Midnight cousins whispering through the night, divulging stuff! 6/16 1 am, Rosalie/Ramira

[Ramira Letalis]

Midnight cousins whispering through the night, divulging stuff! 6/16 1 am, Rosalie/Ramira

Ramira tossed and turned, trying to sleep, but it was no use. The whole scene played through her mind again, and again, and again. She just wasn't able to find any reprieve from it.

"Tomorrow I had planned on riding out in the morning to watch the sunrise. It's been so long since I have been able...I invite you to join me... I find that I'm really enjoying your company and would like to see you again…"

"Watching the sunrise is a splendid way to start the day." with you she had wanted to add, but didn't..."And I am honored to accept your invitation..."

They'd parted ways soon thereafter, and Ramira couldn't lie—she had enjoyed their dance and he'd been a complete gentleman. Then again, it would have been highly improper to behave otherwise.

Rex swept her up soon after, holding her close and leaning down to whisper in her ear as they danced.

"Did you like Lord Donovan Castell? Does he appeal to you? Can you see yourself sharing his bed, spreading your legs for him, and catering to his every whim?" Rex huskily and inappropriately whispered, his lips lightly brushing across her earlobe, as if he were producing a mental image of her in bed with Donovan. Ramira gasped, trying to catch her breath in obvious shock. The words and her stupid cousin were hitting too close for comfort.

Nonetheless, Rex continued. "I certainly hope so because soon you'll find yourself as his wife," Rex hissed into her ear. Ramira was barely able to say anything as her tongue froze, his breath, hot with words, tingling across her ear. She struggled to free herself of Rex, but couldn't break away since he held on tight. She wanted at least the opportunity to glare at him, but he didn't give her so much as an inch to move, his hands wrapped like a cinch around her waist. She knew she'd bruise and it aggravated her even more.

"When did this happen?" Ramira spat in return, still trying to push free and at least give herself a few inches of space. Rex didn't grant her any such grace, but kept his hands firm and hard about her thin waist, his fingertips digging into the soft skin beneath her flowing skirts. It became painfully obvious he had no intentions of leaving her unmarked.

"About two days ago...maybe even yesterday. I can't rightly remember," Rex replied, still twirling his cousin about the floor, reveling in her distress and pain, and grinning evilly from ear to ear. Oh, how nice it was to play chess with the lives of others.

"Does he know?" Ramira asked, feeling her face flush, giving up the fight and knowing she was defeated already, physically as well as emotionally.

"Of course he knows," Rex shot back, still whispering in her ear and making no motion to release her yet.

"Let go. You're hurting me," Ramira pleaded softly, feeling the touch of tears welling in her eyes. Gods no! She didn't want to cry here...she couldn't! She wouldn't let Rex see that he won. Regardless, Rex ignored her pleas and continued with his onslaught of words.

"He was at our meeting, and he accepted my offer, even though he didn't know who you were. Hopefully you left a good impression on him, eh? Whatever he wants...you give it to him, no questions asked. Woe unto you if you fuck this up for me--you'll be praying to the gods for mercy," Rex finished, finally releasing his bruising hold on Ramira and bowing, signaling the dance was over and he was finished with her, a cynical grin cracking his lips. Ramira returned the curtsey, her face marred with terror and unspilled tears, and without another word, made her way to the powder room in a rush.

Gods, if she could replay the dance with Donovan, she'd definitely have not made mention of riding then swimming. She might have changed several other comments she made. Ramira couldn't even remember everything she'd discussed with him. And stupid Rex--he'd left ten perfectly round bruises on her hips, obviously on purpose, by digging in his fingertips.

Sighing, Ramira rolled the other way. And now, she'd accepted Donovan's early morning invitation to ride and watch the sunrise. He promised a chaperone, which was very lordly of him, even though technically one wasn't required. Fear rolled in the pit of Ramira's stomach as thoughts raced through her mind. She knew marriage was her duty, as a woman and as a Letalis, but she hadn't expected it so soon. There were plenty of ladies older than her and still single! Gods, Rosalie was still single and a year her elder! How did she get away with it?!

