TS - Day 05 - Valerios Estate.

[cassandra1]

Append actions here.

 

[Darth Vegeta]

hmm

OOC: sorry i kinda forgot was waiting for a notification.

IC:

Tacidius halted his horse.
His men did so too. As servants approached, he descended his horse. His wife came to greet him and than he walked towards the girl.
"Who are you?" his wife asked.
"Tell her..." Tacidius said nodding.


Meanwhile a group of Legionaries was well on their way and out of trouble.
Maximos smiled. The weather was now good. And he was near his home.

 

[cassandra1]

"Aayla. I am a slave." Rachel replied in a demure tone. That was all she said to Tacidius' wife, as she knew that slaves were usually not allowed to speak too much. Her dancing attire and slippers should be an indication to her supposed profession. Of course, it was already strange enough that she was riding on Tacidius' horse without restraints of any kind, but Rachel would rather not mention it unless Tacidius' wife noticed it.

 

[Darth Vegeta]

The woman frowned "Is that so...." she said.
"Honey... we'll talk about it in private" Tacidius said.
"Yvius get her a decent room and a meal. And allow her to freshen up" he said.
Than a voice came yelling "He's back! he's back!".
Tacidius looked up. It was a servant who worked the land usually with the others.
"Who?" he asked.
"Maximos Valerios!" he said "he's heading this way... he'll be here soon" the man was out of breath.
Tacidius smiled and looked at Aayla "Well than my dear best you stay a while and meet him. In case things go wrong you should go with him later on"
"What are you talking about!" his wife said. She was a middle aged woman but she was still beautiful and she had a strong yet feminine presence.

Five minutes later a lone rider entered the house. He turned and waved at some riders leaving in the distance. Friends of him most likely or at least comrades who had to take the other way.
"Father... mother" he nodded as he descended his horse.
He was a rather tall man. Not as huge as his father but broadshouldered and young.
He had the features off his father but his mother's side gave him a slightly more cultivated edge.
He took of his helmet. Clearly an officer, he seemed made for the uniform. At his side hung a gladius and a small dagger.
His legs were muddy and blood covered his chest. He'd been around clearly. He also seemed wounded.
"My dear... you're wounded" she motioned a servant to get something to tend to them.
"It is nothing mother" he said dryly.
Tacidius seemed very secretively pleased to see his son and patted his shoulder.
Strong but handsome features were on Valerios's face. He had missed shaving this morning though but that was a common thing seeing the way of life he had to endure.
His eyes were dark and piercing. His hair short and pitchblack.
Talking to his parents for a while, his eyes found Aayla.
He frowned "A new slave?".
"This..." Tacidius didn't answer his question "Is Aayla" he said.
Maximos Valerios eyed her and than smiled evilly a moment, nodding his head as he seemed to notice something. Than he smiled genuinely and took her hand kissing it.
"A pleasure" he said.

 

[cassandra1]

Rachel smiled at the man who just arrived, evidently the son of Tacidius. He appeared to be a high ranking soldier who returned from a fierce battle, his body not without injuries but it was nothing that he could not handle. While this was not the first time the runaway princess met an army officer, she could not help but be drawn to his rugged handsome features. And he turned out to be as polite as his father, kissing her hand like a gentleman even though he thought she was supposed to be a slave and not someone important.

But what did Tacidius mean when he said, "In case things go wrong..."? Was he expecting something bad to happen? She did not ask any questions about it, keeping her attention on Maximos.

"A pleasure to meet you too, sir." Rachel replied looking into Maximos' eyes. She had already dismounted from the horse.

 

[Darth Vegeta]

"Aayla... a beautiful name for a beautiful lady" he said. He than turned to his father and gently let go off her hand.
"I have much to tell you... but if you don't mind father... I would like to go get changed" he said.
Tacidius nodded. "Very well..." he said "Iomus it's almost dinnertime tell the cook to prepare a splendid meal... and have my son's room prepared".
The man bowed and scurried off.
The mother of Valerios eyed the exchange between her son and Aayla with great suspicion. Undoubtably dissaproving maternal sentiment had arisen.
"If you'll excuse me than" he said as he patted his horse's neck once and than walked into the house.
"Tonight we'll discuss what is going on honey... in private" he said.
She eyed him "At dinner..." she said dryly.
Tacidius sighed "Very well... at dinner" he said.
He looked at Aayla "We eat in an hour and half. Just come to the dining room on the first floor. You'll pass it on your way to your quarters" he said politely.
A servant approached them. He wore a rather clean tunic and seemed wellfed. Apparantly the family treated their slaves very well and they seemed rather content with their life there.
"Bring Aayla to her room will you?" Tacidius said. "I'll see you at dinner than" with his hand holding his wife's, he left.

