Horse Eden : Imperial WBs x West

November 24, 2024 12:29 PM

Posts: 659
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Phoebe Nightlingale

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Phoebe listened to his words intently as she always did, nodding in acknowledgement whenever he finished speaking. Unlike yesterday when they had parted ways, she felt a tad more reassured that things would not return to the way things had been, especially if it seemed as if they were both still tossing their statuses away whenever they talked; the looming threat never vanished, however, and probably never would. She observed Rhys quietly as he walked past her, smiling at the last words that had left him. Personally, she had never heard Rhys make a comment like that, but it was one she found cherishing in her heart. At the very least, it meant that she was not a nuisance, even if he had approached her initially. She glanced at his shoulder one last time in order to examine its current state, telling herself internally to check on him before it was too late into the night; she doubted he would not tend to it, but it was better to check.. right?

With a final sigh, she turned on her heels and started to walk away, taking in the fresh air and lingering fragrances of the horses that were in the barn. She had only taken a few steps when both her father and General Atius came into view, heading directly towards her and the barn. They both paused in the serious conversation they were having, their faces grim until they saw Phoebe watching them. She knew the moment their eyes met hers that there was no avoiding this interaction, unfortunately. It was perfectly normal for her to be around these parts, especially when the private section of the guardens were nearby, but she felt uneasy. She found herself wanting to direct them elsewhere, as if she did not want Rhys to have to deal with them, yet she knew it was impossible to redirect them.

``Princess, it`s been ages since I last saw you,`` General Atius spoke in that mocking, cruel voice of his as he walked over to her, looking her up and down. On the other hand, her father followed suit quietly and glanced between them; it would seem her father had decided to be a spectator for once. Atius was an extremely tall, muscular man who walked with an air of arrogance and malice, something that absolutely intimidated and frightened her; he almost reminded her of one of the assassins during the accident. ``I was hoping you would show up for breakfast, but it would seem you were.. elsewhere.``

``I took a walk,`` Phoebe replied simply, folding her arms across her chest as she glanced towards the barn. She could feel the intimidating gazes of her father and Atius on her, something that always made her want to flee from them. The thought of the effect on her made her wonder how badly their presences probably affected other nobles and, more specifically, the servants around the castle. If she could barely handle it, she wondered how they felt. Of course, she had different reasons to be cautious and unsettled, but she was still curious. ``What are you two doing?``

``We were going to go for a ride,`` Atius`s voice was a tad softer as he seemed to relax, something that went unnoticed by Phoebe; she did not care enough to pay attention to the changes in either of their behavior. He continued to stare at her for a while before he lifted a hand to caress her cheek- albeit quicky- before he withdrew and looked over at her father to murmur a few things to him. Maybe in different circumstances, if her father had not entertained the idea of them marrying, she would have been friends with Atius. It was an insane concept- her being friends with someone so.. egotistical and cruel as he was, but even she knew that there had to be something else beneath that icy layer.

Truth be told, if her father had not been present, she probably would have ushered his hand away or flinched at the contact. Touch was something she allowed from certain individuals and Atius was not one of them; Morana and Rhys had been the only ones to touch her briefly without evoking a negative reaction. She waited for them to finish exchanging whatever words they were mumbling, taking the chance to shift her gaze firmly on the barn. A part of her hoped that Rhys had noticed them and was hurrying to finish his tasks; he may be one of the highest ranking servants on the castle grounds, but it seemed as if that gave them more of a reason to mess with him.

November 24, 2024 01:06 PM

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#1259394
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Rhys had immediately resumed his tasks, although his mind lingered on the few words they had spoken... it was really more the meaning than the amount, especially when Phoebe seemed to be in a ... quiet mood. More thoughtful than usual, which was hard, as she always seemed very tuned in and thoughtful around him. He was glad that everything seemed precariously placed in a sort of balance... it was better than it all being off and wonky. He would take precariously placed over off the edge any day. He'd rather be on the edge of a cliff than sitting safely at rock bottom. He would've never really decided to utter the last words, and hadn't before, if he hadn't felt the need to make it known that he did enjoy the second real conversation they had with this new.. mindset. He had wanted her to know that, and per usual him, he had expressed it in a short, to the point way.

