Stables

[dyanne, explanations queen]

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[ʟ ᴀ ᴜ ʀ ᴀ]

"No! I won't! Put me down right now!" Lilia screamed, hitting his back and kicking the air like a child. She didn't care if she was acting childishly, it would get him to put her down. Lilia was screaming as loud as she could, which was again a louder noise than you would expect from something so small, and the closer they got, someone would hear them. If someone came, Orlando would get in trouble. Well, not necessarily, but most likely. Just in case, she continued hitting his back, hands in fists, as a small child might look like if having a fit. "I said put me down!"

[ʟ ᴀ ᴜ ʀ ᴀ]

((XD I love that part))

[dyanne, explanations queen]

[Please, Lando and Leo should have a swordfight or something because Leo is trying to take the princess hostage during an attack and Lilia will be trying to make a point to both of them and they'll both ignore her and she will do exactly what happened in the aforementioned gifs. Trust me, it will happen. xD]

It was much harder to carry a fiesty princess who battered her small fists onto his back and wriggled like a worm on a rainy day than it was to carry a limp princess who had pretended to have fainted but to compensate, he held her all the more tighter and grit his teeth even more. Orlando was not a man to sweat easily, and yet he felt perspiration on his brow. She was stronger than she looked, much like Lando, he would give the princess that. "I do not mean to cause her majesty-" he shifted, keeping her from sliding to the ground "-any trouble, but she-" he grit his teeth, wincing slightly at an incredibly hard punch in his shoulderblade "-should not-" and then a kick to his knee which almost made him buckle "-be out in the forest on-" yet another shift "-such a night."

[ʟ ᴀ ᴜ ʀ ᴀ]

((OH MY GOD YES YES YES YES YES THAT WILL BE HAPPENING))


"I don't care!" Lilia continued punching and kicking. She had somewhat of a mix of a smirk and a scowl on her face, something Liss would definitely yell at her for. But, looking at the circumstances and compared to everything else she was doing right now, Liss would probably be ecstatic at the expression. Twice, she hit him in the shoulder blade. Three, four, five times. Finally, now that he was holding her right enough so she wouldn't fall, Lilia leaned over his back and kicked his chest. Not enough to fall or not breath, obviously. If that happened, Lilia would go down with him. But it was just enough to make sure he knew she was serious about this.

[dyanne, explanations queen]

The kick in the chest did it, he let go for only a moment, but that moment was enough for her to fall out of his arms and stumble back, away from his grasp. His hair was not-so-perfect now, tousled from the amount of times she had knocked his head with her fists in an attempt to swing at his back. Was he defeated? By a princess a foot shorter than him? He hoped not. If he was, he would not show his shame. There was nothing to be ashamed of, he had tried to do his duty, and she had not let him. He would get to her yet, and if that meant dragging her across the forest floor, well-- he had half a mind to do it. "Is my lady satisfied?" He spit out, anger steeling his face. He had become ice once more, complementing her fire. His blue eyes were cold, and he dared her to test him.

[dyanne, explanations queen]

[No! This is barbaric! This is no way for grown men to settle… oh, fine! Let’s just haul out our swords and start banging away at each other! That will solve everything! I’ve had it! I’ve had it with wobbly-legged, rum-soaked pirates!]

[ʟ ᴀ ᴜ ʀ ᴀ]

"You may very well, in fact, find that I am." Lilia stood up, wiping her hands on her dress, just an excuse for her to never wear it again. She walked up to him, close enough to glare back into his steely blue eyes. Lilia crossed her arms on her chest in an arrogant fashion, daring him back. Daring him to pick her back up and try to take her back to the palace again. It was not going to happen, not if that meant both losing this unspoken competition and going back to face her well mannered family with dirt on her clothes. It was most certainly not going to happen.

[ʟ ᴀ ᴜ ʀ ᴀ]

((XD Again, one of my favorite parts. Elizabeth is just awesome))

[dyanne, explanations queen]

[Gtg sorry!]

[ʟ ᴀ ᴜ ʀ ᴀ]

((Aw, bye!!))

