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Post by Deleted on Mar 11, 2018 6:01:28 GMT -5
Ardyn pushed aside the main door with a wave of his hand, deftly stepping into the strange castle he'd come across. He'd merely sought shelter from the pouring rain but imagine his surprise when he found such an impressive, opulent structure in his path. Yet, it seemed deserted. The man absentmindedly ran a finger along his chin in shallow thought before stepping deeper into the depths of the keep. With each step, the sound of his echoing footsteps only caused the corners of his mouth to edge up further and further. No, he couldn't be so lucky as to have found an uninhabited stronghold- there was something else afoot here. He could practically taste the darkness radiating through the profaned halls. Something dark lurked within... a kindred spirit of sorts.
Following the trail of darkness brought him to the throne room, and as soon as he crossed it's threshhold, he brought his arms up to either side and gave a little twirl, chuckling slightly like a giddy tourist. "If only that camera boy were here. I could immortalize this moment on polaroid. The decour, the atmosphere- most exquisite!" He let his arms limply fall back to his sides as he turned to face the woman seated upon that most regal of thrones, eyes widening at first in surprise, only for his expression to settle into the usual small smirk he usually sported. "Ah, my apologies! I imagine you must think me quite rude to intrude upon you like this. Allow me to introduce myself."
With that, the man pulled off his hat and held it out to the side with a flourish, his free hand pressed against his chest as he offered a deep bow. But as he leaned over, thin tendrils of darkness began to seep out of his very body, the wispy ropes intertwining in the air above him. "Ardyn Izunia, at your service." He slowly raised his head, letting the woman see his eyes glow golden before he continued with his slow, gravely tone. "I must admit, I am intrigued. I am too far removed from any station of import to be able to judge you so, but if you were to ask the unworthy man who stands before you whom the fairest in all the lands are, I would be hard pressed to say that there are any who can hold a handle to your brilliance. We have just met, yet, I find something about a woman who can wield such power, such authority to be... intoxicating."
He rose from his bow, setting his hat back on his head at a slight cant, either not noticing or caring that it was as lopsided as the grin he flashed the Queen before him. "But I ramble. Might I beseech you for a room for the night? The weather outside is quite frightful... and I'm sure that if you would allow me the pleasure of your company for a bit longer, we could have a very productive conversation. Perhaps even a role within your Queendom, hm? But of course any such decision is entirely your choice, I am but a humble servant at your feet; yours to command if you would have me."
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Post by Deleted on Mar 12, 2018 20:55:01 GMT -5
The Evil Queen had been unsuccessful in locating her wretched step daughter. The girl she had recruited to locate her stepdaughter was also in the wind. Why was she cursed with these pathetic ingrates as servants? Not even her mirror was quite sure where anyone was, quickly blaming it on his weakened state. The mirror was the only one that would be forgiven for their failure for he had been nothing but loyal to a fault. Unlike her ungrateful groveling fool of a hunstman. He had always been nothing but trustworthy. However, when met with as beauty greater than her own, they seemed charmed into helping her over the Queen.
Grimhilde needed a soul that was more powerful and devoted to her. Faithful to the queen for simply realizing her beauty and power surpassed all others in the land, even if the mirror wavered on her true beauty. Yes, Snow was much younger than she. But that did not mean that she was more beautiful that her step mother. The slave in the mirror was mistaken and she was more than delighted to prove such facts. If anyone else could hear her thoughts, they would know that she was trying to reason with herself. The jealousy and envy that dripped from the queen when she thought about the raven-haired siren. The woman that had turned her huntsman and men alike against her.
Men were far too fickle.
With a silent growl and left her mirror to sit in silence to dwell on its mistakes before making her way back to her throne room. The rain making the day that much more solemn to match the mood she was in. Lauriam was just like the rest, she was sure. Though, he could see the beauty in things. On the same hand, he was also simply a man. One that could easily be turned against her as well. The queen would take the salmon haired man to the meeting the Maleficent had planned and she would wash her hands of him. It was beginning to seem like she would have to do everything herself. That was the only way she could ensure that things were done properly.
As she took her rightful place on her throne, another being entered. The queen had been so obsessed with her own jealousy and anger that she had barely noticed the being wandering her castle as if it was his own. How dare he. The man would be severely punished for his heedless audacity. As the queen began to delve into his punishments, the being before her finally noticed her existence and began to speak. Luck was on his side as she had not simply acted on her impulse to cast him straight from the castle.
An expression of surprise appeared on the man's face before the corner of his lips curled ever so slightly. Grimhilde simply watched, the displeasure already plain on her face. There had been no attempt to hide her feelings. However, his next action and words were the factor that changed her initial thoughts. He certainly knew what to say to get the queen's attention. The compliments oozed from his lips as he gracefully bowed, his hat removed respectfully from his head as he had. His eyes flashed as brightly as her mirror glistened for a moment as she studied his actions and listened intently to his words. This Ardyn Izunia was quite the smooth talker. It was apparent as he vocalized her beauty without being asked. The queen raised her head a bit at his compliment, a touch of amusement reflected on her lips as he attempted to charm the queen. It had worked. The queen was quite interested in learning about this mysterious being that had simply strolled into her castle out of the rain.
