(So. First meeting for the cousins, Destiney and
Lance. Since my characters cannot actually ever meet each other in game,
of course, I wrote this for them.)
Destiney quickly tucked away her journal as she finished the last lines for the entry she was working on. The fact that someone was knocking on her door had her curious. Chee and J'siris usually didn’t bother knocking and waiting. They usually just knocked then came in. Whoever was at the door today wasn’t them. She didn’t usually get visitors at her personal home. It wasn’t an address she openly gave out. This place was an escape from all the chaos and activity in her life. Her one safe haven from everything.
What she hadn’t been expecting was the handsome elezen on the other side. She was pretty sure she had never met this man before. His darker skin tone almost made her mistake him for a duskwight at first. But the racial cuffs on the ears marked him as a wildwood. His hair was raven black with what appeared to be dark blue highlights in places. Faint freckles dotted his cheekbones right below his summer sky blue eyes. She found herself speechless as she stared up at him.
“Destiney? Destiney Delvanguard yes?” He asked as he bowed politely to her. Even an Ishgardian accent touched his voice.
“Yes. Who are you?” She finally managed to find her voice to ask the young man before her. The accent had set her on edge. It had been the douse of cold water she needed when staring at a handsome elezen man. She knew very few people in Ishgard. He was not among those. Very few of those she even knew there could be counted among those she trusted. So what brought this man to her doorstep then?
“Lancefer, Knight in service of House Haillenarte. May I come in?”
Destiney stepped aside as she held the door open for him to come in. She had not missed his lack of a last name. Curiosity won out over caution though. There was no one she remembered among Haillenarte. Never before had she interacted with anyone from the High Houses. Not even a knight of one. She had always kept her time in Ishgard limited after her five year stay had ended years ago. Only returning as needed for information or items bartered from a trader there. Not even returning to visit her aunt. Though she did send letters at times to let her aunt know she was still alive.
Thankfully the recent remodel of her kitchen allowed for better space to deal with guests. Mostly because she had been tempted to invite members of the company by sometime. Most definitely a few of them at the very least. She had already had Felix over once. Along with his friend Rowan. It had just been a few nights ago actually.
Lancefer picked a chair not far from the doors, placing his gauntlet clad hands on the back but didn’t sit. He looked anxious and nervous though he did hold himself well without fidgeting. As if whatever he had come here for, was bad news. Or at least news he was unsure how she would take. Destiney didn’t take her eyes off him though as she moved around the counter into the kitchen. The more distance between them the better. Not that there was much room for escape if needed. Especially being in the kitchen. Still the space between them an the counters made her feel a fraction safer to deal with the Ishgardian in her home.
“What can I help you with, Ser Lancefer?” Destiney asked as she grabbed a bottle of white wine off the cupboard shelf before turning her attention back to him. There was no way she wished to take her eyes off him for long. His sword and shield were not drawn but that did not make him any less dangerous. Her bow was downstairs on her desk as she had not expected needing it. As was her soulstone so there was no way to call Daisy to her aid. Fingers reached into her pocket to brush against her linkpearl. At least that much she never left just anywhere. It was also on her person.
“This… This is hard to explain.” Lancefer said with a sigh as he ran a hand through his dark hair. He finally let go of the back of the chair and began to pace. “After speaking with both Lady Miu and Lady Dusk… They both thought it time I come clean to you. That I come speak with you. I beg you to hear me out until I finish what I have to say though. Will you?” He looked at her with pleading eyes as he stopped his pacing for a moment.
“Lady Dusk? You know Dusk?” Destiney frowned as she looked at him. Lady Miu was a name she had not heard before but she only knew one Dusk. It made her feel she needed to be extra cautious now if the Dusk he spoke of was the one she knew. Though it also made her want to find out the truth. Surely if he was dangerous Dusk wouldn’t have suggested he come speak to her. After all Dusk kept trying to warn her of Leera because she thought the duskwight was dangerous. Granted Leera was dangerous in a way but he had never proven a danger to her yet.
“Lady Dusk of the Order you belong to yes. I have…” He hesitated as he took a deep breath as if to try an ease the tension of his body. He could see the way Destiney had tensed up as he confirmed that they were talking about the same Dusk. “I… have been speaking with various members of your company. For a while now actually. Raiden. Oni. Lady Tara. To name a few. I dined with them for a brief time at the beginning of the week even. They knew the truth an have held their tongues on the matter because I pleaded for them to do so.”
