Post by Sophia Durham on Feb 14, 2020 23:36:03 GMT
Sophia smiled brightly as soon as Kendry asked about the sea. She loved water - well, being a water elemental would do that. But... "Unfortunately I don't get much time to go to the sea. I do love it though." She sighed softly. "I don't travel a whole lot, honestly. It's dangerous for me to leave..." She of course, knew of the pirate problem that plagued the realm. Being on the open water was dangerous for the queen.
She glanced at the guards, who were just watching the area around them, before looking back at Kendry.
"I haven't been to the water in a long time." She said it very softly, with a hint of regret. It had been way too long, but it wasn't easy for her to get there. Guards in tow, of course, but the beaches weren't the safest place for her to be either.
She shook her head and looked back at Kendry again. "What about you? What do you do for fun?"
Post by Kendry Yildirim on Feb 15, 2020 0:02:20 GMT
"I see..." Kendry rubbed the back of his neck, a look of empathy pressing his eyebrows together. His expression darkened when she asked him the same question.
The first thing that came to mind was administering shock therapy to a very violent client. The next was hiding out in the wilderness for days to avoid trouble with some guards. And of course there was the hobby of stalking others to learn their body language and mannerisms. Did Kendry find fun in those things?
"I suppose I like...competitive activities." He remembered his palms pressed firmly to that man's temples, the smell of burning flesh stinging his nostrils. "I like to be out in nature whenever I feel stagnant." Had those guards found him, he probably would have been executed. He seemed confused with his own answers, but a smile dissipated his discomfort. "I think what I enjoy most is socializing. I like people." Those last words were laced with confidence, and Kendry felt a small amount of joy at that recognition.
But what about the sea? What about sailing? He glanced over Sophia's shoulders at the guards. Whatever happened to wanting to serve the kingdom?
When did his mercenary work become so brutal?
"I think bothering nobility with childish games is my favorite thing to do." The smile he offered Sophia was sincere, though his eyes betrayed any happiness.
Sophia was fairly good at recognizing emotions in people, and she saw the darkening in Kendry's eyes. Briefly, she wondered at a deep secret that he had.
She pushed that from her mind when he began speaking. She nodded her head slowly with his answers, though not reading in to what he was actually saying about them. Nature was nice, though she wasn't much for competitive activities she guessed. When he spoke of socializing, she nodded her head. "I enjoy that as well. People are very interesting." She loved learning from others, and tried to surround herself with lots of interesting people.
She had kind of drifted off into thought when he spoke again, she turned back to him, a grin spreading across her face. "Well, I'm having fun with this game, so it's perfect." She was actually very glad for the distraction, it was something she hadn't had in a long while either. This time, she missed the look in his eyes.
Post by Kendry Yildirim on Feb 15, 2020 4:32:45 GMT
Sophia's smile eased Kendry's worries. Her friendly demeanor echoed what he had said about the tide, his nerves smoothing with the ebb and flow of their conversation. It seemed that it did not matter the persona he tried to summon - she would welcome any with a patient ear and an eagerness to learn.
His attention drifted to the guards once more, and his smile fell. What would she do if she really knew him? In this moment, if all knew him, she'd have to make the choice that would benefit her people.
Snapping his attention back to the queen, Kendry waved the stick at her. "Should we meet again, let us reunite with the sea together, no matter the danger. What do you say?" Although, the danger the The Queen of Atelus would risk running into was far more likely than his, so he felt his words were foolhardy. "I'll protect you from any scurvy-ridden pirates!"
The stick snapped between Kendry's fingertips, and a spark ignited for a brief moment. He jumped and hid his hands behind his back, eyes darting back and forth, then back to Sophia, a stupid grin stretching across his face.
Post by Sophia Durham on Feb 16, 2020 16:26:57 GMT
Sophia was glad to see that she seemed to be causing Kendry to relax again, she had always been a very patient person. Well, at times. There were definitely times that she was not.. but she was working on that. Always. Trying to be better, for herself and for the kingdom.
She noticed his look at the guards, and figured he was just thinking about them following her all of the time again.
When he looked back at her and began to speak again, another grin crossed her face. "That sounds wonderful, Kendry." She laughed softly when he spoke of the pirates, nodding her head. "I'm sure you would!" And actually, she did trust that he would. For some reason, she really did.