"Come" the slave said not realizing she was of noble birth, he treated her kindly but like an equal.
Leading her to her room, he said "You must have really made an impression to get a good room like this" he said "It's not exactly a nobleman's room but... . In any case clothing is ready. There should be something decent in there to wear for the dinner" he than frowned "I suggest you freshen up and look your best. It's an honor for a slave to share a meal with the masters" he said than added. He than grinned "And be careful you don't get the female slaves jealous... some of them saw how the young Master eyed you" he smiled evilly revealing a mouth with 2 teeth missing. He than heard a lowerranking slave call his name.
"And be on time..." he said than he ran off. The yelling got louder. She heard something about "It broke..." and than the sound faded.

Meanwhile Valerios had entered his room and sat down on the bed. He undressed and took a bath.
The dirt and blood washed away from his broad chest. The wound stung a bit but now it got cleaned at least. He smiled. Going under... he reemerged with wet hair. Some drops of water ran over his nose.
"Aayla he?" he said. She might have been a dancer or something but she sure didn't seem like a working slave. Besides... her outfit was a bit unusual. The way she reacted to his presence was not as shy as that of a regular slave.
She intrigued him.
Besides... she looked pretty. It had been a while since he'd even been around women.
Than again... his mother was quite... negative about being affectionate with slaves so he'd probably have to skip that idea.
In any case... he was famished. And there was much to talk about.
He stood up and got out of the bath. Drying himself off. He could have gone to the bathhouse of his father where slaves would have aided him but he wasn't too fond off luxury. He didn't mind it if it was tempered but overly so it was irritating.
The eyes of the girl came to mind again. She had had a piercing gaze. Usually people were submissive to his presence, she had boldly returned the stare.
Getting dressed, he put on some more casual clothing but he refused to take off the sword. He should... but he didn't feel like it. It felt comforting to have it near him.
Putting helmet, armour and belts on a buste, he unpacked and than cracked his neck.

"Dinnertime. I haven't eaten a decent meal in days" he said as his stomach grumbled.
Leaving the room, he entered the dining room where his parent's awaited him.
To his regret Aayla was not there yet.
Greeting his parents courtly and the slaves he knew, he took a seat.
The slaves were send away after putting the dishes on the table and Valerios began to tell them about what happened.
His mother fearful, his father approvingly. They made a strange duo his parents but their marriage was happy and had spawned several children. His sisters were not here though.

 

[cassandra1]

Tacidius' wife did not seem very pleased with having her in the house, but at least Rachel was given a nice room instead of having to stay with the real slaves in their quarters. And she was glad to finally be able to change her clothes, especially since the dancing outfit was now stained with bits of dirt and sand from the wilderness. The new clothes were kept folded in a wooden drawer, and Rachel opened it to find beautiful sets of shirts, pants, long skirts and shoes. They must have been meant for important guests.

Rachel did not think much about stirring up jealousy among the female slaves. She did not plan to stay here long; as soon as she and Tacidius had decided where to go from here, she would probably not be coming back except for visits. Besides, with those men searching for her, obsessed with her hidden powers, she could not stay in one place all the time.

Rachel put on a red long sleeved shirt, long white skirt and plain shoes just as she heard the soft clatter of plates and glasses. Dinner had been served and she was not there to join the family. Not wasting any time, she tidied up her flowing long hair and rushed to the dining room where Maximos and his parents were already seated. "My apologies for being late..." Rachel said, pulling up a chair next to Maximos and sitting down quietly. She waited for their response, to see if they were annoyed.

 

[Darth Vegeta]

"No apology needed it enabled us to do some catching up" Tacidius said.
Maximus smiled warmly at Rachel and nodded politely.
Tacidius waved and a servant served the first course. Afterwards he was dismissed.
"Aayla... tell them the truth and what happened" he said "After that... we shall determine a course of action" he said.

