She was already thinking of what she would ask from him or if she would wait for an opportunity later in the season.

"I'll bet on the stranger from House Damien." She finally said after a short pause. From the previous match, it looked like the man knew what he was doing, and she did not wish to bet for the Woodsman. Who knew if another squirrel would appear again and distract the man.

The next few rounds went by slower than she thought they would. She had asked Ece to bring them snacks while they watched. Nahir ate her fruit tart slowly, keeping her hands and mouth busy while she watched arrow after arrow being shot. The sugar kept her calm for now, but she knew she would have to dip into her cigars soon.

It wasn't long before Lady Smithwood and Lord? Vael went up next.

She shifted in her chair and wrapped the shawl tighter around her as they watched. She tried not to make a sound or move when Lord Vael finally won. Still, she looked at Lady Smithwood with a smile as she clapped for her. "Your sister is a skillful archer," she turned back to Leo.

In the end, the Woodsman won, unfortunately. Still, she clapped for his victory.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

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______________________________________	__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ S H E H Z A D I N A H I R K A D I R S H E H Z A D I N A H I R K A D I R ♖ o u t f i t ♖ S H O O T I N G R A N G E , 10 : 0 0 I N T E R A C T I O N S : @Helo M E N T I O N S :

Nahir had smiled when Leo greeted her formally, appreciating the respect he was giving her even in a much more casual setting. She pulled the shawl tighter around her, taking some comfort from it as she listened to him. It was a shame that he had no recollection of last night, and she had to be honest, it was gnawing at her brain.

“And my apologies for the distress last night caused you and your family, suggesting that party was reckless of me, a habit I should not have brought to court.”

"There is no way you, or any of us, could have known it would have turned out this way." She did not blame him for extending his invitation to her, nor did she blame Princess Anastasia for it either. They would have heard of the private party one way or another and ended up in the same situation.

She lowered her eyes to his hands when he turned his attention elsewhere. They were calloused, the skin hardened from what Nahir presumed various outdoor hobbies. They were large too, but the fingers were too thick. Would he think of her strange if she'd ask for a handprint from him?

Nahir heard him say something to her again, but her eyes had remained on his hands. It wasn't until he was finished talking that she realized she had been staring for a tad too long. She looked back up at him, smiling again after her mind finally registered what he had said to her.

"I thought that mysteries and surprises were the national sports of Sorian. It almost feels like home."

Her knowledge of House Damien was limited. She knew of the Count's two daughters but nothing else. A distant relative? A cousin or nephew? A bastard? The mystery of the man with the noble name did bring some welcomed distraction as she watched him shoot with cockiness unbefitting of a noble.

"Who do you reckon will win?" She briefly looked to the outer stalls in search of a betting stand. "Should we wager on it?" There was a hint of excitement in her voice.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

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______________________________________	__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ S I R M A T H I A S L A R S E N S I R M A T H I A S L A R S E N ♖ o u t f i t ♖(#1) S H O O T I N G R A N G E , 10 : 0 0 A M I N T E R A C T I O N S : @Aerandir, @Tae M E N T I O N S : @Mole , @Silverpaw ,@ReusableSword

Mary and Lukas both cheered for the Woodsman every time he landed a shot, and every time he did not, they'd shout words of encouragement. Mary even cursed out the squirrel that had distracted Verrick from landing his shot, prompting Lukas to do the same. Mathias looked at them both with a stern look that pointed more to Mary than his son.

It was the middle of the third round when the invitation from Lord Ravenwood finally reached the trio. Mathias looked back to spot Roman and gave the man a wave. He'd have to thank him later for offering a seat for them. Mary wasted no time, wishing Mathias luck and letting the boy give his father a quick hug before hurrying up to meet with Lord Ravewoon, whispering to herself.

Mathias only managed to catch the phrases "secure the bag" and "you'll help me charm the lord, little guy".

