Horse Eden : KirraleeXDaisy Oaks(Private Rp)

February 19, 2022 09:04 AM

Posts: 367
#967106
Give Award

Freyja sent for Ronwyn as soon as the Prince left her. Bouncing from place to place, she managed to write down orders for enough high necked dresses for a whole week and then changed into trousers and loose shirt. She was just yanking on her boots when the broad shouldered male walked in with a devious grin. "Princess is anxious, is she?"

The redhead rolled her eyes and removed a trunk from under the bed. Getting through the three locks, she lifted the top and removed the heavy covering to grab one of her swords. She only had two, and she opted for the smaller one for tonight. Although just by looking in the trunk you could see the two swords and an array of daggers neatly in sheaths at the top. With all of this one could only assume the princess favorite were either throwing knives of the longsword. In reality, she prefers the sicle, but she did not like practicing with actual beings with it. She always gets a bit rough with the dummies.

"No, I'm tense. There's a difference, Ronwyn. Anxious either means scared or excited. Either way, you feel like you're going to puke. I just feel... strange." She said, furrowing her brow. She didn't know how to explain it but the entire walk back to her room she just wanted to bolt in here and lock the door and proceed to just go mad. And it wasn't even the prince. "Come on then, I've been meaning to hand you your arse on a platter since we arrived. It's been too long." She gave a sly smirk, but she had to make a surprisingly hard effort to just... not glare at everyone she passed in the halls. They decided to go further away from the castle, closer to the trees in case they needed to bolt and Freyja didn't like to be watched while she was practicing.

They started off with some stretching and warm ups. The simpler movements that every newbie was taught. Repetition is what brings on the muscle memory. Ronwyn could probably do this in his sleep. Freyja was just beginning to realize just how out of shape she was. It had only been a week or so and she could already feel her muscles starting to protest. This caused Ronwyn to grin, "Having trouble princess?" He grinned. Of course he had been put here everyday doing his routine. Of course he had. She had been running around playing pretty princess. Instead of wasting breath on words, she just rolled her eyes and continued to focus on her movements.

When they finally ditched the practice routines and started to make contact with eachothers blades it started to feel more natural than before. Even after all those lessons on being a lady. How to protect yourself without become too very masculine. Even if her mate was a female, Freyja would have been married off eventually. Cassian had to have known that. Her father would have prolonged his acceptance until Cass either lost interest or she had bee married off. The latter this time. These thoughts were what she came out here to ignore. Futuristic ones that involved anything but vampires and becoming Queen. Might as well make the most of it.

Ronwyn paused the spar ten minutes in. Calling for a water break because Hydration is very important. He handed her one of the flasks of water and reminded her small sips. So she took a swig and swallowed in bits. "Only a few more minutes. Maybe twenty to thirty ish. Taeya will kill me if you don't sleep tonight or if you're too tired to get up tomorrow. She said that you've got too many business meetings and decisions to make to be tired with bags under your eyes," Ronwyn said with an eye roll. He was one that believed Swordplay was a type of meditation.

Freyja nodded, "I might as well make use of this time then, huh."

With a nod, they were back at it again. No more drink breaks until they were finished. Both drenched in sweat and Freyja deemed the victor two out of three matches. She felt absolutely disgusting yet she was still pretty calm than she'd been in a long time. They didn't even bother to hide when they were coming in, grinning and laughing all the way to the kitchens for a snack before heading up. Cook fixed them up with a plate of cookies and two glasses of milk and then some sort of bread and jam. Muttering about the gods awful stench they brought to the kitchen.

The two headed to her room and caught up with eachother. Ronwyn told her he had explored what was permitted of the palace and Freyja told him about the fittings. Soon, the cookies, bread, and even all the jam were gone. They downed what was left in their glasses and Ronwyn offered to take them back down. And after their farewells, she ran herself a bath.

Edited at February 19, 2022 09:37 AM by Daisy Oaks

February 20, 2022 04:00 AM

Posts: 0
#967308
Give Award

Keenan

Why did getting everything that he wanted feel so wrong? Keenan couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong, no matter how hard he tried. He wanted to be with Aleks but once he was king, there would be many more variables to consider. He would have a court of people depending on him, oh and the fact that hey were planning for him to be the one to finally end the king. It was a lot of pressure; Claude would help of course but the final blow would be dealt by him. In secret of course, they did not need any rumours circulating at the start of his rule.

Monty waltzed across the training ground as they began picking sparring partners. “You look like you could do with blowing off some serious steam Kee, how about you and me?” he asked offering Keenan a sword, “Before you accidentally send some of the new recruits to the infirmary,” Monty added raising an eyebrow.

