Political and Personal

[Tismri]

OOC: This takes place after the war is over and the Ismalians have returned home. Technically, it's taking place in the next plot, but it won't reveal any secrets.

Tenel Ka sat on her throne in the shining hall of the palace, home at last. No longer needing to wear armor, she instead wore a long, luxurious court dress of the finest silk. Her hair was no longer in braids, but allowed to flow gently in soft curls around her head, accentuated by the brilliant tiara upon her head.
Though the time in Alagaesia had been necessary, and admittedly enjoyable despite the circumstances, she was glad to be home where she belonged. Her grandmother had been less than pleased to be removed from her regency, but the young Queen Mother had taken on her duties with vigor. She excelled at her authority and had the trust and love of her people.
There were a few things, though, that she did not appreciate. First, was the instant attacks by at least three different assassins since she had returned. Her cousins were not going to sit by quietly and let her rule. Still, she had proven able to defend herself, and her trusty guards were always on alert. She had dealt with these attacks her entire life, so in truth, it was little more than an unpleasant nuisance.
Second, and much more annoying, was the constant presence of suitors always coming to call, hoping to win the heart and hand of their queen. Most of them were wealthy nobles, with the occasional valorous soldier. They all tried to prove their affections through gifts and promises that would likely prove to be empty. It didn't help that her father and grandmother continued to pressure her to choose one of these men to marry, and hopefully produce a new heir to the throne.
In truth, they were not bad men. Most of them were of a decent sort and seemed to genuinely be trying to gain her love. But Tenel Ka knew it would be fruitless. Her heart already belonged to another, and she left him far away in Alagaesia.
Come visit me, Romulus, she thought to herself forlornly while one young nobleman presented her with a diamond necklace of about half the worth of the earrings she was wearing at the moment.

[Max452]

OOC: I shall assume that Romulus has taken over the Kingsley Estate and Remus, is well...gone...lol

Romulus stared at the massive crystal buildings with awe and wonderment. How such buildings could be constructed amazed and puzzled the young ranger. After a moment of his eyes fluttering about him, he focused on the royal palace that completed the spectacle before him. A thin, anticipating smile swept onto his face. Tenal Ka. The gray haired half elf had missed the Queen Mother after she had left. Despite knowing that she had to leave after the war, and of course, Romulus had his own duties to perform as a Duke now, it still didn't ease or keep him busy enough from thinking about her. Something had emerged betweened them, and he was thankful for it. For he knew, that her kindness and heart had pervented him from going down a dark path. His mind reflected on Remus. His brother was now exposed as the murderous, conniving, and pathetic man he was and was now, rotting in prison. Justice had been served, and despite it all, Romulus could find no peace still. His heart was no longer in Aeglaesia. And so, reverting his duties to Marek Robinson, an old family friend, Romulus had traveled horseback to see the one person that could heal his pain.

Nearing the palace gate, Romulus halted his steed as a guard motioned him to stop.
"You can not enter here, sir. This is the Royal Palace. Unless the Queen Mother is expecting you, or someone else in the royal family is, you are not permitted to enter." The guard "informed Rom.
"I know that I have not announced myself properly, but I do know the Queen Mother and Prince Tristan and Lady Teodora. I've been traveling for some time now to visit them; they are my friends."
The guard scoffed. "I've heard 'em all, good sir. No pass, no entrance."
"Is there some way that you can inform them that Romulus Kingsley from Aeglaesia is here to visit?" Rom asked, a bit frustrated that his progress to see Tenal Ka had been halted.
The guard shook his head. "No pass. No entrance." He repeated.
Rom sighed. His eyes glancing toward the palace. There had to be some way to contact her...

[Tismri]

Tenel Ka just could keep this up any longer. She was pandering to these men, raising their hopes when she had no intention of meeting them. She gave a sideways glance to her steward on her right, a middle-aged woman who managed most of the kingdom's every day mundane affairs such as taxes.
"I fancy a walk," she told the woman. She stood, and everyone in the room came to attention. She noticed the eager look on several suitors' faces. "I wish to be alone for now," she told them. She ignored their disappointed expressions and left for her favorite childhood courtyard. The palace guards watched alertly, but she ignored them as she always had. She found the familiar spot, she took off her shoes and began to climb the wall until she reached the relatively flat rooftop. She walked around it until she was at the front of the palace, where she could overlook almost the entire city in its breathtaking glory.