He started going through the stalls and gathering up feed pans, occasionally giving a pat to a curious horse or checking the water of some. He got held up at once down the line, dropping the feed pan outside the stall door before grabbing a water bucket to refill the water. He silently stalked to the spigot outside, filling it before hauling it back with his good shoulder and pouring the clean water in. This single thing was enough to delay him enough so that he was in the middle of his work when he heard the king's voice, and someone else's. Another man. He knew the voice, but couldn't tie it to anyone. Pausing for a moment, he filled a water bucket closer to the entrance, glancing out to see none other than the King, General Atius, and Phoebe. He happened to glance out just in time to see the general brush their hand against Phoebe's cheek, and, against his will, his blood boiled at the sight. He had just heard in her tone how she disliked the general, so the mere thought of them touching her, especially when he could see the discomfort in her stance, was angering to him. He entered the stall to be out of sight, pausing so he could hear the rest of the conversation... when it came to Phoebe, he always seemed to make unwise decisions. However, he didn't regret it as he heard that they were going for a ride... he did not want to be in the barns when they entered. Especially injured. That would make them doubt that he could get any job done, and could result in... bad things. Rhys rubbed his temple as he tried to erase the vision of Atius caressing Phoebe's cheek out of his mind, knowing it was something that should not be trapped in there. Plus, it may make him go insane, and that would also be.. bad.

As their voices quieted to the point where he couldn't hear them anymore, he swiftly exited the stall, gathered up the feedpans, and put them back in the tack room. He then checked the rest of the waters, noticing that, with a slight twinge of unhappiness, there were four buckets to fill. He went about this process as quickly as possible, but his shoulder was holding him back; he couldn't carry two buckets at once, and that hindered his pace, considering how far the spigot was. He lengthened his strides slightly, knowing that, when he was done with this, he could exit the barn and go about the last of his tasks. He did not want to be caught in here, even if he was just doing his job. He wasn't afraid, in any means... if they weren't who they were, he would've already came out and exchanged a couple not so kind words with Atius about invading personal space... but he did not really appreciate the idea of being trapped with those two. Although he was a tall, muscular, foreboding presence himself, he also was a much quieter version, and he only radiated coldness when he needed to. Very different from them.

November 24, 2024 01:39 PM

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#1259405
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Phoebe Nightlingale

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``You should join us, Phoebe,`` General Atius` voice penetrated her trail of thought and her descent into worry and anxiety, causing her to lift her chin to glance between the two men. She should have known Atius was going to extend an offer for her to join them, but she was still surprised. A part of her believed that the general had alerady set his sights on someone else, especially given that they had not talked in so long, but that familiar glint in his eyes spoke otherwise. It did not help that he had addressed her by her name, something only her family and.. well, Rhys, was allowed to do; Rhys for a completely different reason, obviously. Atius was eyeing her as he clearly waited for a response, his green eyes narrowed expectantly. She truly believed that Atius knew what his presence did to others and how to utilize it to get what he wanted, but she would never fall for that.. At least, she hoped she never would. ``It has been a while since you left the grounds, yes?``

``I have no interest in leaving, General,`` Phoebe retorted as she pressed her folded arms closer to her chest, glancing away towards the barn again. Although she was naturally quiet, kind, and softspoken, General Atius seemed to draw out her rebellious and blunt side; she rarely acted like this and only under specific circumstances she would even consider doing so. She met Atius` gaze again before she looked over at her father, who seemed almost amused with their unfolding conversation. Of course, her father had no idea what it was like to be in a situation like this, maybe this was how her mother had felt all those years ago. ``Besides, I`d rather be in my room than anywhere near you.``

