[IC] Princess-Champions of Hyperborea

[Raz_Fox]

Rhyza!

You are a conflicting mess of emotions. On the one hand, oh no. You just seduced Alina Cascade. You have no regrets, but pretty much every other person you know will make sure that changes if you don’t dump her immediately. Your survival instinct is at war with your honor, a common dilemma for a sellsword. (Your honor is joined by your ardor, which is less common. If you are a coward, you will not be able to make Alina Chiming Cascade sing your name later.)

But also. She is a princess, which means she is far above your station; she is the heir of a conquered people, which means she would never settle down with you; she has suffered enough. You don’t need to break her heart any further.

You resolve firmly to not seduce her any further and to gently push her away. It’s the only way you won’t fill those eyes with tears again; you have seen it once, and that is enough.

But you promised to keep her safe. And you will do so.

“May I see it?” You are this close. This close to strangling the King, somehow. You’ll will your hair into magic life for that purpose. Who knows if it’s possible? You’ll do it through sheer outraged fury on Alina’s behalf as she lets him tug down her top ever-so-slightly and hiss in recognition.

“Well, sister,” he says, running a hand through his hair, “either you’re the best plant the Watch could ever find, or you’re telling the truth.” He runs his hand along the rope viper, and it slithers up his arm affectionately, becoming a fashion accessory rather than a binding.

“So I’ll let you pick. You walk away, go find your princess friends, try to stop these Riders...” He extends his hand to her. “Or you stick around here and help me figure out what in the name of Ourania’s hair routine is going on here.”

She looks at you, just for a moment, her expression full of unreadable things. Maybe she’s about to ask the King to set you free. Maybe she’s about to ask you if you’ll stay with her. You take the knife for her, stop her from degrading herself any further, from expressing worry about some raggedy sellsword.

“I promised I’d keep you safe,” you say, gruffly. “Even if you are, you know. Cascade.” That’s better. Last name basis. Less emotional attachment. Let her down easy. “Wherever you lead, I’ll follow, if this pig lets me go.”

Ignore the fact that it hurts like hell to say. Be strong for her sake.

***

Kazelia!

I’m afraid Brill’s vanished off into another room, and it would really ruin the flounce you’ve got going to stop and check which way he went. So it’s just you. Solo. Alone. Fuming and maybe trying not to cry? I mean, after something like that, I wouldn’t blame you.

You couldn’t hack it. Adila put all her trust into you, and you let her down. Those Jedadi jerks are probably tattling on you right now. Just another wicked Rider using violence to get her way.

Worse still, you can’t get a good fix on which way is most bleh, so you end up having to just go in a random direction, and end up...

On the walls, looking out into the desert. There’s someone out there who serves your father. You can feel that truth. And, hey, wouldn’t that be nice? Get out of this stupid, pretty, confusing city. Run and fight and be cruel all you like, out in the wilderness. Go find whoever’s out there instead of chasing your own tail in here.

You could. You’d even find them. You’d just have to abandon Adila to do it.

...but it’s not like Adila even likes you, right? With your “chunky” hips and your reckless use of magic and your slapping of Jedadi officials? With that stick somewhere and that lipstick that apparently makes you look like a cow...

...why would she ever want to be friends with you?

***

Adila!

“You, Watchwomen! We want to register a complaint!”

Oh, uh. Oh boy. There are now only two (2) women in this room. No Mimsley, no Brill, and no Kazelia. Just two high-ranking Jedadi courtiers, one of whom has undone her veil and is pressing ice to the rich bruise on her face.

“The mad dog your dragon brought in here struck my friend and then ran off. We demand she be found and charged with criminal assault.”

Oh boy. This is the nightmare scenario. The Captain is under arrest, you have just pinned your professional reputation to Kazelia, and in less than half an hour she has managed to a) vanish on you, b) right after you declared you trusted her to clear the Captain, c) and slapped a very important emissary from Shazari, the person who is going to pay to make sure the Bazaar is not exploded, on her way out, while d) the Old Bastards are all looking at you with their judgey faces.

This looks super bad, Adila. Even, maybe especially, if you turn it around and blame the victim of the crime here. Brookley is deploying a Tactical Eyebrow in conjunction with the Captain, whose cane is making a mildly rude gesture at you with several of its faces. You are on ice so thin you can hear it creaking underneath you.

“Well?? Aren’t you going to do anything??”