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Post by Reggie on Sept 19, 2018 19:28:43 GMT -8
As soon as the young Tiefling left the room Artherien seemed to visibly deflate. He looked down at his hands as they shook for a moment. When he looked back up to Key it was as though a mask had dropped. He looked worn, haggard, and something just seemed... off. He smiled wanly at her and waited silently for her to continue.
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Post by Keyleth on Sept 19, 2018 19:39:36 GMT -8
Key unfolds her arms and puts a hand on Te’Teh’s shoulder. “You do contribute to this team. You are contributing to this team. We’re all glad your hear. Thank you again, sometimes it takes a sharp blow to the head for me to see things clearly.” She smiles at her, squeezing the shoulder under her hand. Letting go she crosses her arms again, then bows her head, eyes settling on the floor.
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Post by Dungeon Master on Sept 19, 2018 19:46:28 GMT -8
Te'Teh pets Key's arm and nods. Then as Key finishes she smiles and exits quietly.
Te’Teh
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Post by Reggie on Sept 19, 2018 20:24:41 GMT -8
“Key, I hope you don’t think I would ever try to order you around or make decisions for you. I may be your husband but you are my Queen, title or no. I'm sorry if that came out as a lecture or whatever, I just don't want you to put yourself in a position where someone else can use your feelings against you. By the way, if there are feelings that you want to pursue, I won't get in the way. I'm well aware this is a marriage of convenience, which is why I haven't pursued anything with you." He sighed and lay back on the small bed, looking up at the ceiling. "I'm here for whatever you need, however you need me to be. As your husband, lover, servant, friend, or all of the above. Just let me know what you need." He closed his eyes and listened to the rhythmic creaking of the boat, waiting for her response.
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Post by Keyleth on Sept 19, 2018 20:47:38 GMT -8
Key stairs at the floor for a long time after the tiefling leaves. Finally, she unfolds herself and settles cross legged in the middle of the floor, her wrists relaxed on her knees. The posture seems to give her comfort and she relaxes a bit. “I actually have quite a bit to say. I’ve been holding onto it because I know your going through a lot and I didn’t want to add to your burden. But, I think that maybe if I share my feelings with you, you might share what your feeling with me and let me help you.” She looks up, her expression intense. “Before I get into all that I just want to say one thing. I heard your lesson, and I understand what your saying and where the sentiment came from. But maybe next time it could be a private lesson, and no, the irony isn’t lost on me.” She looks down again, collecting the rest of her thoughts then looks back up. “I worried about you the whole time you were unconscious and going through your change. I worry about you now. I was more upset than I let on when... she showed up.” She looks down again speaking to her lap.” It bothers me that you would seemingly rather suffer in silence than let me help you. Im sorry about my outburst upstairs. It wasn’t fair to you to take out my frustration on you. I was never interested in Rabbit. I suppose it bothered me that it didn’t bother you and I was just so worried, you looked as though you wanted to wear away the deck. I want to help you. Won’t you let me?” She looks up again her eyes a bit wet. Abruptly she rises, turning out to watch the sea through the tiny window.
“I suppose I haven’t been great at sharing either. Going forward I plan to change that. It’s not fair for me to ask you to bear your soul if Im not willing to do the same. You are a friend, I’d never ask you to be my servant. The lover part Im not quite ready for, and honestly I can’t do that sort of thing casually. That’s not the way I work.”
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Post by Reggie on Sept 19, 2018 21:40:56 GMT -8
He sighed and continued to stare up at the ceiling for a long moment. Eventually he got up and slowly walked over to Keyleth. He stood next to her, placing an arm gently on her shoulder. "To be honest I'm scared shitless Key. These last few months have been insane. That she-devil almost killed me, and that's never scared me before. I think what truly bothers me most is I dont hear him anymore. Did you ever deal with any drug addicts at the monastery? I wonder if withdrawl doesn't feel something like this. I think Rabbit is going through something similar. You have a direct link to Corellon through the sword and on some level I know I'm using you for that. I guess I didn't want to feel like I was using you for anything else. As for the rest of it, how do I even begin to process that? My boy is going to grow up and be just like Rabbit, just like me. Eventually he'll either be alone in his own head or dead in some horrible way."
He reached out and took one of her hands, bringing her fingertips to his lips and kissing them gently. "I... I truly didnt realize you cared that much. I thought of all my weaknesses and wondered how someone like you could ever be interested in a foolish boy from the forest. I... you are something to behold. Did it surprise you that Aglarond was immediately drawn to you or that my family instantly thought we were together? When you move, it's like the wind itself gets out of your way. Blades and arrows are afraid to touch you. The sun seeks excuses to highlight every lock of your hair, and the wind calls your name through the autumn leaves. I'm just me. Theres a lotta baggage there."
