THECASTLE » adairia awakens ( introduction )

Subject: THECASTLE » adairia awakens ( introduction ) Sun Jan 15, 2012 1:50 pm

Tendrils of warm, sticky sweat crept their way about her brow, creeping onwards down her neck, to where they wound themselves around her torso. With a sudden, unexpected motion the tendrils tightened their grip, pushing what little air remained in her lungs.

Adairia let out a sharp gasp of pain. She was floating, dangling rather, in the perpetual gloom and darkness, the lair of the Devil himself. Her hair, like a blend of molten gold and copper, covered her face and obstructed what little vision she might have had otherwise. Sweat trickled down from her temples in beads.

Through the shadows and her layers of hair, Adairia could just make out a single, shining light in the distance. She squinted, and the light got closer. Although her limbs were bound by the tendrils, she managed to shake her head just enough to get a better view of the light. As she gazed upon the only light in her Hell, she realized that it was not just an illumination, but instead a cluster of smaller lights.

It was Brion. The city was alight with the vibrancy of torches, gas lamps and candles. A small smile crept onto her pink lips. She reached out to touch it, her fingers fighting the invisible resistance. Straining to move her extremities, she bit down on her lower lip, struggling to move even just her index finger.

Feeling desperate, Adairia attempted to thrash her legs. The tendrils seemed to hiss in protest, squeezing tighter around her, making an awful screeching noise as they rubbed together. Yet she remained unable to reach out and touch those beautiful lights. As she grew more and more distressed, the tendrils only got tighter, making her feel farther and farther away from the sanctuary the city seemed to promise. She began to wish that the vines would just pull her away, to end the torture of gazing at something she could never have. Her eyes filled with tears and her sight became a shaking, wobbling wall of liquid glass.

* * * * * * * * * * *

With a gasp that shook her entire body, Adairia sat upright in bed. She looked around feverishly, her eyes darting from side to side. Then she collapsed back into her pillows with her palms pressed against her forehead, hair flared across the silken pillows like a golden fan.

“Your Royal Highness?” A series of short, rapid knocks followed. Adairia’s eyes traveled slowly to the door of her bedroom. It was not Delia or Briana, nor was it the voice of a familiar handmaid. Perhaps a new addition?

“Come in,” she called out, her voice hoarse. The door opened and a petite young woman scurried inside, clad in a modest dress of browns and beiges. Even though she was drowsy, Adairia could scent the mortal human smell on the roof of her mouth.

The handmaid moved quickly over to her. She reminded Adairia of a scared little mouse, afraid of making any wrong move. Adairia gave a gentle smile.

“What’s your name?" she asked in a soft voice, almost as if she was singing. The handmaid appeared startled for a moment before answering.

“Aingeal, Your Royal Highness.”

Adairia smiled. “Meaning angel? Such a pretty name!”

Aingeal ducked her head in embarrassment. “Not as lovely as yours, Your Royal Highness,” she murmured.

Halfway through speaking the handmaid crossed the room and disappeared into the washroom. She returned a few minutes later with what appeared to be a damp purple cloth. Coming to Adairia’s bedside, she placed the cloth, which was comfortingly warm, against her temples, dabbing it in circular motions.

“You looked ghastly pale, Your Royal Highness.” Aingeal hesitated, then added hastily: “Not that you looked to be unattractive, Your Royal Highness. I was only worried for your wellbeing --”

Adairia chuckled and gently pushed the cloth away. “Don’t worry, I only had a fright as I slept. Though, I can’t recall what it was that frightened me.” The corners of her lips downturned ever so slightly in a displeased frown.

“Either way, I’m all set,” she finished. Dark feathers of sleep clouded her vision for a moment as she got out of bed and to her feet. She paused momentarily before heading to the washroom, which was just beyond her bedroom. Aingeal draped a sheet over her shoulders, which Adairia hugged against her chest as she made her way to the washroom.

