Act Complete! Angelcynn: The Myrcian Conflict - Act 1

[Ether]

"Yeah." Adele replied quietly, planting her unbloodied hand on top of Cassandra's head, and starting to gently ruffle her hair, somewhat absentmindedly. The young Lady was crying openly by this point, tears streaming down her face and pooling on the ground beneath her.

[Nanami Touko]

Cass finally took notice of Adele's tears, biting her lip and struggling to stand again. She hadn't expected to see her ever get this sad, but... Jeeves had been in her family at least as long as she had been alive. This was quite a loss, not just for her. Maybe she needed to be strong, instead? But what did it mean to be strong for someone, like this? Would halfhearted strength prove to be enough to support someone? Cass didn't know. There were a lot of things she didn't know. "This whole ordeal's been such a wash... I learned a lot, but it wasn't worth it." She sniffled again, sighing, and giving Adele the biggest hug she ever had. A tight squeeze, a shoulder to rest on, a gently pat on the back of her head with some hair ruffling... Everything she needed in a hug to help her feel better, hoping it would help Adele, as well.

[Xinnidy]

Owen chuckled at Sidney's curtsying and sudden formality, watching as she sat by and brought up the topic more casually. "No, I don't think I need anything else. Not right now, anyways." He listened as Sidney brought a good point in her concerns over the capital and her status, "Huh... I hadn't thought of that, but would they see you as a lawless thief immediately? Maybe you could pass for a mercenary; Adele did hire a few. Perhaps that would make people question your presence less..." Half-mumbling his thoughts, Owen paused as he attempted to parse Sidney's unfinished comment. "Uh, maybe you could...? Is there something on your mind?"

[riariadne]

"Oh!" The prince speaking up snapped Sidney out of her daze. "It's, well, it's complicated. Something I've been... too proud to deal with in a while, but maybe it's time to grow up a little. You know of Raewald's struggles for leadership, don't you? Many noble families are trying to put themselves in positions of power due to King Edwin's death. I lived near the capital among the hills for most of my life, so I..."

She paused for a moment. At this point, I might as well... "Marquess Montana isn't a contender for kingship, but he is on the court. But he was somewhat infamous among leadership for his troublemaking daughter, especially in her teenage years when he wasn't really able to reel her in. She didn't fit in all too well being proper most of the time, and eventually went too overboard with being rebellious and got herself arrested for petty crimes. While it would've been easy for him to leverage position and get her out of it, coupled with her past behavior he thought it'd be better for her to learn her lesson and serve the same amount of time as a normal citizen would. She wasn't too happy about that, and one day she vanished. Nowadays the incident is largely glossed over- maybe she'll show up again, be given a strict lecture, and fall back into place or something along those lines, or maybe not. People likely wouldn't think that much either way, since her crimes weren't horrible, there were just better standards expected of her. Whatever the case is, nobody's heard from Charlotte Montana since then."

Her nails seemed significantly more interesting than usual to stare at. "I'm sure you understand where I'm getting at now. Even though my reputation wasn't damaged beyond fixing if I went back and acted like a good girl, I felt disgraced. I thought I was too good for all of that, and didn't want to get back into it- prove I could make something of myself. But that's not really how things turned out. I feel guilty about it every once in a while, so it's nice to be really helpful here, doing the first... productive activity since then. Feeling accepted, if not liked, in general here because I'm valuable. Not because my last name is Montana."

"I wasn't very mature. But I am helpful to you, right? That could be somewhere to start making things a bit better again. Probably not go back to exactly how things were, but... I'm tired of being looked down upon by those around me. And it would look better on you, too- instead of a shady thief as an accomplice, you were helped out by a traveling lady from another nation, right?" Her storytelling done, she stood up, crossing her arms. "But if you do need me, I can still be helpful, of course. Not like I'd unlearn everything I've picked up along the way!"

[SB.]

Claire raised an eyebrow at Dettard's ramblings. He thought he could take some vial and bring somebody back to life? Absurd. The very idea of it was so far fetched, yet... Claire frowned. It didn't seem to be a lie. At the very least, Dettard genuinely believed in his ramblings, as crazy as they were.

But that wasn't the end of it. The mad baron continued his ravings, admitting to killing his father and something about his lineage? Claire didn't really know what he was talking about. He seemed to think he was entitled to the crown, but what had he done to earn it? He dragged a bunch of bandits and civilians into a pointless war and got them all killed. Truth be told, she didn't really know what to make of all of it. It could very well just be the babbling of a madman, and while she considered speaking to the prince about it, he seemed... occupied by Sidney. She'd just try and find him at a better time, she decided.

[Ether]

"Thanks Cass." Adele murmured lightly, simple allowing Cassandra to comfort her for the time being, returning the Wykian Princess' hug.

