[CRP] Controlling Fate: Private Wedding of Aileigh and Thea

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Mallory
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Re: [CRP] Controlling Fate: Private Wedding of Aileigh and Thea

Post by Mallory »

She accepted the hug with a smile and quietly slipped out of the way, slipping from the room and down to the kitchens when she was asked.

The whole kingdom knew, perhaps a few of them, that Mallory could not cook, but while she could not cook she could manage and that she did well. She calmed a young girl with a burn on her wrist after a spill with a pot of stewed potatoes and quickly dressed it with a healing salve and a bandage tied hastily, but tidily around the rapidly pinked area. Another dish she turned her nose up at and insisted they not serve, leaving it for others as it smelled horrible and too many in the space would have enhanced smell. She was fairly certain the dish had been an accidental compilation anyhow based on the old cooks tottering stance and confused look. She gently directed the woman to sit, she'd long worked for the Royal family and perhaps the time had come to find her a family to stay with while she rested, or assign her dusting or something of the sort, open flames made Mele nervous when the woman tottered nearby, but one of the servers assured her that they would see Maury to a seat and get her some food and a drink. Assured that everything was ready she nodded and slipped from the room.

She found the ceremony area and took a seat at the back, and to the edge nearest the door so that should anyone need anything they could bother her, and not anyone else on this special day.
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Ella
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Re: [CRP] Controlling Fate: Private Wedding of Aileigh and Thea

Post by Ella »

The bright Sunday morning quickly passed into midday inside the walls of the capitol. Ella sat behind her large wooden desk, back to the window, hardly noticing the passing hours. With winter rapidly approaching, Fenia City was preparing their food supplies and salt stores to make sure no citizen would go without food and no road would go unsalted. The mayor was reading over a ledger when a knock came from outside her office.

"My lady?" One of the town hall's civil servants peaked their head into the office. Ella looked up from her desk, surprised at the disturbance. "Yes?" She said as she sat down the parchments she was holding. "You asked me to come and remind you when it was time for you to leave," replied the man. Noticing the look of confusion on Ella's face he quickly continued, "For the wedding." The witch sighed to herself. Right, the wedding. She had been so engrossed in her work she had forgotten the wedding. Perhaps she didn't want to remember. She was hesitant to attend the wedding. There would be a lot of people there and she hardly knew either of the brides. Tyris insisted it would be good for her to get out after spending so much time hidden away. "Yes...yes, thank you," Ella gave a nod of appreciation to the man as he stepped back out of the room.

A short while later, after getting changed in a small private room adjoining her main office, Ella arrived at Redcroft Manor. Unlike her daughter and husband who chose to use the front door, Ella shadowported directly into the garden area. She chose to wear a slightly more understated black dress with silver beading. Her hair she left in long curls except for two locks on either side of her face that were pulled to the back and pinned together with a silver rose barrette. For jewelry, she kept it simple and wore only her everyday pieces.

By the time she arrived, the ceremony area was already filling up with people. Ella looked around for Tyris and Rosalie as the nerves were rising in her stomach. She wanted to retreat. Thankfully she spotted them and joined them hurriedly. "I'm sorry I'm late, I got tied up at the office. Should we sit?"
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Elisa
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Re: [CRP] Controlling Fate: Private Wedding of Aileigh and Thea

Post by Elisa »

Elisa could see her mother smiling when the door opened. ‘you look stunning dear’ she heard her say. It was definitely true. Thea’s dress looked absolutely breath-taking. The fabric caught the light and somehow it looked as if it was made from pieces of glass sown together. Combined with a fabric so thin she wondered how the threads wouldn’t break while weaving the fabric.

While Alice was talking with Thea, Elisa stood a bit awkwardly in the room. She didn’t know Thea very well, so it was probably weird she was being here. As there was an opening in the conversation Elisa took her turn to at least not look like a silent fool and say something. ‘you look really beautiful, congratulations on the wedding.’ Was that something you said beforehand? Or only after the ceremony?



((ooc: @Thea feel free to have us leave, Alice wanted to come see you but I'm not sure on what she'd actually say. Don't want to hold up the rp as you have another guest waiting already ))
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Skye
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Re: [CRP] Controlling Fate: Private Wedding of Aileigh and Thea

Post by Skye »

Weddings! Skye liked weddings. It was clothes, no, it was wearing dresses. Why dresses! It must have been a man deciding a woman needed to wear something this uncomfortable and difficult to put on. Skye fussed and struggled but finally got into her dress. Finishing her hair, she moved to take one last look before hurrying to the Manor for the wedding.

