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

Started October 31, 2021 by @LovelyRose

tune

An older woman with braided hair came up beside Arquis. He didn't recognize her until she pulled out a massive book and flipped several pages in. Written in a cursive was a request from the guest that had arrived early. She'd apparently finished her breakfast with his mother and was now sending her maid to ask where the soap was for the bath. The old maid offered him a pen, and he wrote a quick description of where the toiletry cabinet would be in her bathroom. Then she left. He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a long, deep breath before realizing that he still had company.

"My apologies, everything tends to be busy the day before an event. Anyways, I believe we were talking about music? You had asked… ah, right, the language. Yes, my language would be best. Most of the people attending will be from this country, and though there is a diversity of language here, a majority will speak my tongue."

(is there a name for Arquis's country? or?)

"Of course, I understand." Rin replied, inclining their head. "I know of songs that will fit the criteria, not to worry." he already had half of them planned, and his left fingers twitched as he played through them mentally. "My thanks." he was tired and a bit travel-stained; they had had a long day of travel, and when this cnoversation was over, they fully intended to take a long, hot bath.

(It's called Anvillea. Also, sorry for this next bit, it's a bit long but I figured it'd be less boring to have the walking/stairs part done in one go than for us to have to go back and forth with it.)

"Excellent. Now, let me guide you to your room. These halls can be a bit confusing, so I advise that you ask for assistance if you ever get lost. Someone will direct you to where you need to go."

Once he was finished talking, he took off towards the double doors in the back corner of the ballroom. They opened up into the foyer, and instead of heading to the grand staircase, he went to the smaller door on the left. That led to the side staircase, which stretched up to the second guest relaxation lounge. The room was small with lots of natural light pouring in through the windows. They all looked out over the forest, which was a vibrant display of autumn reds, yellows, and oranges. Every few seconds a gentle gust of wind would send leaves showering down from the trees onto the main walkway.

He quickly glanced over the rest of the lounge. Surprisingly, everything else seemed to be in place. The little porcelain tea set on the unlit fireplace was sitting beside a fresh bouquet of golden chrysanthemums. On the table in the center of the room was an array of worn books, each with their own bookmark. There was also a pitcher of clean water with a lid and a stack of crystal glasses. The nearby couch, which was stuffed with fluffy feathers, was draped with soft, freshly washed cotton blankets.

Arquis walked through the room into another side hallway. The floor was made of cherry wood, and the walls were painted a creamy white. He opened the third door on the right with his master key and slipped inside. Like all of the guest rooms, the space was cozy. The window at the back was covered with a thin curtain to let only a decent amount of light in. The bed was plush and covered with handmade quilts as well as a few plump pillows. There was a small bedside table with a welcome basket containing perfumed flowers, a case of fruit-filled chocolates, and a little lavender candle. Next to it was a lamp with a painted lampshade.

He put his key back into his pocket, retrieved the proper one from the bedside table, and finally turned to offer it to the musician. "Does this look alright to you? If not, I can have arrangements made."

(alright great, thanks!)

Rin looked around the room, then returned his gaze to Arquis. "This is fine. Thank you." he smiled a little. "Much nicer than some of the places I've slept recently, that's for sure." last night had been spent in a cheap tavern, and they dearly hoped they hadn't caught lice from that bed. The night before had been in the hay in someone's barn. He slept in a lot of different places, to be honest, and a place like this was a luxury that he was going to enjoy for as long as he could.

Arquis smiled as gently as he could and rubbed at the back of his neck. The fabric of the glove made his skin itch. “Yes, I’ve read that the life of a traveling musician can be difficult, which is why I’m quite glad that the room is to your liking.” He let his hand drop. “Well, I’ll leave you to get settled in. As I said earlier, you have some time to wander about, but you could always take a nap if you’re tired. The free time is yours to spend as you please.”

He pivoted on his heel and walked to the door. Then, suddenly, he stopped. He wrung his hands together and bit his bottom lip, glad that the musician couldn’t see his face.

“If it is- if at all possible, I’d advise that you stay out of the way of my mother, Muria. She, ah, doesn’t- she doesn’t always enjoy the company of others.” The last part of the sentence dropped to a whisper. He then cleared his throat and, as if he hadn’t said anything at all, headed back down the hall.

(Ooh uhm…maybe we could just timeskip? Rin doesn't have the kind of personality to immediately search for Muria (too much fear that she'd kick him out ig))

Rin nodded a bit. At Arquis's words about Muria, he tipped his head in curiousity, but didn't press. Once Arquis was gone, he grabbed some clean clothes and headed into the bathroom, intending to draw a bath and bathe himself.

(alright! I choose to make it one character centric, then, with a focus on Arquis; Quirisa and Marsiquia will still be important, but they’ll be more of side characters. and I’ll start it up again with that time skip! imagine a couple of hours have passed)

Lunch came sooner than Arquis had expected. He found himself in the dining hall at around two thirty in the afternoon, just after the main castle staff finished with their meal. There were a few people left at the tables. He recognized his sister at the one on the far left and went to join her.

“Good afternoon, Marsi,” he said, trying for a smile. She beamed back and slid him an empty mug. Her brown hair was done in an intricate braid, and her bangs framed her face. The ribbon in the braid was the same powder blue as her dress.

“I looked for you earlier, but I couldn’t find you,” she chirped. “I wanted to ask if I could change my dress for tomorrow. The brown one just doesn’t look right, I think I’d rather wear the pink.”

“You don’t really need my permission for that, Marsi,” he replied, though they both knew it was a lie. Everything related to the party had to be verified by him; that was his duty.

They lapsed into silence. A butler came up beside him and poured coffee into his mug. It was his second cup of the day, though it wouldn’t be his last. He’d have another after dinner with Muria. The thought made him shudder inwardly, and he busied himself with sipping his drink to avoid meeting his sister’s eyes. When he was done with the mug, he put it to the side and began to scan the hall, desperate for a reprieve from the awkward situation.

(alright, makes sense, thanks!)
(also i gtg soon, and I probably won't be too active tomorrow sorry)

Rin arrived to lunch quietly. He had bathed and wahsed and changed, and looked better than he had earlier, travel-stained and weary. He inclined his head to Arquis. "I hope I am not late." he said as he took a seat at the table, getting some food. "I was rehearsing some of the pieces for tomorrow, and I'm afraid I rather lost track of time." the smile that they gave was soft and apologetic, even as he poured himself a glass of water.

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.