spine of the world [i]

[Inessa]

for alto!

Alto

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? With all of the various things that Inessa didn't like about this situation, being paired up with Alto was perhaps the worst thing. Of course, when Maeve finally managed to pull Inessa aside and explain the situation - that she needed someone to make the long trip to Eastern Ferox - to speak to the ruling Khan there, and beg their help. Or at least, beg that they wouldn't intervene in the civil wars. Inessa heaved out a sigh remembering it - something about the way that her sister brought it up, something about the feeling of it all rubbed Inessa the wrong way. In all honesty, she would have vastly preferred not going at all - or... at least, going alone, or with some people that she chose. With this white knight following her about at every step... Well, she could hardly ask the Khan for help on the Grimleal's side, could she? Much as she was tempted to. But maybe she shouldn't be mentally lamenting about the Pegasus Knight's presence. After all, she had her arms wrapped tightly about his waist at the moment, with her head resting on the back of his armor, and she was also currently riding his pegasus with him. But you know? That was one of the issues. Flying really, really, really wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. It seemed all well and good when you were a little kid, taking short rides with your sister on her wyvern, but Inessa both didn't trust this man, and, well... Well. They had been flying for hours! Hours, damnit! Inessa was not cut out for this. She lifted her head, and then said - "Alto?" No, that was too quiet. The winds stole the words away. Yeah, second thing she didn't like about flying? She had to yell everything just to be heard. "ALTO! Can we stop soon?!" Please, let them be able to land someplace. Inessa didn't even care where, as long as she was able to remind herself that the ground really did exist. "text"

LAIKA OF GS!

[Alto]

First Truth be told, as much as he unquestionably followed the orders of whomever sat upon the throne Alto felt that flying halfway across the world to talk to the barbarian khans was a waste of everyone's time. As a knight he held the opinion that it was not his place to disagree with his beloved queen but this was asinine. The fact he had to take Inessa with him made the situation all the worse. It wasn't that he didn't like Maeva's baby sister it was that he didn't feel good about being her sole protection and being the one with the hardest task. Convincing the eastern khan to give aid to Plegia was likely an exercise in madness. Alto was no fool. He knew the khans valued strength above all else and that diplomacy was wasted. Still it was an excuse to go out and let Zephyr fly. Poor girl had been cooped up for so long that he had started to feel sorry for his wonderful steed. There were other positives to his mission of course. While Regina Ferox was a barbarous land it was also a winter swept one. In his whole life he had never seen snow before and pained to see it. There was something charming about the idea of seeing Zephyr prancing around in the snow; it made him chuckle under his breath. Of course he hid his excitement well under layers of professionalism and chivalry. Speaking of Inessa though he supposed that was another positive. It wasn't every day one had a pretty young lady riding with you. Alto would never entertain the thought of pursuing one of the sisters despite the fact that he fancied all three of them. Naturally though he had a thing for Maeva more than ether of her younger sisters. He'd never say that to anyone though. It wasn't his place to have such lofty desires. He was a knight through and through and it was a knight's place to serve their ruler on the battlefield and not in the bedroom. Inessa had begun to grip him awfully tightly in the last ten minutes though. He began to suspect that flying was a terrible idea and that they should have traveled by horseback instead. That posed its own problems. Riding for that long tended to wear on the body in a way that smoothly sailing through the sky did not. Perhaps the beloved baby sister held a fear of flying and didn't wish to bring it up? Her discomfort had been confirmed a few moments later when she yelled right into his ear asking about landing. Alto offered her an apologetic nod in affirmation and bayed Zephyr into landing. The stunning and majestic white pegasus's feet found purchase on soft grass near a deserted ruin. The sun was just creeping bellow the horizon. Alto had completely forgot that night would be falling soon and they'd need to make camp anyway. It was a good thing that Inessa had unintentionally reminded him or else he likely would have flown long into the night. "We should make camp for the night," he stated and then paused before adding, "...Sorry about the long flight I didn't know flying was uncomfortable for you m'lady. I'll try to make more frequent landings from here on in.". Made by Zeref of THQ WORDS 553 TAGS Inessa NOTES Alto is such a white knight.

