Arranged Allegiances - 1x1 (Don't delete!)

[Cloudsong]

Giovanna looked up as she heard voices from outside of her door, and wondered vaguely who they could be. Perhaps her father? No, it didn't sound like him... It was too far away for her to really identify the speaker, so she just straightened herself up slightly, waiting for them to make an appearance.

When the door opened, and Ean entered, she couldn't stop the surprised expression pass by her eyes. Why was he here? She had expected him to be anywhere but here, since she had awoken to find the room empty. She had assumed that he would be thrilled to have some time off from being with her. But the look on his face told him otherwise; it was a caring, concerned look she had never seen on him before. It was much better than the arrogant smile he had had the first day. In fact, she found herself liking the gentle expression on his handsome features.

She didn't reply as the nurse scuffled around, checking her pulse and her breathing. When she finally declared that the princess was 'in order', Giovanna inwardly sighed. Of course I'm okay, she thought tiredly. This was nothing new, and she was used to the after effects of having an attack. Silently she nodded to the woman as she told the prince not to stress her out. When the woman finally left the room, she returned her gaze to Ean. Somehow, the bright fire that had burned in her eyes when she had been laughing with him on the beach seemed to have died out. Instead, the dullness she had taken to when her brother had died seemed to have returned. She always felt weak after having an asthma episode, but now she felt more than that - weak, and almost defeated.

"I'm fine," she assured him, forcing a smile. "Really, I am. Thanks for coming to see me, though." Her voice betrayed that she was telling the truth, though something still seemed to be bothering her.

[FoldєdPapєrHєarts]

Ean waited until the nurse had left the room before he spoke again. "Are you sure you're okay? I mean, you look like you feel miserable." It was the truth, at least; she seemed so sad, weak, and tired above all else. And the smile she wore looked rather forced, as if smiling was the last thing she wanted to be doing right now. He couldn't exactly blame her, though; after something like that happening, he didn't know why anyone would want to smile. Ean knew he sure wouldn't want to.

When she thanked him for coming, Ean merely smiled and didn't say anything. He could tell something was wrong, something other than just the attack happening. "What's wrong, Giovanna?" It was obvious that he was referring to more than just her health, this time. He hesitated for a few moments before gently sitting down at the bottom of her bed, near her feet. He watched her carefully, the concerned expession still on his face.

He knew he would have to tell her some time about his argument with Evan; and yet, did he, really? Would that influence her decision about everything? Would it only make things worse? The questions pressed at him and he found himself not wanting to ever tell her.

[Cloudsong]

Giovanna shook her head, as if not wanting to answer his question. No one had ever really stopped to ask her if she was okay; if she was all right with everything that was going on. And Ean was maybe the first person to ever ask if she was all right, and as she looked over at him, she realized that he genuinely wanted to know what was wrong. He cared. But why? He never really had given off the illusion of caring before. But seeing the look in his eyes, she could tell that it was something that could not be faked.

"I'm not," she said finally, her voice slightly flat. "Because I feel so selfish right now. I was trying to force you to find someone to marry so that I could go home. But now I know that nothing I can do will free from this; I heard my father and Evan talking this morning, and he told him that even if our marriage falls through, and you find someone else, I'll have to marry anyway." She sounded slightly hysterical for a split second, and after realizing that she had let her feelings reach her voice, she closed her eyes tightly, as if trying to block out the world around her. Then she opened them again when she had recomposed herself. "I'm just tired of everyone taking for granted that I'm just a pawn in their plans. I'm nothing to anyone; my feelings, and what I think don't matter at all." She sighed quietly, and looked up again, seeing that Ean had sat down at the foot of her bed.

"And so this morning I made my decision, Ean. I'm going to marry Evan, and you can go home." She didn't seem upset now - if anything, her voice betrayed understanding only. She had finally accepted the situation, and seemed determined to act with dignity from there on out. "You can go back to Mortifer, Ean, and just forget any of this ever happened. And you can marry the person you love." There was no bitterness; if anything, she seemed rather emotionally unstable as she said the words, as if something was bothering her about them.

