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Edarial makes a list of necessities for a wife. He has Zevros check it over, who promptly rips it up and throws it at him. He is of the opinion that if Edarial doesn't actually want to marry a specific person, he shouldn't, and Zevros will have nothing to do with any of it. Edarial sighs, rewrites it, and keeps it and a copy of it away from his twin in the future.
He makes the announcement to various interested people that he will be looking for a bride. Just saying it makes him feel sick. Edarial manages to keep it together long enough to give a list of the qualities he's looking for before he flees. He says he's busy, no one will look twice at him being curt and disappearing to get work done. So no one comes after him when he hides in his room and locks the door.
Face buried in his pillow, he realizes that there's no way he can be personable to his - whatever they are. Potential brides, suitors - whatever, he doesn't care. He'll hire someone to vet them, so he doesn't have to torture himself dealing with women trying to persuade him to marry them.
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royal_obligation
"In a week, if you accept his proposal. It can be postponed for longer, if you like."
"I'm sure you would," agrees the guard.
"Extremely soundly. Greater good, and all that."
come_midnight
"Prettiest architecture in the world will fall apart if you build it out of rotten wood. Fine. A week."
If she can't find Cricket in here and get out with him before then, anyway.
If she can't find Cricket in here and get out with him before then, anyway.
"You see why we get proper materials, then," says the guard, motioning to Iobel herself. "Thank you for your cooperation."
She departs, uncaring about the cat's welfare.
She departs, uncaring about the cat's welfare.
come_midnight
Sure. Hostage queens aren't ever going to unexpectedly fail on you, are they?
"Don't give him too much fish it makes him sick," she half-sobs after the departing guard.
And then she flops into the guest bed.
She wants to be at least napped when midnight falls and she gets a new set of spells.
"Don't give him too much fish it makes him sick," she half-sobs after the departing guard.
And then she flops into the guest bed.
She wants to be at least napped when midnight falls and she gets a new set of spells.
Nataliem is of the opinion that this is all going beautifully. As much as can be expected, anyway, if this were going truly perfectly Iobel would have come here herself, but - well, he works with what he can.
He posts a guard outside of her guest room, and sends his raven to watch her window.
He posts a guard outside of her guest room, and sends his raven to watch her window.
come_midnight
Iobel wakes up a little past midnight, full up again, and notices the raven. Sneaking out via window won't be happening, then. She doesn't know a spell to walk through walls. She can be invisible, but that won't fix the fact that she has to open the door.
She tries it, anyway. If there's someone out the door no point in being invisible, they'll see it.
She tries it, anyway. If there's someone out the door no point in being invisible, they'll see it.
There is, indeed, someone at the door. Oh look, a guard.
"You will," says the guard, "want to go back inside, miss. Someone might think you're up to something."
"You will," says the guard, "want to go back inside, miss. Someone might think you're up to something."
come_midnight
"I want to look around. You could come with me if you want."
Because she knows a couple emergency spells, too, and they'll work on a guard as well as they would on a hypothetical mugger.
Because she knows a couple emergency spells, too, and they'll work on a guard as well as they would on a hypothetical mugger.
"Okay," he shrugs.
come_midnight
Iobel stalks down the hall. If all she gets tonight is a decent layout of the palace that'll be something, anyway.
Layout planning past midnight! It is a big palace. Pretty, too, but the size is the important part. Lots of places to hide, lots of places to hide things. Or cats.
The guard follows her - like a bodyguard, except immoral and holding her hostage.
The guard follows her - like a bodyguard, except immoral and holding her hostage.
come_midnight
Iobel uses every mnemonic she's ever tried to force a spellchart to all hold together in her head, attempting to memorize the maze of the place. She doesn't have a notebook proper in that room, she didn't bring one with her when she expected to be able to dunk Cricket and go back to her boxes and stacks of things at home, but her memory's not a slouch unaided.
She walks and walks and walks. She whistles a song Cricket'll recognize, if he's awake. If she hears him answer her this guard is going to be floored with her quickest charging emergency magic and she's going to get him back.
She walks and walks and walks. She whistles a song Cricket'll recognize, if he's awake. If she hears him answer her this guard is going to be floored with her quickest charging emergency magic and she's going to get him back.
It's a big palace.
But not so big that Cricket can't hear her, from his closet.
But not so big that Cricket can't hear her, from his closet.
come_midnight
Iobel doesn't break stride. She shuts her eyes to hide the white glow of a charging spell, and when the forty-one seconds this particular spell takes are up -
the guard following her falls unconscious unceremoniously. He'll have a nasty headache all day tomorrow.
Iobel breaks into a run, and charges up another of the same, ready to abandon it if the closet's unguarded but suspecting that it's not.
the guard following her falls unconscious unceremoniously. He'll have a nasty headache all day tomorrow.
Iobel breaks into a run, and charges up another of the same, ready to abandon it if the closet's unguarded but suspecting that it's not.
It's not. The guardswoman from earlier is present, along with the scratched up one that grabbed Cricket earlier, still bearing his multitude of scratches, and a third that Iobel doesn't recognize.
Well. That'll make this interesting.
Well. That'll make this interesting.
come_midnight
Iobel drops the unfamiliar one as an unknown quantity and instantly starts charging again, for the static deterrent that will apply if the others touch her on top of its release value.
"Here I am," she says in Cricket's language.
"I'm intact and pissed off lemme out!" howls Cricket in the same.
"Here I am," she says in Cricket's language.
"I'm intact and pissed off lemme out!" howls Cricket in the same.
"Fuck!" says male guard. He goes to retrieve his sword - but his companion stops him.
"Nonlethal," she barks. Then she retrieves a hexed bauble, and says calmly to it, "You were right."
That was probably her calling for backup.
"I am not touching that fucking cat again -" says the male guard.
"Then go," she growls at him.
Lady guard will stay and protect the closet door, larger male guard is going to tackle Iobel.
"Nonlethal," she barks. Then she retrieves a hexed bauble, and says calmly to it, "You were right."
That was probably her calling for backup.
"I am not touching that fucking cat again -" says the male guard.
"Then go," she growls at him.
Lady guard will stay and protect the closet door, larger male guard is going to tackle Iobel.
come_midnight
Iobel dances backwards, keeping out of reach as best she can while she charges.
That's really not fast enough to avoid a guard running at full speed at her. She is tackled to the ground.
come_midnight
The wind's knocked out of her, but her eyes don't quit glowing. Twenty-four seconds in. She struggles, trying to kick him somewhere soft or claw at his eyes.