[Inessa]

Alto

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 man managed to hear her over the wind, nodding, and swiftly making his pegasus land. You know what? Theeere was the other thing that Inessa didn't like about Alto. He was notably very difficult to hate. Not even that - he was difficult to dislike, ever polite and willing to bend over backwards for Inessa's sake. Frankly, it was... uncomfortable. At best. Inessa was used to being overlooked, ignored on many points, and she kept to herself enough that it wasn't too big of an issue. This man was simply too intelligent, accomodating, and saintly - in comparison, she felt... dirty, perhaps. It must be nice to be able to live your life as honestly as he did - or at least, as he appeared to. He began to speak, and Inessa busied herself with getting off of the pegasus, misjudging a little and nearly falling to her knees in a particularly clumsy spell. She pressed her eyes shut in embarrassment, trying not to remember exactly what her father would say - Inessa, stop rushing. You become sloppier when you rush, or perhaps her sister, sighing and shaking her head. In Inessa's defense, it wasn't like she rode things often at all! She straightened herself up, her expression a little bit cloudy, before she registered once more what the knight was saying. "... it's alright," She lied with ease, almost distractedly - though she didn't quite manage a smile. "I'm fine, I'm just not used to flying for so long," At least that part was true. She gazed off, trying to assess her surroundings instead of focusing on the big issue of her company. Right, the other problem with Alto? Inessa was very, very aware that one misstep around him would result in a lance through the stomach. With that lovely thought in mind, she turned back to him, forcing herself to smile this time. "I'm afraid I've never had a need to set up camp before. Would it be too much to ask you to walk me through it...?" She enunciated her words carefully, in a practiced manner - partially to cover up her embarrassment over almost losing her balance only a few moments before. She hoped he wouldn't point that misstep out. Actually, she hoped he wouldn't point anything out. The least questions asked between them, the better, Inessa figured. "text"

LAIKA OF GS!

[Alto]

Second There was something overwhelmingly adorable about how awkward and clumsy Inessa was that made her seem far less distant and far more human to him. When they had landed she rushed to get off Zephyr and, in the process, nearly took a nasty spill. Alto had to resist chuckling a little at that. Had she truly fallen though he would have been close enough to catch her before she eat the ground in an ignoble fashion. Flying and riding for long periods both had the awful side effect of making walking hard for a brief time after. Alto had long since gotten use to it but sometimes he forgot others had not. All Alto could offer in response to her was a soft, warm, smile in the hopes of easing her awkwardness. He was unaware of how just how much more awkward that made things. Alto simply waved off the notion of showing Inessa how to make camp when she brought up how she did not know how, "Oh don't worry. I wouldn't want to burden you with helping me set up camp here after flying. Besides the ruins should provide enough shelter that the only thing we'll need is to get a flame going for warmth till we decide to sleep." Alto gave a soft laugh to punctuate his statement before setting off to tie Zephyr up and unfasten the supplies from her back that he had tied on before they left Plegia. Of course now that he had mentioned it it was probably a good idea to actually scout out the ruins and make sure there weren't any bandits or other unsavory folk lurking about. Ruins like these were a common place for bandits and brigands to set up shop. It wouldn't surprise him if they did indeed run across a few. Barring there being an entire bandit clan here Alto felt he could easily solve the bandit issue with the point of his lance. Generally, that was how he solved most of Plegia's issues as a knight. Well, most of Plegia's issues that could be solved with a weapon. Alto was keenly aware of the political and religious strife Plegia was currently suffering from. There were many people who loved Ascher and despised Maeve for resting the throne from her elder brother. Personally, Alto felt she had made a grave mistake in judgement with that call. Ascher was no grimleal, not from what he had seen of him anyway. There was no way to truly tell if he was or wasn't. Alto felt that none of the siblings were involved with such things. Just like how he felt about approaching Maeve about his feelings for her he felt the same about questioning her judgement. It was not a knight's place to question their ruler. If she told him that Ascher was a grimleal and he was to put a lance in his back then Alto would follow that order through despite his personal misgivings. They did bring up an interesting point though. What would he do if he found out Maeve had been the grimleal all along? Or if Inessa or Beatrice were and Maeve had yet to give him an order regarding it. Would he truly have the strength to kill them? That was a thought that froze him in his tracks. No, he probably wouldn't be able to go through with it. Perhaps a more unscrupulous person like that cur that currently called himself the knight captain could but he had far too kind a heart to ever take Beatrice or Inessa's life much less Maeve's. He banished those thoughts from his mind and began to get a fire going. The night wasn't cold per say but there was a slight chill on the air. With the cold months fast approaching even the normally warm Ylisse would soon see a drop in temperature. Besides he hardly wanted Inessa to freeze to death. He had made sure to bring kindling along, just in case they landed in an area like those where there wasn't a lot of woodland, so he could get a modest fire going. It didn't take very long for him to get a strong flame. It radiated heat outward and Alto beckoned Inessa over to sit by the fire to keep herself warm. Made by Zeref of THQ WORDS 720 TAGS Inessa NOTES N/A

[Inessa]