Keenan took the sword, he was hoping to get some practise in before sparring Monty but it looked he had other plans. Keenan rolled his shoulders as they walked across the grass to a free spot. There were a few raised eye brows and the occasion staring vampire, mostly because they knew this was going to be one to watch. The two men circled each other, “Go easy on me, I have trained for a whole week,” Keenan said.

“Go easy on you?” Monty laughed, “As if, one week might be enough for me to finally get one over you.”

Keenan shook his head, “Doubt it, your guard is pretty terrible, you let me get stabbed.”

Monty rolled his eyes, “You got yourself stabbed, thank you. That means you have pretty terrible reactions if you ask me.”

Keenan just chuckled, “Enough talking, lets get this over with.”

It was like a switch flipped in both their heads. Gone were the sunny friendly expressions, replaced with looks of sheer determination. Monty moved first, as always. Keenan wasn’t surprised and he was ready. They moved in tandem, very used to each other’s style and skill. Keenan caught a glimpse of Freyja.

She was surprisingly good. They were fighting with real blades, what if one of the Fae got cut? Would the younger vampires be able to control themselves? Would someone be able to stop them? Most importantly, why did he care so much? This was going to destroy him if he wasn’t careful. Perhaps his father was right, he was weak. This just highlighted the issue.

Keenan was snapped out of it as Monty knocked the sword out of his hand and sent him flying with a kick to the ribs. Keenan hissed, that hurt. Monty’s face melted from one of triumph to one of concern. “Sorry Keenan, I didn’t realise I kicked you that hard. Are you okay?” he offered Keenan his hand.

Keenan stood, trying not to wince, “Fine,” he said through gritted teeth.

“Are you sure? You seem distracted?” Monty said gently, returning the swords to the rack.

“I just need to get some fresh air. Clear my head a bit.”

_____________________________________________________

Monty

Keenan was acting weird; he hadn’t been like this since… well ever. He ran his fingers through his short brown hair. It was tempting to go after Keenan but he seemed upset. Over what, he wasn’t sure but for Keenan to be acting like this, it had to be something serious.

Perhaps it had something to do with his meeting with the king? Monty had only ever seen Keenan that shaken once before. Then it was after he had been branded a blood traitor and whipped. Monty had only ever seen Keenan genuinely fear for his life twice. The day the king locked the doors to Keenan’s cell and didn’t return until six weeks later, Keenan had believed he would die there, hell they all did and now. Keenan seemed genuinely afraid of what the king would do to him if he caught him with Aleks again.

Monty sighed as he walked back into the castle, as much as he wanted to just collapse into bed, the king had asked him to investigate Cassian leaving as he had left all his things behind.

Immediately something felt off as he opened the door to Cassian’s room. It was meticulous as if Cassian’s visit was something more than just rekindling his friendship with Freyja. Monty opened one crate and frowned when he discovered another that was locked. Whatever Cassian had hidden in there was not meant for someone else to see.

He called the guards in, “Take the locked case up to my quarters.”

There he could work on picking the lock and seeing if Cassian really was hiding anything or if he was being too suspicious.

_____________________________________________________

Keenan

The forest was surprisingly busy, full of wildlife, but it offered him some privacy. He was never truly free and as the prince he was expected to have someone with him at all times. He knew he was bad for leaving unannounced but sometime he just needed to be alone away from the court.

He looked up at the moon. As much as he didn’t want to go back but he had to. He really didn’t want to get married. To say he was getting cold feet would be an understatement. Things needed to change; he knew that. He just wasn’t sure if he was ready for it. It wasn’t the kind of change he was expecting. In all honesty, he had expected to rule alone. He hadn’t expected to feel so strongly for Aleks, so much so that he was wishing that it was him he was marrying . Freja, she was far nicer than he was expecting. Far less strange than the other members of her species he had met. That didn’t make it any easier. She wasn’t a vampire and that would make it difficult when she was to become queen. It was yet another person he had to protect. Sometimes he wished he could go back to not caring.

He slipped back into the castle unnoticed. He ordered servants to draw him a bath ready for when he actually made I back to his room. He spent forever scrubbing himself in the scalding hot as if that would fix his problems. It was one thing he could control and that’s what he needed when it felt like his life was so out of control.

Edited at February 20, 2022 04:01 AM by Kirralee

February 20, 2022 08:49 PM

Posts: 367
#967485
Give Award

Freyja scrubbed herself until she felt numb. One full set of twenty four hours before she was married. She sat up and hugged her knees, Water splashing out of the tub as she did so. With movements that were not her own. She got out of the tub and dried herself off. Throwing on her robe over the thin night gown she always wore, she tied her hair up in a knot and slipped her feet into her slippers. With three strides she was out in the hallway and speed walking towards Cassians room.

