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Elizaveta smiled at him and gestured for him to walk with her. "Things are going well. How is your training? Working hard, I trust?" Once they got further down the hallway she turned to him and dropped her voice down low. "I know Joane probably didn't inform you of this, but if you intend to seriously pursue Leandrea you will need to get approval from her father."
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When their casual stroll with casual conversation turned to a secret conversation, he blinked. "Oh um." he started nervously. "I do like her. Do you think I should pursue her for marriage? I mean I definitely don't want to get married right away, but will her father approve of me? I had no idea..." he drifted off. If he had his cat ears right now, they'd be drooping. "And if he says no, then I can only just escort her to your party and then that's it?"
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The queen watched the sadness growing in his eyes and she sighed softly. "I keep forgetting you think of marriage as less of a business proposition and more of an actual romantic connection than we do. You don't have to do it right now, of course, I just mean don't start actively courting her until you have her father's permission. You can wait until we get you an estate and such figured out, if you please." She looped her arm in his again and continued walking. "I wanted to tell you, because I know he will not, my husband has been getting excellent reports on you. You're doing quite well."
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He frowned and felt disheartened. "Her father would say no to every suitor I'm guessing? Or at least no to someone he hasn't chosen for her himself. I suppose I should just escort her as intended and then have no contact with her after that." he said with a sigh. "Is that basically what you're telling me?" he asked in hushed tones. "And I'm glad His Highness is pleased with my...progress." he said a bit bitterly. "At least I'm doing well in that regard."
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I'm only saying simply that it is unlikely he would support this union in your current state. Once you've been properly elevated and have better prospects it will be different." She assured him with a little soft smile. "You're not a likely suitor at the moment, but that can change."
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He understood at the point "Ah I get you. I need my title and estates before he'd see me as someone suitable. As just an employ of the King and cousin of the Queen, I"m not up to snuff yet." he said and nodded. "I understand now. So it is possible I just need to be a 'bigger fish' because right now I'm just an anchovy."
He enjoyed the Queen's company but he figured Joane would be looking for him since morning court was over and he excused himself from her company with a bow and went off to find the Knight in question. |
"Indeed, unfortunately you being my cousin doesn't mean much until you have the trappings of such an association. Oh, and for the record, when addressing a king or queen the appropriate style is "Your Majesty" not "highess." She chided him. "You'll need to know these things, my dear."
Joane and Ermi were tucked into a corner discussing something quietly between themselves. When he found them Joane extricated herself from Ermi's embrace and sighed. "Well, the king is pleased with your progress." |
"Is he? That's what Her Majesty said. At least I'm not a disgrace in his eyes." he said. "A small bit of comfort I suppose. So since I've pleased him, now what? Do I actually start doing my job now?" he asked looking over at Ermi. "That he hired me to do." he said still being vague.
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Ermi rolled his eyes. "You told me you were here to be an assassin on your first night. Don't bother trying to keep secrets from me now." He chuckled and leaned against the wall. "And please, feel free to make this quick..."
Joane cast him a scathing look. "Ermi's smartassery aside, yes... he will expect you to do some work for him soon. Don't worry about it being a very regular occurrence. It's likely your busiest you'll get is one mark every three to six months." She tried to be reassuring to him. "Talking to her majesty a lot?" |
"I'll be brief I'm sure you'd like to get back to...your "important business," he said in jest with a playful grin. "Well as long as I'm not out every night doing work I'll be happy." he said slightly relieved. "Her Majesty? I suppose when I do see her we chat. I try to make it few and far between as you suggested. I'm trying not to show any interest in her except for as cousins." he said with a shrug. "She seems nice, so I'm nice to her when I see her. Why?"
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Ermi chuckled. "VERY important business!"
Joane reached behind her and swatted at him until he hushed and then looked back at Trevor. "You won't be out killing and stealing every night, no. You're a very specific tool that won't be employed as often as diplomacy, thank goodness." She jumped as Ermi pinched her rump and scowled. "Alright, free day, do whatever you like. Go to the market and rummage around if you please. Just don't do anything illegal." She tossed him a coin purse with about ten gold coins and several ones of lesser value before Ermi dragged her giggling from the room. |
Trevor definitely wasn't expecting that, and with a blink, he watched as Ermi pulled her away. He looked at his hands, having caught the coin purse. He saw the coins inside and practically gaped at them. Ten gold coins? He was lucky to get coppers any time he asked for hand-outs, but yet here he was holding probably a months' work in a small bag. And he was to just go to the market and buy something for himself. What did he even need? Everything that he could possibly need was supplied to him already. Clothes, shoes, food...