``I never thought you`d have an attitude, Princess,`` Atius grumbled as he took a step back, casting a glare at her father. The two men were practically friends since they had a mentor and apprentice-like relationship; that was precisely why her father had thought they would have gotten along splendidly. Phoebe, in response to his words, simply smiled before she took a side-step. The fact that Atius had referred to her by her actual title meant that she had won.. slightly. She silently prayed that Rhys had managed to leave the barn by now so that he would not have to deal with these two arrogant, mocking men. Sure, her father was in a quiet mood, but that could change in milliseconds. No one on the castle grounds was a stranger to his erratic behavior and it truly was a terrifying sight. She was usually on the recieving end of his anger and frustration, something that no one really knew, but she would never want anyone to deal with it, even Atius, which spoke volumes.

``And I never thought you`d lack respect,`` she countered with a slight lift of her brow, earning her an amused laugh from her father; that was odd, but welcome. Atius` gaze hardened at her words, but that was all she got from him regarding his reaction. Phoebe observed as the men started to walk towards the barn, impulsively deciding to accompanny them just in case Rhys was still there. She knew that her presence would be enough to keep both of them distracted, but she still worried over all the possibilities. Besides, she wanted to see the horses since it had been so long since the last time; she knew some of them were incredibly troublesome, but she loved all of them equally.

November 24, 2024 02:10 PM

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#1259414
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From where he was, Rhys could now hear the voices again as they lifted, and although eavesdropping wasn't his usual thing.. he found himself slowing his pace and tilting his head, listening intently. After a second, he heard the words loud and clear... the General inviting Phoebe on the ride. They held a certain tone to them that made Rhys need to get coser and see the look on his face, to confirm his suspicions. He set down the bucket and went to the door, completely invisible in the shadows as he glanced out. The look on Atius' face sent a dark, hot force blasting through his veins... usually he was cold, calm, collected, but the shine in the General's eyes made him want to sink a dagger into them. His jaw tightened and his already dark eyes somehow darkened further, looking a bit murderous. The look in Atius' eyes suggested that they wanted something... wanted Phoebe... the mere look made Rhys want to strangle the guy. No one deserved to look at her like that. No one.

Rhys sucked in a breath and calmed his racing mind, focusing on the next words of the General... and then Phoebe's answer. He smiled slightly at her words. <Atta girl.> He thought, feeling pleased that she could stand up for herself. If she didn't want to go on the ride, she shouldn't be forced to. Plus, it would save him from having to decide whether or not to do something REALLY stupid. Apparently, when it came to her, he lost all trains of thought. He could see that she was still uncomfortable with the situation, and that worried him, but he trusted that she could hold her own. She had done so all these years without his help, so she could continue doing so. That didn't stop the urge to run out there and give Atius a piece of his mind, but it did quell it... which was a good thing. If he did that, he'd be as good as done for.

His eyes shimmered with amusement as she successfully told Atius off- honestly, ANYONE would rather be in their room than near them. The guy was a disease. However, he stayed silent and shrunk a little further back into the shadows as to not be seen. He still watched the interaction, glad when the two seemed to be moving on... sad when he knew it was towards where he stood. He melted into the shadows and silently walked back to the bucket, picking it up and pouring it in a horse's stall. One more, three done. Hopefully he could do this particular one rather quickly, as the last thing he wanted was a chat with the two most arrogant men in the kingdom, on top of everything else. He went to the spigot outside and filled the last bucket, walking it back to the horse and pouring it in. He heard the very last thing Phoebe uttered, which brought another small smirk to his face... she didn't lack spunk around Atius, it seemed. Which was quite a good thing. He narrowed his eyes at a horse that had eaten their hay incredibly quickly. "How dare you." He mumbled under his breath, hurrying- which, to him, just meant not walking at a leisurely pace- to fetch the horse another flake of hay. It seemed whatever he did, there would always be more to do. Quite bothersome... usually, he wouldn't mind, as he liked spending time in the barn, but at the moment, he wanted out. Quickly.

