Necessitas is the mother of frustration

[gladtoseeyouidiots]

Her parents are actually going through with this. Carolina has negotiated and argued for countless hours now, only to find out that they signed the treaty behind her back. Never mind that she will one day rule the country of Necessitas in her mother's place. She's being married off like chattel to a man who cares more about his profligate affairs with various lovers than about his own kingdom.

Some stories call him a demon. Carolina is already convinced he's a monster.

She won't weep. Not in front of the court. But when she sweeps into the privacy of her own room, angry tears prick at the corners of her eyes. "This is wrong," she whispers.

Comments

[gladtoseeyouidiots]

There. That's it. Carolina moans into her lips.

Will the Prince ever kiss her like this?

[toavoidcrashing]

What a good sound that is. Niner swallows it happily and works to tease more from her.

[gladtoseeyouidiots]

Why can't she let herself be happy? She swallows a whimper of protest. She deserves better. Niner deserves better. And she will fight them back in the only way she can.

[toavoidcrashing]

She's still tense, Niner can feel it so obviously beneath her fingers. After a few more moments, she breaks the kiss and pulls back a little to look at her.

'Someone's not happy.'

[gladtoseeyouidiots]

"They want to take this from me," she whispers. It's not fair. She leans up to coax another kiss from Niner.

[maine_makes_growly_noises]

As her his lady's request, Maine goes the following morning to greet the visiting delegation. There do seem to be a handful of fighters among them. Carolina wants to know who they are and what they're capable of. Technically it's so that they can compete in the local festivals, but Maine won't mind having that knowledge for himself.

Louisiana comes with him, and they fall into step on their way into the training grounds. Someone--probably one of the servants--has already directed the visitors to a private corner of the courtyard.

Now, to see if these people are any good.

[protective_logic]

Oh Lor and Shikan, why this vanguard to test his lovers? Delta should not have come. He should have stayed back in that room to keep an eye on that maid girl Daphne. But no, he came to be supportive, and now the large man is approaching his men.

"Big," he mumbles under his breath again.

[maine_makes_growly_noises]

Maine doesn't hear him. He does approach, though: in the apparent absence of the prince, he's probably better off leaving these documents with the most academic-looking of the lot.

"For your prince," he says.

[protective_logic]

"Y-yes," Delta stammers. Oh dear the mm is looking at him and talking to him. He reaches out and offers his hands for the papers. When they are handed over he tucks them into the maples sleeves of his robe. Which is too hot for this outfit. But the stuff out here is so revealing.

[notyourrookie]

The training grounds are busy and that sets Wash on edge. There's no way of training without being in full view of anyone who wants to observe. He's used to being watched, but it means he falls back into old habits, back when he'd still been trained in groups, rather than with Florida and Connie.

He throws himself into training, but holds back, just enough that he looks good, but not too good. It was always valuable to hide how good you were, to save it for challenges and tests. Here will be no exception. it's especially true when he spots the Lady Carolina's guard enter the area.

[spectre_de_la_mort]

She doesn't what use this would be other than wasting their time watching these men and nitpicking them for faults. Even then not all of them would be fighting which becomes ever more clear as they draw closer to the training grounds. What a shame. She'll have to dissect the nonparticipating ones in a different fashion.

There was that unknown mage after all. Something about fire so what if she used her own quirk to her advantage? At least know who to avoid. Fire and her didn't get along in an occasion or two.

For now she huffs in annoyance and remains at her brother's side, keeping pace habitually. "What good does this serve? Why not have them thrown in blind? There would be more entertainment that way."

[spectre_de_la_mort]

Louisiana takes up a spot on the edges of the training grounds that York's men have staked out as their own. Her interest being caught by the man that moves with the telltale signs of experience.

Interesting. She had only heard that one was a guardsman of the prince and that had been a different man. The height was all off and so was the way he held himself. Who exactly was this one out of the lot?

Louisiana settles to watch better at a fence that separates the areas, leaning on crossed arms.

[ambitious_muse]

"Qualifiers," Maine says. Most of the contestants earned their right to compete in regional games. Carolina doesn't want to risk her reputation by shoving foreigners into their respected tradition. "And curiosity."

What can they learn today?

----

York had mentioned that Carolina's vanguard might come this morning. Sigma talked the mage's guard into letting him study in the courtyard. He's actually supposed to be meditating, but the appearance of not one but two soldiers in the Lady's colors diverts his attention.

"Carolina sure knows how to pick her guard," he says to them. "Though I bet I could show you two some tricks off the field that could blow your minds."

Look, it's bound to work on one of them.

[maine_makes_growly_noises]

"Are you the mage?" He has no idea who is who in this pack--York barely introduced them--and if he wants to assess them for the competitions, he needs to know who's interested in what.

[protective_logic]

"Yes, and no," Delta notes nervously. "You want Sigma. The one whose shirt is open. He is here to learn at the Mage college."

Why are they talking?

[maine_makes_growly_noises]

"You're a mage." That's good to know, even if he isn't the one who fended off the assassin. "Did you want to compete?"

That's what he's here to find out. (Among other things.)

[protective_logic]

"My magic isn't... competitive in nature," Delta answers, his words becoming a soft mumble. What in the world is going on? HE feels a bit like a younger man again, like he was before York helped him find confidence in some ways.

Lor don't you dare turn back time to that Delta.

"I'm merely his steward. I do not believe there would be something in which I could compete."

[toavoidcrashing]

The words make her grip Carolina tighter, and when they kiss again, the possessiveness is clear.

'We'll figure something out,' she promises.

[notyourrookie]

It's not too difficult to fall back into the rhythm he'd used when he was training. It's just a matter of fumbling the knife when he slashes, making sure he comes in at slightly the wrong angle, makes his footwork just a little clumsy. It's not enough to make him look incompetent. It's easy to tell that he's skilled. He just doesn't want people to realise exactly how skilled.

[maine_makes_growly_noises]

"Magic isn't required," he says. There are other things this mage could do, if he so desired. "You aren't interested?"

[protective_logic]

"I am a servant. I will entertain none to see perform. The fire mage is a student at the mage college now. IT will be expected of him. The Prince's friend and companion, the one doing the knife work, he will do it for pride. The head of the guard to prove his competence at protecting the Prince. And the Prince himself if he can get away with it for the joy of competition. But who desires to see a scholar doing anything but failing?"

Well, that's the most he's managed to say to the man. Too bad it's only a thought running wild in his head.

[maine_makes_growly_noises]

"Our scholars don't fail," Maine says, suddenly defensive of his surrogate home. "They compete in puzzles and tests of logic. As could you."

[protective_logic]

"Tests of logic?" Delta asks curiously.

[gladtoseeyouidiots]

She needs that possessiveness now. Even if she's only in the mood to kiss, she wants to be wanted. Niner will give that to her.

[toavoidcrashing]

And gladly. Niner ends up sitting in the taller woman's lap, arm around her, one hand in her hair and kissing her solidly.