"I do hope I'm not late," Skye said, talking to herself. Arriving, she wasn't sure where everyone would be. She couldn't just find someone to follow; you never know where they were going and what you might find or see. Skye walked around until one of the friendly staff showed her the room for the wedding. She thanked them then moved into the wedding area.

Looking around, she found some seats left near the back of the room by the door. Finding a spot where she could see everyone that entered, Skye sat quietly and watched.
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Cordelia
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Re: [CRP] Controlling Fate: Private Wedding of Aileigh and Thea

Post by Cordelia »

OOC: Sorry for holding this up. :oops: RL stole me. :evil:

Cordelia was pleased with her work. It was difficult not to be proud of such an accomplishment: Thea was wearing both makeup and a dress, befitting of a bride and lady. It was likely the last time she would ever get to dress Thea up without a fuss, so she took a moment to truly enjoy it. The moment, however, was interrupted by a knock. She moved for the door before Thea could, expecting to see the King on the other side. Instead, it was her mother and her sister.

She let them inside to say hello, while she tidied the mess that had come from readying the bride.

The redheaded Winterbourne gave a wide smile. Cora knew her mother was resisting the urge to touch Thea, be it in the form of a hug or an motherly touch to the cheek. Instead, she went with a simple, "You look stunning, dear."

Meanwhile, Elisa's awkwardness was evident to Cordelia. While there was much to learn about each other still, there were things she had picked up in their time together. The beginning was filled with uncomfortable silences and awkward conversations. Through observation, she had learned the signs of Elisa's fidgeting thoughts. Cordelia was much more equipped to hide her uneasiness from years of training. The royal court could be a dangerous place to show one's true emotions.

As the Everharts gave their sentiments, another knock came. This time, when Cordelia opened the door she found the King. Grey eyes shone as she let him inside the room, giving him a brief peck to his cheek before ushering her immediate family out of the room. She shut the door firmly behind them and together, they went down the stairs and headed towards the garden. All the while, Alice and Cordelia spoke:

"You did an impressive job. I was wondering how much strong-arming you would have to do to get Thea to look like a bride of her status - not that I doubted you." Alice flashed an amused grin.

Cora's response was simple, "The trick with Thea is knowing when to stop. I think I found a satisfactory line for both of us. I will admit, I am much more curious to see the other bride. Have you been to a Romany wedding yet, Elisa?"

Grey eyes flicked to the dark eyes of her sister. It was eerie; looking into Elisabeth's eyes was like looking at their father. It brought a sense of peace, knowing another part of Zaroffi Everhart lived on, but at times, she felt the glances from Elisa widened the hole in her heart. It triggered a sense of longing of a daughter for the father she had loved so dearly. In this moment though, the longing was not present in the face of excitement. She imagined Elisa was just as excited for her best friend to marry as Cordelia was for her best friend.

"No, I haven't yet. Is it special?"

"From what I've seen, they enjoy a gathering, so I think it will be more fun than the typical Fenian wedding. A new experience for all of us." The answer was almost disappointing for the curiosity. Almost. While Elisa's response gave little, the scene of the garden when they emerged said much. The amount of flowers reminded her of the wedding of the King and his Queens. Who was their florist? She thought she vaguely remembered the late Duchess Aingeal having a hand in the flowers for that wedding. Did the Romani people just have a knack for nature? She supposed that made sense, seeing as their lifestyle surrounded them by nature. She also knew that few of them were human, so surely that impacted things.

While Alice and Elisa found a seat, her attention was diverted by seeing a familiar mess of curls. Her face brightened even more. She split off from the pair to approach her husband, who had arrived separately. His eyes were already on her, which sparked a flurry of butterflies in her stomach. Their arranged married was quite possibly the best thing that had ever happened to her. Slender, handsome, kind... Rhozin was still stealing her heart months after their vows.

