• Solo • To Steal a Groom

[Zvezdana Venora]

43rd of Ymiden, Arc 716

“Again,” Zvezdana hissed, smacking the girl’s hand with the wooden fan she had brought with her. The girl winced, drawing back from her mentor. How could the woman be so cruel when she was just learning? She was trying her absolute best, but clearly, it was not good enough. Again she went through the motions, giving a flimsy curtsy before half heartedly opening up her fan and batting her eyes at her mentor. Zvezdana only rolled her eyes, exasperated by the fact that they had made no progress since she had arrived.

“Do you know what you did wrong there?” Zvezdana questioned, tapping the folded fan against the arm of her purple and blue dress. This was a classic outfit for her, and it was easy to maneuver in while still being considered elegant. The fabric was light, making it more comfortable in the hot weather of Burhan.

Teaching a ignorant, stubborn aristocratic brat on the other hand was not easy. The girl rolled her eyes back at Zvezdana, flapping her fan noisily to keep herself cool. “I do not particularly care what I did wrong. I did it, and that is all that matters.”

Smack.

This time, the wooden fan came down hard on the young woman’s head as Zvezdana perceived that remark as an insult. There were few as good as she when it came to court etiquette and politics. Those that were better than her generally touted that they were better, but they were also pig-like in every regard. They had married into the higher echelons of society, guzzling down the wine and sweet cakes from the fat belly of their spouses. Then they laid, pew-pewing babies out for the aristocrats that they had married. They produced similar, pig-faced children that had no idea what it was to work for something. Just like this arrogant teenage girl.

“Ow. You cannot do that.”

“Oh yes I can. Your mother pays me to do exactly that. I am your tutor. Now, answer my question.”

“My curtsy was sloppy. I did not have a stiff back, and that made me flimsy and unstable.”

“And,” Zvezdana folded her arms, waiting for the continued answer from her pupil.

“I did not unfurl my fan smartly. It took too long and dragged itself out. It needs to be snappy.”

“And…” Zvezdana was becoming inpatient.

“I batted my eyes to feverishly?” The girl was beginning to run out of responses.

“And?” Zvezdana’s eyes narrowed on the timid girl, who was starting to sweat. The girl began to fidget, opening and closing her fan nervously to get Zvezdana’s gaze off of her. It did not work. Zvezdana rolled her eyes again, deciding it would be better to give the answer that the girl was looking for rather than waiting all day. “You spoke back to me. Remember, girl, what position you have in society. The king and queen are always right. Beneath them are the members of their council and beneath the council are the noble houses. I am a member of a noble house. Aristocratic families are beneath us but above the majority of the population. If you can understand the hierarchy, you will be able to work your way up. Never talk back to someone above you. You will lose.”

The differentiation between the noble houses and the aristocratic houses were minimally different. The girl was not a descendant of one of the Sacred Seven. Zvezdana perceived that as an excellent delineation between the two. Both types were rich and were well known in society. Blood mattered in her eyes, and as a notable house, that made Zvezdana better.

“What if I am smarter than someone above me?”

“Can you prove it eloquently? Will you be able to battle with words against them? Or will you stand there stupidly while they walk away laughing at your ‘intelligence’ with goblets in hand. Those above you don’t care for scholars. They care for money, finery, food, and wine. If you wish to be a scholar, go to the university. Get out of the court.”

Word Count: 699

[Zvezdana Venora]

Slurp!

"That's unladylike..." Zvezdana sighed, setting her tea cup down.

"But it is fun. Did you not do that as a little girl Lady Venora? Did you not act your age because you could?” The little aristocrat smiled, slurping her tea again on purpose.

Smack. The wooden fan came down on her head again with a sharp sound. Her eyes squinted shut at the sharp pain atop her blonde hair. Once the fan had hit its target, Zvezdana waved it back and forth in front of her pupil's face. "I learned quickly that my tutor got more enjoyment out of hitting me than I did making fun of her."

The young girl sipped her tea quietly the next time, planning her next move. Zvezdana looked over the rim of her cup as she took another polite sip of her tea. There was something mischievous about this girl. She was too wild to be contained at this age. She needed to have her will broken to become tied down to the court. Just like her father and brother had done to her. After her 'initiation' into the family as a woman, she had never felt mischievous again. Instead she became the well brought up Venoran Rose that sat there today.

"Do you like being an adult?"