"Rosalie?" Ramira whispered, wondering if her cousin's feet were walking a path of the dreamworld yet. "Are you awake?" Ramira whispered lightly. She hoped Rosalie was awake, so they could talk. Then again, Ramira hoped her cousin was sleeping so she had an excuse to go to sleep herself. Donovan was expecting her in a few hours anyway for their morning ride. It wouldn’t do for Ramira to show up exhausted without a lick of sleep.

[Rosalie Mallory]

Rosalie dozed, her brain wandering across everything that had happened to her lately. It wasn't a whole lot, but some good had come. She had sent a letter off to her sister, and she had in return promised to send her a horse from her stables. So soon she would have her own mount to use, and that in itself would make her life happier. she was looking forward to spending her free time riding, away from all the drama and politics of travel and court. She was tired of all the prancing around, the he said she said, the lords waving their titles around in giant 'mine's bigger' contests.

She was very nearly dreaming, her lids heavy and her senses turned inward, when a sound started dragging her back. "Are you awake?" I am now..., she thought, but instead she turned and sat up, leaning on her elbows. "Yes, I'm awake. Are you alright?" Her voice was still thick with sleep, but her cousin's voice seemed so worried that concern had her mind alert.

[Ramira Letalis]

"No, not really," Ramira answered, allowing a small breath of relief out, glad Rosalie wasn't actually asleep. The room, even in the darkness of night, still had a slight glow within as light from the moon filtered through the flitting, gauzy curtains. The windows had been left open by the servants and considering it had been blazing hot that day, the mountain wind rolled down off the slopes, cooling the room with each flicker of the curtains.

Ramira rolled over, propping herself upon her elbows. The soft yellow glow of the moon gave her just enough light to see Rosalie's bed a short distance away. It seemed her cousin was still lying down. No wait, she was up on her elbows too, her dark hair shadowed about her face.

"Did you hear what Rex did?" Ramira started, replaying the dance she'd shared with her cousin earlier that evening, over and over again in her mind. His words were disturbing, but the fact that he cared so little for her feelings irritated her even more. She wasn't just going to lie on her back and let Donovan take her before they wed. Was Rex crazy!?

"He's promised me to Lord Donovan Castell," Ramira whispered, almost a hiss actually. Servants had ears like bats and the last thing Ramira wanted was a servant hunting for her words in the dark and knowing her little secrets.

"Just like that...sold me like a piece of land," Ramira added, snapping her fingers to further accentuate her irritation. "Did he make any such plans for you?" she wondered.

[Rosalie Mallory]

Rosalie's mouth dropped open as she heard of what her brother had done. She quickly stood, pulling one of her blankets around her shoulders, and scurried over to her cousin's bed so they wouldn't have to speak as loudly. She plopped herself down at the end, curling up into a ball to keep warm in the breeze. Sure, it had been a hot day, but she was from a warm climate! Nights always had her scrambling for her blankets.

"It is his job to marry us off like cattle," Rosalie said, her words venomous with her hatred of the situation women of court were in, "but knowing Rex he told you in the most tasteless of fashions, right?" Her brother was not one for tact, and he loved exerting control over people in obvious fashions.

After a moment the weight of what Ramira had said sunk in. "He's actually betrothed you to someone...and a Castell! I haven't heard of Lord Donovan before, is he a lost sibling? A cousin, maybe, to have the name...and that would make sense, actually, two lords' cousins. Is he awful, have you met him?" She wondered if the match Rex had made for Ramira was at all like the one her older sister was made to endure, once upon a time. She dearly hoped not.

"I doubt Rex would tell me if he had any plans for me, honestly. I haven't heard anything from anyone, though. Which is good, I suppose...there's nobody at court I'd care to see in my bed. Not that what I'd want would play into it...were that the case I'd still be out of luck, so I'm at a loss either way. But enough about that, you must tell me everything! What did Rex say? And what of this Donovan character?"

