[ORP]Times in North Fenshire

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Zuan
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Re: [ORP]Times in North Fenshire

Post by Zuan »

The King smirked softly at her as they continued to ride through the wilderness. “Rose coloured glasses? M’Lady that would be quite the fashion statement.” He commented with a shake of the head. “Perhaps you should try introduce them at court? See if it takes off, I hear they’re quite the trend in the Northern Kingdoms.” It was a common trend for their relationship. When she would make a joke, he would address it entirely seriously, as was now being shown by his suggestion of the rose glasses.

Their relationship was unique, and had grown with time, however it was indeed in the quietest of moments they could both flourish with one another’s company, and this ride was no different to that. As she commented on her inability to hold for surprises without the spread of anxiety or worry over what it might be.


“No, I just know we do not get as much time to ourselves as you might like, I suppose that is the disadvantage of me being King. Whether it’s guards, guests or courtiers, there is usually somebody around ready to note down what we say. In case I accidently declare war on Kiene or something I suppose?” He said with an amused expression on his face, as if that was even a realistic possibility to occur. However behind his sarcasm was the truth, that it was only in moments like this they were able to speak openly and freely without interference or distraction. “But no matter… I do believe we are almost here.”

They continued on for another couple of minutes before finally they reached a large clearing. The forest was stripped back around the lake, which was a pale blue and shimmered ever so slightly, as the water was guided by the breeze of the day. The land around the lake was lush and green thick with grass and small bundles of flowers which grew well in the soil surrounding the lake. As they approached further, Ella would be able to see the steam emanating off of the surface of the lake, and down in the depths, through the clearness of the water she would see the outline of what many claimed to be the skeletal remains of a dragon. “Welcome to Dragons Maw Lake. Legend has it that deep in the very heart of this lake, lies the skeletal remains of a dragon, who thousands of years ago plagued the countryside. Burning cities, accumulating gold and stealing runaway princesses.” He teased softly, as he slowly dismounted his steed, and proceeded to help her from her own. “The beast was slain they say by a farmer, armed with nothing more than a bow and arrow. His farm had been torn asunder, his family burnt and his sheep slain for food. He cried out to the mages, and it is said they were moved by his plea.” He took Ella’s hand and gently led her toward the side of the lake, so the steam would be clearer to her view. “So when the Dragon next came, he was guided by their wisdom and their strength, and with a single arrow he pierced the heart of the dragon and sent him to his doom and demise, forever resting beneath the water, the embers of his breath heating this lake till this very day.”

He turned to Ella. “That’s where I turn to you M’Lady. You see, I’d quite like to know if the story is true.” He said softly, letting his words sit in the air, so she could process the tale of the farmer and the dragon, and as to how she might be able to assist with the validity of the tale.
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Ella
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Re: [ORP]Times in North Fenshire

Post by Ella »

Ella shook her head at his suggestion. "I think you overestimate me, or underestimate the Fenian Court. Or maybe both. I very much doubt they would pick up any style cues from me, even if rose-colored glasses are all the rage in North Fenia." Glancing over at him, she gave him a half-smile but it was equally evident that some of her anxiety was seeping through.

"I suppose we do not get much time together," Ella said in a serious tone before being abruptly interrupted by laughter at his following comment. "My King, do you usually accidentally declare war on people? What a dangerous state this would be if that were the case." She briefly flashed a grin at him before they both fell into relative silence.

He told her they were nearing their final destination so she was on the lookout for what was to come. Finally, the forest gave way to large clearing and at the center was a large lake. It was truly picturesque scene. The grass circling the lake was vibrant emerald green and the water was a crystal blue reflecting fractals of light back towards the blue sky. Birds fluttered between trees and soared across the lake. It was the type of image an artist would put on canvas and hang in a fancy building somewhere. Ella was so encapsulated by everything she was seeing, she didn't at first hear Zuan as he began to tell her the story of the lake. She quickly turned her attention back to him to listen more carefully.

