☬-Thorn of The Rose-☬ 2x2 W/ Wolfrunner & Spiritstar3

[wolfrunner]

“Well. Then in that case Twould be rude and inconsiderate of us to keep him waiting, must not anger our steed. Tis not a good idea.”

Lucas moved around the barn unhooking the impatient creature from where it was tied to the walls of the stables. After which the Pureblood went on o secure a satchel to the saddle making sure that it was secured and wouldn’t fall during traveling. “Tis light. We can save it for when you feel the need to eat again, no great trouble will befall us if we do. Tis only a small change.”, Lucas explained.

Turning back to Akira, the dark haired vampire smiled fondly before asking, “May I offer my aide so that we may take our leave?”

[owl0430]

A soft smile graced her face, her hands clasping one of his.

"Of course you may. I look forward to seeing what you have planned."

--------------------

As expected...there weren't any loopholes to the deal she'd made. Well, maybe one or two, but they could only be exploited so much before he caught on and found a way around it.

Back during the night, in the woods- a solemn vow had been made.
" Why have you summoned me, child of night?"

While Adrian spoke the necessary formalities, Esmerelda couldn't help but notice how similar he looked to the night she'd first met him. That cursed night when, after a long absence, her brother had mysteriously returned from the dead, with a silver-haired man by his side. The whole ordeal had been baffling. A "savior" Orion had called him, refusing to introduce just who Adrian was, and from where he was affiliated. In retrospect, perhaps Orion himself didn't even know at the time. From what she understood he had always acted in a rather secretive and enigmatic matter- she hadn't know him to ever do otherwise. But that night had been an odd one in and of itself...and perhaps, due to shock, she had dared not question how her brother had returned. She was just grateful to have him back. As he had been introduced to her, she gazed upon him as such. A savior. For a time she had even had the gal to believe him an angel.
More like an angel of death.

Not that she believed him a savior at the moment. Those days were long passed. Right now she was reminded of that dangerous allure, the air of elegance, power, and arrogance. Just like he did then, he knew he had her in the palm of his hand. Still dancing along to his tune, steps memorized to the point it was practically clockwork.

" On this night I have summoned you, our progenitor, seeking a favor."
" What favor is it that you seek? I deal in bargains, not favors. But for you, the second of my pureblooded creations...my sweet Esmerelda- I may be persuaded."

It took every ounce of her own restraint not to grimace as he spoke of her in that way. A grim reminder of to just what extent she was inhuman anymore.

" Your blood, sire...just a single vile." At this he raised an eyebrow at her, as if pondering what kind of schemes she had been up to. It took some time before he responded.

" You make and odd request- but say I agree to your request. What are your intentions?"
" I know 'tis uncustomary, and in fact quite taboo to request the making of a new pureblood. I understand it risks upsetting the hierarchy and your secrecy- but seeing that you are to soon reclaim the throne, this time as Atlas Nyx, the progenitor, as opposed to your 'mysterious pureblood' persona. " Huh. It was odd to see him look genuinely shocked. It almost made her a bit proud of herself. Right up until his bewilderment turned into that familiar devilish grin. "Esmerelda~"! He spoke in a sing-song voice, dropping the formalities and practically throwing himself from the tree to place an arm over her shoulders as if they were two confidants sharing a bit of gossip. " Oh do tell- just what kind of mortal man could have charmed you so? " She refused to turn her gaze to him, opting not to return any of the friendly behavior. " and here I thought you only had eyes for Lucas..."

" I do!" she quipped. "That's why in a way, it's for him." And that was the end of Adrian's antics...sort of. He still looked rather intrigued, but he did remove to his previous spot against the tree- a birch tree by the looks of it. " Go on" with a motion of his hand. " Tis to turn that human girl of his. It would appear that when she fades away, as all humans do...that he intends to go with her. T'would quite displease me, and prove most troublesome for you."

" I already have plans in place to prevent that from happening. That said, I'm quite surprised you would want to prolong his infatuation with the mortal. You've already confirmed you still have feelings for him."

" Which is exactly why 'tis all the better she turns- sooner rather than later. I'd rather Lucas be alive so I may continue to enjoy his company as a close acquaintance then have him dead. Tis better than never holding a conversation with him again."

"Even if he will hate you for it?"
" You've taught me well, sire, in the art of deception. I have plans of my own in place to avoid bring suspicion upon myself."

"Very well then. What are you prepared to offer in return?" Her answer must have been good enough for him if he had decided not to ask for further details. " The very thing you want most right now..."

"And that is?"

" I shall return to your side...so long as there are times when I may travel to visit those I see fit." at this, Adrian laughed. She hated that is sounded like he was genuinely amused.

