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Ariana Lenoir · Posted: Mon Mar 23, 2009 8:27 pm Post subject: Res in cardine est

Ariana soaked in the warm bath at her manor. She needed her space, time to think and figure out what she wanted given the current events. She had seen the same need in Cyrus, and seized the opportunity to encourage and support him. He had gone inside and with a pleasant smile, she had turned and not followed. They were both tied to the formalities of their upbringing and the desire to put on a pleasant show even when the reality was otherwise.

This last week had brought a torrent of emotions, change and had taken everything she thought of the world and turned it upside down. When her mental control was shattered by Kelly, it was more disastrous than any physical damage that the woman could have done. She had been crippled mentally, her mind overwhelmed by emotions, impulse and the lack of ability to control them. Her ability to look on the world without any emotion, to look at situations even involving herself with a consistent cold internal logic was gone. She felt herself looking at situations in a different light, and it tortured her inside. The world had always been a shade of gray, and then her emotions had poured into it and splashed it with colors and contrast. Colors and contrast that changed her world beyond even her scope of imagination. She had done the unthinkable and enjoyed it.

Brick by brick she had begun to rebuild her wall. It was more difficult than she thought possible and she seethed inside with irritation about it. It was as if she were trying to build a brick wall across a raging river. Each time she would cement a new layer of bricks securely in place, a flash flood of emotion would hit and wash several bricks downstream. She was making progress, but it was slow and tedious.

The emotional tide that swooned inside her did little to help her unsettled thoughts. Those thoughts turned on the ongoing courtship with Cyrus. The subject was more troubling to her than even the threat of her impending death at the hands of the Cappadocians. He would be a perfect husband and it was this fact that first spurned her to agree to his request of courtship. He has power, status and good lineage. He treated her as she expected to be; as she deserved to be as a noble born Lady. He was young, but she could see the potential in him to be one of the great kings. She performed the part so well, every gesture and every word so flawlessly executed as if she were auditioning for a lead character in a play. She knew what he would expect from a wife, and she did her best to not disappoint him. It had started so simple, so perfectly devoid of emotion.

Perfection never lasts. It was little things at first. An occasional smile when he wasn't looking at her. Her eyes lingering as their eyes met in the tavern. She found herself genuinely amused at his witty humor in private. She found herself looking forward to seeing him and began to enjoy his company, even when they sat in quiet silence by the hearth. She had dismissed it, refusing to believe she had given emotion any quarter in this.

... until the night she had risked it all to protect him... and then the stage curtain came crashing down upon her. Everything had become all too real.
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Cyrus Skyfire · Adventurer Joined: 16 Jan 2009 Posts: 28

Cyrus Skyfire sat alone in his study. Turning the pages of one of the many journals his father had written years before, yet not really reading what was written. His mind was in turmoil over recent events. Vampires to relationships, one had to be easier to understand then another. Cyrus just couldn't figure out which one at present.

His meeting with Isk, though short, was brought to the point quickly. Thoroughly convinced that attacking the Cappadocians and their allies now rather then waiting. Cyrus had made the suggestion of attacking not only the half of Britain under their control but following it with quick assaults of Minoc and Vesper as well. He left that meeting thinking he should be in a better mood and was surprised he wasn't.

There was also the matter of Ariana, he truly was grateful she had ended up in his life. He just couldn't shake the feeling that maybe it was moving too quickly. Her suggestion that he spend less time with her was almost a relief to hear. His manor did seem crowded when they where there together, despite the comfort her presence afforded. Though he was very concerned over her safety he couldn't find the heart to put up an argument against the suggestion. Regretting it now even though he did understand she needed time and he did as well. Time to come to terms with everything that had happened recently between them. He just couldn't help but feel that he should have made more of an effort to protest her suggestion.

Closing the cover of the journal and pushing his chair back from the desk he stood up. Walking across the room he reached for the handle of the door to his bedroom but stopped. Looking down to his hand briefly he clenched and unclenched his fist a few times. Sighing as he turned on his heel only to walk back to the desk and sit back down while opening the cover of the journal again.

So, he sat alone in his study, reading old journals but not really reading them, regretting how empty the manor felt, and found himself waking up the next morning at his desk.