Perseus Avery III (thirdofhisname) wrote in praesidio_rpg, @ 2018-05-17 10:04:00 |
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"You sure you want to do this?" Trip rolled his eyes at the question. It was the third time his valet and friend, Tobias Tolipan, asked, and he playfully shoved the man's shoulder and stepped away from the mirror. "I told you this is necessary. I have the flask with an extra dose of polyjuice, and I have a timer set for when I'll need it and when I need to get back. Stop clucking." Trip tugged on Toby's shirt, hating that his friend was a little more built in the arms and chest than he was. "I know it's a risk, but I need to know what she thinks, and this is the only way we can do that."
Trip didn't worry about being overheard. His wards and charms made it so eavesdropping was impossible and no one was able to enter his space without his express permission. They were free to discuss this. "I'm not clucking, mate. I'm just saying. This girl is dangerous, and like the last girl that was dangerous, she's in your head. You know you won't be let off with the light warning you got the last time."
He knew Tobias was right, but he was a man on a mission. "I have nothing scheduled tonight."
"I know. I manage your calendar."
Ignoring that, he continued. "So you're free to do whatever you want as long as it doesn't catch my mother's attention."
"She's getting sneakier, mate. She scared a bunch of staff the other day. One moment, she wasn't there, and the next she was. I think I'll order room service and stay in the study all night. Your mother frightens me."
Snorting. "That's because you're a smart man. All right. Let's do this." In the span of ten minutes, Trip went from dark, curly hair and ruggedly handsome looks to the cliche boy-next-door with larger ears. He watched Toby become the face he usually saw in the mirror and clapped his friend on the shoulder. "I'll see you in the morning, mate. Stay out of trouble."
"Ha! I'm not the one doing anything crazy." With a rude gesture over his shoulder, Trip-as-Toby left his suite and the castle. No one looked at him twice except a couple of the maids who fancied his valet and the footmen who wanted to remind him of the pickup quidditch on Sunday. Years ago, Trip began giving Toby nights off. The man was allowed to leave and get up to his own business after eight unless there was a fancy dinner or event that the prince was required to attend. This helped with their body-swapping on the nights of the new moon, giving Trip a chance to leave and Toby a chance to live like the other half, sort of. Following the instructions he'd been given, he found his way into Sydenham Hill Wood. Picking up one of the maps near the entrance of the reserve, he cast a location charm and followed the blip to where Lady Gwendolyn Ollivander was working.
"My lady," he called, adopting Tobias' gentle Irish lilt easily. "The man at the shop said you would be here, and I come with a message from the prince."
*
The week had been nothing short of busy. Between preparations for summer drills and work for the trick brooms that lieutenant Ridgebit had requested, the week had flown by her. Or maybe that had been the waiting, watching for… well, an armed guard? Hit wizards or witches, in some form of irony, perhaps. But there had been nothing, and as the days had passed, Gwen had decided that she was as safe as she had ever been. By Sunday, she’d all but put the damning conversation she’d had with his royal highness behind her, and resolved to continue on as if it hadn’t happened at all. She may have been reckless, but she wasn’t stupid, nor was she a liar - she’d meant it when she said she’d leave her thoughts where she’d written them.
Tuesday, for all intents and purposes, had proceeded as any normal day of a new moon would have for her. Until that very moment, she’d been amused by the sass she’d received from the bowtruckles in the current tree she’d jumped from, and when she heard the voice she paused. It was rare for anyone to come looking for her, even when she’d made sure her whereabouts would be accessible. Exceptions she could remember were only those involving battle preparations, and never had they ever come from royalty.
Tucking her wand into the holster at her hip, Gwen busied herself with putting away the cutting she’d taken while she let her mind work. He was alone, which was good - if she were to be arrested, it would be by some official surely. He was also without a uniform, which was small comfort. And from what she could tell from the glance she’d spared, he wasn’t actively armed with a wand - even better. She recognized the man as she turned and got a better look, and bit back a smirk when her initial panic at the words he’d spoken had receded and she registered where from, brushing her hands on her denims as she straightened, closing the distance slightly.
"It must be an important message, sir, for the prince to send you out here to deliver it," she paused, a polite smile ghosting over her features before she continued. "Forgive me, but I must request a bit of specification. For the prince that usually contacts me, would not have sent you. And the one who would has little reason to contact me at all." Stalling, so she could get a better handle on what the message itself was. It didn’t help that she’d never actually talked to this man before - she wasn’t as confident with strangers, and she’d already been thrown off by what he’d said. Prince Apollo she was used to messages from, but Prince Perseus? So much for this Tuesday being anything close to normal.