" oh-ho, it's almost too much, Esmerelda!" in between bouts of laughter. " With all you're giving up already, letting her win, I would have agreed without any conditions had you asked me too...did I or did I not say that for you, I could be persuaded to bestow a favor? a flush rose to her cheeks, out of embarrassment and frustration- once again falling into his traps. But it was too late now. The offer had been made. " Very well then- I accept your deal -With- all that you have offered. But, you shall not find me to be completely unfair to you. I shall tell you all you must know to help keep this secret from Lucas...how best to go about it. But you mustn't speak of our deal to anyone. Not the conditions, not how you got this information...none of it. Do I have your vow, Esmerelda?
ow.
"....It's a deal." she hadn't even caught what he said.

"No, Esmerelda, your vow."

she audible gasped, but spoke not on the matter. Instead, with a grim expression she hesitantly sat herself with her legs tucked beneath her- head bowed and wrist held out to Adrian. He, following suit, knelt upon the forest floor- taking her hand and bringing it to his lips. " Tis only fair, Esmerelda, is it not? After all, 'tis you who betrayed me. Besides, in basic terms, it's an equivalent exchange. Blood, for blood."

.....back in the present morning, a knock sounded at the door to Roland's study.

[owl0430]

The scent of cinnamon and warm honey drifted through the halls, along with an array of other scents. Freshly cut fruit, the scent of browned flour and melted butter from the pancakes. Candles lit the the dining room in a warm golden hue, windows partly open to allow the breeze to drift gently throughout the room.

The room itself was bursting with activity- residents passing plates of food around, shouting at each other the latest news, gossip, and personal tales. Everyone eagerly awaiting the upcoming masquerade, their anticipation growing by the day. Needless to say, who was taking who to the ball was everyone's favorite subject at the moment. Evidently, Vivvian had talked the household's other latest addition into tagging along with her and one of the other residents. Someone else had a new mysterious suitor by the name of "Gail", and another finally had the courage to ask the resident of a neighboring household to attend the event with them as their date.

Yes, it was indeed exciting times for most of the Himura household.

" Is this your way of getting me to do the dishes in your stead?" a teasing voice came from just next to the doorway- Al's. He had been waiting for her to arrive upon the scene, fully ready to tease her about her having to do the dishes- but instead he found himself practically at a loss for words. " well..it worked. You look magnificent, Aralynn. You always do...but 'tis a pleasant surprise to see you all dressed up like so. Is there some occasion I'm not aware of?"

[wolfrunner]

Both Rigel and the staff member stopped speaking with each other and turned around when Haruna spoke up in greeting.

“Sir Haruna.”, the staff member bowed as the young man approached him and the younger Renier.

Rigel, on the other hand, looked surprised yet pleased to see the human. “This is a surprise. I had assumed you Twould be remaining with the girls, I had no intention of waking any of you until you awoke yourselves. I have given the order for them not to be bothered today. Some sleeping in could could them some good I think.”

[wolfrunner]

A deep breath in and the Changeling couldn’t help but grin at the combination of warm sweet smells and loud chatter of familiar boisterous voices. Scattered snippets of conversation, mostly names, catching her ear despite the volume of the room. Apparently the excitement had yet to die down and it was unlikely that it would even after the masquerade, at least right away. She could see the residents of the house carrying on in the way they were now for another day or so. Not that Aralynn could blame any of them. The smell of Valentine’s cooking wafting through the house no doubt in her mind having been the culprit which had woken and summoned everyone to the dining hall so early.

If any of them were able to rest.

“No opposite in fact. I'd thought that this was simple enough compared to what I normally have on for the day, twill be a day of hard work after all. I wanted something that twould be easy to move to do chores around the manor in.", the girl answered hearing Al voice sudden speak up from behind her before turning to lock eyes with the male in standing causally in the dinning hall doorway, "These sleeves are far less likely to get in the way then those of some of my other gowns. But-“

Aralynn curtsied before rising, “Good morning.” It was as though they were seeing each other for the first time in a few hours. “If you approve of the dress then that means the time I took to select it was well worth being a little late for the meal. Still we should join everyone else before we are much later. Don’t you think?” With a little nod towards the rest of the gathered members of the household, the girl made her way over towards where she and Al normally sat at the dinning table.

[Spiritstar3]

Isabella- f- Renier- blue eyed blonde- golden light and dog shift (mix of her parents powers)- married- Lucas is her son, Rigel is adopted- Tags: open

The blonde woman -going to post her later, so Haruna can get that dress-

Haruna- Haru- male- Embere Heir- homosexual; Rigel is crush- Ai and Nina- Demon (reverse leopard) and Angel (red blanket) Appy, plus new mare Angelic Song)- kitten Dream (white with black forehead streak and tail)- manor- Tags: Rigel

The dark haired boy smiled as he looked at the staff member first. He nodded to him, saying "Good morning," then turned his attention to Rigel. He sighed a bit as he looked at him, shaking his head. He looked down at the kitten a moment, smiling and patting her a couple times.

