Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » The queen is having a ball (closed)

The elf stood almost a foot taller than the women who were closer to 5'4 and 5'3 than the 6'2 high mound of orange-gold hair. He stood tall, erect posture springing his shoulders high. His chin was forced low to show respect to the princess and lady despite his size.

"I'm sure you are quite modest about your work", the man happily replied to Alice's comments on sewing.. When she mentioned she wasn't happy with her dress he added, "We shall have to talk later about styles you would rather prefer."

He turned to the woman he thought mention herself as Aurora. His ears were quite well tuned after all. "I have something to accentuate every lady... And male for that matter." With a smile he referenced the woman's earlier comment. "I design more than simple dresses, M'lady."

The topic soon came up to move things outside. "Lively idea", he added to the suggestion. His bright hazel eyes took in the scenes of the place while making their way to the garden. It was exciting being around Royalty.

"Arundriel at your service", the lanky elf said before a deep bow. "I hail from the high elves of Luvaria." That land was known for a variety of citizen species. A human named King Haar IV currently ruled that kingdom.

The queen holds out her finger just as a ladybug landed on it. "It is a pleasure to meet you Lord Arundriel." She gently blows onto the bug watching it fly away into the sky. "I'm thankful for being taken out of there. I thought if I had to stay in there any longer might have passed out" she continues to stare up into the sky. "I didn't even know I was having a ball until a few days before it. We're you two forced to come as well?"

She wants to feel like she wasn't the only who was dragged into this. Maybe they would have something in common. She grabs her crown placing it into her lap. "Sometimes I feel as if this is a death sentence, but I don't want to get rid of it because I fear if I do my people will suffer" Tears pricking in her eyes "So I usually carry this thing instead of wearing it. I'm sorry I'm rambling again forgive me." She puts the crown back into the grass.

"I bet where you two are from it's amazing." Alice tries her best to look up at her guests. "I would like to choose what I get to do, go out and explore, get help with my anxieties." Her voice was full of misery. "Most of all I would like company that I can be comfortable around." Every bit of sadness drips away from her voice and was replaced with optimism.

Vita noticed the way the queen almost lit up, when she mentioned the garden. Vita smiled and nodded at the queen, listening to her words. "I would love nothing more than to see this beautiful garden I´ve heard so much about," she replied. She couldn´t help but smirk at the Elven mans reply to her comment. "My apologies, I hope I didn´t offend you. It was not my intention," she said politely.

They soon made their way to the garden and Vita felt more and more relieved every step they took. It was stuffy in there and full of snobby people and creeps. She noticed more than a couple staring at her, but had expertly dismissed them with a glare or simply ignored them. The nobility. Gosh, she hated it. She was just glad to get out of there. At least for a little while. And there were less eyes watching her. Listening. Less people to notice if she made a wrong step. She could, however, not let her guard down. The queen seemed relaxed and to be fair... she liked her. Pitied her. Cooped up in the castle like that. Like a bird in a cage. The fact that any man would dare disrespect her despite her being queen. Talking with her she thought her operation might actually come along smoothly, but then this guy showed up. This Elven man, this... Arundriel. While she didn´t harbor any hatred towards the man, he could most certainly complicate things. Especially if he stuck around. She just hoped that he wouldn´t be a problem. Otherwise she´d have to find some way to remove him from the equation...

Vita stopped for a moment and watched as the queen set down her crown like that. She was almost surprised by the way she just left it there. Not that it wasn´t safe, but it was a symbol of her status. She actually looked more relaxed, though Vita didn´t blame her. That crown was probably incredibly heavy, in more than one sense of the word. She walked closer and considered whether or not she should sit down. Her dress was a bit tight,. Curse these fancy dresses! She looked at the night sky and then around the garden. Looked back towards the way they came. Pondered about how the plan would unfold. "Luvaria, huh?" she mumbled.
She then turned her attention back to the queen, when she spoke. She smiled at her words. Then chuckled. "I feel the same way. It was quite hot in there, wasn´t it?" She too looked up at the sky, when the queen did, though Vita gazed for longer. She waited a while before she answered, because she didn´t know what to say. But she decided to let the Elven man Arundriel reply first.