*
Trip watched Lady Gwendolyn's wheels turn. She was trying to get ahead of him, to diss out his meaning before he had a chance to say much else. He wished it was appropriate for him to be her friend. A mind like that to debate with would be a relief during the many dull society events. But it couldn't happen. He considered Toby his friend, and that was allowed because their interactions occurred in private or in whispers that looked like instructions from the prince to his valet. But he could never befriend her while things were the way they were.
"You outrank me, my lady, so protocol states that you should call me, as the prince's valet, Tolipan." Trip bowed, bending slightly at the waist. "Or you can call me Toby if you'd rather." His grin when he straightened was cheeky, teasing and testing. He continued, his smile not wavering, "The prince sent me because he couldn't do this over journals, via owl, or in person. Also," he put his hands casually in his pockets and shrugged, "it's easier to disbelieve conversations no one can overhear, and I am trained in obliviation." Another shrug. "It's not a threat. Just a warning in case you get any ideas to spread this around to further your cause, whatever it is."
He looked up at the patch of sky he could see through a break in the trees. The stars always seemed brightest when the moon was dark, and he let the serenity of feeling small in the face of such infinite space relax him. Tension let his shoulder, and his face softened. "He wants you to leave it alone. Whatever crusade you're on, he wants you to stop. He's not as blind as you think, but there are ways to go about this. Being unsubtle is not one of them." He flashed Gwen an apologetic smile. "His words, my lady, not mine."
*
Unsure whether or not to trust the grin she was given, Gwen raised a brow slightly, amused at the man’s demeanor in spite of herself. An answering smile formed at his words, and she shook her head slightly. "I’d rather call you Toby, but only that if you’ll drop the ‘my lady’ nonsense. Out here, I’m just Gwen." She’d been visiting these woods with her grandfather for years, learning everything she could from him. It was one of the few places she felt truly comfortable, and most herself, besides perhaps her workshop. Her eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of obliviation, but she held her tongue - he had said it wasn’t a threat… She crossed an arm over her ribcage, resting her hand on the other arm at the elbow. "Not a threat, but a warning. I’m collecting those from him, it seems," She mused, toying with the rolled-up portion of her sleeve as her amusement in the statement took over the smile she’d only just kept in place.
She eyed him while his attention was on the sky, watching the set of his shoulders change, and her expression softened a touch a his own did. It was a strange reaction, though she supposed it must have been stressful working so closely with the royalty as he did. She pushed away the nagging pull in her brain to be nosy. "I told him… Well, nevermind that, as it appears he did not believe me." Gwen shifted, tempted to turn and continue on with her work. She frowned slightly then, similar words she’d heard from the prince earlier in the month crossing her mind. You can not afford to be an eccentric… "Why does he care? What in Rowena’s name could he stand to gain, in cautioning me?"
No longer looking at Toby, she shook her head and sighed. The questions were more her thinking out loud than anything, and she glanced back to him. "You can’t know that, of course. And I can only make assumptions, but that would just vex him I’m sure." She worried her bottom lip for a moment, tilting her head as she considered what she’d been told. "I don’t think he’s blind… At least, not entirely. It’s why I told him of my concerns at all."
*
"Just Gwen, then," he repeated with a brief incline of his head. His voice was softer than he meant it to be, though he managed to maintain Toby's accent, and Trip was struck by an urge to insist on his own nickname. This only proved that Toby had been right. This was dangerous, and the more time he spent thinking about Gwendolyn Ollivander and her opinions, the worse it was going to be. Yet here he was, albeit in disguise, seeking her out and ready to ask her all about her thoughts.
He felt her eyes on him while he stared at the sky and waited till she shifted to look at her again. The privacy of the wood and the dark night gave him a chance to study Gwen and to react naturally. His eyes clouded for a moment before they cleared and were sad. "You were in our year at school," he reminded her. "I was a Hufflepuff, he a Slytherin, and you were in Ravenclaw. You remember that girl he humiliated? The Muggleborn in my house and year?" It was a risk, telling her this, but he needed her to trust him--Toby--and to listen. "It was do that or watch her die. The prince was ready to break all of the rules for her because she made him think and feel and see things differently. He's not king yet, and he can't make those sorts of changes."
Trip shrugged casually. "He gave me permission to tell you that, and to tell you, again, to stop because it will only lead to trouble for both of you. But mostly you. And he doesn't want a repeat of sixth year."
*
The agreement earned him a genuine smile, and she inclined her head as he had. "Thank you, Toby." The tone of his voice was quieter than she’d expected, for what his mood had seemed to be a moment before, and she glanced away to be polite. Perhaps she’d thrown him off with her insistence? He had agreed, though, and she appreciated it. She moved her eyes back towards him when he spoke of school - she remembered, of course, but she didn’t understand why being in the same year as himself and the prince applied to the conversation… until he mentioned the girl.