[FoldєdPapєrHєarts]

Ean listened silently as she spoke, his expression becoming sadder and sadder as the seconds ticked by. His eyes widened gradually as she spoke, as well. He was flabbergasted; how, after all of this, could her father simply not care, and want to throw away her free will? They had acted, her father and his mother, the entire time, as though the two of them had a choice; they would fall in love, or find someone they would be happy with. His mother might have been genuine about the ordeal, he was unsure, but no, not the King; he had played them, and as Giovanna had so perfectly put it, they were like pawns in their game. They did not care for what was best for their children, especially the King; they just wanted power, and to make sure their line continued on after they were gone.

Leaning forward just slightly, but not enough to make her feel uncomfortable, he gently reached over and put a hand on her arm. If she made any indication that she did not want this, he'd quickly move it, he decided. But he felt the need to do something, anything, just so she knew that she was not alone in this.

"Giovanna...you...he..." he took a deep breath before steadying himself and looking deeply into her eyes. He wanted to make sure they both understood the present situation into which they'd both been put. "Giovanna, listen to me. You can't marry Evan, you just can't. I don't want to be like your father, I don't want to control you in the slightest. But please believe me when I tell you that he doesn't really care about you. I-"

He was hesitating again. Did he care about her? He wasn't sure; he knew the feelings he felt now, the concern that had erupted inside of him when she had suddenly fallen ill. Was concern the same thing as caring? He figured it was. "I think I care about you, if I'm being honst; I am not going to lie to you, though and say I am infatuated with you, and try to convince you to marry me. But I know for a fact that Evan will say that, and be lying to you. And I don't want to be like him. I don't want to see you, someone who is good and nice and pure, although a little stubborn and hot-headed, too, be married off to someone like him. All he wants is to be King, and you have to believe me." He was unsure if she would or not; after all, they had been friends for such a long time, whereas he and Giovanna had only known each other for a few short days; most of which had been filled with arguing. But, just this once, he prayed she would believe him.

"But Giovanna, you are not selfish. Please, if anyone is selfish here, it's me." He smiled slightly ruefully, then paused shortly again. He decided it would be good to tell her what had happened while she had been unconcious now, while the subject had been brought up..

"Look; Evan and I had..well, an argument of sorts, after you blacked out. He basically said you were going to marry him, no question about it. And I said you would never want to marry someone as foul as him," he grimanced, "My apoligies, I shouldn't have spoken for you, of course. But I knew that you would not want to be forced into anything, that much has already been made obvious." He looked at her, his expression sad. "It seems you've already made your decision, though; you are going to marry him, whether you want to or not. I wish I could change your mind, somehow, but I don't think I'll be able to."

[Cloudsong]

Giovanna listened in silence, her blue eyes large and shocked as she heard him disagree. He... cared? It surprised her that he hadn't just agreed with what she had said; surely that was what he wanted to do. Of course he would want to get off free. A few days ago, when she had decided that he was the worst person she had ever met, she never would have imagined that Ean had this caring side to him. She had expected him to just nod, and tell her that marrying Evan would be for the best. But he didn't. And it made her heart skip a beat as he leaned in closer, putting a hand on her arm.

So Evan had said that in their argument? It didn't surprise her in the slightest; the conversation she had overheard with him and the King had seemed like he would not allow anything get in his way to becoming king. It was still so shocking that someone like Evan - the person he had always least expected to want to be king - was so hell-bent on it. She felt slightly trapped, being in this whole deal with her father. A part of her wished that she could just disappear, like her brother had; at least where he was, he would be peaceful, and not constantly being manipulated by everyone in power.

Her eyes were slightly dulled, and she lowered her gaze, suddenly unable to see the sadness in his eyes. "What other choice do I have?" she whispered brokenly, as if half to herself. Her father had said that Evan was her only alternative. There was no choice for her to choose anymore.

