"Three too many if you ask me…" He mumbled, beginning to pace again, "What are they?" He was desperate at this point, the anxiety was building to a humongous level and the stalling was making t worse.
Any O/O [Closed]
(How are you?)
Satisfied with, and slightly guilty about, Kane's level of anxiety, Olivia caved. "First off, our army is unquestionably loyal to my father. Second, are you sure an alliance is what your people want? We've never been on the best of terms from what I know. Last but not least,I will most definitely be exiled if my father finds out I'm doing this, in which case we'll both be helpless. He's going to need some sort collateral." She felt horrible bringing this up in the face of such a desperate situation, but if this was to go anywhere they had to be sure they wouldn't be shot down as soon as the plans started to blossom. She told Kane as much.
(Good, kinda stressed. You?)
“I don’t want you to be exiled, I wouldn’t want to cause you more trouble. An alliance would be a good way to patch up the relationship between our kingdoms so yes, it is what myself and my people want. And… if things go south I’m willing to offer up myself for your fathers services and all that I have money wise. Whatever he wants I’ll try and comply.”
(oof sorry I'm back. I'm doing pretty mediocre :')
Olivia turned over his answer in her head– he seemed respectable, and definitely committed to his cause. "I'm confident my mother will be easily convinced. My father might take some time but… It'll be worth the fight. How many people are back at your village?"
"Uh… thirty adults, six kids, including myself," He answered, "Dragon shifters are nearly extinct, hence why we hid away from the rest of the world for so long."
Standing up, Olivia walked away from the conversation. She returned a minute later with a set of keys in hand. She started sorting through the keys for the one they needed.
"Okay, Kane. Let's do this. How do you want to go about doing this?"
“Well, first we need to get your army to my home. It’ll take awhile so the quicker the better. If you have allies that you know will help the cause then we need to contact them, and fast.” Kane explained, scratching his chin.
She unlocked his cell and tugged the door open. "Out you come."
She replaced the set and shut the cell door behind him.
Turning around, she led the way back up.
Kane followed her up, this time taking in the surroundings.
They walked up the steep stairs of the dungeon, footsteps echoing loudly off of the damp stone. Olivia led Kane into the main hall where Aspen had sentenced him.
The shining white tile underfoot complimented the pale blue walls and deep grey curtains lining the floor to ceiling windows framing the front doors. Without a second glance to either Kane or the guards, Olivia started up the carpeted steps in front of her.
"Come on," she called behind her without looking back, as a precaution.
Kane hurried to catch up with her, eventually falling into step, "Nice place you got here."
Olivia glanced around. "I suppose. Let it be said I warned you, it isn't always a dream to live here," she pointed out.
Kane just shrugged a shoulder, “Better then a small, two roomed hut at least.”
Olivia considered this, but didn't answer.
They got to the top of the stairs and Olivia led him through a pair of wood double doors into the library.
Shelve upon shelves of cloth-bound volumes, plush blue armchairs strewn around the room, a few simple wood desks strategically placed to bask in the sunlight pouring in from the windows on the far side of the room.
There were ladders built into the taller shelves allowing access to the rarer volumes gathering dust by the ceiling.
"We're going to need maps."
"Probably a good idea. I know the area well and I can point out landmarks but maps would be a great start." Kane ran his hands over the leather bound books, marveling at the size of the whole space.
Olivia, stood by the shelves, started pulling out volumes here and there, trying to mentally work out how far out they'd need to map.
She headed to an empty desk, noticing Kane admiring the books. She set her own armful down and walked up to him. It had been a long time since these rooms had been appreciated, and she couldn't help but be happy a new pair of eyes had been set upon them.
"My mother collects fairytales," she told him, gesturing to a glass cabinet full of colourfully illustrated and masterfully caligraphied books. "All first editions."
Kane tried his best to hide back his admiration but knew it showed, "Our stories don't get written down.. they're spoken and passed down from generation to generation… we have a few books, all in our native tongue."
Olivia smiled at his expression of wonder, equally fascinated by his people's system. "Do you want to see the books?" she asked after a moment, patting a small key sewn into her dress.
Kane’s head snapped to Olivia and he nodded, looking much like an over grown puppy who just got a new toy, “Could I? Please?”
Olivia let out a light laugh. Tugging the key out of its pocket, she went to the cabinet and, unlocking it carefully, pulled out a copy of Rapunzel. She brought it over to Kane, very gently setting it in hands.
Kane held the book carefully, running his hands over the front of the book, “Ra… Rapun… Rapunzel…” He muttered, sounding out the unfamiliar word.
Olivia arched an eyebrow in surprise– had he not been taught to read properly? Expecting he'd be embarrassed to be asked the question, she decided to move past it and try to tell. "It's a sort of vegetable, and also the name of the main character. She's named after it because in the original story the evil witch who kidnapped the princess grew Rapunzel in her garden," Olivia explained.
Kane nodded a little and flipped open to the first page, then the next. He mainly looked at the pictures then the words, not knowing what some of them meant or how to say them, “We don’t have stories like that…” He muttered.
Kane was flipping through the pages, not paying attention to the words as much as the pictures.
Olivia casually walked up to the desk where she set the necessary books and lazily started rifling through the top one.
"Do they teach you to read in a speech-oriented culture?" she asked lightly.
"Depends. Everyone learns how to read the native tongue. We learn how to speak most of yours but not all… and not how to read it…" He admitted quietly with a small shrug.
Olivia nodded, hearing his voice go apart quiet. She didn't react, only opened the book she assumed would be a good start.
She beckoned to Kane.
Kane closed the book shut but didn't put it down. He walked over to Olivia, looking at the books she'd laid out.
(oof sorry.)
She pointed at the nearest one. "The Palace is here. Is your village on this map?"
Kane shook his head but pointed to a small spot surrounded by mountains further North, "It's not, but that's where it is," He dragged his finger and pointed to an area further west, "We've noticed scouts around here but we're mainly being attacked from the east."
Olivia looked up at Kane in confusion. "The East? Aren't those flatlands? We would've noticed them by now."