Rules of Engagement (Celvi)

[Grand Duke Alexander Redwood]

The grand duke’s discomfort eased with the rolling of her eyes. She wasn’t going to prattle on about weddings and marriage after all, thank Runnori. He would have run away for certain, as cowardly as that might appear. Underneath his shell of honor and duty there was a very real sense of self-preservation in Alex, although contrary to common assumptions he would much rather run toward the battlefield if the alternative was the court. For all that both were founded on strict hierarchies, at least corporals didn’t try to marry captains for an advance in rank. He much preferred an environment where the title of grand duke got him respect as a commander and not the attentions of marriage-minded ladies.

He snorted at her next words. “I bet her highness won’t be pleased,” Alex remarked. Unlike Celvi, his cousin couldn’t slip away without being noticed. He rather suspected that the princess would make her ladies participate in the seeming torture with her. It was hard to say for certain – they hadn’t been close for years. It sometimes made him sad to realize the one person who might understand how he felt was on the outs with him. It was partly his own fault, Alex being too committed to the ideals of honor and duty to accept the spoiled behavior of his cousin, but that very behavior made her unfit to confide in. How could someone who shied away from duty understand the burden of it?

Speaking of which, as much as he might sympathize with her sentiments, he couldn’t let her think he approved of such behavior. As his father had constantly reminded him, a noble is a paragon of virtue, exemplifying a dedication to duty, and must not be seen to smile on dereliction. “I’m sure you know them back to front, anyway,” the grand duke said. “As dry as they or these might be,” he indicated the book she held, “one can’t run away from duty.” She probably knew this, of course, but it was best to say it anyway.

Of course the very next minute she reminded him of a time where he had demonstrated less than exemplary behavior, even if he had only been eleven at the time. Should he come clean? It was a minimal offense, as such things went, but the late grand duke had never discriminated between degrees of offense. “They’re not good at all, I promise you,” he said despite his better judgement. He raked his hand back through his hair. It was finally drying from his bath earlier, changing from dark blond to the brighter royal hue that marked him out in a crowd.

“You might as well look,” Alex said finally, giving up. Clearly she was going to look now that he’d brought it up and he’d rather witness than imagine at this point. He cringed a little inwardly. The tiny bowmen, while stick-like, had been drawn well enough in his opinion, but his attempt at horses… well, suffice to say when his father had discovered his handiwork he had not recognized them as such. He prepared to cover the embarrassment that was sure to creep over his face.

[Celvi Gray]

The topic of marriage wasn't a light one for Celvi either. It reminded her too much of the odd encounter with her aunt in the very same library, where she had not only learned an entirely new side of Dagmara, but also that the same wished her to be married soon – and one of the men she had been talking about was now with her in this room!
Of course, even considering the Grand Duke as a match was a very far fetched castle in the air, but did that make it any better?
Back then, she had even blushed at the mentioning of Alexander Redwood's name, but now that she had had the chance of talking to him for such a long time, she prayed it would never come this far! He was so far from anything she ever wanted her husband to be like – not that she expected to be asked…

Reminding her of Christabel was another way of making herself extremely uncomfortable. Sooner or later she would notice Celvi's absence, and shirkers were one of the many kinds of people the princess could not stand.
"You can bet on that, Mylord", she sighed. "She will probably force me to do something very embarrassing if she finds out, so be sure to be there and watch."
It was the sort of cruel little games the Princess sometimes liked to play when she was in a very bad mood. Showing someone: I can make you feel bad just because I can and you can do nothing to stop me. These moments were rare, thankfully, but they were dreaded.

Celvi frowned at his next words. Alright, she could be a shirker from time to time, but that didn't mean she had no sense of duty! Duty and manners were the things hammered into her from the earliest age possible, and sometimes she just couldn't stand so much as the sound of those words. To be now lectured about them again was almost too much to bear with a calm demeanour. Still, she decided to leave the truce intact, if strained.
"You're right Mylord I know them back to front, and that's why I sneaked away for a little while", she stated coolly. "I never intended to stay here so long, the returning of the book would have been an affair of two minutes, easy to explain. Now I might be in bigger trouble, but I didn't plan to do so!"

