like a satellite [i]

[Inessa]

Beatrice

LET IT ALL BURN! I WILL BURN FIRST. GOD I'VE TRIED, AM I LOST IN YOUR EYES? JUST LET ME BURN! IT'S WHAT I DESERVE. GOD I'VE LIED, AM I LOST IN YOUR EYES? Inessa returned home early, with the air of someone completely sure that she wasn't missed. Of course, it had been a while since she stayed out all night, but wandering back in around 5 or 6 am wasn't really an issue - at least, not for her, considering she knew the castle like the back of her hand. This early morning was seemingly uneventful, and she snuck back in without being stopped, putting her bag and stuffing the somewhat cheap coat she often wore when going out underneath her bed as usual. When she was out, Inessa found a tasty morsel of meat - and though she wasn't able to finish it - she was quite sure that there was a certain sweetheart wyvern around here that would be willing to for her. Really, Inessa didn't have to go and buy food. Anyone would have asked, 'why are you doing that? Isn't that sort of stupid'? Really, though, she simply thought her sister's wyvern would enjoy the snack - and as many mixed feelings as she had towards her own family, the wyvern did absolutely nothing wrong. It accepted her - simplistic that it was, just an animal. But maybe the fact that it was an animal was reason why Inessa could trust it more - after all, animals don't lie for the sake of someone else's feelings. Inessa didn't bother changing clothes, or taking her weapon with her - it was just within the castle, after all, and wyverns were trained to be nervous around bows (for good reason.) Beyond that, she'd be far more quiet without the arrows threatening to clack against each other. She moved with purpose - going to the stables where Arnold was likely sleeping, and squatting down quietly beside him. Now, she didn't want to wake the beast up from his napping, but she did want to give him food - and not linger if she didn't have to. She settled for putting the meat down and nudging it close to his nose, figuring that he'd eat it at his own leisure. (Or not, but hopefully so.) "text"

LAIKA OF GS!

[Beatrice]

		A princess more pampered than Beatrice (if one could be imagined) might take their time awaking each morning. They could sleep in as they saw fit, waking up at their leisure or only as soon as their royal responsibilities demanded some bit of their attention. But spoiled as she may have been, Beatrice did at least thoroughly enjoy waking up at a sinfully early hour. It was Arnold's preferred time to fly, after all. She had grown more than used to waking with the sun if it meant that it would satisfy her dear, sweet Arnold. Every day, the two of them would practice flight together. If she was yet an unpracticed combatant, at the very least, her flying would be unrivaled--or so she hoped. She wanted the day to come when she and Arnold were one, when their enemies wouldn't be able to tell where the wyvern ended and where the princess began. Even though she was tired still and she had to rub the sleep out of her eyes, she held no spite as she dressed in her armor--light, despite her fighting style--and headed through the halls and out to the stables. What she didn't expect to see was another person near the wyverns, someone near where she knew Arnold would be resting. She squinted from a distance, eyeing them warily. Beatrice had no suspicion. She was sure that it was some sort of retainer or stable hand, merely a person tasked with the menial duties of caring for steeds. But even more of a surprise was that it was her own sister that was tending to Arnold. "Inessa!" It was certainly a pleasant surprise. Beatrice bounded over, her hair bouncing and waving behind her, and she placed a quick kiss on her dear sister's cheek. She then turned to place a hand on Arnold's brow, who had awoken at her approach. He nuzzled her affectionately. "What are you doing here so early in the morning?" She took no notice of her sister's clothing--she wasn't so perceptive as that.
TAGGED:	Inessa
YOU WENT STRAIGHT FOR THE KNIFE AND I PREPARED TO DIE YOUR BLADE IT SHINES LOOK ME STRAIGHT IN THE EYE YOU TURNED THE GAS ON HIGH HELD THE FLAME ALIGHT YOU WONDER WHY I'M SCARED OF FIRE

[Inessa]