When he finished his story, a slight brow raised in question. She wasn't sure if this was a tale of fiction — the kind that people of yester-years make up to explain unknown phenomena — but what surprised her most was his request for her to solve the riddle.
"And just how do you expect me discover the truth?" Did he mean magic, or did he mean for her to swim in the lake. Her eyes turned back to the water with a perplexed gaze.
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Zuan
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Re: [ORP]Times in North Fenshire

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He perhaps noted her focus was more on the visuals of the lake, its serene location, the sound of the song birds which fluttered between trees, all in all it was an enchanting sight. However he gathered from her response that she had heard just about enough of his tale to perhaps guess at what might come next. ”Well, as this lake is naturally heated, supposedly by the fires of the dragons breath, it turns out it is quite warm all year round.” He smiled gently at her, not breaking her gaze, as he continued on his explanation.

”At the surface you might consider it as warm as your usual heated bath back in the castle. Nice, refreshing, relaxing. However, as you delve deeper and swim further, the heat grows. Some say if you get close to the maw of the deceased dragon that the heat of the lake will simply cook a man alive. Hence why no one knows if the legend is true. For no man has ever made it to the maw and back to tell of the truth.” It was likely at this point Ella was seeing the intentions of the King, and exactly as to why he had brought her, given she was so in tune with fire magic and indeed fire itself.

”Yet, as far as I know, stood beside me is a woman who is most resistant to fire, flame and heat.” His tone was as soft as his smile as his gaze finally dragged from her eyes toward the lake and it’s steaming surface. ”So I suppose what I am asking you M’Lady is, care for a swim?” He teased softly at her, his smile slowly morphing into his usual smirk. ”For I am just oh so curious, as to what might be within the dragons maw, and what you might find at the bottom of that lake.” He did not question if she could make it or withstand the heat, for he did not need to. He knew her, her powers, her skill, her talents, and for her the deepest part of the lake would be the equivalent of him taking a bath. ”So M’Lady, Ella… Would you care to entertain this man’s curiosity? And see what no other soul has yet seen?”
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Ella
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Re: [ORP]Times in North Fenshire

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So he did want her to swim, as it would turn out. Ella's eyebrows shot upwards as if to question his motives. She knew that nothing nefarious was afoot, but it nonetheless seemed odd that he had devised this elaborate plan for her to take a swim. They had gone swimming before together so he knew she was capable, but still, something was different and she couldn't quite place her finger on what it was. "Just curious," she repeated his words with a shake of her head.

Despite her apparent doubt, she carefully pulled off the outer shell of her dress leaving her clothed in a soft and flowy shift. It was not the most ideal swimming attire, but it was certainly better than the heavy, brocaded dress she had cast to the side. She then proceeded to pull off her leather riding boots, bracing herself by grabbing his forearm. "You're lucky I like you," she teased him. "Anyone else I would have told to shove off."

The fire witch proceeded to the edge of the water, testing the surface liquid with just her toes. It was indeed warm, not that she had expected that to be false. She could after all see the steam rising off the lake in the distance. Ella began to wade further into the lake until it was up to her waist. She turned around and looked at the King still standing on the shoreline. "And just how deep is this lake? Or is that too a mystery?"
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Zuan
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Re: [ORP]Times in North Fenshire

Post by Zuan »

He chuckled softly as she slowly worked her way out of her dress and into a more appropriate attire for swimming and indeed diving into a large lake, his amusement was found in her comment – he had always enjoyed her satirical nature, which was almost equal to his own. ”Is that so?” He grinned back at her in response, as she removed her boots, which again would have likely hindered any attempt to swim. ”Well if it is, I suppose I am indeed the luckiest man in all of the Kingdoms.” He smirked softly as she then returned to remove the second boot. ”Though you realise you could have asked me for assistance, those shoes don’t look the easiest of items to remove.” He said with another amused grin, as she was finally free of the boots and proceeded towards the water’s edge.

His gaze remained with her as she began to slowly walk further into the water, the slight ripples caused by her movement spread outward towards the middle of the lake, while the sound of splashing was clear to the ear before she was mostly submerged by the heated waters of the mysterious lake. When she turned back to him, he offered her a keen smile as she asked her questions, and he pondered how best to answer.
”All lakes have a basin beneath them Ella, and rest assured, it would do me no good if you were unable to survive the swim. So I have a great amount of faith that you’ll make it to the bottom of the lake without too much strain or struggle.” He then bowed his head at her slightly before saying finally. ”I would wish you luck M’Lady, but I know you will not need it. Have a good swim.” He said with a wink, before he settled himself down upon the ground beside the lake, and proceeded to wait, clearly expecting there to be no issue with Ella’s dive to the floor of the lake and whatever might be found below.
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Ella
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Re: [ORP]Times in North Fenshire

Post by Ella »

Ella shook her head and laughed as Zuan said he would have helped her had she just asked. "Oh, could I have?" She quipped when the laughter subsided, "How very kind of you." She did not linger on the subject longer as she was already pushing through the water.

