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#Post#: 380602--------------------------------------------------
Re: Arranged Marriage
By: guest1268 Date: December 25, 2014, 11:24 pm
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Essie discovered when she had returned that the trumpets had
been sounded for a hunting party, not for her and Jasper. She
was relieved to avoid being the subject of the castle. After
putting the horse back in the stables, she sought out the
training grounds not too far from the horses.
A man was already there, fighting with some stick limbs and a
sack cloth for a face. He turned to face her when she had
cleared her throat. A smile appeared as he bowed accordingly.
"It has been awhile," he said, rising from the bow. "I hope
you're not rusty."
Essie shrugged. "Guess you will have to find out."
She went over and retrieved a blade and came back to stand in
front of him. The man had sandy blond hair with traces of white
in it that showed his age. Recently, she had heard that he had
lost his wife to a plague that had been wiping out a great deal
of people across seas. Although, he didn't appear upset now, she
knew that his grieving had taken its toll on the man because of
the bottle of liquor hiding beneath his jacket next to the
dummy.
Without waiting for his say, she stepped forward a swung. He
countered and sidestepped in order to avoid her second swing
that followed.
She enjoyed fighting since it made her act instead of think.
Sure, thinking was obviously involved but there was no room for
outside thoughts to invade a spar. Essie often thought too much
and it left her exhausted.
The fight carried on and ended with her win. Another began but
soon ended when she began to recount Jasper's behavior and the
marriage awaiting her. The man, not expecting her absentminded
gestures, accidentally drew blood. She gasped at the pain that
followed and glanced down at the sight of blood covering the
clothes around the wound.
"Essie," he exclaimed, running to her aid but she quickly shook
him off.
"I'm fine, " she grunted. "I was being careless, I'm sorry."
He nodded. "Yeah, you were. Let's get you up to your room and
I'll retrieve a physician."
She was going to insist otherwise but she was too lightheaded.
The princess lost consciousness before they made it up to her
room and woke up soon after the physician arrived. He bandaged
the wound and told her to stay in bed for a few days and she
would be fine. She thanked him before he left, secretly planning
on leaving to explore the town the next morning.
Like she could really stay in bed for a few days!
#Post#: 380624--------------------------------------------------
Re: Arranged Marriage
By: Renegade Date: December 26, 2014, 12:58 pm
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At least an hour had passed since Essie left Jasper behind on
the mountain. Not once did sleep come for him, despite the fact
that his eyes never opened. His find wandered far away, to a
land no one else had ever been. It explored leaps and depth
until it came to a discovery that was hard for Jasper to face.
When his eyes opened, they were a warm red color.
He needed to see Essie again. He needed to talk to her. And
though he had never done it before, he needed to
apologize...Feelings, Emotions, romance... These were all things
Jasper had little experience with. They were things that
frightened him, and yet, they came crashing at his door,
demanding that he let them in! How was he supposed to deal with
that! Of all the lessons his Father had required him to take,
none had prepared him for his current predicament.
As he rode back to the Castle, he tried to put together a script
for what he would say when he saw Essie. How he would let her
know how he felt about all this; About her. He was pretty sure
that if he came to her genuinely, she would at least listen.
When he arrived, He returned Shadow to his pin, and headed
straight for his fiancee's room. But what he would find was more
than surprising.
Essie was laying on her back, her abdomen wrapped in bloody
bandages! What the hell happened since she left him on the
mountain?! Solid red eyes were overtaken by a black shadow as he
stood in the doorway, hands shaking. He was frozen in time for a
moment, before making his way to her bed, shades of blue washing
into his eyes as he came to the realization that she was awake,
and seemed to be alright. Sweet relief... "What happened?" He
asked. Everything he had planned to tell her went out the
window. Right now the only thing that mattered was her
condition. It was funny how things went full circle. "I
shouldn't have let you come down alone..."
#Post#: 380627--------------------------------------------------
Re: Arranged Marriage
By: guest1268 Date: December 26, 2014, 1:39 pm
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The book she had been reading fell down onto her lap when Jasper
had entered. She was in a night gown, hardly dressed for
company. Rolling her eyes, she covered herself with the blanket
and then nodded toward the door.
"There's this invention called a 'door'. You use it as a
knocking device before entering a dwelling," she said with
sarcasm.
She shrugged at his question and moaned in aggravation.