The question came out of nowhere. They had given up on practicing the curtsy and flirt routine to having a nice cup of tea and going through basic small talk. Zvezdana thought for a moment how she should handle this, but she figured she would bite. At least, this would give her some insight to what the girl was thinking. "Although this inappropriate conversation for a young girl such as yourself, I shall humor you. Of course I like being an adult. I am, therefore I must be."

"That's a crappy answer."

"Language," Zvezdana hissed. Humoring a conversation was one thing; condoning bad behavior was completely different. The tone of her voice signaled that the girl had crossed the line, and even she knew that correcting herself would be better for the raw spot on her head.

"My apologies Lady Venora. I do not approve of that answer. That is a generic grown-up answer."

"What would be a better answer?”

"That you miss being a child. That being an adult is not as fun or glamorous as you all say it is."

"That is the opinion of a child," Zvezdana started, taking a sip of her tea in between thoughts. "We all grow up sometime. We are born, we live, and we die. We must accept each stage we are in and move through life as such. I had my childhood. Now I am an adult and I should act as such. You had your childhood, and now you are in between. It is time for you to learn to be an adult, which is why I am here. You must grow up."

"No!" The teen stated firmly, slapping her cup down on its dish with a clatter. Zvezdana raised a brow and set her cup and plate down on the table. Instinctively she reached for the fan, ready to beat sense into the girl. Before she could grab the fan, the girl snatched it away, standing up in such a hurry that her chair was knocked backwards. Zvezdana closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath while she formed her next thought. When she was calm and collected, Zvezdana slowly stood up, opening her flashing blue eyes.

"Are you done?"

The woman stood there, huffing and puffing like she was about to blow the little pig's house down. The little wolf would be wrong again. She wouldn't be able to blow down Zvezdana’s brick house. Instead, Zvezdana closed the distance. Once again her strike was well timed and strong. Who needed a fan anyway when they had a powerful backhand? Her blow struck true across the girl's face. As the girl fell to the wooden floor, the fan clattering after her, Zvezdana could only stand there coldly. Sobs soon greeted her. She felt nothing as she stood there, the scene a mirror image of her own childhood. Except instead of her tutor standing over her, it had been her father.

"I do not want to be an adult. I do not want to forget my childhood and my friends. I do not want to forget being happy."

Silence followed for a short time as the girl cowered there on the ground. As the tension bled from the room, Zvezdana knelt down to pick up her fan. The girl remained on the floor with her face barely turned towards Zvezdana, her lip split open with a smear of bright red blood. Her blonde hair was not as neat as it had been and her face was red with tears and rage. Once the fan was in her grasp, Zvezdana stood up and began to walk away. Her words hung in the air as she closed the door.

"You'll get over it."

Word Count: 818

[Zvezdana Venora]

Zvezdana slipped into her room at the inn where she had taken up residence for the next few trials. Despite being surrounded by dense forests, Burhan was quite bright. The sunshine did little for her mood, having just come from a rather stressful tutoring session with a teenage Burhan aristocrat. The young girl had exhausted her. She was looking forward to a warm bath and a relaxing afternoon alone.

She retired to the bathroom shortly after arriving to her room. There, she soaked in the warm waters, contemplating what had brought her to Burhan in the first place. She had traveled to Burhan shortly after she returned to Andaris City from the Warrick tournament. Since it would have taken her many more days to get to Burhan on foot, she had forked out the coin to travel by air. It had been quite an interesting ride. There was something about the feel of a magnificent beast between your legs that was riveting. Then again, when they landed, she was quite happy to be back on the ground. Two and a half days traveling on the back of winged beasts was more than enough for her.

Since her meeting with Veljorn Burhan at the Warrick tournament, she had not been able to stop thinking about the older man. He reminded her of a man she loved when she was younger. She had never truly cared about anyone before meeting that boy, and she had been hopeful that one day they would marry. Then he disappeared. Veljorn was very similar to this long lost love, and she prayed that she would get to see him again soon.

She was going to make it known to Lord Veljorn that she was in the area, hoping that he might wish to meet her while she was here. She might even reach out to Elyna Burhan, one of her reluctant pupils. The young soldier was interesting, and she would love to learn more about the flying beasts if given a chance. A knock on the door sounded as Zvezdana was drying herself interrupting her thoughts. With a heavy sigh, Zvezdana opened the door wide, towel running along the side of her head as she worked to dry her hair. It was an inappropriate move for her as she was as naked as the day she was born.

