"I cannot hardly call it an overstep, when we were treated less like guests and more like nuisances. I assumed word traveled faster among your staff." Zarya said, hands clasped in front of her. "They will be free of it in less than five seconds, do not worry. I only needed the spell for a moment. Any longer would have run the risk of irreparable damage, the longer it went, the worse it got."
Markus sighed, stepping up next to her and bowing at the waist, before nudging Zarya with an elbow. "Please excuse her. In our country, sometimes the only way to gain what you need is through the use of magic, especially when it involves royal staffing or the upper class themselves. She didn't intend disrespect, and I can vouch for the length of the spell. By now, they are free. And probably slightly peeved." He huffed an awkward and nervous laugh, rubbing at the back of his neck as he looked down at the ground. Zarya simply nodded, no expression visible on her features.
Rose narrowed her eyes a little. "Well, in future, please refrain from manipulating any more of my staff. They are only trying to protect the prince and myself." Korain was technically the crown prince, since she was queen, but he would never inherit the throne, barring disaster. She looked at the two magicians, mouth pressing in a thin line for a moment. "Now. You are the representatives from…?" she arched an eyebrow curiously.
Korain's eyes skimmed over the two magicians as he looked around the room. The prince looked vaguely bored or preoccupied.
Markus bowed once again, this time elbowing Zarya before dropping to his knee. She did not drop that far, but curtseyed with a flourish. "Azaria, your Highness." He said, staying in his bow. "We are High Sorcerers in our country, visiting with your clearance. I was told Zarya had some sort of correspondence through letters with you."
"Quite eloquent in your letters, I will gladly admit." Zarya said, and for once, showed just a hint of emotion. A sparkle in her eyes, which brightened not with magic, but something sort of like respect and admiration. Her lips even curved up just the slightest, as she straightened. "I am Zarya Taj, High Sorceress of the element of water, and this is Markus Al-Amin, High Sorcerer of the earth, and pioneer of the environmental preservation acts in our country." Markus let out a small choked sound, coughing slightly to cover it.
"You may rise. I don't require you to stay bowing." Rose sounded vaguely amused for a moment, then nodded a little. "As were you, miss Taj." she wasn't quite sure what to call Zarya, and figured that miss Taj would have to do. "I am quite sure you two know my brother and I already, but if you do not, I am Queen Rose Montvelier, and my brother is Crown Prince Korain Montvelier." she reached over to put a hand on Korain's shoulder for just a moment, trying to return his attention to the matter at hand. Korain blinked, refocusing on the two sorcerers.
"Apologies." Markus muttered, scrambling to his feet as Zarya's shoulders shook just slightly, in what might have been a laugh. "It's a pleasure to meet both of you, and be welcomed in your country. I've heard quite a lot about your forests, and the flora and fauna your country is known for."
"We do not have much by way of 'greenery' in our country." Zarya explained, picking up his topic of conversation. "Our country is known for our deserts, and coastal region. There are few spots that cater to Markus' interest. If you would not mind, I was curious if you would allow us a visit to any of your local wooded areas?"
((how should we introduce the central conflict? zarya could be caught snooping by rose and decide to explain what she knows, or it can come up in a conversation, that rose thinks they're being conspired against))
(hmm either way would be interesting, though I think the first one makes more sense)
Rose nodded her head in thought, looking at Zarya and Markus as she considered their request. "I don't see why not." she replied, looking at them carefully. "So long as you are not causing trouble or hurting livestock or farmers' fields, I should think that would be alright. Do you have a place to stay, or would you like for me to arrange some rooms for you to stay in?"
"Ah, no. We have not yet had the chance to book any rooms," Markus said, his gaze lingering on the prince for a minute with something like curiosity, if not quite, before moving to the Queen. "If it's no hassle, could you?" The man was so endearingly awkward in the face of people of a higher standing than him. The first time he had met A'lia, who had been excited to meet the man Zarya had voted so excitedly for as the next High Sorcerer, he had tripped, lost his shoe, and torn her dress.