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Post by Keyleth on Sept 20, 2018 1:55:12 GMT -8
Key takes in a deep breath through her nose and exhales. As she does much of the tention leaves her body. She turns to face Arthurian, a small smile on her lips. “I want you to know, with your God as my witness, that your son will not grow up in the Underdark. From the moment we found out about him he became my son too. We are bidding our time, that is all. Believe we will bring him home. As for the other, there were a few men and women that spent time recovering from a number of things at the monestary. They all shared one common thread. They were all wounded. Weather it was mind, body or soul. But all wounds heal, and when they left they were all the better for what they had suffered.” She pauses and takes hold of Arthurian’s other hand so that she holds both and meets his eyes. “I will help you through this, maybe this is a trial Corillian has put in your path and part of how you weather it is the test. We will figure this out, I promise, I will always be here for you.” She lets go of his hands and places hers on his shoulders. She lifts up onto her toes and kisses him very gently on the forehead. She settles herself firmly on the floor and looks at him, her eyes very blue. “Your baggage is part of your charm, as is the way you rush headlong into any situation. I think we have that in common. Baggage too is a transitory thing. You may have a lot right now, and I may seem to have very little. Down the road that situation may be reversed. The important thing to remember is now, we dont need to carry those bags alone.” She lifts her hands and touches them to either side of his face to drive her point home. She pulls away, letting her arms drop to her sides. The lines of her body relax for the first time since she’s entered the room. A genuine smile pulls up the corners of her mouth and lights her eyes. “You know, I think this is the first time you’ve ever called me ‘Key’.”
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Post by Reggie on Sept 20, 2018 10:22:24 GMT -8
He smiled softly and bent forward, touching hus forehead to hers. He closed his eyes and just sat like that with her for some time, basking in her presence like a warm fire that soothed his soul. Eventually he opened his eyes and looked at her with his too-blue eyes, tracing a loose strand of hair back behind her ear with two fingertips. He follwed the line of her jaw down to her chin and lifted it ever so carefully, as if she would break at the slightest touch. Then he kissed her. It was a small thing, a private thing, completely lacking the fire and intensity of the kiss on deck. But there was passion there, and sweetness. He pulled back suddenly, looking at her with doubt and fear in his eyes as he hesitated.
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Post by Keyleth on Sept 20, 2018 11:22:30 GMT -8
Key meets Arthurian’s eyes for a long moment, taking in what just happened. A slow smile finally graces her face. She lifts a hand a layes it on his cheek. “Why are you uncomfortable? You know I would and could have stopped you if your kiss was unwanted. Do you feel better now? I feel better.” Her usual lightness is back now. She lets her hand fall. She pauses for a moment, then not sure what to do with herself begins to wonder through the room picking things up and putting them down.
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Post by Reggie on Sept 20, 2018 12:21:43 GMT -8
He watched her walk about the room for several moments. Key seemed to be at a loss so he came forward and wrapped both of his arms around her protectively from behind and gently stilled her movement. "I worry because so much around us has moved far too fast already, when we are really still getting to know each other. I don't want us to move too fast too, and miss out on anything. I don't think we have even really had a chance to talk since Arborlon."
His face lit up as though an idea had struck him and he seemed to regain some of his usually irrepressible energy. He took her hand and sat her on the bed, plopping down next to her. "Lets play a game, I think its called 20 questions. We each ask each other a question, any question, and the other will answer and ask one in turn. I'll start." He seemed to think for a minute, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "We'll start with an easy one. What's life in a monastery like?"
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Post by Keyleth on Sept 20, 2018 14:28:49 GMT -8
Key follows Arthurian to the bed and settles down cross legged in a position that is starting to become familiar. She is close enough that her knees are touching his leg. She reaches out and grabs his hand in both of hers, fiddling with the jeweled ring on his finger as she puts her thoughts together. “It wasn’t easy at first. While it’s a fluid existence, it’s not without it rules. Honestly I didn’t have many rules before that. My family isn’t wealthy, but we lived comfortably. It was where I found purpose though so its like a second home. I struggle with it but we live a selfless existence. Its easy to shut out the rest of the world and focus there. You should visit sometime.” She pauses, smiling. “What lead you to Corillian?”
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Post by Reggie on Sept 20, 2018 17:29:26 GMT -8
Artherien smiled as she talked, eyes following her fingers as they danced gracefully along his hand. “To be true it sounds wonderful, and I would like very much to see it one day. Shutting out the rest of the world sounds nice right about now.” He cocked his head to one side at her question, thinking carefully about his answer.
“It is a very long story, but I will try to shorten it up somewhat for you. Growing up as the middle Elenren has never been easy. Nestorim has always been more bookish, reserved, and ‘responsible’. He should be, he’s been groomed for the throne since a very young age. All the focus and attention was around him and his learning, which left me free to enjoy the arts, make friends, and spend time amongst the common folk. Father was very big on us being with them, learning to do what they do, and helping them when we could. ‘A ruler is a beholden to the people, a noble is there to serve’ is what he would say. And I did that very well. As we grew older the disparities widened. People seemed drawn to me, I had a way with words he never did, and I was probably just friendlier. He can be a bit of an ass sometimes.” He gave a soft chuckle and continued on.