Edited at November 24, 2024 02:24 PM by Wild West Warmbloods

November 24, 2024 02:31 PM

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(Done <3)

November 24, 2024 03:22 PM

Posts: 659
#1259456
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Phoebe Nightlingale

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Phoebe continued to follow after her father and the general, noticing the familiar vignette of Rhys tending to his tasks. Unfortunately, it would seem she had not stalled and dallied the men for long enough, yet she had a plan of sorts. As they grew closer, she quickened her pace to get in front of the duo, turning on her heel so she was facing them. She figured this would be the best way to direct their attnetion onto her and not the working Rhys, yet she also knew it was possible for Atius to notice what she was doing; he had the uncanny ability to know what she was thinking, somehow. Atius and her father, surely enough, looked over at her as they passed by where Rhys currently was; she had succeeded.. for now.

``Do you know who you`re riding?`` Phoebe inquired in her typical, gentle voice as she glanced between the two men, already knowing the answer but asking regardless. She knew what she was doing for Rhys` sake was not like her, but she wanted to repay how kind and understanding he had been lately. She knew that dealing with these two was the last thing he wanted, so she was going to try her best to delay it or prevent it from happening. Walking backwards was not her strong suit and it was painfully clear in the way she tripped occasionally, causing Atius to try and help her every now and then. Of course, his efforts were met with a cold glare and a look of distaste; it would seem he still didn`t truly understand the message she was trying to get into his thick skull.

``I brought my horse,`` Atius responded eventually as he glanced towards the last few stalls in the barn. Whenever royals or soldiers visited, there were always spare stalls for them, but that also meant more work for the servants.. until recently. Phoebe had made it her responsibility to take care of them, giving her father the reasoning of simply wanting to be around the animals. Plus, some of the soldiers were nice enough to stick around and chat, telling her stories that weren`t as gruesome as the ones Atius told her. When they reached the far end of the barn, the trio stopped and Phoebe found herself looking up at Atius` horse.

The stallion that belonged to Atius was downright terrifying, in her opinion. He was taller than seventeen hands and always had this glimmer in his eyes; it was the type of glimmer that told you he would much rather be out and about in the middle of a battlefield. Although she was uncertain regarding what breed he was, she knew he had to at least have thoroughbred genes in him; he was fast, incredibly fast. Plus, her father and mother had the habit of buying known, prestigious horses` progeny. Phoebe was not surprised that Atius got along well with this monster of a horse, especially since they seemed to share the exact same personality.

Phoebe remained where she was beside Atius` horse`s stall, glancing to and fro between her father and the general as they groomed their horses and prepared to set out. She had her own horse somewhere in this barn, but had not visited it recently; the animal had a special place in her heart, but it was also old. After all, she had owned it ever since she was about five years old, meaning it was past the age of retirement at this point. Was it still eager to be ridden? Yes, but she did not want to risk anything. Her gaze and attention gradually shifted onto the opposite side of the barn since she wanted to see what Rhys was up to. Of course, she was trying her best to be subtle, but Atius seemed to have noticed her behavior.

(I`ll be afk a ton today, just to let you know, </3)

Edited at November 24, 2024 03:22 PM by Imperial Warmbloods

November 24, 2024 10:59 PM

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Rhys tensed slightly as footsteps entered the barn, his gaze flitting up to see the king, General Atius, and Phoebe trailing behind.. they had arrived. He tossed the hay flake in, ducking back into the loft to grab the last one. He knew she was purposefully stalling them now, and he would not waste her kindness. He was almost unnoticeable as he slipped into the last stall and dropped the hay, then closed the latch and disappeared out a side door. He did not want to be caught inside the barn, even though he was doing their work, and Phoebe had helped him with that... he was thankful for that. He found a small path and weaved away from the barns, knowing that if he stuck around, it could mean trouble. He was, of course, worried about her, but there was nothing he could do. He was defenseless against any of the royals, and he knew his place. He brushed against a tree and turned a corner, grabbing a couple of the tools. As he straightened, he tightened his jaw, the throbbing pain in his shoulder increasing. He ignored it, walking to the supply shed and replacing everything. He then locked it up, per usual, and strode towards the door near the servant quarters. He'd be safe after a little longer, and rest was soon awaiting.