“Held their tongues on what matter? Get to the point.” Destiney said with a frown as she gently placed the wine bottle down on the counter behind her. She no longer trusted herself to hold on to it. Afraid she may either throw it or drop it. Almost wished she had a seat in case she needed it with whatever this knight was about to tell her.
“Please hear me out until the end. At first what I have done is because of orders on behalf of my grandfather. But as time went on my motivations changed. My reasons for doing what I have done have changed. Fury take me… I even battled Raiden on behalf of those motivations. Before the eyes of Halone herself outside the gates to Ishgard…” A heavy sigh as he resumed pacing once more as his story slowly unfolded. “I lost gloriously to Raiden. I never stood a ghost of a chance. I thought… thought you were safe with members like Raiden to watch your back.”
“Safe? Safe from what?” Destiney struggled to remain patient. She found his words to grate her nerves. Why had he challenged Raiden? What was she supposed to be safe from? Interally she was screaming for him to get to the point. However she knew screaming an getting angry would do little good. It was obvious whatever this knight was trying to say was difficult. He wanted to make his point with as many details as possible.
“From my grandfather. Our grandfather.” His eyes met hers. He held his breath as he watched her for any sign. Any sign of what she was likely to do. When she just stared at him in confusion he pressed forward. His words came quicker now. Hurrying to make his point before she had a chance to toss him out of her house without finishing. “My name is Lancefer Aurifore. I am your cousin. Grandfather at first sent me to spy on you an report back to him. Looking for any weakness he could use against you. Once I learned you were my cousin though… I started to defy his wishes. I fed him false information. I fought Raiden for your safety. He… Doesn’t have the best of reputations among the knights but it is not my story to tell.”
“Wait… What? Grandfather… That…” Destiney sucked in a sharp breath as she gripped the counter behind her. Her eyes stared down at the floor beneath her feet. She felt like a rug had been ripped out from under her. She had had no interactions with the old bastard since she had left Ishgard. Gladly had she kept it that way. Neither one of them wanted to be family to one another. Yet this man in her home was calling himself her cousin. She felt angry and confused all at the same time.
“I tried my best to work from the shadows. To keep anything that might damn you as a heretic from reaching grandfather. But… I am a knight not a spy. I have a certain amount of honor to uphold. Haillenarte has already fallen too far without me adding anything worse to their reputation.” His pacing stopped again. Once more his hands gripped the back of the chair nearest to him. His gaze was downcast. “Both Lady Miu and Lady Dusk insisted this farce needed to end. That I needed to come clean an speak with you. I… You are my family. I cannot stand by an allow this continue. To allow this all to spiral out without you knowing what sort of danger might lurk in the shadows. Please…”
His words seemed heartfelt. That was what struck Destiney the most. Never before beyond her aunt had anyone from that side of the family reached out to her. To most of them her mother was an outcast. An she a half-breed bastard. Yet here was one claiming to be different. To actually be trying to warn her. Grandfather having a desire to brand her a heretic was actually not very far fetched. She didn’t like the man an he certainly didn’t like her.
“If you can not trust my words alone… If you have reason to distrust me… Speak with Raiden or Lady Dusk. Or even Lady Tara. Please. Even if you toss me out right now… Please just believe me… All I want is to keep you safe.”
Destiney felt at a loss for words. Every name of an Order member was someone she trusted. Even if she was not currently on good terms with Oni. It still said something if those people had trusted him enough to keep his secret. It explained the occasional feeling of being watched.
Family. The gods were offering her another piece of a family. A piece she had never known till now. Could she trust his words rang true? Could she really just accept his words for what they were? Haillenarte… It was one of the decent High Houses. One she had always thought to be far more noble then those monsters of House Dzamael. Maybe his words could be trusted.
Raiden had fought with him an allowed the man to live. He had walked away from a battle that could have very well killed him. If Raiden had allowed him to live… There must be some shred of truth to his pleas. Which struck another cord in her. After what she had watched Oni and Raiden to be capable of… They had allowed someone who had clearly attacked them to walk away alive.
