an enigma

It has decorated many necks,

A Flower of the Plateau,

A Prince covered in mud,

It has cut a great many necks~.

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“Flip two of those over,” she instructed before covering her eyes.

Wadanohara proceeded to even go as far as twisting around in her seat to face away from him.  She wanted to make sure her audience thought there was no funny business involved with her tricks. Such a thing would ruin the mystery of her work! 

“I won’t peek, I promise!”

Truthfully, Allen never had the patience for doing things like this. But it always was exciting for people to show them off! His twin played with these sorts of things more often, and she often did these things–– or was that his cousin instead? Once Wadanohara finishes, Allen nods to her instructions, which is followed by an ‘okay!’ and he contemplates which cards to pick.

He had a tendency of over the simplest of things, which often made him lose track of time. He hums lightly while his eyes are gaze at the cards. His left hand hovering over each, while his expression looks rather serious. It was only a card trick after all, not like some test! Allen takes his time when picking his two, and in time he does.

He does as instructed, turning the first one at the far right and the one in the middle. Before putting them back, he commits the symbols to memory–– the Ace of Spades and a One Card of Hearts and neatly places the cards back into the pile. Once finished, Allen neatly folds his hands onto the table and looks toward Wadanohara expectantly.

➵ but that does not mean all is fictitious.

☓ independent & semi-selective sound horizon roleplay blog for märchen von friedhof. 

☓ four years’ experience; two years’ on tumblr. 

☓ mun & muse both 18+.

☓ multi-paragraph replies – length need not match.

☓ mainly dark fantasy/fairytale, but willing to dabble in other verses upon request & plotting. 

☓ crossover- and oc-friendly.

…But he’ll let it go, and will plan no petty revenge against the curmudgeon so that he might likewise enjoy some small joke at his expense. If anything, he has perhaps emerged as the bigger man, having not only managed the task of carrying the volumes in the first place, but swiftly finding the relevant references among countless on top of that. 

He’s rather proud of himself, in the end, indulging - if only to himself - in a moment’s satisfied smirk. 

And yet no sooner than it appears on the young minister’s lips than it disappears. Another passing attendant draws his eye, at first only cursorily: it occurs to him only afterwards to enlist his help too, alongside Allen’s, thereby lightening the burden for the both of them. By the time he has steadied his stack to turn and face the second servant, however, he seems to have already made himself scarce down the corridor, as though having anticipated being likewise burdened – and Treavor wouldn’t blame the lad, if truth be told. 

With that avenue sadly closed off to them no sooner than it had presented itself, he returns himself to small talk in an attempt to lighten their load. Even if they both must continue talking from behind their respective towers of books. 

It was for small talk, and nothing else, Allen thinks. It wasn’t like the minister knew him personally, so it was perfectly fine to ask. Though it wasn’t bad to be slightly guarded. If he could, he would tell him the truth. Navigating the halls of the castle came to him easy, because he lived here for a good amount of his childhood. He was able to recognize most of the halls and rooms by heart. It probably could be seen as dedication –– a servant should be able to know these halls well enough.  It was apart of the training after all.

It’s been almost a year since he’s come to work under his sister. He was grateful toward the adults who granted this; being able to be closer to his sister –– regardless that she remembered him or not –– was a blessing. He yearned desperately to be able to converse with her on equal footing, not just as a royal and her servant but as brother and sister. Of course, he already had this relationship with his foster sister, Germaine, but their relationship was very different.

Allen then realizes he got caught up in his own thoughts, that he forgets to reply back to the minister.

“––Huh? Oh, my apologies Sir Treavor I got a bit caught up with my own thoughts.” He sheepishly replies back.

“But to answer your question, it’s been a little over a year now?––I think?–– That sounds about right.” Phew, that was a close one. “ ...And thank you? To be familiar with the castle, and its corridors is all apart of the training after all. If I didn’t, I would likely been fired and no servant wants that.”