It wasn't long before the final round was over that Mathias approached Verrick, smiling at him and congratulating the man on his win. "Not bad for someone shooting with their weaker hand," He looked towards the Shehzadi, "Three point difference. I am sure you would have shot bullseye with your good arm in every round." He patted Verrick on his good shoulder this time.

Up next was Lord Cassius Vael against Issac. Mathias found it odd that people would only write themselves in as just their first name, but this was a public event, and it was probably a common man trying his luck. He watched the three rounds, distracted by his own upcoming match.

It was over before he knew it, and Mathias was called forward to the front. He had removed the blue blazer and rolled the sleeves of his blouse for better mobility before he approached the front. He turned back briefly, scanning the crowd for his son. Unexpectedly his eyes met briefly with those of Prince Wulfric, making him straighten out his back, but with the sound of his son's voice, he quickly spotted him near the bottom with the rest of Ravenwood's party. Seeing Princess Sadie and Prince Felix there also brought in another wave of nervousness that he had been trying to fight off. He did not wish to disappoint them, but at least whoever won this time would be a win for Varian.

When Lady Thea approached, he bowed to her in greeting and wished her luck before they were instructed to begin.

Mathias had once been good in archery when he had first picked up the bow, he'd been good until he realized that others were far better than him. The blade suited him better, he preferred to be up close to his opponent, their movements easier to read and see.

For the first round, every arrow landed on target without a problem, and although his score was low, he felt some confidence growing. Behind him, he heard Mary and Lukas cheer, he'd hoped that Mary would behave herself around the Prince and Princess, but that was clearly not going to happen.

The second round was worse than the last with only twelve points; at least there had been no misses. He shot two near misses and one just above the yellow line for the final round. His last shot, although a bullseye, was not enough to secure him the win.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

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______________________________________	__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ L A D Y Z A R A I L E S D E M A N L A D Y Z A R A I L E S D E M A N ♖ o u t f i t ♖ S O R I A N P A L A C E , 9 : 3 0 A M I N T E R A C T I O N S : @princess , @mantou , @ReusableSword M E N T I O N S : @SilverPaw

With a hand firmly placed on her side to help with some of the pain, Zarai watched the tournament with an ever-present smile on her lips. She'd cheer when Anastasia would, encouraging the "cake man" against Leo Smithwood. She agreed with the princess that he'd thrown Kazumin under the wagon back in the Entrance Hall and therefore did not deserve cheers from them.

Ser Barrios had arrived shortly after the first round, handing out their snacks, and Zarai had named him "The Knight of Sweets," a name he seemed to enjoy. It was much better than any of the names she had thought for him when her mother said he would be following her everywhere.

She ate quietly, ignoring Wulfric's arrival to their little group and instead concentrating on the Alidasht beauty down in the field. A distraction for them both from Anastasia's brother. "I wonder if all of their women are as pretty as her." Zarai tried to whisper, but the crowd around them made it hard to do so. "Her sisters too, and the tall one. Layla? What I would give to spend a night—"

Next to her, Ser Barrios cleared his throat, and Zarai shot him a glare for even daring to overhear her.

"Zarai, it looks like we got an invite to the VIP table! Wanna go over and see Roman? It looks like he's got the best view too!"

"VIP table and the best view? I am already convinced." Zarai stood up but let Anastasia and Wystan go before her so she wouldn't hold them off her slow pace. She glanced back at Wulfric, sticking her tongue at him before letting an uneasy Ser Barrios help her down the stairs.

When the group finally arrived at Roman's table, she pulled away from Ser Barrios and greeted Roman with a smile. "Thank you for inviting us, Lord Ravenwood! Amazing price you put out, too; that bow is so beautiful."

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

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______________________________________	__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ S H E H Z A D I N A H I R K A D I R S H E H Z A D I N A H I R K A D I R ♖ o u t f i t ♖ S H O O T I N G R A N G E , 1 0 : 0 0 I N T E R A C T I O N S : @Helo M E N T I O N S :

She could hear yelling when the palanquin arrived at the archery range. She pulled back the sheer white curtain to peek out, but from her position, she couldn't quite see who was making such a commotion.

