Private Tales Secret Getaway

A private roleplay only for those invited by the first writer
"Yee have little faith."

Arastan tried his best to inject a bit more levity into the situation. This negative thinking was not going to end well for anyone, but especially not them. The kiss that came suddenly was nice, but he could not enjoy it, not when he knew that Taliyah's heart was not in it.

"Have some faith in me...In fact, I'll go talk to her right now."

He suddenly jumped up from his lying position with a new determination in his eyes. Arastan quickly moved to throw on a shirt and not make himself look like he just woke up. "I'll be right back."

Before Taliyah could say anything, he was running out the door heading towards what would inevitably end in a loooonngggg conversation with his mother. As he opened the door, Taliyah would see that Melion stood outside the door on guard duty. Mel simply moved out of the way as Arastan went running off.

Taliyah
 
Taliyah just rolled her eyes as Arastan jumped out of bed and left the room quickly. As sighed and removed the blankets from herself. She was still wearing the dress from the previous day and she needed a bath badly. She slipped out of the Prince's room with a quick nod to Mel and headed to her own room.

She did not spend much time there but she still kept her clothing and her belongings in the place. She requested a bath and once it was drawn, Taliyah stripped off the dirty dress and stepped into the hot lavender scented water.

Her thoughts were quite intrusive as she tried to enjoy her relaxing bath and she eventually just closed her eyes to ignore everything.

Arastan Aellevanda
 
Taliyah would be free to enjoy her bath for several minutes until she heard a voice in the other room. Close enough to still be heard, but clear that the person had created space.

"You know...I thought you would have run away by now."

It was Melian who must have entered the room at some point.

Taliyah
 
Taliyah opened her eyes and then narrowed them. Why was Melian here? Sure, he had been in her room before but he had been invited then. This was slightly creepy especially with her being in the bath.

"Why are you here, Mel?" She asked from her spot in the heat. "You know I do not scare easily."

Arastan Aellevanda
 
"I know. Otherwise, I wouldn't have come. It would have looked bad if I got stabbed by the prince's lover while she was naked...I overheard the conversation from earlier...I'm glad to see you're not frozen."

His voice was steady, but there was definitely a tinge of sadness to him, maybe outright pity. Melian was considered one of the closest guards to the prince, having grown up with Arastan.

Taliyah
 
Taliyah flinched when he said the Prince's lover. That was all she would ever be but it still stabbed her in the heart. Would she be the Prince's mistress someday? The feeling in the pit of her stomach bubbled up and made her nauseous.

"You weren't the one that carried me back in, Mel?" She asked as she washed her body with some sweet smelling soap.

She just figured he was the only one who gave a shit about her besides Arastan.

"What did you come to say?"

Arastan Aellevanda
 
Mel chuckled at the first question, responding, "Me, no. You told me to leave you there after all. No, the prince disappeared a little bit during the dinner last night. No one noticed at first, and the Queen was about to send me out to look for him again. Thankfully, he came stumbling back into the room before I could leave."

There was a long pause after his first answer before he finally decided to ask his question. "Are you going to leave Tal?... I won't tell you what you should do because I have no idea, but...if you do...break it to him easily. He may always look confident, but we both know he is just...childish."

Taliyah
 
Arastan had come for her? Taliyah smiled softly at the thought.

"I do not know, Mel. I love him. I do not want to leave but..." She let out a long sigh and leaned back against the edge of the tub to rest her head.

"But I am nobody. Nothing. I do not think I can stay and watch him marry someone else. No, I know I couldn't."

This was the first time she had even thought about voicing these concerns out loud. She thought them a lot and they plagued her dreams but she didn't talk about her fears.

Arastan Aellevanda
 
Once again a long pause came before Mel spoke up.

"You're afraid of the Queen, which is fair. I would be too. Still, I think you aren't giving Arastan enough credit...So his mother doesn't like you. Do you really think he would marry someone else in front of you? Use you like some sort of concubine?"

Taliyah
 
"No!"

Taliyah found she was quick to yell out the answer to him in some sort of protest.

"I have the utmost faith in Arastan but he believes in his duty to the crown and family whether he likes it or not. It is there...that loyalty. If his mother gave him no other choice, I believe he would do as she commanded."

Arastan did not like doing his princely duties but he did them because of love and loyalty to his family and Kingdom. He would always choose those over a woman.

"Do you have some insight that you haven't shared, Mel?"


Arastan Aellevanda
 
"Insight? No, just some guesses. I just wanted to ask. Don't want Arastan to get hurt. Anyways, I'll leave you be. Sorry, for bothering you...By the way, I've delivered a dress for you. There is another dinner for our honorable guest...You have been invited."

Taliyah would then hear the sound of Mel's footfalls before the opening and closing of the door to Taliyah's room.

Taliyah
 
"I don't ever want to hurt him," she replied as he left. She wasn't sure if he heard her words or not.

Taliyah's brain had moved on to the next information. She had been invited to dinner. It had to be some kind of trick. Right? Yes. The Queen would let her come so she could see how out of her depth she really was.

Taliyah lingered in the tub a little longer until the water had gone cold. She got out and dried off before going to sit on her bed in a towel. She wasn't even sure what to do anymore.

Arastan Aellevanda
 
Time would pass, and Taliyah was free to sit or do whatever else she wanted. However, after a few hours passed, Arastan would slip into the room with a smile on his face...a tired smile, but still a smile.

He was dressed in the fineries that he often tried to avoid, but his dark green doublet with fringes of gold looked great on him. Arastan pointed at the dress that was laid upon the bed.

"Good, you got it...so, ready to enjoy the night?"

