01-10-2010, 07:56 PM
DaVinci had had a long night. The ollamh’s had pressed for his decision in quite a few matters and their talks had been rather lengthy. They were still annoyed with him for holding out on ending the lives of the usurper’s men, which they believe would have been the things to bring order to the clans. He had believed that the number dead in the war had been enough and the beheading of Malchan’s mother, who seemed to be the one behind putting her son on the throne. Perhaps if Malchan had been raised in another land he would have been the rightful heir to these lands but it was not the way of things here. Two had died by his hands that he could remember, Malchan and his mother, the rest in the fury of battle had been forgotten all but the masses that had been laid in the ground.
When dinner had arrived he hadn’t been worried when Zana hadn’t shown, since the end of the war she and a few senior warriors had taken to scouting the lands and bringing the troublemakers to the courts. DaVinci had willed it being that those who had sided with Malchan had lost their land and holdings, those who had turned from the usurper had in turn been granted new titles. Many had been second and third sons and daughters who never would have inherited anyways. In time perhaps the loss would be righted but now they knew where they stood in the eyes of the Ri, and the rest of the clans folk knew as well. That had been justice enough for him but the ollamhs still tried to press him, though they knew they were getting nowhere now.
When he had fallen asleep at his study he had been looking over the day, wishing that for a second in time he could have a breath for himself. Perhaps it was the wine or the warmth of the fire, he would never know but the man had found himself drifting into a comfortable sleep after the exhausting day that had taken it’s toll. Once he would have woken at the sound of nothing but his time in these lands had changed that. It wasn’t as though he believed that he was invincible, that none could take his life, but the comforts of the hall and the trusted warriors standing guard did well enough, not to mention the need for a deeper sleep with the taxing worries of the everyday life that came in the hands of a ruler. This exhaust and deep sleep had brought Zana scurrying upon his desk without his notice, lost in dreams until his sudden rude awakening by the youngest sibling of his.
He hadn’t known what was upon him and he thrust out his arm to take a swipe at whatever had disturbed his slumber. The crash of many objects falling to the ground made him cringle slightly as he blinked away the sleep from his eyes, unfocused at first he finally was able to make out Zana perched precociously on the edge of his desk with a mischievous look to her eyes that he wasn’t all together sure that he liked. Grumbling to himself he began to gather his arms beneither him as he rested his chin on one fist as he realized that Zana was speaking.
This talk of princesses in the castle threw him off as he leaned back a moment before settling in his chair. He was trying to make out who or what she was talking about, his mind beginning to awaken as he realized that his sister was playing at his mane, settling loose locks and brushing his fur back into some sort of order. He shook his head at her strange manner and batted her paws away as he sighed and turned to asked her just what she was up to, but as quick as a flash she’d moved across the floor and was opening the door to the hall. She spoke before darting through the door and into the castle’s inner works beyond.
He flicked an ear forward as she seemed to be teasing him, her words causing further annoyance. DaVinci didn’t take to surprises in his castle and Zana seemed to be enjoying this fact a little too much. He grumbled to himself as he settled out his affairs, threw his cloak over one shoulder and sighed. He was still in his attire from dinner and he figured that there was no need to change from the buckskin pants he wore. They weren’t dirty and aside from a little rumpled from his sleep he believed that they would do fine. Zana was probably pulling his leg in her strange mocking ways and had a new assortment of captives that she wanted him to deal with right away. He knew the sooner the caught ones were managed the sooner she would be back in the woods with her warriors. He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair before opening the door to the hall beyond.
He ignored the amused looks of the warriors who stood guard at the ends of the hall before he moved to the stairs and silently and slowly descended into the main workings of the castle. He really hoped that Zana had a good excuse for waking him, even though he knew that she would have been even more cross at having found him still asleep in his study if she’d returned in the dawn hours. He had come to realize that the small woman had become his shadow of sorts, almost like Aisleran had become her own. DaVinci had done right and dismissed his friend from service as his guard, knowing that it would be easier than reprimanding the man all the time for the distraction that was his sister. Nesmed had taken his place and things had moved smoothly. DaVinci wondered if he needed to call on his guard at this moment but decided not to. If Zana wasn’t too worried then he wouldn’t be either. He shook his head and turned to the bottom of the stairs and began his long walk to the throne room, wondering just why they had placed them there.