She was now all but sure the drawings had to be his own, and his hestitant capitulation only underlined that notion. Well, she wouldn't have needed his permission if she wanted to look at them later anyway, but this was even better.
"Let me be the judge of that, Mylord!" she said with what she hoped was a reassuring smile but nothing more. Sweet Runnori, this was like walking a tightrope!
Curiously she opened the book and leafed through the pages, in search of the first drawing. There it was! Cocking her head she examined it closely. Really, it wasn't that bad! She wasn't sure if her preperatory drawings for her embroidery patterns had been any better when she was young – or even now!

Turning a few more pages, she then had to bite the inside of her cheek to not laugh out in amusement. What was this? A dog? Or a table with a donkey's head? No, it had to be some sort of animal. If it was a horse – and what would be more appropriate for a future mounted archer than that? – she had to admit as bad as her drawings were, she would have made it more significant. She had to, after all, one of the heraldic animals of the Gray Family was – for whatever reason – a horse. And wasn't she just preparing a 'welcome home' stitching gift for her father with the said crest?
"Nice… horse…?" she commented as soon as she had fought the chuckles down with a massive effort. Hoping the question mark was not too audible in her voice, she gave him an apologetic smile.

[Grand Duke Alexander Redwood]

Alex frowned a little at her reply. He didn’t have much to do with his cousin. Even if they did get on he would find the preening attention of her marriage-hungry ladies too much to bear. At least at balls and in corridors he had routes of withdrawal; even here in the library he was aware of the exits, in case Celvi turned out to be just like the others after all. It was a wise strategic decision, not a cowardly thought at all. After all, those same escapes could be used in the case of…. a fire or something. Or an attack of the non-flirtatious variety. But mostly in case of unwanted attention. He liked women well enough, but only on his terms, and his terms did not include marriage. He felt life would be a great deal easier if only he could convey this to the court in a way they would understand.

But he didn’t like the implication of Celvi’s comment. What was Bell doing in her bower? It didn’t sound right, whatever it was. For all the talk of the duty a vassal owed his lord, there were also obligations that ran the other way. Embarrassing one’s ladies was hardly just punishment, even his father would have agreed on that. That was what fools were for, to amuse. Not ladies-in-waiting. They were there to wait upon her royal highness. And other things. He really wasn’t quite sure, but he knew Bell’s actions didn’t sit right with him. He opened his mouth to say something before thinking the better of it. He couldn’t criticize the princess to one of her ladies! No, he’d have to lecture Bell himself, as much as it would pain them both. He didn’t enjoy lecturing his cousin, but with the queen seemingly unwilling to do so, he had taken the duty upon himself. Instead he said, “I’m sure I’m far too busy.” His standard, generally acceptable excuse, it rolled off his tongue with ease.

Alex smiled at her explanation. “That’s easy enough to remedy,” he said, glad to be of service for once. “Just tell Bell I detained you and there’ll be no trouble at all!” It was only right that he should get some pleasure out of his day besides the usual martial business. Bell could hardly begrudge him the company of one of her ladies for half an hour, particularly since it wasn’t in the usual way. It didn’t really occur to Alex, more used to the battlefield where a man’s word was accepted at face value, to think that such a declaration might stir up gossip more than usual. Who would doubt the word of an honorable man?

Of course she wouldn’t let the matter of the artwork (that term being dubious in its applicability) go, not that he was surprised. Her tenacity was remarkable for a lady-in-waiting, as was her loose tongue. He twisted the ring on his hand, pretending only a vague interest as he glanced over at the turning pages. The first drawings, depicting archers and bows, were rather better than he had remembered. Perhaps she wouldn’t find them too terrible after all… He winced as she turned the page. The horses. Runnori knew he’d never figured out how to draw one properly. He had to give her credit for not immediately bursting into laughter. Runnori knew he was on the verge of it himself, despite the faint redness creeping into his cheeks. “Is that what it is?” Alex said, squinting innocently at the picture and still maintaining the transparent pretense that these were not his doing at all. He wondered if she would call him out on it. It wasn’t as if she had held back before!

[Celvi Gray]

Celvi decided to dismiss all those unpleasant thoughts about marriage at this very moment. Now was not the time to picture a dreadful future at any man's side that wasn't Chase. Maybe it was childish, but she just couldn't see herself marrying without love. Although it had been hammered into her from the earliest age that love and marriage were two completely different things and that love was an unhealthy feeling anyway, some things just couldn't be erased. All the less since she had learned what it felt like to love someone with heart and soul – even if this love would never be answered.

