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Post by Kendrick Deveroix on Apr 14, 2007 20:32:08 GMT -5
I was vexed more with the fact that she came to the City with none but Jonas to watch her stubborn back, and though I still had a strong urge to hang her by her toes, seeing a quiet war within her softened me. Watching with an unreadable expression as she made her way back to the table, I attempted to observe her in an unbiased light; The princess Phreya and this Noelle had taught her a few things, had they? Apparently one was a lesson in propriety, one we at our families estates had always failed in. Julie was headstrong, and learning social ladders was never high on her list of fun. I had no choice, however.
Remembering her whispered warning, I merely stood where I was; following her to the table as she made her goodbyes may seem as if I were shadowing her in light of appearing as I did here, and may make it look like I didn't trust her to speak for her own without having me listen in. No, I'd wait until she were fairly well through, and then, if it were going well, I decide if I would go to the table to apologize. She was a big girl, and well able to care for he own. I needed to start letting her do so.
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Post by Princess Phreya de la Courcel on Apr 14, 2007 22:58:50 GMT -5
I noticed Mordred looking our way and smiled, catching a bar maid I ordered a drink to be sent to him along with an invitation to join the table. Turning back I saw that Jules was returning to the table.
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Post by Mordred no' Mandrake on Apr 14, 2007 23:21:36 GMT -5
Taking the drink and the message from the serving girl I gave Phreya a crooked but charming smile as I stood and, with as much confidence as I'd had when walking in, I went over. "Hello, lovely ladies," I said as I sat. "Have you been having a good time so far?"
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Post by Noelle d'Aubigne on Apr 15, 2007 22:37:40 GMT -5
Lifting my brow as Phreya invited the confident man over to the table via servent, I glanced at her in mild amusement - sadly, though, I heard no name given with the message. One hand resting on the table and toying idly with the stem of my wineglass, I remained silent as he walked up, my face relaxed, unruffled.
Did she have something up her sleeve? Mayhap, mayhap not; in truth it mattered little. Life was about surprises, about keeping ones wit.
My attention was brought back as he spoke his question, and again I remained silent, letting Phreya talk as she, apparently, knew him.
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Post by Julie Deveroix (D) on Apr 15, 2007 22:40:23 GMT -5
I walked back to the table, noting that I was converging with a very confident man clad in black. He sat at the table just as I reached it.
Was I interrupting anything? I did not know. Sending Kendrick an imploring look, I stood at the table and waited for Phreya and Noelle to respond to the newcomer. Once that would be done, I would excuse myself and give them my thanks.
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Post by Noelle d'Aubigne on Apr 15, 2007 22:42:36 GMT -5
Glancing up as Jules returned to the table, I gave her a masked smile, welcoming her back without words.
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Post by Princess Phreya de la Courcel on Apr 15, 2007 23:40:28 GMT -5
I smiled. "Mordred no Mandrake," I said softly. "My I present Noelle, Jules and Oriel no Cereus." I turned to the table. "Ladies, this is Mordred."
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Post by Mordred no' Mandrake on Apr 16, 2007 5:18:21 GMT -5
Nodding in acknowledgement as each one was introduced to me I smiled charmingly and took another swig of my ale. "It's nice to meet all of you charming ladies, and to see you again," I said to the group and then Phreya. "Thank you for letting me join you, from afar it looked like you were all having a wonderful time and I'd hate to miss it."
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Post by Julie Deveroix (D) on Apr 16, 2007 11:46:19 GMT -5
I smiled warmly to the table. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mordred nó Mandrake. Unfortunately, I will have to wait to get to know you. I have been called upon and must leave at once."
I gave Oriel a warm smile. Of all the people at the table, she was the one I knew would take me as I was, and I relished her for it. We will meet again.
Turning to Phreya and Noelle, I added "It has been a privilege to get to know you. I just would not leave without thanking you one last time for your patience and your kindness. Rest assured your teachings will not be wasted. I have little to offer, but I will be at your service," I added with a wan smile.
I hesitated for a moment. I wanted to say something else, to offer an address, but somehow, it did't feel quite right. Besides, Kendrick had made sure the Deveroix name had been thrown out when I had been so careful keeping it to myself.
I overcame the last of my hesitation, and with a graceful bow I'd been practicing in secret, I added, "Julie Deveroix, at your service."
I looked up from my bow, a twinkle of satisfaction in my eyes. The bow was graceful, and it felt much less foolish then curtsying in breaches.
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Post by Noelle d'Aubigne on Apr 16, 2007 14:04:54 GMT -5
Giving Mordred a slight nod of greet as Phreya spoke my name, I remained silent once more as he immediatly turned to address the princess upon greeting the three of us. Glancing up at Jules, or rather Julie, I reached out as she straightened from her boyish bow, catching her hand up with mine. "D'Aubigne," I said softly. "Noelle D'Aubigne, so we are on equal ground." Smiling, I released her hand and tucked it back in my lap, my other still toying with the stem of my wineglass. "Feel free to call upon me should you have need. You are interesting to say the least, Julie Deveroix."