She tried to remember the directions he had once tried to give her. It had been only a few days since she just cried for hours with him. So she tried her best to recall the directions. She was a bit surprised to find that the room was open and being looked through. Either way, she gave a shy smile as she saw Montague.

She tilted her head, crossing her arms, "Monty, what are you doing in here?" She asked, trying to keep her voice even as her gut started to sink again. Had Keenan told him? Already? The princess tucked that away to remember for later. She needed to stop trusting him so willingly. Boundaries. If Boundaries had been set, Cassian would here and Monty wouldn't be noisily poking around his room. The princess needed to silently remind herself to breathe. And to relax. By the God's she was tense.

"Cass hasn't been officially reported as missing, has he? It would be bad for the wedding if so. I may not want to marry him but I still want my one day to go as smoothly as possible," She said calmly, bringing her hands to clasp in front of herself. "And I'm not the only one who needs this wedding to go perfectly, am I? So, kindly. Please return to your quarters. I'm sure this situation may be handled by my brother and his crew of little banshees." Freyja smiled as sweetly as she could muster at the moment. She hadn't expected anyone to be in here. She wanted privacy in this place. Not...Montague, the little sidekick to her fiancé.

She walked over to his nightstand and grabbed the small box on top that she knew contained Cassians favorite dagger, two silver rings, and the first flower she ever gave him. A little clover that was now all dried up and nearly hard as a rock. Brittle.

She held up the deep blue case and smiled, nodding. "Got what I came for. Good evening, Montague." She said, not waiting for his response as she gracefully left with her head held high. Her mind currently scrambled by the events of the day didn't really care if he found her actions to be suspicious or not.

Once she turned the corner though, she didn't stop running until she was in her room with the door shut firmly behind her. Flicking the lock, she jumped into her bed and sat cross legged, opening the blue case. While the dagger was safely in place with little leather clasps. There was a key and the flower was completely in tatters. Because of that bloody key. She nearly picked it up and chucked it across the room but curiosity kept her from doing such a thing. Instead, she pocketed the iron thing in her top drawer of her nightstand. She'd move it before the wedding. Perhaps while she packed.

Slowly, she put the cases on the stand and curled up in her bed and stared at the ceiling. This was impossible. Storybook nonsense. This was insane. Crazy. Absolutely ridiculous. She wanted to sleep. To never wake up. The princess spread her arms out and kicked the blankets off of her legs with a yelp of frustration. Two nights to get rid of her eyebags and yet a dead man was plaguing her thoughts. The weight was on her chest and if she focused a bit more, she could even see Cass smiling in the paint swirls above her. Of course, that was through blurred vision and wheezing to add to it. She would have to use more cosmetics than she thought for the wedding.

Edited at February 20, 2022 10:27 PM by Daisy Oaks

February 21, 2022 03:27 PM

Posts: 0
#967639
Give Award

Montague

Monty lifted his chin when the princess ordered him to return to his chambers. "I hate to break it you princess, but I do not answer to you. I have my orders and I intend to follow them,” he said firmly.

He folded his arms across his chest, “Keenan may need the wedding to go well princess but if you threaten the wrong person, then you may not make it the wedding yourself. It wouldn’t be Keenan’s fault if you happened to disappear just like Cassian did, a scared little fae princess, runs away from the big bad vampire monsters, never to be seen or heard from again,” he stepped closer to her, “doesn’t that sound like a truly convincing story? An awful coincidence but, things happen,” he shrugged and turned around.

He wasn’t there to take orders from a spoiled fae princess, even if she did the occasional thing that made her almost half way okay. She was still so used to getting exactly what she wanted and she would struggle here when people started saying no. He didn’t see what Claude saw in the girl. Sure she wasn’t the demon that Aleksander made her out to be but she was still far from tolerable. He did not think her brother, that insufferable Faustin would be useful in an investigation at all. She was acting far too strangely for it to just be nothing.

He frowned as she picked up a blue case, something he hadn’t noticed before, “If I didn’t make myself clear earlier, I do have the power to make you disappear if I have any reason at all to suspect that you may harm the throne and Keenan.”

Monty sighed as he continued looking through Cassian’s things. He was more curious about the locked case that had been sent to his room. He sent the guards out and locked the door to Cassian’s room behind him to keep the meddling fae out of an active crime scene.

Monty hurried up to his room, eager to see what was hidden in the crate. He pulled out his set of lock picking tools and got to work. These fae locks were far more complex than he was expecting.