Her hands clenched as she tried to decide how to react. Slowly she reopened her hands and finally looked up at him. His head was still bowed as if waiting for her judgment. Part of her was angry, furious even. Part of her felt sympathy towards him. Her heart was tugged in various direction of emotion as her mind tried to sort through the information in a reasonable fashion. How dare he assume she needed his protection. How dare he spy on her! Yet… He was reaching out to her now…
Destiney stalked from the kitchen over to where Lancefer stood, still not looking up as she approached. Her hands met his shoulders, shoving backwards. With a clatter of metal, Lancefer found himself on his butt staring up at her with wide startled eyes. Destiney crossed her arms over her chest as she looked down at him with a frown.
“How dare you assume I need your protection. How dare you stalk me from the shadows yet call yourself a knight. How dare you assume I want any contact with anyone in the Aurifore family.” Destiney began. Her voice was firm yet the anger was held at bay. Slowly she dropped her arms from where she had crossed them. A hand stretched out to him. “Get up.”
He stared at her dumbfounded and speechless. First she had shoved him and scolded him. Now she was offering her hand out to him. Demanding he get back to his feet. Her expression was hard for him to read. He took her offered hand, getting back to his feet with her assistance.
“I appreciate your concern but I can protect myself… Most of the time.” A tug at the corners of her mouth was the first sign of true emotion since that frown had faded into a blank look. “I will give you a chance. One chance. If you screw up, you will never bother me again. If you are truly as honest as you have made yourself sound… Then… Welcome to the family?”
Lance felt his eyes would pop out of his head as he listened to her words. He threw his arms around her without thinking, hugging her tight. She squeaked in protest at the sudden hug by a man she didn’t really know yet. He quickly pulled back with a sheepish smile.
“Sorry… I was expecting worse. Like things thrown at me… Or spells. Halone have mercy.” He laughed nervously. “I am… Overjoyed that you are going to give me a chance. I have never been close with my siblings. I have been… the black sheep of the family since the day I joined Haillenarte.”
“Well then…” Destiney looked around at her kitchen, eyes settling upon the bottle of wine. “Tell me about it over a drink? You already know more about me then I know about you.”
“Ah… Tea maybe? You do drink tea yes? I am afraid I have duty later this evening. Alcohol would not be wise.” Lance said as he removed his sword and shield, leaving them near the door.
“Tea it is.”
Destiney quickly tucked away her journal as she finished the last lines for the entry she was working on. The fact that someone was knocking on her door had her curious. Chee and J'siris usually didn’t bother knocking and waiting. They usually just knocked then came in. Whoever was at the door today wasn’t them. She didn’t usually get visitors at her personal home. It wasn’t an address she openly gave out. This place was an escape from all the chaos and activity in her life. Her one safe haven from everything.
What she hadn’t been expecting was the handsome elezen on the other side. She was pretty sure she had never met this man before. His darker skin tone almost made her mistake him for a duskwight at first. But the racial cuffs on the ears marked him as a wildwood. His hair was raven black with what appeared to be dark blue highlights in places. Faint freckles dotted his cheekbones right below his summer sky blue eyes. She found herself speechless as she stared up at him.
“Destiney? Destiney Delvanguard yes?” He asked as he bowed politely to her. Even an Ishgardian accent touched his voice.
“Yes. Who are you?” She finally managed to find her voice to ask the young man before her. The accent had set her on edge. It had been the douse of cold water she needed when staring at a handsome elezen man. She knew very few people in Ishgard. He was not among those. Very few of those she even knew there could be counted among those she trusted. So what brought this man to her doorstep then?
“Lancefer, Knight in service of House Haillenarte. May I come in?”
Destiney stepped aside as she held the door open for him to come in. She had not missed his lack of a last name. Curiosity won out over caution though. There was no one she remembered among Haillenarte. Never before had she interacted with anyone from the High Houses. Not even a knight of one. She had always kept her time in Ishgard limited after her five year stay had ended years ago. Only returning as needed for information or items bartered from a trader there. Not even returning to visit her aunt. Though she did send letters at times to let her aunt know she was still alive.
Thankfully the recent remodel of her kitchen allowed for better space to deal with guests. Mostly because she had been tempted to invite members of the company by sometime. Most definitely a few of them at the very least. She had already had Felix over once. Along with his friend Rowan. It had just been a few nights ago actually.