The compliments and flattery that dripped from his mouth were like a catalyst for her already overstimulated sense of narcissism. The queen would not decline his company as he was more than welcome to praise her beauty as well as her power. Lauriam had been very open in expressing that he did believe her as half as powerful as she truly was. It was simply that she preferred to avoid expelling her own energy if she could help it.
Ardyn stood tall again, his hat placed back gently on his head as he requested a room for the evening due to the treacherous weather before feeding her vanity once more. The man seemed quite eager to be graced with a moment of her time and seemed to practically beg to fill the position she was already discussing with herself to fill. It was a few moments of silence before she finally spoke in response to the very charismatic man.
"I suppose that such an egregious error could be overlooked, even in light of your transgression.... Sir Izunia, was it?" She asked as she watched the man with such a curious expression. It was not often that she was caught this off-guard. "I am confident that we can find a place to lie your head for the evening. With that very well-versed attempt at flattery, I would be foolish to decline such an offer. We can discuss things more at length over a meal that I am sure a wanderer such as yourself could use." She expressed. However, Ardyn had already conquered half the battle. The Queen had fallen for his charm. Vanity was a deadly sin and it was her greatest weakness. This weakness had opened a normally closed door for Ardyn.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 12, 2018 21:32:18 GMT -5
[attr="class","iconimage"] I'm dressed to kill and you know that I will
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ We're dancing in the dark with my hands around your heart |
Yet Ardyn was fearless. He merely clasped his hands, grinding the palms together as if for warmth as he smiled again. "A meal sounds like more than I could have ever hoped for. I'm certain that the table scraps barely fit for your dogs are far finer fare than I am used to." Again, technically the truth. Ardyn did not need to eat, and so he generally chose to avoid the effort. But he was certainly capable of consuming food should he so desire, and he would gladly do so in this case if only to keep up appearances. He reached up to tip his hat towards the woman followed by a small wink. "I do not mean to boast, but in a past life I was an... advisor of sorts. I do hope that my current state of unemployment does not cause you undue concern- for you see, the man whom I served fell deathly ill on one fateful day and was unfortunately no longer able to perform his duties. His replacement... shall we say... we did not see eye to eye."
He offered only an exaggerated shrug before blading his body, letting one arm hang behind him while he raised the other towards the Queen, a gesture that meant nothing more than displaying Ardyn as an animated speaker. "In exchange for all of this, I would be glad to prove my worth to you. If I may be so bold, please think of the most pressing issue that faces your Queendom today, and we shall see if I cannot resolve it for you as a display of good faith... and to show you that I am not but a mere wordsmith, as I have many other talents that you might find useful as well." Of course he planned on betraying her, that was without question. But Ardyn was an ageless, immortal being. Whether his betrayal would come tomorrow, in a year, or in ten thousand years was to be determined. After all, he could not lay claim to the Queen's lands without the people's trust, and that would take quite a long time to build. So for the time being, he would prove loyal enough, he needed only to be given the opportunity to prove it.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2018 18:36:09 GMT -5
The queen was not at all trusting of the man, but she was not going to throw him out of the castle. He had already caught her interest with his entrance. It was bold and he had said all the right things. If she was a suspicious woman, she would have thought either Snow or Lauriam had sent the man to her door. They were the only two that knew of her existence. Then again, only Snow White knew her downfalls and weaknesses. It was plausible that she had charmed a man into doing her own bidding. The Queen would just need to keep up her guard until she knew his true intent. That would be a question to asked her mirror. He would be fully aware of this man's intentions. Though, she may need to solve whatever riddle he may pose.
Ardyn spoke about the meal before explaining that he used to be an adviser of sorts. That was not a position that she needed filled. She had just mended her mirror. He would always be her adviser until the day of her untimely death. He was the only thing that she would give her complete trust to. He had never led her astray and she doubted that he ever would. It was simply his entire purpose.
"Sadly, the position of an adviser is quite filled." She responded to the man as she watched him. If he was someone that could be trust, then it was possible that he could be of some assistance. She could use someone to escort her off world to more diplomatic ventures. He seemed to have the speech and confidence to do such a job.
