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| Vale of the White Horse | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: 5 Jan 2010, 13:03 (19,258 Views) | |
| Marieke | 29 Nov 2011, 22:08 Post #4381 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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‘My mother is dead because of me,’ she said, curling her fingers around the hem of her sleeve in a nervous fist. ‘I’m…yes. Yes, I’m mad. I don’t know.’ She looked up at him. ‘I’ve made a mess of things. I’m a mess.’ |
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| Sonja | 29 Nov 2011, 22:14 Post #4382 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'Poor thing,' Rufus said perfunctorily. 'Something that helps just as well as talking, is, I found, getting even. If you - ah, let's say, want to teach Morcant a little lesson, I can most likely be of service.' |
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| Marieke | 29 Nov 2011, 22:17 Post #4383 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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‘I knew it!’ She got off the sofa, finding herself shaking all over. ‘All you can do is play, Marcus. I’m still your toy, aren’t I? You’re just waiting for me to tell you all about the B – you know what I mean.’ She clenched her fists again, taking a deep breath. The truth was, she did want Morcant to feel remorse. Even pain. |
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| Sonja | 29 Nov 2011, 22:29 Post #4384 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'Darling Essylt,' Rufus drawled, not in the least impressed by her explosion because he saw in her eyes what she really thought. 'Not everything is about your little friends in the woods. And really, you might want to refrain from biting the hand extended out to you in hospitality. Nothing is keeping you here but your own need for a roof over your head. If you think I only play at this, think again.' |
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| Marieke | 29 Nov 2011, 22:31 Post #4385 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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She cast her eyes down. His voice seemed to crawl over her skin. ‘I’m sorry.’ Essylt sat herself down, keeping her back tense and straight. You have Carwyn to think about as well, you stupid. ‘I’m just…tense.’ |
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| Sonja | 29 Nov 2011, 22:38 Post #4386 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'I noticed. Perhaps what you need is a nice hot bath, and a massage, I should think. Get rid of all that tension.' He wondered how long it'd take for her to break. She was right, of course, because he really was toying with her. Such a grateful subject for his antics, after the recent - well, disaster he was inclined to call it - with Briallen and Tudwrig. |
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| Marieke | 29 Nov 2011, 22:42 Post #4387 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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‘Maybe.’ She wasn’t sure what she needed. Everything was such a jumble in her head. Not so long ago, she’d had a home, a family and a future. And now? Even Morcant was gone, he had simply abandoned her. The one thing she thought she could hold on to… Essylt swallowed hard, but the lump in her throat only grew bigger. Her eyes stung. Not here, she told herself. Not in front of him! But it was hard to hide. |
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| Sonja | 29 Nov 2011, 22:52 Post #4388 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'Oh, don't cry, my dear,' he said, knowing full well that it could very well cause her to spill the tears she was so desperately holding back. Women were like that - acknowledge that they were about to cry, and eight times out of ten they'd burst into sobs. |
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| Marieke | 29 Nov 2011, 22:56 Post #4389 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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‘I’m not crying…’ She pressed her sleeve against her face to hide the tears. It didn’t really help, she was still crying. Essylt dug her teeth into her lower lip. |
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| Sonja | 29 Nov 2011, 23:03 Post #4390 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'There's no shame in tears,' Rufus said, again sharing some wisdom or the other his mother had pushed down his throat when he was younger. His mother otherwise had been a complete harlot, a scheming minx, only married her husband for his money and continued to fuck half of Rome regardless. But the gods rest her soul, he'd inherited his uncanny ability for manipulation from her and if there's one thing he'd thank her for, it was exacly that. He got up and knelt in front of the sofa Essylt occupied. 'Really, there isn't, Essylt.' |
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| Marieke | 30 Nov 2011, 21:52 Post #4391 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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‘Said the Roman.’ She sniffed, wiping her eyes again. ‘I’m sorry. When I think of myself, I see…Nothing. No status, no future, not even an idea of tomorrow. And sometimes I don’t care anymore.’ She sighed shakily. ‘I don’t care.’ |
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| Sonja | 13 Dec 2011, 12:46 Post #4392 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'Sometimes, not always,' he repeated. He didn't believe for one minute she didn't at least care for it a little bit. Girls always cared for status and future, here as well as in Rome, or Egypt, or Germania. 'Well, if it's status and a future you want, there are of course a number of things we could arrange.' |
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| Marieke | 13 Dec 2011, 19:02 Post #4393 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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She breathed out slowly, calming herself. Was he offering something? 'Such as what?' |
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| Sonja | 2 Feb 2012, 20:41 Post #4394 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'You could find a wealthy Roman guardian, for example.' Rufus lifted the corner of his mouth. This was going to be fun. 'That's a bit of a hassle, though - you'll have to move to Rome to get status via guardian. Then we could try and arrange something here. Rather recently a chieftancy - Cavern Hill, to be exact - has become vacant. No heir, poor bastard died without being able to father a son.' He inwardly snorted at the thought of Higueid. Disgusting, annoying, violent and uncivilized ass that he had been. 'One could decide to make your brother the heir for lack of a better candidate. But that, again, involves a lot of politics. The simplest solution is - well, marriage. Marrying a wealthy citizen of Rome will get you all the status and more future than you could possibly imagine. And you wouldn't even have to lift a finger afterwards. So you see -' he spread his hands '- a lot of possibilities indeed.' |
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| Marieke | 2 Feb 2012, 22:04 Post #4395 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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There was a lump in her throat that wouldn’t go away. Essylt could’t find the right words. Possibilities… Make Carwyn heir? But he as so young. So vulnerable. And what if father… ‘You mean you,’ she finally said, speaking slowly. ‘A wealthy citizen of Rome. I…Maybe, if…’ |
