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Ditto Fountain II: A New Beginning

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Re: Ditto Fountain II: A New Beginning

Postby narnianerd » Jan 30, 2013 12:28 am

Blood of the Sword


Gabriel produced a grin, he had only vague memories of this woman who claimed to be his aunt. And indeed those few he possessed were extremely abstract, in essence his memories of her were that of a seven year old. Which of course, they were. And then, more compliments. He received them grudgingly, but gracefully all the same. Gabriel often thought, that if his surname wasn't Pendragon, compliments might not be heaped upon him in the same manner.

And that was something that was beginning to eat at Gabriel. He had always strove to earn his way, Lancelot had instilled that in his soul. Now that he was to reside in Camelot, all he wanted to do was sure that part of him didn't change. So he resented compliments, they made him weak. Like metal, warmed by a smithy.

He bowed his head slightly, then took a look up and down the royal dais. Unfortunately, his mother seemed to have left Morgan out of group.

"I should hope so, my Lady," he replied to her earlier statement. "Sadly, it appears that your seat has grown feet and run away. But I'd gladly offer mine up as replacement, until yours can be located."

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Re: Ditto Fountain II: A New Beginning

Postby MountainFireflower » Feb 03, 2013 12:56 am

Blood of the Sword

Blair glared at the table in front of her as the toasts continued. Gawain raised his glass to her fortunate brother. "Congratulations, Gabe, and long life to you. May your years after being Lancelot's squire be as prosperous for you as they have been for me."

Blair glanced up just in time to see Galahad grin broadly and lift her decanter. "Long life to you, Gabe, and may your sword shine brightly in the face of Camelot's enemies!"

Blair discreetly rolled her eyes. Galahad, outdoing her as always. She clenched her fists under the table, then smoothed them down her skirt when she noticed Gawain giving her the eyebrow.

Against her better judgment, she glanced over at Gabe. Was he ... blushing?

"Thanks," Gabe sputtered out, clearly embarrassed.

She had a hard time not scoffing out loud. Of course he'd be humble. Apparently his perfection had no bounds.

Blair glanced around the dining hall, for once paying attention to the servants around her, who were now lighting the many candles lining the room. Watching the servants, though they beneath her station, proved a pleasant distraction from every single person sitting at the royal dais. That is, until one more person joined their ranks.

"Introducing the Lady Morgan le Fay!" the page called, and Blair watched as her aunt entered the room, her lavish robes flowing. It was only a matter of time until Morgan reached the dais, her harsh, loud footsteps echoing through the banquet hall. She passed by Blair, sparing only a cool glance in her niece's direction.

"Good evening, Your Majesties," Morgan said to the King and Queen as she bent into a low curtsy.

Small-talk ensued, and then Morgan turned to Gabe. "My, how you have grown since I last saw you, Gabriel. Were it not for your mother's raven hair, you would be the very image of your father when he was your age. Your parents must be very proud of you tonight."

Blair's eyes widened, her eyebrows raised. As if having a banquet for her precious brother wasn't enough, now her aunt was ignoring her too. She didn't know much of her aunt, only vague memories of royal banquets and obligatory family visits. But that didn't change the fact that she'd just been completely passed over by someone of high standing. And the fact that she was passed over for her brother was even worse.

"Aunt Morgan, hello." Blair's face burned with anger as she forced a smile, her voice slightly strained. "Glad to see you've... remembered me." She glanced quickly to her left, noting the full dais. "Apparently, we've forgotten you as well."

Gabe weighed in on the matter. "Sadly, it appears that your seat has grown feet and run away. But I'd gladly offer mine up as replacement, until yours can be located."

"Of course you would, Gabe." The words slipped out before she could think about them. Realizing that the entire royal dais heard her bitter remark--particularly her parents, who expected her to exemplify perfection--she swallowed hard. "It's ... very chivalrous of you."
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Re: Ditto Fountain II: A New Beginning

Postby Dernhelm_of_Rohan » Feb 03, 2013 7:12 am

Blood of the Sword


"Aunt Morgan, hello." Blair's face was a shade of red unheard of for a princess. "Glad to see you've... remembered me." She glanced quickly to her left, noting the full dais. "Apparently, we've forgotten you as well."