Transferring my attention to Phreya, Oriel and Mordred, I sat back, turning my dark eyes from the cheery young Cerus adept to the darker, solider Mandrake, and finally to the quiet, observent princess. It must be the table, I mused, that brought together such an unlikely mix of individuals. Still, things remained interesting, and I was content to see where it would lead.
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Post by Princess Phreya de la Courcel on Apr 16, 2007 15:52:21 GMT -5
Deveroix and D'Aubigne, I stored the information away and smiled with a slight incline to Jules. "It was a pleasure to meet you Jules," I said genuinely. "Perhaps I'll see you around at court?"
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Post by Julie Deveroix (D) on Apr 17, 2007 11:07:41 GMT -5
When Noelle went from being a modest and reserved peer to a spontaneous woman, I grinned inside. There you are. There would definitely be more to her then I had thought. When she took my hand, I squeezed it gently in ascent and my eyes were just a bit moist. I would definitely call on her, albeit for the pleasure of her wise company. "Do not doubt that I will, Noelle D'Aubigne."
My hat tucked under my arm in a military fashion, I nodded to Phreya with reverence. "You will, should you wish for it," I replied. Grinning inside at the jest, I added "Though I will certainly look less dusty next time we meet."
"Now, if you'll allow me, I must take my leave," and turned heels after one last short bow. Suddenly, I felt weary, and the sword at my side seemed heavier then ever.
Three steps into my walk, a twinkle of laughter in my eye, and authentic affection beamed out of me as I turned around and whispered over my shoulder to the unlikely quartet, "We will meet again."
With that, I went over to Kendrick who still stood by the door, and waited for his instructions.
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Post by Kendrick Deveroix on Apr 17, 2007 16:47:46 GMT -5
Giving her a close-mouthed smile as she returned, I opened the door and waited for her to step through, then followed her out. Jonas trailed us both, though I really had little thought for it.
Ordering our coach to be brought around, I merely gave Julie a sideways look, trying to assess the situation. She changed some since I last seen her, but hell, I'd likely changed too. Now I had to figure her out though, and she always was a complex one to understand; time away just magnified it.
"Who were your friends?" I asked at long last, breaking the silence that surrounded as our carriage pulled up.
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Post by Julie Deveroix (D) on Apr 18, 2007 20:40:28 GMT -5
I smiled mysteriously to Kendrick as I waited for the carriage to pull up before I continued the conversation with him. Besides, he knew full well who I was sitting with.
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Post by Kendrick Deveroix on Apr 19, 2007 12:44:42 GMT -5
Giving her an unreadable look as the carriage rolled to a stop before us, I held the door open for her out of pure habit, climbing in beside her after she'd settled herself.
My quiet days were gone.
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Post by Noelle d'Aubigne on Apr 19, 2007 13:55:50 GMT -5
I watched without comment as Julie left the company of us for that of her elder brother - truly, I saw it now, and did almost immediatly after Phreya had pointed it out. Biting my lip to hold my amusement in check, I turned back to Phreya and Mordred, letting my wine-glass go.
"A pleasure to meet you, Mordred no Mandrake," I said, my voice holding a hint of mirth. A belated greeting, true, though better late than never I supposed.
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Post by Mordred no' Mandrake on Apr 21, 2007 22:31:18 GMT -5
Smiling with a sort of rakish charm I nodded to the Lady Aubigne. "Thank you," I replied, my voice holding a note of reserved strength. The happenings of before, the girl leaving with her kin, was no concern of mine- but this could be interesting. "I hope your day has gone well thus far, ladies?"
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Post by Princess Phreya de la Courcel on Apr 22, 2007 17:15:25 GMT -5
"Well enough," I answered to Mordred. "And you?"
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Post by Mordred no' Mandrake on Apr 22, 2007 17:32:00 GMT -5
"Fair," I admitted, taking another drink of my ale. "It's been quiet at House Mandrake for me as late, so I've had to fill my time with other things."
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Post by Noelle d'Aubigne on Apr 23, 2007 9:08:31 GMT -5
A natural tendancy to be reserved is all that kept my brow from raising in surprise; I'd not have thought things were quiet for him, but I supposed I knew little of Mandrake. Perhaps their patrons weren't as quick to call back as others, or the taste for such play was far more limited.
"Such as?" I asked, meaning not to pry. It was mildly awkward, being the out-deer of the herd - in this case, the only one who does not have a standing relationship with another at the table. Ah, such was life, and a change from the manor that I readily welcomed. Challenges were always appealing to me, whether by game or by life.
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Post by Mordred no' Mandrake on Apr 23, 2007 15:05:39 GMT -5
"Looking for whatever strikes my fancy," I replied simply. "And then seeing how far I can take it."