Beatrice

LET IT ALL BURN! I WILL BURN FIRST. GOD I'VE TRIED, AM I LOST IN YOUR EYES? JUST LET ME BURN! IT'S WHAT I DESERVE. GOD I'VE LIED, AM I LOST IN YOUR EYES? Inessa was just getting ready to leave when a voice cried out her name, and she turned - to see her sister. Beatrice. Older by just a year, and sweet as ever, Beatrice could be said to be one of the closest members of the family to Inessa. And that's why it was completely, and totally sad that a part of Inessa still despised her. Inessa's jaw set, her expression hardened momentarily, and then just settled into worry and confusion - what was Beatrice doing here so early? Her sister pecked her on the cheek and then instantly went to tend to Arnold, and Inessa took a step back, allowing the two room to be together. As much as she was fond of the wyvern, after all, she held no illusions that he really viewed her as much more than someone who'd occasionally bring him food. Beatrice was the likeable one, after all. What are you doing here so early in the morning? Beatrice questioned, and Inessa hardly had to hesitate before she lied - "Oh, I just couldn't really sleep, was all..." well, true, she wasn't asleep. "What about you? Why are you up so early? Don't you need to catch up on your beauty sleep?" Inessa said it teasingly, though inside she was secretly wishing that Beatrice really did sleep the days away in exchange for her beauty. At least Inessa could feel less ugly in comparison to her. "text"

LAIKA OF GS!

[Beatrice]

		"Are you feeling alright?" Beatrice had always admired her family, and those feelings had only grown stronger with the loss of their father and brother. It wasn't at all rare for her to dote on her sisters, especially Inessa, as she saw herself as having some sort of responsibility by merit of being the older one (if only by one year). If Inessa was having trouble sleeping, it could have been a symptom of something worse. Beatrice would hate to find that her sister was sick with a fever or some other terrible inconvenience. "Don't be silly!" Beatrice waved her hand dismissively, laughing. "Beauty through action--that's what I always say." To Beatrice, she was preaching to the choir. As far as she was concerned, both of her sisters were absolutely beautiful. "I always wake up around this time. Arnold enjoys a good morning flight, don't you?" Only then did she notice the gnashing, smacking sound coming from where he was resting. "Arnold, what is that?" Beatrice didn't know exactly what he was eating, but she could gather at least from the lack of blood and remains that it wasn't anything he'd captured himself. "Did Inessa bring you a treat?" She glanced at her sister knowingly, then wrapped her arms around Arnold's long neck, near his head. "Wasn't that nice of her? What do we say, Arnold?" Between bites, he opened his mouth and bellowed a low groan, the sort of "thank you" a child might halfheartedly issue while still groggy from sleep. Despite his clear lack of enthusiasm, Beatrice rewarded his good behavior with another enthusiastic petting on the head. "If you can't sleep, you're more than welcome to join us." It wouldn't be the first time that Arnold had carried two passengers at once, and it wasn't as if they were doing any combat practice. It would be a simple flight.
TAGGED:	Inessa
YOU WENT STRAIGHT FOR THE KNIFE AND I PREPARED TO DIE YOUR BLADE IT SHINES LOOK ME STRAIGHT IN THE EYE YOU TURNED THE GAS ON HIGH HELD THE FLAME ALIGHT YOU WONDER WHY I'M SCARED OF FIRE

[Inessa]

Beatrice

LET IT ALL BURN! I WILL BURN FIRST. GOD I'VE TRIED, AM I LOST IN YOUR EYES? JUST LET ME BURN! IT'S WHAT I DESERVE. GOD I'VE LIED, AM I LOST IN YOUR EYES? Was Inessa feeling alright? No, more importantly, had she 'felt alright' when in the company of her family for years? The answer was 'no', and for a moment, Inessa flirted with the idea of telling Beatrice the truth. Of simply... spilling her guts, and dealing with the fallout no matter what - Beatrice's anger and betrayal, Maeve's anger and betrayal, the likely death to come from more loyal members of the guard. What a terrible, sad, unromantic way to die. "I'm fine," she said with an easy, reassuring smile. Beauty through action, huh? That still meant Inessa was ugly, but she supposed that Beatrice wouldn't know anything about that. "Sleeping is totally an action, though," she offered, but then let the topic drop - instead focusing on her sister's next words. Was Beatrice really awake this early all of the time? ... It made a lot of sense, but Inessa never had to actually piece together why her sister seemed to consistently be up before her. All hopes of getting by without mentioning the issue of food was dashed as the wyvern began to eat. Loudly. It took no time at all for Beatrice to notice - and Inessa winced just a little as one lie-by-omission was dashed thoroughly. At least Beatrice wasn't really the type to question. Open, honest, and accepting of things at face value - it was enough to make Inessa feel worse for constantly deceiving her, but then again... ...then again, Beatrice was infinitely better off than Inessa, with her pretty curves and a best friend of a wyvern and all the people that loved her and would miss her when she was gone. What harm would a few lies do? Inessa allowed herself to smile as Beatrice managed to coax a half hearted groan - one that Inessa could assume meant 'thank you', and quietly tried to quell the feelings of jealousy. When she was younger, she always wanted to have a pet like that - a pegasus, or a wyvern, too. Someone to keep her company and be on the same level with. If only archery was viable on flying mounts. "Join you?" Inessa echoed, distractedly - still ruminating on the idea archery from the back of a pegasus. "Ah... no, perhaps not..." she demurred, shifting a bit. "But I can watch. It's been a while since I've seen you two fly." Because Inessa had been avoiding the castle and her sisters. "text"