Gabe bent his head politely. "Sadly, it appears that your seat has grown feet and run away. But I'd gladly offer mine up as replacement, until yours can be located."

His sister clenched her teeth. "Of course you would, Gabe." A moment later, she amended her thought. "It's ... very chivalrous of you."

Galahad's face drained in anger at Blair's barely hidden rudeness. How dare she? Can't she control herself for one night? She glanced around, searching for a way to remedy the situation and salvage the feast for Gabe. She could see only one way for the Pendragons to save face.

"And on any other night, his chivalry would be allowed, I'm sure." She made sure to have a smile on her face as she spoke. "But we could hardly celebrate Gabe's knighting without him! Milady, take my place, if you will, and join the merriment." She stood and pulled her chair out, then bowed to the King and Queen. "Your Majesties, I take my leave."

With a forced pleasant smile, Galahad du Lac left the royal dais and headed for the lower tables.


Morgan watched the exchange without a change of expression; whatever the elegant royal relation thought, she hid very well. She nodded her thanks to the young knight who made way for her and walked sedately around the long table to the seat that waited for her. She sat down and began her meal, signaling to the rest of the room that the turmoil was over and they might resume their joyous celebration. The princess was mistaken, however, in thinking the Lady le Fay had not noticed her; very little escaped Morgan's notice, on this night of all nights. And seated only three chairs away from the King himself, Morgan ate and studied it all. Everything would go perfectly. It had to.

----------


Though no one else seemed to notice the fleeting presence that had almost entered behind Lady Morgan, the great hound under the table whined sadly when it fled. A moment later, the dog sped out from under the table and down the passage after the quiet personage.

OCC: Just so everyone knows, Rosie is currently unavailable, so I offered to play Morgan temporarily. Thus, I am not adding in a lot of Lady le Fay's thought process. Guess her motives, if you dare. :ymdevil:
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Re: Ditto Fountain II: A New Beginning

Postby narnianerd » Feb 04, 2013 12:27 am

Blood of the Sword


"Of course you would, Gabe." A moment later, she amended her thought. "It's ... very chivalrous of you."

Wait, what? - Those were his instant inward reactions. But outwardly, Gabe was clearly tweaked, his shoulders slumped just a bit and his eyes fell to look at his plate. Of course he would, that was who he was, right? The nice guy, right? If that wasn't what he was, it was certainly what was expected of him.

Gabriel Adrian Pendragon loathed expectations. He wanted to be himself, except that right then, himself would have probrally thrown something at Blair. So he receded back into the chivalrous shell that had long been his refuge. Then, Galahad took her leave. Great, Blair had succeeded in forcing away his best friend. Now he was quite angry, furious actually. But he couldn't let himself explode in front of his dad. Or in front of Arthur. No, its the other way around! You fool.

When he had finished berating himself, the Prince suddenly realized that he was beginning to sweat. But before requesting to be excused, he first cast a cautious, almost timid glance at his sister. She was so wrapped up in her own pain, bitter and mean. He almost felt sorry for her. Almost.

"Sir, I must request permission to step away from the table. For me and Galahad have always done everything together. She saved my life and if she cannot sit here, neither shall I." He never took his eyes off of his sister. Deliberately letting Blair know that he was leaving in protest of her very presence at the table. And then, he left. Without waiting for a response, he stood and exited the room.

After a short period of wandering, he burst out of wooden door and unto the castle wall. Dusk was falling quickly and the sun was setting in a blaze of bright orange. "What am I doing?" Was his only, retorical question.
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Re: Ditto Fountain II: A New Beginning

Postby Lady Arwen » Feb 04, 2013 12:36 am

Blood of the Sword

A falcon glided through the air above Gabe, drifting over the wall and into the darkness of the night. Perhaps he recognized it as he leaned against the hewn stones, or perhaps he was fully lost in his own world. A moment later a small white hand gently rested on top of his larger darker one.

