Can’t You See The Ghosts? // a medieval lesbian romance // ONE-ON-ONE // closed

Amelia let out a soft laugh, shifting her shy gaze to Jonathan before fixing it back on his sister. “Just Amelia is fine, Lady Valentina. And I must admit that I cannot confirm, deny, or answer your question due to the fact that I’ve never spoken to him before. I’m sure there will be plenty of opportunities…”

Ah, damn it. She seems to be more attracted to… the lesser gender. Not very interested in partaking in a bit of sodomy, are you? "Don't worry. See how he walks and talks like a idiot, right? Don't let that fool you… he's still an idiot."

Amelia laughed again, eyes glimmering. “If I may have the chance to talk to him first, Lady Valentina, it might be more beneficial for the both of us.” Valentina was stunning, she had to give her that, and so was her brother. She looked up at him with a warm smile. “Shall we sit? I can call for some tea.”

"Yes, thank you very much," Jonathan said, giving Amelia a warm smile that brightened up the whole room. The old Rembrandt charm… he never leaves home without bringing a fair supply, and I just dip into his from time to time.
As Lord Rembrandt went into another room to discuss Amelia's dowry with her parents, he sat down. His loose posture conveyed relaxation and a light easiness.

Amelia sat carefully, folding her hands in her lap and calling for a maid to bring them some tea. Her eyes flicked up and down his easy stance and lean body, landing on those glacial blue eyes again. “So, Lord Jonathan, tell me a bit about yourself.”

"I am an avid hunter, as you may know-" Valentina could barely refrain from rolling her eyes. "-and enjoy talking with my sister as well as…" Jonathan gave a small laugh. "Other pursuits."
"Who's to say that those 'other pursuits' were even successful, brother?" Valentina shot back, falling into a familiar rhythm. It was clear that this came naturally to the two siblings.

Their casual bickering brought a smile to Amelia’s face as the maid came back with a tray of tea and assorted pastries. “Do you enjoy music— May I call you simply Jonathan, without the titles?”

He nodded, back to business. "Yes, please. Lord Jonathan always sounds too formal- and I'm afraid that I'm not much of a music person. My sister does enjoy the opera, though she can't carry a tune to save her life."

Amelia held back from snorting in a very ‘unladylike’ fashion, eyes glimmering. “Operas.. which is your favorite?” She directed the question towards Valentina.

"Oh, Daphne, it's a classic," Valentina responded animatedly, a twinkle in her eye. "I love the transformation scene, but the ending was a bit pathetic. Who wants to be turned into a tree? It was rather controversial when it came out, seeing as Leukippos wore a dress to woo Daphne. Did he think that she would love him if he became a woman?"

(I know Daphne came out in the 16th century, but please just roll with it)

Amelia furrowed her brow, considering this. The thought had never occurred to her, the thought of women in romances together usually never occurred to her either. It wasn’t as if she hated it like the rest of society, she just.. didn’t think about it much. “I don’t know.” She chose her words carefully. “Maybe.. it’s difficult to say.”

Valentina adopted a scandalized expression. "A man? In a dress?" she exclaimed in a high falsetto. "Treason! Heresy!"
Jonathan shot her a warning look, and she immediately sobered. "I apologize. I should not have made such an inappropriate jest, or even brought up the subject at all."

Amelia wasn’t sure exactly why, but she liked the fact that Valentina didn’t seem afraid to state her mind and her ideals. “No, no, it’s fine,” she waved it off, not wanting to start any tension. “And you, Jonathan? Any operas or plays you enjoy?”

He shook his head. "No, but I do enjoy the Greek myths, such as the one my sister was talking about earlier. Do you have a favorite?"

Amelia thought for a moment, chewing on her bottom lip. “I like the myth of Orpheus, where he travels to the underworld for his wife,” she decided. A few stray locks of hair escaped her braid and fell across her vision, causing her the lift a hand and causally brush them away.