LAIKA OF GS!

[Beatrice]

		If Beatrice knew half of the things that Inessa thought of herself, she'd be caught somewhere between wanting to slap her and wanting to pull her into her bosom. Beatrice thought so highly of Inessa and the rest of her family that the very thought of any of them being so down on themselves hadn't even crossed her mind. Even as accommodating as she was, Beatrice could be somewhat thoughtless in that way. "Hm? Are you sure?" Even the thoughtless Beatrice could see that Inessa seemed a little hesitant to turn down her offer. That was how she interpreted it, anyway. Even if that weren't the case, Beatrice would have absolutely loved to have a short trip through the air with her dear sister. She may have been trying to convince her to go along, at least implicitly. "If you'd really rather not, the flight can wait. It could take quite a while, and I wouldn't want to keep you waiting." When it came to practicing, even if it was just a morning warm-up, Beatrice and Arnold took things pretty seriously. She wouldn't want to leave Inessa waiting at the stables for hours at a time while she gallivanted through the sky on a wyvern's back. "It will give us time to catch up! That would be so nice." It would be even nicer over tea or a good meal, but in any case, Beatrice never turned down an opportunity to share a good chat wit her siblings. "Arnold wouldn't mind waiting a bit, either, would you, Arnold?" Beatrice turned to her dear gentleman. He bellowed a yawn, then laid his head on the ground and almost immediately began to fall back asleep. He was an opportunistic fellow. "Though, of course, a morning flight is still on the table." Beatrice winked, bringing up her original offer once more.
TAGGED:	Inessa
YOU WENT STRAIGHT FOR THE KNIFE AND I PREPARED TO DIE YOUR BLADE IT SHINES LOOK ME STRAIGHT IN THE EYE YOU TURNED THE GAS ON HIGH HELD THE FLAME ALIGHT YOU WONDER WHY I'M SCARED OF FIRE

[Inessa]

Beatrice

LET IT ALL BURN! I WILL BURN FIRST. GOD I'VE TRIED, AM I LOST IN YOUR EYES? JUST LET ME BURN! IT'S WHAT I DESERVE. GOD I'VE LIED, AM I LOST IN YOUR EYES? "Quite certain," Inessa responded smoothly - and then cracked a bit of a smile. "Look how tired poor Arnold is. Let him get his beauty sleep, if nobody else..." A pause. "Besides, could we really catch up in the middle of flying?" Surely the wind would make everything too loud to hear. Now, Inessa wasn't 100% sure she really wanted to 'catch up' or have any real lengthy discussion with her siblings, but at the moment, she preferred that option to flying. Especially since it took Arnold no time at all to flop back down and go back to sleep. Either he was a lazy lizard, or he stayed up too late the other night, and Inessa was in no position to be guessing which one it truly was. "How are you...?" Inessa decided to ask, even as she looked at her sister's wyvern rather than her face - "Maeve's so busy with being empress, it's like we hardly see each other anymore..." the youngest princess even managed to sound bothered by this fact, when she had been the one avoiding and counting on the fact that her siblings were too busy to get away with all that she did. Blinking, though, Inessa remembered a question that begged an answer. It was a risky question to ask, but... "Actually, there was something I wanted to ask you about that," she admitted with a sheepishness not entirely fake, playing a bit with a single ponytail. "...If that's alright." she delayed her own question, looking now to Beatrice's face, and seeking out her reaction - if nothing else, Inessa could ask some harmless question, like 'what do you think Maeve does all day', instead of the one she had in mind. "text"

LAIKA OF GS!