Gwen remembered that day because of the shock it had given everyone, herself included. And the prince had been so cruel… But she hadn’t know the why of it, beyond what she’d seen, and it had been such a long time she hadn’t trusted her memory of it. Humiliate her or watch her die? Concern and then understanding crossed her face as the next few sentences followed. "He had to… I see." Still, her mind spun. Ready to break all the rules… made him think and feel and see things differently. She’d gotten much more than she’d bargained for, with the information he’d given her. Fixing her eyes on the ground, Gwen worried her bottom lip a moment before looking back to him.
The sadness that Toby’s eyes had held was surprising to her, and she attributed it to his care for the prince. It was touching… He’d been sent to deliver a message, one that would, if she believed what he said, keep both herself and Perseus out of danger. If she did as she was told. "A repeat, or worse, I suppose… You can tell him I meant what I said, then. I won’t repeat my thoughts to anyone else." But something was bothering her, and she frowned lightly, voice quiet as she continued. "Not king yet… So he does see it. How broken things are?"
*
Trip watched the penny drop for Gwen. She wore her emotions for anyone who was paying attention to notice, and he wished he could train her how to mask that. On the other hand, it was refreshing to be around someone--other than Toby--who wasn't performing. He nodded. "I will tell him, but he might make sure you don't in other ways, too. He has to be careful who he trusts, and allowing me to share what I just did was a big risk. No one knows that he was dating that girl except myself, the Prince, the girl, and the king. There was one other, but he.. Anway. Letting you know is a test."
He smiled wryly. "He doesn't see everything. He doesn't know everything. He does see that the way things are done is not sustainable, but there's little he can do until he is king. His parents, uncle and aunt, and their peers are all stuck in their ways. Hell, most of their kids are stuck in their ways because it's all they've known." He shrugged and looked up at the sky again. "It's hard to convince anyone to change their ideas when they can't see beyond their noses."
He looked at Gwen quickly. "I like my job. The prince isn't a bad guy to work for, and I've known him since before we could walk." Words Toby had told Trip before, so he did not fear perjuring his friend with them. "But the rest of them.." He trailed off with a shake of his head. "They all play a dangerous game, but none more so than His Highness. Because he's aware, but he has to not let anyone know that he has a better idea of the smoke and mirrors than they want him to have."
*
A test. Gwen had listened to what Toby told her with rapt attention, and she nodded when he’d finished, her expression thoughtful. "I can’t say I blame him, with a secret like that to keep… Trust is a gift. I hope I prove worthy of his." Her mind caught the ‘one other’, and it pulled at her memory, but she pushed that aside for now. If she earned the trust she’d been presented the opportunity to be given, perhaps she could ask questions then.
What she was told next was both nothing new and surprising all at once, and Gwen followed along without letting her thoughts get hung up on each piece of information shared - she could analyse later. She was learning quite a bit about the prince that she hadn’t ever expected to know, and what was more surprising, she found she wanted to know. Not for any gain, other than understanding him. She lowered her eyes before she spoke. "There was a moment, after you’d left him at one point in the evening, during the ball for the King’s birthday. I overheard something he said and commented when I shouldn’t have. I was certain he would ignore me, turn and pretend I’d said nothing. The fact that he responded at all..."
Smiling slightly then, she looked back to Toby. "The phrase ‘curiosity killed the cat’ comes to mind, but it made me wonder why he’d done the opposite of what nearly everyone else in that room would have, even in the smallest sense. So I trusted my instincts… And, here we are." Gwen gave a small sigh, finally letting herself relax a bit. She shrugged a shoulder lightly. "I had to take a risk in trusting him, too." Another moment of worrying her lip, and she continued. "There’s a lot he has to lose, and I don’t want to be the reason he does. What do I need to do, to make sure that doesn’t happen?"
*
"He told me about that," he laughed. Trip had, indeed, told Toby of his encounter with Lady Gwen at the ball, and his smile at it being brought up now was warm. "Called him out on his misuse of Shakespeare. I've told him to stop using that particular line, but he likes it in the face of his frustrations." Bored with standing in one spot, he moved to a fallen log and sat with his legs crossed at the ankles and stretched in front of him. "From the way it looked across the room, he was being distantly polite to one of his subjects, as he should be. For him, well."
He shrugged, eyes crinkling as his smile widened. "With the exception of his family and me in private, no one calls him out. You did, and you amused him. Not in a cruel way, but you did. It was a combination he couldn't ignore." He sobered again, eyes on the sky. "He won't ever forget himself when other eyes are on him, Lady. He will be polite but aloof. The expectation is to continue to punish your family for your great grandfather's choices."