After bathing and washing, her handmaids helped her change. Putting on a corset was a job that always required assistance, so Adairia always had help getting prepared for the day. Shortly after, she returned to her chambers just in time to see the sun rise. A gentle smile appeared on her soft features; this was always a wonderful way to start the day. After a few minutes of lingering in her room, it would be time for morning breakfast with the King and Queen, followed by the completion of needlework and embroidery, and perhaps some music practice. The harp was Adairia’s favorite instrument, so she hoped that her tutor would let her practice the beautiful string instrument. Today Adairia was especially excited, because the upcoming evening there would be entertainment in the Main Hall. There was entertainment every night, but her father had brought in a two-man play as a special treat. It was said to be a comedy, so Adairia was excited to get in some full-hearted laughs.

Once she had said her morning prayers, Adairia gathered her dress in her hands and left the Solar, the living quarters for the family, and was escorted to the Great Hall by Aingeal. She was rather hungry, so she walked quickly, her silk slippers making soft skidding noises against the stone floors. Hopefully Briana would meet her in the Great Hall; she didn’t like it when she wasn’t there in the morning with her. Not that she was disgruntled about her handmaid’s absence; she merely missed seeing her friend in the morning.

That reminded her of what her father had told her the other day. Her personal guard would be changing soon, he had told her. She vaguely wondered why a change was necessary. Had her current guard done something out of favor? Adairia frowned. She hoped her parents wouldn’t be too cruel to him, regardless.

She and Aingeal approached the Great Hall. People were running to and fro as per usual. Young boys ran by them with platters of bread, maids scurried about with materials for clothing, and soothing string music could be heard coming from the Hall. Another day in the castle had begun.

THECASTLE » adairia awakens ( introduction ) Divider_by_canzeda-d41w92p

no one in particular. « TAGGED
001,106. « WORD COUNT
iu - you and i. « LYRICS
oh goody! intros~ « NOTES
yours truly. « TEMPLATE

THECASTLE » adairia awakens ( introduction ) Pictop

Briana Daegan was a little girl again— only eleven years old. Her thin black hair was only about shoulder length and tucked behind her ears as she stood over the oven, preparing the meal her father had requested. Her stomach was beginning to cave in— it had been a while since she had last had a meal and she was just so starving. Every time she cooked, her mouth would water and she would have to force herself not to dig in to the food that was meant to be her father’s. While her mother had loved to cook and had seemed so domestic, now she wondered how she could ever stand it.

She had learned that, despite how much she’d loved helping her mother in the kitchen, she hated the idea of cooking for other people. She hated the idea of serving other people, of being forced to do anything for anyone other than herself. Her anger often consumed her— when her fear or despair didn’t take control first. “Briana!” The voice, filled with fury, carried through the halls of the house into the kitchen. “I’m starving!” No, you’re not, she thought. I am. I am starving— you I am feeding all the time. “Where’s my food?”

He whipped around the corner into the kitchen. Holding onto every little ounce of strength she had in her body, her voice remained clear and steady. “I’m cooking it— it will be ready soon.” She wondered if she was at all able to hide the resentment on her face.

His voice was cold and low. “When I want food, I want it ready fast.”

She still had some spirit left in her at eleven. “Oh? Would you like it now, then? It wouldn’t appeal to me, but if you like your food cold and uncooked, then fine. Have at it.” So perhaps it came out a little nasty and meaner than she’d wanted it to— he didn’t have to overreact. Unfortunately, the second the words left her mouth, she knew that was exactly what he’d do. Briana refused to regret her nasty, spiteful remark, even though she figured the consequences would be brutal.

And she was right— wasn’t she such a smart cookie? Before she could blink, he was across the room with blood in his eyes. He fisted his hand in her hair and yanked so hard and it hurt so badly. He beat her until she was black and blue and screaming with excruciating pain. At that, he left, barking, “I expect my dinner in my chambers— and make it quick!” For a few moments, she sobbed into her knees.

“Mom,” she cried. “Why did you have to die?” It was as if he’d kicked and punched all of the spirit and bravery right out of her. Of course, she knew he was expecting his dinner soon and would get testy very soon. So she sniffled, blinked away her tears, and stood up to resume cooking.