Alto

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? Alto waved off Inessa's concerns, and she hid a frown - she wasn't so delicate that she could never help set up camp! She'd been through more than Alto ever could have expected, or known. But... she could hardly blame his ignorance, can she? She pressed her lips together in a thin line, but otherwise didn't show her mild frustration, instead focusing on his next words. ...The ruins? Could she really just go out and sleep in some ruins? A part of Inessa - the one that knew how her parents would feel, the one that she relied on when needing to act like a princess - took great offense to this notion. God, sleeping in the dirt. They wouldn't be able to tell the difference between her and the dirt when she woke up! That being said, though, she had slept outside plenty of times before, ignoring the part of her that knew that her family would be disgusted if she told them, and this could be counted as 'extenuating circumstances'. So, Inessa simply sighed, standing amongst the ruins and settling into watching Alto as he moved about, getting a fire set up. He didn't take long at it - perhaps he had practiced? - and it wasn't long before he was beckoning her over to the warmth. The princess bent over to pick up a stick first before she drew near, sitting down beside the fire, and prodding at it with the stick. Inessa let silence hang over them for a bit, before she looked over at Alto and asked, "How are you feeling?" - just loud enough to be heard over the crackling of the fire. "About this journey, I mean." That was a simple question, right? A nice, normal question to be asking. "text"

LAIKA OF GS!

[Alto]

ThirdInessa made a lot of adorable faces at him both when he waved off her offerings of assistance and when he announced they'd be staying in the ruins. Mind you he wasn't entirely thrilled at the idea of sleeping on hard stones ether but the alternative put them at risk. They could, for example, try to find a village with an inn and spend the night there but they were both easily recognizable as plegians. With the old hatreds still very much aflame between Plegia and Ylisse Alto felt that sacrificing the comfort of a warm bed was worth the peace of mind of not having their throats slit while they slept. Inessa was still being a complete prissy princess about it though and Alto couldn't help but chuckle. He couldn't be mad at her because she was just so impossibly cute when she was frustrated. After setting up the fire Alto began remove his armor and get comfortable for the evening. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately?) this meant that he was left temporarily shirtless as he removed the chainmail he normally wore under the cloth covering under his armor. Alto, while by no means a monstrously ripped person, had a well toned and athletic body ship with a lot of lean muscle. He was in good shape. Alto was thoroughly unaware of how his being temporarily shirtless might make things a tad awkward. Luckily once he had removed the chainmail underlayer he replaced the shirt like cover he wore over it and thus was no longer exposing his toned physique. Inessa had come over by the fire and there had been an awkward silence on the air before she finally broke the tension with a question he honestly had thought of himself. What did he really and honestly thing of the mission? He supposed there wasn't any harm in letting Inessa know what he really thought. "Honestly? I think this diplomatic mission is completely bullshit." Alto's words were unusually blunt and direct. It might have been a bit of a surprise to hear him swear when he was usually so nice. Never the less he continued in earnest, "I think its a waste of m'lady Maeve's time to send diplomats to Ferox. The Feroxi speak only the language of combat and strength. I highly doubt that ether of the khans will listen to words alone." Alto let out a great sigh. He let his words hang on the air for a bit before a warm smile crept along his face. "Though, its not all bad. I get to spend time with you. Its not every day one gets personally assigned to protect one of Plegia's beautiful sisters. Besides that I enjoy your company." Alto's words carried and unintentional flirtatious charm to them. Alto was pretty much oblivious to this facet of himself. He had a way of speaking that oozed charisma. Its probably why he was so confused by the fact that whenever he went out to the village throngs of women tended to flock around him. He truly was a clueless chick magnet. Made by Zeref of THQ WORDS 514 TAGS Inessa NOTES That took entirely too long and I apologize.

[Inessa]