"I was stupid. But now I can't get out of bed for a few days!
Can you believe that? But it's okay, I've already bribed a
servant to help me escape," she explained, clearly thinking
herself smart.
Then, her eyes scrutinized him, daring him to speak more. Why
was he worried about her one minute and then mean the other? One
thing was for certain, she wasn't going to play his game
anymore.
"What do you care? At least if he had finished the job, you
could have married someone else," she said, a bit short.
Then she sighed. "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for. But give me
a break Jasper, I don't know if you hate me or can stand me. I
can't trust you and I'm expected to marry you? Just, give me at
least some kind of respect for trying."
Of course she didn't expect him to really reply. In fact, she
expected him to say something smart and walk out. Essie didn't
give him time to react, however and all of a sudden she winced
at gripped her stomach. She cursed and sat up, trying to find a
more comfortable position.
#Post#: 380628--------------------------------------------------
Re: Arranged Marriage
By: Renegade Date: December 26, 2014, 2:55 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Normally Essie's sarcasm would have served as an invitation for
battle to begin, but Jasper made no attempt to come back at her
quick comment. He was glad to hear she was feeling well enough
to sneak out, but his eyes showed mainly concern for whether or
not it was a good idea; Deep blue, with small dots of light
yellow.
Her rebuttal was deserved., but it hurt none the less. The bits
of happiness that hid within his eyes faded as she questioned
him, and his eyes fell to her bedside. "Finished the job?
Someone did this to you intentionally?" He wasn't prepared to
face her statement about marrying someone else. Not yet.
Besides, if someone had hurt her, he had every intention to take
care of them personally.
She calmed down reasonably quickly, which came as a relief, but
when she winced and grabbed her wound, his eyes quickly shifted
to a bright orange color! "Don't move!" He yelled at her,
fearing she had opened the wound again. He placed his hands over
the area where blood had gathered on her bandages and took a
deep breath, begining to chant. "Propinquus vulnere ne dolor
sit"His eyes glowed a brilliant white as he spoke. And as soon
as the words escaped his lips, her wound began to close up and
heal completely.
Divine Tongue... It was an ancient and powerful magic that no
one else in the Kingdom had mastered. Not even the King himself.
But it came at a brutal cost to the body, especially when used
for a heavy job such as healing injuries. Jasper's eyes faded to
a void grey, before his vision left him, and he collapsed on the
floor next to Essie's bed. It was unlikely he would awaken for a
day or two. But at least she would be able to get out of bed
now... Hopefully this would make up for his rudeness to her on
the mountaintop...
#Post#: 380635--------------------------------------------------
Re: Arranged Marriage
By: guest1268 Date: December 26, 2014, 5:15 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Given that he had never before raised his voice at her, she
became still with obedience. The spell took effect, sealing what
had been open and healing every last inch. Amazed, she didn't
notice how it had effected him at first but when he fell, she
caught him out of instinct. His weight was completely on her and
it was difficult to hold him in place. Slowly, she maneuvered
him so that he slid onto her bed. Taking his feet, she moved him
so that he was completely on it in a laying position. Essie
called out, beckoning servants to rush to his aid. She
instructed them retrieve clothes and get a physician. After
that, she ensured that the king and queen were informed.
When they had arrived, she explained what had taken place. His
parents only left them when she had promised to look after him.
When they were gone, she removed his clothes and redressed him.
She would have allowed the servants to do it but she didn't
trust him with anyone else. It was very difficult not to stare
and impossible not to blush but she managed to dress him.
She slept in a chair at his side with her head on the bed beside
him. The next day, she tended to him and the physician had
arrived to check on him. His report was good but no one knew
when he would wake up.
Essie slept again that night by his side with untouched food on
top of the dresser. It was difficult to sleep but being next to
him eased her mind. Once during the second night, she had
awakened and reached out to take his hand. She sighed and
hesitated, tracing the lines of his hand with her eyes. Her hand
slowly wrapped around his, holding it very gently that a small
movement could break it. Then, she fell back asleep, hoping he
would wake up soon.
#Post#: 380636--------------------------------------------------
Re: Arranged Marriage
By: Renegade Date: December 26, 2014, 7:08 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
For the rest of that night, and the entirety of the next day,
Jasper remained trapped in his dreamless slumber. The Divine
Tongue spell was known to have adverse effects on the body.
