paradisa | ❀ May Day Masquerade ❀

may day!

[ The castle grounds holding the gardens have been transformed into a spring party sensation. Tall banners carrying the Tudor rose have been arranged in a representation of a border surrounding the celebration and events, but there are no real walls or barriers. It might make guarding difficult for the few in her employ, but that's hardly Queen Anne's problem. Nobody will be kept away unless they arrive with no mask (or representation of a mask), and although it might be hard to tell considering it's a masquerade, there will be some people (not many) from the city who have decided tentatively to accept Anne's invitation, helping fill in the crowd.

The theater stage has been covered in flowers of all sorts, as are the four wooden thrones arranged in the center. Each seat is taken, a tie for both King and Queen making for double the fun! Robb and Lucrezia have dressed as Orion and Diana, while Zelos and Galadriel have chosen Odysseus and Penelope (with a little help). The tops of their heads have been left bare, at least for the opening ceremony.

In front of them stands Anne in her costume, and she waits for the crowd to quiet before she speaks. ]

Good citizens of Cair Paradisa and City Royale, you come here today to seek pleasure and company, and I have never seen a finer or more unique looking peoples. I know you may find it difficult to smile in the wake of such recent tragedy. All here have known loss, but we have not let it conquer us, have we? God is with us. Brave souls here risked the unknown to discover the cause, while other remained to help rebuild. I am fiercely proud to see such dedication to one another, and I can only hope such unity continues to blossom! The work on the city will continue, as will the rehabilitation of the survivors most affected by calamity.

But today we spread our arms wide and heartily welcome summer. Today we make merry and keep our loves close. Today we celebrate an unprecedented event, two Queens and Kings!

[ She turns and walks over to the thrones, where the ladies hold crowns of roses in their laps and the men crowns of wooden antlers. She names each as she settles the crowns atop their heads. ]

Queen Galadriel. King Zelos. Queen Lucrezia. King Robb.

[ In playful deference, Anne will lift her skirts and curtsy to the four of them when they stand to announce that the festivities begin! ]

{ Maypole Dance || Dance Floor || The Feast || Music & Donations || Maze & Wine Fountain || Bonfire }

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He gives a small shrug]

I don't really do parties any more.

Did someone make you come too? [ she knows your pain bro ]

Anne made it very clear me being here wasn't an option. I'm not exactly sure what the penalty is for disobeying a queen, but it probably isn't great.

[It is a horrible pain, can he just stay in the maze all night?]

Disobeying a queen is grounds for treason. Imprisonment or execution are usually the penalties. But Anne's no true queen so she could not.

See? Neither are super fun things to go through. And I'm pretty sure you don't want to say that within her earshot.

I have.

How did she react? [He honestly wants to know. He's already aware Arya is a gutsy little thing, so he can't even pretend he's surprised she did so]

She did not like it. [ A shrug. ] But she expected me to be her obedient subject and I am not. I know only one king and that is the King in the North. My brother. I'll show her courtesy as a foreign queen but no more.

I guess that's fair enough.

[He thinks back to the people he saw hanging around Arya in the expedition]

Robb's Your brother's the guy with the curly hair, right? Got a big wolf like yours?

That's him. [ She smiles. ] His men call him the Young Wolf. Grey Wind is Nymeria's brother.

I can see why. [He chuckles a little] So your wolves are siblings too, that's poetic.

There were six in the litter. One for each of us.

Sounds almost a little bit like destiny. [Even after everything, he can have a little faith in such a thing]

Mayhaps it was.

[ It certainly feels sometimes like they were meant to have the wolves. She still does not know how their mother might have crossed the Wall. Perchance it was the gods who brought her south. ]

You know, you've shown your face. No one can say you did not come. You can leave if you really want.

[He'll arch a brow, leaning carefully on one of the hedge walls]

So could you. What's keeping you here?

Robb asked me to stay.

[ It's a simple answer because it's a simple explanation. Her brother smiled at her and hugged her and asked her to stay—so she does. ]

There you go, then. We do things we don't want to sometimes, because it makes people we like happy.

Not like. Love. Because it makes people we love happy.

[ Or because one wishes to live that badly. ]

...Yeah. The people we love.

You were really good. Back in the village during the attack. What other things can you build?

[Her praise surprises him, and it takes him a moment to answer]

...Thank you. And all kinds of things, really. If I set my mind to it.

Could you make a house? Or teach me how? I'm good at following direction! I learn fast and I'm always careful!

[He considers this for a moment, before nodding]

You were pretty good when we were building the barricade. Sure, I can draw up plans, and we can make something together. Did you want to move into the town or something?

[If it was any child but Arya asking, he'd have assumed she wanted a play house. But that is one thing he is pretty sure Arya DOESN'T want/i>]

My brother wants us to. I'm sure he will pay you in whatever you may ask.

...Okay. You let me know how big you want it to be, what you want it built out of an all that, how many rooms you need, and I can see what I can do.

[Then, with the smallest of smiles] I don't need paying. I do it for the challenge.

[He is so done with having money]

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wolfchild - 2013-05-05 18:43 (UTC) - Expand

whichwayyoulean - 2013-05-05 19:02 (UTC) - Expand