| Prattles and Proclamations |
| Summary: | Kira and Clara have a conversation, ranging from boys to life goals. Along the way, Clara finally realizes some hard truths. |
| Date: | 11-12-1865 |
| Related: | General Kira and Clara logs. In particular, http://eternalcrusade.wikidot.com/log:1865-11-09-matters-of-intent and http://eternalcrusade.wikidot.com/log:1865-11-11-a-covey-of-cousins |
| NPCs: | {$npc} |
| Players: |
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| Galenthia - Firen - Firen Palace |
| A shared bedroom in the Palace, currently in use by both Kira and Clara |
| Nov. 12th, 1865 |
Kira comes back from practicing in the training arena. Her hair's braided in a tight crown around her head. She's bedecked in leather; leggings, jacket, all of it hugging those ever firming, faint curves of her young form. She shrugs off her sword as soon as she walks into the room and hangs it from a peg on the wall. A few daggers appear from seemingly no where to be dumped on a table forming a neat little pile of sharp iron. She looks around thier shared room, "Clara, did you have any wine sent up?"
"I did." A slender finger lifts up to indicate the bottle of wine and a pair of glasses upon a table, nestled along the back wall of the room. Clara herself is looking over a new purchase…a quarterstaff, leaning up against the wall besides the longbow they bought back in Four Corners. The staff looks rather simple enough, the same length as the bow…and most likely the same weight, if not just a little heavier, judging from the look. Obviously a practice piece. Clara looks up and over to Kira, and offers a bit in way of explanation. "I was out in the marketplace yesterday….thought I should get something I could use to practice melee without having to use my bow. I…been feeling like I want to strike things, as of late. I had an appointment I needed to keep…but I went back out and got this. Not as decorative…but I'm not using it for looks." The dagger that Kira gave Clara is sitting on a night stand, besides Clara's bed. At least, she still has it.
Kira smiles a little, tugging at the laces on her armor, sighing with reief as the tight skin eases it's grip on her torso, "I know the feeling. I seem to want to stab things a great deal lately." She glances at the dagger as she wriggles off the jerkin jacket, hanging it up along side the sword, "Have you met cousin Aidric? The Charing cousin?"
There is a slight pause, as the question is considered. "Now that you mentioned it….I did make Aidric's acquaintance yesterday. In the market. I was looking at the staves for the first time when I ran into both Aidric and Lord Sokar." Clara's face clouds in confusion. "Now…what was his name? Hmm….Thaddeus! That's it!"
There isn't a blush at all when Clara looks over to Kira. The young girl feels comfortable enough to be her somewhat naive self without embarassment. "He seemed kind enough, though I admit it was a rather brief meeting."
Kira nods, "Thaddeus is the Sokar heir. How did you find either of them." She shrugs off her coat and drops it on the bed, sightighing softly. "Aidric has rather bluntly asked me to climb into bed with him. Do you think he's handsome?"
Clara shrugs. "I have no idea. They just started talking to me." Another moment of consideration, then a correction. "Well, Thaddeus started talking to me, as I was looking over the staves. Aidric had dropped a scroll, which I picked up for him. He started speaking to Thaddeus first, before me, but we did converse for a rather short time."
The question of Aidric's appearance does catch Clara off-guard. "Hmm…I suppose? I mean, he is certainly attractive, but I really only just met him and…frankly….I wasn't thinking in that particular mindset." However, the first part of that sentence does deserve further exploration. "Wait…what? He said he wanted to court you, or just whisk you away to his boudour to have his way with you?" The last bit does have a slight lilt to the words. Clara *may* be teasing. A little.
Kira's cheeks color faintly. "Just whisk me away to his bed I am afraid. No talks of marriage." She rolls her eyes. " How was Thaddeus? I haven't met him ever I hear he's not so unappealing to look at either."
"Rather serious, I am afraid." It is the first thing that springs to Clara's mind. "Though, certainly amiable. Just a little stiff. Though, I am not sure if that is because it is only the second occasion that we have met, or if it is because of my checkered past that seems to be a favorite topic among those at court." There is a shrug of the shoulders. Clara is trying to pass off the hearsay that even she has heard as simple rubbish, but there just wasn't enough apathy in the act to be convincing. "Again, an attractive sort, if I should be honest. Certainly not terrible by any stretch of the imagination."
Clara shifts to sit down upon the bed. Her hand slides over to pick up the dagger, a fingertip tracing along the flat of the blade. "He did not think much of Sir Dacian, when he stumbled in. At least, that was the sense I picked up. There was nothing overtly to key on. And Dacian…he looked a complete wreck. Said he had a message he wanted relayed to Letholdus, but obviously did not feel comfortable telling me in public with the other two men present. I had thought of taking my brother to Dacian so that he can deliver his message to Dus directly, but I really don't want to bother Dus so soon after his wedding."
Kira drops down to sit on the bed, "Well Aidric seems to think I should drool all over his offer to crawl into his bed but strategically I should rather Thaddeus if it came to it. Maybe you can introduce me to him." Shr frowns a bit at the mention of Dacian. "Clara…."
Clara's nose wrinkles in disgust. "Really? That arrogant and sure of himself? That really…..really….is not appealing at all." The shift to Thaddeus is better received. "Well, I could, if you wish. Though he may not remember me. I had met Thaddeus once before…at the temporary hospital in the fortifications during the raid upon Four Corners. Understandably, he did not remember of it." The 'strategic' comment was not lost. It earned a raised eyebrow, but nothing more.