The delivery boy gawked at her pristine, Venoran born body. Not a wrinkle in sight. Milky white skin covered every inch of her, with the occasional drop of water dripping down a curve. She was drying her long locks of hair, which clung to her shoulders and teased her perky nipples. A tuft of hair only hinted at treasures between her legs.

”I’ll take that,” Zvezdana purred, taking the letter from him before slamming the door shut in his face. Men were easily manipulated as they thought with their precious family jewels and less with their mind. It often got them into trouble with their pants down around their ankles. What irritated Zvezdana the most was that they thought even less with their heart.

Zvezdana tore through the wax Burhan seal, curious who would already know of her presence. Instead of being socially obligated with need to make nice with the noble family, she was pleasantly surprised to see Veljorn’s signature at the bottom.

I have been made aware that a Venoran Rose had come to Burhan. I would be honored to host you for dinner this evening. I will expect you a break before the sun sets. A horse and carriage will arrive before then to pick you up. I await your beautiful smile this evening. – Veljorn

She set the letter on the desk, looking at the dress she had originally picked out for the rest of the trial. The blue and purple was just not good enough for the plans she now had. Zvezdana was going to need a new dress and it was going to have to be beyond seductive to win a place in Veljorn’s heart. Especially since he was due to marry Lazuli. Zvezdana’s smile only got bigger.

Lazuli was not going to be hard to beat in seductive ways and excellent dress taste. She definitely had an edge in this game of hearts.

[Zvezdana Venora]

Zvezdana felt the rumble of the dirt road beneath the carriage as she was carried off to meet Veljorn. She sported a new red dress that she had picked up in town earlier that afternoon. The taffeta was not the fabric she would have intentionally chosen, but it was adequate at this time. Especially since it was available for wearing today versus in a a few trials or so. A custom dress took time, and she had little of that at the moment. She had spent some time with the seamstress, having areas taken in to make sure it accentuated all her curves appropriately. When she was done, the sleek red dress was practically perfection against the milk white backdrop of her skin. She had paid and left. It was easy. Zvezdana had barely made it back to the inn before the carriage was there to pick her up.

The carriage ride was not all that long, but Zvezdana’s anxiety grew with the closing distance. Her stomach was filled with butterflies. She was getting the chance to see Veljorn again. She had seen him only trials ago, but it felt like an eternity away. At the memory, she touched the inside of her wrist where he had laid his lips on her skin with care. She smiled softly at the thought. How she yearned for someone to care for her; to see her as a woman and not as an ambitious monster.

The carriage jolted to a halt and Zvezdana the butterflies in her stomach flying with more gusto than before. It was almost nauseating. The carriage driver got down, the suspension moving up and down as the weight shifted. He opened the door and offered a hand to his occupant. Zvezdana took it carefully, stepping down onto the paved walkway. Dusk was beginning to fall, and the heat of the day was melding with the coolness of the evening. Ymiden was one of her favorite seasons of the year, as the weather was far more comfortable than most seasons.

The carriage driver stepped back, intending to stay with his wagon. Zvezdana nodded politely before beginning to make her way up to the manor that she had been dropped off at. It was smaller than she anticipated, but Veljorn was lower on the succession tree for House Burhan. He probably was not entitled to as much land as his siblings. Her heels clicked on the stone steps as she approached the door, her skirts in hand to prevent her from tripping and falling on her face. Once she was standing at the door, she took a moment to inspect her being. Not a hair could be out of place. Zvezdana took a deep breath in, closing her eyes as she lifted her hand to knock on the door.

Her knuckles felt nothing but air. Zvezdana opened her eyes in shock to find Veljorn standing in front of her. How long had he been behind the door? Had he been waiting for her with as much anxiety as she? Was he excited to see her? The flurry of questions almost made her forget her manners. Almost. With another deep breath, Zvezdana collected herself. She lowered herself into a deep bow, dropping her gaze to the ground as she plucked up the middle of her skirts with grace.

”Lord Burhan.”

“Lady Venora. Please, come in. I have been expecting you.”

”I can tell. I did not even get the chance to knock,” Zvezdana stated with a coy smile. She slipped passed him, admiring the foyer as he closed the door. ”I was pleased to receive her invitation. I had hoped to see you again after our meeting at the Warrick tournament.”