[dyanne, explanations queen]

Orlando's mind came up with a million different plans, and then he remembered how the princess had struggled to keep up with his pace, his natural pace and he had it. His face wore a deadpan expression, although the ice was still there, and his barely twitched as he gave a low bow, replying, "If her majesty desires to stay in the forest, so be it," and with that, he turned abruptly on his heel and broke into an incredibly fast run, back in the direction of the meadow.

[ʟ ᴀ ᴜ ʀ ᴀ]

Lilia stared at him for a minute as he began running, then quickly hopped onto her horse. She set off at the pace she had had before, when he had stopped her, which was as fast as she could go. If he could stop her while on his horse, she'd easily be able to catch up to him while he was running and was on her horse. Lilia did catch up fairly quickly, and pulled the horse in front of him. The horse, one of the biggest in the royal family, would be hard to get around. "Thought you were all about respect," she spat at him, her eyes fiery once again.

[dyanne, explanations queen]

"Why, I was only giving her majesty what she wanted," He replied, deciding not to mention that he had won, that they were out of the forest, no more than 200 feet away from the stables. There was no mock surprise in his voice, only slight triumphance overshadowed by the grim set I his mouth. He was all about respect. He had given as much respect as he could to keep her safe, to do his duty, and yet her eyes were coals of anger which could easily morph into hate. "The princess has her place, and the guard has his, and princess's place is not with the guard." It was a warning-- he wielded power, he knew if he reported her, the royal family would be less than pleased with her actions. "I am not the only one with a duty, my lady." This time, it was a clear rebuke. He did not look her in the eye and he was still looking down but still he gave the air of superiority.

[Ahaha he's so close to breaking]

[[deleted user]]

((munches popcorn aggressively))

[ʟ ᴀ ᴜ ʀ ᴀ]

((Haha XD))

Lilia smirked. "You may have a duty, but as you've said countless times, I am the princess. And guess what?" She asked mockingly. "Princesses have a higher rank than lowly guards," Lilia spat out guards at him as if it was the worse thing you could be at a Schreave palace like her main home. And…you are the only one out here, therefore entrusted with keeping me safe. I could ride out past the forests and into the mountains, and without your horse, you'd be unable to stop me. So what is it going to be, Orlando?"

((Sorry for the short post :) ))

[dyanne, explanations queen]

"And you think you are so entitled? Oh yes, men may die on the battlefield in the name of duty, to defend such families as yours, but it's all fun and games, their lives mean nothing, so long as her majesty gets what she so desires. The princess recieves and recieves but she does not once think to give back, to comply, to realize her own needs are nothing compared to the greater good. You may have a higher rank, but when it comes to honor, excuse my bluntness but her majesty is at the lowest of the low." Orlando's words were steel; his words were quiet, swift, deadly: each blow was precise and struck right to the bone. He was ruthless with his words, it was not a blind rage, it was the freezing, controlled, calculated rage, each jab meant not to provoke but to kill, and for that, he was all the more terrifying. "I have done what I can to protect her majesty. I have given her honor, respect, kindness, saved her life and all she does is mock. What a princess you are." His face was expressionless, his eyes so cold, so sharp, so blue, and he stared directly at her, his beautiful, terrifying face not once lifting off of hers.

[dyanne, explanations queen]

[ORLANDO NERON LOWELL YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO SAY THAT I THOUGHT YOU WERE CONTROLLED AND NOPE THERE YOU GO PAST MY LINE OF UNDERSTANDING GOOD JOB]

[ʟ ᴀ ᴜ ʀ ᴀ]

Lilia glared at him through all of this, an expression she has only ever saved for her mother before, her least favorite person in the world. He, this guard who was no one to her, had achieved to receive this state. Not even Liss had ever received it. That was before she even started talking, a low and extremely dangerous tone. "You may have tried the best you have, but it's obviously not enough. It is most certainly not me, so it has to be you," she started arrogantly, refusing to give in to this. Just for another measure, she leaned down and slapped him again.

[ʟ ᴀ ᴜ ʀ ᴀ]

((XDXDXD))

[ʟ ᴀ ᴜ ʀ ᴀ]

((Hello?))