 

[cassandra1]

"I... am not a slave. I'm a princess." Rachel said, watching everyone in the room for their reactions. It would be strange for a woman to be introduced as a slave, only to claim to be a princess afterwards. "I was kidnapped by some men who believed that I have powers within me that I did not know about. They want to use those powers for themselves. Tacidius rescued me but I'm sure those men are now in pursuit."

"My name is not Aayla. It's Rachel."

 

[Darth Vegeta]

Maximos frowned than chuckled "Magic?" he laughed "Good one father." he shook his head.
"She is telling the truth..." Tacidius said.
"I've encountered sorcery... and..."
"It is true... . And in any case it matters not" he said "You're going to protect her."
He frowned "You're serious about this aren't you?"
"Yes... it is the honorable thing to do... . I do not know wether the magic exists but she was captured and... well... besides it might be linked to a certain matter we discussed"
"Matter?" he said "I see..." he nodded. He looked at Rachel "I don't believe the magic bit... but I doubt my father is wrong when he claims people are after you..." he said "I'll do my best to keep you out of their hands".
The mother gave Tacidius an angry look but he ignored her.
Valerios ate a bit than looked at Rachel "My apologies if i seemed rash. What are you princess off?" he asked.

 

[cassandra1]

"The Halthrea kingdom, part of House Galthari." Rachel replied. She took some food from the nearest dish and continued, "I have no intention to return to my palace. My father, an advocate for ticklish slavery, wants me to be his slave. I think you understand the situation..."

 

[Darth Vegeta]

"aaah" Valerios blushed giving his face a cute edge. Being rather young, it was obvious that though he had seen terrible things, some subjects seemed to... have an interesting effect on him.
"That is... unfortunate. That a fair lady such as yourself should have to be on the run... but who knows some injustices can be undone" he said.
He looked at her a moment and than smiled "But i will remember you being ticklish" he teased.
Tacidius cast his eyes upward. All that happy flirty stuff was not for his age. "i have finished... and i need my nap. I'm still tired" he said "I'll see you all later" he bowed. "Milady." he than looked at Valerios "Tommorow your sisters are returning..." he said "We'll talk more than" he said than held out his hand. "Come honey" she frowned a moment but than his wife smiled and took his hand. She was a woman of a mature beauty. The aura of a caring mother and loving wife.
When they had left, Valerios got up and took some wine. He filled her cup.
"It is the best in the province... made on our lands" he said "I missed this wine" he looked at the glass and rose it up, gazing into the red liquid.
"Beautiful and tasty" he commented. "But most importantly... refreshing without having to much alcoholoc content to dim the senses. Polyvalence and moderation make everything all the more enjoyable don't you agree?" he said calmly.
He seemed all of a sudden alot maturer again. Perhaps the presence of his parents had made him seem a bit more 'young'.

 

[cassandra1]

The moment Valerios said, "But I will remember you being ticklish.", Rachel turned towards her cup of wine with a nervous look. She took a sip, trying hard not to be distracted by the thought of the strong looking young man taking advantage of her weakness. The wine was as refreshing as Valerios described it, and coupled with his charismatic demeanor, reinforced the belief that he was a good man.

"Indeed, this is good wine." Rachel nodded as she took another sip. "I see your parents brought you up well, as a nobleman with fine taste and excellent manners." She paused, standing up with one hand holding the cup of wine. "So do you know what we will be doing next?"

 

[Darth Vegeta]

He smiled "Well for now not much..." he said "Me being a young man will atempt to control my raging hormones" he joked.
"It has been a long time since i have been in... civillian company... let alonge a Princess. I hope you will forgive me for the display of rudeness still to come undoubtably. My father taught me etiquette... and what i need to know to survive the dangerous politics off the Empire... but..." he smiled "I'm more a... direct man usually. Though perhaps you will find honesty as refreshing as this wine?" he poured her another glass when she was done.
"There is little to do here... but if you desire we could go for a walk, when you are ready? The domain is quite safe we have a private militia. And the view here is quite good" he said.
"This is the countryside still eventhough we're very near the capital. My father isn't too fond of the extreme luxury of the nobility there... so entertainment will be scattered thin here" he said.