________________________________

Keenan

It took Keenan far longer than he would have liked to fall asleep. The wedding was the last thing he wanted, yet it was the main thing plaguing his conscience.

Waking up the following morning did not help. if anything, he felt worse. In less than 24 hours he would be getting married. The thought of that was enough to make him want to vomit. He wasn't sure he could keep breakfast down and he really did not want to be surrounded by the whole wedding talk. He leaned out the door and sent a guard off as a messenger, telling them that he would not be attending breakfast as he felt unwell.

He sat on the loveseat with a book in hand, hoping to lose himself in the story. It really didn't help when the servant brought him a bucket for if he was actually going to vomit. He sipped at blood that was brought in, hopig that he could keep just a little bit down.

There was a knock at the door and Keenan caught scent of who it was. Aleks. He was the last person he wanted to see right now. The thought of that was enough to send him over the edge. Keenan hunched over the bucket and actually vomited. He wiped his mouth and invited Aleks in, simultaneously handing the bucket to a servant.

"You look like hell Keenan. Monty said you were acting strange last night and then the servant said you were ill... I was worried, and rightly so," Aleks said gently sitting next to Keenan, he brushed the hair back out of Keenan sweat drenched face.

"I can't do this. Aleks, I'm trapped and I am a useless prince," he whimpered softly, "and I don't want to lose you."

He couldn't go ahead with the wedding, he was scared of what the future meant for him. Freyja would want children eventually and if they weren't his, rumours would spread. Let alone the rumours that would spread before then. Aleks' reputation would be tarnished forever.

"I can't tell you what will happen once you marry Freyja but I can tell you that I'm not going anywhere Keenan. The rest we can figure out later. Monarchs don't have to be permanent. I promise we will figure something out," Aleks said gently.

Keenan rested his head on Aleks' shoulder, "I'm just worried that everything is going to change and not in a good way."

Aleks gently ran his fingers through Keenan's hair, "look, no matter what happens, I will be with you as Claude and Monty. They've stuck with you before and they'll do it again. Now," Aleks said, standing up and giving Keenan a kiss on the forehead, "you need to feed otherwise tomorrow will be even worse, but first, let's get you a bit more up together for the day."

Aleks went through Keenan's clothes and tossed him an outfit to change into. Keenan blushed as Aleks carefully brushed his hair and out it in a low ponytail. Once he was dressed, Aleks poured them both a glass of blood. "Try not to over think it. Just sip as we talk."

That was far easier said than done. What if the King suspected they had been intimate before the wedding. They would both be executed without a second thought. Aleks raised an eyebrow, sensing that something was off, "tell me what you're thinking about," he said gently.

Keenan shook his head, "no. I've done a lot of talking. I want to know how you really feel about this whole wedding thing."

Aleks nodded and remained silent for a moment, contemplating his next words, "It's complicated. I am slightly jealous as I wish it were us getting married tomorrow. Knowing that it was a marriage in name only helped. I promise I'm not going to abandon you because your father is forcing you to marry a fae princess."

Edited at February 22, 2022 04:45 AM by Kirralee

February 22, 2022 03:18 PM

Posts: 367
#967884
Give Award

Freyja awoke with the overwhelming sense of dread coating her like a thick honey. Her throat felt clogged and even her joins protested as she sat up. Taeya came in shortly after, running about to prepare the princess for her day. Unfortunately, the princess was not in the mood for getting up. Twenty four hours was all she had left as her own person without binding contracts. Freyja's face twisted at the thought. And then she felt guilty about not following through and her shoulders slumped. So, naturally, she pushed the teapot and cups off of her nightstand and watched the china shatter into bits before she got up and walked towards the bathing room.

Taeya came running out, stopping the princess to check for any damages on her body only to find the princess was unharmed. Just...distant. No words were spoken between them as Taeya cleaned the glass and Freyja freshened herself up for the day. Nothing as Freyja slipped into the palest pink dress that hardly hit her ankles and the only accents were cream colored or sky blue. The wine colored curls were yanked back into a braid and small pearls were placed on her ears and around her neck. Calm as a cucumber, Freyja stepped into the hallway. On edge, the fae had slipped the case in a hidden pocket fold of her dress. She had a thought to go and speak to Keenan, but in all reality. That was the last thing she wanted to do. Plus, it reeked of Aleksander.

Instead, she found Ronwyn and used him as her escort as she roamed the halls, trying to seem as if she was off to do something of importance so no one stopped her and told her to go elsewhere. And her mouth never once opened.