Veljorn made no comment, and Zvezdana bit her lip. Maybe he was not as interested in seeing her as she suspected. Instead he offered his arm to her. She was obligated to take it, but she refrained from meeting his gaze. As he guided her out of the foyer, he patted the tips of her fingers that curled around his arm. “I am happy that you accepted my invitation. I was not sure if you would have time or what your purpose was for traveling to Burhan.”

She wanted to tell him that her purpose was more pleasure and the hope that she would get the chance to see him. That was wanted him to give up hope on the Lamb of Warrick. Lazuli was not cut out for him and he deserved a real woman. Instead, she said nothing. Her business was none of his business at this time.

“I hope you have come hungry. My servants have not had the luxury of serving someone else for a long time,” Veljorn state calmly, moving into the sitting room. Zvezdana’s gaze whisked around quickly to see if there was anything that would give her insight about the man before they sat down to eat. Only a portrait over the mantle of Veljorn, a woman, and a young child suggested that he once had a family. Before she could ask questions about the portrait, they were passing back out of the manor onto a small balcony that overlooked a small pond and a copse of trees just beyond it.

”I have not eaten since tea time with my student. I will not let your staff down,” Zvezdana purred, allowing herself to be led to a tall table that had been set-up on the balcony. Two tall chairs were set facing each other, the entire ensemble made of black iron. The legs were made to look like dragon talons and the heads of the beasts supported the white marble table top. Veljorn reached forward to pull the chair out, offering it to her. She took it graciously, sitting down as he pushed it gently under her.

Wine was poured for them shortly after he sat down. Candles flickered between them, glittering of the cutlery. The plates were white, rimmed in Burhan blue. They were probably an old heirloom, passed down along the family. Zvezdana lifted her gaze from the plates to inspect his face. The sharp, curve nose was the first feature she noted, centered on his angular face. His hair was curly and in a non-romantic setting, probably would have appeared unruly. Tonight, it just seemed natural for him. She finally set her gaze on his eyes. They were flat, with little life in them. It took her back. Had he suffered that much to forget what it was like to live? She felt her stomach drop like a stone to her pelvis. That was not the look of a suitor.

”Why did you invite me to dinner?”

He did not hesitate with his answer. “I want to know why you came to Burhan.”

[Zvezdana Venora]

Zvezdana stared at the cold-eyed man that sat across the wrought iron table. The way he asked the question insinuated that she was doing something underhanded, and she did not appreciate that. Not one bit. Had it been another person of lesser stature, she would have scoffed. Instead, she actually felt somewhat small under his gaze. She lowered her gaze in a guilty manor, which only fueled his suspicious of her. He imagined her as Cassander’s spy, ready to find out as much information about him and his plans. She, was nothing more than a hopeful girl seeking to impress upon him her desires.

“I came to see you,” Zvezdana started, twisting her fingers nervously. She peeked up to see how this affected him. His gaze was still cold. Again she looked away. Why was he getting to her like this? She was normally a spirited and aggressive in her behavior, and here she was acting like a pile of mush. Again she angled her gaze in a way to see what he was doing. They remained relatively unchanged, except now she saw something that irked her more so than suspicious.

Boredom.

This caused her to remember who she was. She was more than a pile of mush. She was entertaining and powerful. She commanded an atmosphere about her that captivated men and women alike. How dare he appear bored with her? With fire in her eyes, she straightened herself up and met his gaze like the equal she wanted to be with him. This stirred something within him, and he too straightened himself up, preparing for whatever was to come.

“How dare you invite me to dinner and then suspect me as some sort of spy? I do not know your plans or care about them? I simply came to Burhan in hopes that maybe you were interested in me as a woman. At least, more interested than your meek bride-to-be Lazuli,” Somewhere, deep down, Zvezdana truly cared for the woman. She also had to call it like it was. “I simply thought we shared a moment at the Warrick Tournament, or have you already forgotten the token that I gave you and the kiss on the wrist that you gave me?!”

She had not realized how heated her voice had gotten. Her fingers had moved from twitching nervously to gripping the red taffeta of her skirts. Now she was becoming angry, and that was not how she expected this night to go. As she fumed, he moved his hand beneath the table, most likely into a pocket of some sort. What he fished out, she did not expect. The bright Venoran pink of the handkerchief caught her gaze as he set it on the table. It contrasted greatly with the marble top. Her eyes grew wide.