The frown upon Kira's features does warrant some attention though. There is an apprehensive glance cast over Kira's way. "Wh…what is it?" Already, Clara's on the defensive.
Kira nods slightly, "You should be careful with Dacian. He is still tied to the past. He needs patience… yes. But caution." She pauses to look over Clara. "Aidric kissed me at the wedding," She spurts on a girlish impulse.
Clara giggles. "At least you got kissed." A hand reaches over, to pat Kira's leg lightly, while the other places the dagger that was in Clara's hand down. "Standing up in front, during the ceremony, was almost horrible. All those eyes watching me…judging. I couldn't look out into the cathedral to see who I recognized. The only thing that made it worth while was being able to see how Letholdus and Claire interacted…up close." Clara throws her arms up in the air with an exagerated sigh as she falls backwards onto the bed. "I fear I may have to leave the kingdom if I ever wished to be kissed again." Yes…Clara said again.
While still laying on the bed, Clara turns her head towards Kira, as a lock of brown hair falls to obscure an eye. "I'll be careful, Kira. I'll have my guards with me. I can't go anywhere without them, you know." Another sigh, as those eyes turn to gaze at the ceiling. "Not that we have to worry about anything. It isn't like I am important or anything."
Kira frowns a little, "Clara… you should have your kisses. Maybe not from petulant noblemen but maybe we can find you a nice courtesan… so you don't lose your head to stupidity when a nobleman does kiss you…" She winks lightly. "I asked your brother if you could come to Ironhold but maybe you should go to four corners."
The young lady laying upon the bed shifts, rolling around until Clara is on her stomach, her chin propped up with both her hands. There is a slight smile at the thought of a courtesan. A smile that swiftly fades when mention of stupidity as well as going to Four Corners. "why…would I want to go to Four Corners? There would be no one there at all for me to talk to that I would know. Much less an opportunity to discover just how stupid I would be if a nobleman did kiss me." There is a bit of an edge to Clara's voice with that. There is definitely a seed of animosity in her for insinuating she would do something stupid. A typical teenager rebelling for no reason whatsoever. "After all, you'll be in Ironhold. There would be nothing for me to do…"
Kira's brow lifts, "The best courtesans are there." She pauses and looks over Clara, "My favorite courtesan is there, I'm sure she would help me find someone for you if I asked her."
And…just as quickly as the hint of defiance came, it dissipates. Stupidity, indeed. Clara just realized she was stupid for jumping to conclusions. And, her voice reflects that. No longer brash and bold. It is meek, soft, as Clara only speaks two words. "Oh……sorry." And, she means it. Clara does look truly sorry.
Kira blinks a few times at Clara, confused, "I get stupid sometimes when I'm kissed." She says a bit defensively herself. "But the courtesans make it easier."
There is a nod offered. "I understand. Though, really, I don't think a courtesan would be what I would need." Clara manages to offer a weak sort of smile to Kira. "I think I need to figure out what I am to do with myself first. Get my head in order before worrying about the heart."
Kira leans back against the wall, "I would like to have you come learn to hunt with me… it would be good for you I think. You could learn to live with out all this - defend yourself with out a mess of guards around."
A short laugh escapes from Clara. "Kira…I was living without all of this a year ago. I don't /want/ to have the guards around. I only have them, and only the bare minimum when I do, so that I can do anything at all. Otherwise, I would be trapped. As it is now, I recognize the tether tied about my ankle. I see the bars of the cage, gilded though they may be." Finally, the girl shifts back around, finding her feet and standing from the bed. Clara turns her back towards Kira, as Clara reaches over to slide a fingertip along the length of the staff propped along the wall. "I just wish people would see that I am not this grandiose character, nor a wicked northerner witch out to beguile all I come across."
"I'm….I'm just me."
Kira leans back against the wall and studies Clara for some time in silence. She reaches up and plucks the pins free from her hair, her fingers combing the pale blond curls from their tight braids. "Do you realize Clara you have the life I was raised for? What you take for granted is what our family members killed each other for for several years. Two deaths and you would be our queen. I would suggest you be less cavalier bout it outside of this room. I won't judge you for it but others… they would."
The fingertip along the staff freezes. Not just the finger, either. The entirety of Clara's body stiffens, motionless…looking for all the world like a statue. Then, slowly…oh so slowly….Clara turns to Kira, her eyes wide with shock? Disbelief? Realization? Perhaps all at once as finally the angsty little teenaged girl comprehends exactly why the looks…the hushed commentary…the fear from others was so prevalent. "I….No. That…that can't be. I'm only supposed to be an heir to a house…not….not to an entire kingdom. That is all I was raised for."
Clara reaches over, back to her bed, to steady herself. She sinks slowly down, until she finds herself sitting once more. Those brown eyes stay with Kira. "I didn't know. I might have suspected…but, it didn't make sense to me. I was never raised…with that sort of expectation. Forgive me, Kira." Finally the eye contact is broken. Clara's gaze is upon the floor now. "If I could, I would gladly give you this life I stumbled into. I…didn't mean to take it for granted. I knew not what it meant. This…this explains so much."
"You must think me an ungrateful upstart. Please…forgive me."
Kira frowns, "I don't think you are an ungrateful anything Clara. But you are a Romante. You are Royalty. You have two choices in life… be Royal or carve your own path." She pulls a pillow up behind her and lays back on the bed with a yawn. "You can't give me your life. It's yours, Clara. Make the most of it."