[Ramira Letalis]

"Tasteless is putting it mildly," Ramira confessed, frowning at the mere thought. "And Lord Donovan is actually a cousin to Lord Victor Castell," Ramira continued, trying to answer Rosalie's questions before she flew off on a tangent of vengeance.

"What is this? You'd be out of luck?? You must share!" Ramira added, sitting up in bed and crossing her legs before her and pulling the blanket up and over her shoulders as she scooched down the bed to be closer to Rosalie.

"But since you asked first, I'll tell you what your jerk of a brother said," Ramira hissed, thinking back to the conversation. "Well, I should rightly start first with what happened just prior. I ended up in the arms of Lord Donovan, whether by accident or purpose, I cannot say. Don't get me wrong—he was charming, and handsome to boot. We shared some words, probably something I shouldn't have shared about when we go swimming if it's too hot, but anyway," Ramira said, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks at the thought of their conversation. She had to look away before she gathered her thoughts to continue once more.

"Anyhow, he invited me to ride with him tomorrow morning to see the sunrise, and of course, I accepted. I mean, he promised a chaperone, so I thought it couldn't hurt, right? Oh gods! He's just so...I can't explain it!" Ramira whispered light as a feather, her words floating in the darkness, filled with admiration and adoration.

"Moving on, we ended up parting ways and the next partner was Rex. He started whispering in my ear, of course, so nobody would hear. Gods strike him dead if anybody heard what he spouted!" Ramira said, irritated at the mere thought. "He said, 'I hope you can see yourself spreading your legs for Lord Donovan because you'll soon be his wife,' or something along those lines. Can you believe that?!" Ramira spewed, throwing her hands up in the dark air.

"Oh, and it gets better," Ramira added, lowering her voice again and leaning in towards Rosalie. "Then he goes on to say that whatever Lord Donovan wants, I better give to him, no questions asked! As if I'm going to lay down on my back, hike up my skirts, and let Donovan have his way with me before we're even married!" Ramira continued, her voice a hiss barely above a whisper.

"And here's Rex thinking I'm going to mar the Letalis name if I don't give the man what he wants! Oh, then he said, 'Woe unto you if you foul this up for me'," Ramira added, ashamed to actually use the words Rex had used with her. It wasn't lady-like. Well, then again, neither were she nor Rosalie with the way they rode horses on the islands and ran through the waves naked as heathens.

"He told me I'd be praying to the gods for mercy if I mess it up," Rosalie finished with her stupid cousin and his retorts. Now, she had to move on to answer Rosalie's other questions.

"And as for Lord Donovan...I don't really know him all that much, just that he's a cousin of Lord Castell. Oh! He reads poetry! Isn't that romantic?!" Ramira asked, folding her hands and holding them tight against her chest. "He's a knight that reads poetry. Maybe he'll give me flowers too? Wouldn't that just be the icing on the cake!?!" she whispered, almost giggling and feeling her cheeks flush red. True, Ramira couldn't deny she was smitten with him from their dance, and she definitely wanted to get to know him better. Who knew? Maybe this was the man the gods had sent as answers to her sincere prayers of salvation.

[Rosalie Mallory]

Rosalie took in all her cousin was telling her, her mouth dropping open at what her brother had done. Sure, she couldn't say she was surprised, but that seemed a little low even for him. "He really said that to you?! God, but he's a fucking knob sometimes...."

Hearing Ramira speak of her betrothed gave Rosalie some hope, though. At least it sounded like her cousin would be happy in her marriage. "He doesn't seem that bad!" she said, a grin on her face. "Sounds like you have quite a fondness for him already. A romantic knight, eh? Who knows, he may be the sort to bring you flowers, write you poetry, bring you gifts from his travels. Can you imagine? How wonderful would that be!"