She tilted her head as she heard the stick snap, hearing the spark in the air as well. "An electric elemental?" The grin on her face once again matched his.
Post by Kendry Yildirim on Feb 16, 2020 16:57:57 GMT
Kendry bit his lip, his hands still hidden behind his back as if he were a child trying to hide something. “Y-yes,” he finally answered. “Sorry.” His gaze darted around as he wrestled with this particular topic, trying to figure out how to avoid the subject. “And you... You're a water elemental.”
His eyes settled on the necklace that Sophia wore around her neck, and when he realized that it might look like he was staring elsewhere, he tore his gaze away once again. “You come from a family of elementals, right?” he asked hurriedly. “All water?”
Despite his reaction, Kendry felt comfort in the fact that Sophia knew what he was. He allowed himself to feel a connection with her being that they were both elementals. He wanted to ask her about her powers, how they made her feel, how she practiced and used them – things that would tell him who she was. But the same questions might be asked of him, and he felt that who he was would not align with the values of the Queen of Atelus.
Post by Sophia Durham on Feb 16, 2020 18:09:56 GMT
Sophia shook her head gently. "No need to apologize." She nodded when she spoke of her powers. "Yes, I am... and yes, my whole family has been."
She paused for a moment, before shrugging her shoulders slightly. "I guess they've been very... selective." She didn't really know the reasoning behind continuing to wed only water elementals, her mother had never really told her why that was tradition. Now that she thought about it, most of the suitors that she had before her mother had passed had been water elementals too. Strange.
She looked back at Kendry. "I suppose they wanted to keep increasing our power? I'm not really sure." It did make sense, if two strong elementals married, their offspring should be strong. And as far as she was aware her family was pretty gifted. "How about you? Were both of your parents elementals as well?"
Post by Kendry Yildirim on Feb 16, 2020 18:51:35 GMT
Kendry pondered on Sophia's words for a few moments before realizing what she had meant by them. Even though he was an elemental himself, and besides his mother, he had never gotten to know another before today. He never figured that by continuously marrying into a certain element the power within the offspring would increase. So just how powerful was the water elemental standing before him? A water elemental from a royal bloodline, nonetheless! She could probably beckon the sea to her doorstep! No need to worry about any pirates tarnishing her desire to feel the seawater cool her skin.
Sophia's question reminded him of the amount of power he possessed – minute in comparison with hers, but still deadly. Being that she was the queen, she could not be so reckless as to wreck ships as she fancied for the sake of her own enjoyment.
“Just my mother.” Kendry spoke his answer softly, his shoulders tightening as his hands clasped tighter together behind his back. He scanned the crowd that moved about the marketplace, feeling vulnerable. “She was born into a noble family, so I wonder if she would have ever met your parents.” The thought tumbled out of his mouth before he could process it.
Post by Sophia Durham on Feb 16, 2020 19:11:16 GMT
Sophia looked over at Kendry as he spoke of his mother, noticing the tightness in his stance - and his voice. She frowned slightly, feeling something there, but she didn't want to pry further.
When he spoke of her being a noble, her brows raised slightly. She was a noble, but the man in front of her was clearly not. She guessed that it was some clandestine affair, and that he hadn't grown up in that kind of house.
"Probably. My parents regularly hosted parties and the like..." She frowned slightly, since her own mother's death, there hadn't really been any celebration at the castle. She should probably remedy that. "And the nobles often came to the castle on their own volition, I suppose." Which was what still happened now, the castle was open to nobility. For advice or whatever. But she hadn't seen many of them around either since her mother's death.
Post by Kendry Yildirim on Feb 16, 2020 20:10:31 GMT
“Hosted? It's not commonplace anymore?” Kendry felt his chest tighten when Sophia frowned. He remembered too late that the previous queen had passed, leaving Sophia without a mother. As morbid as it was, they were slowly discovering more similarities with each other.
“Maybe it wouldn't feel quite the same, but...” He hesitated, wondering if he should press the topic. “But you could host your own parties. I think your mother would like that.”
The audacity. You don't know what a mother would or wouldn't like. And do you forget to whom you speak?