Vita watched as she placed the crown in her lap and started talking. About how her crown felt like a death sentence. The way she talked, the things she said... they pulled on her heartstrings and made her quiet for a moment. She felt a pain like a needle in her chest, when the queen then apologized for going on like that. She wondered about why she was so insecure. Whether she had once been an open girl or talked about something passionately and had someone shut her up. Whatever it was it made Vita sad and angered her. She hated when people lost their voices. She looked at the queen and sighed. Then she sat down on a bench close by. "I don´t know if amazing is the right word. I feel the most free, when I´m smelling the ocean, feeling the wind in my hair and journeying towards new destinations..." trailed off. She coughed and straightened up. Moment of weakness. Oops.

((Sorry if it´s long, but I didn´t get the last reply till after i posted, so i was replying to that. Sorry))

The lanky high elf walked closely to one side of the Queen. He knew nothing of the other woman's concern of his presence. Arundriel was sincere in his desire to outfit both women in the finest attire to the best of his ability. Keeping him around could certainly be a good thing. Of course, should the Queen enjoy his company the fiery haired man could only provide other interesting benefits as well.

He listened to the Queen as she opened up. Life as a ruler had to be hard in many ways. Many elves knew this. Throughout their long lifespans, they have seen or heard tales of many rulers who have gone mad over time. "One needs a release", he mentioned between the Queen's words. "One needs people who relate to them.. Or those who want to listen." With a smile, he tapped his broad elven ears.

The woman he knew as Aurora joined in with words of encouragement. She spoke of sailing and seeing new places. Arundriel could relate. He'd done some sailing between kingdoms, but never actually crewed a ship. He was always the passenger, that merchant along for the ride. More often he traveled with caravans, usually in an effort to meet a trader's supplier or build commerce ties. He often journeyed on quests to find expensive cloth or rare materials.

"Traveling is a great escape", Arundriel added after the woman started coughing. He figured she must have took in a breath of air down the wrong windpipe. "Maybe an expedition away from the grounds will do good for you."

The young queen's head shoots up; her mouth was a gasps and her eyes were lit with excitement. For the first time since tonight she makes eye contact with them. "The ocean?! You've both actually been to it?! Does it truly smell like salt?!" Realizing she was acting as if she was a child Alice's face becomes flush with embarrassment. "I'm sorry for demanding answers from you; you are free tell about if you. I have just only seen the ocean in books." Her eyes traveled back towards the ground.

"I've never left this kingdom. A queen's life owned by her people. To want for yourself is to be greedy and that is something queen should ever be." Alice stood up dusting off her gown. She didn't want to make Vita or Arundriel pity her; she feared it would sour their night. Picking up her crown "I'm sorry if I have turned yours evening quiet glum. Please allow me to make it up to you both." The queen walks over to a row of small rose bushes that; there was four each side and what to look like to be an empty plot where one should be.

Alice knelt down into the grass digging through the dirt before revealing a wooden trap door. Pulling open the latch a sweet smell burst forward the second the door was just merely ajar. "I discovered this some years ago in my garden. I've been using it to make food and drink with the fruits and vegetables I grow in my garden." She descends down into the underground kitchen. From wall to wall there are shelves filled to the brim jams, wine, and etc. "As an apology to you both, you may eat and drink whatever you please."

The Elven man couldn´t have been more true with his words, that you need release. That you need other people to listen to you, someone to relate. Vita never really needed anyone but herself, but to have someone, who could relate... at least in the queen´s case, would be nice. And when he mentioned that travelling was a great escape, Vita simply nodded silently in agreement. Vita didn´t know much else. She was always on the move, never stayed in one place for very long. She looked at the queen, who got incredibly excited when they mentioned the ocean and Vita´s chest got tighter. She tried not to pity her or let her feelings get the better of her. She had a job to do and she didn´t have time to second-guess herself.

The queen quickly restrained herself and tried to contain her excitement. Vita stood up and strode over to her. She was about to say something, but didn´t wanna interrupt the queen. The queen apologised again (seemed to be a habit) and showed them a secret door to an underground kitchen. She followed behind her curiously and marveled at the sight. It was amazing! "I am... okay," she said and politely declined the queen´s offer. ´She then turned to the queen with a serious expression. "You need not apologise, your majesty," Vita replied. "And forgive me, your majesty... for asking, but.." she trailed off. "...but you are the queen and you´ve lived here your whole life? Why haven´t you left? Or why don´t you? You are the queen after all, surely you can travel without needing an excuse?" she asked confused.