A pang of jealousy shot through Rosalie's heart, but she kept it well hidden from her face. Although she never fancied herself a romantic, having a man who had a sensitive side was certainly better than having one who didn't care whether you came or went. Although it seemed strange Rex would pair any Letalis with a man who was at all soft...Letalis men were supposed to be strong, rugged, manly; not read poetry and dote overmuch on their wives. Although perhaps the fact that Lord Donovan was a knight overrode that? Or maybe just his title as a Castell was enough to make Rex overlook any downfalls he may have.

"I'll have to meet this Lord Donovan sometime; if he's to be stealing you away from me, he'd better not mind having me as a houseguest frequently! Having you away from Strom will be awful...I'll have to convince Rex that the best way for me to obtain a husband would be to stay with you on the mainland." She winked at her cousin, trying to keep the melancholy from her face.

"Now, as I'm sure I'm not going to get away with not telling you about this, I shall do so now. I say I would be out of luck because in one of the prior cities I met a man whom I would gladly take to the altar and to my bed. He's gentle and funny, a valued lord, humble and devoted and kind. He loves horses perhaps as much as I do, and he has a hunger for learning that I respect quite a bit. But despite all that it very much seems like he could find things to spread over library tables besides books, if you catch my drift." A lewd smirk rested on Rosalie's lips before fading slowly as her mind moved on to the next point in her story.

"There's only one catch. It's not that Rex finds him inappropriate for me to marry, nor is it that his ruling lord has a similar opposition. Instead, it is that I have come to him too late. He already has a wife." She sighed. "She's the daughter of the Curtenay house...you may remember her. You might not, though; she was a bit lacking in the personality department."

She chuckled a bit, biting back some harsher things to say about the lady of the Leiham household. Having little knowledge of her, she tried to remain neutral, but it was difficult given the interactions they'd had. "Fletcher and I were dancing at a ball, in much the sort of dance where you met your Lord Donovan...he was the only partner I had the entire night who seemed to have any personality at all. The rest were the usual...uninterested in you and anything about you, asking the same questions over and over. He and I actually had a conversation, a real one, and it was marvelous to let down the mask we all have to wear at a ball. However, it seems when his mind gets a little overwhelmed, his feet lose track of themselves. I may have said something a little too forward, or maybe I didn't, I don't even remember at this point. All that matters is he got flustered, be it of his own doing or mine, and he tripped. In the middle of the gods and everyone at the ball, he tripped over his own two feet and fell flat on top of me!"

She laughed, remembering the moment with a good bit of embarassment, even to this day. "He apologized completely, and I of course fled to the powder room for pretty much the rest of the ball. And I did apologize to his wife, because she seemed to think it was my fault that he fell on top of me, like I willed it to happen to disgrace her or something." Her distaste for the woman was obvious by the venom that filled her voice as she went on. "I tried to say it was nothing but an accident, but I still got the ice queen treatment...she could give Regina a run for her money in that department, let me assure you. I was good though, and didn't start any more of a fight...although I tell you I could have gladly broken her nose right then and there."

Rosalie laughed and shook her head, sighing a bit. "But I suppose pining after him is going to do me nothing but harm. Who I want means nothing to anyone but me, and you never know...maybe someone better will come along."

[Ramira Letalis]

"Rosalie!" Ramira whispered fiercely, although she couldn't suppress her laughter as her hand rose to cover her mouth. Rosalie was such a rebel, and nobody could blame her—the role models she had were none other than Rex and Regina Letalis, probably the worst older brother and sister anybody could have been cursed with.

"You know the servants are always listening!" Again, Ramira couldn't help but laugh at her older cousin. "I do hope that everything with Donovan turns out splendidly though. It would be an absolutely nightmare otherwise..." and I've already had my share of nightmares.