[dyanne, explanations queen]

"My best?" He gave a hollow, terrifying laugh-- a laugh of knowing worse thing than the girl in front of him could ever imagine, a laugh of someone too far gone, a laugh that sent chills down any and everyone's spines, a laugh that was an imposter to laughs. "Oho, her majesty deserves the best, yes, from everyone but me. This is far from my best, but that is enough. For me." He gave a grim smile. "Oh yes, for me, and so it does not concern me if it was enough for you." Suddenly, anger melted away into sadness, his eyes filled with sympathy? Pity? It was hard to tell-- for gentility was marred by the same, piercing, haunting look. His face turned at her slap and a handprint mark was surely left but physical pain was no matter-- he could not hate the princess, for she was a child. She was ignorant. She did not know. No, of course she didn't. And so instead, he regained his comosure in a split second, gathered his wits, took the princess's hand, which lay right beneath his chin, and pressed his lips, warm, despite the chill in his form, against the back of it. "I apologize for failing my lady. It was never my desire to cause her any harm, both physical and emotional. I see I have failed." Even in humility, Orlando was still undefeated. How could it be so? Orlando himself didn't know. Whatever was carefree had left the boy's eyes and he was so much older, hands were pressed up against his shoulderblade, and weight came crashing down. Duty.

[ʟ ᴀ ᴜ ʀ ᴀ]

Lilia gritted her teeth together as he kissed her hand, saying he had failed. Was there nothing that hurt him? Insults, slaps, kicks, her almost dying or getting severely hurt, nothing. He let it all go by, not caring or at least showing nothing of any of his emotions. Lilia bit her lip, something she did often as she was thinking hard or extremely deep about something, usually very important to her. Finally, after thinking of nothing, she decided not to say anything. Instead, she plopped down onto the the hard ground covered by bunches of flowers in grass.

[ʟ ᴀ ᴜ ʀ ᴀ]

((*the grass))

[dyanne, explanations queen]

Orlando's composure, his calculations, his strong moral fiber, was what held him together. He didn't know what he had expected from his statement. Forgiveness? More anger? Not defeat. Never defeat. And yet, it seemed so much like defeat, the way the princess crumpled onto the grass, quiet, for once. He had experienced defeat before, and he had comforted others, but never like this. Never a girl-- never a princess, never inflicted by his own words, his own mind. What was there to say? I'm sorry? That had already been said. I was wrong? No. There had been truth in his words, and both of them were oh so aware of it. Let me take you back?

Back was not where she wanted to go. She tried to give herself the illusion that there was no cage, that she could ride out beyond the mountains and there would be nothing to stop her. Lies, every single one of them. Orlando was good at being firm, at being ruthless, even at certain kinds of mercy. He did not know what to do or say to this princess-- he was not speechless, merely... at a loss. Information, research, training could not prepare him for this. And so he knelt down besides the princess, scared to touch her, to do anything, and tried to put down all pretense, to do as she wished, see her not as a princess but a girl, and without thinking the word tumbled out, gently, quietly, but somehow still shattering the silence, shattering everything.

"Lilia..."

[ʟ ᴀ ᴜ ʀ ᴀ]

Lilia sat there, daring herself to look up at him but not able to. She shouldn't have acted the way she did. He had been right, the whole time. She was supposed to be caged up in the palace like a good princess or daughter, or like any woman, really. But no, Lilia had had other plans. She had refused to see it the right way, the way it had been and thw way it had always been. She hadn't wanted to be treated like that, she has always wanted to be out in the open, to be free. That just wasn't how things work in her life, though.

As he sat down next to her and said her name, Lilia looked away arrogantly, once again. But after a moment, she had to bit her lip so hard so that she would stop feeling guilty. Again, there was a pause of silence between the two, and she broke it by saying two words she rarely had said to anyone, as it means admitting you are wrong, and Lilia refused to acknowledge that she was wrong. But something was different here, though she couldn't tell what, and had said them before she had realized it.

"I'm sorry."

[dyanne, explanations queen]

[be right back]

[ʟ ᴀ ᴜ ʀ ᴀ]

((Okay))

[ʟ ᴀ ᴜ ʀ ᴀ]

((Hello?))

