From being an Abandoned who had rarely left the Hollowed Grounds, to embracing the call of adventure, to dying and being reborn first as an Ascended and then as an Ancient, Maea has gone through quite the amount of changes in her life. One thing remains common, though, in her attempts to find out just where she belongs; she’s always had a craving for knowledge which has brought her to so many places and to meet so many people here in Caido. We can’t wait to see what else is in store for her!
Congratulations, Maea!
Credits
Court of the Fallen was created in October of 2018 by Odd, Honey, and Crooked.
Skinning and hosting by the epically talented Kaons, and functionality fanciness by the coding magic of Neowulf. If you ever see either of them around, make sure to show them some love!
There's a shadow just behind me
Shrouding every step I take
Making every promise empty
Pointing every finger at me
The implementation of a new leader had happened so quickly that Nate had barely noticed it. Honestly, he would have been content to continue not noticing it, but with people getting jailed here and there and the muttering she’d heard, he figured he should have at least some familiarity with the new rules and laws. It was easier to work with them if he actually knew them. And, much to his surprise, much of what had been decreed was either more than reasonable in his opinion, or it didn’t affect him.
Except for one little thing. Nate was familiar with the idea of a draft, even had some second hand experience with it, but... he had never wanted to fight himself. There had been exceptions where he came from, for those studying or deemed indispensable to normal day to day life. He considered asking one of the guards posted at the sign up, but from what he’d seen, they were a little short tempered. It would probably be better to hear it from
The mouth of their leader as well.
That chain of thought was what led Nate to the front of the Launceleyn manor. It was grand, and imposing, and nearly made him want to reconsider this whole thing and just turn around. Poor planning had left him with not enough time for any other options though, and he’d already been seen by some of the guards. There was nothing to lose, right?
Nate talked to one of the guards, and explained what he was there to do, the questions he had, and was told to wait until the Queen was ready. Fair enough. It gave him a moment to look over what he was going to say, and to try to figure out exactly how he was supposed to address her. Being rude, unintentionally or not, wasn’t going to earn him any favours.
Zariah hadn't been anticipating anyone coming to her audience hours - since no one had yet - and had been practicing magic with her daughter. But the approach of the guard brought the session to a quick end. Apparently someone had grown a pair and come to speak with her. Interesting.
The queen made her way to the main room, which had a grand table and chairs, and a pretty view of the forest. Though more ornate than anything in the Hollowed Grounds, it was still fairly modest by royalty standards. Only when she was ready did she send a guard to fetch whoever this visitor was.
Upon entering, Nate would see the queen sitting at the head of the table, looking every inch the formidable woman who had earned the title The Merciless. Every fiber of her being oozed power and control. She wore dark colors, her jacket having a stylized raised collar and extra long tails, all topped with her thick, wild curls. Her expression left nothing to go on, perfect porcelain doll mask it was. "Welcome, Nate. It is a pleasure to meet you. I have been told you've a request?" she said, her voice low and velvety smooth.
zariah
If my strength intimidates you, I hope you realize that is a weakness of yours.
There's a shadow just behind me
Shrouding every step I take
Making every promise empty
Pointing every finger at me
After what had felt like an eternity, Nate was led to an ornate room, the backdrop through the windows and the furnishings themselves impressive alone, but made more so by the woman who dominated all of it. For the first moment, Nate felt incredibly at home in the situation, before the realization that this wasn’t where he had come from cake crashing back down again. He bowed belatedly and shallowly, obviously not knowing how, but held it until she spoke.
”It’s a pleasure to be welcomed here.” He replied politely, a small smile on his lips despite the blankness of her face. ”I’m sorry if I uh... come off as rude at all, I’ve just never met a queen before. Not a real one at least.” He laughed then, a little nervously, and dove into the reason he’d come. ”It’s not a request, exactly, just... a question, I suppose. The guards around the enlistment sheet haven’t seemed receptive to questions, and I figured, who better to ask than the woman who wrote the laws, right?”