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| Sonja | 2 Feb 2012, 22:22 Post #4396 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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Bait, and switch. Rufus raised an eyebrow in mock surprise. 'Me? Why, that thought never crossed my mind.' He gave her a silky smile. 'But it's nice to know you think of me that way.' |
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| Marieke | 2 Feb 2012, 22:26 Post #4397 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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‘But –’ She felt the blood rush to her head. ‘I’m sorry. I just thought you meant… Forget it.’ If she could, she’d walk away right now. |
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| Sonja | 2 Feb 2012, 22:40 Post #4398 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'Oh, don't be sorry,' he said grandly. 'After all, who are we to deny how we feel, hm?' He leaned towards her, resting his chin on his fist with a grin. 'My mother, rest her soul, always used to say: "What the heart thinks, the mouth speaks".' |
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| Marieke | 2 Feb 2012, 22:45 Post #4399 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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‘How I feel.’ He couldn’t really believe that she was in love with him…with him? She stared at him for a few seconds, the way he seemed so comfortable with the subject, the way his eyes went over her face. ‘So, what if I do?’ she finally asked. ‘What would you do, Marcus? You always said you wanted to help me.’ |
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| Sonja | 2 Feb 2012, 22:50 Post #4400 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'I've never been the marrying kind,' he said with a sparkle in his eye. 'But I'm sure we can arrange something, if that is what you would like, Essylt.' This was going the right way, and with the right way he meant the way that did not end in her freezing the everloving hell out of him. |
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| Marieke | 2 Feb 2012, 22:54 Post #4401 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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‘Yes, I remember.’ She tried not to think too hard about what she was negotiating. It’s for Carwyn, she reminded herself. And for herself, too. Because where else was she going to go? Back home? If her father would take her back at all, he’d simply marry her off to some other Roman as soon as he could arrange it. No, then she’d prefer to decide her own husband, even if it was only in the most legal sense. Rufus might grow bored of her all too soon, or maybe he’d move far away, and then she’d be free to build her own life. ‘Can we speak plainly? Tell me either yes or no. I’ve a need of practical solutions.’ |
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| Sonja | 2 Feb 2012, 23:09 Post #4402 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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Oh yes, he remembered too. He'd never really forgiven her for that, either. 'It can be easily arranged, yes. Of course, for the actual ceremony a trip back to Rome might be in order, but one can worry about that later.' Rufus really had no actual intention of marrying her. All he really wanted was her in his bed, once, maybe twice - if she was really nice maybe a few times more. Afterwards, he'd see what he'd do with her. |
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| Marieke | 3 Feb 2012, 21:51 Post #4403 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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‘Fine. So.’ She swallowed. This wasn’t what she had hoped for, when she had found her way to this house. But what had she hoped for, really? I don’t know. My head is such a mess. Finally, and with shaking legs, she rose from the sofa. ‘I’m embarrassing myself. Perhaps I should –’ Well, what? Run away again? |
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| Sonja | 3 Feb 2012, 22:37 Post #4404 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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Rufus got up when she did, standing next to her. 'Nonsense. You people are way too reserved. In Rome, we don't care for embarrasment. We speak our minds. And why shouldn't we, eh?' After all, he was still convinced that there was no woman who wouldn't eventually fall in love with him. Essylt was well underway, and the likes of Briallen and Gwenllian just needed a bit more softening. |
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| Marieke | 3 Feb 2012, 22:43 Post #4405 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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Oh, he wouldn’t want a piece of her mind right now. Essylt had to suppress a shudder when he drew closer, not entirely sure if it was from dislike or a twisted need for comfort. After all, what he’d done to her before…She had nearly wanted that. Needed it. ‘Speak your mind now, Roman. You’ve kept it from me long enough.’ |
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| Sonja | 3 Feb 2012, 22:56 Post #4406 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'My, the little chieftain's daughter thinks she's a right to start ordering me around.' Rufus bent forward to look Essylt in the eye. 'Don't forget who's offering you hospitality here, my dear,' he said and gave her a pat on the cheek. 'All I want in return is just a bit - a little, tiny bit - of appreciation. Gods know you have kept that from me.' |
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| Marieke | 3 Feb 2012, 23:00 Post #4407 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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'Thank you,' she said, staring up at his eyes. 'And I won't. Keep it from you, I mean.' |
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| Sonja | 7 Feb 2012, 22:04 Post #4408 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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'Right. I'm so glad we've got that settled.' He smiled again, and took her hand. 'Well then, my dear. What say you? Shall we get married?' |
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| Marieke | 7 Feb 2012, 22:12 Post #4409 |
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Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
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‘I think – Well - yes. Of course.’ Her head was reeling. All of this had been merely an idea just now – a desperate idea. And now she was supposed to…Morcant would never… But Morcant left. He didn’t love me, he didn’t stay with me till the end. No, all of that had been a lie, after all. So who cared if she spent the night with Rufus instead? At least he didn’t pretend to be in love with her. What he didn’t say, he couldn’t betray. Essylt forced herself to smile a thin little smile. ‘Let’s.’ |
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| Sonja | 7 Feb 2012, 22:22 Post #4410 |
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Red & dangerous! Rawr!
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See? Good things came to people who were patient, after all. That was one he owed his mother, had the filthy harlot still been alive. Well, he might as well make some proper work of little Essylt. After that one night, quite a while ago, he didn't think there was anything he rather did. 'Splendid. Allow me to give you a tour around the house, then,' Rufus said and steered her in the direction of the bedroom. |
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