Taliyah
 
Taliyah, who was in a simple nightgown, just stared at Arastan when he walked into her room looking like the Prince he was. She closed the book she had been reading and stood from the couch.

"Yes but why am I being invited?" Her tone was lighter than earlier but it still held a slight sadness to it.

She places a kiss on her lovers lips before walking over to the bed to strip down and get redressed in the gown that awaited her.

Arastan Aellevanda
 
"What do you mean why? You did not get to come last night, and I thought it would be fun. Mom actually agreed with this one."

He walked over and wrapped her around her. "So, for the night, just enjoy it. Don't let her or anyone else get to you. It's just me and you."

Taliyah
 
Taliyah narrowed her eyes as she pulled the dark green dress with gold embellishments on. It was not lost on her that they were matching and that brightened her mood a little bit.

"Can you?" She turned her back to Arastan and lifted her hair to give him access to lock her into the dress.

Taliyah wanted to bite back at him that he was being naive if he didn't think his mother was up to something but she didn't. He was too excited to have her by his side tonight.

Once she was ready to go, she just turned and pulled him into a deep kiss. "I love you," she told him softly before she linked her arm through his.

Arastan Aellevanda
 
Arastan took a moment to bask in Taliyah's beauty. The dress looked perfect on her. He was only taken out of his thoughts and his grinning when she called for him.

He walked over and locked up the dress for her before turning her around. Before he could say anything, Tal had already pulled him into a deep kiss. When she finally pulled away. He responded to her declaration with his own, "I love you too."

"You look stunning."


Arastan added as she locked her arm in his. He would then guide her to the large banquet hall. The previous night had only been a small dinner featuring the royal family, their guests, and then advisors and the guest's entourage. Tonight's events looked far more like a party with several higher-ranking people from the city attending the event.

"You ready?"

Taliyah
 
"No," she responded. She had been to plenty of events but she had gone as his bodyguard, not his date. Her job then was to blend in and protect him if she needed to. Her job here was something she hadn't really done before.

"Yes, let's do this,"
Taliyah threw a smile up at Arastan as they entered the banquet hall.

Arastan Aellevanda
 
Arastan smiled and lightly squeezed her arm as they stepped into the room. Quickly, all eyes were on them as they were announced. Arastan's name was prefaced with several titles that he held. When it came time to announce Taliyah, she was referred to as 'Lady Taliyah'.

Arastan whispered in her ear, "We will have to get you some more titles later."

Most of the people in the room were looking at them, while also whispering about who knows what. If rumors spread as fast as Taliyah thought, then she could guess what.

Sitting and the front of the hall were the King and Queen both dressed in white. The King had a relaxed smile on his face as he looked at the two of them. The Queen had a picturesque smile, but her gaze never wavered from Taliyah.

Taliyah
 
Lady Taliyah.

It was nice and it felt weird at the same time. She looked at him when he said that he would have to get her more titles later. She doubted that would happen but she just smiled anyways.

"Your mother looks like she is going to kill me," she whispered as they walked towards his parents. His dad did look genuinely happy to see her though. That was something at least.

Arastan Aellevanda
 
"No, she always looks like that." Arastan smiled, not realizing how right he was. He waved to both of his parents as they made their way up to speak with them.

The King and Queen both stood from their respective seats. The King offered Arastan a hug and then offered Taliyah a hug as well. The Queen followed after, taking the time to politely tell Taliyah "I'm so glad you could make it this time."

She moved on quickly from her comment as she focused back in on Arastan. "Since you are...more aware of your surroundings than last night. I expect you to properly interact with House Miagella this time...Speaking of which. Here they are."

The Lord and Lady of Miagella, stylized as the Duke and Duchess of their city was currently being announced. Coming in after they were two elven ladies that seemed to be about the age of Arastan and Taliyah. Each of them was dressed in light blues and greens. They were the picture-perfect image of a 'princess'. Both pristine and well-tailored, much like the Queen herself.

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Taliyah
 
"I wasn't invited before," Taliyah said back quietly to the Queen with a smile still on her face. No one else would hear it.

She, possessively, hooked her arm back through Arastan's and watched the Lord, the Lady, and their two gorgeous daughters enter the room.

Taliyah immediately felt self conscious. They were what she was supposed to be and what Arastan was supposed to be with. Her hand tightened on his arm but she kept her chin high.

Arastan Aellevanda
 
Arastan squeezed back in acknowledgment and put his hand on Taliyah's arm. The two twins made their way over to speak with Arastan and Taliyah, while the King, Queen, Duke, and Duchess moved away to discuss other events.

Both of the twins offered polite bows to both Arastan and Taliyah, but Arastan was the first to speak.

"Emra, Myra, it's good to see the both of you again. It's been too long." He offered his own bow but was reserved due to Taliyah being on his arm.

One of the twins giggled, Emra it seemed. "You saw us last night Aran. Although, I'm sure you don't remember much of that." She playfully chided him.

Taliyah
 
Taliyah curtsied to the best of her ability with her arm in Arastan's.

The giggle. The nickname. The joking. The feeling of wanting to throw up.

Taliyah was jealous of these women. They knew him for so much longer than she had and their skin was flawless. It was perfect and brilliant while she was covered in scars. Her face was the worst and it couldn't be covered like her others.

It was a true, real reminder that she didn't belong here.

Arastan Aellevanda
 
"Anyways, let me introduce you both to Taliyah. And Tal, this is Emra and Myra. We've known each other since we were little. Although, it has been a while."

Arastan looked at Tal expectantly, hoping that she was saying something and interacting with his friends. The one that had spoken first Emra seemed a lot more forward and friendlier offering her own curtsey. The other twin, Myra was shy preferring to stand behind her sister. She kept shooting glances at Arastan with almost a sad look.

Taliyah