Lancefer picked a chair not far from the doors, placing his gauntlet clad hands on the back but didn’t sit. He looked anxious and nervous though he did hold himself well without fidgeting. As if whatever he had come here for, was bad news. Or at least news he was unsure how she would take. Destiney didn’t take her eyes off him though as she moved around the counter into the kitchen. The more distance between them the better. Not that there was much room for escape if needed. Especially being in the kitchen. Still the space between them an the counters made her feel a fraction safer to deal with the Ishgardian in her home.
“What can I help you with, Ser Lancefer?” Destiney asked as she grabbed a bottle of white wine off the cupboard shelf before turning her attention back to him. There was no way she wished to take her eyes off him for long. His sword and shield were not drawn but that did not make him any less dangerous. Her bow was downstairs on her desk as she had not expected needing it. As was her soulstone so there was no way to call Daisy to her aid. Fingers reached into her pocket to brush against her linkpearl. At least that much she never left just anywhere. It was also on her person.
“This… This is hard to explain.” Lancefer said with a sigh as he ran a hand through his dark hair. He finally let go of the back of the chair and began to pace. “After speaking with both Lady Miu and Lady Dusk… They both thought it time I come clean to you. That I come speak with you. I beg you to hear me out until I finish what I have to say though. Will you?” He looked at her with pleading eyes as he stopped his pacing for a moment.
“Lady Dusk? You know Dusk?” Destiney frowned as she looked at him. Lady Miu was a name she had not heard before but she only knew one Dusk. It made her feel she needed to be extra cautious now if the Dusk he spoke of was the one she knew. Though it also made her want to find out the truth. Surely if he was dangerous Dusk wouldn’t have suggested he come speak to her. After all Dusk kept trying to warn her of Leera because she thought the duskwight was dangerous. Granted Leera was dangerous in a way but he had never proven a danger to her yet.
“Lady Dusk of the Order you belong to yes. I have…” He hesitated as he took a deep breath as if to try an ease the tension of his body. He could see the way Destiney had tensed up as he confirmed that they were talking about the same Dusk. “I… have been speaking with various members of your company. For a while now actually. Raiden. Oni. Lady Tara. To name a few. I dined with them for a brief time at the beginning of the week even. They knew the truth an have held their tongues on the matter because I pleaded for them to do so.”
“Held their tongues on what matter? Get to the point.” Destiney said with a frown as she gently placed the wine bottle down on the counter behind her. She no longer trusted herself to hold on to it. Afraid she may either throw it or drop it. Almost wished she had a seat in case she needed it with whatever this knight was about to tell her.
“Please hear me out until the end. At first what I have done is because of orders on behalf of my grandfather. But as time went on my motivations changed. My reasons for doing what I have done have changed. Fury take me… I even battled Raiden on behalf of those motivations. Before the eyes of Halone herself outside the gates to Ishgard…” A heavy sigh as he resumed pacing once more as his story slowly unfolded. “I lost gloriously to Raiden. I never stood a ghost of a chance. I thought… thought you were safe with members like Raiden to watch your back.”
“Safe? Safe from what?” Destiney struggled to remain patient. She found his words to grate her nerves. Why had he challenged Raiden? What was she supposed to be safe from? Interally she was screaming for him to get to the point. However she knew screaming an getting angry would do little good. It was obvious whatever this knight was trying to say was difficult. He wanted to make his point with as many details as possible.
“From my grandfather. Our grandfather.” His eyes met hers. He held his breath as he watched her for any sign. Any sign of what she was likely to do. When she just stared at him in confusion he pressed forward. His words came quicker now. Hurrying to make his point before she had a chance to toss him out of her house without finishing. “My name is Lancefer Aurifore. I am your cousin. Grandfather at first sent me to spy on you an report back to him. Looking for any weakness he could use against you. Once I learned you were my cousin though… I started to defy his wishes. I fed him false information. I fought Raiden for your safety. He… Doesn’t have the best of reputations among the knights but it is not my story to tell.”
“Wait… What? Grandfather… That…” Destiney sucked in a sharp breath as she gripped the counter behind her. Her eyes stared down at the floor beneath her feet. She felt like a rug had been ripped out from under her. She had had no interactions with the old bastard since she had left Ishgard. Gladly had she kept it that way. Neither one of them wanted to be family to one another. Yet this man in her home was calling himself her cousin. She felt angry and confused all at the same time.