[Max452]

OOC: I like how she practically ran off. lol

Romulus' elegant horse neighed impatiently and stomped aggressively. The horse never did like being idle for too long. Nor at this moment, did Romulus. He needed to get inside the palace. If only for a glimpse. Ignoring his common sense, Romulus reeled his heels against his horse, lurching it forward.

"HEY!" The guard yelled after Romulus, surprised at the boldness of the foreigner.
Romulus could hear the guards yelling after him and his sensitive ears could hear them shouting for reinforcements. He could hear the sound of clattering steel as soldiers appeared, surrounding him to protect their Queen.

The speed of the horse was amazing, Rom had to admit. He absently thought that he would have to thank that Ellie woman for providing him one of her finest. Not halting as a line of troops appeared before him, Rom spurred his horse forward and easily jumped over the surprised soldiers.

"GET HIM!" He heard some one order and easily dodged oncoming arrows. "Protect the Queen Mother!" They yelled and more troops appeared.

Romulus pulled on the reins of his horse, forcing it to stop as a group of soldiers on horses appeared before him now, their crossbows held at the ready. "Halt! Or we will not hesitate to shoot!" A commander ordered Rom.

Rom turned his horse around, but found disappointment as the horsemen had surrounded him completely. Rom sighed. Great. He had managed to get himself into more trouble than he had anticipated. But what was he to expect? His action could easily be termed foolish and reckless. But he couldn't get her out of his mind. He wanted to see her, no, he needed to see her. He calmly raised his hands, signifying defeat. Perhaps this wasn't the smart path, but perhaps, he could gain audience as a prisoner. His actions were definitely foolish and reckless today.

[Tismri]

OOC: Yep...ever independent. If there's one thing she's determined to accomplish, it's proving that she doesn't have to be what everyone expects.

Tenel Ka stared over the peaceful city, and her mind turned again to the gray-haired Ranger she had left behind. A nobleman in his own right, but even before he had regained that title, she knew what he meant to her. Daydreams took her to imagining living in the wilds with him, the two of them hunting and tracking. The kind of life she wish she'd had, with no restraints at all.
She was distracted from her imaginings by a ruckus right below her. From her vantage point, she watched as a man on a brilliant steed galloped past the gate guards in an attempt to enter the palace. Under normal circumstances, she would have been worried it was some assassin. But even from this distance, it was impossible for her to not recognize him. She smiled, shaking her head slightly, as he surrendered. She slid down the wall inside the next courtyard and went to find the captain of the guard inside the guard tower.
"Kingston," she called to him.
"Yes, Majesty?" he said, coming to full attention. If he was surprised by her sudden appearance, he gave no evidence of it.
"It has been brought to my attention that the guards at the front gate have caught an intruder. I want you to see to it that he is taken to my chambers. I wish to personally deal with him for his reckless behavior." She could see the questioning look in his eyes.
"Yes, my Lady," he replied with a bow and moved to do her bidding.
"Oh, and one other thing," she said before he left. "Leave him alone in there and lock the door. There is no need for a guard to watch him." Kingston bowed again and left, and Tenel Ka began to take a convoluted path to her quarters, avoiding any possible interaction with the guards and their prisoner.

[Max452]

"Off you go!" A guard poked Rom in the back as they got him off his horse. Romulus did his best not to react to his instincts of snapping around and escaping. He obediently got of his horse.
"Make sure he's taken care of please. Ellie won't be pleased to learn if he's harmed." Rom commented and the soldiers gave him a quizzical look as they placed shackles on his wrist.
"Take him to the jailhouse. We'll question him there." The commander of the horsemen commanded. The soldiers nodded, but were soon surprised to see the Captain of the Guard approach them.
"Take him to the Queen Mother's chambers." Kingston ordered.
Rom raised an eyebrow of curiousity. His eyes immediately began to scan the area for Tenal Ka. Had she been watching? He could find no sign of her and Rom had to resist the urge to smile in front of the guards.
"Sir?"
"It is an order. And make sure that he is locked inside. No guards within." Kingston's dominating voice commanded again and the soldiers obeyed with questionable eyes.