"Shehzadi, we've arrived late; we should make haste." Ece, a tall woman with an ever-present frown, stepped in front of the window to look at Nahir. The two of them had known each other for a while now. Ece was the daughter of one of the great houses from Saru, making her a noble lady. She'd followed Nahir to her trip to Caesonia as a lady in waiting, but in truth, the woman would rather be a şövalye, or knight, than a lady.

Nahir nodded and hurried out of the palanquin while Ece instructed the driver to wait by the side.

The registration had almost closed when Nahir arrived and wrote her name quickly before she was instructed to the bows. With not many left, she picked the closest to her and hurried to the range where the other competitors were now lining up.

She spotted Lord Smithwood when the host announced the first round. Nahir clapped when his name was announced and tried to get closer to get a better look, but her spot wasn't the best due to her tardiness. Behind her, Ece approached the Shehzadi with a chair for her to stand on. Nahir smiled, climbed the chair, and waved at Lord Smithwood. "Best of luck!"

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

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______________________________________	__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ S I R M A T H I A S L A R S E N S I R M A T H I A S L A R S E N ♖ o u t f i t ♖(#1) S H O O T I N G R A N G E , 9 : 3 0 I N T E R A C T I O N S : M E N T I O N S : @ReusableSword

The trio had gotten early to the competition that morning to register. Mary had been talking about the event even before they left Varian, trying to convince the knight to partake in it. When Mathias initially refused, she tried to convince him with the opportunity to meet young ladies. Ladies that he could court and hopefully one day marry. When that didn't work, she went to Lukas, promising that he would see his father shoot arrows and win a prize for him, something big and flashy.

It worked in the end after Lukas threw a bit of a tantrum but what was important was that Mathias had agreed.

"If Duke Vikena and Count Calbert are really sleeping together, who do you think pitches and who receives?" Mary peered out of the paper to look at Mathias, trying the various bows laid out on the table.

"I am not sure," Mathias replied, pulling on the bowstring of one of the weapons to check its resistance. "Count Calbert is too proud of a man to be the receiver." He picked one of them up, pulling the string again before examining the weight of it by balancing it on his palm. He was too concentrated on the bows laid out before him to really pay any mind to the conversation at hand.

"Really?" Mary sounded unconvinced, "I think the Duke is the pitcher."

"What's a p..pi.. pitcher?"

Mathias blinked, looking back to see Lukas sitting next to Mary and a toy bow at hand. "It's, uh, when..." he looked at Mary for something, anything! Lukas was too young for this conversation, and this was no place for it either! The sudden need for a response had stunned the battle-worn knight into silence.

"It's when you..." Mary looked back at Mathias, completely unsure what to say as well. They had been caught off guard, too deep in their thoughts to remember that a child was sitting right next to them and their inappropriate conversation. Mathias dropped the bow and walked to Lukas, smiling at the boy.

"It's just when a—"

"Good morning sir, I am Lord Roman Ravenwood I have a quick announcement to make regarding the prize for the winner of this competition... We will be sponsoring this competition by offering a one-of-a-kind prize to the one that wins this tournament! ... A once in a lifetime prize, a masterwork composite longbow fit for a prince, An Ivory Handle made with silver inlays and the symbol of the Ravenwood master craftsmen! Use it as a tool, a wall decoration, sell it for five times your annual pay! If you win its yours!"

Thank you Roman Ravenwood for the distraction.

"Look, Lukas, your prize if I win!" Mathias scooped up the boy and pointed toward the tall man and the beautiful bow he was holding. Its intricate design and colorful had certainly caught the knight's attention. A fine weapon that would serve a good purpose if it were at his disposal, Lukas seemed to think so too. The boy "oohhed" as wiggled in his father's arms with excitement.

"No, I think you're right." Mary said, making Mathias turn to look at her again. "Count Calbert is definitely the pitcher." She had gone back to the paper, clearly uninterested on the newly announced prize.