Rose nodded. "Of course." She replied. She glanced over to find a servant, gesturing to them to begin preparations, then paused. "Do you want to share a room, have adjoining rooms, or merely rooms close to each other?" She didn't know the relationship between the two and did not want to guess, so asking this way was perhaps the best way to do so. Korain caught the look, blinking at Markus for a moment before his gaze resumed its movements around the room.
"Adjoining, preferably." Markus said, looking to Zarya for her approval, which came in the form of a nod. "That way it's easier for us to communicate. Close would also be okay, though." He was rocking on the balls of his feet, nervous energy piling up and waiting to be released through doing anything.
"What are the rules of your domain." Zarya asked suddenly, peculiar eyes focusing in on the Queen with almost startling intensity. "I have yet to read too far into the laws of your country, but I would like to know the rules of the palace in which you reside."
Rose blinked. "Oh. Well, as you are not from here, not all rules can be applied to you. However, our universal laws are as you might expect. No murder, obviously, as that would be messy in more ways than one. No theft, from myself or the common people. Ah…" She let out a breath, thinking. "Diplomatic immunity does protect you from quite a lot, but spying in any form will not be tolerated and will be punished."
Well. That is unfortunate on many accounts. But if Zarya had been much of a follower of rules, she likely would have ended up dead by thirteen. She had made her living off of breaking the rules and being good at not getting caught. "Of course. Quite standard rules, generally falling under the code of morality most follow. Do let me know of any others you can think of, while I read up on them. It is much better to not go home with the weight of accidental criminal activity following you."
She shifted slightly on her feet, the fabric of her robes swirling around her legs almost like water. "Now, if we are taking up your time, do tell us. Though, I would very much like to speak with you in private on some occasion while I am here. I believe I have much to learn from you." Now, that very much could have been flirting, but it was hard to tell with how calmly and coolly she spoke.
Rose nodded a little bit. "Of course." She replied. "And as for in private…I'm sure that can be arranged at some point, though I do not believe that that would be possible today." She stood from the throne, brushing off her skirts. "I can show you to your rooms, if you wish?" She arched an eyebrow a little bit, glancing over at Korain.
The prince blinked, and stood as well, letting his hands dangle by his sides. An ornamental but still functional sword was belted around his waist, and after a moment one hand moved to rest on the pommel of said sword.
"That would be splendid, thank you." Zarya said, nodding as Rose stood. It wasn't very noticeable, but her hand moved to Markus' wrist. Not to hold, but instead to tap, a methodical, almost rhythmical tapping. Among the High Circle, and their Princess, were more than one shared language. This one, their own version of morse-code, served well when speaking wasn't an option.
"Is there anything else, rules or warnings you would like us to know?" Markus asked, as the two followed the Queen and Prince out of the throne room.
Rose nodded as she led the way. "Of course. And as for that…I do not believe so, only a request that you respect the privacy of those who live here in the palace. The royal wing is off limits unless you are accompanied by either myself or my brother." She replied, leading them to the extra wing.
The pair nodded, Markus verbally expressing his understanding of the request. They stuck close together, walking within each other's space and nearly brushing shoulders. Back home, this was common. Well, in the Circle, at least. They operated on a different wave-length from the royals, staying physically close and lacking the strict rigidness of the elite.
"Is there anything here at the palace similar to…gardens, essentially? Or even gardens themselves?" Markus asked suddenly, his eyes lighting up as he physically straightened in his excitement at the prospect.
Rose nodded a little bit. "Yes, there are. Some are, again, off-limits to the public for a few different reasons, but the vast majority of them are open if you would like to explore them." she replied, glancing back at the two for a moment, letting out a faint breath. "Any of the guards or servants could show you to them." Korain remained quiet as he walked near his sister, one hand still resting on the sword.
"Oh, perfect! It'll be a good chance to see if you grow and cultivate different show flowers than Alabria does." Markus said happily, looking to Korain. The man had been so quiet, and Markus, sweetheart that he was, wanted to include him in the conversation. "Do you personally visit the gardens often? Either of you?" Despite the generalization, his question seemd more aimed to Korain, paired with a friendly smile.