Alto

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 simply watched Alto curiously as he undressed, only averting her gaze to pretend she wasn't looking if he glanced in her direction. It was little more than something to look at past the fire, and keeping an eye on your company wasn't ever a bad idea - especially if you didn't trust your company as far as you could throw them. Alto put his shirt back on and then walked over to the fire, and it a few more moments of Inessa poking at the fire before she got a response. She really hadn't expected Alto to curse - in fact, it almost made her jump, looking once more to Alto's face to try to discern his mood. ...So he also thought it was bullshit. A waste of time. But he was right - Feroxians weren't exactly known for being reasonable with diplomacy, and Inessa certainly wasn't fit to convince them the Feroxi way. So why had Maeve sent her? She laughed, lowly. Though, The pegasus knight continued, its not all bad. I get to spend time with you. Its not every day one gets personally assigned to protect one of Plegia's beautiful sisters. Besides that I enjoy your company. ...Did he now. Did he, really? Oh, Inessa didn't believe that. If Alto actually knew the person he was spending time with, he would hate her. Perhaps he enjoyed the company of a fake persona. Or perhaps he was lying in the first place, just flattering Inessa. "Really, now..." The archer said lowly, smiling to herself. It wasn't actually funny, but what she wanted to do was laugh in Alto's face. Instead, she tilted her head at him, giving him a charming little look. "You'd probably have a better chance with Beatrice, you know. If only you were stuck with her instead!" It was nothing more than a teasing little joke, even if on the inside Inessa felt completely different. "...That probably would have been better," She admitted, looking down and away from Alto - "You're not... the only one that feels like this is a waste of time," she said it slowly, as if it were somewhat painful for her to put into words. "You can tell what Maeve cares about. It's where she sends Beatrice," And that made the focus be Ylisse. It made sense in a way, but still... "By sending me, she's putting in no effort. She doesn't expect anything from me. She just pushes me someplace where I won't do too much damage by failing," Inessa said it honestly, impassively - and then lifted her head, locking her critical pink gaze on Alto. "You see it too, don't you?" She kept her words reserved, letting none of the emotions that fueled them leak through. She'd see how he reacted to this truth. "text"

LAIKA OF GS!

[Alto]

FourthAlto was no fool. Inessa could hide it all she wanted but Alto could see that his comment had made her uncomfortable. He lamented that fact. He didn't want to upset her by stating his honest opinion both about enjoying her company and what he thought of this so called diplomatic mission. Inessa was the unfavorite sister, the lesser known one. That was sad, impossibly and truly sad. Perhaps he too was to blame. He focused his gaze towards Inessa's sister all too frequently and viewed her as too magnanimous to make any sort of mistake. If it was indeed true that Maeve did not like Inessa then perhaps it was his duty to rectify that? Yes, that was a much more positive way to view this errand they had been sent on. If it was viewed as a lost cause only to be met with overwhelming success then Maeve would have no choice but to recognize her little sister. A wide grin crossed Alto's face as he did a little affirming fist clench and mini pump with a nod. "If we succeed, however slim the chances of that are, it'll prove your sister wrong. Besides I hear the east khan is at least a little bit more willing to listen to diplomacy so we may yet have a chance." Alto wanted to say more but he didn't want to feed too much into Inessa's defeatist attitude. He kept it short and simple. He did believe that they could succeed. Though that didn't change the fact that he didn't like this mission. There were several things off about it beyond what Inessa had already pointed out. Like why hadn't an entire contingent of knights been assigned to guard Inessa? Of course there was a lot of chaos going on surrounding the appointing of a new captain of the guard. Perhaps it had simply been overlooked? Then why had he been personally taken aside and assigned the task by Maeve? He wasn't sure. Now he was personally starting to doubt Maeve. As a knight that was unacceptable. He banished those thoughts with thoughts of another matter entirely. Inessa had seen through him as he had her. He offered a small chuckle as he answered her prior statement honestly, "If we're being honest I fancy your eldest sister Maeve more than Beatrice. I am a knight though. It is not my place to harbor such fanciful notions such as romantic feelings for my liege. I am merely content serving her in any way I can." He gave Inessa the honest truth. He was smitten with Maeve but felt himself, as a knight, unworthy of her both because of his status and because it was highly improper. That probably did little for her self-esteem though. What he said after though likely would have a far greater impact. "That being said, you're far more beautiful than she could ever aspire to be, Inessa." Made by Zeref of THQ WORDS 489 TAGS Inessa NOTES Sorry about the shortish post and the wait. I've been real sick.

[Inessa]

