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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Dec 14, 2019 22:11:43 GMT -8
King Stefan's Kingdom - Forest
Events occurring 1 year before Dark Curse
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Dec 14, 2019 22:29:07 GMT -8
***Rose and Francis enter from Prince Phillip's Kingdom - The Old Mill Tavern - 1 Year BDC***
Rose and Francis were a good ways into their journey to her father's castle. So far, their conversation had consisted of travel related information. According to Sir Francis, if they maintained a steady pace and avoided any lengthy stops, they could reach their destination before nightfall.
They were finally settled into their journey, all travel discussion and plans finalized. She felt they'd finally reached the point where he could fulfill his promise to tell her about her mother. She kept glancing at him while she fidgeted with the ends of the reigns in her hands, trying to find a way to push him toward that promise without being impolite.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Jan 9, 2020 12:23:38 GMT -8
Once all travel-related information had been discussed, Francis felt the princess' curious eyes upon him, obviously fighting the urge of just asking. This truly remembered him of someone else. A slight smile appeared on his lips as he sideglanced back at her. Of course, he hadn't forgotten about his promise. A knight always kept his promises.
"So, what would you like to know about your mother - Queen Leah?", Francis asked, his attention turned back ahead to guide his horse, and although still with a smile upon his features there was also something different hidden beyond. Was it the pain of remembrance?
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Jan 25, 2020 16:03:50 GMT -8
"Everything!' she said on a happy sigh, then chuckled at herself. She saw something hidden beneath his smile come across her face and she couldn't help feel worry over it. Rose looked ahead in serious thought over the first thing she should ask, her questions revolving more around what may have caused the knight to have had such an affect.
Something bothersome. Was is sadness? Because of the loss of her? Because of the person she was? Because of what it was he had to share about her? Oh dear, please don't let it be that he was struggling to say something kind about her. Rose couldn't bare the thought that she'd been the product of two bad people. Maleficent hadn't had anything to share with her about her mother. She'd known nothing about her; good nor bad. Only that she'd been the daughter of the former kind and had passed too young.
"Was she a good person?" Rose asked quietly, searching his face with her own worried one openly showing how very important it was to her that at least a part of her had come from good.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Jan 26, 2020 10:05:43 GMT -8
"Everything!"
Francis couldn't help smiling at her straight enthusiasm, even though his gaze was still turned forward. Oh yes, there was no doubt this was Leah's daughter. Yet still, this girl wasn't her, something he must remember to not become lost in memories and wishfulness sooner or later, for her eyes and her smile were like a similitude of his lost beloved.
"Was she a good person?", the princess suddenly asked in a different tone.
Wondering what could have repressed the enthusiasm, Francis' head turned to the side after all. He saw worry upon her features, and so he didn't want to stall an answer. "The kindest person I've ever met."
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Feb 23, 2020 15:16:26 GMT -8
Rose visibly relaxed. She took great comfort in knowing that at least a part of her had come from good. "I am happy to hear it," she said, smiling. "What did she look like?" There must be portraits of her at the castle but Rose couldn't wait to fill the empty void of her mother in her mind. She'd settle for painting a mental portrait to hold onto until she had the opportunity to lay eyes upon one.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Feb 29, 2020 12:16:47 GMT -8
"I am happy to hear it,"
The worries of his had vanished almost simultaneously with hers. To see grief on the young lady's face probably would cause any man to find his heart broken.
"What did she look like?", she went on questioning, her perfectly good right, of course. And Francis was more than willing to tell her anything she wanted to know.
"My princess," he launched into an answer, a friendly and genuine smile on his face. "I would never just say so if it wasn't true, so you can believe me when I tell you that you are the Queen's similitude." And that was not a bit a lie. It was actually even so much the truth that he really had to be careful to not become lost in wishful thinking due to the loss he had never been able to come to terms with.
"If you allow me the question," Francis eventually spoke up again, about to change the topic of their conversation, after all. "It might be just me but have you also noticed a little someone following us for already quite a while?" He chuckled. If he was right, the princess would get his hint without him having to speak out loud that they were accompanied by a bird, which didn't sound like something a knight would say.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Mar 14, 2020 9:53:06 GMT -8
"My princess," "I would never just say so if it wasn't true, so you can believe me when I tell you that you are the Queen's similitude."
Rose beamed a smile at that. It brought her great joy to know that not only had her mother been a good person but that she bore a strong resemblance. Would that help endear her to a father who, by all accounts, was heartless and cruel? Surely it would help. But Rose's conclusion was based on the assumption that there had been love in the marriage. Her romantic heart never considered the possibility that love had never been a factor.