[dyanne, explanations queen]

Those two words broke everything for him. A princess apologizing to a guard? It was not so much the fact that it was out of proper decorum so much as the fact that he became painfully aware of how ruthless he was, how his own idealistic values had been shattered in blind rage, how he had fallen so, so short of his own moral standards, and he stood up, shaking his head. "No, no, my lady, I am more to blame. I had no right to say such things."

It was growing dark, truly dark, and the distant lights in the palace somehow looked so appealing, the lights blurring together as Orlando's focus also blurred with his exhaustiong, though he fought, trying to clear his head. He was already cursing himself for saying the princess's name. Stupid, stupid boy. He looked down at her but averted his gaze, focusing more on her hands which held chunks of wildflowers, dirt, and grass, asking quietly, "Would her majesty prefer to stay or return back?"

[ʟ ᴀ ᴜ ʀ ᴀ]

Lilia shook her head. "No, you really were right. No one…no one has ever had the courage to say that to me before, because I'm a princess and all. But you did. I mean, if you hadn't, no one else was going to. Absolutely no one else, not even my family yells at me like that. So…thank you. At least I won't be as bad as a was before. Don't expect no stubbornness, though," Lilia laughed a little bit, just a small chuckle. After this, though, she looked up at him as he asked her this. She saw the exhaustion in his eyes, and she couldn't really blame him for being tired of her. Every seems to get tired of having to be with her for even a small amount of time. Lilia sighed, not really wanting to leave. If she left, she would be back at the hands of her mother and Liss, asking why she had been out so late, where she was, why she hasn't come to dinner, etc. "Well, it seems like you want to escape from me now, not much of a surprise there. Everyone does," Lilia muttered the last part quietly. "So, I guess we can go back to the palace."

[ʟ ᴀ ᴜ ʀ ᴀ]

((Gtg, sorry))

[ʟ ᴀ ᴜ ʀ ᴀ]

((Hello?))

[dyanne, explanations queen]

"It's more exhaustion than anything, caused by a lack of sleep on my part, and virtually nothing on her majesty's part," Orlando replied, hearing her muttered comment and feeling perplexed, and a bit guilty. But he had no right to speak, and he did not know the royal family, so he could not assure her that such a notion was false, that she was loved, that she was approved and loved by all who knew her. "I am happy to do whatever her majesty desires," he continued, trying to put past his own exhaustion. Duty. But maybe duty wasn't all. A part of him wanted to reach out and help this lonely girl who longed for freedom.

[ʟ ᴀ ᴜ ʀ ᴀ]

"Honestly, I would absolutely hate going back to the castle any time soon. But you don't have to stay, you're obviously tired, and it's not your job to watch over me like I'm two." Lilia stood up and hopped on the back of her horse, planning to go somewhere, anywhere. Anywhere besides the palace. Whether he followed or not, Lilia didn't really care. If he did, she would have to talk to him. It would be ride not to. Soon, though, he would most likely suggests that they go back to he palace. If he didn't follow, she would have peace and quiet, but peace and quiet might be rather lonely. And what if something happened, like the tree? I wouldn't have been climbing the tree if he hadn't taken my horse, Lilia thought. She decided to just let him decide, and galloped off, back towards the forest.

[dyanne, explanations queen]

Orlando was tempted to follow, remembering the "little" mishap with the tree and feeling a pang of guilt at the same look on the princes's face, a look which feigned indifference but didn't completely sheathe the loneliness. But if Orlando decided to follow, he would most likely fall asleep in the forest, and if he was counting correctly, an hour had already passed, which meant there was only another left for him to get what little rest he could before meeting up at the guards' headquarters to discuss the logistics of the Selection. He gave a wan smile and bowed. "In that case, I'm afraid I must depart." He watched the girl ride away for a few seconds before turning the opposite direction.