"Looking fine, husband." Her words were light, teasing, as she rose to the tips of her toes to give a kiss. The attempt at a kiss was only accomplished by Rhozin leaning forward to meet her. While he was not the tallest man, Cordelia was barely over five feet. Content, she moved closer to lean against him, gaze wandering the garden once more. While close to the Imperian Palace, being in the company of only family, it allowed the affectionate Winterbourne relax. "It looks like there are still two seats available next to my mother, if we would like to sit there."
Viscountess Cordelia Zabel (Winterbourne) Everhart-Gellygen of the Highlands, the Horned Wolf
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Big Sister to Elisabeth “Elisa” | Cousin to High King Zuan, Thea, & more
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Rhozin
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Re: [CRP] Controlling Fate: Private Wedding of Aileigh and Thea

Post by Rhozin »

Rhozin had travelled to the manor by himself. He understood his wife needed the opportunity to spend time alone with her cousin Thea. They were very close, after all, not just like family but as best friends as well.
He didn't know Thea well, but he understood the young woman was important to his wife, and her getting married made her happy. Therefore it made him happy, too.
And, though he had not shared this with anybody, he was very grateful the person Cordelia had been visiting in secret for a while was Thea, and not, as he had feared, Cordelia's friend Mauir.

Soon after he entered the gardens, he spotted Cordelia with her mother and sister. He smiled. She looked so happy, so radiant. Married life had been very good to them. Better than Rhozin had dared hoping for. His feelings for Cordelia had been growing steadily and it appeared she felt the same way. His secret love interest of the past continued to fade, to the point he did not feel as guilty anymore that he never told Cordelia about it.
Married life, the pregnancy, and especially the return of long lost sister Elisabeth, it all added to Cordelia's radiency. She had come alive, more and more, and Rhozin knew her well enough by now he could always see beyond the formal demeaner she frequently adopted when the duties of a noblewoman and member of the royal family called for it.

Cordelia turned and spotted him. That look she gave him... some days he wondered how he ever deserved that! Not today.
His eyes didn't leave hers as she approached him. He held out his hands to take hers, and leaned down to kiss her. A light kiss, appropriate for the venue, but with enough intent to hold a promise for more, later, when they would be alone.
"Thank you. And you look radient as ever, my wife." He lightly trailed a hand over her belly as she leaned against him. "Let's sit there."
He offered his arm, leaving it up to her to take it or not. With some help of Cordelia and her mother, Rhozin had learned that being pregnant did not mean Cordelia was now made of glass and she could best decide for herself what she could and could not handle. Horse riding and hunting were out of the question now, of course, but she did not need to be assisted with everything. Something that had been a little difficult for Rhozin to accept at times, but he was a quick learner and the pregnancy progressing so well was clear proof Cordelia knew what she was doing.
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Zuan
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Re: [CRP] Controlling Fate: Private Wedding of Aileigh and Thea

Post by Zuan »

The King offered his cousin Cordelia a kind smile as she opened the door and faced him from within Thea’s chambers. He also offered that smile and a polite bow to both Elisa and Alice as they too gave way to enable him the opportunity to spend some time with Thea alone before her wedding. He still doubted the entire concept of the event, and given how well he knew his cousin, he wondered whether or not those cracks would appear when he raised questions which might prickle under her skin and visage which had been presented by both her and Aileigh to justify the wedding.

As he crossed the threshold into her private chambers he offered his cousin a half smile, and a knowing look. One she knew all too well, often one given when he believed her in a lie, or had caught her within one.
”I must say cousin, you look most beautiful on this most wonderful of days.” He said, his blue-grey eyes meeting her own eyes, as he carefully took a seat, his focus remaining entirely on her, knowing he had made it with enough time to at least get a few questions in before the inevitable had to happen. ”I am sure your parents would be proud of you on this day, and I hold great honour taking your fathers place today. That is, I am sure they would be proud if your feelings for one another were whole and true.” It was not an outright question. He was after all, somewhat wary of causing a scene, given Thea’s often explosive temperament, however his words were purposeful and within them hold the question he sought to ask her – were her feelings genuine – and given she was looking at him – it would be clear that in his expression he did not believe they were.

”Know I ask not only as your cousin and your guardian since your mothers tragic passing, but also out of concern for your bride-to-be, who I have known for a number of years and would hate to see damaged by a marriage built on the false hope of a non-existent love.” He said calmly, before deciding to rise to his feet and cut the distance between them ever so slightly, taking one and then two steps toward her. ”So, answer me honestly Dorathea, do you love her? And is your love pure to the point you wish to bind yourself to her infront of her family and yours? Or is this just another desperate attempt for attention. We both know the last time you declared your love it ended poorly for the recipient.” Once again his tone was calm, albeit with an undertone of concern. It was true, Adam had fallen for her spell, and ended up dead as a result, albeit one could hardly call a wolf attack in a hunting accident Thea’s fault. However his cousin was rash, and often made foolish choices on the spur of the moment. And he could not risk her or Aileigh getting hurt, when they both mattered much to him and his family.
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Thea
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Re: [CRP] Controlling Fate: Private Wedding of Aileigh and Thea

Post by Thea »

Cordelia moved to the side to allow her mother and sister inside the bedroom. Alice’s eyes lit up as she moved closer to Thea, appearing as if she might steal a hug before stopping just short of the bride.

