forum The Strangers in the Palace (Closed)(Fantasy)

Started October 31, 2021 by @LovelyRose

tune

Arquis blinked, a tad surprised at the presence of the musician, and then recovered with a smooth nod. “Oh, no, there is no need to apologize. I’m pleased to hear that you’ve found some songs to play for tomorrow night.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Marsiquia perk up. She leaned forward, putting her elbows directly on the table, and stared at the musician curiously. The end of her braid dangled precariously close to a plate of glazed rolls. Arquis moved it out of the way, which only encouraged her to lean a bit further.

“You’re a musician? How exciting! I mean, we always get musicians here, but Muria never lets me talk to them. She says they’re an unsavory crowd. Are you unsavory? Is there a reason-“

“Marsiquia,” Arquis interrupted, voice a bit more stern than he’d intended. He lowered it and continued, adding, “Don’t bother our guest.” Then, addressing the musician, he ducked his head. “My apologies.”

Rin grinned at her. "Of course I'm unsavory, that's the best kind of musician." he replied, taking a bite of food. He winked at Arquis, waiting until he had finished chewing and swallowing to speak again. "Nothing to apologize for, I don't mind questions. I'm an open book." that was a lie. He was anyhting but an open book, but he knew how to pretend he was an open book. Knew how to make it seem like he was, without giving anything away.

Marsiquia’s blue eyes widened, and she started to almost shake with excitement. “I can ask you anything, then? Anything I want? Where’d you come from? Wait, no, what’s your name? That first, and then the other question, and oh, wait! Why’re you a musician? What do you play? Do you have a favorite song? Could you sing it? Do you want me to sing it? I could-“

“Marsiquia,” Arquis said again. She took one glance at the look on his face and went quiet. His cheeks were rosy with embarrassment. He swallowed—air, not food, as he wasn’t particularly hungry—and began to wring his hands together again, this time under the table.

“I’ve got to go,” she said, suddenly shy, and stood. He didn’t watch as she hurried away; his focus was glued to the grain of the table, like it was the most interesting thing he’d ever seen.

"Oh, uh, I'm from Kevra, my name is Rinlos Tamare, uh…" He trailed off as she left, looking over at Arquis uncertainly. "My apologies, have I done something wrong?" They dearly hoped they had not overstepped some boundary that they hadn't known about. That would be awkward. "I didn't mean to cause any trouble between you and your sister." They dragged a hand through his hair, studying Arquis.

“You haven’t done anything wrong,” Arquis responded, his voice soft and a little unsteady. He looked up from the table to stare at the wall behind the musician. “I will admit that I overreacted, but I don’t believe I was wrong to interrupt. Marsiquia is a very good person. She just gets carried away, and she always…” His jaw clenched. “She asks too much. It’s not proper for someone in our position to be so inquisitive. Privacy should be respected.”

Rin nodded faintly. "I don't mind the questions; I would have said something if I did." they replied slowly, taking a bite of food as he watched Arquis. "Please, do not quarrel with your sister over this. I agree that privacy needs to be respected, especially by nobility, but, ah, I had already said I did not mind the questions, and I would not have answered those that I had minded."

Arquis brought his hand to his cheek and scratched it for a moment, unsure of how to respond. A lock of his hair fell into his eyes. He didn’t push it back, too distracted to notice, and instead cast a tired glance around the room.

“Listen, I do appreciate your kindness, and I apologize again for what you witnessed. But I assure you that it isn’t something to worry about. Marsiquia and I will be alright. This was simply a teaching moment for her, nothing more.”

The space next to an old oil painting shimmered, and he swallowed back a grimace. A figure melted out of thin air. Her arms emerged first, as if she was pulling off a cloak, and then her torso and head. When her full body was visible, she stepped forward to the table, vaulted over it, and slammed herself down in the chair next to Arquis.

“Quirisa, please,” he sighed, “now isn’t a good time-“

“Why’s Marsi upset? What’d you do?” Her words dripped with venom. “She was looking for you all morning, you know. I told her it was a bad idea. Told her you’re always such a massive pain on days like these, but she-“

Her rant came to a halt and she went tense, apparently noticing that her brother wasn’t alone. She let her gaze flicker back and forth between the both of them for several seconds before settling on Rinlos. Her brows quirked up in judgement as she looked him over.

“Am I supposed to know you?” she asked, tone fiercely inquisitive.

Rinlos cleared his throat. "I'm the musician. For tomorrow." he said slowly, eyes flickering between the two siblings. "And I get the feeling that this is perhaps a conversation best carried out in private." he pushed back his chair, standing up from the table. "Thank you for the food, I will be on my way." he took a bun and then began to head towards the door, after they sketched a quick bow to Quirisa and Arquis.

The argument with Quirisa went as it always did. She launched into her usual tirade, snarling as she delivered insult after insult. He was inconsiderate, obnoxious, arrogant, selfish, and, worst of all, downright cruel. And he let her say it all, not because he couldn’t defend himself but because she was right. He was all of those things and worse, and as much as it hurt his pride to have the few people left in the dining hall hear it, he knew he deserved it.