He was greeted by very little as he moved down the wake, none of the castle really seemed to be awake at this time. He didn’t mind though, it meant fewer people that he had to acknowledge and be proper and courteous to. There were some parts of being the Ri that did not come so quickly to him, the manners expected of him being one. His brooding sometime sullen manner made it hard for him to be a proper face in the court at times. This moment to relax was a blessing in disguise.
The man came to the archway that would lead to the chambers beyond where Zana wanted him. He was slightly annoyed to realize that Zana nor any of the other warriors were waiting outside the chambers. He began to wonder if perhaps Zana had been honest after all and there was someone of importance beyond the way. He frowned slightly and walked into the antechamber and walked down the entry stairs towards this princess that Zana spoke of with such mischief in her eyes. He really hoped this wasn’t her try at matchmaking because he would have to wring her neck, and that wouldn’t bode well with the ollamhs or the people of the clans.
Halfway down the stairs he stopped, the lone figure sitting all alone on one of the many stone benches that lined the walls made him loose track of what he was suppose to be doing. There was little light in the room and what light was there threw shadows across the figure, but the scent that reached him as his heart gave a leap was one that he would never forget. A barely auditable whisper broke from his lips, ”Ryan..” He couldn’t believe it; he almost didn’t believe it, as much as he wanted to. She’d chosen the clan over him time and time again, why she was sitting here in this castle so alone he couldn’t bring together any reason that would seem reasonable.
His movements were almost mechanical as he found himself drawn down the stairs once more and slowly across the room. His stormy orbs lost and confused as he tried to find words but nothing would emerge past his lips. He drew his tongue across them nervously as he swallowed and came to rest before her. His eyes troubled with a thunderous look behind them as finally he asked, ”Why are you here.” Those were not the words he had expected to come forth and the tone was nothing like what he’d thought he’d speak to the woman who’d stolen his heart but it had been so long since he’d seen her and he’d all but given up hope on finding her again, much less being close enough to touch.
His fingers quivered at the idea of the feel of her flesh beneath them as he swallowed back the hurt and pain. He was afraid in some way that she was a ghost, that if he did reach out towards her that she would vanish and he would be left with nothing but the memories of the precious time they spent together once more. Life was so cruel and yet sometimes he wondered if he deserved it. He bowed his head in defeat as his voice choked, his words wavering and barely there as he whispered. ”Is it really you?” He wasn’t for certain if he could trust his heart anymore, or if he could trust his eyes for that matter. He raised his blue grey eyes once more to find those crimson eyes he’d dreamed of so often, tears misting the stormy orbs as he waited for some sign, some truth to it all.
When dinner had arrived he hadn’t been worried when Zana hadn’t shown, since the end of the war she and a few senior warriors had taken to scouting the lands and bringing the troublemakers to the courts. DaVinci had willed it being that those who had sided with Malchan had lost their land and holdings, those who had turned from the usurper had in turn been granted new titles. Many had been second and third sons and daughters who never would have inherited anyways. In time perhaps the loss would be righted but now they knew where they stood in the eyes of the Ri, and the rest of the clans folk knew as well. That had been justice enough for him but the ollamhs still tried to press him, though they knew they were getting nowhere now.
When he had fallen asleep at his study he had been looking over the day, wishing that for a second in time he could have a breath for himself. Perhaps it was the wine or the warmth of the fire, he would never know but the man had found himself drifting into a comfortable sleep after the exhausting day that had taken it’s toll. Once he would have woken at the sound of nothing but his time in these lands had changed that. It wasn’t as though he believed that he was invincible, that none could take his life, but the comforts of the hall and the trusted warriors standing guard did well enough, not to mention the need for a deeper sleep with the taxing worries of the everyday life that came in the hands of a ruler. This exhaust and deep sleep had brought Zana scurrying upon his desk without his notice, lost in dreams until his sudden rude awakening by the youngest sibling of his.
He hadn’t known what was upon him and he thrust out his arm to take a swipe at whatever had disturbed his slumber. The crash of many objects falling to the ground made him cringle slightly as he blinked away the sleep from his eyes, unfocused at first he finally was able to make out Zana perched precociously on the edge of his desk with a mischievous look to her eyes that he wasn’t all together sure that he liked. Grumbling to himself he began to gather his arms beneither him as he rested his chin on one fist as he realized that Zana was speaking.