"Papa, what's a p..pi.. pitcher?"

"Shi... Sorry."

"It's someone who throws a ball." Mathias finally answered, giving Mary a look.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

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______________________________________	__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ L A D Y Z A R A I L E S D E M A N L A D Y Z A R A I L E S D E M A N ♖ o u t f i t ♖ S O R I A N P A L A C E , 9 : 3 0 A M I N T E R A C T I O N S : M E N T I O N S :

Zarai almost threw up in her mouth, but she smiled through the disgust as she gave Edin one last bow. She managed to catch Lord Ravenwood's smile, and she returned it before sticking out her tongue and pointing subtly at the king as a sign of disgust. Behind her, Francesca cleared her throat, and Zarai quickly lowered her hand and relaxed her face just as she was pushed outside the hall.

Their trip back to the guest house was quick, seeing as Francesca grew tired of pushing her around and opted for a carriage from the palace to the guest house. Once they were in the confines of their chambers, Francesca waited no time to berate Zarai as she had never before. The girl stayed quiet, staring past her mother's twisted expression to the wall where a fly was currently resting. Her mother's words faded to the background, and everything around her felt numb; she liked numb.

"Are you listening to me?"

If she were numb, Zarai wouldn't be able to feel anything. It was like standing outside in the snow, barefoot and unshielded from the biting wind. If she stayed still for long enough, eventually, all of her surroundings would disappear. The bone-chilling wind turning into a warm embrace.

"Pon atencion, estupida."

Zarai's head whipped to the side, and she was back again. No snow to tend to the burning cheek. She looked back at her mother, staring into the blue pools that were on the verge of overflowing.

"No tienes idea de cómo me duele esto, levantar mi mano contra ti. Zarai, por favor, es una tortura verte así. You can't continue doing this to me, your father. We worry for you and your future."

Zarai didn't reply. knowing that anything out of her mouth would just upset her mother further. Instead, she nodded and tried to find the numbness again.

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It looked like Zarai would be chair bound for a few days; what a great start to her summer. She had planned to participate in the archery competition and hopefully make it past the first round. Archery wasn't her strong suit, seeing as her mother forced her to learn piano rather than how to shoot with a bow. It would have at least been a fun activity to start her morning. Now, Lady Lesdeman was to await for the King to call her and give her statement on the events of last night. She would much rather be one of the targets at the competition than see that ball of walking lard.

"My Lady, are you certain we are heading the right way?" Ser Berrios, a man on the shorter side with dark brown hair and gentle eyes, had been appointed to Zarai as a bodyguard by her mother. She knew him or at least had seen him around her home. He'd been knighted by her father years ago; he had always struck Zarai as a suck-up.

"Yes, now push faster, Ser Barrios." Zarai pointed down at the hall, "Onwards, my knight, for I must see Her Highness." There was nothing that Ser Barrios could do now but sigh and push Lady Lesdeman down the hall as fast as he could, giving some of the guards an apologetic smile.

When they finally arrived at the princess's wing, Zarai pointed to the door where two guards were stationed on either side of it. The knight nodded, pushing the chair at a normal pace now until they reached the door.

"Hello, gentlemen," Zarai smiled up at the guards, "I'm Lady Lesdeman, here to seek an audience with Her Highness Princess Anastasia. Oh, this is my knight Ser Barrios; he can wait outside if you would like. You'll be a good boy, right?" She smiled back at the man, who only gave her a defeated look.

Post a random fact about yourself.

i think it might be time for a t break

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

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______________________________________	__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ S H E H Z A D I N A H I R K A D I R S H E H Z A D I N A H I R K A D I R ♖ o u t f i t ♖ -- E N T R A N C E H A L L -- I N T E R A C T I O N S : @princess@13org M E N T I O N S : @Lava Alckon

This was chaos; Nahir knew that much. Mayet's demands for them, while warranted, were not helping. Farim was subtle as ever, but she did not blame him for it. It was no secret that Hafiz had the temper of a dynamite stick. Then there was her father, with the patience of a saint, continued to prove why he had become Sultan as he demanded honesty from the King and Queen but was only met with more excuses until their own daughter caved in.