Rhys entered the door and was quickly back inside his own quarters, breathing in the familiar scent of wood, pine sap, water, the outdoors.. his clothing always smelled of the outdoors when he came back, so his place had started smelling the same. He beelined to the small kitchen, taking out his med kit and sucking in a breath. After a moment, he pulled off his shirt, revealing that the wound had soaked through and the white gauze was stained red. He peeled it off with a wince. The wound was bloody and a bit ugly underneath, but thankfully, the stitches had held the best he could've expected. He stood from the stool he had sat on and headed to the shower, stripping off the rest of his clothes and stepping into the cold water. He liked to take cold showers, unless he wanted to relax.. which he didn't. He was in there for a mere 10 minutes before getting back out, wound washed, sweat gone, dirt vanished. He quickly pulled on a cleaner pair of jeans and headed back to the kitchen, rubbing a towel over his hair with one hand to keep it from dripping all over.

Rhys took clean, fresh gauze and placed it over his wound, wrapping more around his shoulder to keep everything together. He then pulled on a clean t-shirt, running a hand through his now damp hair, glancing out the window to see outside. It was already getting dark, which meant it was around 8... he rubbed the back of his neck and contemplated what to do, knowing he should be resting, but feeling ... tired and restless at the same time. He wanted to go lay in a boat or take a walk, not be in here.

November 24, 2024 11:24 PM

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Phoebe Nightlingale

⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊☽ ◯ ☾₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆

It was not too long before her father and General Atius had finished grooming and tacking up their horses. She could have simply left the moment they were mounting outside of the barn, but she remained with them out of mere courtesy; it was rather rude to leave without a word of goodbye or farewell, even if it was to someone like Atius. Phoebe observed Atius carefully as he guided his highstrung steed, holding the reins rather tightly. She found it amusing that even he thought his own horse was crazy enough to bolt off despite his years of training and reduntant commands. It was becoming clear to her that the general and her father were in a rush to leave, presumably due to the approaching late hours, but Atius seemed to have other plans.

``Princess,`` his voice, the one that made her want to recoil and recede backwards, sounded from beside her, causing her to raise a brow. He was eyeing her and it was obvious, that same, threatening glimmer in his eyes if she were to ignore him; she hated how he could reduce her to an internal mess- not the good kind- and sometimes even managed to eradicate her rebellious behavior towards him. Hesitantly, Phoebe shifted closer to him so he could say what he had to say, but was instead met with an incredibly swift action that she nearly failed to process it. He outstretched his free hand to pull her into an embrace-like gesture, lowering his head towards hers in order for his lips to linger against her ear. ``I`ll see you later and, to get straight to the point, I am fucking done with this attitude of yours.``

In other circumstances, she would have deemed it a mere bluff or something to prevent her from sleeping, but that glint in his eyes was unmistakable: he was more than done with how she had been acting with him. She was far too shocked to response, so she remained where she was. Atius retreated and nudged his horse a few feet away before mounting him with practiced grace, casting a final glare at her before trotting off. Her father had watched the entire scene unfold, yet he had not intervened nor seemed to plan on doing so. She watched as her father simply nodded curtly in a non-verbal farewell before following after Atius on his own horse. Never in her entire life had she felt as shocked and bewildered as she was now. The one thing that terrified her was the fact that no one could nor would ever stand up to Atius and they both knew it; he could and would get his way, regardless.

With a heavy sigh and fear overwhelming every part of her body, she turned away from where they had departed and headed back into the castle. There was no way she was going to sleep after that, so she decided to do what she did nearly every night: walk until her legs grew tired before collapsing on the nearest couch or chair. Truth be told, she had never really thought she would ever feel the familiar fear and uncertainty that had plagued her soul during the accident ever again, but it would seem Atius and his threat had been enough for it to resurface. Although it had, albeit briefly, when she had seen the bloody scene from the night before, it did not compare to what she was feeling now.