Ronwyn was not similar to her. The male was of high spirits, going on and on about the guard and what tunics they were to wear. How everything was perfectly planned out. How hard the staff had been working. She didn't bother to tell him it was all for naught. The two engaged were friends. Were. She needed to find out why Montague had been going through Cassian things. Those thoughts had plagued her and now were pushing to the top of her mind, making their own way through the other thoughts crammed in there.

It had made her tense. Tense and angry. And that weasel had the audacity to threaten her with with disappearing as if she was a mere commoner and was a nothing. Nothing. She had been mistreated in life, yes. But never threatened or treated as if she were nothing but... dust. As Cassian was now. But, ugh. The nerve. Aleks and Monty, she had decided, were definitely part of what the storybooks they had were written on.

"Princess, you've seemed tense this entire walk. And you've avoided eye contact with everyone, including me." Ronwyn stopped beside her, eyebrows furrowed with concern. "Are you alright, highness?" He asked delicately. As if she were a porcelain doll. She much preferred that to literal dirt.

"No, Ronwyn. But I will be. Must be the nerves," She finally choked out with a small smile on her face. Nerves. Yes, but not for the wedding. No. She could feel Montague already beginning to plot against her and something told her that Keenan was with Aleks, have the same issues in a different form. She felt like shattering the walls of the castle. Maybe she should have. It'd be an official declaration of war and they would be at it again for another century or so. And she'd- they both would be free. But that's not really how it would work. There was always The orcs in the north. The thought made her shudder.

"Ronwyn. I'd like you to listen very carefully. I know these vampires make you uncomfortable. I know that as soon as we return from the tour, you're returning to Sylvia to stay. You will write, but you won't visit me or Taeya. And I know Taeya is thinking about leaving too. You've both been silent around me. If you're ever around. It speaks louder than anything else. I'm going to request that you both stay with me for at least the first month. Until I have good enough standing. I refuse to be left alone. Recent events have lead me to believe that the prince has let some things slip to his circle, which I won't hold against him. But it will put a large gap if it's true." She said, meeting his eyes finally. Where his were soft and concerned, hers were stern and ablaze. The golden irises like liquid hellfire. "And I would also like you to know that I will not be in relations with Keenan. Ever. Not even when the time comes for heirs."

"Freyja, your reputation could be ruined if someone heard that. You know, right?"

She nodded. "Yes. Now we must go and pay our respects to the ancestors. Quickly now, so I make it back in time for lunch." The princess grinned and started moving once more. Nothing more than dust. One vampire's action had made her want to become violent. So, might as well go and pray that the next days passed quickly.

Edited at February 22, 2022 04:07 PM by Daisy Oaks

February 24, 2022 12:05 AM

Posts: 0
#968334
Give Award

Monty burst through the doors into Keenan’s room, out of breath. Keenan and Aleks slid to opposite ends of the seat, both flushed bright red. “Learn to knock,” Keenan scolded.

It’s not like they had been doing anything per se but what if they had been? The thought was enough to make him go an even deeper shade of red. He was terrified of being caught again, hell he knew that this innocent meeting would be enough for his father to carry out his promise and have him executed. Having Monty around would at least weaken the scent.

Aleks sighed and crossed his legs, “Yes Montague? Is there a reason for this disruption?”

Monty rolled his eyes dramatically, “Actually there is. Keenan, do you remember mentioning your suspicions about Cassian’s disappearance?”

Keenan did remember, that was before he knew what Freyja told him but, he was still curious, especially if she was as powerful as she made out. Instead of gushing about all of that, he simply nodded.

“Right, well I continued my investigations as ordered and I found some interesting information. Cassian kept a journal, several to be exact. Claude is analysing them now. I was actually coming to get you so we could all discuss it in the office.”

Keenan nodded, “give us ten minutes and then we will be up,” he said, all but chasing Monty from his chambers.

He turned to face Aleks, “I do not have any privacy,’ he said with laugh, “slightly embarrassing.”

Aleks smiled as he walked across the room, he gently kissed Keenan before pulling away, “Why? There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, although I guess it is a little awkward considering it is the eve of your wedding. In the future, perhaps secret meeting should be held in my quarters?” he gently squeezed Keenan’s hand, “Although I will still come in here if I think you’re having a breakdown.”

Keenan rolled his eyes as he stepped out into the hall. He looked around for prying eyes before Aleks followed behind. Walking to Claude’s office was awkward. He knew he smelt like Aleks but he was hoping the meeting with Monty helped dilute the scent slightly. It took what little self control he had left to stop him turning back to look at Aleks.

He was grateful for the refuge of Claude's office, she frowned as soon as he walked in, "maybe we shouldn't do this now. You look like you haven't slept at all Kee."

