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Post by starrea on Jan 14, 2020 16:27:19 GMT
Knox hated traveling. He ran a hand over his unshaven face and then through his hair tiredly. He had been traveling almost nonstop for three days his body was sagging with exhaustion. After word came of the Queen’s suicide - may she rest in peace - Knox was immediately dispatched to retrieve her body and investigate. According to the Royal Family, Queen Yasmin had been happy to fulfill her role to the Kingdom. And with divine blood running through her veins, there was no chance she would have killed herself. Gods don’t kill themselves, and Yasmin, a descendant of divinity, couldn’t have either. The pressure to find out what happened weighed him down. The Royal Family was breathing down his neck and if he didn’t provide answers, then he wasn’t sure what would happen to him.
Whatever happened, Knox would find out. He always did. The greatest sin of mankind was deceit, but he had the ability to see through the lies. A gift from the Gods. He wasn’t sure if his host’s knew of his ability, but he hadn’t hidden it from them either. Knox never lied, not once, but if they didn’t know about his ability to detect deception, then he wouldn’t bring it up.
Another thing about this trip that made him apprehensive was the Queen’s handmaiden, who as far he knew, was still here. Nadia was an unwelcome reminder of a time in his life he didn’t want to remember. It was hard to think back to when they were friends as small children, with no complications and no worries. Before either of them got selected and moved into the capital to work directly for the Royal Family. After she left, he didn’t see her again. He didn’t know what happened to her, but thinking of her only made him remember what happened to him. And he didn’t want to think about that.
A lot had changed since he last saw Nadia. Before he left, he was short and halfway through becoming a man, his voice struggling to drop and his boyish features halfway between a child and a man, making him look all the more awkward. Now, he was well above 6ft and had grown into his rugged look. He had chiseled face, with dark hair, dark eyes, and dark skin, and a thin-but-not-too-thin, toned body. Most of the Kingdom didn’t have access to the luxuries he did, and it showed that he was clearly a person of importance.
Maybe it was his exhaustion, but the lack of hospitality was irritating him. He had been waiting nearly an hour and no one had shown up yet. Such behavior would never have been tolerated back home.
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Post by Val on Jan 14, 2020 23:54:15 GMT
Raevaryn had admittedly been in a bit of disarray since the wedding massacre. Every soldier was being utilized, which might have resulted in a delay in retrieving the unwanted guest from Tdjamir. Alister himself was extremely busy dealing with the repercussions, and so Nadia had convinced him to allow her to greet the visitor from her homeland. The message sent by the royal family had not mentioned specifically who was being sent to sort out the details, but she could imagine it was someone ready to investigate the sudden demise of their Princess. And Nadia intended to be rid of them as soon as possible.
Four guards approached Knox and opened the gate to allow the man to enter Raevaryn's Courtyard, "Right this way," one of the men addressed Knox before guiding him through the lush green maze that was the courtyard. Eventually, they reached an elegant, open air pavilion that was shrouded in vines. The guards parted and stepped aside, revealing Nadia standing at the top of the few steps that led up to the pavilion. Knox might have looked different from growing up, but Nadia appeared to be completely transformed from the meek young girl that had once served Yasmin into a woman with unshakable fire in her eyes.
Gone was the headscarf and conservative clothing that was customary for the woman of Tdjamir. Instead, her dark hair spilled in waves over her delicate shoulders. She wore close fitting dress that was unmistakably Raevaryn green and her eyes pierced right through Knox when she laid eyes on him. That is, until she recognized the man.
Her confidence wavered only a moment as she took in the sight of her once childhood friend. The instant memories threatened to pull her into a dark place, but she composed herself and curtsied politely, "Welcome to Raevaryn," she paused and then met his gaze as she spoke in their mother tongue, "I almost didn't recognize you,"
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Post by starrea on Jan 15, 2020 0:51:23 GMT
“Finally,” Knox muttered his breath when soldiers finally appeared and led him into the courtyard. It was beautiful, but Knox didn’t seem to notice. He wasn’t a commoner anymore and wealth and beauty didn’t impress him like it used to.
