"You are just as infuriating and insufferable as I remember," She hissed, glaring daggers at him. Allian was more than angry with Ezra as he kept telling her no, she was coursing with rage. And her next actions were rooted in rage. She gritted her teeth and uncrossed her arms as she continued, "If you won't give me the list, then I'll make sure your stay in the palace is living hell," Punctuating her last words by reaching out and giving him the hardest shove she could.
He barely moved with the shove, his free hand clenching. "And how will you do that, o bastard princess?" he hissed through his teeth, eyes narrowed down at her. "You have no power, not yet. I'm only following orders, something I wouldn't expect a pampered pet like you to understand." the scars on his face twisted and curved strangely, especially with the way he was glaring at her right now.
"I have more power here at the palace than your tiny mind would ever know," She snapped, venom laced in her tone, "And I am no pet you stuck up sorry excuse for a general. I wonder if you have to follow an order just to get yourself dressed in the morning. Hm? Can you even make a decision on your own robot boy?" Allian was downright furious with Ezra still, and she was ready to use every insult she had. He knew how to get to her, calling her a pet for one, but she also knew how to hurt him. He had his weaknesses. "Maybe if you did something other than listen to directions, you'd actually have people who respected you instead of pitied your dependency on orders."
He clenched his jaw. "At least I can dress myself. How many people does it take to dress you every morning, hm? Since, as we all know, princesses are absolutely incapable of lifting a finger to do anything but eat and take a stroll aroudn their private gardens." he retorted. "After all, we'd hate for the precious princess to actually have any valuable, real-world skills like oh, I don't know, swordplay. To have any clue at all what it's like to depend on another person and have them depend on you."
“Maybe you should have someone dress you, that way you won’t look as much like a clown,” She snapped, rolling her eyes before snorting, “Swordplay? Really? At least think of something better to insult me with than a generals excuse for fighting in battle. At least here I learned how to do a job myself rather than send someone else to do it for me. After all we both know that once you reach your rank all you have to do is send soldiers to death and pretend you are sad when they send news of their death.” If he had made her mad before, she was somehow beyond that now. All of his insults were blows to her pride, and even if she could take them, they hurt. She knew he remembered what teasing could make her cry as a child, and he was using it again full force now.
He almost swung at her, then. He hadn't been a general immediately. He had fought and killed and for the gods sake, the person he had loved had died, and while he didn't know if Allian knew that, he didn't know if she had meant it to hurt that much, for fucks sake, it had. "Like you know anything of death." he snarled. "Like you've ever seen anyone fight and die for anything, so pampered and cushioned and spoiled, here in the palace. News flash, your highness, but not everyone gets the comfort of everyone else fighting and dying for them." his finger tapped one of the scars along his face. "Not all of us get to sit in a palace and powder our faces and look down on everyone else. Some of us risk our lives, you know. Some of us sign hundreds, thousands of condolence letters to families that will never see their sons or daughters again. Others, like you, go in parades and pretend you know anything about the suffering of anyone else, while stuffing your faces at full-course meals."
Allian was about ready to slap him when he spoke. Why did he want to insult her for living in the palace? "Do you remember nothing from when we were younger, Ezra?" Her voice took on a new, scary calm as she spoke, like she was getting ready to properly yell at him, "Not that I expect you to, you aren't the brightest. News flash, death isn't just a mystical being that lurks around battles. It gets to everyone. And telling me that I don't know death only because I live here is like telling a fisherman they don't know how to fish only because they live in the city. I have watched people I love die as I rot away in this damn palace, starting with our friend, or have you forgotten anything from the past?" Her words got faster and angrier as she spoke, letting out years of anger out at him in the only way she knew how, "And before you snarl some insult at me about living here, I'll have you know that I have done my part and more for the people my father rules. You may sign condolence letters but you still sit around and watch as soldiers you command are led to their death. And maybe you'll get a medal or two for doing so." She took a small breath, no longer focused on getting the list he held, instead trying to inflict damage like he was. "You're still that whiny little boy who follows praise like a dog and will run towards any approval even if he had to backstab and leave others behind to do so."