(When will you be getting off? D: )

[FoldєdPapєrHєarts]

Ean frowned slightly, unsure of exactly how to respond. Would he dare say 'marry me'? Or would that be pushing her too far; he had already disobeyed the nurse's direct orders, he realized, for she was beyond stressed out now. Ean knew this entire ordeal had taken a toll on both of them, but more so her than him. He was not being forced to either marry her, or someone else that his mother had chosen. Although, that time might come soon, if he did not wed very soon; the Queen wanted him to find a wife that would eventually become Queen as soon as possible, and time was running out.

"You could marry me," he whispered, deciding quickly. He wanted to see her reaction to this. "You could go back with Evan, yes, but you do have marrying me as a choice. You aren't out of options, Princess." He had felt the need to say this; she seemed as if she needed to be aware that she had him as an option, even if he wasn't her ideal person for a husband.

"Evan is a foul, dark-hearted person. He threatened to kill to get the position of King, and I worry that he would do something to you; hurt you, somehow." He frowned slightly, then continued. "I know I've hurt you too, but...I suppose I am an option, too. Don't forget that."

( Not for a little while. Maybe 15-30mins. )

[Cloudsong]

Giovanna blinked, seemingly confused by this new option. Marry him? "But you don't love me," she said quietly, almost sadly. She was not about to admit that she loved him, but it did sadden her to think that she had acted so dislikable and rude that he had not fallen for her. No one had ever really loved her, apart from her family. This thought irritated her, as she realized that she was only pitying herself; something that her father had always warned her against. "And you would get sick of me in two days." She smiled slightly, as if imagining this.

"Ean, I'm not about to force you to ruin your life. Just because I don't have my freedom doesn't mean you shouldn't have yours." Unlike her, Ean could take the throne without a wife; that could come later. But a female heir needed to marry to ascend.

She did however, feel touched that he would even suggest such a thing, because it was definitely not something he would want. A small smile played on her lips as she sat up and got off of the bed, approaching him. Silently she sat down beside him, and put her hand on his knee. "I won't forget, though. We still have a month before I need to tell my father, and I'd love it if you gave me another chance to be your... friend." She looked into his dark eyes, trying to show her that she had given him back what had been betrayed back in Mortifer; her trust.

(Aw okay... Tell me when you're getting off~ :3)

[FoldєdPapєrHєarts]

Ean studied her for a few moments, his expression puzzled. "No, I don't," he admitted, nodding slightly. "But Evan doesn't love you, either. And would you not rather marry someone who actually...well, actually will try to care about you, and give their very best attempt at treating you well? Rather than someone who only wants power, and could not care less who they take down in order to achieve that?"

Ean looked down, studying the bedsheets with a furrowed brow. All of a sudden, he was unsure about what he'd said. Ean already had power, he did not need more of it. He would become King no matter what. And he did think he cared about Giovanna, and her well-being. However, was he just doing this because he hated Evan? Was he only trying to convince her to marry him so he didn't have to watch her marry Evan? The thought was crushing, and cruel, almost, for some reason. Or did he actually care about how she would be treated if she married Evan? He surely hoped for the latter, but would think more about it later, he quickly decided.

A small, wry smile played on his lips as he looked back at her. "You give yourself two days? I'd say about two hours," he chuckled softly. "I'm only teasing, of course." When she spoke of not wanting to ruin his life for himself, he shook his head. "I'll have to marry someone, very soon. And I think I'd rather marry you than anyone my mother could pick out. And, perhaps us being wed really might help our two cities become more peaceful; it has it's possibilities, don't you think?"

As she moved closer to him, placing her hand gently on his knee, his smile disappeared ever-so slightly at her words. "Are you sure? I really don't want to see you married off to someone as foul as Evan...Can you not just think it over, just a little bit?" She can at least give me that, he thought stubbornly. He watched as she looked directly into his eyes, her blue eyes wide with sincerety. She finally wanted to be his friend, but at such a crucial time? What irony, he thought.