The palace was indeed a beautiful place, Rom thought as his boots clamped against the crystal floor. He also thought it was a bit confining, as he much preferred the open woods and sky. He wondered how Tenal Ka managed here. His thoughts turned a bit bitter when he saw a group of young suitors pass by, gifts for Tenal Ka in their hands. Was she looking for a husband? Romulus felt a twinge of jealousy, followed by remorse. He had not known that she was choosing a husband. He wondered if he should have come at all.

Moments passed and soon, Romulus found himself inside Tenal Ka's room. Before spotting the train of suitors, Romulus felt truimphant and excited to see the Queen, but now, he felt a knot of nervousness and reluctance. He had half the mind to escape from his fears by scaling out the window and back to Aeglaesia to live the remainder of his life in sadness and loniliness. But he knew, that somehow, Tenal Ka had seen his little antic, and as the Ranger he was, he would not leave without greeting her as a friend, despite the dread he felt and his desire to be something more to her as she was to him. He shuffled, the shackles across his wrist rustled, as he began to move around Tenal Ka's room, if only to capture her intoxicating scent. He stopped by her main table, picking up a book, not really reading it.

[Tismri]

As Tenel Ka walked her roundabout way to her rooms, she tried to avoid encounters with most people. She gradually became aware that there was a smile on her face, and those she did pass stared and whispered to each other. It was likely that they suspected she had chosen a suitor or something similar. Well in a way, she supposed she had.
Eventually, she reached a second door that lead to her chambers, which consisted of a bedroom, a living area, and a study. The main entrance was the living area, and that was most likely where the guards had left Rom. Tenel Ka entered through the bedroom. She was still barefoot, having left her shoes in the courtyard, and she was confidant even his half-elven ears could not hear her soft movements.
She spotted him in a chair, looking through a book she had left on the table. She had still not dropped her habit of studying, and it was mostly what she did with any spare time she had. She entered the living area slowly and stared at him for a few minutes, just drinking in the sight of him. She had not seen him in what felt like an eternity.
"That page must be quite interesting, considering how long you have been staring at it," she finally said.

[Max452]

Romulus glanced up from the book, a bit surprised to see Tenal Ka. He had not heard her approach. She was getting better with her stealth. He wondered if she improved it since the time they went hunting together. He had shown her some of his tricks. He gave her a smile, after realizing that he was staring dumbly at her. It was so wonderful and painful to see her at the same time, as the image of those possible suitors being her husband entered his mind. "Ah, well, I rather enjoyed reading," he glanced down at the page he had looked at, "about how people...excavate artifacts?" His brow furrowed, revealing that this was actually the first time he had read the page. Embarrassed, he placed the book down, the shackles clattering against the hardtop table for a moment. He gazed back at Tenal Ka. "Its good to see you." He stood and felt awkward now. He didn't know how to act with her now, now that she might already have a potential husband in mind. "Uh, how has it been since you've returned home?" He asked her, if only to concentrate his mind away from the idea of Tenal Ka being wedded to someone else, and especially away from her wedding night.

[Tismri]

The dumbstruck look on Rom's face was well worth the effort she had put into it. Tenel Ka smiled as she waited for him to respond, and she couldn't help but laugh as he revealed that he hadn't even been reading at all. But something was different...a bit off. His actions seemed a bit awkward, though perhaps that was due to his hands being shackled.
"It is good to see you as well," she told him, walking forward. She shook her head annoyedly at his question. "Much of what I had expected it to be. A lot of nonsense day in and day out. Everyone trying to get my attention until I feel as if I am about to be torn in pieces. The only thing mildly excited that ever happens are assassination attempts. I suppose that is what the guards thought you were up to, though if so you would be the most clumsy assassin in the history of mankind." She smiled slightly, hoping to break the awkwardness between them.

[Max452]

"Assasination attempts?!" Romulus alarmed expression chased away his previous thoughts. "Someone is trying to kill you?" A worried look was upon his face. "I was merely obliging the guard when he said "no pass. no entrance."; I merely passed and gained entrance." He replied hurriedly, wanting to discuss who was attacking her and if they caught them. "Have the fiends been caught?" He shuffled, noticing how she closed the distance between them. His heart beated madly as her barefooted feet drew closer. He unconsciously stepped back from her, feeling that his emotions for her were now inappropriate. The fact that they were alone in her chambers did not help him one bit.