Keenan sighed, "No, we might as well deal with this now before rumours spread of me being jealous of her relationship of Cassian. "

He took a seat and clasped his hands in his lap, Aleks stood behind him, Claude was seated opposite with Monty stood looking over her shoulder. Claude produced a very worn journal, "I haven't done more than skimmed it. It does detail what the power is of some mysterious character that he refers to as rosebud."

"Freyja," Monty says firmly.

Claude sighed, "We don't know that yet. Let me study it more before we jump to-"

"Of course we do," Monty said interrupting, "It's obvious. I bet the girl killed Cassian as well. He came too close to knowing the truth and I guarantee she killed him," at the mention of her killing Cassian, Keenan stiffened.

"Nonsense, it seemed like he loved her, did you even read the same journal as me?" she said glaring at Monty, she looked Keenan up and down squinting, "You know something, don't you Kee?"

Monty ignored Claude completely, "Even if he did love her, I still think she killed him. I bet she would kill Keenan the second that she was made queen."

Keenan frowned. He knew Freyja wanted power, would she really stoop to that level. Would she kill him to try and rule alone? It wouldn't last but she wasn't to know that. Hell how well did he really know her? Had she been lying to them this whole time?

Aleks cleared his throat, "Do the journals say anything about her killing anyone else? It could be a one time surge of power."

Monty seemed to be enjoying this too much, "She killed a whole staff and didn't even remember it. I'm telling you, she's dangerous. She's a murderer."

Claude slammed the book down on the table, "Enough. The poor girl isn't even here to defend herself. And we are all murderers here if you want to think like that. Other than Aleks we all fought in the last war. Have you counted how many fae you killed during the war alone? Can you remember every single day of the last century long war? Hell Keenan even killed his own brother. Aleks you are not innocent either. Far more civilised now but you were feral when we met you."

All of the men flinched when she pointed that out. Of course Keenan couldn't remember every single fae life he had taken. He couldn't remember that let alone the amount of humans he had killed and then there was his brother.

Aleks recovered first, "Then I will go and get her and she can defend herself."

Monty nodded, "Use force if necessary."

_____________________________________________________

Aleksander

Aleks walked down to the princess' quarters. He knocked a few times before realiing she wasn't there. This was going to be fun. Monty was the fighter, Keenan was the prince, Claude was the strategist but he was the tracker. He stayed in the room long enough to pick up her scent.

He tracked outside of the grounds to the cathedral. He cursed. He didn't know if Vampires could cross the threshold but he wasn't brave enough to try. He caught the attention of a human and handed them a letter.

Your royal highness Princess Freyja.

The crown prince has requested an audience with you in Lady Claude's study. You are required to attend or Lord Aleksander has the authority to bring you in using any methods he deems necessary.

_____________________________________________________

Keenan

This meeting was not going to go well but Claude was right, it was unfair to debate Freyja's fate without allowing her to defend herself. He owed her that much at least. He still hadn't told them that she had confessed to the murder of Cassian. Monty, ever the conspiracy theorist, had come to that conclusion himself. Claude was skeptical but he could tell the journal had unsettled her.

While Aleks was gone, they had rearranged the furniture. His idea, he didn't want to be sat behind a desk while the discussed this. Chairs implied that it was more casual than it actually was. It was going to be an interrogation if they weren't careful. Monty wanted information. If Keenan was being honest, they all wanted the truth. At the end of the day, he was the crown prince and his people should come first.

The waiting was killer. "My condolences for the wedding by the way," Monty said, "I know it's too late to cancel but if Freyja turns out ot be a crazed maniac divorce is an option and you would have a valid reason. Or we could just make her disappear once we get bck from the tour. We couldn't do it too close to the king's death as it would raise suspicions but," Monty shrugged.

Claude snarled, "Two things Monty. The point of a secret plan is to not discuss it when we are expecting company outside of Keenan's inner circle. Unless you want to be executed for treason? Two, we don't know if there is any truth to any of this. She is innocent until proved guilty."

Claude's reaction was surprising. The two had grown close from their lessons together but he hadn't realised how much of a mentor Claude saw herself as. Claude had saved him from doing really foolish things on numerous occasion, as a result, he really valued her opinion. "I know we are murderers by design, but Monty, Claude is right. We have laws and we should follow them," It killed him to lie to them, hell why was he lying to them for her. He desperately wanted to tell them. "Actually, she did tell me something about her meeting with Cassian..." He said softly, the other two seemed surprised at that.