[Beatrice]

		"Oh, he's just a lazy bones." Arnold groaned in protest, though he was too lazily tired to really put up much of a fight, then curled up once more to go back to sleep. "Plus, he hardly needs to be any more beautiful." If she really had to make a quip at someone's expense, especially someone as fantastic as Arnold, she wanted to at least counterbalance it with some gratuitous words of praise--and, really, who was more beautiful than Arnold? No one in the world. In whatever case, Beatrice absolutely lit up when Inessa indicated that she would be up for some talking after all. "We certainly couldn't! You're right about that!" Now that she most certainly wasn't flying, Beatrice relaxed her posture and bit and stripped off her large, dark gloves and tossed them near Arnold, who was already snoring lightly. "Excited!" That was really the only way that she could put it. Despite all of the grief that their family'd had to put up with in the near past, Beatrice always did her best to look forward to the excitement of the future. "We'll be traveling beyond our borders and finally putting those years of practice in public speaking to work. Isn't it thrilling?" She was also glad, especially, that she would be visiting Ylisse and would finally have an opportunity to learn more about the country that some of her near ancestors called home. "That's true." Beatrice was especially close with Maeve, and it had been a long while since she saw her sister's brow free of furrow or sweat. "I can't imagine Plegia has ever been quite this difficult to manage." All for a good cause, of course. Beatrice could sense, at least a bit, that Inessa's inquiry could have some gravity to it. Despite that, her expression remained mostly blissful, if not slightly more surprised. "You can ask me anything, Inessa." More than anything, Beatrice wanted her siblings to know that she would be there for them no matter what--even if they were absent.
TAGGED:	Inessa
YOU WENT STRAIGHT FOR THE KNIFE AND I PREPARED TO DIE YOUR BLADE IT SHINES LOOK ME STRAIGHT IN THE EYE YOU TURNED THE GAS ON HIGH HELD THE FLAME ALIGHT YOU WONDER WHY I'M SCARED OF FIRE

[Inessa]

Beatrice

LET IT ALL BURN! I WILL BURN FIRST. GOD I'VE TRIED, AM I LOST IN YOUR EYES? JUST LET ME BURN! IT'S WHAT I DESERVE. GOD I'VE LIED, AM I LOST IN YOUR EYES? The easy way that Beatrice could speak to and interact with her own wyvern lit up yet another pang of jealousy within Inessa, though she hid it behind a practiced smile. If only she had a companion like that - well, Inessa would still be a fuckup, and her only friend would likely be an animal, but at least she could... pretend she was alright, without having to run away to the grimleal for some sense of companionship. Sneaking out every night could get stressful, after all. Inessa offered a wider smile - not necessarily more genuine, but wider - as Beatrice agreed with her, accepting the terms of 'let me demurr and avoid flying and we can pretend we actually don't have a broken sibling relationship for a few moments'. Inessa barely slept at all, after all. Talking would be better than flying. "Thrilling...?" She echoed, a little emptily. Thrilling wasn't the word she was going to describe it with. Maybe more like... scary. Intimidating. Oh, and there was that nagging feeling in the back of Inessa's mind, the part that told her... "I guess it would be thrilling for you! You get to go to Ylisse." She said, brightly. "I have to go to Ferox." And a part of Inessa felt like, once more, Maeve was shunting her off someplace where she'd do the least damage if she failed. Understandable. It hurt to know that even Maeve didn't believe in her, but Inessa couldn't lie to herself and say that it had no basis in reality. She simply nodded when Beatrice confirmed Inessa's words - it had been little more than a lie. Inessa didn't mourn the lost time to speak with her eldest sister. Really, she wasn't sure if she wanted to. Maeve was a problem subject, and that begged the question why she brought it up in the first place - and the reason was a problem subject as well. Beatrice gave Inessa permission to continue, but the third princess lingered a little bit in her own silence, thinking. "Beatrice," she decided to start, carefully, and then looked up into her sister's red eyes - "If something were to happen to Maeve... Like something happened to our father." Something. Meaning, an assassination attempt. "I mean, she's empress now. She's in the position dad was in... and with the civil war, she has so many enemies... what would you do?" She paused. "If you found out who did it, what would you do?" It was a question that was hard to excuse as simple curiosity - but Inessa already had a few backup lies to say, just in case Beatrice thought it strange. She really was terrible. "text"

LAIKA OF GS!