"Of all nights, this should be a happy one, but I don't know if I have ever seen you look sadder. What is wrong, Gabe?"
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Re: Ditto Fountain II: A New Beginning

Postby Dernhelm_of_Rohan » Feb 04, 2013 5:52 am

Blood of the Sword


Morgan's visage of elegance cracked at this unseemly display by the prince. She found she was startled to remember how much Gabe really was like Arthur - her half brother had never had any consternation about speaking his mind. Blair, on the other hand... Well, the King's daughter was not alone in her dealings with the pain of being forgotten. But empathy did not make Morgan merciful.

Let the girl suffer, let her sit this whole banquet through in a suppressed rage; let them all notice the princess's wrath... and wonder how far she would dare to go.

Lady le Fay turned to the King, a soft smile on her features. "Do not be angry with the prince, your Majesty. He is young, and surely it is hard for him to see his friend give way to a stranger." On second thought, she stood and whispered in Arthur's ear. "Let me talk to him. Perhaps it will be easier to vent to an aunt he does not have to impress. And after all, his behavior, however reprehensible, is based in loyalty, which every young knight ought to cultivate. One cannot really fault him for that, you know."
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Re: Ditto Fountain II: A New Beginning

Postby narnianerd » Feb 05, 2013 10:19 pm

Blood of the Sword


Gabriel recoiled away from the sudden contact on pure instinct. Rarely had he been touched like that and rarely had he allowed such things. But, there was one person alone who'd ever had the guts to break his kind, but solid wall of purposeful isolation. And now here she was, standing in front him. Her fiery red hair peaking out from under her dark hood.

"Of all nights, this should be a happy one, but I don't know if I have ever seen you look sadder. What is wrong, Gabe?"

If sparkles had been a manly thing to possess, his eyes might have lit up at the sound of Faolán's Irish accent. Instead, he just smiled. "Family troubles. But hey, it's not polite to gossip. What brings you to Camelot?"

She wouldn't have come all this way just for him, that wasn't like her, Gabe thought. No she probrally came for the action. Faolán seemed to have a knack for showing up on his radar whenever something big was happening.
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Re: Ditto Fountain II: A New Beginning

Postby Lady Arwen » Feb 05, 2013 10:50 pm

Blood of the Sword

"You did," she said, smiling back at him. "I'm not going to miss the most important day in a prince's life, or whatever they're calling it. I wanted to make sure...just, that you are ok."

She stayed silent for a moment, looking over the wall and into the fading light. She avoided Camelot, usually, because the royal city reminded her of many things she had once known, things she wished she could forget. In a twisted way, it reminded her of her own home, so far away. She hardly ever wondered about her family or what had happened to them, but she couldn't help but let her thoughts drift across the water and hover on that shore.

If it were not for Gabe, she would be far north, near the home of the Picts. It had taken all of her skills to successfully navigate into the fortress, knowing that her singular appearance would make her an outcast--or worse. Still, unlike her usual habits, she had come into the city and watched for a chance to spend a few moments with him. And why? She shook her head and looked back up at Gabe.

"I do not really know. I felt the call to be near you. Silly, I know. But here I am."
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Re: Ditto Fountain II: A New Beginning

Postby MountainFireflower » Feb 06, 2013 12:01 am

Blood of the Sword

The king set his goblet back down on the table as Lady le Fay turned to him, a soft smile gracing her face. "Do not be angry with the prince, your Majesty. He is young, and surely it is hard for him to see his friend give way to a stranger."

Arthur nodded as he considered this. Before he got a chance to respond, Morgan stood and whispered in Arthur's ear. "Let me talk to him. Perhaps it will be easier to vent to an aunt he does not have to impress. And after all, his behavior, however reprehensible, is based in loyalty, which every young knight ought to cultivate. One cannot really fault him for that, you know."

Arthur nodded again, long and slow, as he pondered these words. Finally, he let out a heavy sigh. "Perhaps you should. Perhaps you can reach him far better than I."