Edited at February 24, 2022 07:38 AM by Kirralee

February 24, 2022 02:02 PM

Posts: 367
#968446
Give Award

Freyja was polite to the human. All smiles even though she was tense. And it didn't lighten as she read the note. Had this been written by Keenan himself? The tone was...off and it immediately flickered a sharp sense of dread in her stomach. "Ronwyn, lovey. Please go about your day. If you see any roses, tell them to return them to the shops. I hate those bloody blooms," She said, tucking the note in her fold as she left her friend in the hall. Luckily, Ronwyn caught the hint and went about his way. Worry would come later.

She walked slowly. No need to rush. Rushing suggested something was wrong. Although, the fact that her heart was in her throat and it was pounding and she was dripping with fear didn't help matters. She hadn't even noticed that her gait had sped up until she spotted Keenan's office only a few feet away from her. The princess took a moment to brush any stray curls behind her ears and then smoothed her gown. A few more breaths to calm herself even though could like already hear and smell her if they weren't too deep in conversation. Hopefully they were.

The Princess walked the next few paces, knocking on the door twice before she entered slowly. The furniture had been switched around. And it wasn't hard to realize they had been in an argument. Anger, possibly distress, practically radiated off of Monty at the moment. And just the sight of him made her want to hit something at the moment. No good snoop. But Keenan looked weary and that was a reason for concern. But between the overall aura of the room and the stuff setting, Freyja felt like she was going to hurl her guts up. She cleared her throat once as she looked around anxiously.

"K-Keenan?" She tripped on the word. "What was it that you needed?" She asked, shutting the door and coming to stand about three feet away from the three vampires. Enough space to bolt without looking disrespectful. It had to be the most uncomfortable she had felt since the dinner with the blood incident. She raised an eyebrow at the trio. Now she was genuinely confused. She thought this could be about the dagger she snatched from Cassians room but this seemed much more serious.

She scoffed, "I'm sorry. But have I done something? The note was pretty vague and threatening and on little sleep, I'm afraid that's put me on a bit of an edge. So would someone Please explain what is going on here and why everyone is all so agree and in one room where the furniture isn't in its normal place? Is it just stress Freyja out day or something?" She asked, giving a hefty sigh as she looked at them.

The only thing other than the dagger on her mind at the moment was her run in with the side kick. Did he run his yap? She would be shocked, but would really have caused all of this? She felt on trial. As if the wedding wasn't enough. Now the male of whom she was to marry's inner circle was around her. And not a single one looked happy. At all. Nothing. The only emotions she was getting were anger and confusion with a side of defiance. By the moment she felt even more sick to her stomach. To the point she'd rather be with her brothers than this. She'd rather have those ridiculous, suffocating roses around her than this. Every moment of silence was too long and felt like too much to handle for the already frazzled female.

February 25, 2022 03:29 AM

Posts: 0
#968622
Give Award

Aleks entered the room a few minutes after Freyja, he nodded to Keenan and remained by the door. They really did not need her to bolt. The few minutes waiting for Aleks were tense, Monty was desperate to say something, but Keenan was following Claude’s lead and remaining stoic. “Please take a seat Freyja,” he said, gesturing to the empty chair. Every move was calculated and precise, he was truly a vampire seat.

The scent of her fear filled the air. Claude shuffled slightly, Keenan didn’t have to look at her to know she did not like doing this to the fae princess. Keenan took no pleasure in scaring her either, unlike Montague and Aleksander, however, they needed information and if they were going to discuss her past then she should be allowed to defend herself, he would have liked the same courtesy extended to him if he was in the same situation. “I will start by saying that none of us wish to hurt you and that we only wish to understand. At this point we only wish to talk,” He looked at Monty who was glaring at the poor princess. Monty and Aleks wanted an excuse to have her gone but would not act if he explicitly prohibited it, which he might have to do.

He gave a small nod to Claude who handed him the journal. They had marked some of the pages, so it was easy to refer to. “As you are aware Lord Montague was sent to search Lord Cassian’s quarters. I will have you understand that he went on a combination of both mine and my father’s orders. Lord Cassian’s departure was rather sudden, and he left his belongings behind. Before they are disposed of, it is a security requirement that they must be search, you must understand Freyja, we were enemies for a long time and we cannot afford to risk the lives of those who reside within these walls. Lord Montague was chosen for his discretion.”

Monty opened the journal to the page where it mentions the death of the country palace staff, he walked across the room to Freyja, carefully handing her the book before returning to his place beside Keenan. The inner circle were making a conscious effort to keep her away from Keenan. Both Monty and Aleks were worried about his safety. Keenan sighed softly, it pained him to have to do it like this but unfortunately he did not have the luxury of keeping it just between him and his future bride any longer. “We have reason to believe that the ‘rosebud’ Lord Cassian refers to is you. Shall we start with you explaining what happened and why Taeya was the only surviving servant?”

