shylarah

When Royalty Collides (#YIKES)

Valentine/Edelessa of Luxième

Someone was talking to her. Anton? No, not Anton -- she couldn't rely on him here. Someone else. Her thoughts skittered over each other, insects thrown into chaos when someone overturned the log sheltering them. She made a strangled noise when someone grabbed her hand, and yanked it away. She couldn't let them find her. If they caught her, she was dead. She needed to hide, but she couldn't move. Couldn't run, couldn't think, could hardly breathe. When was the last time she'd inhaled?

Start with breathing.

It was hard to do, but Val made herself suck in some air. Someone was still trying to take her hand, and she tugged it free again, pulling it close to her chest. With the breath a shred of logic penetrated the haze of terror. She wasn't a child hiding in the palace ruins anymore. She shouldn't be in any danger. Emotion insisted, however, that if she took her back away from the wall they'd get her.

Where are you? Focus on the details.

A ballroom. There was a curtain near her, and glass doors leading outside beyond that. One of the wall held paintings. And someone was with her, someone in a green suit who kept trying to take her hand.

Her hand. She'd cut it. It wasn't even a deep cut, and she'd totally panicked. She'd managed to deal with worse -- but not while under so much stress. Reminding herself of that detail didn't make her feel any better, and she lowered her head so that she couldn't see Prince Akio's face at all. Finally some of what he was saying registered, and the offer of going outside earned him a small but earnest nod. She pulled her hand away again, but this time took the kerchief with it and used her other hand to put pressure on her cut fingers. She let Prince Akio lead her outside to a bench, but when he sat next to her she scooted away, squeezing herself against the arm and trying to make herself smaller. At least she wasn't crying, though she felt like she might start at any moment. She'd thoroughly botched the evening, and it had only just started.

When Royalty Collides (#YIKES)

Valentine/Edelessa of Luxième

Prince Akio chattered away at her, and it took all her focus to keep from just tuning out. Did he never stop? Or was he just making up for her inability to contribute to the conversation? ...Oh and now he thought she might be mute. What a wonderful way to start things off. She pried the hand not holding her champagne free of her purse strap and flicked a quick pair of fingers in the prince's general direction. If she wasn't so nervous she would have been red with shame.

'Nice to make your acquaintance'? What a laugh. She was a sham, a lie, destined to be a figurehead and probably unable to do even that right. Introduce him to people? And how was she supposed to do that, when she couldn't even manage a hello?! Prince Akio's attempts at conversation were only making her feel worse. She wanted to hide, or run, or...just go anywhere to be left alone.

Unfortunately, between the shame and the anxiety, she let herself grow careless. The first sign she'd done something wrong was the subtle snick that she felt in her fingers more than heard. She relaxed her grip at once, but it was too late, and only served to permit the severed base of the glass to fall in a slow arc of failure to land ringing like churchbells on the floor. It wasn't that loud, with the talking and the band, though she heard it clearly as it hit and shattered in pieces at her feet.

But that wasn't the worst of it. The pain across the middle of her fingers could only mean one thing, and she couldn't handle that. Not here. Not now. Val watched in mute horror as the hand that didn't seem to belong to her slowly uncurled, heedless of the other half of the glass it still held. Empty noise filled her ears; the color drained from her face; now she did lean against the wall behind her as she stared blankly at the drops of blood welling from where she'd cut herself on the edges of the glass.

When Royalty Collides (#YIKES)

Rhiannon Heledd Cadfael of Wales

Oh God, what had the prince of tradition-bound Britannia done this time? The thought and others like it shot through Rhia's head when she saw what could only be described as his entourage. Most of the visiting royalty had small, unobtrusive guards or servants. Prince Edwin Drakewine entered with a visual fanfare.

She wished, not for the first time, that she could deny any association with the Britannians. At least he provided her with a good excuse to approach the princess clad in full plate armor.