He then focused on the blonde, noting the surprise yet also the other seemed clearly pleased. He said "I...would have, but I ended up waking up. I figured I could come find you," he said, then looked at Dream again. She meowed, pretty loudly in fact, and he blinked at her. He looked to Rigel and the staff member, saying "Dream is hungry. I also am getting hungry, maybe only a little bit, but I definitely feel like I'm hungry."

Aiya- Ai- f- 4 y- July 12- human- bi when old enough; no crush- sister Nina- Ebony pony (black with white socks and blaze)- wants a pet- Tags: Nina

The reddish brown haired little one -sleeping-

[wolfrunner]

Without another word, Lucas instead moved his hand to deposit both of her's onto one of his shoulders before shaking free of her hold. With a triumphant smirk, the Pureblood took the human by the waist before effortlessly lifting her up and onto the saddle looking up at her. Perfectly positioned so she'd be riding facing sideways in front of him.

With Akira sitting up in the saddle, Lucas followed ending up behind her in no time taking the reins and pulling the impatient steed under control before urging him forwards. The sound of hooves hitting the stone walk of the stable tossing up echoes. An arm on either side of the blond mortal to keep his Lady safe and secure within the saddle as they rode out of the stable to angle back up towards the manor. "Best to hang on tight. The path may become a little bit uncomfortable at times and you falling off is the last thing I wish.", said the dark haired male warned before directing his attention to controlling their ride. With a small jerking of the reins the Renier Lord urged Theron forward into a sudden charge. His arms kept tight to both keep the young women in the seat and better control of the four legged beast of burden.

Though, while at first it appeared they were heading back up towards the manor, Lucas instead steered them in the direction of the line of trees surrounding the Renier Estate. They quickly enough passed the foliage boundary to be immediately swallowed up on all sides by the forest.

[owl0430]

A giggly shriek sounded as Lucas swept her up and placed her upon Theron's back. An innocent, happy moment between the two.

One which was promptly ruined after Lucas had warned her to hang on. It was at that moment that her eyes narrowed. " Lucas-" she'd had time to slowly utter in a firm, warning tone right before he sent Theron into a charge. Her warning turned to a less enthusiastic shriek as she twisted her torso to lean into him and wrap her arms around him, hands clutching into the fabric of his shirt. " You enjoy doing that far too much!" She half-jokingly complained ice she'd regained most of her composure, voice raised enough to be heard over the wind rushing past them and the sound of Theron's hooves clomping against the ground.

" Just where exactly are you taking us?" She couldn't recall having ever into the forest surrounding the estate, or at lest not too far into it. She'd always thought it to be off limits.

[owl0430]

" Of course. T'would be rude not to. " Politely following behind her, he pulled out her chair so she could take her seat before sitting down himself.

" Quite the elaborate feat Valentine has put together today, huh? I'm not even sure where to begin-" and in walked Valentine with a new tray of pancakes freshly made. " I stand corrected- those are where I shall begin. What about you, Aralynn?" Once Valentine had set the tray down, Al had reached for it only to have his hand swatted away by Valentine.

"These are for the lady who actually helped with breakfast." firmly spoke Valentine. Only she may determine whether or not you may have any." Then, as if it had been long awaited, Valentine took his seat next to Marilla.

"Well, the chef has spoken my dear...what is your decision?" though he did give Aralynn puppy-dog eyes

[wolfrunner]

“Enter.", came the response from the other side of the door.

Meanwhile outside on the grounds of the Renier Estate-

"You twould not dream of taking away my opportunity to hold a beautiful lady close from me now? Such a heartless women you are.I Twould never had thought you capable of such.”, Lucas’s raised his voice over the sound of their ride as Theron carried them deeper into the foliage. The estate house, staff quarters and stables disappearing behind them. Still the dark horse continued forward urged by its male rider as pockets of sunlight filtered in through the tree tops. Ever so often Lucas leaned forward to protect Akira from a watward low hanging branch. “Tis not far in, least not by horseback. Tis a place I found as a boy when I decided I Twas board enough and Twould give the members of my personal staff a mild fright. I recall you mentioning something about an outing between us or even a picnic. And as I mentioned a change of scenery.”

The couple continued through the forest. Lucas allowing himself occasional glances down at the mortal women to make sure she was alright before looking upwards thinking to do so without being caught by said mortal. The calm acceptance clear on his face. Eventually Theron started to slow as the trees and shrubs started to thin out some. The sound of water getting louder.

“You shall enjoy this I think.” Pulling Theron to a stop, the dark horse snorting at having been suddenly stopped. “Here we are. I hope this is to your liking.”, said Lucas seeming rather proud of himself. Before them stretched the very forest they’d been traveling through since they’d passed the tree line surrounding the Renier Estate and yet- The foliage so common which made up the body of the forest was now dotted with new unknown foliage and even flowers. The growth was thicker and yet thinner spread about the area, through which a loudly running brook ran over slick, almost mirror like stones under its surface. There was more sunlight here then what they’d come through but not too much.