( watch me burn ) rian.

[zee]

The Princess of Averia wasn't known for her anger, but she was no longer a princess in this strange land, and she had found it pleasing she no longer need to hide the bitter words she'd have to silence as a princess. One could easily notice her anger, if they knew her well enough, which no one in Regina did. The signs were still there, unchanged, the flushed cheeks and flashing eyes. But no one ever looked close enough anymore to catch these anymore, and Aevah was happy for this small freedom.

At least until someone did notice the anger. Then she missed the privacy people would give her when they realized this. When you're of a high-ranking status, people found it best to steer clear and wait out the storm. As nothing more then a villager, a peasant, people didn't care. They wanted the latest rumor, story, the juiciest gossip. Luckily, however, no one had noticed these telltale signs, or at least none had inquired and Aevah enjoyed this space for what it was worth.

Her footsteps were soft in the corridor as she headed to her room. She'd just worked the past three hours in the stables, of her own freewill, tending to the horses. They were her favorite past-time, until one of the horse trainer had told her the horses were to have very little displayed affection because it made them act out in order to gain more of it. This had launched Aevah into a two and a half hour argument in which she managed to win, a severe blow to a horse trainer for the princess, especially when this conquest was from a peasant. And a lady at that. The Princess knew she wouldn't be allowed near the horses, even if she had won this argument, but what had made her mad was the sudden bout of homesickness when he had called her a slave.

No one would have dared to call the stablehand a slave, especially if they had gone to work out of their own free will, let alone one of the highest-ranking members of the Averian house. She had almost slipped, told him who he had spoke so brashly towards, but at the last moment had caught herself. Soon, the conversation was finished, and she had gathered up her things and headed straight towards he room, where she lay now.

A heavy sigh managed to escape her lips, and she decided a quick bath would ease her troubles. After doing so, now clean with her black hair rolling down her back in ebony waves, she pulled on a new crimson dress that didn't look too expensive. Something this distant family of Aevah's certainly could afford.

She was certainly a gorgeous girl, with the signature icy blue eyes that came along with the royal house. Neither of her parents had displayed the black hair, nor the feminine, almost delicate, form that Aevah did. She looked nothing like her mother, nor her father, except for the eyes. Always the eyes.

After tying her dress and brushing her hair, a messenger came by stating the prince had called upon a maid. Heaving a sigh, and wondering why on earth the stuck-up, dominant prince would admit he needed help, she slipped out her door and started the trek towards Prince Rian's room. It was shorter then one would expect, due to the prince's dislike of women, but then again, Aevah had yet to meet him.

She still didn't like him.

When she reached the oaken door, she rapped her knuckles lightly against the door and cracked it open enough so she could lean in. She hid her scorn at the sight of him, tossing a handful of ebony hair from her eyes so she could look at this prince of silus. "Did you call, sir?" She questioned, naturally soft voice barley making an impact in the blanket of silence sleep had caused. She barely managed to choke out the sir, and she wined when it was painfully obvious.

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[Mimi]

Rian growled under his breath in irritation and gulped uncomfortably, swallowing another outburst of coughing. He frowned in disgust; his time was really coming to an end quickly, wasn't it? He didn't even need to cough anymore to taste the coppery presence of blood in his mouth.

Unscrewing the cap of another silver flask, Rian downed the contents quickly. This time, it wasn't medicine. No, the medicine had become all but ineffective. Alcohol did a better job to numb the pain, but if so, why had he called the court doctor to Regina in the first place? The man had just proven to be dead weight; he could do nothing more for Rian other than brew his bitter medicine. Rian scoffed and wiped the back of his hand across his mouth. He wondered if the scent of rum was heavy on his breath.

Rian had never been one to drink, and he never got drunk easily. Like most Silian men, he had a high threshold for alcohol. He could drink barrels and still stand the next morning to make a speech clearly and effectively. (Christian was an anomaly.) Would one call that a curse or a gift? Rian considered it both, and at the moment, he was taking full advantage of it. He wondered which would give out first - his lungs or his liver?

Popping off the cap to another flask, he sipped at the rum and rolled his eyes. His horse trainer had run in just a few moments ago, angry, indignant, and spouting curses against a certain "Aevah". Rian shared the man's sentiment; women were the bane of society, but at the same time, what kind of a man let a woman control him? It was despicable! And he had the impudence to disturb him and insist that he "right this grave wrong". Rian had agreed, but as far as he was concerned, that horse trainer wasn't going to be in his employment for much longer. Any man who let a woman trample over him wasn't much a man. Rian's thoughts involuntarily wandered over to Prince Berlus and Odette, but he quickly shook his head clear of any such thoughts. How annoying they were.

Thinking back to his current situation, Rian ran a hand through his hair multiple times. How annoying this entire situation was! To think he had to deal with such trivial matters on top of courting the Princess. His frown deepened, and he took another swig of his drink. What a fine mess he was in.

At the sound of the door creaking open, Rian glanced over aloofly. He took in the girl's black curls and slim figure without so much as a blink of the eye. Unlike his brother, Rian was rarely, if ever, affected by a woman's appearance; they were all the same anyhow - bothersome harlots. Swinging his feet off the mahogany desk, Rian tilted his chair to the side to afford a better look at the girl. He hoped she wasn't another Odette; he didn't know if he could handle another Odette.

Fingering the flask's stopper, he smirked at the servant. "Yes, I did call. I heard you had gotten into a fight with one of my horse trainers. Is this true?"