One hand landed on either hip as she looked at him with slight disapproval. This was clearly a game to him as evidenced by him babbling on about basins and whatnot.
"That's not helpful," she huffed before turning away from him again with an air of mild indignation.

She continued further and further into the lake until she could no longer stand and instead had to swim. She was not what one might call a 'natural swimmer' but she had learned how to swim when she was a child and the skill had stuck with her even if she was not the most elegant or efficient in the water. Her head bobbed beneath the water, eyes open as she scanned the somewhat-murky water below. The water itself did not seem dirty yet there was a dark gloom shrouding the lowest parts of the lake. It was not until Ella reached the center of the lake that she spotted it. There, just as Zuan had described, was what appeared to be a dragon skull. Perhaps the lake was truly enchanted by this relic from the past.

Her head popped up out of the water and she called to the man sitting on the shore.
"I see it!" From the distance, she could hear the King encouraging her to go down and check it out, a continuation of his game to be sure. Her head submerged under the surface again as she assessed the distance between her and the skull. It wasn't a huge distance, but Ella was still uncertain about swimming that far down. She kicked her feet to tread the water a moment while catching her breath. Then she turned her body and began to swim downward. It seemed incredibly slow getting to the bottom and yet she blinked and she was there. Maybe it was the lack of new air to fill her lungs that was causing this distortion of time. The skull was quite large, probably big enough to fit two full-grown human males inside. At first, there seemed to be nothing about it. Just a large set of bones sitting on the sandy floor of the lake. Ella was about to turn around and swim to the surface, but something caught her eyes sitting in the center of the gigantic jawbone. It was gold and shiny and it looked like a box of some sort. Something told her that this too was a part of Zuan's elaborate scheme. She swam further into the mouth of the dragon and scooped up the golden box. At this point, the lack of air was getting painful. She held the box in her hand and used her feet to propel her up to the open air once more.

As her head broke through the water, Ella gasped for air. She almost forgot how good it felt to be able to breathe freely. As she took another sharp inhale of air, she managed to get some water in her mouth and sputtered slightly. How very coordinated of her. It took her a minute to right herself and steady her breathing once more at which point she began to swim towards the man waiting eagerly on the edge of the lake.
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Re: [ORP]Times in North Fenshire

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The King remained settled upon the edge of the lake, his boots not quite touching the water, as he peered out across the haze of steam which rose from the surface of the lake and dissipated into the sky above. He kept his focus entirely upon Ella as she waded further and further into the water, he blinked, and she was gone. Submerged beneath the surface of the lake, he could just make out her last position by the ripples of water upon the surface of the lake as the fire witch delved to the depths of the lake floor.

The moments passed without incident, and then there was a ripple and a splash as Ella slowly remerged from the depths and took to the surface, breathing heavily and soaked from the swimming. He smirked softly over at her as they made eye contact, and a small grin broke out as she mentioned she had found the skull. It did not take much pressing to encourage her back beneath the water and to take a closer look at the maw of the dragon, which indeed he had known about for some time.

Once again he waited, still and patient, knowing exactly the depths she was having to swim to reach the maw of the dragon skull at the bed of the lake. Then, once again the ripples strengthened and then were breached by the emerging Ella, he chuckled softly at her reaction to the air which no doubt felt like the very nectar of life as it filled her lungs. Slowly he rose to her feet, and watched as she made her way back towards him. He noted in her movements that she was clearly holding onto something – that was good – he thought to himself, yet no such thought broke out into an expression upon his face.

As she finally began to walk towards him, no longer able to swim due to the declining depth of the water, he offered her his hand and then kissed hers gently as she took it.
”That was quite a feat M’Lady, so pray tell, what did you see?” He asked curiously, his expression almost unreadable, as his eyes dipped from hers and toward the box which she still clutched in her other hand. ”And what might that be, which you have found down there, hm?” His smile clear as he walked with her, hand in hand, away from the lake and back towards where her unspoilt garments remained upon the floor of the clearing.
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Re: [ORP]Times in North Fenshire

Post by Ella »

Ella trudged the last few feet out of the water to meet Zuan who greeted her with a kiss. "I saw the dragon head, as I'm sure you well know," she said with a slight smirk. At this point, it was all too clear that he had sent her on a search for the skull to retrieve the box which she now held.