This rant ended slightly different than the rest. Any other day, she’d storm off, fists clenched at her side. But that afternoon, she didn’t leave angry; she stopped to look at him. He couldn’t meet her eyes.

“You know what the worst thing about you is?” She barreled on before he could answer. “You don’t fight back. If you had a good reason to act like you do, then you’d defend yourself. But you don’t, and you know you don’t. So you say nothing.”

His chest ached. He rubbed at it halfheartedly, his gaze still averted. He hadn’t been expecting to be read so easily.

“Whatever. Just don’t mess with her again. You may not care about her, but I do. And I’m not gonna let you treat her like this anymore.”

She melted back into the shadows. He inhaled shakily. His chest still hurt. He needed air. He pushed himself up from his chair and began to walk, not knowing where he was headed, until he was outside.

The cool autumn air soothed him. He took a few long, deep breaths and—once his hands were steady—reached into his pocket. His notepad was slightly crumpled. He smoothed it out and, just for the routine of it, flipped through to his schedule. Then he put it back. There was a small gap before his next appointment, and he intended to fill it with an apology to the musician. He set off towards the musician’s room and knocked on their door upon arrival.

Rinlos had been playing his guitar, and paused when he heard the knock. They set the guitar aside, getting up to open the door. "Ah, hello again." they greeted, bowing slightly. "How may i help you?" they hated the subservience, but were used to it. They had had to pretend to be someone they weren't for nearly all of his life; why should that change now. He stepped back to let Arquis in. The musician had already spread sheets of music out across the bed, some of it handwritten, others looking like they must have been purchased somewhere.

Arquis paused. He’d gone to the room with a purpose, but it had vanished from his mind. He stepped into the musician’s room and offered what was at best a weak smile. At worst, it was a half grimace, a twitch of his lips to the side.

“Hello. You don’t need to bow, you know,” he said, and it surprised him. It wasn’t what he’d meant to say, but he found that he genuinely meant it. “It’s polite, certainly, but I’m not royalty. That isn’t to say that I’m not grateful for it, but, ah, it’s just unnecessary.”

He strolled over to the bed before he could stop himself, too curious to stay in one place. The sight of sheet music comforted him. He reached out to pick up a sheet, then pulled his hand back as if he’d been burned. The fabric of his glove shimmered faintly as it caught the light.

“My apologies. I just recognized one of these, and I… well. It’s been a long while since I’ve played it.” He spotted the musician’s guitar. “Were you practicing? I didn’t mean to interrupt. I’m sure you’ve had quite enough of my antics for the day.”

"I was practicing, yes." he confirmed, merely nodding to Arquis's other words. "And it's quite alright, no apologies necessary. I…wasn't aware you played. What instrument do you play? I've got the lute and the guitar." he brushed a hand along the neck of his guitar, looking over at Arquis curiously. "Obviously you do not have to answer my questions if you have no wish to."

His eyes traced the musician’s movements as they moved their hand over their guitar. He flushed slightly when he realized that their gaze was on him and unconsciously wrung his hands together. The gloves scratched as they twisted into one another.

“Ah, I, um, don’t play,” he said slowly, and the heat in his cheeks burned more fiercely. “I mean, I do. The harp. I play the pedal harp. But I don’t, well, I don’t play it, not like you play your instruments. Not for others.”

Their eyes flicked to the gloves for a moment, then back up to Arquis's face. "I see. That's perfectly alright, not everyone needs or wants to perform in front of others." he said, plucking a string on their guitar and then pulling back. "Just playing it for yourself is enough." he offered up a small smile to Arquis.

The note from the plucked string made Arquis sigh. They didn’t have music often at the Palace, only ever at parties, and some small part of him craved it more than he’d like to admit. He wanted to beg the musician to keep playing just so he could bask in the sound. He wanted to sit himself down on the bed or the floor and take in as much of it as possible. He almost did.

“It isn’t quite as nice, is it, though?” His lips twitched again, that sad half-smile, half-wince. “Performing for yourself.”

He always played alone. That meant no one could correct or control him. He liked it that way, or at least that was what he’d told himself at first. The novelty of it had worn off a long time ago. Eventually, he’d had to concede that the whole thing was pitiful. He’d quit playing if he could.

"No, I suppose not." he said, shrugging a shoulder. "But, you can still enjoy it. There's no reason you should not be able to enjoy playing by yourself. I do." they studied the young man for a moment, wondering, but not asking a question quite yet. After a few quiet moments, he said, "If you would like to play for someone, I'll listen without judgment. But, if that's a terrifying idea, then that's fine too."

“That is very nice of you to offer, but I’m afraid that your schedule simply won’t allow it. You perform tomorrow night, and then the following day you’ll be off to another event, I presume. We won’t be hosting another party until for a good while. There is one in the winter months, though just the one, and it isn’t for about seven weeks.” For just a moment, the formal, rigid Arquis was back. He could feel the weight of his notepad in his pocket, and his thoughts were clouded with names and dates and chores. But when he blinked, they disappeared. All he could see was the musician.