Simple spells exhausted the user completely. Powerful ones, like
the one he used to heal Essie, temporarily shut down practically
every system in the body that wasn't necessary for survival. And
no one could say for sure the long term effects it could have on
a person. Jasper had no idea he was asleep. He didn't move, and
he barely breathed. But if he wasn't unable to speak, he would
have told Essie that it was worth it.
Nothing stirred Jasper, even into the night. Neither the voices
of the physicians, nor Essie roused him in the slightest. Funny
then, that the thing that awoke him, was a gentle touch on his
hand. His awakening wasn't quick. It was a slow transition back
to consciousness, as he body reactivated. First, his breathing
grew stronger, as did his heartbeat. Then, he became able to
hear once more, though in the late night, it was silent.
Finally, the Prince opened his eyes, to see Essie sleeping, her
head rested on the bed, and his hand in her own. Normally, he
would have been flustered by such contact; Probably covered it
up with a clever insult. But he was still too weak for all that.
He looked around to see that he was still in Essie's room. They
hadn't moved him back to his own. That meant that Essie had been
watching over him the whole time... She was probably exhausted.
He squeezed her hand lightly, before removing his hand from her
own, slowly moving it to run through her hair gently. She had
been taking care of him, for who knows how long. He could have
been out cold anywhere from hours to days, and he had no idea.
He didn't want to wake her, but she deserved to be more
comfortable after tending to him. Her back must have ached
terribly. "Hey" he whispered gently. "Get into bed." He told
her, attempting to move his three-ton body over to the side to
make room for her.
He owed her more than just bed space though. He owed her
explanations. Lots of them. But he didn't even know how to
start! Well, there was one thing he wanted to make sure was
abundantly clear.... "I don't want to marry anyone else..." His
voice was weak as his body, but he managed to pass the words
nonetheless. It was sure to be a long night...
#Post#: 380640--------------------------------------------------
Re: Arranged Marriage
By: guest1268 Date: December 26, 2014, 8:08 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
His voice woke her at once. Essie sat straight up, dropping the
hand on the bed into her lap. For a moment, she looked frazzled
since he had been sleeping for so long. She blinked twice and
watched as he moved over for her. Her lips parted as if to
prepare to stop him and insist he not move but she realized who
she was speaking to. Reamining still for a while longer, she
became trapped in his words. Her heart began to beat faster but
she could not allow herself to get caught up in what he said,
not yet.
Hesitantly, she slowly and gently sat on the bed as to not
jostle him too badly. Essie sat with her spine straightened and
her eyes awkwardly on the foot of the bed. Never had she been in
a bed with a man, even with clothes on. She swallowed, smoothing
out her hair that had not been brushed for two days.
"We can talk about this when you're feeling well," she
suggested, believing that he was only speaking out of
exhaustion. "You need to rest."
At last, she looked up and met his eyes as she gave him a
halfhearted smile, trying to make clear that he needn't try to
make nice.
"Thanks for healing me," she said, almost in a whisper.
Her thumbs rotated around each other idly on top of her thighs
as she crossed her feet.
"Do you want some water, food maybe?" she asked, still concerned
of him over doing it.
She couldn't help but stare at his eyes. They lay close
together, giving her a better view of his gaze. Even his lips...
Essie blinked, keeping her eyes closed for more than a few
seconds, and then looked away. It was almost cruel the way he
effected her. Why did he have to go and say something sweet too?
He had her so confused, she didn't know what to believe. She
sighed.
#Post#: 380641--------------------------------------------------
Re: Arranged Marriage
By: Renegade Date: December 26, 2014, 9:00 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Jasper wanted to laugh at Essie's meek demeanor after the
display she had put on at the bar, but his body wouldn't allow
it. Many of his body's functions still hadn't reactivated. His
eyes remained an empty, grey color. He wanted to sit up to make
her feel more comfortable about sharing a bed with him, but his
muscles simply wouldn't cooperate. It was then that he noticed
he was wearing different clothes than when he came to see her.
He clearly hadn't been taken to his room. "Did you change my
clothes?" He asked, looking down at his simple shirt and pants.
Her smile was comforting. It meant, at least for the moment,
that she didn't hate him. Sometimes he could deal with her
hatred, even preferred it! But this wasn't one of those times.