Arundriel was a little surprised when the Queen mentioned the ocean. He was happy to see such a reaction. His eyes shared her excitement, widening on eye contact. "Yes, well... A few times", he replied. He'd spent time in coastal towns and had taken those voyages. He still didn't want to portray himself as a sailor. "There's salt in every drop", he said. "Extra buoyant it is. Why I do believe you'd float right away", he said happily.

He followed the Queen, listening while she guided the trio to a hatch. Ears twitched curiously with interest as he climbed down the stairway. "What a place", he exclaimed. Vita soon asked about the Queen's travels. Arundriel moved towards a jar of deep purple jam, looking closely and examining the delicate contents inside. "Delicious", he said.

The elf turned to hear the response to Vita's inquiries.

Alice visibly grew uncomfortable with that question. She just at that single second she wanted the ground to swallow her whole. Turning away from her company she walks to over a closet in the farthest corner of the kitchen. She takes out a small plain wooden chest. "I used to want to leave. I always read books about adventures; I never felt I was loved here. But then one day my father left for a war at our border and my mother had passed during the war. I watched from this cage as my people suffer. Around that time the royal council members began to push me to forget about all the silliness. I was allowed to walk into the village and I saw that they rest of the members of the court didn't do anything. The people needed a rule who cares."

She turns back to face them; her fingers were clutching the chest so tightly her pale knuckles were whiter than snow. Alice took a few calming breathes "I would help my people, my father will be back soon and then I would leave. And finally the when the war ended...this came back." She opens the chest with shakey hand. The only thing in the box was a single horse shoe. "This is why I can't leave, no one will care about the villagers. I fear what they're fates would be without me."

Vita was curious. Had more and more questions. She kept quiet throughout the whole story that the queen told them. Vita was simply stunned into silence and didn´t know what to say. When she came here this evening, she certainly wasn´t expecting this. She didn´t know what to feel. She felt ashamed and angry and confused and many things all at once and at this very moment she was even debating telling her the truth. About why she was here. That she was here to rob her and kidnap her. She took a step towards her and then stopped. "I-I´m... I´m sorry. I didn´t know," she said quietly. She didn´t know what to do. She always was bad at dealing with emotions, that of others, but also her own. She bit her lip, looked to the floor and then sat down. Didn´t care about her dress, but simply sat down on the cold hard ground. "I haven´t been entirely honest with you," she said without really thinking harder about it. She got back up and started pacing back and forth, while breathing heavily. She was in deep thought and rattled. She tried to calm herself, think about what her next move should be.

((I´m sorry if it´s short, but I´m feeling unwell. Migraines. I´ll reply as much as possible and as soon as possible, but I need some rest))

((Cherry it would probably be best if you asked the owner for permission first. Maybe here or via message, because it might conflict with the on-going story))

Alice lowers the chest a look of confusion crosses her face. What Aurora talking about? Hasn't been fully honest; her anxieties slowly rears it's ugly face. She puts down the box; her mind started sending up red flags. Trying her best to swallow down the anxiety attack that she can feel coming. She tries if her best efforts to ward it away. "Lady Aurora, you're dress is getting dirty. Be careful it could rip this floor is very hard cobble stones. It would be bad if your gown would get ruin."

She didn't know if she should approach her or not; her body is automatically moving closer to Arundriel. Her eyes were everywhere but at Vita not even looking at her feet. Like if she doesn't look at her as if they could just all forgot about the tense moments and have a few snacks and maybe she could avoid the ball for the rest of the night. Her fingers became fidgety she was trying to grasp onto something anything.

The tips of her fingers brush up against the elf's hand. Immediately feeling something she quickly holds onto it. She worried that maybe Vita wasn't telling her truth about sailing or something much worse. Just mere the thought made her grip tighten a bit.

Sarena knew the queen would probably never forgive her for being late, and she told the carriage to hurry up as they were already speeding to the castle. She looked out the window, seeing the castle in the distance. They were getting closer, which gave her a higher buzz of anxiety in her stomach.

She didn't know much about balls, but she was good at dancing and since she was invited she didn't really see the harm in trying it and seeing what a dance was like. After what seemed like forever, she made it to the castle and someone opened the door for her and helped her out. Her ginger hair was up in braids at the top while the loose hair laid freely over her shoulders. Her hair complimented her red and yellow gown, which was a bit too poofy for her taste but it was what was given to her by her father. Slowly she walked up the stairs and made her way inside to the ballroom. She stood at the door and looked around, wondering what to do next as she put her hands in front of her stomach, something she did when nervous but also tried to maintain a decent stance, especially in the castle.