Why did her life have to be so difficult anyway? Why couldn't she fall for someone at least halfway appropriate? She was far too different from anyone else for it to be healthy. That sooner or later had to lead into trouble!
Distracting herself from her own unsettling thoughts, Celcvi now turned to watch the Grand Duke inconspiciously, like she had learned it. His reaction to her only so much tongue-in-cheek remark about Princess Christabel interested her. Would he dare speak up against his cousin in front of a mere stranger, or would he be too respectable even to think about it?

The latter seemed to be the case, and come to think of it it was not even a surprise. Some other person maybe would have lured her into a false sense of security by ranting about her Royal Highness, encouraging her to do the same, and then go and tell her off. The pitfalls of courtlife were twisted indeed. But not the Grand Duke. However much his sense of honor might unnerve her some other time, here she was grateful for it. He negotiated the obstacle with such ease, Celvi was sure he had done it countless times before.
"Again I say, good for you!" She shrugged. "Maybe it won't come to that anyway. All I need is a good enough explanation."

As she heard his next words, Celvi couldn't help but stare a few moments, mouth agape. Had he finally lost his mind? Didn't he know that this – in his eyes – simple explanation would cause more trouble than it was worth? He must have been away from court too long. She could imagine that on the battlefield such things might be different, but here…
Shaking her head, an amused chuckle escaped her lips.
"You can't be serious, Mylord! Listen to what you just said… 'I detained you' – what would anyone else think if he heard those words?" She bit her bottom lip in embarrassment. "Who would believe me if I said I discussed tactics with you? You hardly believed it yourself and you are here. No, it's better if I lie, if only to save what's left of my reputation!"

Shooting quick glances at him from time to time as she searched for the ominous pictures, his obvious unease. She had found out soon enough he always twisted the signet ring on his finger if he wanted to hide something or felt unwell. Funny how obvious even a man so apt in tactics could be when he himself was concerned.
If there had been any doubt left if he was the author of those illustrations, it was washed away by his fake innocent remark.
Giving him an amused side glance she pretended to think, cocking her head and touching her chin with her forefinger. "I'd think so", she concluded then, "it'll be easier to ask the artist himself, though." A cheeky grin flashed over her face. "You don't know him by any chance?"
Would he admit it to her face now, or would he still try to wriggle out of the obvious? It was a mean little game, alright, but it was fun!

[Grand Duke Alexander Redwood]

The grand duke’s eyebrows furrowed together at her open mouth. What had he said that was so shocking that her court-trained self couldn’t keep a straight face? Not that she had shown herself to be terribly court-savvy thus far, he supposed, but he had tried to be helpful and here she was staring as if he’d suddenly sprouted a second head! But of course, no, she was thinking of her reputation. A bit late now, he thought, considering how much time they’d spent in this secluded corner of the library already. All it would take would be someone walking in here for gossip to spread like wildfire throughout the palace. He supposed in that context his words sounded dreadfully naïve.

He decided to have fun with her embarrassment. It was far too easy and tempting not to. “Fair enough,” Alex conceded, “but you needn’t tell them we were discussing tactics. I wouldn’t want to sully your reputation.” Was he implying that tactics were less proper for a lady than a dalliance with a man in the library? Oh yes, the wicked glint in his blue eyes affirmed. He didn’t count this as flirting, although the back of his mind warned him. Celvi could handle a bit of teasing, couldn’t she? “Forgive me, I’ve been away from court far too long.” Not long enough, in his opinion, actually, and perhaps some sense of that slipped out in his tone, but it wasn’t up to him. The queen decided she wanted him back at court for Bell’s birthday and here he was, dutiful as ever.

He glanced over at the turning pages and Celvi’s face in between her own glances his way, his expression determinedly nonchalant. He pressed a thumb against the design on his signet ring, imprinting the royal hart and ducal hawk onto the calloused pad. His grandfather had been nicknamed the Warhawk, back when this whole business had started. He had been around Alex’s age, then. His grandson wondered how it had felt for his grandfather and father to die with the war unresolved. The greatest reward for a warrior was peace. Would he too die unrewarded? It was a thought that haunted his darkest moments. Would he have to pass on his ring to a new grand duke – or no heir at all? If he fell in battle, the ducal seat would pass to the crown, all other possible heirs being distant relatives at best. Hence the queen’s insistence on his marriage. No one wanted to see a Lamora without a Redwood to defend her borders.