Alto

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? That was... an interesting take on it. Inessa expected to inspire resentment, or perhaps outright denial - instead, she inspired an almost endearing determination from Alto, and it was all she could do to run her hand over her hair and glance away. Inessa wished she could have as much faith as Alto did. But he didn't really know her, did he? He didn't know the life of constant failures and rejections and lies and misery that she led - the sort only alleviated by the Grimleal. He knew none of that, and thus, nothing he said could really have any merit, could it? "I hope they'll listen," Inessa said finally, though the fact that she was not feeling very optimistic on the matter rang true through her tone. East Khan, West Khan. They were the same to Inessa, and in all actuality, she didn't even remember which one she was supposed to be seeing. Alto's next words, though... Inessa couldn't help it, she looked at him with no small amount of surprise when he admitted that he had been holding a candle for Maeve. When Inessa thought about it, it made sense - Maeve was ever popular and loved by quite a few people. Nobody knew, or cared, about how she treated the Grimleal - how she was willing to treat her own family if they were Grimleal. Inessa stifled a sigh, trying to look like she was happy for Alto, but inside, she was just wanting to be gone. God, she had Maeve's fanboy with her. As in, the worst person to have around when you're considering murdering your sister. With a guarded gaze, Inessa added Alto's name to the list of people that she'd probably have to try to kill at a point - if just for her own survival. That being said, you're far more beautiful than she could ever aspire to be, Inessa. ...Wait. Wait. What? Back up a moment there. What? Inessa couldn't believe that at all. He just got done talking about how he liked Maeve. "If you like me so much, then why don't you have a crush on me instead of her?" She spluttered out, unable to stop herself. "I mean... is it just because I'm obtainable or something? It's less wrong for you to date the nobody third princess than it is for you to date the queen?" Inessa knew she was nothing, but she didn't need anyone on the outside affirming that. "Or do you just like Maeve for other reasons?" Did any of this actually matter? Did they really need to spell out all of the reasons why Inessa paled in comparison to her siblings? Now, Inessa was aware that Alto was probably just lying to try to cheer her up. She was aware, and she was just enough of the ungrateful sort of person to hate every bit of it. She was just the sort of attention hog that called others out when they tried to do something nice. Inessa almost wanted to go as far as to ask what was so beautiful about her, but she stopped where she was - after all, she didn't need Alto to go on about her physical features. She wouldn't believe him anyway. "text"

LAIKA OF GS!

[Alto]

FifthHope. That's really what it all boiled down to didn't it? There was no certainty in this mission of their's. The reality of it was that Alto had been trying to cheer Inessa up by trying to get her to look on the brighter side of things. Alto was an eternal optimist but there were times where even he felt it was all pointless. That was how he felt about his attraction to both Maeve and Inessa. He kept his childish and fantastical feelings to himself because they were wholly unwarranted. He did not know the sisters. He merely harbored those old romantic feelings and desires as any kid who had grown up on the tales of gallant heroes rescuing princesses and being knightly. He had ascribed his entire life to an unobtainable and fantastical goal. Inessa was wholly right. She had not said it but the implications of "you don't even know me" were there. There were also tinges of jealousy in her rebuke. He didn't blame her. Who wouldn't be jealous of Maeve? She was a queen who had power and unearthly grace. She was incredibly beautiful too. So why didn't he have a crush on her instead? Inessa asked that of him. Alto had to ponder long and hard on the answer to that one. Inessa helped him answer though when she accused him of settling for less. He took a deep breath, trying to find a good way to put what he was about to say. He gave up about halfway into trying to think up a way to put it eloquently, simply deciding to be frank about it, "I don't feel that way at all. You're so far out of my league that I didn't think I'd ever have a chance. You and your sisters are unobtainable by a lowly knight such as myself. At least Maeve likes gallant types. It got my hopes up, briefly, that maybe just maybe I had a shot. However I am bound by my duty. If I were a noble, if had been born of higher station, Inessa you would be the one I'd chase after not her." Alto gave her the honest truth. He wasn't settling for her by saying she was more beautiful. He was settling for her sister because he felt that Inessa was even further beyond Maeve. "Its terribly silly. I grew up on the romanticized tales of knight and princesses. I guess that I just wanted to be the heroic knight of those tales. Its why I decided to join the royal guard. I had no thoughts at the time of serving the country. I just had this selfish desire to become a knight and go out to save a princess, fall in love, and live happily ever after. The real world doesn't work that way though. There are no princesses to rescue. My teacher made sure I learned quickly that such aspirations were bullshit and that I was foolish to hold such notions. I was a worthless knight unfit to clean the dust off the queen's shoes. That was my place in the world and I had to ensure I remembered it." Alto's normally bright and sunny personality suddenly vanished as he said that. It was as if his whole knightly persona was all smoke and mirrors. A facade designed to hide a scared and crushed inner child that lost his innocence too early. It was a fleeting moment that showed that Plegia's so called white knight was not as bright and gleaming as he appeared. Soon Alto's smile returned as he glanced fondly towards his pegasus Zephyr. "Then one day Zephyr came into my life. Pegasi are picky and fickle creatures who choose their rider. I had wondered for a long time why she chose me but it hit me. More than anything what Plegia needed was a gallant hero of old. Plegia needed a chivalrous knight in these trying times. This country, our beautiful country, needed a hero for the people to rally around. When my teacher tried to kill Maeve and I stepped in to save her it... well it gave me the opportunity to BE that hero. Even if its just a pretty show for the people I do enjoy playing pretend and acting the part. It keeps my mind off of how much happier I would be had actually been born a noble instead of merely being adopted by my noble mother and father." Alto stood and walked over to where he laid his spear down and grabbed it. He then walked back over to Inessa and gently put tip of the spear to the ground before kneeling before Inessa, "If it would please you, and pardon the theatrics, but I'd like to swear my loyalty to you. If you'd have me I'd follow you to hell and back Inessa." Made by Zeref of THQ WORDS 812 TAGS Inessa NOTES Show of hands, who expected that?