***

Briana blinked her eyes, quickly shaking off the aftereffects of her slumber. If she could only quit seeing memories of her life when she was younger in her dreams, then her life would be relatively perfect. She assumed it would be dawn soon and sighed, quickly dressing in her uniform. She slid the plain dress on and slipped into the apron, tying the strings around her waist. After running a brush through her soft, straight, thin black hair, she slapped the bonnet onto her head and glanced out the window, wincing. It was dawn— when life at the castle was to start.

Life in the castle was busy for any servant, of course. That was the natural order of things— the royal family of vampires was to be pampered as they went about their business ruling over the country while the busy human servants were to bend over backwards to serve them. Briana had caught a lucky break when she had been assigned to be the princess’s servant. Not only was Adairia the kindest of the entire royal family, but she was also the one who had ended up becoming her one and only friend— her best friend. When she was younger, even the idea of having a best friend was laughable, although she’d always wanted one.

It was even better than she could’ve imagined— and she’d certainly never dreamed of it being the princess. However, this was her reality now. The human daughter of a rather wealthy werewolf had gone on to lead the busy life of a servant in the castle, a friend to the princess— and she couldn’t be happier.

Knowing Adairia’s schedule by heart, she figured that she would be on her way to the Great Hall by now for her meal. So she hurried out of her quarters, navigating the halls of the castle with a certain ease that had taken her some time to acquire. She appeared in the Great Hall moments after the princess did and scanned the crowd for her distinctive features.

When she spotted the long, thick, untrimmed golden-brown hair, rosy cheeks, and soft green eyes that belonged to the princess, Briana seemed to glide over to her friend. Someone that Briana didn’t recognize was escorting Adairia into the Great Hall.
Someone new? She could remember when she was new here. Still wary, frightened, and sensitive due to the lifestyle she had just escaped, she was intimidated by Adairia. She was gorgeous and her first thought was that the princess would be snobby and cruel.

Rather, she soon discovered that she was kind and wonderful and they were swept up into a secret friendship of theirs that still warmed her heart.
“Your Royal Higness,” she spoke up in her soft, feminine, and rather quiet voice— despite how she tried to be a little louder, she was cursed with a very quiet tone of voice. When they were alone, they were much more casual and friendly. However, primarily due to the fact that the king and queen would hate if their daughter were to fraternize with a servant, let alone become super close to, their friendship had to be kept a secret and such formality was required of the servants. “How may I serve you? Anything you would like me to fetch for you?”

THECASTLE » adairia awakens ( introduction ) Bottomwords

TAGGED; Meg.
WORD COUNT; 01049.
LYRICS; world so cold - three days grace.
NOTES; I feel so bad for Briana in the beginning. :c
TEMPLATE; by meg, for alex.

The music turned out to be coming from a string quartet. Adairia watched with pleasure as the four middle-aged men played intensely. It was funny; their movements were so dramatic and loud compared to the beautifully tame and lovely sound they created. Unlike the harp, appearance did not always equal the result.

Adairia noticed her mother and father already sitting at the dining table on the other side of the room. The King sat at the end of the able, with his wife at his right side and a place set for Adairia on his left. Sun reflected off the glass and crystal of the dining utensils. Despite her parents’ lack of need for food, they still enjoyed the tastes of the meals, and keeping up a regular schedule was necessary for public image. Besides, Adairia still needed the food to some extent since she was still half-human. It chilled Adairia to the bone to image never needing food at all, living only on blood. Sure, she sipped animal blood from a wine glass at every meal, but having to rely solely on the sticky red substance was a spooky thought.

Aingeal shifted uneasily by Adairia’s side. She turned to address the nervous handmaid just before noticing a familiar scent nearby. Recognizing the smell distinctively, Adairia turned her head slightly and saw Briana making her way towards her. She smiled lightly at her friend, feeling safe to do so since her back was turned to her watchful parents.

“You may go to your other duties, Aingeal. Thank you for assisting me,” Adairia said to the young handmaid. The girl nodded gratefully, her white-blonde hair spilling over her shoulders.

“Thank you, Your Royal Highness,” she said before scurrying off to a circle of young maids. Well, at least it seemed like the girl had found a group of acquaintances to be with. It must be hard being new in such a foreign kind of place.

Adairia turned to face Briana just as she reached her.