She knew she could probably go to Morana and ask for her advice, but she knew better than to do so; her aunt would definitely tell her father and then he would probably call her fear childish. That was the thing about most male royals and nobles: they did not understand what females felt on a daily basis. The constant fear of what could happen with a man they did or did not know in solitude.. Threats did not help with this fear, instead fueling it and even adding on parnoia that could rival practically everything.

November 25, 2024 09:22 AM

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Rhys paced back and forth in his room for a little while, trying to decide between what he wanted to do and what he should do, before he finally decided that going for a walk wouldn't hurt him, as long as he didn't go far. The two most dangerous men were now out of the castle, so he would be mildly safe to just wander around in the gardens. If he needed, he could.. pretend he was working.

He slowly walked out of the castle and around the side of it, glancing up at the sky and quickly changing plans.. the sun was setting, and it would be nice to see it. He found a low roof of the castle and a ladder that usually were around most of the outside, then swung on up. After that, he navigated to a tower, and soon, he had a view over all the trees and the entire gardens and sky. It was honestly beautiful, and he deemed it worth the slight pain to get up here. He leaned against the concrete of the tower and focused his gaze on the amazing artwork in the sky. The orange of the sun mixed with yellow faded to reds and pinks which slowly faded to blues which slowly faded to a darker blue all the way on the other side of the sky. Like one big piece of artwork, stretched across a never ending canvas. He smiled slightly as he watched the sun blaze lower to the trees, everything slowly growing darker as it slowly disappeared. A beautiful sight, fit for a king, no humor intended with the bad pun.

Rhys stayed there till shadows started to rein over the earth, then he made his way back down to the ground. That was very much worth the wait. His mind almost immediately wandered to Phoebe.. had she ended up being convinced to go on the ride? Had she stayed after he left or had she left as well? He was honestly worried about her, especially with Atius within 100 miles of the castle. That man was dangerous, and Rhys knew it. The kind that used their power to get what they wanted. He could only hope that she had enough power to withstand... but he had a feeling that she didn't. Which worried him more, as no one but the king could, and he had seen how THEY had reacted to Atius touching her. Nothing. Nada. Zip. If anything, they looked amused about the conversation. Rhys would think that a FATHER would care more about their own daughter, but apparently not. That thought caused the same dark feeling to bloom in his stomach, and this time, he tried to decipher it. What he found was not what he wanted to find. Deep down, he knew what the feeling was.. in its kindest term... protectiveness. He sighed lowly and pinched the bridge of his nose, turning back towards the castle. He didn't need to be worrying about these things at the moment. What he needed was rest and sleep and possibly some food, depending on what he felt energetic enough to whip up. He had a feeling his energy levels would just about end at making two ingredient cereal.

As Rhys turned a corner in the castle, he almost bumped into Phoebe, having been so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't hear her footsteps. He immediately stepped back. "I apologize, princes- what's wrong?" It took approximately 2 seconds for him to see the fear and concern and anxiety written all over her face and body posture, but in enormous amounts, like she had just almost gotten assassinated again. Concern overwhelmed any other sense he had, and he quickly brought his gaze from surveying her to meeting hers, his dark eyes searching her expression. His question had been clear enough, but he didn't know if she would answer it or not. Its not like they had formulated years of trust over two days of truce. However, he couldn't help wishing and hoping she answered... and if she didn't, he'd have to ask again. An ache had already bloomed in his chest from seeing the pain and fear in her eyes, and it made him want to pummel whoever instilled it. Very. Painfully. Possibly with some daggers, maybe a gun, definitely a torture device or two. Whoever even thought about hurting Phoebe should be deemed a horrible person and sent straight to the bowels of hell, in his opinion. He was honestly surprised at himself for the quick rush of thoughts, but he blamed it on the newfound dark feeling- the protectiveness, as he had figured out.

November 25, 2024 09:50 AM