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Post by Noelle d'Aubigne on Apr 23, 2007 15:09:35 GMT -5
"Ah," I said just as simply, a brow raising slightly. "And what if you find something that strikes such fancy as you have, yet are unable to pursue it? Do you give up and just move on, or do you attempt to find a path to what you want?"
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Post by Mordred no' Mandrake on Apr 23, 2007 15:14:34 GMT -5
"If there's a path, there's no way I would miss it and let something go," I told her in a common-sense but respectful tone. "I am not the sort who quits anything, but I am also not the sort to chase what doesn't wish to be chased. I wouldn't want to be a bird- I don't possess wings; that is an example. The world is large and there is more than enough for me to do that I am capable of than those things which elude me."
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Post by Noelle d'Aubigne on Apr 23, 2007 15:23:45 GMT -5
I shook my head slightly. "I apologize - I didn't clarify what I meant. Not an easy path, wide open and for the taking. One that provides challenges, obstacles to overcome, but with a rich reward at the end." Lifting my glass of wine and taking a sip, I looked him over subtly, appraising, though not in an unfriendly way. "Unless, of course, you balk at such challenges. You don't, do you Mordred?" My voice softened at the last, becoming slightly vulnerable and more feminine, though my mind spun thoughts as quick as lightning. Would he be offended? Little game to him if he were so this easily, I supposed.
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Post by Mordred no' Mandrake on Apr 23, 2007 15:29:04 GMT -5
"the only paths worth following are the ones with the richest rewards, which I will admit the most difficult paths often possess. An easy path is nothing more than a doorway to boredom, which is precisely what I was trying to avoid."
Ah, she showed a little interest. Perhaps false interest, in the nature of the game, but I was skilled enough in it myself to make her regret not having the sort of tastes I catered to if she didn't. With a rakish grin I cocked my head and looked at her with the same sort of appraisal with the same sort of atmosphere, just to show her I'd noticed. "I balk at nothing save that which has no purpose."
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Post by Noelle d'Aubigne on Apr 23, 2007 15:37:37 GMT -5
I laughed - I couldn't help it. The way he appraised me coupled with the grin he had just was a mix for disaster, and I was fortunate enough to find humor in it. Letting my laughter fade into a coy smile, I set my glass down as I leaned forward toward him ever so slightly. "I think, Mordred, you and I are cut from the same sort of cloth, if opposite sides."
He reminded me of a tiger I'd once seen, stalking the barriers of his cage, and the stark terror of it when he managed to escape them. I was but a girl then, but I remember well. A tiger, this Mandrake. Perhaps all were, but I found myself hoping not.
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Post by Mordred no' Mandrake on Apr 23, 2007 15:53:30 GMT -5
"There are no opposite sides on cloth, except the nap and the finery," I replied innocently, playing like a fox with a bit of goosedown. "Which one does that make me?"
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Post by Noelle d'Aubigne on Apr 23, 2007 16:09:19 GMT -5
"I suppose," I said blandly, "That would depend on how you view yourself in comparison with me."
Glancing to Phreya, I hid a smile, then looked back to Mordred. "There are, however, more than what you have apparently been exposed to. It simply takes a skilled clothier to prepare such fabric. I was referring to such cloth when I made the statement, though now... Do you think of one of us as nap, Mordred?" Tilting my head downward slightly, I peered up at him, appearing as innocent as an untried foal, my voice soft and airy.
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Post by Mordred no' Mandrake on Apr 23, 2007 16:24:51 GMT -5
So, she wanted Phreya to take her part- from what I knew of the Princess I didn't really think she would, but it would be interesting to be wrong. "I have been exposed to far more than you think- and just because the back and front of the fabric look the same doesn't mean one isn't a nap- it just means it's pretending to be fine. That makes it a falsifier as well as crude. Everything has the wrong side, where all work is done. Ask an Eglantine."
My gaze narrowed as I heard her baiting me and ignored it- years of experience with the chits they get now at Valerian had taught me well. There was no place in this world for sincerity anymore. "I avoid comparing myself to anyone, in metaphor or not, as a matter of principle- because then I am bound by the limits I set on myself. It is only a prideful lie."
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Post by Noelle d'Aubigne on Apr 23, 2007 16:32:50 GMT -5
"Prideful as may be, lying never suits me." Sitting back in my chair, I kept my gaze on his own, thoughts tumbling. "Comparisons happen whether you will it or no; it is a fact of life, of the nature of beings. The most we can hope for is to rise above such comparisons and enjoy what we can while we can. I do indulge myself such pleasure as I come across, though such indulgences are not common."
A tiger, caged still, though calculating the latch which holds him in. "Besides, quering to an Eglantine will prove nothing; there are such fabrics that hide the work on the inside. Both top and bottom are for show, and generally for those who perform such acts that make fabric flip, or for those who simply have nothing better to spend their monies on." My voice was slightly dry, though I didn't bother looking away from him. Teach me something, perhaps? I was no fool he could banter around with a handful of simple words and half facts. Still, I was not upset, and found the encounter more amusing than not.
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