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Cinthia nodded and smiled as well, her eyes crinkling. "Well, I can definitely help you feel more at ease. I was just thinking about heading over to town and getting some books from the library." She left the offer to hang as a suggestion, not directly asking Lily to come with her but certainly implying that she was open to the company.
Lily blinked, the offer catching her off guard, but her slight smile returned. "Oh, well, if you don't mind, I actually have a book I've been looking for. Care for some company?" She asked, her smile managing to reach her eyes as she tilted her head to the side.
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"I'd actually appreciate it. Hanging around old geezers with unwavering opinions about women can get old. It'd be nice to be able to hang out with a fellow female around my age."
Lily winced empathetically, nodding. "I can't imagine that's all that enjoyable. I'd be happy to hang out with you though. Knowing someone else around here might take some of the pressure off."
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She smiled and nodded, then beckoned for Lily to follow her through the gardens. "Good thing about palaces is that they always have secrets to unlock. Passages and history, nooks and crannies that hold an old key or note," she said. "And luckily for us, there's an old escape route right here in the gardens."
Apparently, things were just falling into her lap right now. "Secrets? I think you just made my day." She commented, her main focus once again diverted to the flowers they passed as she followed Cinthia.
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"Pretty sure I've found old notes between forbidden lovers, assuming from the context of the messages. Or I could've translated it wrong, there's always a consideration." She led Lily to the center of the maze-like garden, where it didn't look very remarkable.
((The Arcana vibes are strong))
She raised an eyebrow, focusing back on Cinthia. "A consideration, but isn't it so much more fun to pretend the first conclusion is the correct one?" She asked, her voice carrying a slightly playful undertone.
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She winked with a grin. "Indeed it is." She crouched down and placed a hand on one of the carved stones. Only a few feet away, the pathway shifted, then steadily fell to reveal a hidden stairwell leading beneath the palace. "After you," Cinthia said, still keeping her palm against the stone.
Lily's eyes widened as she looked between Cinthia and the staircase, already starting towards it. "Incredible." She whispered, starting down the steps before turning to wait for Cinthia.
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Cinthia stood and quickly headed to the staircase, then ushered Lily hastily down a few steps. Just when they hit the first landing, the steps slid up and went back to being the normal cobbled paths on the surface, and a brick wall underground.
Lily watched the steps return to the pathway with avid interest, head tilted just slightly to the side. She'd have to remember that, if she ever needed a quick escape route. "You weren't kidding about secret passage ways."
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"Nope," she said, popping the p. "And the only reason servants haven't found them is because most are activated by the blood of the royal family—descendants of the first King and assumingly the one to build these places."
Well, shit. "Guess that means no sneaking out to go to the library without you." She mused, turning to look at Cinthia. "Unless I want to hazard an attempt at climbing the defense wall."
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(Not goal, ROYAL. Come on autocorrect…)
Cinthia arched a brow, eyeing her up and down as she replied. "Wouldn't be the smarter course of action."
"My point exactly." Lily said, shaking her head as her lips quirked up slightly. "I never introduced myself, did I? Or should I assume you already know my name?"
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Cinthia shrugged. "Let's just assume I don't know your name and let you tell me what you prefer." She might've had slightly illicit access to the suitor list, but she could be wrong about what the girl's name was.
"Lily." Lily said, holding her hand out after a moment's hesitation. "It's a pleasure to formally introduce myself." She joked, her smile growing just a bit.
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Cinthia smiled and took her hand, her fingers sporting some rough callouses. "Hi, Lily. Shall we get going before dear old Mother decides to set you all up with my brother?"
"That might be best, if we actually want to accomplish anything." Lily agreed, giving Cinthia's hand a quick but firm shake. "Lead the way, Lady of the Passages."
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She snorted at the 'title,' then flicked her hair with a flourish. "I suppose I am the Lady of the Passages, aren't I? I just have the nose for snooping."
"Quite the useful nose indeed." She said, nodding solemnly. It was startling, just how at ease she found herself with the princess. You need to be a bit more careful. "Shall we then, Lady?"
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"We shall." She led Lily through the ancient halls, brushing her fingers over the occasional carving on the walls. She avoided touching the other girl, however. Skin to skin contact was what triggered her Seer abilities—the gift passed down from the First King. Everyone's abilities were different, as they were derived from their innermost desires and personality.
((What's the chance Rhydar is going to pull his thievery magic on Lily when they meet later?))
Lily's hands fiddled with anything and everything on her person, which wasn't all that much beyond her clothing, as she studied the carvings on the walls. Her nerves had died down, replaced now by slight awe, and appreciation for how well made the passages were.
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(He'll steal something on her in greeting because he's bad at introductions)
"I don't know much about these passages," Cinthia admitted, "I just explore them. I know that there are more I have yet to see—call it a gut feeling." She tapped a finger against the wall and dropped her hair, raising a curious brow Lily's way. "You're here for my brother's hand, and yet you aren't gushing over him and pestering me for details," she pointed out.
((Sksksksk I was assuming so. She doesn't keep much on her but a small amount of cash, a hidden knife or two from time to time, and an old photo of a younger her with her mother and sisters.))
"I'd rather get to know him myself, than learn from the opinions of another person." Lily said, her fiddling pausing as she stuffed her hands in her pockets. "You're his sister, and I'm sure you know him well, but we all have things others don't know or understand. It almost feels…rude, to ask you, instead of getting to know him as the time comes."
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She snorted. "I'm rooting for you, then. All the women I've met talked nonstop about him and how great he is, yadda yadda yadda. Then they proceeded to bug me for 'the deets'." She held her hands up to so air quotes.
She lifted an eyebrow, looking both amused and weirded out. "I wasn't aware 'deets' was a word." She said, shaking her head. "That's going to be fun to deal with for however long it is before someone's chosen, huh?"
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Cinthia nodded, offering a sympathetic glance Lily's way. "Indeed it is." The reached a Y in the path, and Cinthia headed down the right tunnel without a falter in her step. "I'm honestly probably going to steal you away most of the time to make an excuse for you being near him on a regular basis—the Queen won't be satisfied if you lot don't get to know him. Rhydar has made his one demand clear: He doesn't want to marry just because he has to. He wants to pick a girl he thinks he'll enjoy spending his time with. Hence the fight for his attention."
Lily followed Cinthia through the tunnels, her eyes only leaving the walls to look at the other girl. "The help is appreciated, but I would be happy to spend time with just you, too. I find your company enjoyable." She brushed her hair away from her face once more. "There is one thing I'm curious about, concerning your brother. He's okay with this whole event, as long as he is allowed to choose?"