He led her back to where she had discarded the outer layer of her dress, but she did not immediately put this on again. Ella placed the box in his hand and sat down on the soft grass near her clothing. It would've been silly to get dressed again while the garments she was wearing were presently soaked through.
"I don't know, you tell me," she looked at him carefully while resting back on her hands. "What did you send me to retrieve?"
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Re: [ORP]Times in North Fenshire

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He smirked at her and a small laugh left his lips as she spoke. ”Now M’Lady, are you suggesting that I set this entire situation up? That I would know there to be a dragon skull at the bed of the lake and a small ornate box within it? You must think me quite the schemer.” He teased lightly with a soft smile as she granted him the box.

As they finally reached her attire he allowed her to sit without issue, as his fingers carefully ran across the various carvings and designs upon the box. There was some wear in truth to the vessel, which had spent some time at the mercy of the lake depths, but the care in its design was clear for all to see. His fingers finally reached the small clip which bound the lid to the base of the box as his gaze turned to Ella, with a swift smirk as she asked about the box and what exactly was within.
”Again, you assume me the architect of this little game, and I suppose as you had so well deduced, I shall not deny you the truth.” He locked eyes with her, and as was so often the case, his signature smirk crossed his lips, as he finally opened the box.

In one swift motion he lifted the lid and knelt down beside Ella to reveal to her what was within. There neatly situated between two folds of black velvet was a ring. It was made from three bands of gold, two white which were set either side of a golden band. Atop the three bands were intricate golden additions which had been crafted into the roots of a Blackwood tree which proceeded to wrap around the outside of the ring. They finished at a point where two crowned wolves, made from solid silver with gold crowns, rose from the metal on their back legs. Held between both sets of claws was a single pure blood red ruby. The King waited half a second, to allow the image and his action to enter Ella’s thought process before speaking.
”Countess Ella Blackwood, would you do me the greatest of pleasures and highest of honours? For here and now, alone among the trees and the quiet of Northern Fenia, the lands of my home and the lands which have become yours, I wish to ask you but a simple question. M’Lady, my Ella, would you grant me your hand? And become my wife?” His tone was as it so often was, quiet, stoic and calm, but there was clearly an element of pride and joy in his voice, as he asked the important question to the woman he considered his love.

In the silence of the clearing, broken only by the singing of the birds, he remained upon one knee, with the ring on display to Ella, waiting for her answer. Each second feeling like an entire year as he hoped for a positive response from the woman he had become entirely infatuated and invested in.
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Re: [ORP]Times in North Fenshire

Post by Ella »

"Mhmm, I do," Ella said in response to the man who feigned innocence. "I think you are a grand schemer, up to many things at all times." The latter statement was a bit hyperbolic but she enjoyed teasing him just as much as he enjoyed teasing her. Zuan swiftly knelt down beside her as he admitted to the game she opened her mouth to continue the teasing, but her words got lost in her throat.

He had now opened the intricately carved box and held it out for her to see the contents. It was a ring — an absolutely gorgeous ring decorated with the sigils of both the House of Blackwood and the House of Winterbourne. The focal point, however, was a sizeable ruby on the decorative gold band. Ella tended to go for more solemn colors with her attire, but when it came to jewelry she often chose to wear rubies. It was perfect in every way and would have left her speechless even if it was not accompanied by the words Zuan said next. They weren't exactly a surprise since they had talked about the idea of marriage before, but Ella had truthfully been a bit more reserved on the subject. It wasn't that she didn't want to marry him her reservations came more from the idea of becoming his Queen and the public's eyes turning ever more in her direction. The first thought that popped into her head was a resounding 'yes' followed by a flood of all of the anxieties that accompanied this big decision.

Swallowing hard, Ella nodded her head.
"Yes, yes I want to marry you." She leaned forward and kissed him deeply, letting her lips linger on his before pulling back half-breathless from the proposal and from the kiss to speak again. "What if I'm not ready to be your Queen though?"
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