The queen did not add to her previous statements or address his full speech. She had no reason to do so. He was simply explaining his current predicament and it wasn't all that interesting to her. So his previous lord or whomever he served had past and the new ruler had a better choice of adviser in mind. It was simple to comprehend. She herself had done the very same. Her late husband had past and she removed his adviser almost immediately in place of her own. That's when he made his offer of resolving any issue that she was having at the moment. There was only one issue that she was having. "I can assure you, I already have someone off handling that issue for me. I've had enough men fail me on this particular mission. So, my trusting a task such as that to someone I barely know is not something I'd wish to do. Otherwise, I must say that I don't have any other problems." She explained. "Now, you are welcome to pick a room on the east side of the castle to rest your head....or you can have one of the castle servants do that for you. Dinner should be in just over an hour." She planned to use the time that he left to attend to his sleeping arrangements to consult her mirror on the man.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 20, 2018 21:49:49 GMT -5
[attr="class","iconimage"] I'm dressed to kill and you know that I will
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ We're dancing in the dark with my hands around your heart | The Queen explained that she already had an adviser, and to that he could only offer a small grin in response. "But of course. It would have been foolish to expect you to place so much trust in a stray dog that merely turned up on your doorstep amidst the howling wind and stinging rain." Though he had to wonder about this adviser of hers. Were they appointed such because they were a mere yes man that knew how to stroke the Queen's ego, or were they truly competent? As the woman continued, he was immersed in his own thoughts, absentmindedly brushing his fingers over his scruffy chin. She wanted him to return in an hour in preparation for the promised dinner, but of course the Queen wouldn't be making the meal herself- she likely she had some other matters to attend to in the interim. Private things that she would rather he not be in attendance to see. If he had to guess, she planned on calling forth this so-called adviser and explain the situation with Ardyn to them, to see what their opinion was before coming to a final decision regarding his usefulness. And that conversation would be interesting.
When the Queen finished, the man clasped his hands together with a curt nod. "Of cooourse, your majesty." His usual speech pattern was slow and involved dragging on certain vowels but he ramped it up a bit more than usual for dramatic effect. He bowed low at the waist, taking a few steps out while sweeping his arms in front of him. "I shall use this time to... make myself presentable, as it were." When he rose, he touched his pointer fingers together and gestured forward with them. "Hmm... north? Then..." He shifted left, then right. "Aha, east!"
With that he began strolling towards the hallway that he believed led to the residential section of the castle. But just before he passed out of sight, he parted with one final remark: "And thank you again for your immeasurable mercy. I should endeavor to ensure that you do not regret it." He offered a toothy grin before finally stepping into the darkness of the hall, folding his hands thoughtfully behind his back as his smirk remained plastered on his face. He would allow the Queen a few moments to herself, and then double back so that he might be able to catch a glimpse of this adviser of hers. Hopefully they wouldn't disappoint.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 11, 2018 13:00:10 GMT -5
The queen watched the man with his flattering words leave. She waited a moment before moving to the adjourning room where her mirror hung gracefully on the wall. The only being that knew of the mirror's repair was Lauriam. The others that had destroyed him still believed that he was gone and no longer a threat. But with this mirror, she was going to be an even larger threat than she originally was. All she had wanted was the death of Snow White. Now, she wanted that as well as revenge for the suffering she was put through. It may even be in her best interest to attend that meeting with Maleficent now. The sorceress would certainly be able to direct her towards the blue haired keyblader and anyone else that had hindered her from getting her happy ending.
As she approached the mirror, she spoke aloud the words necessary to wake him. "Slave in the magic mirror, come from the farthest space, through wind and darkness I summon thee. Come Forth, I beacon thee."
It wasn't very long until flames appeared in the mirror, not showing the woman's reflection anymore. The mask appearing as the flames were doused. It bowed it's head simply. "My Queen....What wouldst thou know?"
The queen nodded as the faceless being in the mirror waited for a question to be asked. "As I know you are aware, a man name Ardyn Izunia has come to offer his assistance. I want to know your opinion on accepting his help. Who is he? What do you know, mirror?" The mirror watched the queen closely before speaking the puzzle.
"Once a savior with a wretched portrayal, he was subject to the ultimate betrayal. An event that was out of his hand was one that cursed his entire land. The result casting his heart into darkness, growing a bit coarse but not lacking the usual sharpness. A warning, my queen, one you must heed. He is not one that will bleed. When consciousness dwindles and the body fades and simple guile turns turns to false pretense, more than is realized will be recompense. If such payment is worth the good turn, then his intentions are not of concern."
The Queen listened closely to his words as the mirror spoke. So, the man was betrayed and cursed and left for the darkness. That made him an ally to start. But, the warning was confusing. The woman furrowed her brow as she contemplated the words. "What do you mean by your warning, mirror..." The mirror didn't reply and this frustrated the queen. She knew what that meant. It was something she would need to solve and understand on her own. It wasn't until the mirror's attention turned to another being in the room that she shook her head. "Are your actions a result of your insatiable curiosity or blatant disregard for my hospitality?" She knew he would have some sly words to apologize for his error in judgement. "Or do you care to elaborate more on what my mirror has already told me?"
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