That still made him sick to his stomach, and he winced as he spoke. To punish the children for the sins of the father was wrong. They had no say in the matter, and he knew that if there was ever any change in their kingdom, the same would likely happen in reverse. But no one outside of the palace knew the extent to which their parents would go for complacency, and even those who witnessed it were made to forget. "Just be careful," he told her quietly. "If you write any of your thoughts down, ward and code it so no one can read it. Or burn the pages. Or just don't write them down." He met Gwen's eyes. "Don't draw attention to yourself. The fewer eyes on you, the better. You'll both be stuck at society events once the season starts, but don't approach the prince. He'll find you if he needs to talk or he'll send me, but you can't make them think you're reaching too high. You have to play their game."
*
"I could not, in good conscience, allow such a misuse to pass," She replied, smiling at the laugh. She watched as he sat, doing the same where she stood and hugging one of her knees to her chest and while the other leg stretched in front of her. She was in her working clothes, after all, and it was a grassy enough area - and she wasn’t quite comfortable enough around this bloke to be brave enough to sit next to him. Nonetheless, her smile grew, colored with amusement at Toby’s next words. "Got to him, did I? There’s a surprise." Gwen followed his gaze up, smile fading as she was reminded of why her appearances at court functions were short-lived if she could help it. "I assure you, that is one expectation that is not lost on me, nor one I am likely to forget."
Gwen had grown up, knowing that the people of the nobility thought her less. Thought her family was not worth the title they still held only due to the service they provided to the community at large. She’d been lucky to have the family she did, one that helped her learn early on not to pay whispers any mind, to do her best not to react to petty comments and sneers. She was lucky they had been kind, and taught her to be so as well, and she was immensely grateful for them. She looked back to Toby after a moment, once he’d started speaking again, and nodded once he finished. "Continue on as I was before the ball, then. As if I’d never said a thing."
She rubbed a thumb over her knee, watching the motion before she looked back to him, taking another leap. "I’m here every new moon. It doesn’t seem likely that he’d be able to visit, from what you told me of why he sent you today," she smiled slightly, amused that the prince had gone to such lengths at all. "But, if ever he can, that’s a good time." And she was sure her bloody jaw would hit the dirt if he ever did. She couldn’t see a reason, other than wanting someone who shared his way of thinking. That was understandable, even if he had Toby for that. But she supposed here was safer than in a room full of people that would talk.
*
"I'm sorry." The words, the way his chest constricted, the swell of emotions that made him speak were all his, but the voice and face were Toby. So what did that apology mean if it wasn't actually coming from him? He didn't elaborate. He couldn't tell her why he was sorry. Maybe one day, but he could not focus on that. He had to remain in the present as much as possible. One day at a time made playing his part easier.
Taking her invitation as a hint to let her get back to work, Trip smiled at Lady Gwen. "I'll let him know, but as heir apparent, he can't leave the palace without a full guard. They have a spare, but it's best not to take the chance." With a shrug and a wry smile, he stood and offered Gwen a hand to do the same. "Thank you for taking the time to speak with me, Lady. I'll let you get back to work."
*
Hearing the words ‘I’m sorry’ was the last thing she expected - it wasn’t as if he’d ever been part of the group that had perpetuated the treatment. Gwen smiled slightly, shaking her head. "Thank you, even if it isn’t anything you have need to apologise for. And, now? There’s small hope that the way things are may not stay that way." She didn’t expect life to be drastically different when she woke up in the morning. She’d go to work, and continue on with her week as normal. But it was something, a bit of consolation for twenty-seven years of enduring the unpleasantness and doing her best to face it with kindness instead of spite. And that meant the world to her.
The reply Toby gave her was exactly what she expected, and she nodded. "Of course not. It’s still a lovely spot for a walk, should he and his detail fancy one." Her smile was amused as she took the hand he offered, standing as well. "Thank you, for taking the time to explain things. And please give my thanks to his Highness, for allowing it." She paused for a second, then continued. "I’m sure he has no shortage of them, and I’m certainly not much in comparison, but… Should either of you need one, I’m a friend."
*
On a whim, Trip-as-Toby kissed the back of Gwen's hand, squeezing her fingers lightly. "You are too good for this world." He grinned when he straightened and pointed at the base of the trees. "Cushioning charms, lass. Stay safe, and happy hunting." With a bow and a wink, he left the clearing. When he reached the entrance of the woods, his alarm sounded, and he removed the flask from his pocket and took a mouthful of the potion that would keep his disguise in place. He had a lot to consider, and already, plots and plans for what he could do with Gwendolyn Ollivander were forming in his mind.