some light afternoon reading;; open

[Mimi]

Rian was glad - well, as glad as he could be - to have the day to himself to do what he would at his leisure, but when did things ever go how he wanted? It started off with a healthy round of hacking and coughing before dawn that further and further resembled hemorrhaging followed by an even healthier dosage of poison-medicine and a fair amount of ingested alcohol - in the form of strong Silian wine - for good measure. After which, the death-bringer paid him a visit and attempted pestering him to the grave, and following Rian's semi-successful evasion, he had quite the unfortunate run-in with the Reginien princess and Helion prince. They hadn't seen him, but Rian seeing them annoyed him and reminded him of things he didn't want to be reminded of. The rest of the noon and afternoon he spent dodging aforementioned royal Silian death-bringer which was easier than confronting him considering the man was technically under his father's employment. He would have taken a fair bit of joy in terminating the man's position... and life, the latter more so than the former, but he would have taken whichever.

Rian sniffled miserably, the dark circles under his eyes more than apparent against the pallor of his skin which seemed to grow more and more - dammit - translucent now, not even pale. Glancing down at his outstretched hand, Rian flexed it cautiously and watched as the blue veins surfaced a moment, startling vivid, before settling back into faint obscurity - an outline. Something about the image seemed wrong, but another cough interrupted his thoughts, and instead, he pulled a new handkerchief from the depths of his jacket. Automatically, he brought it up to cover mouth and nose and turned slightly as a servant passed, hurrying to who knows where with a basket of fresh linen. The hallway, otherwise, remained barren with only a few persons here and there appearing and disappearing every few moments at either ends of the narrow way. Seemed a calm day, sun streaming in through wherever possible - cracks, niches, holes - and the humidity absolutely choked him, especially in this godforsaken bit of the castle. Rian cursed vehemently under his breath as he moved along the wall and looked for some sitting room or other where he maybe could isolate some time - a few minutes even - before his entourage sent out a search party for him.

Straightening, he pressed down against his chest a moment, took a deep, ragged breath, and stepped stately forward as, what he could only assume, was a Reginien duchess passed by and smiled at him half-politely and half-coquettishly. Self-absorbed as he was, Rian let it go, offending the woman surely, but he couldn't care less at the moment. A tightening sensation settled in his chest that seemed to spread, and it was growing worse by the second before Rian (at last) stumbled upon a... relatively suitable alcove. The light was dimmer, muffled by thick, velvet and silk drapes that hung over the lancets, and only a few Reginien servants milled about. They immediately glanced up upon Rian's entrance and hastily bowed, a few murmuring his title with reverence, a few with silent fear, and Rian dismissed it with a casual wave of the hand.

"Rise, rise. You all may remain if you so desire; I only ask you leave me in silence."

Stepping further in, Rian swiftly pocketed the darkened handkerchief as the servants returned to their previous work - dusting, clean, rearranging - and he slipped into the nearest seat. The wooden arm felt cool to the touch, and only then did the temperature change fully register with him. He sighed tiredly under his breath, and a hand rose to rub slowly at the light sweat and wrinkles damping and marring his otherwise dashing features. Dammit.

A nearby book discussing Reginien topography on the desk in front of him caught his attention, and he took it up and flipped through it casually. Much of it he knew; Regina wasn't so big an empire, and spending three years attempting to fight through it gets one well-acquainted.

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[amy]

Sira pulled the thick hood over her head and made her way through the humid halls of the castle silently, as if she were not even there. No one paid too much attention to her - there were always strange visitors nowadays, what with the arrival of the Silian Prince, and Regina was no stranger to those who were different.
Stepping in and out of the milling servants, she made her way to her destination without any obstruction. Pushing the large leather cape into a small cupboard, she donned the servants uniform quickly and headed to the main part of the castle to find her true target.Shortly after leaving Albion, she had received word from the Guild that a 'client' in Regina was seeking her assistance. Since she had nowhere else to go, she figured it was in her best interest to take the job. After all, it offered an incredible sum, and with the calibre of people living in the region at the time, she knew it was something she would not regret doing.

Quickly spotting her target, recognising him through the onslaught of sputtering that he engaged in, she immediately began to tail him/ It had been hard getting into the castle in the first place, and the labyrinth she was being led through would be difficult to navigate. Especially when people realised what had happened.

Prince Rian found himself a small drawing room, filled with Reginian servants. She cursed under her breath, hoping for somewhere quieter. This will have to do. she thought, thinking quickly about how she would deal with this. Concealed beneath her linen blouse, she had her dagger unsheathed and ready to strike.

Entering the room with purpose as the Prince picked up a book, she cleared her throat at a level that was loud enough for the servants to hear, but Rian could not detect over his trance.

"His Highness has requested your presence in the gardens. He will be there in 5 minutes, you must go immediately." She announced, hoping beyond all hopes that they would take her bait.

To her satisfaction, they dropped what they were doing and rushed towards the back entrance. Sira smiled and edged around the room, until she had circled it completely, ensuring Rian had no escape. It was unfortunate that this closed off her only exit also, but it was a risk she was willing to take.

"Prince Rian, it's an honour to make your acquaintance." she said, her tone stern, but seductive. No man had ever been able to resist, and she was certain that Rian would be the same. She had been ordered to dispose of him, and it was much easier for her if she could convince them to accompany her somewhere first. However, if this was not the case, she would be more than happy to do the deed here.

[Mimi]

Rian remained still, uninterested in his surroundings and uncharacteristically off-guard if only because he thought he deserved to be in his present state. Half-closed eyes flitted across the page of tiny written text, only looking up for a momentary yawn before shifting back down unto the parchment as a hand lazily reached up and turned a page. Despite the soporific appearance, something sounded in the back of his mind as a shabbily-dressed, mildly attractive woman slipped into the room a few seconds after himself. Ah, so she had been who was following him?

She seemed a servant of the castle judging by her dress, but something about the way she carried herself -- something about how she treaded into the room with gall and determination to do... what? Rian's paranoid mind immediately settled on an attempt at his life, and he almost scoffed aloud at the thought. A woman? Making an attempt on his life? He had to admit, he felt almost... slighted. At the very least, they could've sent a man whoever they were, but even as he began conjuring up scenarios for the next few minutes in which he trumped the lady and took his rightful place at the top of the patriarchal hierarchy, an intensified aching deep in his chest almost caused him to double over. His eyes closed for a moment at the exact time a chorus of muffled footsteps left the room. So, they were alone now.

In the next few seconds, Rian's eyes remained closed although he traced her movements in his mind, envisioning where she stood relative to him. If she'd decided to strike then, she probably would've gotten a good stab in before he got the chance to react. It seemed, however, she had another tactic on mind, and Rian shifted in his seat as she began talking. His eyes shifted open and glanced somewhat indifferently over her figure.

"Prince Rian, it's an honour to make your acquaintance."

Her suggestive tone just slightly elevated his interest; what was she playing at, he wondered. A smile danced over his lips; whatever it was, he played it better, and she was going to lose.

He leaned forward onto his knees, his book now settled half-closed just between his legs, and his previously lackluster eyes were suddenly re-animated with strained vivacity as though the presence of a woman in the room really did excite him rather than dull him even further.

"Likewise. I must ask, though, for your name; I am usually well-acquainted with all the beautiful women where I go. It's a wonder I managed to miss yours."

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