He averts his gaze averts from the minister, to peek around his stack just in case, but he continues to speak,  “ ...admittedly, before I came to work here, my father–– Sir Leonhart, brought me here to practice fencing, amongst other things. He showed me around during those times, so I’ve committed parts of the castle to memory. ”

Card trick mastery was an art.  In order to be successful, the magician needed to be attentive and practiced in the illusion they were trying to create.  Wadanohara loved performing them, even though she was only an amateur at work.

soavadone

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Her wide blue eyes perked up at the sight of a familiar boy stepping towards her.  Wadanohara was certain she had seen him around school before.  However, the magician was unable to recall a time where she had spoke to him personally.  “Good morning,” she said.

Upon entering the library, his blue eyes fell upon a familiar girl. She was a few years older than him, from what he remembered. Allen approached with a lazy gait, and returned the greeting with a wave.

“Good Morning.” 

Reminding himself that their task could be greater still - that they could be carrying more books, or that they could be working to a strict and definite deadline - sadly does little to bolster his spirit, much less alleviate even a part of his burden – but with the knowledge that the archives must be returned regardless pushes him on, and he cannot help finding some slight amusement in his companion’s frank remark.

“As am I surprised, if truth be told,” his words are almost spoken through a sigh, coloured with that weariness of theirs. Even with what tutelage with arms he had received under his guardian, the fact remains that he is far more a man of politics than of strength – again, he wouldn’t at all be surprised if Allen, though a good several years younger, could best him in any task of physical strength. And yet, maybe there’s something poetic in his having been able to manage these books - all tomes about their country’s history and affairs of the past few years, as he had said - by himself, or at least for the better part of it.

It’s a rather fanciful thought, as they go: one imagined in a moment’s idleness. In the end, it is easily dismissed with a small smile (though shared only with himself) before he returns his attention first to the way ahead, then to the servant at his side.

His answer is not immediate, as he first dedicates but a moment of silence to considering whether he is permitted to share such information with one of the hands: officially speaking it’s none of his business, after all. Sooner than later, however, the lad’s curiosity is dismissed as harmless, and he oblige, “I had been requested to fetch them for the cabinet meeting just passed, quite simply – ‘at the behest of Her Highness’, one of my fellows had relayed to me while passing on the way.” He takes care to keep any true sentiment from colouring his words, as ever, so a wry smile itches on his lips as he offers an afterthought. 

“They unfortunately weren’t put to as good a use today as I was led to believe they would, but I am assured that at least some good came from their reference.”

Oh, so that was why–– looking back at their past history seemed like a good idea. With everything that has happened thus far, he’d think it be better to refer back. He couldn’t remember much from his father’s rule, unfortunately; his mother’s on the other hand ruled as best she could.

He wondered if his sister listened to the advise given from the different books. Yet knowing her, she was far too stubborn to acknowledge that. Riliane had her faults, she had a handful of them. Once her mind was made up, she could not be swayed. Hopefully she didn’t throw around her words recklessly, during their discussion. They definitely didn’t need another public execution anytime soon.

Allen tries to match his pace with Treavors’s own, while carrying his half of the books. He peeks from behind them every so often to make sure they weren’t going to run into one of his peers–– though if they did, it may make the job a little easier. Chartette would be out of the question, but Ney could be helpful. Lady Mariam could, but she had other responsibilities that she had to attend to. 

“Her Highness,  Riliane did––?”

He affords a small laugh, then, or something near enough in an expression of both faint amusement and sympathy. His position as a servant keeps him from complaining as much as it had from refusing the task in the first place, but the minister will happily enough lament on behalf of them both. 

“Alas, there it is: the weight of our great kingdom’s history,” there’s a knowing melodrama to his words, yet a sincerity in his eye all the same. Better to bear the weight of only their records than that of the taxation, the suppression, the persecution themselves. But such things are hardly suitable for polite conversation, and are surely instead reserved for the cabinet room he had left behind; the matter is given no more thought than that, and without further ado does he start off down the hallway. 

“every single thing yes; you can say that again.”

Allen nods toward the minister’s words, making sure he has a tight hold on them. he didn’t want to slip up and cause a mess; it was nothing neither of them needed considering they both have had different schedules. the blond follows after the other by his side, his fingers brushing against the binding of the books and also the dulled pages. It left him to ponder why the other was moving the books back into the library or why he had them either.

Perhaps it is something particular about his presence which doesn’t so much demand as it does encourage a more favourable treatment than the rest of the servants – his resemble to the princess is a curiosity rather difficult to miss. 

But he digresses. 