Korain blinked at being addressed, looking at Markus for a moment. "I…visit when I can, yes." he replied slowly. His voice was a careful, measured tenor-baritone, and he spoke slowly, as if considering each word before it left his lips. "And I am sure our flowers are different than Alabria; different climates, after all." his eyes flashed to his sister for a moment, then back to Markus.
"That's why I'm so curious. Our climate tends towards a dry, warm air, more tropical in some areas and desert like in others." Markus explained, seemingly happy to have gotten a response. Almost like he hadn't quite expected one, but had hoped. "Do you have any favorites? Flowers or plants? Lavender is one of my favorites, it's easy to grow in dry soil that other plants hate. And it needs barely any water to thrive! Blanket flowers survive in similar conditions and look like a setting sun found itself on flower petals.." He trailed off, biting his bottom lip to stop himself from continuing to ramble, a pink tint growing on his ears.
Zarya stifled a sound not unlike a snort, instead coughing into her wrist. Her gaze moved from the architecture of the building, to the Queen herself, a certain appreciative look never leaving her stormy eyes.
"We're definitely more…humid here, especially in the summers. We get lots of snow in the winter, so most of our plants have to be strong enough to survive that." he replied slowly, looking at Markus carefully. "I like…I don't know. Smaller plants, or the ones that grow way up in the mountains. Edelweiss, for instance, is really pretty, but you can only find it in the northernmost reaches of the country." Korain said, running a hand through his hair.
"Like Liriope or Periwinkle." Markus said, clapping his hands together. "I have some of the flowers of both, dried out somewhere in my bags. And seeds, but I don't have soil for them." He made a face, looking down at his feet for a moment. "I don't know why there are so many seeds in my bags…I never use them anywhere but home, so it's weird to bring them, right?"
"They are a talisman." Zarya guessed, flashing a quick smile at her friend and Korain. "You place so much stock in life, and all the possibilities. They are a hope to get the chance to plant something, somewhere. And they remind you of home."
Markus blinked, nose scrunching up. "You can't just get inside someone's head and tell them things even they don't know, Zarya." He said, turning a strange and almost teasing face on her. "People are going to start thinking you're telepathic."
Korain tipped his head just a little bit at that, blinking slowly. He didn't really speak, though, not wanting to interrupt their conversation. The prince of Taea had gotten a lot quieter since his parents had died. Officially, it had been in a carriage accident. But unofficially…it wasn't a story anyone told. It wasn't a story Korain cared to remember. Because he had been with his parents that day, in the carriage. He had seen how they died. Had been the reason behind it. And he didn't like talking about anything because he was afraid if he did, the horrors would start pouring out and would never, ever stop.
((thanks for the bump! sometimes i need them lmao))
"Telepathy is not among the skills I posses." Zarya said, matter-of-factly. "I am simply good at observing things. You should try it sometime. The results may surprise you. In any case, your Majesty, I heard word of an upcoming event as we arrived. Is there something happening?" A festival of any sort would offer a good diversion, and would function as something to enjoy while they were here. Business or not, palaces tended to get incredibly boring after a while.
"Oh! So many people were talking about it, when we stopped to settle the horses in one of those-uh…inns, for horses? Stables! Anyway, when we stopped, it seemed all anyone was talking about. That, and of course Zarya threatening a man who had tried to take her purse, but-" Markus stopped suddenly, waiting for an answer to Zarya's question as though he hadn't been talking about something slightly unrelated.
(np! Alright!)
Rose blinked. "Oh– yes." she replied with a faint laugh. "It's tied to our country's history. It celebrates a long ago battle." she said, thinking on how best to explain it. "You see– Tarya was once a part of a larger nation, and the festival we celebrate is the anniversary of the battle that freed us from the other country's control. The festival has been a tradition for…oh, centuries, really. It goes on for about a week? It's great fun, and you'll likely enjoy it."