[ʟ ᴀ ᴜ ʀ ᴀ]

Lilia had missed what he said from the wind in her face, but as she looked back, she noticed him walking back to the castle. She turned back to the front, surprisingly sad, though not exactly sure why. She had wanted him to leave, didn't she? Yes, she did. But at least he would talk to her. Most servants and guards can barely hold a conversation with Lilia. Maybe that's why she had almost wanted him to follow her. No, she didn't want him to follow. He had been on her nerves for a good hour now. Lilia shook her head, and slowed her horse, turning back towards the stables. Maybe she wouldn't be going back, but at least she wouldn't be yelled at for being in the forest. Lilia quickly put her horse back and once again, she lay down in the grass, looking up at the millions of stars in the sky, counting them. All of a sudden, Lilia found herself drifting off to sleep, and so she curled up and gave in to her exhaustion of the night.

[ʟ ᴀ ᴜ ʀ ᴀ]

((Yes!! I'm good anytime. She's currently practically passed out near the stables, so someone could come find her or she comes back super late and thinks everyone is asleep and tries to sneak back or something XD))

[ʟ ᴀ ᴜ ʀ ᴀ]

Lilia slept peacefully, a dream of what had happened in the past hour playing in her mind. When she heard a faint voice saying her name, Lilia rolled onto her side and groaned. "I'm not going back," she mumbled, thinking it was Orlando. If that guard really had come back to take her to the castle, she wasn't going to budge, and he really was insane for trying. A minute later, an eye cracked open and Lilia saw a figure looming over her. She squinted and sat up, before her eyes adjusted to the light, and Lilia realized the boy standing over her was none other than her cousin and one of her best friends, Roan. Groaning again, Lilia fell back against the ground and threw an arm over her face, covering her eyes and muffling her voice as she complained to him. "Roan, why'd you wake me up? I was having a good dream."

((Sorry for the short post :/))

[ʟ ᴀ ᴜ ʀ ᴀ]

Lilia nodded, still half asleep bit assuming he meant the horse. Trying to stay awake, she rolled on her side to speak to him. "So, how has the selection been going in there? I've been avoiding it all day, no doubt going to be punished for it later. But I don't think it could be anything worse than spending hours in a room filled with thirty five annoying girls trying marry my cousin." Lilia nodded to herself. "Anyway, did you go?"

[ʟ ᴀ ᴜ ʀ ᴀ]

When he said this, Lilia was almost concerned. Roan didn't sound anything like himself, not at all. She felt kind of bad for what was crossing her mind at the moment: the urge to tease him about this. Why would he sound like that about the selection, especially if he hadn't gone to the dinner? There was something he was hiding, Lilia was almost certain of it. She always seemed to act like the younger of the two, though in truth, Lilia was almost a year older.

He then began laughing, and Lilia grinned to herself, looking up at the sky while Roan lifted his arm and hand. She wondered what he could possibly be doing, or why, for that matter. Oh, yes, back to the topic of the selected. "Why do you not like the selected? They never did anything to you," she pointed out annoyingly.

[[deleted user]]

((Lilia, Lilia, Lilia, don't you get it already? Roan loves Perry too much and heck no, he will not let an alien woman take Perry away from him. XD))

[ʟ ᴀ ᴜ ʀ ᴀ]

((XD She's pretty oblivious at times))

[ʟ ᴀ ᴜ ʀ ᴀ]

Lilia laughed at his explanation. "Why don't I like them? Roan, there are 35 prissy, self-centered girls vying for my cousin's attention, all the while pretending like they're already royalty. Do I still have to answer that questions?"

[dyanne, explanations queen]

[Ahahahaha she should meet Em. Ooh, and saying that, can we do Em and Lilia?]

[ʟ ᴀ ᴜ ʀ ᴀ]

((Sure! That'd be fun :) ))

[dyanne, explanations queen]

[Pool?]

[ʟ ᴀ ᴜ ʀ ᴀ]

Lilia shook her head, her hair being ruffled by the talk grass. "No. I offered someone else to, though. Hope you don't mind. He declined, though, so it doesn't matter much." Lilia stared up into the sky, not thinking that Roan might wonder who she was talking about.

[ʟ ᴀ ᴜ ʀ ᴀ]

((Sure, can you post first? And brb))

[dyanne, explanations queen]

[ahaha i have dinner as soon as I get back I shall]