"Prince Edwin! I hope you had an easy flight over," Rhia told him with a polite smile. "And I don't believe I've met your partner in conversation. You must introduce me." As introductions were made in Edwin's loquacious style, Rhia turned a bright smile on Domitia. Now here's a lass that could keep me on my toes, she thought to herself, then quickly corrected herself. Not a lass, but rather -- what even was the gender-neutral equivalent? A thought for another time. "It's lovely to meet you," she said aloud. "I've heard a lot, but news and social media can only be trusted so far. I look forward to getting to know you in person." Rhia's expression turned sly, and her grin widened. "I have to say, you know how to make an impression. I'm guessing there's a significance behind your armor, but I have to say I do not know it. Would you tell me?"

The Plague Knight Chronicles: Chapter 1

@LordOfTheNight I'm still in, though I won't be posting reliably until next week.

When Royalty Collides (#YIKES)

Valentine/Edelessa of Luxième

Marriage. Betrothal. The words made Valentine shrink farther into herself. She wasn't even old enough to be married; her wedding wouldn't be for a couple years yet, and her coronation a year or so after that. She felt a flash of anger at having this engagement sprung on her, but she was too anxious to keep hold of the sharp clarity it brought. She didn't feel like a princess. She felt like an impostor, and a poor one at that.

Prince Akio talked a little about his home country, mentioning how the crown's inheritance was decided. It was an unusual method, though she wasn't sure if it would be better than primogeniture. Then again, anything would be better if it put her out of the running for the Luxemi throne.

Eventually he asked her about the party itself, a direct question that demanded some sort of response. Valentine tried to find her voice and failed. Instead of a verbal response she summoned a wan smile, though it came close to a grimace. An uncomfortable, sickly feeling curled in her gut. It probably was a nice party, but she was hardly in a state to appreciate it. She already wanted to leave.

𝓣ℎ𝑒 𝓕𝑖𝑐𝑘𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝒻 𝓐𝑙𝑦𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑛𝑎 & 𝓕𝑖𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑛, 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡.

@Briza As a note, those fancy letters aren't viewable on my kindle...or my old computer, which I will be using for the next week. m*settles in to read*

When Royalty Collides (#YIKES)

#ThatHat is go, repeat, #ThatHat is go.

Sparks: O.o

The Plague Knight Chronicles: Chapter 1

just so everyone knows, I will be out of town all of next week and into the second week of January. I don't know how much time I'll be having to reply to things while I'm gone.

When Royalty Collides (#YIKES)

Valentine/Edelessa of Luxième

She really wasn't very lucky. She should have known that she would not be. Of course the one person in the entire room that she least wished to speak to was the one that noticed her absence when Anton arrived and looked around until he was able to locate her. Damn both of them. Maybe she should have used the front door; at least there she'd have had other people to get in his way. But where she was, there was very little resistance to him moving across the floor. She considered darting for the door and just leaving, but she'd promised, and managed -- barely -- to stand her ground.

She kept her head down as Prince Akio approached, trying to remember how to breathe. What she wouldn't give for a nice invisibility spell right about now! But you have to do this. You have to. Valentine had had far too many lessons about her duties, and despite her best efforts a number of them had stuck. She couldn't bring herself to lift her head, looking not at the prince but instead at the ruffle on her skirt. At least he did his research. He didn't call her by her birth name, as so many people kept insisting on doing at events like these. The only reply she gave to his introduction was a stiff nod. Even if she'd wanted to say something, she didn't trust her voice. It would probably come out a mousy, unpleasant squeak if she managed to make it work at all.

Prince Akio offered her a flute of champagne, and while Valentine didn't really want to be drinking she felt obligated to take it from him. It took her a moment to unclench her fingers from around the strap of her little purse, and once she had the flute the wine wobbled dangerously close to the edge of the glass. Valentine knew how to properly appreciate wine, but her first sip was both hasty and larger than was strictly proper, just to make sure she didn't spill it. She still didn't look up at the prince, and she wished she'd left her hair down. She felt terribly exposed, as irrational as that was, and she could feel every bit of tension in her shoulders as they crept closer to her ears. She did not want to be here.

How Not to be a Douchebag 101

Hey, just a heads-up, but I probably will be around only minimally for all of next week. Just so you don't think I disappeared or bailed or...whatever. ^.^ Going on a trip.