[Tismri]

Were it not for Rom's ridiculous reaction to her mention of the assassins, Tenel Ka would have laughed at his explanation for his behavior. As it was, she shook her head, her eyes rolling.
"Someone is trying to kill me. As a matter of fact, about a dozen people are trying to have me killed, and I can name every last one of them. Nearly every woman in my family has wanted me dead from the moment I was born." She continued to walk toward him, but stopped when he stepped back. She felt a little pain in her heart. He didn't want her to come closer. Had something happened? Had he found someone else? She couldn't bear the thought.
"I...I am glad you are here," she told him after a moment's hesitation, and she took another slow step toward him. She reached for his shackled wrists and tsked. "I should have told the guards to take those off," she said. She reached for a quill nearby, glad that because the things were not meant for extended use, their locks were easy to break. "Here, let me take them off." She inserted the nib of the quill into the lock, and after a few moments of twisting, it fell open.

[Max452]

"If you know they want to kill you, can you not arrest them?" He asked, fearing for her safety. He noted her hesitate reaction when he stepped back. His movements were easily readable to her Rider eyes. He wondered if she thought him insane for his awkward behaviour. He would have to control himself better if not to have her suspect his feelings for her. He cautiously stayed put as she continued to come toward him. He looked down at the shackles. "It's allright...I could have taken them off easily..." He muttered to her as she unlatched them. He caught them before they fell to the floor with a clang. It also gave his hands something to do as he held them. "I'm sorry to hear that your life is being threatned. I will be happy to do whatever I can to ease your troubles....of course, I don't want to impose on whatever your future husband wishes to do..." He muttered, staring at the shackles. He wondered who he was, and then thought better not to know - he would probably strangle the man. "Is...he...nice?" He asked out of impulse and regretted instantly. "I'm sorry...I shouldn't have pried....I just noticed the suitors on my way here...and...thought that a wedding was near..." He rambled out, feeling utterly embarrassed.

[Tismri]

Tenel Ka shook her head at Rom's question, sighing. "If it were that easy, they would have been dealt with years ago," she told him. "We can only prove that the assassins tried to kill me, not who hired them. These attempts on my life are just another one of our political games, one which my family has mastered. They yave learned to cover their tracks very well." She was touched by his concern for her, but she stiffened at his mention of a husband. She scoffed slightly.
"My father hopes a wedding will be near. He and my grandmother have been pressuring me to choose someone ever since my return. I've had one bachelor after another presented to me. They are all nice men, I am sure. There is just...just a small problem." She stared at Rom for a long moment, and as she felt her face growing red, she dropped her gaze. "I have already given my heart to someone, and I can accept no one else."

[Max452]

"You aren't marrying any of them?" His voice sounded a bit too thrilled. He smiled, feeling a bit better that Tenal Ka wasn't engaged to anyone. He was so thrilled that he didn't realize the blush on her cheeks or the longing stare she gave him. However, he did pay attention to her final words, and that again, caused his heart to plummett. "Oh." He blinked at her, unsure how to react. Was she confiding in him? He wondered who this person was. He never noticed her fancy anyone in the Varden, so he assumed that she had fallen for someone here in Ismalia. "He....he is very lucky to be loved by someone like you....I mean...I would be..." He stammered, feeling dejected, but wanting to be the friend that Tenal Ka wanted him to be. "I, uh, assume your family doesn't know about you two? I mean...if they did, they wouldn't send you suitors, right?...um...I am happy for you...that you have found someone....he is very lucky..." He continued to stammer, assuming that Tenal Ka was already with her lover. Oh how he wanted to flog that man!!! He had better not harm her!

[Tismri]

Tenel Ka watched Rom, waiting to see if he understood what she had said. At first she was hopeful; he at least understood that she wasn't accepting any of the suitors. However, he still seemed to be confused. She felt herself grow frustrated; how stupid could a man be? Teodora was right...
Sighing, she took another step toward him and put her hand over his mouth.
"Romulus, do us both a favor and stop talking for a moment," she said. "I'll let you know who I love if you'll just pay attention." She moved her hand from his lips to his cheek, and from there trailed into his hair.
"I. Love. You," she told him, emphasizing each word so that there was no way he could misunderstand.