“I'll protect you from perilous pirates and party poopers, how about?” That stupid grin returned to his face. He felt like he was overstepping his boundaries, speaking to the queen as if they were friends.
Post by Sophia Durham on Feb 18, 2020 16:29:08 GMT
When Kendry asked about the parties being commonplace, she shook her head gently. She didn't want to say it out loud - she missed her mother so much. Her siblings held a little of that for her, each little pieces of her mother. But it definitely wasn't the same.
She looked back over at him when he spoke of hosting her own parties, nodding her head softly. "I think that is a wonderful idea, Kendry. Perhaps I will do just that." She did actually think it was a great idea, reintroduce herself to the nation and just make people happy with a party.
Sophia laughed softly when he spoke of protecting her again, nodding once more. "That sounds perfect." She started planning things in her mind, though she had never planned a party before. She wasn't sure exactly what she needed. She looked back at Kendry. "What would you want at a party?"
Post by Kendry Yildirim on Feb 18, 2020 19:07:56 GMT
Kendry felt relieved that Sophia didn't shut him out after he brought up an obviously painful topic. As far as party planning... He had crashed a few before, and he had been hired to guard attendees, but he had never truly felt like a part of the festivities. Honestly, he thought, looking at Sophia, it would just be nice to be around others. To let go.
The promise to protect had already been made. Kendry was certain that a party hosted by the queen at the castle would bring a sense of refreshing joy to the people of Taras, but it would likely draw unwanted attention, as well.
“If there is something I am certain of when it comes to parties, it's that there is always lots of food and lots of drink.” He thought for a moment, tapping his chin. “And music. And dancing.”
Realizing that they had been standing the whole time they were talking – which was fine, because Sophia was surprisingly pleasant to talk with – Kendry asked, “Would you like to walk and talk? If you're on a time limit, I can join you back to the castle gates.” Then, with waving hands, he added quickly, “I-if that's ok, of course!”
Sophia had been at plenty of the parties her mother had hosted, but the idea of planning one was... daunting. To say the least.
Kendry spoke again, and Sophia looked back over at him. Food and drink, of course. Her mother had always prided herself on the food at her parties. And drink, though Sophia never really partook. That was a beginning. Music, of course. Dancing. Yes. All of that was what she remembered, and she was sure some of the servants would be able to help find food and the like. She knew as much as her mother planned the party, the servants were the ones that actually pulled it all together. "I'll have to speak to the servants, I do believe they were the ones that really took care of everything." She laughed slightly.
Then Kendry mentioned walking, and she started slightly. She had been away from the castle for quite a while, though the guards hadn't said anything, which she appreciated. "I probably should be getting back..." She said that with a hint of regret in her voice. She was enjoying herself quite a lot. She looked at him again and nodded. "That sounds fantastic, Kendry."
Post by Kendry Yildirim on Feb 19, 2020 5:09:34 GMT
Kendry felt guilt swell up inside of him when he caught the regretful tone in Sophia's voice. He wished he had not even mentioned the castle. “How about we go around town and gather inspiration for a party? I mean, that could count as an important queenly duty, yeah?” He winked at the queen, surprising himself with how comfortable he felt with her considering how wary he was just a few minutes before.
Just... Still be careful...
The contract he was currently bound to didn't exactly have a time limit, and - the hard part done and over with - all he had to do was provide the proof and collect the payment once he got back to Sunama. The thought of trudging along that long road alone was not something Kendry looked forward to. Spending a day strolling through Taras - with the queen, nonetheless - wouldn't hurt. He could even find somewhere to crash for the night if need be.
Post by Sophia Durham on Feb 19, 2020 23:06:10 GMT
Sophia didn't mind her work, at all really. Of course, she had grown up knowing she would take the throne and have a lot of work in the future. And it was nice to get away.. but sometimes the reality of having to go back to working was just a little crushing.
Kendry mentioned going around town to look for ideas for the party, and Sophia perked right up. That was a fantastic idea. Then she was still doing work.
Sorta.
"That sounds great, Kendry. A wonderful idea!" She almost vibrated with excitement, thinking about the party and all of the things that they could do. And someone to help was always good, even if he said he hadn't really planned a party before. It would help to know what people wanted, and she really thought that Kendry could help with that.