He was talking too much. It was nerves, Zariah and her power intimidated him for reasons he wasn’t entirely positive of. It felt a little like she had a gun to his head, or some equivalent, and that was never a situation he wanted to be in. He took a deep breath, and stopped dancing around his question. ”When my old man signed up for this kind of thing, there were uh... exceptions made for certain skilled individuals. Doctors, and... scholars, and things like that.” He paused, gauging her reaction as much as he could, then continued. ”I am a trained surgeon,” this was a generous embellishment, but not entirely untrue, ”and I was simply wondering if you had any such exceptions in place.”
Nate had reason to be disquieted, to feel as though a gun was to his head - because in a way it was. Zariah could be kind and pleasant, until she wasn't, flipping on a dime, you wouldn't see it coming. Some would agree your soul would not even find rest after such a swift and unexpected death, still believing you were alive and damned to roam the world forever unseen, unheard, unknown. To relax in the presence of this queen would be a grevious mistake.
She showed no sign of reaction to his words, watching him with her wide-eyed, doll like vacant stay, her perfect porcelain mask unmarred by even the slightest twitch. But at length, when he concluded his detailed explanation and longwinded analogys she lifted her hands to clasp them atop the table. "No." she said simply, the word weighing down the air in the room. "While we have no war to prepare for at this moment, it would better serve the people of the Grounds if people such as yourself are trained and prepared for whatever we might face in the future. A trained surgeon who is also prepared for the strife of the battlefield makes a useful field medic." she said by way of explanation.
"Any further questions about that?"
zariah
If my strength intimidates you, I hope you realize that is a weakness of yours.
There's a shadow just behind me
Shrouding every step I take
Making every promise empty
Pointing every finger at me
The heavy ‘no’ dropped from Zariah’s lips and into the pit of Nate’s guts like a stone. Of course it wasn’t the answer he wanted to hear, but he would be damned if he was going to let any of that disappointment show on his face. Instead, another smile spread over his face, and he nodded.
”That... makes perfect sense, yeah.” Laughing lightly, Nate shifted his weight from one foot to the other, his restlessness the only indication that he wasn’t completely comfortable. ”I hadn’t thought about it like that, but that’s why you’re the queen and I’m just some guy.”
Any further questions? Nate hummed, throwing his mind back. This was not a plac when wanted to come back to, so anything he had he should get out. Sam came to mind suddenly, and he figured he could ask a question on the other mans behalf. “Yes, actually. I’ve got a friend here, and he’s... well, his heart is in the right place, but he’s not made for fighting.” This was the nicest, most delicate way he could describe Sam, and hopefully it got across the right idea. ”What about people like him?”
That's why you're the queen, and I am just some guy. Zariah smirked, a light chuckle escaping her lips. "Indeed."
His question wasn't terribly surprising. It was rooted in the misguided fear for others. Others were nice to have. Sometimes necessary. But they needed to handle their own affairs. One could only be accountable for themselves. "They will be made to be strong. We don't have the luxury yet to not train everyone who is able bodied. There will be an option to be part of the standing army or the reserves though. I suppose it is fairly clear which would be most suitable to such an individual." she said.
zariah
If my strength intimidates you, I hope you realize that is a weakness of yours.
There's a shadow just behind me
Shrouding every step I take
Making every promise empty
Pointing every finger at me
Nate wasn't sure how much he agreed with the made to be strong idea, but he kept his thoughts to himself. He was clever enough to keep any issues he had silent, especially in the presence of the woman who'd made the laws. Nodding and smiling, Nate spoke. "I'll be sure to let him know about the choice. I'm sure he'll be glad to hear it."
With his last question answered, Nate bowed low again, eager to leave the queen's presence and relax. "Thank you, for the most generous offering of your time." Once he was dismissed properly, Nate hurried away, wanting a drink in hand as soon as possible.