“How may I serve you? Anything you would like me to fetch for you?” she asked her in her familiar, quiet voice. Adairia had never met anyone as soft-spoken as Briana before, and at first it had intrigued her to no end. Then gradually she had gotten used to her friend’s quiet voice, and accepted it just as another one of Briana’s noteworthy traits.

“Oh, I’m fine, thank you,” Adairia said with a slight nod. “I suppose I should be seated for breakfast with the King and Queen before I keep them waiting too long.”

With that she drifted gingerly over to the dining table and seated herself next to her father. She cast a quick glance at Briana to see where she was. Usually she served drinks or stood nearby in case she was called upon, so Adairia checked to see what she decided to attend to. Then she nodded slowly and meaningfully to her two parents.

“Good morning, Father, Mother,” she greeted carefully. “I trust you both slept well?”

Her father gave a gruff nod in agreement, whereas her mother did not give a reply. Instead, her beautifully aged mother tapped her fork against the plate, sending a high-pitched clanking noise throughout the hall. A servant quickly came up and began serving food.

alex/briana « TAGGED
000549. « WORD COUNT
iu - you and i. « LYRICS
i'm assuming briana would do that. o3o « NOTES
yours truly. « TEMPLATE

Briana cursed her overly quiet voice. She’d often wondered why it had gotten so quiet, even when she wanted to be louder. She’d supposed it was because she’d screamed a lot when she was younger and had broken her voice or something— but that was only one theory as of yet. “Oh, I’m fine, thank you. I suppose I should be seated for breakfast for the King and Queen before I keep them waiting too long,” Adairia answered with a slight nod. Her voice was stronger and firmer and Briana would never be anywhere near as outgoing as the princess was.

“I suppose that would be best, Your Royal Highness— you must not keep them waiting,” she replied with a tentative smile. While a servant came up to serve their food, Briana settled for pouring drinks into everyone’s glass. She preferred not to think about what it was that they would be drinking and simply did her work as efficiently as possible. Her movements were quiet and delicate. She was as silent as a mouse as she poured the drinks. Once she had completed her task, she stood off to the side, her mind scattered.

She was standing, rigid, as if a relaxed pose would immediately cause her downfall. Part of her was waiting to be called to do something, due to the fact that as Adairia’s servant it was her job to take care of her every need and do whatever she wished, while listening to their conversation— if it could even be considered that. In response to Adairia’s polite question, her father just grunted and her mother didn’t even bother to respond, instead just calling for a servant with one tap. She felt a twinge of irritation at the idea— couldn’t they respect their daughter by responding with a few simple words, at least? It couldn’t possibly be that hard, could it?

Yet another part of her was pondering her nightmare— or, well, memory. She had been eleven years old at the time and she remembered the incident clearly. For a while, she’d wondered if the bruises would stick around forever. It had taken her all of about four years to finally decide that it would be a better idea to just keep her mouth shut than provoke him. Still, she’d been a bold, resilient little kid— ultimately, she was rather proud of that little eleven-year-old. She’d had a mouth on her that was certain to get her in trouble eventually— and it did, due to the saddened, vicious, temperamental, abusive, demanding werewolf that was her father and thus she was forced to live with him.

Why did she continue having these nightmares? When she’d first left, they’d been traumatizing and horrid. Nightmare after nightmare slammed into her mind, terrifying her sleeping self. The nightmares had lessened considerably since then— perhaps three or four a week, rather than three or four a night. Still, he was finally gone and out of her life. Shouldn’t she just relax and celebrate the fact that he was out of her life, she was making a living, and she even had a friend that she would do anything for? Why should she have to be disturbed and afraid because of things that had happened long ago?

Of course, she knew it couldn’t be that simple. Things like that would leave a mark on anyone— especially her. It was just the way the world worked and she would simply have to deal with it. So Briana blinked, as if to chase away the thoughts, and focused on the events on the dining table, in case Adairia would need her.

TAGGED; Meg/Adairia.
WORD COUNT; 000606.
LYRICS; world so cold - three days grace.
NOTES; Assuming Briana would do what? o3o
TEMPLATE; by meg, for alex.