He snorted. "Oh is that what this is still about? The fact that I chose a career and significant other over staying here in the palace hanging onto your skirts?" He demanded. "Is that what you're being such a bitch about, Allian?" He glared down at her. "And I do not sit around. Do not lecture me about my job when you have no idea what it entails. I would rather be on the front with my men right now, but I was summoned here because of you. All of us were, and you have the absolute gall and audacity to mock me and the things I do? Yes, right now I sit and send men to their deaths, but that's because I'm not there. I'm not there because of you, Allian. I can't survey the battlefield and the enemy because of you. My men are dying because I can't be there because of you." He took a step closer to her, looking down at her with fury in his eyes. "I'm here, sitting around, because I'm following orders and doing my job. I'm sorry that that doesn't make any sense to you, your royal high highness. I'm not sure how to get it through your thick, spoiled skull, into whatever tiny brain is bouncing around inside."
Even as he stepped close enough that they were only inches apart, Allian refused to move. Her furious glare stayed ever present as he fought with her, but inside her pride and resolve were crumbling. Being called names was the last straw. "Do not call me a bitch, General." She spoke through gritted teeth, being just petty enough to step forward onto his foot, though she wished she could do more than that without being scolded. "If you're so set on getting back to your troops, then feel free to do so. Or go whine to my father about my horrid behavior and follow him around. Either way I don't care. Just get out of my sight. I have to go find someone new to replace your sorry ass as a general when I get coronated." Finally stepping off of his foot, she held her glare before shoving past him, seething with anger and broken pride.
"Oh, so now you want me to leave. Funny, I remember it being quite the opposite, last time I was here." he shot back as she walked away, the list still held in one of his hands. "Then again, there's no accounting for women and their moodswings." and then he was walking away, face pinched in fury.
(he's not a misogynist, just an asshole lmao)
(lmao I'm glad you said that, otherwise I might've had Allian absolutely deck Ezra)
Allian let out a string of curses under her breath, all of which she wished she would've said to his face as she hurried away from him. Winding through the halls, she tried to contain herself, but it wasn't easy, considering she wanted to cry or slap Ezra. She was unsure of which would come first. But she was certain that it would be a few minutes before she went back to see the other general's and her father. Ezra would be scolded for being gone so long, that she figured, it was just a matter of how long she would have to wait before he got asked about her disappearance as well.
(he knows that what he's saying is a cruddy thing to say (and also not true), he's just pissed lmao)
(oooh also what if she doesn't know that the person he was in love with is dead and she tries to use that against him at some point and he just,,,, explodes)
Ezra took a moment to compose himself, taking deep breaths and closing his eyes and counting to ten. He couldn't go back to the king and the other generals looking ready to commit murder. Once he'd schooled himself and his expression into something neutral, if not exactly pleasant, he headed into the room where the king was waiting. He bowed as he handed over the list. "My apologies for the wait, your majesty. I…ran into some trouble." he didn't elaborate on it just yet; he didn't want to seem like a tattling child.
(Ohohoho yessss I like that ideaaaaa)
The King was deep in conversation with some of the other generals, only looking up when Ezra entered. “What kind of issues would hold up a general, hm?” The King asked, cracking a smile as he took the list, “I’ll look through this, we can discuss further if there is someone of interest. But now,” He leaned back in his chair, setting the list aside, “Why don’t you join us? Relax, sit down, before we have to start our business tomorrow.”
—-
Allian didn’t bother going back to meet her father, wandering the halls of the palace until she found a mostly secluded part, tucked away overlooking the gardens behind the palace. She didn’t know why she had ended up here, but either way she sighed, sitting on the window ledge. There wasn’t much of a view, considering the time of night, but it was comforting anyway to take time and relax, to process Ezra’s fight with her.
(:D great!)
Ezra nodded. "Of course, sir." He replied, sitting down on a seat with a faint smile. He considered for a moment saying that Allian would want to see the list, then narrowed his eyes and pushed the idea away. No. If Allian wanted to see it, she could ask her father. He wasn't going to be speaking up for her.
(Should we do a little time skip?)
(sure! To when?)
(Maybe to a following day? Or another interaction between Ezra and Allian?)
(aksbsh alright. Are you going to handle it or do you want me to?
(I can start but it may not be the best, probably only a few lines)
Timeskip: two days later
Allian had spent as much time as she could away from the men in the days following her fight with Ezra. It was hard to considering she was listening in on her fathers military meetings with them most of the day, but she did what she could. She never once spoke to her former friend, or even looked in his direction if she could help it. And it was working out lovely for her. She had been able to make sense of her frustration following their fight, and she had plenty of time to think of comebacks that would've been ten times more useful in the argument.