Knox expected to speak to Alister directly, or at least one of advisors. He expected to speak to literally anyone except Nadia. And he almost didn’t realize it was her at first. But the closer he looked, he realized that it was in fact her. She was dressed like a whore and her hair hung down in waves, free from a woman’s traditional headscarf, but he wouldn’t forget those eyes. He knew that talking to her eventually was inevitable, but still, he figured that someone of an inconsequential title wouldn’t be awarded a job as important as this. And the sight of Nadia... she would have been executed back in their homeland.
The whole situation shocked him into silence as his mind tried to process everything. Everything was different now that she was standing here in front him, not a thought that he could just push into the back corners of his mind. All the times they played as kids, stomping through the creek, skipping stones... all of it came back. But the woman in front of him wasn’t that girl. She completely disrespected their traditions and embarrassed their beliefs in the realm of another kingdom. That could not be forgotten. Or forgiven.
The first words out of her mouth were a lie. She didn’t want him here and she didn’t want him to feel welcome.
“I almost didn’t recognize you as well. It seem you’ve taken on some of their... traditions. I’m surprised you still remember our language,” He answered in their native language. He waved his hand, not wishing to extend this conversation any longer than it needed to be. He only had to ask one question.
“Did Queen Yasmin commit suicide?”
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Post by Val on Jan 15, 2020 15:36:17 GMT
Nadia sensed his disgust like a slap in the face. His eyes were full of judgement and he spoke to her with complete disregard. It might've upset the old Nadia, but now all she felt was a smug sense of satisfaction. It just reaffirmed the fact that men like Knox didn't want women like Nadia to reach their full potential. But he had no control over her here, and she would make that very clear to him.
Her face became shadowed with emotion at the mention of Yasmin's demise. The mourned her friend deeply, but celebrated her newfound life. It was a complicated, indecipherable mix of feelings that she'd only just begun to sort through. Ultimately, though, she begun to deem the Queen's death a necessary evil.
Instead of answering his abrupt question, she turned away, "Let's sit," she replied, her tone heavy with genuine grief. She walked slowly into the shadows of the pavilion and seated herself at the table that had been set up for them, complete with wine and tasty food from the region. She crossed her legs and waited for him, brilliant green eyes studying him from afar.
She wondered what he'd been up to since they'd last seen each other. He'd clearly grown into himself and been given an important position working for the royal family; they trusted him enough to give him this mission. But she knew first hand that working for those people was not all sunshine and rainbows. How deep did his loyalties really run? Did he realize he was nothing but a slave boy to them?
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Post by starrea on Jan 17, 2020 18:23:29 GMT
Knox tried to think back and remember if Nadia knew ability. As an adult, his secret had been fairly protected and his face always hidden from those he judged. His judgements were always revealed by members of the Royal Family, another quality that only proved that they were partly divine.
His memories were hazy and hard to dig up. They were mostly blurs, fleeting scenes with unclear faces, nothing of sustenance. The retraining process hadn’t allowed him to think of his old life. There was nothing worth remembering before his service to the Royal Family. For a long time, he couldn’t remember anything about who he used to be. He knew his story, he knew who his parents were and where he grew up, but he hadn’t been able to actually remember anything. Not even his parent’s faces or if he had loved them. It took years to uncover the fleeting, unfocused flashes of his childhood.
He gave up trying to remember. It didn’t matter if she knew. She couldn’t dodge his question forever. He silently followed her to the shaded table, sitting down opposite her. He picked at some of the appetizers, his eyes trained on the girl he used to know.
She carried an air of power around her and he wondered what had happened to her, how she had changed and why. But considered asking but decided against it. He wasn’t here to find out her story. He detected her grief was honest, which surprisingly relieved him.
He needed to focus on his mission. He couldn’t keep letting his thoughts stray beyond what he was here to do. Failure was not an option. “We are sitting. Please tell me what happened.”