"You look stunning, dear."

These words were clearly meant to be encouraging but it only reminded Thea that soon all eyes would be on her. She fidgeted with the dress she wore as Elisa echoed similar sentiments. Maybe Aileigh’s appearance would be so over the top and grand that people would focus on her instead of looking at how awkward the rebellious Winterbourne looked.

Thea sat down on her bed as she spoke to her family.

"Thank you, it was entirely Cordelia."

She looked over at her elder cousin expecting to soon be chastised for sitting down and wrinkling her dress, but as luck would have it there was another knock at the door.

Cordelia opened the door again to show the King standing on the other side. There went the luck. The three Everharts excused themselves to go down to the garden while Zuan pressed further into the room. She braced herself as he sat down to address her. As he spoke, she crossed her arms. With each word, she felt her internal walls rise higher to barricade herself from the man. Of course, he doubted her intentions. She had expected nothing less. The cousins were in a constant standoff, a war that never ends.

When he finished speaking she too rose to her feet. The man still towered over her as she looked up at him with her arms pulled across her chest. Her words came calmly even as she could feel the defiance rising in her.

"I can assure you that Aileigh is under no false pretenses with our union. Our relationship is indescribable. How can you possibly attempt to capture the pull between us? Fate, maybe."

Convenience and need were more accurate. She chose her words carefully. Neither lying nor telling the truth.

"If this was a cry for attention or if I was uncertain, why would Aileigh already have Winterbourne blood inside of her? Safe inside her womb."

Thea paused to allow the words to sink in.

"That is right. We are so certain that we are having a child together."
Dorathea "Thea" Sanchari Winterbourne | Lady of Redcroft Manor | The Red Wolf
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Cousin of the Winterbournes | Mother of Zevander, Corabel, Elodie, & Lenora | Wife of Aileigh
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Re: [CRP] Controlling Fate: Private Wedding of Aileigh and Thea

Post by Zuan »

He remained calm as she spoke, having no wish or need to become angry or overtly concerned over the situation, much rather he kept his focus to listen to every word which left her lips. How often words which might be honeyed with lies would contain some inner strand of truth beneath the nectar.

It was interesting to hear her words ‘fate’ seemed highly unlikely. He knew Thea, she was not someone who was attracted to women, as history had shown given her promiscuity both before and after her arrival at the capitol at the request of her mother. She had slept with priests not nuns. And so any notion of indescribable feelings was nonsense, but what was not was a mutual want for this union.

He also knew Thea was not keen on children, that had become readily apparent when she had ended up with child, and even now after her son’s birth they were not so often seen together. So once again the notion that it was their child was not something he bought, but the notion of Winterbourne blood, well, perhaps Thea had said more than was intended with that particular line.

However this was not the place nor the time to dig further into her comments, not least that soon enough the time would come for her to be wed, and he did not wish to waste more time than was needed on that which would only cause dispute and drama on what was as much a political function as it was a wedding of two supposed ‘lovers’.
”Aye, I am sure when you are wed the child will be yours together under the eyes of the mages, but that does not make it your child now does it?” He said with the softest of telling smiles. ”But I thank you for all your honesty, it is good to know that her child is of our blood, even if it is not necessarily yours.” He continued on. ”Worry not dear cousin, that secret shall remain ours. Whomever the true parent is, I am sure they will reveal themselves in time. Or not. This is your decision to wed not mine. Just know, that if it ends poorly, much like with Adam, we shall always be here for you.”