He nodded his head when she thanked him for healing her. He
wanted to save his words for when they were really needed. Food
sounded like a horrible idea, but Jasper felt absolutely
parched. He didn't want Essie to leave him though, so he only
shook his head, declining both offers. A shaky hand raised from
the bed, and slowly made it's way over to the woman's hands,
which fiddled nervously. He allowed his hand to fall atop hers,
a symbol that she could relax. He didn't know what was going on
in her head. He could only discern that she was nervous, for
sharing a bed with him, which she would be forced to do in the
near future anyway.
#Post#: 380642--------------------------------------------------
Re: Arranged Marriage
By: guest1268 Date: December 26, 2014, 9:59 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
"Change your clothes?" she repeated, shakily.
She desperately wanted to deny it, to not feel the bubbles of
warmth share her embarrassment on the high arches of her
cheekbones but she had never been a liar; or a good one at
least.
"Yes," she finally responded. "Didn't know what I was getting
into on my wedding night so-..." She shrugged.
It was a terrible, terrible joke that only made her want to run
out and never show her face to him again but she was not the
kind to run away. Essie was the type that could fight like crazy
or mess up horribly but not ever give up. Her father had always
admired the trait but it was one of the few he would vocally
confess his pride in his daughter for.
Her left thumb arched, holding the back of his hand subtly in
acceptance. His touch delayed her nervous tick but failed to
calm her heartbeat.
Despite his refusal, she knew he had to be thirsty so she leaned
over and poured him a cup of water. Thankfully, she had had the
foresight to have prepared beforehand. She handed him the water
and waited for him to finish.
Once he was done, she placed the cup back on the table and
reached for his hand again. They both knew that they would be
spending time together in the bedroom in the near future but she
was still visibly uncomfortable. She could fake confidence but
this was too intimate for her to summon legitimate confidence.
Something was weighing on her mind too, somthing that needed to
be addressed.
"Jasper, why do you hate me?" she asked.
Although his actions now said otherwise, everything in the past
told her that it was true.
She pulled the blanket up over her chest and tucked it beneath
her arms to hide what the nightgown did not. The white fabric
was too thin to be modest but she did not think this would have
all taken place. Her thumb made circles in his palm as her eyes
stared down at it, avoiding eye contact.
#Post#: 380643--------------------------------------------------
Re: Arranged Marriage
By: Renegade Date: December 26, 2014, 10:29 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Jasper released his first weak laugh after Essie's joke. It was
clear that she was ten steps beyond embarrassed, but she still
held her own. That was what he loved about her... "Well I hope
you liked what you saw... You're stuck with it for life..." His
eyes closed once more, not because he was falling asleep, just a
way to help himself recover. His eyes were beginning to burn as
the magic that was enchanted within them began to reactivate.
When she offered Jasper the water, he attempted to sit up, but
only managed a small upward lean. He spilled more water on his
shirt than he actually consumed, and eventually gave up, handing
the glass back to Essie.
He knew that Essie had questions for him. She said she could
wait until he was stronger, but it was no surprise when the
question blurted out. It could take several hours before he was
back to full strength, after all. "Dummy..."
His eyes opened once more. They were still grey, but didn't
appear as lifeless as before, as if something was behind them,
fighting to break free. "I've never hated you. My entire
childhood, you've been my only friend. Yeah, we were horrible to
each other, but even so, I always valued the relationship we had
with each other."
The truth of the matter was that, as they grew up, Jasper didn't
know how to be, other than the combative foe that he had always
played. He wanted to maintain it, or else she might fade away.
"How do you react when you're twelve years old and you realize
that the only person you really know is going to end up being
forced to marry you one day?" The secret was out. This was no
surprise to Jasper. "You had to have realized it too... Why else
would you be constantly sent to play and study with a Prince
from another Kingdom?" He sighed, and tried once more to sit up,
this time successfully resting his back against the headboard.
"You would have hated me even more then. So what was the point
in being nice, getting myself attached just to be resented in
the long run?"
Thus, the birth of the Renegade; The abrasive, obnoxious,
irresponsible prince that could never be worthy of the love of a
Princess. That was the persona that Jasper had created for
himself. And he had done a damn good job of upholding it. It was
something that Essie could never understand. He never expected
her to. Splotches of dark blue mixed into the grey that
commanded them, proof that he seemed to be pulling through. But
as he grew physically stronger, he felt other parts of himself
slowly breaking down..
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