[Beatrice]

		Beatrice's expression changed immediately. Her eyes remained wide--curious and attentive--but her smile disappeared. Her gaze shifted vaguely downward. The question struck her as such a surprise that she at first didn't even comprehend what was being asked of her. "If that...?" It took her a moment to put two and two together, to realize what Inessa was really saying: what would happen if Maeve were murdered, just as their father had been? It was a bit too much for Beatrice to imagine. She placed her hand on her own cheek, as if to ponder the question, but there were tiny droplets stinging at the corners of her eyes. "Oh, dear. I'm sorry." She tried to laugh it off as she wiped away the moisture. She was honestly embarrassed at how jarring a simple question could be, but it was something that she'd never considered before. Their family had been through so much that it was hard to imagine that there could possibly be more misfortune for them to come. She only regained her composure as she slowly worked through the fact that it was simply a hypothetical question--and, quite frankly, and important one. "If she--if...that were to happen," Even so, Beatrice couldn't quite bring herself to put it into words. "In that case, it would be my place to take up her role." Even as off-putting as the question may have been, Beatrice wasn't hesitant in her answer. She believe wholeheartedly in Maeve's vision of a Plegia free from the rule of the Grimleal, and only assumed that Inessa felt the same way. "The who...would not be as important as the why. I would be more interested in stopping the Grimleal than I would in personal revenge." Even if she hadn't thought of it before, as she said it, Beatrice knew it to be true. In the first place, she wasn't entirely sure if she was even capable of revenge. "Inessa," Beatrice placed her hands on Inessa's shoulders, smiling softly. "It worries me that you're occupying yourself with such troubling thoughts. Are you quite sure everything's okay?"
TAGGED:	Inessa
YOU WENT STRAIGHT FOR THE KNIFE AND I PREPARED TO DIE YOUR BLADE IT SHINES LOOK ME STRAIGHT IN THE EYE YOU TURNED THE GAS ON HIGH HELD THE FLAME ALIGHT YOU WONDER WHY I'M SCARED OF FIRE

[Inessa]

my god i feel so bad writing this post this frickin family does not deserve having to deal with this problem child

Beatrice

LET IT ALL BURN! I WILL BURN FIRST. GOD I'VE TRIED, AM I LOST IN YOUR EYES? JUST LET ME BURN! IT'S WHAT I DESERVE. GOD I'VE LIED, AM I LOST IN YOUR EYES? Inessa allowed herself a bit off surprise at the reaction her question garnered, but mostly she simply waited, keeping her eyes on Beatrice. Painful question or not, Inessa wanted - no, needed to know the answer. ...In that case... Beatrice would take up Maeve's role? Inessa did suppose that was fair, she was the next eldest. But it was the second thing that Beatrice spoke up to say that made the girl clench a fist. Stopping the Grimleal. Yes, of course, a 'noble' goal. But for all that Beatrice 'valued' her family, she allowed Maeve to throw that little ideal under the bus for the sake of getting back at people who shouldn't even be her enemy. The Grimleal were always a nice, easy target of hatred. You could hate without understanding that they were all still people, you could hate while patting yourself on the back and saying, 'hey, at least I'm not as bad as them!'. You could close yourself off to all the good they did to try to clear their own names, and regulate them to be hated targets by everyone else. It was disgusting. Inessa lifted her eyes to her sister slowly when Beatrice grabbed her shoulders, meeting Beatrice's gaze with one that revealed nothing. Now she was concerned? Now, she was worried about what sort of thoughts Inessa occupied herself with? A little late for that. Inessa forced herself to crack a smile, her expression softening in a very, very practiced way. "...I'm sorry. I don't mean to worry you. I guess I'm just... a little preoccupied with thoughts like that," Liar. "After all, we've already lost so much..." Inessa lifted a hand to play at her collar, dropping her gaze from Beatrice's face, her eyes narrowing in pain - even crocodile tears welled up in her eyes. It was an impressive little act, that. "...I just don't know what I'll do if Maeve..." She trailed off, as if she couldn't stand to finish the sentence. Liar. The thing she hadn't wanted to admit, the reason she asked in the first place, revolved around the fact that the thoughts that kept her up at night weren't worry for Maeve's safety - they revolved entirely around the possibility of murdering her eldest sister. Inessa wasn't asking to try to ensure Maeve's safety. She was asking to figure out if Beatrice was going to be an ally or not. "We can talk about something else, if you want," Inessa said gently, lifting her gaze to Beatrice now. But what to offer as a conversation topic? What could Inessa really talk about, with Beatrice? Was there anything past shallow fripperies that would feel awfully out of place as a conversational topic? The youngest princess' gaze wandered back over to Arnold, sleeping like a baby, and she said - "He really is cute. Arnold, I mean..." Perhaps that was the first honest opinion she said, since she agreed to speak with Beatrice. "It's so peaceful in the mornings that I really do forget we're at war, sometimes." "text"

LAIKA OF GS!