Adairia bowed her head slightly as servants began bringing food over. Her eyes traced the sharp, shallow indentations made in the golden plate before her. She had studied it many times, nearly every meal since the plates had been brought to the castle years ago. The indentations made a graceful swirling pattern along the edges of the plate, occasionally ending with an abrupt curl. It almost reminded her of those clinging vines – she could not recall the plant’s name.

The hand of a young boy came into her line of vision. Adairia looked up to see a human boy, no older than thirteen, placing a platter of leeks and onions on the table. He also put down a spicy manchet on her plate. He glanced at her briefly before shyly looking away and scurrying off. Adairia eyed the bread on her plate with a hungry gaze. By the smell of it, there seemed to be a deliciously large amount of cinnamon baked into the wheat flour bread. Her stomach clenched with hunger.

She finally sat up straight and glanced at her parents fleetingly. Briana was pouring their wine glasses with blood. Sometimes Adairia wondered how Briana felt about handling the blood of her species in such a ... raw form like that. It was a bit difficult for Adairia to grasp that concept even though she was half human herself.

When the servants left the royal family to their food, Adairia first leaned forward and took a sip from her glass. Unlike her parents, her glass was two parts wine and one part animal blood, as compared the King and Queen’s glasses of pure human ichor. It was a drink that Adairia was quite used to, so she had no qualms against ingesting the strange fluid. One day she would no longer feel that clench of hunger in her stomach at the sight of rye bread or deer meat... Instead, she might feel it when presented with a human being. That thought had the hungry pangs in Adairia’s stomach dispersing at once. Now the strong smell of cinnamon only made her feel queasy. Adairia furrowed her brow slightly and ripped a piece of bread off and popped it into her mouth. She would worry her parents if she did not eat heartily.

But the thought haunted her. Soon she would probably no longer feel that unnatural sense of dread when she pondered the consumption of human blood. And that day would most likely be sooner than she wished. It was tradition for a woman to become a full vampire shortly before her wedding day. Adairia’s now somber eyes traveled fleetingly to Briana, who was standing against the wall, her back as straight as a board. She never wanted to look at someone and see them as a meal. She never wanted to look at her friend and see a warm meal.

Realizing where these thoughts were taking her, Adairia mentally shook herself. Thinking about the horrors of the future would do her no good. Rather, she should let positive thoughts guide her actions and mind. With full vampirism came heightened senses, a stronger grasp on her ability, illusion, and of course the satisfaction of making her parents proud.

“Are you finished with your meal, Adairia?” Jolted from her musings, Adairia looked over at her father. Both he and her mother had finished. She looked down at her own plate and realized that it was empty, as well. Had she mindlessly eaten through the entire breakfast? As servants moved to take her plates and glasses away, Adairia looked up at Briana to see if she was still where she last saw her. She was.

The King and Queen signaled that the meal was over, and the three of them stood up as one. Knowing her parents would not be in the mood for conversation, Adairia drifted over to her best friend. Her eyes were alight and lively now, no ghost of her saddened thoughts lingering at all.

She glanced around quickly. Her parents had already made a hasty retreat. They had never been comfortable with extended periods of time around servants and maids.

Adairia grabbed Briana’s hand and looked into her friend’s face, bright and chipper.

“I want to go out to the city again today. Will you help me?” she proposed, her face glowing with excitement at the idea. It had been a solid week since the last time she had snuck out to see the sights of Brion, and she was itching to discover it once more. No doubt her Briana would help her as she had done before, but asking in hushed voices always made it seem more like an adventure, and that was exactly what Adairia craved.

alex/briana ! « TAGGED
000790. « WORD COUNT
iu - you and i. « LYRICS
i'm assuming briana has most likely helped her with this in the past... xD « NOTES
yours truly. « TEMPLATE

Briana continued to keep her eyes trained solely on the princess, just in case she was to be needed. As a general rule, Adairia seemed to be a very satisfied person. As she watched her friend, she picked up on the fact that something appeared to be troubling her. But what was it? As a mental note, she decided that she would ask her what had been bothering her— of course, it would definitely have to be later, or her parents would be suspicious… or just annoyed. After all, why would any plain old, regular servant care or need to know what was upsetting the princess?