He would tuck the pouch of coins into his pocket, but tie the strings to his belt loop so pickpockets couldn't just slide a hand in and pull it out without meeting some resistance. He didn't usually steal money from someone's pocket, but he knew enough of the trade to know tricks to deter the ones who did. |
The market was bustling as usual with vendors and patrons haggling, children running and playing, small animals screeching in cages awaiting to be sold, and street buskers trying to earn a living with music or other performances.
One of the dancing performers seemed to have gathered quite the crowd due to her elaborate costume. She was wearing a feathered gown in vibrant colors and had applied red and gold paints to her face and arms, but most noticeably she had huge beautiful red and yellow wings on her back and a huge fanned tail at her hips. As she moved and performed feats of dexterity the crowd seemed elated and tossed a great many copper coins her way. |
He watched the performers for a while and appreciated some of the more elaborately dressed ones. He watched for a bit but his attention wasn't really on the dancers. He had never been in a marketplace to shop, only to ask for hand-outs. For the first time he had money given to him willingly and he was able to buy something either that he could use at work, or for something frivolous. But why not both?
He browsed the booths, bypassing ones with food and livestock for the ones with trinkets, trinkets, and clothes. He was thinking about getting Leandrea something but giving a gift to her would show more interest in her and at the position, he was in currently he had not much else to offer her to appease her father. He would have to give her a gift another time. He walked to a clothier and browsed through stuff set out on a rack but found nothing but shirts and trousers that he was given already so no need to spend the coin on that, however, he did spy a smart looking pair of leather gloves that could come in handy. He looked them over, tested the seams and tried them on. They had a good grip and could be used better than bare fingers to grab onto things. He asked the clothier how much they were. |
The vendor told him how much the gloves were.
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Since the gloves weren't that expensive and they were a good buy, he went ahead and gave the coin for them to the vendor and then folded them up and stuck them into his pocket for now.
After walking through the majority of the market he didn't find anything else he wanted so he would give what he had left over back to Joane when he saw her. By the time he headed back towards the entrance, the dancers had grabbed quite a few more people and he decided to watch for a while since he had the day free from working. The dancer from before with the elaborate bird costume was dancing to a faster song and capturing the attention of many people. Mostly men he noticed. She was a very good performer and she was getting a lot of coin for her performance. Shame he didn't learn to dance instead of stealing things instead, he'd of made more money. |
Not long after Trevor stopped to watch the dancers they finished a song and called that they would be taking a break and would be back soon. Several of the men clamored up around the woman in the bird costume to talk to her and offer her gifts, but they cleared off fairly quickly when they realized their lavishing praise upon them would get them nothing but thanks.
She waved him a bit closer, her eyes narrowing. "You... come here..." She gestured toward an area they had shaded by hanging up silky dancing scarves. She sat on a rug and patted the ground next to her. "You have a strange spirit in you." |
Trevor watched the dance until it was over and he turned to leave the castle until he heard someone talking. He turned back and blinked when the woman who was just dancing was gesturing to him to come over. Hesitantly he walked over. He didn't sit down right away because he was cautious.
He frowned slightly when she said he had a strange spirit. "I'm not exactly sure what you mean by that." He wasn't about to tell some strange woman he just met about his predicament, though there were enough people who already knew and saw him with his cat ears and tail so it wasn't that much of a secret. He figured she probably heard about it or seen him and was going to tell him stuff he already knew. But he would humor her for a bit. "Why is my spirit strange?" |
At this distance her wings looked so much more real. There were no straps holding them on, they seemed to attack directly to her back and they flexed without any external movement. She raised a brow at his reticence.
"Magic touched." She lifted her hands and drew a circular design in the air then blew some shimmery dust into it. The dust swirled into the image of a cat and then it slowly stretched and shifted into the form of a slender young man. "But you resist it. You do not explore your abilities much, do you?" |
He watched the image in the dust and then looked at her. "It's no real secret anymore that I have cat parts at night. So, I'm not sure what you're going for here? I can't get you an invitation into the castle if that's what you're looking for? There's nothing special about me except that I get cat-like when it's night time. Unless you know how to get rid of the curse I'm not sure what you can do for me." he said carefully.