He'd lost touch with his son, with their many years apart. It had seemed a worthy sacrifice at the time, but now that Gabe was back in Camelot, with his knighthood attained, Arthur was beginning to wonder if it was worth it.

And then there was Blair, who seemed to be growing farther and farther apart from him each day. An unruly child she was. He had no idea what to do with her most days, or how to crack her hard exterior shell, how to reach her heart.

He glanced down the table at her, at her false smile. Why did she constantly feel the need to prove herself to him? He loved her just as she was, as the lovely princess she was.

He snapped back out of thought and looked back up at Morgan who was still leaning over his shoulder. "Yes, I think that would be best." He nodded absently, then turned back to his meal, wondering where on earth he'd gone wrong.

___

Blair watched as first Galahad, then Gabe walked out of the banquet hall. She felt a small surge of victory as the former left the dais, but the defeated and frustrated look on Gabe's face nearly made her regret what she'd done. Do I always chase people away?

Gawain's eyes were studying her. "You look like you just ate a lemon."

"You are... quite supportive," she choked out. "I'm sure I'll enjoy that constructive criticism in a few weeks."

As soon as she spoke it, her stomach dropped. The announcement was tonight. She'd forgotten in the midst of the Gabe-drama. Hopefully her father had forgotten as well, though she doubted it. Predictably, he'd draw the dining hall's attention in a little while, and the announcement of her impending marriage was bound to follow.

And after that, she'd be roped into marrying Gawain. Forever.
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Re: Ditto Fountain II: A New Beginning

Postby narnianerd » Feb 06, 2013 1:12 am

Blood of the Sword



"Well, I'm a heck of a lot better now. I'm glad you came." Gabe continued his silly grin, never had he been happier to be dead wrong about someone. So she'd come all this way for him. Risking life and limb from those thick-minded conspiracy theorists who held the twisted opinion her beautiful hair was a curse from the devil himself. In Gabriel's humble opinion, that if anyone on this sorry planet were devil-spawn it were those suspicious people.

"How about you, how have you been holding up?" He asked, Gabriel knew that even if his life was tough sometimes, it was relatively nothing when compared to the hell she had lived through nearly everyday. She was an outcast, a peasant. And reminding himself of that stung him more than it should have. For it was the reason that this thing that they had, it would never work. It couldn't ever work.
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Re: Ditto Fountain II: A New Beginning

Postby Lady Arwen » Feb 06, 2013 1:51 am

Blood of the Sword

Faolán eyes danced softly as she smiled back at Gabe. In the five or six years she'd known him, he had changed and grown so much. So had she, but it seemed much more apparent in Gabe. When she'd met him, he'd been a silly boy, now, he was the prince of his people. Of course he had always been a prince, but how much difference one dinner makes!

"I've been well. This is always the best time of year for me," Faolán replied. "Nothing momentous has happened. The earth is kind."
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Re: Ditto Fountain II: A New Beginning

Postby Silvan_Haven » Feb 06, 2013 2:48 pm

Blood of the Sword

As it happened, the person that Galahad sat down next to was one of the foreign dignitaries that had arrived for the occasion. Golden hair swept down, almost covering one of his bright green eyes. A forest green tunic that was emblazoned with the image of an upright longsword in front of a tower shield lay atop a chainmail shirt, which itself covered a linen white undershirt.
A simple pair of brown leggings and black leather boots finished the getup. Somebody just glancing at him would see only another one of the dignitaries and diplomats that had come in search of dinner and drinks. A closer look would reveal someone more at home on the battlefield then a state event.

He spoke as the female knight sat, "The sparks flying up yonder could light a torch. However, it is not in my way to pry. The names Kean McLeod, nice to meet you."
"The road the hell is paved with good intentions.

Heh,

So is the read to Heaven."
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Re: Ditto Fountain II: A New Beginning

Postby Dernhelm_of_Rohan » Feb 06, 2013 3:33 pm

Blood of the Sword


Galahad clenched her teeth together, biting her lip. The control she had demonstrated at the royal table was the result of having Lancelot for a father. As she slid into a seat at one of the lower tables, she closed her eyes, trying to calm herself. But the only thing she could think of was Gabe's face, so hurt by his caitiff sister.