"If you allow me the question,"
Rose had been staring blindly ahead. Sir Francis' voice distracted her from thoughts of her father. She pulled her attention to him.
"It might be just me but have you also noticed a little someone following us for already quite a while?"
Rose let out a musical chuckle as she glanced up toward some rustling in the trees, always knowing exactly where he was. "That would be Blue. I stumbled across him when walking the forest near my home. The poor thing had an injured wing. I tended to it and nursed him back to health. I released him back into the forest when he had healed, but he followed me back home." Rose had been smiling endearingly toward the trees then looked toward Sir Francis with the same adoration for Blue still on her features. "He has become a dear friend and has been my traveling companion from the start."
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Mar 14, 2020 15:10:19 GMT -8
At princess Aurora's explaination, the knight chuckled again. He had been guessing something like that. As unbelievable as it might sound to anyone else, he once had heard Leah talking this way about animals as well. They both seemed to share this unusual bond with the forest, although Queen Leah had been spending most of her life in a palace, hidden behind the shadow of a man who hadn't deserved her.
"That truly is the sweetest thing I've ever heard - and that not a bit ironic meant.", Francis felt the sudden urge to add, even though he had a feeling that she wouldn't take, maybe not even get, anything someone said ironically or even sarcastically. Those expressions seemed to just not be in her range of mind - which was a good thing, he assumed. And yet, also a dangerous thing in a world like this. But now where he had found her, he would protect her no matter what. She was in his care now. Forever.
"So," Francis finally went on, turning his head a little to make the bird feel adressed, as ridiculous as this might sound even to himself. "Any friend of the princess is also my friend. It's a pleasure to meet you, Blue."
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Mar 14, 2020 23:05:24 GMT -8
"That truly is the sweetest thing I've ever heard - and that not a bit ironic meant."
Whyever would anyone find such a nice compliment ironic, Rose couldn't understand, but she easily brushed off yet another misunderstanding of the world and grinned her appreciation.
"So," "Any friend of the princess is also my friend. It's a pleasure to meet you, Blue."
His making the effort to not only pay Blue any mind, but to introduce himself and treat him as an equal served to grow Rose's trust in him. It was rare for anyone to do that. Most showed no interest in animals, let alone people other than themselves.
Blue was keeping hidden, tweeting at her now in his observation of the two humans looking upward toward his direction. Rose knew he was inquiring of her if it was safe. She initiated their protocol of safety measures by singing out a few notes. Her fairy-gifted rich voice wove into the natural sounds of the forest, providing comfort rather than scaring its inhabitants into silence. A couple little creatures even nosed their way to the edge of the clearing, drawn by it and watched curiously. Rose noticed them but did not disturb them in their natural habitat as all seemed well with the creatures. Blue responded back with a copy of her notes in tweet form, then sang out his own notes for her to copy, which she promptly did whilst holding out two fingers.
Safety protocol complete, Blue flew down and gracefully landed on her fingers. "Hello, dear Blue," Rose said as she lovingly stroked his feathers with the back of her fingers before gesturing toward her companion. "This is my new friend, Sir Francis. He is a knight," she added in quiet awe over the honor of accompanying someone of such high stature. Blue tilted his head and studied the stranger, understanding tone rather than actual words.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Mar 14, 2020 23:36:23 GMT -8
Admittedly, at first, Francis was rather skeptical at what she seemed trying to do, namely speaking with that bird to calm it down, but when that seemed to actually work, he was just becoming a watcher in awe. He had only heard of Leah's stories about once having been able to talk with the forest, but never had understood, or let alone, experienced what she really had meant with that. Also, the princess' singing voice brought once again painful yet happy memories back to his mind.
"Hello, dear Blue,""This is my new friend, Sir Francis. He is a knight,"
Something in the way she was introducing him to the little bird was touching Francis deep down at his core. A knight was not only to protect a kingdom but also to protect the nobles within, just like the princess. He was feeling kind of a pride right now that maybe no victory in the world would be able to ever give him.
From the corner of his eyes, Walter watched her blonde locks slightly swirling in the wind as they continued their way towards King Stefan's castle - suddenly a place he wanted to protect her from rather than delivering her to. Yet, as soon as he would be taking over the throne, she will be safe for the rest of her life - save with him on her side.
***
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Mar 15, 2020 14:43:50 GMT -8
After another couple hours of companionable travel filled with Rose's questions and Francis' stories of her mother, the forest gives way to a clearing with a castle looming ahead.
***Rose and Francis exit to King Stefan's Kingdom - King Stefan's Castle***
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