"And I love gifts! You know how I always look forward to Rollo's homecoming because he always brings me a book," Ramira smiled, tiny dimples developing in her cheeks before disappearing as her smile faded. The moon's rays still penetrated through the gauzy curtain, shifting as the curtain flitted in the intermittent breeze. "I'm sure you'll be most welcome whenever I may call home," Ramira added, just wondering if she was to be the lady of the house or not. She wasn't exactly sure if Donovan lived on the main estate or not. Celeste was the true lady of House Castell, but if Ramira was to live in another location, the responsibility might fall to her.

Then Rosalie shared her story about Fletcher. Ramira nodded and listened intently, laughing as was appropriate, especially at the whole I-could-have-gladly-broken-her-nose-right-then-and-there comment. Leave it to Rosalie to tell the uncoated truth.

"This must have been while I was sick in Solbra then?" Ramira asked, thinking the dance Rosalie was referring to was probably one at the ball in Castle Argent. "Gods, it just makes me mad to know I missed so much! I can't believe his wife! And I'm not really sure what she looks like. I may have been too young, or I might not have been in the main estate when her family visited," Ramira offered, wracking her brains but still unable to think of the face of a former Curtenay that moved to the mainland. She was probably too young anyway.

Of course, Rosalie wouldn't have come in to tell her all this after the ball. Ramira thought back to that whole week in Solbra. For some reason, she'd come down with a terrible illness that had lasted all week. She had thrown up her food the entire time and Ramira attributed it to the food in Solbra. Then again, she wasn't too bad in Alska, but she couldn't be sure what it was.

"And you're right—pining after a married man will get you nowhere and I can only imagine what your brother Rex would say to that. For your sake, I hope somebody better comes strutting along, and fast, lest you end up like Regina. Gods! How awful! Married off to old fart Del Tornna! Could you imagine?! As much as I hate the entire concept of arranged marriages, I'm glad that I've been promised to Lord Donovan. I know it could have been much worse," Ramira added, trying not to sound so drab. Rosalie didn't deserve Regina's fate, by no measure.

"There have to be other eligible bachelors out there. Maybe Rex just hasn't found anybody that suits his fancy. That's so absurd that our husbands have to tickle his fancy, isn't it?" Ramira asked, her voice barely a hiss towards the end, obvious contempt, that may have been hidden at one point, surfacing.

"And I guess aside from him, you haven't even seen anybody else that's worth a second glance, eh? Maybe Rex has somebody better in store for you? An actual lord, and not just a cousin?" Ramira asked, wondering for a moment how she'd gotten so lucky. Status wasn't everything to Ramira. In fact, it meant next to nothing if she didn't feel loved.

[Rosalie Mallory]

"If there are servants listening to us now, may the gods be kind to their souls should their lips flap of anything said, for I shall find them and make them wish that they had never found themselves with the ability to hear or speak." Rosalie's voice raised in volume as she let her threat out into the night, the menace thick in her tone. Aside from looks, it was usually difficult to tell that she was from House Letalis simply by how she acted; sometimes, though, it was very obvious what blood ran in her veins.

Her face and voice returned to normal after a moment of silence, giving any servants who were unwise enough to have been eavesdropping to flee the scene. "You don't have to worry about not remembering her...she's quite a forgettable woman anyway. I'll point her out when next we're togther and she's around. I'm sure she'll be at a ball or wedding or whatever we're forced to go to next."

She thought on her sister's fate, her awful marriage, and shuddered. "I desperately hope I'm not suck in Regina's position. To be married to something as old and floppy and unseemly as that...ugh. It turns the stomach. Although I suppose then he wouldn't care what I did, and if he did so much as care he wouldn't be able to chase me down if I decided to ride away for the entire day."

"There are probably more eligible bachelors out there," she said, her eyes wandering to rest outside the window to the town. "They might not be attending these events, or who knows, there are so many people we could be missing them completely. Although Rex might be content with having married off one of the women at his disposal, for now. If there's one thing about my brother that surprises me, it's his luck...he could be biding his time to see if something will fall into his lap like his own wedding did."