When Adairia shot a somber glance at Briana, she shot back a questioning one— as if to convey her worry and curiosity about her friend’s state of mind. But when Adairia looked away and returned to her breakfast, she stifled a sigh and told herself that she’d just have to be patient and wait until they were alone. It wouldn’t do for anyone to find out that they were friends— who knew what her parents would say? Patiently, she waited, still against the wall, waiting. Sometimes it was waiting that could just kill someone before what actually happened.

When she lived with her father, sometimes it seemed like the anticipation of the beating was worse than the beating sometimes. She would look around every corner; do everything in a sort of rush while still trying to make everything look perfect. She was paranoid, terrified, and when she was hurt, she was in even more pain. It was needless to say that she was so very glad— and relieved, of course— that she was out of there. While many of the servants around here acting skittish and scared, she was genuinely happy that she was there. Many would probably find that strange.

After Adairia’s parents had left, Adairia grabbed her hand, snapping Briana back to the real world. “I want to go out to the city today again. Will you help me?” She was speaking quietly, as if speaking quietly made it more exciting— and it kind of did.

“Of course I’ll help you,” Briana said without hesitating. She paused for a moment, debating the question in her head, until she finally added, “Oh, Adairia, what was it that was worrying you earlier? During breakfast? You seemed… solemn, upset.” She searched her friend’s face for any clues to what was going through her mind.

Finally, she turned around and, careful not to make a sound or be obvious about where she was leading the princess, began to head towards the servants’ quarters. “Come on, there’s a way out through here that we can escape through— presuming you’d like me to go with you. And, of course, you know that by now,” she added, shooting a smile at the friend. It wasn’t abnormal for Adairia to sneak out of the castle. It was like she thrived on the adventure of escaping into the outer world. For someone stuck in the castle for her entire life, that must be really exciting for her.

Since Briana had been out running errands in Brion before, usually if she needed to fetch food or anything, she knew her way around well enough. It would be better for her to go with Adairia than for her to around, lost, wandering, and wondering where to go and what to do so that she could spend her free time having the most fun she could manage.

TAGGED; Meg with Adairia.
WORD COUNT; 000583.
LYRICS; world so cold - three days grace.
NOTES; Of course she would. cx
TEMPLATE; by meg, for alex.

Silence gradually filled the room as the musicians packed up their harps, lutes, and sacbuts. The King and Queen had made their exit, and at the signs of the Princess leaving, the musicians had started to make their leave. Adairia glanced fleetingly at the middle-aged men took their pretty instruments and left through the opposite hallway.

“Oh, Adairia, what was it that was worrying you earlier? During breakfast? You seemed... solemn, upset.”

Adairia blinked a few times before registering her friend’s concerned question. It wasn’t that she hadn’t heard her, but rather she didn’t know what to say to encourage Briana that she was fine. Those thoughts came to her from time to time, and they did bother her deeply, but once they had passed, Adairia was usually able to continue on her day without letting them get in the way of her duties.

“Oh, nothing. I was trying not to make a face at the manchet. It had enough cinnamon to feed all of Fial!” She scrunched her nose up playfully. “Don’t want to worry Mother and Father over silly things like that.”

She quickly moved on from that topic, not leaving her friend any time to respond.

“Come on, there’s a way out through here that we can escape through— presuming you’d like me to go with you. And, of course, you know that by now,” Briana said with a smile. Adairia grinned back at her, excited for the adventure that awaited them outside the castle walls.

Ever since she was born, Adairia had been told that there was nothing of interest outside of the royal castle. Her parents would tell her horror stories in hopes of scaring the curiosity out of their daughter. And for almost twenty years it worked flawlessly. Because once Adairia got a taste of the outside world, she couldn’t stop going back.

“Of course!” Adairia chimed, smiling as she tugged at Briana’s hand, pulling the two of them toward the doorway that led to their freedom.

alex/briana ! « TAGGED
000333. « WORD COUNT
iu - you and i. « LYRICS
sorry it's short!! « NOTES
yours truly. « TEMPLATE

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