“Anyways that’s not exactly ideal in elven politics, to have a younger brother of a sovereign to be who is more popular. Since the fall of the Surana line, it’s basically been just a series of houses in a tier system. Ours is currently at the top, but those underneath constantly jostle for position. The “King” is more of an elected position, although we’ve kept as much of the old traditions as possible. Anyways, that led me to the Court of Honor at a young age, mostly to stay out of Nestorim's hair. I excelled with the sword, and since the highest tier of Knights were all Paladins or Clerics of Corellon, well it just kind of came naturally. I don’t think I was particularly devout before coming back from the Underdark, but after that the priests and my fellow Knights helped me through a lot of my trauma from that. That was when He first began speaking to me.”
Artherien paused, looking into Keyleth’s eyes with a serious expression, although mirth danced in his own eyes. “You are now Keyleth Surana, ruler of the elves by birthright, bearer of the King’s Blade and all that, plus whatever other titles people feel like tacking onto the end of it all. There will be a lot of titles I’m sure. How are you handling that?”
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Post by Keyleth on Sept 20, 2018 20:14:41 GMT -8
Key’s expression darkens at the mention of Arthurian’s older brother. She listens quietly and looks a bit worried when he asks his question. “I will never like your brother. He’s an asshole.” She raises both hands in a gesture of surrender before Arthurian can speak “I know what your going to say, things are different because Im part of the family. But first impressions are first impressions.” She flops backward on the bed, thrusting her legs into his lap. “As far as being a queen, Im in denial I think. Its such a huge thing to think about. Im not sure I will ever be comfortable in any sort of leadership position. Ive never seen myself as a leader.” She sighs. “I suppose I should start thinking about it though.” She sits up smiling. “My turn again. I like this game by the way.” She cocks her head thinking for a long moment. “Im not going to pull any punches with this one. When did you start thinking of me as more than just another member of the group? For me it was when you lost consciousness and I had to lug you through another dimention. You are not light by the way.” She smiles broadly again then flops down onto her back again. “I know this is two questions, but when are we going to have these attuned?” She thrusts the hand with the ring on it in the air.
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Post by Reggie on Sept 20, 2018 21:51:50 GMT -8
Artherien blew out a big breath through his lips, as if releasing a weight from his chest. He took off her boots one after the other and picked up one of her feet, beginning to knead the pad of her sole. "You know, That's actually a good question. Of course I promised to make an honest woman of you in front of the Old Oak out in the forest, but I don't think I really realized I what feelings I had until Agnaste showed up. You have to understand, I'd spent the last decade looking for her. Then there she was all of a sudden, and I felt nothing. Once the shock of everything died down it was then the complete absence of any feelings towards her that made me realize those feelings had been replaced. As far as when it first started? I think it was maybe back in the Temple when we stood side by side fending off those ghouls. We were unstoppable together." He smiled fondly at the memory, working the tension out of her toes as he spoke. "As for the rings, they are supposed to grow in strength as our bond does. I think I'd like Luke to do us a proper ceremony and all that once we get back to Kokand, if that's alright with you."
He reached out to her hand as she held it up, kissing the ring on her finger. As he did so it pulsed with a soft golden glow, illuminating the room around them. "My turn. Hmmmm... What did young Keyleth Galondel want to be when she grew up, and what would she think of you today?"
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Post by Keyleth on Sept 21, 2018 5:50:16 GMT -8
Any tension left in Key’s body drains away. She tosses an arm over her face, enjoying the sensation emanating from her feet. It takes her a bit longer to answer than it has in the last few minutes. “Please don’t be upset by this, but I was a lot like you were when we first met a year ago.” She lifts her arm, sitting up enough to gage his reaction. “You’ve tempered a bit sense then. I’m really looking forward to watching you get older.” She stops and frowns. “I hope you didn’t take that the wrong way.” She shakes her head and continues. “As I’ve said before, we weren’t a wealthy family but we were wealthier than a lot of the families around us. I was arogent, entitled, basically unbearable. Nothing like I am now. The best thing my parents ever did for me was send me off to the monestary. They showed me my faults, forced me to accept them, I told me that I could never be the warrior I wanted to be if I held onto them. I was so horrible I refused to take my adult name. That girl didn’t want to be or do anything. That little girl would be elated that we were a queen. It’s no less than we deserve isn’t it?” She looks a bit sad for a moment, but she seems to stuff the emotion down and her light sunny demeanor returns. “I can wait if that’s what you want. But if we’re going to wait, it better be for your mother to organize a ceremony. If we leave her out of it she will be upset” she winks, then settles herself back on the bed. She takes her free foot, toes now cold and slides it under Arthur’s leg to warm it up. “What do I want to know about you? Same question you asked me. What were you like as a child?”
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