[Beatrice]

(OOC: I'M SORRY THIS TOOK ME SO LONG CRIES)

		"You don't need to worry about worrying me." Satisfied with Inessa's response (thought it was more tearful than she would have liked), Beatrice finally let her arms fall back to her sides. "But I do hope you can purge that beautiful head of yours of such morose thoughts." It wasn't that Beatrice was blind to the possibility of such terrible things happening. But, as far as she was concerned, no one ever got anything accomplished by sitting around and worrying about what could be. It also helped that she had the utmost faith in the people charged with their protection--the royal guard members and the soldiers that were dedicated enough to lay their lives on the line. "We can talk about anything you'd like." Was she laying it on a bit thick? That was fine, so long as Inessa was comfortable speaking her mind. If communicating that she was there for her sister took writing it in both of their foreheads, Beatrice would go to that length. At Inessa's prompting, she glanced over at Arnold. He probably would have bellowed in thanks at her compliment if he were awake, but he was still fast asleep. "Don't let him hear you say that, lest he get a big head--not that I disagree." If anyone was going to give him a big head, it was Beatrice. She was constantly showering him with gratuitous praise. Beatrice nodded. A lot of times, living in the castle, it was hard to remember that they were in the midst of a civil war. "Hopefully a short and victorious one, then finally--" Beatrice hesitated, surprising herself that she'd spoken so freely. She almost said more than she'd intended. It took her a moment, but she decided that what was on her mind was something that needed to be said. "...Inessa, can I tell you something in confidence? Something I want even Maeve not to know just yet?" Beatrice leaned forward and hushed her voice slightly, as if there was anyone nearby to hear her. "I want our country's politics free of Grimleal influence just as much as anyone. ...But, more than anything...I just want our brother back." Her voice was on the verge of breaking, but she immediately regained her composure. She had been trained well enough to do that. "Even if...if he can't renounce his...faith." She didn't know exactly how to put that politically. "I just want to be a family again, you know?" Beatrice sighed. Now she was the one having morose thoughts. She was sure they'd all be together again one day, but she spoke as if there was no hope. "Oh, I must sound so silly."
TAGGED:	Inessa
YOU WENT STRAIGHT FOR THE KNIFE AND I PREPARED TO DIE YOUR BLADE IT SHINES LOOK ME STRAIGHT IN THE EYE YOU TURNED THE GAS ON HIGH HELD THE FLAME ALIGHT YOU WONDER WHY I'M SCARED OF FIRE

[Inessa]

Beatrice

LET IT ALL BURN! I WILL BURN FIRST. GOD I'VE TRIED, AM I LOST IN YOUR EYES? JUST LET ME BURN! IT'S WHAT I DESERVE. GOD I'VE LIED, AM I LOST IN YOUR EYES? It was always too easy to deceive Beatrice. For once, Inessa wanted to be suspected. Just once. If Beatrice wasn't so trusting, so... sure of the good in everyone else, Inessa wouldn't have to feel so bad in taking advantage of her. But guilt did nothing - guilt didn't change the fact that Beatrice wanted to destroy the grimleal, and that included Inessa. Guilt did nothing to change the fact that Inessa had built herself a nice little castle of lies, and now it was all she could do to try to protect it. Short and victorious. Yes, Inessa figured she could like that. ...If it was the Grimleal that won, because Maeve wasn't going to stop at just winning. That was the issue. Peace simply wasn't possible, or reasonable, in this case. In a perfect world, they'd give the Grimleal the power they wanted and then leave them alone. In a perfect world, the royal family wouldn't be at such odds with the Grimleal at all. Inessa blinked confusedly as Beatrice suddenly cut herself off - and then she changed the subject, leaning in and hushing her voice. ...Inessa, can I tell you something in confidence? Something I want even Maeve not to know just yet? "...okay? Go ahead..." Just what could Beatrice want to say that she didn't want Maeve to hear? Inessa got her answer within the next few moments. ...She just wanted to be a family again? "...You aren't mad at him for betraying you? For... deceiving everyone?" She asked, softly. "How can you trust him? How do you know when to trust him? And... do you think you could, from the bottom of your heart, accept him, even while he's working with the same people who killed our father?" Inessa's words lacked any sort of accusatory tone - she was skeptical, of course. She didn't want to hope. She wasn't asking for Ascher's sake - Inessa knew full well that he wasn't a Grimleal. She was asking for her own. But then again, saying and doing were two different things. Could Beatrice really still love Inessa if she knew the truth? Optimally, it would never come to that. "You don't sound silly," the princess settled for assuring Beatrice, and then waited for her sister's answers. "text"

LAIKA OF GS!