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The woman's brows rose and she chuckled. "I wasn't looking for anything, but since you assume I can do nothing for you go back to your castle." She shooed him away like a cat caught on the kitchen counter. Her voice dropped quietly. "but no amount of pretending will ever actually make you a noble."
She abruptly stood and went to tend to the horses of their little caravan, leaving him alone in the crowded square. |
He frowned a moment standing there alone. He went over to where she was with the horses "Okay, what can you do for me then?" he asked curiously. "I'm sorry, I'm not quick to trust people considering my past," he said to the woman. "Can you remove this curse?" he asked. "And I don't really want to be a noble, I just want to be able to live comfortably without having to steal my meals or sleep on the streets," he said quietly.
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"It is wise to be slow to trust, but expecting the worst of others is not how you make friends, assassin." She looked over her shoulder at him. "IF you were cursed, yes I could remove it, but it is no curse you are under. Have you considered looking at the positive aspects of your "curse?" Her wings fluttered lightly in the breeze. "If you were normal you would not be in the position you are in, correct?"
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He thought about it. "Probably not? If I was normal I would probably be an apprentice to someone in town by now. A tailor, or a blacksmith. Some sort of trade that would make me money, but instead the cat ears and tail turned me into a freak that nobody wanted to deal with. That's why I had to steal things, sell them and use that money to survive." he said and then paused. "Wait, how did you know that I'm an assassin?" he hissed quietly.
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"It is because of your difference that the king's eyes ever fell on you. Would you prefer to be a blacksmith or tailor to becoming a duke with an estate?" She smiled knowingly when he balked at her knowledge. "I know many things, kitten. Your eyes do not travel far from your own person. You must learn to pay attention to others if you hope to keep yourself safe."
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"That's what I have been doing," he said and then stared at her. "Your wings aren't a costume, are they. They're real," he stated. "Are you cursed too then?" he asked. He stared at them a bit longer. To anyone who was watching her dance, they would think it to be apart of her costuming. Fitting the wings to match the clothes, when in reality she probably fit the clothing to match the wings. "You have the wings all the time or just during the day?" he asked.
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She fluttered her wings lightly in response and turned to him. "I have no curse on me, dear boy. "I have many a blessing, and the shape of a bird is one of them. Of course with every blessing comes a challenge. The favor of the gods does not come freely." She stretched her wings and patted the horse lovingly on the nose. "I have my wings during the day, and the transformation is more... complete at night time. I am a very private person once the sun goes down." She held her hand out to him. "Would you take the full form of a cat under the light of the moon?
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He shook his head "No, during the day I'm completely human. At night my hair grows darker and I acquire a set of cat ears and a tail. That's the extent of the outward apperance. My nails do get sharper an I have more cat-like reflexes but aside from that nothing else." He said taking her hand, not knowing why. "Why though? If it's not a curse then why am I 'blessed' with the cat parts? Why are you blessed to be a bird?"
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She patted his cheek gently with her other hand. "I said would you, not do you," she corrected with a little chuckle. "It is not our place to question the intents of the gods, it is only our place to use our gifts as we believe best. Perhaps there is reason that you have not yet even imagined. There may be a plan for you that has not yet been set in motion. We can only live today, leave it for the gods to weave the pattern of tomorrow."
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" So are you asking would I turn into a full cat if given the chance at night? Not if I can't control it, no. That'd put a damper on any erm...lady friend that I may end up with later. It would be a bit hard to bed her if I'm on four legs and go 'meow'". He said with a slight tone of amusement. "If I had the ability to control going from cat-boy to cat, it could prove useful..."
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"Your dubious intentions aside, you would be able to control a full transformation because you would have to concentrate very hard at first to make it happen." She released his hands. "You would have to learn how, and it would take a lot of practice. You might, if you try hard enough, eventually even be able to do it during the day." She plucked out one of her long brilliantly colored feathers and handed it to him. "You should return to the castle now, but we will be camped out just outside the city near the river all week. If you decide you want to learn, show that to the camp guards and they will bring you to me. You may bring your friends if you trust them."
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He took the feather and looked at it. He nodded at her words and then he did as she suggested and headed back to the castle. He murmured awkward thanks and then left the marketplace. He knew that not a lot of time passed since Joane gave him the 'day off' so he knew she was probably still in her room with Ermi. Most of his stuff was in her room since they didn't give him his own yet so he really had nothing to do. He could seek out Leandrea but he didn't know if that was a good idea either. He sighed and pocketed the feather and wandered.