He wasn't exactly interested in her, but he found himself scrutinizing her very carefully and much more intently than he did with most other women. She didn't seem like...peasant material. If there was one thing Rian knew, it was how women of the court carried themselves, and if Rian had to guess, he would've said she was nobility. The fact that she wasn't surprised him mildly, but he hid it from showing on his face. Staring at her up and down as if she were an object on auction, Rian took another gulp of his rum.

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[zee]

Aevah had never done well with inspection. She had had very little of it in her life, yet every time someone would study her too closely or with any signs of scrutiny, she would tense, stiffen, even narrow her eyes slightly as if it was a challenge. This situation was no different, and at the sight of the silver flask in this prince's hand, she had to bite back a bitter laugh. Alcohol solved nothing but to kill you quicker. She found herself, despite trying to shush her still angry words, replying with a bite of bitterness in her voice.

"Yes, it is true. The man deserved every last bit of scorn and malice, even if it were from a lady." She replied thickly, putting slight emphasis on the word lady, even as she slipped fully inside the room and shut the door behind her. He took another swig, and she glanced away disdainfully. Alcohol had, and never would, be her choice beverage in any situation. It was a disgusting thing, that created a disgusting habit.

After battling the turmoil inside her that told her to tell him exactly whohe spoke so rudely too, she bit her tongue, yet that didn't stop her from speaking to try and smooth things over...if only slightly. "I did get in a fight with him." She repeated, lifting her gaze from the carpeted floor to the prince's eyes. "But you should treat animals better then that man did. I would have fought him tooth and nail if I were not a servant."

Although she had attempted to keep the scorn from her words, she found she could not, expecially when speaking of such a man. She tried again, this time thinking of the horse instead of the horse trainer. She even managed a slight, humored smile. "You truly should take better care of your horses. Prince." She dropped the formal 'sir', yet purposely placed his title there to show no lack of respect.

She had already slipped enough that day, and she feared if she did so one more time three more months would be wasted and she would be placed back in Averia...Not that it didn't look enticing. She loved her homeland, but seeing other places was far worth leaving behind the snowy, wintry landscape that would bloom with luscious, vibrant flowers upon her return. The coronation would also take place when she came back, and she expected herself to be given the crown. Not that she didn't think her brother would do a good job, either, but that he was too young, at nineteen years, to take such a big responsibility.

The prince had not stopped studying her, however, and she found herself worrying he suspected her of...of what? She'd done nothing but leave her home, where she wasn't needed since she was neither married nor a male (thank God). But he could suspect her of nobility, of a high-ranking status. She couldn't afford that, and in the second this thought passed her mind, she immediately allowed everything from her posture to her gaze to slip tightly into a servant-like mode.

She just hoped it wasn't too late.

[Mimi]

Rian quirked an eyebrow, clearly amused by her reactions. Under normal circumstances, he probably wouldn't have noticed much. He was a bit - what did they call it? - oblivious, he supposed, especially in feminine company. (Though he wasn't sure if it was still called "oblivious" if it was half on purpose.) But, hey, who could blame him? They just weren't...interesting enough (or much deserving of his attention). However, this one...not that she was exactly interesting per se, but... Rian tapped his fingers against the now near empty flask. Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe he wasn't as immune as he thought. Or maybe this girl really was hiding something.

He watched wearily as her eyes seemed to narrow at his scrutiny. It was as if...as if she was just burning with the urge to tell him off or say something she would surely regret later. The question now was what did she want to say? Or, better yet, could he goad it out of her? Rian's eyes glinted devilishly at the thought. He'd had his fair share of slaps; what's one more?

"Yes, it is true. The man deserved every last bit of scorn and malice, even if it were from a lady."

Rian missed the bitterness and emphasis altogether. At the sound of the door closing, his eyes immediately darted to it, eying it with consideration. Why did it seem all women insisted on "private conversations", on speaking about certain matters at a more "appropriate time", on closing the door? It irritated him to no end. What was the matter with leaving the door ajar? What did they have to say that couldn't be heard by others? Rian shook his head, more tired than annoyed, and swished the dregs of the liquor around restlessly. Frankly, it was a bit too sweet for his tastes but then again, at least better than his usual bitter tonic.

His gaze flicked from the canteen in his hand to the girl's face. She seemed ill disposed towards his drinking. Amusing. An ordinary servant wouldn't have had the nerve to judge royalty or, if she did, let it show on her face. He pondered this display of temerity for a split second, then on his response, before deciding to keep silent for the meantime.

"I did get in a fight with him. But you should treat animals better then that man did. I would have fought him tooth and nail if I were not a servant... You truly should take better care of your horses. Prince."

Rian looked up from his lap where he'd focused his attention during her little speech. He let another smirk slide onto his lips.

"Are you finished?" he asked, setting the empty bottle aside and heaving himself out of his chair.

"Do you want to know what I really think?" Rian continued, not waiting for an answer. "I think women like you should learn to hold their tongues, and for your information, I didn't hire him. Men of other men of other men of my father's hired him. I don't deal in such trivial matters, and to tell the truth, they are of little interest to me. And I would think the man would be more learned than you are in the subject of horses considering it's his profession, so that leads me to ask, who are you to question my royal trainer's judgement?"

At his last question, Rian advanced towards Aevah until he was just a hairsbreadth away. Stringing his hands behind his back, Rian asked, "Hm, Aevah?"

Sarcasm laced his tone. The girl had suddenly dropped into a servile mode, but it failed to put him off. There was something about this girl, and even though he couldn't put his finger on it, he was determined to find out. He always got his way...eventually.

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