This talk of princesses in the castle threw him off as he leaned back a moment before settling in his chair. He was trying to make out who or what she was talking about, his mind beginning to awaken as he realized that his sister was playing at his mane, settling loose locks and brushing his fur back into some sort of order. He shook his head at her strange manner and batted her paws away as he sighed and turned to asked her just what she was up to, but as quick as a flash she’d moved across the floor and was opening the door to the hall. She spoke before darting through the door and into the castle’s inner works beyond.
He flicked an ear forward as she seemed to be teasing him, her words causing further annoyance. DaVinci didn’t take to surprises in his castle and Zana seemed to be enjoying this fact a little too much. He grumbled to himself as he settled out his affairs, threw his cloak over one shoulder and sighed. He was still in his attire from dinner and he figured that there was no need to change from the buckskin pants he wore. They weren’t dirty and aside from a little rumpled from his sleep he believed that they would do fine. Zana was probably pulling his leg in her strange mocking ways and had a new assortment of captives that she wanted him to deal with right away. He knew the sooner the caught ones were managed the sooner she would be back in the woods with her warriors. He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair before opening the door to the hall beyond.
He ignored the amused looks of the warriors who stood guard at the ends of the hall before he moved to the stairs and silently and slowly descended into the main workings of the castle. He really hoped that Zana had a good excuse for waking him, even though he knew that she would have been even more cross at having found him still asleep in his study if she’d returned in the dawn hours. He had come to realize that the small woman had become his shadow of sorts, almost like Aisleran had become her own. DaVinci had done right and dismissed his friend from service as his guard, knowing that it would be easier than reprimanding the man all the time for the distraction that was his sister. Nesmed had taken his place and things had moved smoothly. DaVinci wondered if he needed to call on his guard at this moment but decided not to. If Zana wasn’t too worried then he wouldn’t be either. He shook his head and turned to the bottom of the stairs and began his long walk to the throne room, wondering just why they had placed them there.
He was greeted by very little as he moved down the wake, none of the castle really seemed to be awake at this time. He didn’t mind though, it meant fewer people that he had to acknowledge and be proper and courteous to. There were some parts of being the Ri that did not come so quickly to him, the manners expected of him being one. His brooding sometime sullen manner made it hard for him to be a proper face in the court at times. This moment to relax was a blessing in disguise.
The man came to the archway that would lead to the chambers beyond where Zana wanted him. He was slightly annoyed to realize that Zana nor any of the other warriors were waiting outside the chambers. He began to wonder if perhaps Zana had been honest after all and there was someone of importance beyond the way. He frowned slightly and walked into the antechamber and walked down the entry stairs towards this princess that Zana spoke of with such mischief in her eyes. He really hoped this wasn’t her try at matchmaking because he would have to wring her neck, and that wouldn’t bode well with the ollamhs or the people of the clans.
Halfway down the stairs he stopped, the lone figure sitting all alone on one of the many stone benches that lined the walls made him loose track of what he was suppose to be doing. There was little light in the room and what light was there threw shadows across the figure, but the scent that reached him as his heart gave a leap was one that he would never forget. A barely auditable whisper broke from his lips, ”Ryan..” He couldn’t believe it; he almost didn’t believe it, as much as he wanted to. She’d chosen the clan over him time and time again, why she was sitting here in this castle so alone he couldn’t bring together any reason that would seem reasonable.
His movements were almost mechanical as he found himself drawn down the stairs once more and slowly across the room. His stormy orbs lost and confused as he tried to find words but nothing would emerge past his lips. He drew his tongue across them nervously as he swallowed and came to rest before her. His eyes troubled with a thunderous look behind them as finally he asked, ”Why are you here.” Those were not the words he had expected to come forth and the tone was nothing like what he’d thought he’d speak to the woman who’d stolen his heart but it had been so long since he’d seen her and he’d all but given up hope on finding her again, much less being close enough to touch.
His fingers quivered at the idea of the feel of her flesh beneath them as he swallowed back the hurt and pain. He was afraid in some way that she was a ghost, that if he did reach out towards her that she would vanish and he would be left with nothing but the memories of the precious time they spent together once more. Life was so cruel and yet sometimes he wondered if he deserved it. He bowed his head in defeat as his voice choked, his words wavering and barely there as he whispered. ”Is it really you?” He wasn’t for certain if he could trust his heart anymore, or if he could trust his eyes for that matter. He raised his blue grey eyes once more to find those crimson eyes he’d dreamed of so often, tears misting the stormy orbs as he waited for some sign, some truth to it all.