"That girl is being used. She doesn't even have the capacity to lie. Let alone to scheme something."

"Her loyalty to this so-called friend is foolish yet admirable." Nahir replied to her sister, eyes fixed on the Queen's face. The longer they stayed here, the worse things would get. Emotions were still high, and the lack of rest was not helping anyone. It'd be best to allow for a break to get all affected parties situated. The discovery of finding out that she'd been poisoned or drugged was still in the back of Nahir's mind, where it would stay until she was back in her chambers alone.

Her attention was pulled from the queen to Hafiz as he finished talking.

"Your duke still needs to be punished for humiliating and injuring my family last night. My brother may be merciful… but I do not forget nor easily forgive my enemies."

"Grand Vizier is right; we do not easily forgive our enemies," Nahir looked at her uncle with a calm expression, hands folded neatly in front of her. "but we must be sure who our enemy is." Pointing fingers at one another would not help with the investigation if they were to take part in it, and they would. The King and Queen could not deny this request now that their plan to shift the blame had been called out. Transparency and honesty were the least they could do to smooth things over with Alidasht.

If not handled with care, this whole situation could spiral into war.

"Fath— Sultan, I suggest we take Her Majesty's advice and move on to breakfast. An empty stomach can affect one's mood and decision-making, and I can see my uncle Hafiz, unfortunately, skipped his meal." She bowed her head to her father first, then to her uncle, not bothering to look at the latter directly.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

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______________________________________	__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ L A D Y Z A R A I L E S D E M A N L A D Y Z A R A I L E S D E M A N ♖ o u t f i t ♖ -- E N T R A N C E H A L L -- I N T E R A C T I O N S : M E N T I O N S :

Zarai tried to sit further in her chair when King Edin looked at her, doing her best not to cringe under his gaze. Her mother, however, had done a complete one-eighty and was now beaming that her daughter had managed to catch the king's attention. Unfortunately, she found herself unable to think of anything meaningful to say. She didn't remember anything beyond arriving at the warehouse. If she had enough time to rake over her mind, perhaps she could remember something important.

Luckily, Shehzadi Mayet spoke up again, giving Zarai time to rummage through her memories, but the smoke was still present. It was strange, for Zarai at least. Over the years, she had built up quite a tolerance to alcohol, amongst other substances. This was the first time in years she drank enough to cause memory loss. The last time she had only forgotten her trip back home. Which only proved Shehzadi Mayet's words true.

Then it finally dawned on her. This wasn't a simple meeting between parents to scold their children for partying too hard. Their little outing had been dangerous for them, all of them including the children of the Danroses and Kadirs.

"Your Majesty—"

Unable to even get a word in, Zarai turned to Anastasia when she spoke up. She shook her head quickly, but the words were already pouring out of her mouth like a river, and no dam would stop them. All she could do was sit and watch the youngest of the Caesonian royals confess. Ya me chinge. Estas bien pendeja Zarai. She tried to intervene, but Anastasia did not seem to stop even to take a breath.

Zarai could feel her chest swell up and her nose flare when Anastasia was quickly escorted out after her confession. She willed herself to stay quiet despite the King motioning her to continue. She knew if she spoke, she'd agree with Anastasia. It was true that she had gone to fetch them all, but everyone had decided to accept the invitation and attend the event. None of them had expected this outcome, Anastasia being one of them; she had trusted her friend, and that friend had played her. Yet, the poor girl would still not speak their name.

Fortunately, both King and Queen had had enough of the morning calling for the culmination of their meeting, but the Alidasht royals were not pleased one bit. While they continued to argue, Zarai sat quietly staring at the door where Anastasia had been escorted out.

I need to see her.