He found himself in the gardens that he normally met Leandrea before morning court but it was hours since then and she was probably doing something else. He didn't mind the garden though, so he chose a nice sunny patch of grass and lay down on it. Before long he started to doze. |
There was much giggling from the ladies in waiting when he was found snoozing in the garden. It was Leandrea that gently shook his shoulder and called to him. "Trevor, time to wake up. If you stay out here sleeping much longer you're likely to root into the soil." The queen laughed in the background.
"Dear cousin, whatever possessed you to sleep out here? Just like a cat, to find a spot in the sun to take a nap." Elizaveta was grinning amusedly at discovering him. "At least you were not up a tree. We probably wouldn't have ever found you." |
He sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Oh, good afternoon Your Majesty," he said and then turned to Leandrea. "Lady Leandrea, and.." looked to the other ladies gathered around the Queen. "Other ladies," he said and then stood up and brushed off. "Joane gave me the day off because she's spending time with Ermi today," he said and left it at that. "She gave me some coin to go browse the market but I did that already and I don't want to go bother them yet so I came here," he explained. "I guess I dozed off. My apologies." he said scratching the back of his head sheepishly.
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Another round of giggling, though now much more muffled since he was awake, fluttered through the group of women. Leandrea was trying very hard not to laugh at him, but her eyes were sparkling with mirth.
Elizaveta waved her hand. "I'm envious, I must say. It must be glorious to sleep out here with the sun on your face and a breeze in your hair. How lovely." She cleared her throat. "Perhaps, since you find yourself without direction today, you would indulge your cousin in a game of chess?" |
He had heard the name of the game but never had the privilege of playing it. "I'm afraid I don't know how to play chess. I've heard of the game and saw it played a few times but I don't know it well enough to match wits with you," he said with a smile. Since he knew how things worked, he did continue. "However if Her Majesty wouldn't mind teaching a young cat an old trick, I wouldn't mind learning." he finished.
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Elizaveta looked surprised for a brief moment, then remembered his upbringing. "Of course, I would delight in teaching you. It will be nice to win for once," she cast a disparaging look over to Leandrea who finally broke out into giggle as her response. "Come along to my solar, dear." She waved her hand for him to follow.
The ladies all fell into line and followed after. The Queen's Solar was located on the top level of the castle and had big bright open windows. Embroidery hoops were set up near several of the chairs, as well as a few lace maker's pillows. It was clear that while the women of the upper nobility didn't do any hard work, they still kept themselves busy. She gestured to a large chess set made of heavy carved wood.On one side were a cream colored set and on the other a deep burgundy hard wood. "Pick either color, it doesn't bother me which I play." Once he was seated she proceeded to carefully explain each piece and run him through a few practice games, taking her queen off the board as a handicap for him. |
Once seated over on the black side. He looked at all the different pieces and tried to remember everything the Queen told him about the game. It was complicated for sure but one had to anticipate their opponent and determine their possible moves to beat them. During the practice games he, of course, lost, even with the Queen's Queen gone for a handicap. He picked it up pretty quickly though. He was a smart cookie and this game required thought and planning ahead. He was good at learning things, and this would actually be helpful for him in his future ventures. Learning to plan ahead.
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Once he started getting the hang of it Elizaveta stopped being so easy on him, but still kept her queen out of the game. It was only when one of the ladies gently touched her on the shoulder and whispered something into her ear that she called a stop. "I'm afraid I have something to go attend to, cousin. I would offer Leandrea to take my place, but she has no sense of mercy. Surely Ermi has tired of Joane's attention, you should be able to go let her know you didn't get mugged at the market." She stood and was out of the room quickly, leaving him with just a few of the other women.
"Is it true you are part cat at night?" One of them asked abruptly. |
When the Queen got up and left and Leandrea didn't replace her he stood. "Well, that was enjoyable." He turned to Leandrea. "I'll have to play you sometime when I get better." he said with a smile as he bowed in her direction. When one of the ladies blurted out a question he stopped and looked at her. "Oh um, yes." he said. "I get cat ears and a tail," he told her. "Just imagine me with darker hair, two cat ears, and a long black tail," he said. "Maybe you'll see me someday." he then excused himself and then headed up to Joane's room. He scratched on the door. "Meow" he called out.
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