“I think about that moment quite often; however, there are things in motion that you could not possibly understand. So let me enlighten you. Lazuli, as meek as she may be, is a Baroness of a great house. You are second in line to your brother, Alistair. You do not command armies and there is a good chance you will do no more good for yourself than marry low into another noble house. My plans are significantly grander than that. I aim for the throne of Rynmere. Cassander, with his dilute and exotic heritages should not sit upon the throne. He brought an alien wife to sit next to him and he spits on the faces of old blood. The boy king is not fit to rule. I aim to prove that and bring him to his knees. Lazuli provides me more in that endeavor than you do.”

Zvezdana was shocked. He was planning on taking the throne? He wanted to usurp Cassander’s rule and sit upon the throne? Deep down, the sane part of her was telling her to get up from the table and run. She needed to get as far away from that information as possible and spare her house of any affiliation with a rebel. The other insane part of her said to remain there and figure out how to make this work for her. Besides, when had her family ever cared about her interests? Maybe, when she was Queen, they would see her value. For once in her life, she would be better than Alistair.

That thought alone kept her in her seat.

“Do not mistake my ambitious desires for my carnal desires, Lady Venora. You are a strong-willed beauty, and I deeply desire you. You would make me a fine wife, and I could even go as far to imagine loving you to the bitter end; however, my needs outweigh my desires.”

“Then why not make your desires match with your needs.” The words dropped out of her mouth without even thinking. He paused, a quizzical look on his face. “You are correct in the facts that I have no title and no army. I could not offer you armies now, but you must think of your future on the throne. Lazuli would make a fine queen, but she would need lots of training. The court would eat her alive. She may be best in the short term to get you on the throne, but would she be able to keep you on the throne? Would she keep your attention long enough to keep your eyes from wandering to another lady of the court? Would you become wrapped in scandal because you did not love your queen?”

Zvezdana found herself sliding out of her chair. Her heels connected with the patio brick and she carefully paused to fix her hair when she stood. Her fingertips graced her collarbone as she brushed strands over her shoulder, drawing attention to her milky skin. “Already your thoughts turn away from her, and you are not even married,” Zvezdana purred, moving around the table to stand behind him. She leaned over his shoulder, reaching a hand up to stroke his angled jaw. Despite not making a noise, he leaned into her touch, closing his eyes partially.

She leaned forward to whisper what she believed to be the cinching information to draw him completely into her. “Would she bare you sons? She did not even desire your touch at the tournament, and you think she would be interested in bedding you?”

Zvezdana finished her circling until she was on his other side, being so bold as to push herself up into his lap. He did not move to stop her. Instead, he cradled her in an arm to prevent her from falling off the other side of his lap. She gripped his chin between her thumb and forefinger, lifting it to look her straight in the eye. “Believe me when I say I care for Lazuli. I know the girl, and she is far from your type. A loveless marriage for her would be your demise. Let me save you from a barren womb. Let me provide you the love you so desire and more. I may not have armies now, but give it time. I will see you on the throne,” Zvezdana purred, leaning in almost close enough to brush her lips against her, “my king.”

She had won, she could tell. His eyes were completely closed and something stirred under her lap that suggested that his desires were winning. Before he could let his sane mind take over, she had to cinch the deal. Pressing her bosom into his clothed chest, she gave him a coy smile. “Why don’t we just skip dinner and go directly to dessert?”

[Malcolm]

Zvezdana

Knowledge:
Teaching: Discipline is important
Intimidation: Do as I say not as I do tactics
Intimidation: Pick on those who can't fight back
Unarmed Combat: Backhand
Politics: Council members don't have as much power as nobles
Etiquette: Slurping is unladylike
Veljorn Burhan: Wrote you a letter
Veljorn Burhan: Thought you were a spy
Veljorn Burhan: Wants to take the throne for himself
Veljorn Burhan: Finds you attractive
Seduction: A new dress will do the trick
Seduction: Honesty is attractive
Lazuli Warrick: Not very seductive
Lazuli Warrick: Meek
Lazuli Warrick: Is a better match for a king than you
Persuasion: Find their weakness

Loot: n.a
Injuries: n.a
Fame: -2
Magic: These points cannot be used for magic.

Story: 5/5
Collaboration: 0/5
Structure: 5/5

Comment: Great story, I love that you didn't make it easy for her.