[Inessa]

fuck goddamnit long post

Alto

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? In truth, all of this was a struggle for Inessa. So set in her own self loathing, the concept of another person feeling positively towards her - for whatever reason - was so alien it made her uncomfortable. She hated feeling ignored, but at the same time, she wanted to be ignored - at least, by the people that she was betraying. She wanted more reason to justify her actions, when Alto gave her none - none, save the defensive suspicion that he was lying to her. But he wasn't the type to lie. He was the type to live gallantly, honestly. That was what was so infuriating - Inessa couldn't simply dismiss his words as lies to appease her, and she couldn't accept them either, lest she grow to trust someone she knew would become her enemy at a later point. She listened as he spoke, explained himself, quietly. It was actually a somewhat sad story - Inessa had no idea that he had such an asshole of a teacher. In fact, for all that she internally lambasted Alto for not knowing her, she barely knew Alto - simply knew him as a caricature. A gallant, sweet-talking knight, that for all of his words would hardly hesitate to kill her, should she turn out to have blood on her hands. And, she had plenty of blood on her hands, really. That said, it was like he had more to him than that. Half of her wanted to smack herself - of course he had more to him than that, he was a person, not a rock. Despite herself, her expression changed into one of concern - legitimately becoming... concerned. Worried about Alto. He likely wouldn't know it, but the show of vulnerability, the dropping of that gallant knight act and showing his hand had more of an effect on Inessa than his previous attempts combined. It was... sort of sweet, that the pegasus had inspired him to act the way that he does. Though she was sure it wasn't entirely some sort of facade, he was... trying, she thought. Trying to sculpt himself into a person that others would understand, that others would accept, that others needed. And was that really so different than what Inessa tried to do, all of her life? Still, a part of her said, he was the enemy. He had to be the enemy. She couldn't allow herself to soften, to empathize with him. She couldn't mean it when she opened her mouth to murmur a sympathetic, "I'm sorry," because she would have to fight him later. That was an inevitability. She reminded herself, and reminded herself, and finally, he gave her a way out. But not the way that she was expecting. Alto stood, walking over to his spear, and then returned, sinking the tip of the spear into the ground and kneeling before her. He offered to swear her his loyalty. Inessa was paralyzed for a second that seemed to drag into an eternity. Her? Why in the world would he do something like that? He had already expressed how he felt about her looks, but was it really as shallow as that? Did he just patronizingly feel bad for her, or... It was always so baseless when she wanted to sling mud onto Alto. That was the worst part. Inessa could reason away a lot, but the harder it was to reason, the worse she felt about it. Could Inessa risk trusting him a little? Assuming he was serious? It was strange that he wanted to pledge his allegiance to her - but perhaps he thought it little more than pledging his allegiance to Beatrice, or to Maeve - as if they were a singular, cohesive unit, the three princesses. They weren't. Would he really follow her, to hell and back? ... Could she really trust him to do that? If that was true, then maybe... just maybe... Alto didn't have to be her enemy. "Alto..." She said, breaking her own silence. She had dropped her gaze during some point in her thought process, and now she trained it back on his face, trying to stare him right in the eye. "...I hope you know that... swearing your loyalty... it means a lot to me. I don't take these things lightly," She said it lowly, but with a force behind it that she hadn't taken up with the man before. She needed him to understand how important it was - he needed to be loyal to her first. No matter what. Without caveats. Without a need for explanation. "If you swear your loyalty to me, you're not just... swearing it to Beatrice or Maeve or any old member of the royalty. You're swearing it to me. If you know you'll follow me to the edges of this earth..." She looked down to her lap, and then gazed up at him through her eyelashes. "...even if Maeve can't come with." There was the rub. There was the caveat. He could have ties with his sisters, of course, but when it came down to it, Inessa needed to know that he would sever them for her. "...If you know you'll stay with me, no matter what happens... no matter what," She looked away from him now, calmly regarding a tree, her expression impassive even through the forcefulness of her words - "...then I'll let you swear your loyalty to me." What did he want in return, she wondered. Her affections? Her own loyalty? Her attention at all? She could easily pretend for the first, the second was more difficult. Was he really the type to want something in return at all? She supposed if he did, he would bring it up himself. "I have no need for empty promises, so... if you're not ready, then just back out now." Hopefully, it was clear. There was the matter of, assuming he said yes, telling him the truth, but she supposed that could wait until she ensured, several times over, that he was trustworthy. She was willing to let him try to earn her trust, but that didn't mean she could trust him just yet. "text"

LAIKA OF GS!