Several glasses, jokes and much polite and reserved chitchat later, Valerios seemed unaffected by the mild wine.
"I must have gotten accustomed to that disgusting beer and wine I have been drinking for the past few months" he said "I used to be tipsy by just drinking 2 glasses of this" he said. He put away his glass.
"I hope you enjoyed the meal milady" he said.

 

[cassandra1]

"Yes I have." Rachel smiled at Valerios, while seated on the dining room chair with her hands together between her knees. Unlike Valerios, she was a little drunk by the time she finished her second cup. Fortunately the wine was too mild to affect her balance and speech, though if she had three or more cups it would be a different story. Nevertheless, she was increasingly enchanted by the charming Valerios, and probably not due to the alcohol. She stood up, leaving her empty cup on the table. "I would love to go for a walk. While we do that, we can discuss our plans if you have any suggestions."

 

[Darth Vegeta]

"Well I'd like to know some details on who's after you for first. My father is most likely going to let me find out everything myself... he has a strange approach of life" he pulled a cute sour face than took her arm.
"And while you tell me some more about yourself you can honor this lowly officer with your divine presence" he said with a smile.

Leading her politely out of the room. The two walked on a small reinforced path that ran to the more 'visual' part of his family's land.
It was rather warm still eventhough it was getting late.

 

[cassandra1]

The scenery was indeed beautiful and serene. It got Rachel to loosen up as she strolled casually along the path, periodically brushing her dark hair behind her ear and taking deep breaths of fresh air, her large breasts heaving gently. Valerios had been treating her with respect so far, so she should at least make herself presentable while she gave him more information.

"The man behind my capture was named Denwyn. Dominus Denwyn. It was he who referred to my hidden gifts as the Power of the Ancients, though I do not understand what that is. Nor do I have any control over it, not at this time anyway. I saw how Denwyn blasted a hole through a wall, with a jewel that he used to draw out a bit of that power. That was only a small sample of what I can do."

Rachel paused to make sure Valerios heard everything before continuing, "I don't know anything about Denwyn, but he is clearly the leader or a high ranking officer of an army. He might be looking for me even as we speak. His men know that it was your father who rescued me from their camp."

 

[Darth Vegeta]

"Hmmm never heard of him... and I don't think my father knows him either... and he's quite high up in the Empire. Perhaps a rival nation or a private militia? Mercenaries perhaps?" he frowned.
"Tell me some more about these powers and what he did to... 'activate' them" he said with a slightly sceptic tone.
He stared in her eyes a lot. He liked her eyes, they were beautiful.

 

[cassandra1]

"He stroked my bare feet with that jewel, and then a beam was fired from it through the wall." Rachel replied, staring back at the ruggedly handsome soldier. "I don't know if he had to use the jewel on my soles and not other parts of my body. Denwyn did not tell me much about these powers he sought."

 

[Darth Vegeta]

"Have you ever tried it?" Valerios said. "Been tickled or massaged with strange results?" he said with a strange frown. He didn't seem to believe much of it.

 

[cassandra1]

"No, never." Rachel simply answered. She returned Valerios' frown with a frown of her own, but hers was a frown of curiousity. Why did he ask that question?

 

[Darth Vegeta]

Suddenly she noticed he blushed. But he said no more and continued to walk with her. Reaching a bench far away from the mansion, he sat down with her.
"The view here is great" he said. The lake was just in front of them.

 

[cassandra1]

Rachel watched the calm, peaceful lake as she sat down next to Valerios. He was right about the view, no doubt a popular destination for all guests. She said nothing but nodded in agreement.

 

[Darth Vegeta]

"Very beautiful like you..." he said suddenly realizing what he had said, he blushed slightly. It had a strange but pleasing effect on the rather worn face. He looked still a bit pale from the past months.
"My apologies... I meant no disrespect" he said "...". He became even redder.

 

[cassandra1]

Rachel looked at him. "Disrespect? No, not at all." She noticed that Valerios, who just moments ago looked like a veteran warrior hardened by battle, was now blushing like a teenager on his first meeting with a beautiful girl. Sure, he was a soldier while she was a princess, but that did not explain why his face turned so red. Deep inside, Rachel felt that she already knew the reason.

Still, she asked him, "I hope you don't mind me asking this but... why are you blushing?"