"Here, I got it," the two siblings said at the same time. There was a moment of confusion as they both tried to work out what was going on, then gave each other a silent glare. They seemed to be mentally arguing.
Jonathan gave a small cough to break the awkward silence. "I like the Trojan War… it's rather interesting how in the end, the Greeks used cunning and strategy to defeat the Trojans. Not necessarily what I would do, but they won the air, so who am I to judge?"
"I like the myth of Psyche. Against all odds, she fought Aphrodite in a battle of wits to be with her lover. Sure, she behaved foolishly in the beginning, but she overcame her difficulties and had a happy ending," Valentina said, smiling. She leaned over to Jonathan and subtly whispered in his ear, "You're charming enough already. I want some of the fun."

Amelia glanced between to two siblings, incredibly confused. She swallowed, doing her best to play along. “Both are very interesting myths. Remind me, your family hails form France, correct? The last name…”

"Yes, Rembrandt. We used to live on a manor in Marseille," Jonathan said. (Bye!!)

(Good morning :)
(Sorry I disappeared last night it was past midnight and I fell asleep)

Amelia leaned forward, intrigued. “What was it like? France and Marseille and everything?” Her fingers played absentmindedly with a strand of hair, head tilting slightly to the side. Stories… she liked collecting them. It broke her heart to see child ghosts, but they happened, and in order for both of their well-beings they needed to be soothed when agitated.

(sorry for the previous one liner but i'm going to be gone most of the weekend)
"We lived right next to the beach. We used to be obsessed with scientific journals regarding the sea and spent every free moment exploring the shallow waters," Valentina recalled, smiling fondly.

(It’s no problem!)

“The sea…” Amelia’s curiosity only grew. She had never seen the sea. “What was the sea like? Tell me more.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw several glowing white wisps forming, and smiled. The ghosts had come to hear Valentina’s story. One by one, they formed, silhouettes and flickering shapes of children, but they were extremely faint in the sunlight as they floated over to sit at her feet.

Valentina shivered, feeling a cold breeze whoosh into the room. "I'm sorry, it's a bit drafty in here all of a sudden… Anyway, I don't think you've ever been to the sea, so I'll try and describe it as best as I can. It never stops moving. It goes out beyond the horizon. It's fluid, but incompressible. You can feel safe on it, next to it, or even in it. But you aren't. Its aquamarine waves will kill you in moments if you don't respect its mass, its power, its ability to do things you can't imagine. It has no will, but it can overcome yours."

Amelia was enraptured, and she wasn’t the only one. The spirits at Valentina’s feet shifted excitedly, murmuring amongst themselves. She almost closed her eyes to try and picture it all, but then she remembered she had company. “It sounds… beautiful. Spectacular. I’d love to visit one day.”

"I could take you there," Valentina offered.
"Someday. If you and I are married, of course," Jonathan jumped in hastily, glaring at her. How long will it take before she grows out of her hedonistic nature?

Amelia’s eyes flickered between the two, a faint pink spreading across her cheeks. “Of-Of course,” she managed, thoroughly confused. What were the siblings competing over?

The phantom children are Valentina’s feet quickly grew bored now that story time was over, and faded away one by one, leaving Amelia alone with the two baffling twins.

The lords came back into the room, looking in interest between the talking teenagers. "You are welcome to stay until we finish our negotiations," Lord Swan said. Valentina noticed that despite his welcoming tone, his eyes were cunning and sharp.

Amelia nodded in acknowledgment of her father, noting with apprehension that his mood seemed to have quickly shifted. Lord Swan, in the household, was known for his sudden changes in personality, usually at the worst possible moments. Like right now.

“Will Lord Rembrandt and his family be staying for the month?” Amelia asked politely, rubbing her knuckles nervously and casting a glance to her mother, who was standing, emotionless, off to the side

(bump)

(ahh i'm sorry)
"Why so many questions, Amelia?" Lord Swan asked. Although the question was innocent, Valentina could tell that he was clearly irritated. She unconsciously shifted closer to Amelia on the couch, as if to protect this beautiful faerie of a girl. Her father saw and frowned at her, subtly shaking his head.