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Post by Val on Jan 20, 2020 18:15:35 GMT
Nadia regarded him carefully as he helped himself to the food, taking a delicate sip of her wine. The bitter taste reminded her of the first time she'd tasted alcohol. Alister had offered it to her in his private office and it was the very first time she'd felt even an inkling of control over her own actions.
As for Knox, she did have memories of him. Vague, but nevertheless they resurfaced at the sight of him. Perhaps it was her vindictive spirit that had enticed her to replay memories over and over in her mind so as not to lose track of them in her new life as a handmaiden. She was not aware of his abilities, but she recalled what he was like as a child. While her strengths lied in deception, he had always been a staunch advocate of candor. Of course they would choose him to find out the truth.
"Yasmin was having a very difficult time adjusting to life here. I had begun to fear for her well-being, but she had begun to push me away. Witnessing the massacre at her wedding had been her undoing..." she trailed off, her eyes becoming unfocused as she relived the pain, "I failed her."
Each word was undeniably true. But every surface level truth held a deeper, darker meaning. She had crafted such a narrative that even she herself had begun to believe it. The only way to move on was to suppress the anguish and embrace her freedom.
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Post by starrea on Jan 20, 2020 18:35:09 GMT
The thing with the truth is that something was either true or it wasn’t. There was no gray area. The trouble only came in when people were added into the situation. Knox’s job had never been to decipher intentions or circumstances or delegate punishments. He just needed to determine if someone was stating something true or not. And he loved that. He could do that. But sometimes, what people believed to be true wasn’t actually true. His abilities only lent him the ability to tell if the speaker believed in his or her words, not if they were actually true. But that wasn’t Knox’s job.
As Nadia spoke, he felt her grief was genuine. She truly mourned the loss of the Queen, and that brought another wave of relief. Nadia has obviously changed so much that he wasn’t sure if he would have been surprised to discover that she had been involved with a plot against the Queen’s life. She wasn’t the girl he used to know. But still, for the sake of the girl he used to know, it brought him comfort to learn that she didn’t seem to have taken an active role against the Queen’s life.
He nodded along to her words. He had heard about the massacre but not much. This kingdom was loose with their laws and this massacre had been a prime example. But he wasn’t here to discuss politics.
“Do you plan on returning home?” The question slipped out. He wasn’t supposed to concern himself with Nadia but he was too curious. The question was almost accusatory because a part of him assumed the answer. She had already adopted a foreign culture and forgotten theirs.
He hadn’t missed the way she had indirectly avoided his question. He was trained in interrogations and communication techniques. But for the moment, he didn’t push it.
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Post by Val on Jan 22, 2020 22:17:33 GMT
Nadia blinked, refocusing her sharp gaze on him. She was surprised by the question and the fact that he wasn't pushing further questions about Yasmin. Perhaps he was trying to gain her trust...She couldn't help but seek out the darkest intentions of those she perceived to be a threat.
"No," she answered simply, figuring he had probably already guessed that much, "I belong here. I only wish that Yasmin had felt the same way." She paused to smooth her delicate fingertips along the fabric of her dress, "There is no reason for me to return. I was trained for only one job, now I am useless. They would throw me to the streets."
Those were half of the reasons, at least. But she didn't intend on sharing the ultimate reason why she would never dream of leaving Raevaryn; Alister.
"Did they instruct you to bring me back?" she wondered, harmlessly enough. But if Knox had even the slightest intentions of taking her home, he would be treading on dangerous territory.
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Post by starrea on Jan 23, 2020 0:42:15 GMT
Nadia had changed in many ways, but her face always betrayed whatever she was feeling. He couldn’t remember exactly why he felt that way, but her lack of a poker face felt nostalgic. He watched her run her fingers over the expensive gown she was wearing - something she would never be given a chance to wear in their homeland. It looked good on her, not at all what he expected. She carried herself with the confidence required to wear such a dress. He abruptly looked away, halting his thoughts. She had been poisoned by greed and corruption. It was not something beautiful, it was sinful.