( I'm sorry for just getting off last night without telling you; my laptop died and I had to charge it up, so I just went to bed. D: )

[Cloudsong]

Giovanna tipped her head to one side, listening intently to Ean as he spoke. So he was implying that he would actually be one that would try to care for her, and treat her well? It seemed slightly surreal, judging by the fact that only a few days ago, they were swearing to make each others' lives hell if the deal of their marriage would go through. But either way, she felt almost as if they had overcome the imaturities from their first days, and had moved on to even form a special bond of trust. Whether they liked it or not, the two of them were still in this together, as they both were coming to the understanding that they needed to find someone to marry, and fast. And Ean was actually trying to protect her, and in effect offering to give up his own freedom to marry her. She didn't respond to this however, as his words didn't really make sense to her. Evan taking someone down, just in his efforts to get what he wanted? Perhaps he was appearing to be more ambitious than he had ever before, but Evan wasn't a murderer. At least, I hope not... She hoped that her former friend wouldn't become a murderer; it would be bad for the kingdom if he became king, and it would be bad for her if she married someone other than him. The thought troubled her.

She couldn't help but mirror his smile as he teased her. "You'd better be," she laughed. "Perhaps I was being a little optimistic.. But you're not really the most tolerable person yourself, Prince Ean." She seemed quite amused however, and her tone was light. But when he brought up the marriage again, her smile faltered slightly. So he was really considering their marriage, even now that she had let him off the hook? Silently she bit her lip, seeming thoughtful. The thought had occurred to her that perhaps they should put aside their feelings and marry anyway, as it could very well be a wonderful thing for both cities to be united. "Maybe," she agreed. "But in reality, your mother actually did pick me out. Perhaps she would find someone else for you that you'd like more than me." As if an afterthought, she added; "Actually, that's highly unlikely. I doubt you'd find anyone more likable than me." She was obviously joking, and her eyes twinkled with laughter as her smile returned once again.

When he brought it up again, mentioning how he would hate to see Evan marry her, she pressed her lips together, momentarily staying hushed. "Perhaps that is what this is about," she declared suddenly, raising an eyebrow. "I noticed how much you two dislike each other... I'm not going to pretend that I know why, but I'll take a wild guess and say it's just that you come from two very different cultures; it's natural for you to dislike him. And I guess Evan would dislike anyone that my father would want to marry me. He wants that place for himself." She paused. "But you shouldn't be basing this decision on that hatred, Ean. Because if you and I were to marry, you would probably forget about him pretty soon, and would regret the decision more than ever."

( Omg I'm sorry I was gone all afternoon x[ First I had a bunch of tests at school, and then I went to a concert... Hopefully tomorrow we can post more? But I'm going somewhere tomorrow, too... x.x )

[FoldєdPapєrHєarts]

Ean scoffed, pretending to be shocked. "How can you say that? I'm incredibly tolerable, thank-you very much; there are few who can say they don't think I'm a wonderful prince. But you'll fall under my charm one day, I'm sure of it." His eyes twinkled with laughter, and he almost couldn't believe it. Was this real? Was he actually sitting right next to Giovanna, the person who hated him, and he had thought the previou day that he hated as well? Were they really sitting there, talking and teasing one another playfully, as if all of their previous arguments had never existed?

"Oh, I'm sure I won't; no one is quite like you. I have never met someone as stubborn and hot-headed as you, Princess." At her other words, he said nothing for a few moments as he thought them over. "Yes, she did technically. But I don't think I'd be able to deal with getting used to another person, if they were anything like you, if I'm being completely honest." It was the truth; it had taken him this long to even tolerate Giovanna and her attitude. Knowing his mother, she would likely find someone worse than her, too. And he was unsure how he would be able to handle yet another proposed wife, or if he would even be able to, for that matter.

And was she right? Was he only trying to convince her because he hated Evan? If he was being entirely truthful with himself, he figured that that might be a small part of the reason. Perhaps a bit bigger than a small part, really. He hated Evan with a passion, and he had his reasons. But he had more reasons than just that, he knew. "I have more than just that, although yes, he is quite an ass. You have to admit that. But my decision has more than just that behind it, Giovanna."

( It's fine, no biggie. <3 )