[Ramira Letalis]

Ramira nodded in absolute agreement with all of her older cousin's words. How right she was, about the stupid servants, Regina's disgusting marriage and dumb-dumb Rex and his foolishness. Gods, Ramira uttered a silent prayer that Rex found something suitable and happy for Rosalie. Regina had pretty much deserved her fate for being such a massive bitch, but Rosalie was a bird of a different color.

"I can't imagine Rex marrying you off to somebody's cousin. Even a bannerlord's first son would guarantee your children's status as lords, instead of servants to the lord's commands," Ramira whispered, thinking much the same of her own position. Donovan was just a cousin, and her children would be cousins still, marked to serve House Castell for all future purposes. Status wasn't priority on Ramira's mind—getting off of Strom was.

Just then a cold blast of wind raced through the window, whipping the gauzy curtains in its fury. "Gah!" Ramira exclaimed, pulling the sheets tighter still about her shoulders. "I'm just glad Donovan doesn't live in Alska!" she muttered, glad that Vadra was slightly warmer since it was further south.

"I'm guessing we should probably try to get some sleep," Ramira added, realizing the moon had withdrawn its light from the room, obviously setting in the late hour, leaving their chambers in opaque shadows. "I need to be up before the gray of dawn tomorrow," Ramira confessed, already feeling exhaustion setting in as she wondered if she'd actually be able to rise at such an ungodly hour. The worst part was, she wasn't tired in the least and she couldn't even produce a yawn, be it fake or real. The night promised to be long.

[Rosalie Mallory]

"I think Rex's own pride is all that stands in the way of me being married off to anyone's cousin or fifth son or what have you. But I think so long as he's not an awful person, I don't have much opinion on station. If I'm not a banner lord's wife, there'e way less work involved. Can you imagine trying to plan one of these stupid visits, for example? Not my idea of fun."

Rosalie cringed just thinking about it, and then that cringe turned to a shiver as the cool night air rushed in on top of them. She gathered up her blankets around her and crossed the floor to the window, closing it a little more against the breezy night. "You're lucky indeed that Donovan doesn't live up north, or in the mountains somewhere. Imagine the winds you'd get if your home were up on a cliff somewhere! You certainly wouldn't be riding your horse in your unmentionables then, now would you?"

Crossing to her own bed, Rosalie situated herself back down, rearranging her blankets and reclining a bit. "You're right...if you're to meet Donovan tomorrow before the sun is up, you'd better get some sleep. We can't have you meeting your future husband with bags under your eyes!"

She started to settle in, but after a moment sat up again. "And, my dearest cousin, if you find yourself with any doubt to his intentions for a chaperone, wake me when you leave and I'll follow a good distance behind you. That way if anything happens you can raise a shout, and I'll hear and come to you. It's most likely unnecessary, but I feel the need to offer anyway."

[Ramira Letalis]

Ramira nodded, laughing lightly at her cousin's words, glad that Rosalie had enough sense to pull the window pane a bit closer in, blocking out the stronger breeze. "Technically, we shouldn't even be riding around in our petticoats anyway...you know how they all say we're heathens on that island and the last thing we need to do is prove them right," Ramira chuckled.

She situated herself in bed, wrapping the blankets about her and rubbing her bare feet together to generate a bit of warmth since they currently felt like blocks of ice. Ramira couldn't sleep with cold feet and right now, they were freezing.

Rosalie's last words got Ramira to thinking. "I don't doubt his intentions of a chaperone. But even if the chaperone didn't show up, I still don't feel like Donovan is a threat. At least, it's not the feeling I gathered when dancing with him. He seems too romantic for that," Ramira swooned, hugging her hands to her chest and smiling as she laid bundled up. "Night," she whispered to her cousin, trying to close her eyes and sleep. Yet, sleep evaded her. Cold feet kept her awake and Donovan running through her mind kept her brain from any mental rest. It just wasn't fair.