He wanted to stay. He wanted to ask for a song. He wanted to never leave the room.

He walked to the door.

Once there, he quietly admitted, “It isn’t just your schedule. I should be off. There is a lot I need to accomplish before tonight, and I’ll be equally busy tomorrow morning. I can’t even guarantee you’ll see much of me at the party tomorrow night, but… if you need anything, really, anything at all, then come find me.”

He nodded slightly, watching as Arquis headed for the door. "I have no other events on my schedule." they said. "If you wish me to stay an extra day, and if I am allowed to, then that could happen, if an audience of one is something you desire." he spoke slowly, carefully, knowing that for all Arquis knew, Rin was just a lowly Kevran bard; to speak like this to the nobleman could easily be seen as overstepping his boundaries as a guest and commoner. He hoped that he had not misspoken and turned his host against him, or offended him.

Arquis stared at his shoes. He opened and closed his fingers around the door’s handle for a moment, thinking up a dismissal, and then stopped. The realization almost made him laugh: he didn’t need to lie this time.

“It is not a matter of what I may or may not desire.” That need for fresh air was back. His throat felt like it was closing and his hand had begun to shake, rattling the handle slightly. “My mother does not enjoy having guests stay longer than necessary. As this is her Palace before it is mine, I must abide by her rules.” He actually did laugh. It startled him.

Rin studied the young nobleman for a long moment. "I see. I…forgive me if the question is impertinent, but are you quite alright? You seem very…" he trailed off, not knowing the right words to say now. They did not want to offend Arquis, either, by supplying a word that was inaccurate or somehow offensive.

That surprised him. He knew he hadn’t been subtle, but it wasn’t the first time he’d acted in such a way around others. People usually either weren’t so perceptive or preferred their own fantasies. He’d heard a lot of rumors over the years, so many that he’d almost lost track. He was losing his grip on his sanity; he was an addict in withdrawal; he was sick and dying and would die very soon; he was a murderer craving his next kill, a danger to society. They said all that and so much more, yet nobody had ever asked if he was alright.

“I am not.” The words felt thick and heavy. His mouth was numb. He could feel his heartbeat in every part of his body. “But eventually I will be, and that is what matters most. Thank you for your concern. I will see you tomorrow night.”

He opened the door and stepped into the hallway. The walls around him formed a tunnel, and at the very end he could see the soft light coming from the windows in the lounge.

Rin wasn't from the area, and had not heard many of the rumors about Arquis. Besides that, rumors about royalty and nobility were commonplace, and they had long ago learned to pay them little to no mind. He frowned a little at the way Arquis walked away, darting over to the door. "Are you sure?" he asked, before he could second-guess himself. "I…can help. Or at least try?" they cleared their throat faintly. "At least, I should like to." they liked to help, when it was possible; the gods knew they would never be able to help his country the way he wanted to, so why not try to help people, at least?

(i gtg now, goodnight!)

The light on his skin was grounding. He took a stabilizing breath and finally looked back at Rinlos.

“I am sure, yes. You have already done and, ah, been witness to enough.” Something small flew past one of the windows, and its shadow ran across his face. He resisted the temptation to shift backwards, instead steadying himself by fixing his appearance. Smoothing his vest, tucking back his hair, adjusting his gloves. “Evening is approaching. You still have plenty of time if you’re not yet ready for dinner. Spend it as you please.”

He moved a few steps forward before stopping again. Almost shyly, he continued, “My offer still stands. If you need anything at all, whether it is today or tomorrow or the morning after, then come find me. Have someone direct you to my room, or wander until our paths meet. I would like… well, I know you cannot stay long, but if you so desire then we can see each other again.”

Rin was quiet for a moment, studying Arquis again, then nodded. "Of course. " at the young nobleman's final words, they wondered if, maybe, Arquis was flirting, but then pushed aside that idea immediately. Of course he wasn't, that was a ridiculous idea. "I should like to as well." he didn't know what the proper reference for Arquis was, whether it was sir or lord or duke or something along those lines, so he did not add it.

“Whenever you please, then, come and seek me out.”

Arquis waited a moment before giving Rinlos a genuine, albeit small, smile over his shoulder. He walked away feeling a little calmer than before. Still not alright—he was quite lightheaded, and his pulse was racing—but definitely better than he’d been a few moments prior.

A maid bumped into him when he was heading down the stairs. She seemed relieved. Before he could ask what was wrong, she went into a long, breathless ramble involving Marsiquia’s jewelry box. She held up her cupped, trembling hands to reveal a pile of broken beads and tangled strings that were covered in makeup powder.

He bit back a groan. It appeared his break was over. That was a shame; he’d enjoyed being around Rinlos, even if their interactions had been messy. But he could think of the musician no longer. He fixed his gloves, which were glued to his hands with sweat, and reassumed his polite mask. Then he went back to work.