Leaning back in her chair, she blinked as her mind returned to the present. Her father was wrapping up another meeting, speaking something about having a dinner with some of the royal families in the kingdom. She didn't remember hearing anything about this dinner earlier, but she she didn't mind it. At least it would mean she would be able to have dinner at a later time, hopefully after all of the Generals ate. Then she could go without seeing Ezra again.
(I hope this good, I figured it could either lead to another of their interactions, or just play out for one further in the future)
(this is fine! What I was thinking is that maybe they run into each other in the gardens at some point and have another fight? And then she says something about the person he was in love with in the army and he loses his shit?)
(the name of the guy he was in love with was Alexei, btw. I haven't settled on a last name for him yet)
Ezra didn't look at or speak to Allian, not if he could help it. The princess ignored him as well, in an icy silence that the other generals seemed to take little to no notice of. After all, they didn't care if the youngest among them ignored the queen-to-be. It didn't affect them. Ezra spoke with the king when it was necessary, but mostly remained quiet. When not in meetings, he would look over reports and maps and surveillance sent back by his men, and write back recommendations on their next moves. He had left his second in command behind, to take care of the army, but he still liked to be as involved as possible. However, with the delay between sending the letters and when they arrived, even with messenger birds, he would sometimes send a recommendation for an action, only for the next day to receive news of what had been done already. Of disasters he could not have prevented because he wasn't there, or triumphs he could not celebrate because he wasn't there, and it only made him more furious that he was trapped here in this palace, with Allian, because of Allian. Because of her, he couldn't be with his army. Because of her, his men were fighting and dying and bleeding without him. And it only contributed to the hate and anger towards Allian, only contributed to the hate and rage that had boiled at every interaction.
(I do very much like that idea :D What exactaly would have to be said for Ezra to flip out? Just to have an idea of what to have Allian say?)
Allian couldn't have left the meeting room sooner after her father called an end to the last meeting of the night. She was standing moments after it officially ended, and after nodding to all of the Generals and her father, she left smoothly, ready to do something other than sit in a chair and go crazy. Part of her wanted to go eat right away, but she was sick of sitting for the time being.
Wandering her way down the hallways, going farther and farther away from the meeting room, she finally decided on a plan of action. While it was growing dark out, it wasn't yet completely night, and the idea to take a walk in the gardens popped into her mind. Not that she was going to turn down the idea, walking outside sounded nice, and so she turned her path around, making her way to the entrance of the gardens.
(:D good. Uhmm…idk. Just something that would be mean anyways but is like, ten times worse because he's dead?? fuck, uh. maybe something along the lines of "go whine to your lover, he was good enough to leave me for" or whatever. just. jealous mean shit. idk lmao. Sorry. Wish I could be more helpful?)
(maybe she sees the letters he's looking through and is taunting him like "aw is one from your lover" or seomthing? idk)
Ezra got up and, after bowing to the king, left the meeting rooms, heading out to the gardens after grabbing some letters that had been delivered for him. He wore, as always, a clean-cut, military style jacket and slacks. Formal, but not a dress uniform. His hair was combed, and his face was clean-shaven and presentable. Unlike many of the other generals, who sported some fearsome facial hair, Ezra preferred to remain clean-shaven. Partially this was due to the fact that he was still young enough that he wasn't sure he could actually grow good facial hair, without it being patchy or wispy. Easier just to shave it away when necessary. Roaming through the gardens, he eventually sat down at a bench, shuffling through the letters with a faint frown. Most were from the front, from the men and women he had left behind there.
(Ok I can work with that :) I'll figure out something but thank you for the pointers)
Allian couldn't have been happier to be walking around as she entered the gardens, though the light wind did make her contemplate going back inside to grab a jacket. It came in small, gentle gusts, but it made her regret her flowy knee-length dress. Still, she didn't turn back to grab one, just set off into the gardens, taking comfort in watching the flowers while she ventured further in. The gardens were always calming for her, as she was usually left alone with her thoughts for as long as she wanted.
Hopeful for peace and quiet, Allian ventured further in, and lost in her thoughts, she almost skimmed over the person sitting on one of the many benches scattered throughout the gardens. But not quite.
(skdhjs np, sorry I couldn't be of more help)
He didn't look up from the letters, which he had weighted down with a stone so that they wouldn't blow away in the wind gusts. He frowned faintly as he read through another letter, shaking his head and running a hand through his hair. He hated being here, with a passion. Hated that his men were without him. He knew that they were capable, they weren't helpless without him, but he still hated that he wasn't there with them. It didn't feel right, and he didn't like it.