[Alto]

SixthAlto could feel Inessa's eyes upon him trying to discern and judge why he would so readily throw his lot in with her. There was a very simple reason why that even she had overlooked. The reason was so simple that it could easily have been disregarded as nonsense for it clashed entirely with the image he gave off. He had molded himself into a gallant white knight and been paraded around as Maeve's champion and thus Plegia's by proxy. What if he wasn't her champion though? Alto let out a soft chuckle as Inessa cast a hard glance his way and tried to drive into his head that he wasn't swearing loyalty to Meave or Beatrice by swearing loyalty to her. That suited him just fine. "I know. It means the world to me too. When I was induced into the royal knights I swore the oath before your father, the late king. He made me promise to him that, as a man and as knight, I would protect this country with my all. My oath was never to Maeve but to fair Plegia herself. Maeve... for as kind and fair as she is... is ill-suited as a monarch." The words that came from his mouth were shocking and frank. He dropped all pretense of his knightly and gallant image to speak his mind for what seemed like the first time. Why though? Why to Inessa? Well that too had a simple answer. He had fallen hopelessly for her a long long time ago. Now that he felt he knew a bit more of her he could trust her with his real and true feelings. She was very much like him though he couldn't know the full extent of it. Living a lie to please others. He painted a pretty picture of a knightly hero just like she did of a royal princess. Such pretenses were unneeded now. He was happy to speak his mind to the one he swore true loyalty to. "When I say I'm swearing my loyalty to you I mean it. Wherever you go, whatever you decide, I will follow you even if I don't agree with it. I do ask that you at least ask me before going off and doing something silly like starting a war or trying to cut your sisters' heads off. I wont stop you though. When you need a shield I will be there to protect you from harm. When you need a spear I will be there to strike down your enemies... whomever they are." Alto was dead serious. He made it blatantly clear now. Inessa's fears would never come to pass. It seemed, at least until he spoke again, that his hatred of the Grimleal was purely because he was following Inessa. However his next words, which included his ulterior motives for why he was swearing loyalty to Inessa, cast a new light on his ideology. "Inessa, this world is out of joint. It has been for a long long time. Grima, Naga, these two godlike beings have been puppet masters pulling on the strings of the people for so so long. More than anything I want to cut those strings. I want to believe in a world without gods. A world where people like you and I are free to be ourselves without needing to hide behind petty facades. So even if the whole world became your enemy I would still stand by your side. Even if you were to isolate yourself from the whole world I would be there to make sure you were never lonely again. Not because of my duty, nor because of my loyalty, but because I, as a person and a man, want to be the one to stand by your side until the last breath escapes my lips." Alto raised his gaze up to meet Inessa's for the first time since he knelt. There was a fire in his eyes unlike anything she had seen before. It was an all consuming white blaze that radiated strength and conviction. The same conviction, no, an even greater conviction than what he displayed every day as one of the royal knights. It was a brilliant and inspiring sort of flame. All he wanted, it seemed, was to destroy Inessa's loneliness and give her someone to truly rely on. It wasn't clear if he had long figured out she was actually a member of the Grimleal but it didn't seem to matter to him. Even if she were to reveal that right now it was likely he would still swear his loyalty to her. He saw her as someone who could truly change the world. "What do you say Inessa? Will you allow this humble fool to follow you?" Made by Zeref of THQ WORDS 796 TAGS Inessa NOTES Alto's ambition has been revealed. Such a visionary.

[Inessa]