Monty was growing impatient. He could only sit through the formalities for so long. “My prince, we are being too gentle. She is an adult and is responsible for her own actions,” he said softly, turning to face Freyja, Monty spoke louder, “Are you responsible for the massacre of the staff in that palace? How many others have you killed? How many more do you plan on killing? Did you kill Lord Cassian?”

Keenan finally interrupted, “Montague. Enough,” he said sternly, “Apologies princess. Montague is not well versed in courtly politics and has forgotten his manners, however, we will require answers to his questions.”

Claude was beginning to really look uncomfortable. She still could not understand how the meek and mild Freyja she was helping teach was a mass murderer. She had told Freyja some of their most sacred traditions and laws, hell she knew enough to blackmail Keenan if she wanted to.

February 25, 2022 06:46 AM

Posts: 367
#968635
Give Award

She took a seat. But she did have to keep reminding herself that this was Keenan. He wouldn't. That wasn't always set in stone. But he came forward with a journal she'd never seen once in her entire life. And this is what Montague had been searching through? A dead man's diary? If that wasn't bad enough, Monty was yelling and the room was such a mix of major emotions. She already felt sick.

She was frozen until Monty spoke up. Accusations being pointed at her. And that's when her eyes pricked and she felt a lump in her throat. "You think I killed him? How? My only battle skills are with weapons, Montague." She spat, still sitting upright and proper as she did so. "The only thing I've ever killed is a patch of lilies. Seriously. Cassian had over three gifts and he was a Scholar. I don't know why he'd write all this nonsense down. The dates seem accurate. But no, I don't kill people. I wanted to Runaway with him. So, mind you. Why the hell would I murder the person I was thinking of leaving with? Oh, yes. Might I mention that the only reason I didn't say yes on the spot is so your precious prince wouldn't be yanked out of existence."

By now she was crying and her shoulders shuddered, but she didn't slouch. And now she was definitely more angry than sad. Wiping her wet cheeks with her sleeve the fae stood. Glaring at the two males intent to drive her down into a black hole. No doubt the only reason she wasn't dead already was Claude and Keenan. She couldn't see Claude. Any of them, really. All of them were swimming in the mist that coated her eyes.

"The gods must really hate me. Because I could have been sent to the orcs. There they can literally break someone in half. Instead I'm here. And I have to go through this. Accusations against me for murdering not only my staff but my lover as well? On the eve of a wedding that I'm sure that none of us wanted?" She turned to Keenan and Claude, feeling defeated right about now. "How is it possible? How could I not remember any of the events? Why was Montague reading Cassian's journals? Security matter my ass."

She did mutter that last bit, but she sat back down and immediately just put her face in her hands, massaging the temples to rid her of the headache that was just starting to bloom. If she made it to the wedding she'd puke at the altar.

"May I leave now? I'll just keep to my room if I must, but I don't want to be in here with a scorned lover, a sad sidekick, Claude, and the Crown prince. I wish you would have interrogated me individually." She sighed. She knew Monty and Aleks wouldn't believe her because of the words in the journal. And she had no idea what to do about it. Is this was Faust had mentioned earlier that father had covered up for her? She didn't remember any of this ever happening. Well, except for Cassian. She was there. The Gods were angered by her.

Too late for praying it seemed. She was tired, angry, hungry, and just overall overwhelmed. She twisted the ring on her finger. Freyja had taken it off for a period after Cassians passing but ultimately put it back on. Now she was glad. Looking back up she just gave a weak smile. Honestly at this point. Let them have it. If they're the type to beat a dead horse then let them.

"I should gone. I mean, what if I did? And the King followed through on his promise. Who would be interrogating Aleks over it? No one. He'd either be dead to or allowed to grieve." She didn't know who to look at at the moment. She felt betrayed by Claude and Keenan for even letting this happen. She'd already told Keenan. And the other two? Well. The princess would rather not think about the other two. At all. So she stood up. "If you truly believe all of this nonsense, that I could take out an entire staff, you wouldn't have kept this meeting to only us. Might just take a moment to kill you or something. For crying out loud, I paint. I paint and I sew. What else? Swordplay. A weapon that leaves traces of what happened. I bid you all farewell." Freyja said, giving a curtsy. "Please tell them to let me leave." The princess asked the two who seemed confused. Well, Claude looked more uncomfortable than anything. Freyja's stomach dipped a bit. Claude had seen this behavior out of her. She suddenly looked away from the pair. "I'll go straight to my room. Promise."

February 25, 2022 11:29 PM