[Beatrice]

		"I've asked myself those same questions many times, Inessa." She was getting a bit choked up, and not only because she was talking about lost family and the like. Even as part of her felt mournful and sad about not being able to see Ascher and her parents, another part of her felt guilty for even considering that bringing Ascher into their home would be okay after what had happened, especially since Maeve was much less of a friend of the Grimleal than Beatrice. "I...am mad. Of course I'm mad." She was rarely angry. Her hands balled into small fists for a moment, before she sighed and relaxed them. The last time that she got angry, she was probably thinking about the same thing. "But I don't want to be. I want to forgive him. I don't know how or why I can trust him again--and maybe I'm the only one, but I do." But she was still mad. No amount of sighing and unclenching of fists could change the fact that she was mad about so many things, even things that she hadn't thought about. "I just don't get it!" Surprising even herself, Beatrice stamped her foot in place. Arnold stirred a bit in place, sensing urgency in his master's voice, but quickly went back to sleep when he found that there wasn't really anything amiss. "The Grimleal--it's just a belief, isn't it? Why does revering some dragon have to be associated with such terrible misdeeds?" That may have been one of the chief differences between herself and Maeve. Beatrice didn't see anything wrong with following Grima. She didn't herself, but it was just a belief system, not really so different than those that followed Naga. The problem was that they also had some maniacal schemes to take over the country that seemed to constantly be a threat to the royal family. More than anything, Beatrice just felt tired of the whole thing. "If Ascher or anyone else wants to be a Grimleal, I have no qualms with that! I just don't know why that means they must be in such virulent opposition with...oh, I don't even know what I'm saying."
TAGGED:	Inessa
YOU WENT STRAIGHT FOR THE KNIFE AND I PREPARED TO DIE YOUR BLADE IT SHINES LOOK ME STRAIGHT IN THE EYE YOU TURNED THE GAS ON HIGH HELD THE FLAME ALIGHT YOU WONDER WHY I'M SCARED OF FIRE

[Inessa]

Beatrice

LET IT ALL BURN! I WILL BURN FIRST. GOD I'VE TRIED, AM I LOST IN YOUR EYES? JUST LET ME BURN! IT'S WHAT I DESERVE. GOD I'VE LIED, AM I LOST IN YOUR EYES? Inessa listened quietly as Beatrice said she thought about it before - she listened as Beatrice responded to her answers of trust. She watched as Beatrice visibly became more angry, and she jumped when her sister stamped her foot, managing to catch everyone in the room by surprise. There was no way that Beatrice knew that Inessa was asking for herself, for her own sake, but Inessa wished that she did. She wished that she knew how much Beatrice could really forgive her. What Beatrice was willing to do for the sake of regaining the company of a fallen, disgraced member of the royal family... It didn't seem to be much. But maybe that was just the way that Beatrice was. Maybe she was at a loss of what to do. In the end, Ascher didn't matter. He wasn't the one that sinned. "I wonder if maybe we're being too quick to judge the Grimleal," Inessa said, gently - trying to plant ideas without revealing her true inclinations. "Ascher was nice. He never did anything horrible. Maybe there are a lot of people like him, who just worship a dragon - like other people worship Naga - and aren't doing anything bad at all," And maybe, those that are doing 'bad', that are doing 'wrong', are doing it for a good reason. There's that too. "I wish the royal family wasn't so opposed to the Grimleal, too. I wish this civil war could be over. ...Maeve isn't really helping matters," Inessa said it quietly, watching Beatrice closely, to try to garner her reaction. "It's easy to hurt other people when you don't know them. So maybe we should all get to know each other...?" Oh, that was useless sappy feel-good bullshit, and Inessa didn't fullheartedly believe that at all. It was just another statement said to help cast suspicion away from her - things that she was used to saying. Inessa dropped her gaze, and grabbed at her sleeve, and then quietly, guiltily admitted - "...I really miss Ascher too." "text"

LAIKA OF GS!