“I have no knowledge of what the Royal Family expects of you in regards to your return. I have only come to investigate the Queen’s death and report my findings.” Unlike Nadia, Knox had been trained to not let emotions so carelessly alter his expression.
The silence drew out between them but Knox didn’t find it uncomfortable like most people. He was quite content with silence. Silence left him alone with his thoughts which were often the only thing he could rely on.
“I know this question is uncomfortable, but I need a direct answer. Did the Queen kill herself?” He looked back at her, away from the courtyard at which he had been staring at. She couldn’t dodge the question forever. And once she answered, he could go home and never see her again.
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Post by Val on Jan 24, 2020 0:48:04 GMT
As the silence stretched between them, Nadia took the time to observe him. He was stoic, hard to read. That came with the job, she supposed. But she swore she'd caught him looking at her in that way. She could bet he'd never seen a woman dress provocatively in his entire life. In fact, she wouldn't be surprised if he'd never even touched a woman before. Poor fool.
A smirk had begun to sneak it's way across her lips until he finally reiterated the dreaded question. Her expression smoothed over and she regarded him from beneath long eyelashes, "Yes," she whispered before looking away, hair tumbling to hide her face.
He might've thought that the answer was a simple one, but to Nadia it was the most complicated question in the world. Yes, Yasmin had killed herself. She had been unable to adjust, unable to please Alister, unable to be a real Queen. And so, she had died because of it. She had been the cause of her own death. Nadia had convinced herself of this completely.
"I didn't see it happen," she added after a long moment. It was true, she hadn't seen the dirty deed itself. She liked to imagine that the death had been instant and painless.
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Post by starrea on Jan 24, 2020 4:44:27 GMT
Silence settled after her confession, silence Knox needed to gather his scattering thoughts. First and foremost, he knew she was lying. Well, halfway lying, at least. He tried to think of a way to give her the benefit of the doubt, but the scenario didn’t lend itself to creative interpretations. Either she killed herself or she didn’t, and if she did kill herself, then there would be nothing to lie about.
He rarely had to see the fallout of his determinations. He was forced to watch justice served for a couple of crimes but he didn’t have the stomach for it. Since then, he tried to only focus on words. Words didn’t have faces or feelings. It was an easy way to disconnect from the people he judged. But with Nadia here in front of him, it was hard not to think about what they would do to her.
Knox abruptly stopped his train of thought; he was a servant of the Royal Family and had one purpose. It did not matter what became of his childhood friend and if she was guilty, she would stand before the Royal Family and receive her punishment. He couldn’t let her sway him from his purpose.
He pushed himself up from the chair, running a hand through his hair. Even though he wanted to not care about Nadia and the fact that she was half lying, he did, and it was stressing him out. He wanted more than anything to not care.
“You’re lying about something, and I’m supposed to figure out what it is.” He wasn’t used to having a conversation ugh those he judged, especially not ones from his childhood. He hated lying, but right now, he didn’t want to know the truth. But his purpose was greater than what he wanted. What he wanted didn’t matter.
“Nadia, I’ve traveled very far and I’m very tired. Stop playing games with me and tell me what happened.” Knox snapped, his stress manifesting as irritation.
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Post by Val on Jan 24, 2020 5:29:16 GMT
Nadia observed the way the stress wracked his body and seemed to force him from his seat. He seemed suspiciously confident that she was lying, which led to her first assumption that the Royal Family already knew more than they'd thought. But she wouldn't let the pressure shake her, not like Knox was allowing it to shake him. She couldn't afford to show insecurities.
When he snapped at her, Nadia rose swiftly from her seat and approached him, her eyes suddenly lit with a dangerous fire, "You listen to me, Knox," she insisted, stopping inches from him so that she had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze, "I don't think you realize the situation that you have walked into. Allow me to explain," her voice was quiet and eerily calm.