He kept his gaze focused on her. ”So, any ideas on how we should pass the time before it is time for you to be wed? Or would you rather I continue with this novel little parenthood guessing game?” He said with a slight smirk and a chuckle, before tilting his gaze out toward the window, as the sun rose further into the sky and the light illuminated the vast grounds of the estate. It was indeed an ideal venue for a wedding.
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Re: [CRP] Controlling Fate: Private Wedding of Aileigh and Thea

Post by Aileigh »

If she had not been so distracted by the rush of emotions, she may have recognized approaching footsteps and stopped talking. Instead, she felt caught in a secret when her mother made it evident she had heard what the bride was whispering. At the same time, Aishe gave an easy resolution and instinctively, she grabbed for it... Only to hold onto it for a split second before dropping it like hot coal and confessing otherwise. She would have to tell her mother sooner than most by the sheer fact Aishe would soon be able to hear the heartbeat. Perhaps sharing the news would help soothe some of her nerves so she could focus on more simple things like not tripping down the aisle.

Their exchange regarding the latest addition(s) to the family was short and quiet. The private moment did not need to be anything more because the love of her mother dwarfed her insecurities. In fact, it boosted her confidence. The admission, the lie - perhaps she had wanted to wait until after today, but seeing Aishe's reaction gave hope to others taking the news well. Still, she had to admit she was a bit relieved when Nisha teleported in, which sent Aishe down to the garden.

The black-haired women stared at each other for a moment in silence. Life had been interesting since Nisha left the Nether Realm to join her now-adult daughters. In many ways, Aileigh enjoyed having a grandmother. It was something she never anticipated to have, with Aishe having been disowned and Akos growing up in an orphanage. However, the two women did not share a bond like Nisha did with her other grandchildren. There just was not enough... "Akos" in her. The idea was absurd when considering that Aileigh was carefully crafted from the souls of Aishe and Akos. And yet, she was no necromancer. She grew up believing someone like Nisha never existed, while her brothers discovered her in another realm, on their own, before they had turned three. She envied her younger brothers and their half-sister for having this bond between family that she would never share.

Nisha walked up to the bride with a smile. Aileigh may not be like her grandmother, but she knew the woman cared deeply for the family she never thought she'd have. The bride closed the distance when she pulled Nisha into a hug. The hug was brief and when she stepped back, Nisha withdrew a locket from her pocket.

"They tasked me with 'something old'. Given how my life has been, I have nothing old to give, but myself." The Kuhlash woman held the locket up for observation before dropping it into Aileigh's palm. Made of black metal, the chain was dainty, but looked sturdy for daily use. The locket itself had the old family sigil of Kuhlash engraved, with a boarder of myrtle flowers. Curiously, she opened the locket up to find a lock of raven hair looped that tied with a small purple ribbon and a real myrtle pressed behind it, positioned behind a thin layer of glass. If such a gift came from someone else, it may have struck her as strange. She had read once of people doing this tradition in places like Muria, but she had not seen it done this far East. In its oddity, it was the perfect gift.

"Thank you. Would you help?" She offered the necklace back before turning around, sweeping her hair out of the way with a gentle hand. Quietly, Nisha assisted getting the locket onto the bride and once clasped, it sat above her bosom. Aileigh wandered closer to the mirror to take another look at her completed appearance. For a moment, the feeling of fairytale teased her mind, but she tried not to get caught up in it. Her mouth felt dry and nausea settled in the pit of her stomach. She diverted from the mirror to the teacup that had long since grown cold and finished it. The teacup was swapped for the waiting bouquet. She paused, hesitating by the window, but it felt silly to ruin the surprise so close to its reveal. "Alright... I think it's time."

Nisha popped to the door and opened it, summoning the nearest servant to instruct him to have the guests seated. They gave the servant a few moments to ensure the garden was prepared for the brides. Together, they left the bedroom and descended the stairs. She fought hard to not bite her lip. In the foyer below stood the other bride and her keeper. She found herself smiling wide by the time they stepped off the last stair. Admittedly, she felt a bit awestruck. She had seen Thea "clean up" for events before, but this was different.

"You look radiant." Aileigh offered, feeling a natural blush rise beneath the makeup. Blue eyes flicked upwards to the king, resisting the urge to hug him under an attempted facade of calm. "Father."

The word itself seemed so simple, but there was much unsaid that came with it. A 'thank you for allowing this', 'thank you for being here', 'I love you'. It all did not need to be said to be known.

"Let's, uh, go get married!"
Aileigh Mae Maarah Sanchari Winterbourne | Seer of BDR | Viscountess of Ettinford
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Wife to Thea | Mother of Zevander, Corabel, Elodie, Lenora, Ezra, & Imogen
Daughter of Aishe & Akos
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