[Terrador]

Nearly an hour passes. Angus toils in silence. Both brothers are interred now. The squire finishes the job, digging the music box into the soft earth to mark Cethel's place. In absence of any clergy, it falls to Angus to speak for them. [i don't know the proper bit, but... here goes nothing.]

"May Engel hold your souls dear."

Nobody capable of language heard Angus, and he doubted it would matter besides. It's just the sort of thing that's best left sorted.

Music Box was discarded!

---

The squire finds his way to Andromeda and Lionel, giving them a weary wave. "I, ah..." He can't speak about their deaths; not yet, anyway. Rather, he dumps three empty sacks unceremoniously on the ground, gesturing weakly at the bodies. "Visiting th--your home wouldn't take but a few spare hours. I, ah... I have a horse."

[Xinnidy]

"Uh..." Owen listened to Sidney's story in surprise, by the time she'd spoke of a Marquess Montana and his daughter in such detail, it was easy to infer what she'd tried to say. "So... you're the daughter of a Marquess from Raewald? That's... quite a way you've traveled. Hmm." Owen sank into the throne as he considered everything he'd been told. Truth was, it seemed sudden and perhaps far-fetched, but it made no sense that Sidney would make it up now rather than when they met. "Well, yes. It might look better, and you'd have less to worry about while staying at the capital, at least I think so." Unless you're underplaying your petty crimes... "Well, I'll leave the choice to you. You'd best not unlearn what you picked up, though!" Owen chuckled, "You've been fairly helpful so far."

[riariadne]

Sidney found herself relieved at the prince's words. "If you think it's okay, then. I'm glad you have faith in me- I'll be sure to make that validated. Thank you, Owen." She kneeled down next to him as before, but this time leaned in and without warning kissed his cheek. Sidney stared at him for a few seconds, then stood and giggled again. "Well, I suppose that's my thanks... I am pretty tired after all that, and we'll need to work out the specifics before we reach the capital. Do you think I should go by Charlotte? Any sort of Wykian customs I should be aware of meeting people? There's so much to discuss!"

[Jedi]

Lionel patted Andromeda's shoulder, "Thank you..." but suddenly young Angus had ridden up, and gave him an offer. It was a very respectful one.

"Sir Angus, your respect for my comrades is... heartwarming to say the least" He looked right at the knight, hoping his tears weren't visible, not wanting to be seen weak even now. "I'll take you up on it. Their families should know." He stopped however and wondered "Does Lord Owen require my assistance first? I'd hate to be away while he possibly needed my counsel"

[Terrador]

Angus shakes his head. "It'd be at least a day 'fore we split off; we only lose a couple hours that way, and that'll keep all of us safer from an ambush on the way out." [i should tell him. I will. Just... not yet. I can't yet.] "He'll want your ear soon 'nough, but it isn't urgent." He begins to reach to help store the two soldiers--the idea makes Angus' stomach flip--but first, he remembers something. He retrieves the massive lance from Agro's side, planting the handle in the ground.

"Spoils of war, eh?" he introduces the spear with a sorrowful tone. "I, ah... don't think this is quite the end of it. Here."

Angus gives Lionel the Great Lance

Edited March 22, 2016 by Terrador

[Jedi]

Lionel takes the Lance and nods "You're right, it'll be safer if we wait till then" He trailed off, "I was a bit too eager to see these men to their resting place, wasn't thinking it all through" he laughs bitterly, and thought to himself [Maybe I haven't grown as much as I thought].

He gives the lance a few test swings, a little unwieldy, but the sheer weight and power could be a boon in a tricky spot.

Lionel looks at Angus again. "Is something on your mind? You look deep in thought."

[Terrador]

The squire busies himself with the task of readying Ermin for travel--the better to avoid Lionel's eye. "Nah. 's just battle. We should finish here." It's clear that he would sooner not speak, at least for the moment.

[Jedi]

"As you wish" he couldn't help but feel uneasy, but put it off his mind for the time being.

[Xinnidy]

"...Ah." Owen was taken by surprise by the kiss, tensing up as Sidney brought her face closer, but not rejecting the kiss to the cheek. "Your thanks? That's a way to put it." Owen laughed to ease his tension, his cheeks betraying a light rosiness, yet it was brief. "Hmm, Charlotte? Well, you're probably going to need to tell your family name at some point, but it might not be necessary to tell your full name, if you'd like." He shrugged, "I'm used to Sidney, personally. As for customs... hmm, well, since you're a foreigner..." Owen brought a hand to his chin again, quickly searching his mind on his knowledge of court etiquette; there would be a small bit to teach Sidney if she wished to present as a noble, for sure.

[Shin]

End of Act 1! Please do not post in this thread! Act 2 incoming!