Alto

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? Maeve, ill suited as a monarch? It was what Inessa was thinking this entire time, but the skeptical part of her wondered if Alto was saying it because he had some sort of evidence, or if he was saying it because he wanted that desperately to win her over. Did it really matter in the end, though? As long as he was thinking it, saying it, putting his loyalty to her before everything else... did it matter whether or not he was grasping at straws? Probably not. Alto spoke further, elaborating on his loyalties, and then to his fanciful little dream. Grima, a puppet master? No, Inessa didn't believe that. In fact, to her, Alto sounded something like a sullen child, denying the worth of something great because he didn't like being less powerful than it. Naga was, of course, an obstacle to those of Grimleal faith, but that didn't mean that she wasn't a god - it just meant that she was a worthless god. It was strange, really. Somewhat alien. Inessa had never met or dealt with someone who just rejected the entire concept of gods, and on a level, she just couldn't understand it. But maybe he was replacing his need for a god with her? ...She supposed that was still useful. Maybe even for the best. He couldn't understand her, he couldn't hope to understand her feelings and her loneliness and truly stay beside her, but that didn't mean she wasn't touched by his attempts to. She looked down at him, through her eyelashes, and waited for him to finish before she spoke. "There is a world... that I wish to create, too," She said it lowly, almost thoughtfully, considering how much she should show her hand. "...and I don't care who I have to kill to create it," That was the truth, at least. Inessa paused here, and then reached for Alto, putting a gloved hand on his cheek. "I'll let you follow me," She said it as if that itself was the prize. "I'll help you where I can with whatever I can," She still didn't know what really motivated the man - what he really wanted. There was that option of love, but unless he asked, Inessa wasn't going to do the effective thing of prostitute herself out to him. She'd rather not, after all. "But," she continued, her expression hardening - "If you ever betray me, I'll kill you. Understand...?" Inessa left aside doubts that she even could - puffing herself up a little and trying to look as cold - and intimidating - as possible. Inside, however, she was excited. Maybe she could simply ask him to leave the room when speaking with this khan, and turn the khan against the Plegians, through whatever means necessary. It was a thought, at least. "text"

LAIKA OF GS!

[Alto]

SeventhPerhaps, at the end of the day, neither of them truly could understand one another. Alto's lofty goals clashed on a fundamental level with the ideology that his new liege held. They both agreed on one thing though, the current regime in Plegia had to come to an end by any means necessary. Alto would prefer a bloodless coup if possible but that was highly unlikely. Furthering the issues was the grimleal. Without a shadow of a doubt they were the group that Inessa held her allegiance to. When had he exactly divined this truth? Alto wasn't exactly sure himself. He had said he believed that none of the royal family had ties to the shadowy religious cult but that had been a boldfaced lie that he seemingly got away with. He always suspected one of the siblings had been an informant for the group but he always assumed it was Beatrice. He was almost positive now that Inessa was the one who was sowing political chaos in the kingdom. He had taken a huge risk in showing his own hand to her and it paid off. At least, at the moment it had. He didn't really care that she was part of the group. He would do his best to steer her towards loftier goals than being subservient to yet another master. That was his ambition. A world where mortals were their own masters. Why Inessa though? He had to wonder that. He could easily sway Maeve to his side just as he had Inessa. Though she didn't exactly take his side. Perhaps she was right and that he did see Maeve as being too good and pure for him. Maybe he liked the thrill and air of danger that surrounded Inessa? He wasn't sure the true reason why he admitted everything to her only that he had and that every word that had come from his mouth he had meant, absolutely. Inessa was ruthless and pragmatic. These were two traits that clashed with someone who seemed as virtuous and fair as Alto. However Alto could be just as ruthless and pragmatic as the woman he now swore himself to. He truly had a just and noble heart but sometimes sacrifices need to be made for the good of the people. If blood must be spilled for the world to change then it was his duty to ensure the cup didn't run over and only the absolutely needed amount was spilled. The next step now would be to slowly convince Inessa to follow her own path instead of walking those determined by shadowy forces like the Grimleal. That, however, was something he could work on later. For now he needed to finish the age old ceremony of binding himself, as a knight, to a new lord. Inessa placed her gloved hand on his cheek and he reached up and took it. In lieu of a ring he opted to simply kiss her ring finger where one such ring would be. Some knights were sworn in by kissing the ring on a sovereign's hand. Some were knighted with a blade. Alto felt this method was more appropriate for the situation at hand. "I understand. I am your's to do with as you will Inessa. I am bound by my oath as your champion to protect you from harm and to slay your enemies, whomever they may be." Even if I have to protect you from yourself Alto added mentally. With the impromptu ceremony complete Alto rose from his kneeling position and offered Inessa a warm, yet confident smile. It was different from the assuring smiles he had given her earlier. Those were meant to ease troubled fears. This was a smile meant to invoke well placed trust and confidence. He would not let her down. He was the sort who'd die before that happened. He would also, certainly, never betray her. Likewise he would die by his own hand before he did that. There was that nagging feeling on the air though. That feeling of, "What did he want in return?" Was there even a catch to his loyalty? Alto himself had thought about it and decided that no, his loyalty was unconditional. No matter what path Inessa ultimately took he would walk it beside her. Even if he could not convince her to eventually abandon the grimleal he would follow her down that dark path into hell itself. Not because he loved her, not because she was hauntingly beautiful, not even because she reminded him of himself. No, his reason was simply because he wanted, more than anything else in the world, to be her friend; a true, honest, friend. Made by Zeref of THQ WORDS 784 TAGS Inessa NOTES They'd be such a cute couple.