Vedette Niveue-Uthral (in_the_service) wrote in caeleste, @ 2010-11-28 15:49:00 |
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Entry tags: | ithacles, onainat sjorl, ulbarich, vedette uthral |
no more secrets (ithacles, onainat, ulbarich)
The walk into Faustben's capital was the hardest one she'd had to endure for a very long time. Those men guarding the entrance to the city itself knew her by sight but neither saluted. She didn't know if she were a Captain any longer but she felt naked without her uniform as she strode towards the castle with Onainat only a few steps behind her. It wasn't nearly as cold as the pass to get here and Onainat had shed a few of those jackets she'd been wearing. But kept the hat firmly on her head. There was only a light dusting here in the main capital. Eventually everything would be snowed in and men would push and shovel the snow around so that people could walk freely to and from places. Still everything was iced down. Icicles hung from shop signs and from rooftops. And the castle loomed in the distance with a fresh coating of snow on its higher towers.
It looked like a picture.
She could remember the first time she'd walked into the city with the determination to see the King. How Lord Ithunvel had waited for her return and had warned the guards stationed to allow her to pass through without more than a second look. Now she was nervous. Would Ithacles allow her back into the Castle? Would Lethe? And what of the Queen? Vedette felt shame somewhere. For leaving them behind. For leaving the tatters of her uniform there for Ithacles to take or throw away. For accepting the fact that he was letting her leave. Should he have argued that she stay with him? Should she have.. could she have left Koe?
Those were not the sorts of questions she should have been asking herself. They left Red in a table not far from the castle. Vedette knew the owners quite well and they were happy to take the horse. She was sure he'd be spoiled. She'd saved their stables from burning down one particularly nasty warm summer. Once she'd made it to the castle gates she spoke with a man there who allowed them entrance. If Ithacles was really mad at her he would have forbidden her from entering the grounds. But perhaps Lethe hadn't thought that far through. They covered the grounds in minutes, but Vedette seemed to be taking her time. Onainat looked cold, even though it wasn't that cold. The Castle would be warmer. Finally they made it to the doors and entered as quietly as they could. Once inside Vedette stripped off her cloak and helped Onainat shed the last of her jackets. There were warm fires in every hearth and the place seemed enchanted in the sort of way castles normally would be. Nothing was too cold, nothing was too dark, and everything seemed to be finer than the last thing they'd seen.
"I'm going to ask someone to find Ithacles for me." Vedette said to Onainat before moving out of the main hall through a small side door. Once Vedette had found the man she was looking for, a page of sorts, she and the man spoke for little over five minutes. When she returned to Onainat she waved her hand toward a stairway. They would need to climb up a few floors and then they would be able to sit for a time, even though Vedette was sure she would not be able to sit.
"I've been told that if the page does find Prince Ithacles that he'll tell him we'll be in great den.. or whatever the hell the room is really called. I never understood why they named rooms. A pet yes, but a room?" Vedette began her way up the stairs but took her time so that Onainat could keep up. Vedette was far too used to climbing these long and winding stairs. The passed alcoves of various sculptures, paintings, or vases filled with flowers. She smirked and tried to guess in her head how oven Ithacles had spit into one of those, or thrown up. One would think the Royal family would be immune to the effects of drinks, but Ithacles just drank too much.
Finally they came to the hallway she was looking for and through the second door she passed they stepped into a room lit mostly by firelight. Vedette motioned to the comfiest looking chair there in front of the fire for Onainat. Vedette decided not to sit, instead she took her bow and quiver from her shoulder and set both on a long table there. She settled her back against the wall and leaned there watching the fire.
Was she supposed to ask for her job back? Or at least a station in the castle? Where else did she have to go?
Vedette didn't know what to tell Onainat, nor did she know what she'd tell Ithacles. She was just glad that she hadn't run into Lethe or the Queen yet. They'd find out she was here soon enough and then she'd have to answer their questions. Lethe was more of a worry, but not as much as Ithacles was. He'd been angry, she didn't know what he felt now. She felt.. lost. She felt empty. As if there were less light in the world now that Koe was actually dead. She wondered if he was living in that world that was always full of light now, just like he'd told her of Bahamut.
She had to focus on Ithacles. If he came in yelling she didn't know what she'd do. Clobbering him wasn't an option. And what if he said no? Where would she go then? Time would tell. She just had to wait.