"The sparks flying up yonder could light a torch. However, it is not in my way to pry."

She opened her eyes, startled out of her failed attempt to cool off. The person to her left was nearly as fair-haired as she was, and though dressed in mediocre court finery, exuded an air of sturdiness. She smiled. It was in her nature to like or dislike people immediately, and she instantly took to this one, who's dress betrayed an experienced warrior and had a glib tongue.

"The name's Kean McLeod; nice to meet you."

She extended her hand to shake, ignoring the general female custom of bowing her head. "Galahad du Lac; likewise. As for the sparks, I'll say nought against the Pendragons. But being seated near a tinder box has it's down side." Kean's easy way of talking had helped her normal good nature reassert itself. "Where do you hail from, McLeod?"

----------


Morgan nodded to her brother, and swept elegantly away from the table, out the same doors her nephew had escaped a few moments before. But she was not searching for the prince - she had a different sort of person to meet. Slipping her hand inside her pocket, she fingered a small mirror.

It is time.

The words were conveyed by the mirror to the one person in this castle who despised Arthur more than she did. Still on, she walked, deeper into the winding halls of Camelot, and the darkness of her heart shrouded her from sight.
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Re: Ditto Fountain II: A New Beginning

Postby Silvan_Haven » Feb 06, 2013 6:23 pm

Blood of the Sword

Kean took the hand and said,

"I'm the new ambassador from Aere. The old one has some things to take care of back home so they sent me out here to take over. He has been showing me my way around your court here for the last week or so. You know, making sure I know who to bow to and all that rigmarole."

He paused and took a sip of his wine before continuing, this time with a more thoughtful voice.

"Aye, authority never had the same siren's song for me as with others. Sure you can tell a legion of knights what to do, but who is to say what is the right thing to do with them? And even if you do the right thing, you may sometimes end up regretting it.
Royalty have the worst of it. Each and every one of them is held up to some kind of standard by the entire kingdom, and if they fail to live up to it... well, lets just say that the results are not always pretty.
A young prince must become a paladin, leading the kingdom's forces into battle. A princes, the ever perfect picture of a proper lady.
What happens if the princess wants to become a knight or the prince a monk? It may seem as if royalty lives cushy lives, but that comfort hides chains stronger then steel."

There was silence for a second before he spoke up again, this time in a much more cheerful tone.

"Well, what do you think our fine will prince will do now that he has won his spurs? Go on a quest perhaps?"


OOC: Aere is what Ireland calls itself FYI.
"The road the hell is paved with good intentions.

Heh,

So is the read to Heaven."
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Re: Ditto Fountain II: A New Beginning

Postby narnianerd » Feb 07, 2013 1:14 am

Blood of the Sword


"Thats great, Faolán. I'm happy for you." Sure, she had people with pitchforks chasing her out of every town. But at least she was free. Gabriel always had someone telling him what to do, never had he fully been in control of his own life. Never had he been able to determine his own destiny. He was a puppet on strings, walking down the path laid out for him. She was her own boss and for that, he envied her more than she could ever imagine.

"Hey, can I get you anything?" For as long as he could remember, she'd always been on the move. Never settling in one place for long and as a consequence, she never really had much in the way of physical possessions, let alone food. So, whenever he could Gabe lent a hand.

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Re: Ditto Fountain II: A New Beginning

Postby Lady Arwen » Feb 07, 2013 1:32 am

Blood of the Sword

Faolán shook her head.

"I'm fine," she smiled. "I'll stay for a few days, and we'll find each other again when you don't have a banquet hall of people waiting for you. This celebration is, after all, for you."

She leaned forward and planted a small kiss on his cheek. Her heart hurt to see him hurting, and she wished she could pour the love she had for her family into his, but alas, she couldn't. How opposite their lives were. While she had grown up with her tight knit clan, only to be torn away from them and living independent of all, he had grown up away from his family, only to be thrust back into their midst and expected to live out the dreams they had dreamt for him.

"Be happy," she whispered, "and love them."
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