“I tried my best to work from the shadows. To keep anything that might damn you as a heretic from reaching grandfather. But… I am a knight not a spy. I have a certain amount of honor to uphold. Haillenarte has already fallen too far without me adding anything worse to their reputation.” His pacing stopped again. Once more his hands gripped the back of the chair nearest to him. His gaze was downcast. “Both Lady Miu and Lady Dusk insisted this farce needed to end. That I needed to come clean an speak with you. I… You are my family. I cannot stand by an allow this continue. To allow this all to spiral out without you knowing what sort of danger might lurk in the shadows. Please…”
His words seemed heartfelt. That was what struck Destiney the most. Never before beyond her aunt had anyone from that side of the family reached out to her. To most of them her mother was an outcast. An she a half-breed bastard. Yet here was one claiming to be different. To actually be trying to warn her. Grandfather having a desire to brand her a heretic was actually not very far fetched. She didn’t like the man an he certainly didn’t like her.
“If you can not trust my words alone… If you have reason to distrust me… Speak with Raiden or Lady Dusk. Or even Lady Tara. Please. Even if you toss me out right now… Please just believe me… All I want is to keep you safe.”
Destiney felt at a loss for words. Every name of an Order member was someone she trusted. Even if she was not currently on good terms with Oni. It still said something if those people had trusted him enough to keep his secret. It explained the occasional feeling of being watched.
Family. The gods were offering her another piece of a family. A piece she had never known till now. Could she trust his words rang true? Could she really just accept his words for what they were? Haillenarte… It was one of the decent High Houses. One she had always thought to be far more noble then those monsters of House Dzamael. Maybe his words could be trusted.
Raiden had fought with him an allowed the man to live. He had walked away from a battle that could have very well killed him. If Raiden had allowed him to live… There must be some shred of truth to his pleas. Which struck another cord in her. After what she had watched Oni and Raiden to be capable of… They had allowed someone who had clearly attacked them to walk away alive.
Her hands clenched as she tried to decide how to react. Slowly she reopened her hands and finally looked up at him. His head was still bowed as if waiting for her judgment. Part of her was angry, furious even. Part of her felt sympathy towards him. Her heart was tugged in various direction of emotion as her mind tried to sort through the information in a reasonable fashion. How dare he assume she needed his protection. How dare he spy on her! Yet… He was reaching out to her now…
Destiney stalked from the kitchen over to where Lancefer stood, still not looking up as she approached. Her hands met his shoulders, shoving backwards. With a clatter of metal, Lancefer found himself on his butt staring up at her with wide startled eyes. Destiney crossed her arms over her chest as she looked down at him with a frown.
“How dare you assume I need your protection. How dare you stalk me from the shadows yet call yourself a knight. How dare you assume I want any contact with anyone in the Aurifore family.” Destiney began. Her voice was firm yet the anger was held at bay. Slowly she dropped her arms from where she had crossed them. A hand stretched out to him. “Get up.”
He stared at her dumbfounded and speechless. First she had shoved him and scolded him. Now she was offering her hand out to him. Demanding he get back to his feet. Her expression was hard for him to read. He took her offered hand, getting back to his feet with her assistance.
“I appreciate your concern but I can protect myself… Most of the time.” A tug at the corners of her mouth was the first sign of true emotion since that frown had faded into a blank look. “I will give you a chance. One chance. If you screw up, you will never bother me again. If you are truly as honest as you have made yourself sound… Then… Welcome to the family?”
Lance felt his eyes would pop out of his head as he listened to her words. He threw his arms around her without thinking, hugging her tight. She squeaked in protest at the sudden hug by a man she didn’t really know yet. He quickly pulled back with a sheepish smile.
“Sorry… I was expecting worse. Like things thrown at me… Or spells. Halone have mercy.” He laughed nervously. “I am… Overjoyed that you are going to give me a chance. I have never been close with my siblings. I have been… the black sheep of the family since the day I joined Haillenarte.”
“Well then…” Destiney looked around at her kitchen, eyes settling upon the bottle of wine. “Tell me about it over a drink? You already know more about me then I know about you.”
“Ah… Tea maybe? You do drink tea yes? I am afraid I have duty later this evening. Alcohol would not be wise.” Lance said as he removed his sword and shield, leaving them near the door.
“Tea it is.”
No comments:
Post a Comment