"You see those guards over there?" She boldly reached a finger up to tap his chin in the right direction, "If I commanded it, you would be dead before you even had the chance to call me a liar." In fact, she'd intended on having the messenger captured or killed as soon as she knew what they knew. But everything had changed when she'd laid eyes on a familiar face.
"You do not have the power here. You have entered a very dangerous game. A game that does not care if you are tired or stressed. So, you can continue to accuse me of lying with no proof, or you can sit back down and discuss this situation calmly. Understood?" She blinked at him and gestured a hand toward the table, awaiting a reaction.
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Post by starrea on Jan 24, 2020 15:36:34 GMT
Knox wasn’t used to being snapped at. At the palace, he had a position of power. Even the members of the Royal Family seldom snapped at him. As long as he obeyed orders and stayed in line, he was shown affection that was rarely given to members outside of the Royal Family. So when Nadia snapped back at him, Knox was stunned into silence.
But in snapping at him, Nadia revealed more than she probably intended to. Or maybe not. He clearly didn’t know her anymore. But now he knew that the former handmaiden had a position of power here in this new land. He doubted that a handmaiden would just be awarded such authority and luxuries, all of which conveniently happened after the death of the Queen. People had killed for less.
Knox sunk back down into his seat, his eyes full of disappointment as he watched her. All of this confirmed his suspicions - the Queen hadn’t died by suicide and Nadia seemed to be right in the middle of whatever happened.
“I’m going to have to tell them what I found out. I won’t lie.” He said quietly, breaking his gaze away from her. He wasn’t going to ask any more questions. He didn’t want to know the answers.
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Post by Val on Jan 25, 2020 5:59:59 GMT
Nadia waited patiently until he obeyed, feeling a rush of satisfaction when he fell back into his seat. She ate up his shock and disapproval as though it were admiration- just a taste of what she imagined being Queen would be like. She gracefully returned to her seat and gazed across the table at him, noticing the way he refused to look at her. And just like that, she was struck with the familiar gnawing feeling of guilt. The one emotion she'd worked so hard to bury was suddenly clawing its way back into her heart. All because Knox had to be the one they sent.
"You know I can't let you do that," she murmured. No, he wasn't going to be able to make contact with the Royal Family until this was all sorted. Silence stretched between them until she impulsively leaned across the table, willing him to look at her or speak, "You don't know what happened. You have nothing to tell them...and nothing to gain by acting as their messenger. They sent you here alone, knowing full well the potential danger. They-I..." she sputtered and abruptly stopped what was inevitably becoming a rant.
Taking a deep breath, she leaned back in her seat and let her gaze drift out over the garden, "Are you happy there?" she asked quietly. It was a genuine question. She wanted to know if she was the only one that had felt trapped in her old life.
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Post by starrea on Jan 25, 2020 16:41:45 GMT
Knox couldn’t look at her as she started to ramble. She was right, to an extent - he didn’t know what had happened. But her threat was only only further proof that whatever had happened wasn’t a simple suicide. But it wasn’t until she started talking badly about the Royal Family that he started to get a little hostile.
His gaze snapped back up to hers, “They sent me a line because they knew that I would not fail with my mission.” He snapped defensively. Speaking such a way against the Royal Family was punishable and it irked him that she could speak so freely without consequences.
Knox ran a hand through his hair with a frustrated sigh, “Of course I’m happy there. Why wouldn’t I be? I am fulfilling my life’s one true purpose of serving the Royal Family.” The word’s came out without a second thought. He had repeated them many times before. And he wasn’t lying - Knox never lied - because the Royal Family had graciously showed him that his purpose was to serve. And through serving, he could find true happiness.
True, he hadn’t been happy in the beginning. The re-training he had to go through was rough, physically and emotionally. The Royal Family has been patient and understanding of his mortal flaws and had been patient and slow with him. And now, he couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
“I won’t lie,”. He repeated. And he wouldn’t. Not even for the Royal Family, and definitely not for Nadia.
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