Whether the lad is duty-bound to help him or not, he is grateful for his help regardless. He cannot imagine that those in his position have many opportunities for respite, and it would seem as though he has caught him now in one such rare moment: something he rather pities Allen for, truthfully. The sooner the tomes are returned to their shelves, however, the sooner the both of them can have their spell of rest before inevitably being called to tend to another matter. 

Treavor was–– from what he observed while working at a distance, a rather patient minister. He was younger than most of the ministers; most of them were older men who were from his late parents’ counsel who had some respect. They never got around to speaking much, lest the other needed him for something specific. He was constantly around his twin sister though, trying to steer her in a better direction when regarding certain topics –– at least, that’s what he heard from Ney.

When he is done, Allen puts out his hands, and awaits for the older man. Once he does, the weight of the tomes causes for him to flinch; he didn’t realize that some were this heavy. Or, he didn’t have enough strength in his limbs. He would think that he would, after working with his adoptive father for all of these years.

“Manage these–– yes, I believe I can, hold on....”

After getting them comfortably into his grasp, he grips onto the stack and tilts his head toward the side to look over to Treavor.

soavadone 

He had, blessedly, managed the journey from the library to the cabinet room without any aid needed. It was by no means easy, granted, for even the time spent in meeting seemingly wasn’t enough to alleviate the aches in his arms entirely – but he had managed it without the help. 

The difference between the journey there and the journey back, however, is simply that he didn’t previously also have the burdens of the meeting with Her Highness weighing him down. 

In retrospect, they likely could have forgone the annals, and he could have thus forgone the strain on his arms and back. They had turned to the recorded wisdom of the volumes only a handful of times at most, and even then he frankly has his suspicions that he had been made to peruse their many pages for the vaguest of relevant figures at the mild amusement of his fellows. He could only comply, as ever: if not to complete the task with more dignity and efficiency than expected, then because he has learnt better over his years than to protest against all the petty demands.

Stopping as promptly as he does almost fells the books, and only just does he succeed in steadying them as he catches the passing servant. “–You there, boy.” 

He found himself smiling to himself; it was good to see her in such high spirits. Even if he had to tip toe around her constantly, to avoid being threatened with beheading. When he got like this, it was hard not for him to not think of his twin sister. No one else knew of the true details, aside from the adults. After closing the door to the kitchen, Allen leans up against it, becoming lost in thought for a bit. What to do next? He recalled prior to getting Riliane her snack the servants needed to prepare for some banquet that was coming up soon.

Pushing his back off the door, Allen was about to seek out one of his co workers until a voice stops him. He turns to meet with a stack of books and someone behind it. He sees the other peer a bit from behind the stack; it was a recognizable face. Someone he passed by every so often, usually tending toward his twin sister’s side....

“––Huh?”

He straightens up, while he eyes the stack of books that tower above the other man’s head.

A big mix of them, so have fun with them! Intrigue, revolts, and fairytales~

“Your majesty, the invaders have breached the castle walls — you must flee!”

“I pledge my fealty to you.”

“One day, you will become a fine ruler of this land.”

“I need no king/queen.”

“You should do something about those revolts.”

“And on this day forth, you shall hold crown and scepter in the name of the people as its fair and just emperor/empress.”

“My king/queen, do not fret for there will be no one else I would rather die for.”

“Kings/queens do not weep so weakly.”

“I am not the true king/queen — I am merely their body double.”

“Oh, sweet Prince/Princess, would you care to be mine?”

“The king and queen have arranged it — you will be married to the child of the opposing nation so that peace may come to both our kingdoms.”

“In a few hours your head will roll through the town square — what say you, deposed one?”

“You are the king’s illegitimate child and I have come to collect you.”

“My name is unimportant — you, tyrant, will die today by my blade.”

“Oh, cruel majesty…for your selfishness and evil ways, I place a curse upon you and your house…”

“Royal balls are such a bore, aren’t they?”

“I wonder what it’s like beyond the palace walls?”

“You are hereby condemned, exiled from this kingdom, stripped of your title for crimes against the kingdom.”

“Oh, highness, do not shed anymore tears — I am here to rescue you.”

“As per the rules of the tourney, I am granted one wish: I wish to marry your son/daughter.”