Alex tossed such despondent thoughts to the back of his mind for the time being. He smiled at the horrid illustrations of his youth, souvenirs of a more innocent time. It was a good thing he’d been born a duke and not an artist – he would have starved indeed! “What makes you think it’s a him?” he countered, raising his eyebrows with a crooked grin. “Perhaps you weren’t the first woman to study tactics after all!” He was only able to hold onto the pretense for a moment before he laughed. “Very well – it was me.” Alex looked at the drawings again.

“Sweet Runnori they’re atrocious!” he said, shaking his head ruefully. “Don’t go showing those around. I’d be driven to become a huntsman of Morris out of embarrassment.” He was referring to the sect of Morris worshippers who led a wild hermit existence in the mountains and forests of Lamora. A common joke referred to the greater resemblance between Morris huntsmen and their prey than with normal people. He’d often entertained the idea of becoming one simply to spite his father during his more rebellious childhood moments, spinning stories to himself about his life as a huntsman with his pet arctic fox Lemminkaïnen.

Seeking to deflect his own embarrassment, he said, “Well, now it’s your turn. You’ve seen one of my embarrassing childhood memories. I’m sure you’ve got loads of your own.” He grinned, his blue eyes impish. “Or I’ll tell my cousin exactly where you were when you were supposed to be listening to dry marriage treatises.”

[Celvi Gray]

Celvi chided herself immediately for the lack of composure she displayed once again. Really, he must think her not better than any servant girl with her behaviour. A lady didn't stare like an impaired and she didn't show any feelings at all. There were only two people in the world right now that could make her forget her manners that easily and she found it deeply disturbing that the Grand Duke was one of them. For the other one was Chase and she felt she needed no manners around him, that the corset of manners and appearance seperated them more and more from each other, which she wanted to remedy.
But why was Alexander Redwood having the same or at least a similar effect on her? Most likely because he was so very unnerving. He had found a way past her mask of indifference by surprising her, and now that mask was impossible to keep up.

And of course, how could she have even doubted for a second he would make fun of her now?! This remark had been too good a chance to be wasted, even if it took skill to turn the tables like that. Whatever anyone could say about The Grand Duke Redwood, he was skillful!
Pondering over a decent reply and deciding she could think of none for now, she choose to just roll her eyes, though with a smile playing around her lips.
"You're intolerable, you know that?! You cannot seriouly be meaning that!"
But say one thing about Celvi Gray, say she's sporting. She could recognize an ace and accept it with good grace. "Apparently not long enough to have forgotten how to turn the tables" she continued sourly, "or are you merely testing your battle tactics on me?"

She would get him back for this one, though! All she had to do was be patient and wait for the perfect moment. There would be one, she was sure of that. The Grand Duke was far too sure of himself, sooner or later he would show a weakness…

Raising a perfectly arched eyebrow, it didn't even need a snort to show how she really felt about his continuous denial. One could only be so stubborn!
As he finally admitted it to be his doing, she accepted it with a mocking graceful nod.
"Come on", she comforted him with a sweet voice that should set his alarm bells ringing if he even knew her at all. "You can't blaim your youthful self for a bit of bad drawing. How old were you? Eighteen, Nineteen?" Implying that he had been a rascal even after reaching manhood… she was not sure how much the side blow would affect him.
"And as for the huntsmen", she cocked her head, "don't let the hear you saying joining them is meant to be a punishment. They might come down from the mountains and drag you off to their secret burrows – like they do with all naughty children!"
This of course was only referring to the old tales which parents told their children as bedtimes stories so they behaved. She would never imply the great Grand Duke was still a child, right?

Celvi crossed her arms, body tensing like she was about to shoot an arrow that mustn't miss. Was this how going into battle felt? For this had turned into a battle for sure!
"Blackmailing, eh?" her brows almost reached her hairline. "Lo and behold, the mighty Grand Duke stoops to unfair means. You must be desperate to keep this a secret!"
Would he be aware of the fact she was merely buying time? She couldn't risk to damage her reputation that way, not with her low status. Other ladies of higher rank might be seeing flirting with the Grand Duke as a pastime sport. For her it could and would never be that way! She knew at least one person who would gut and quarter her if words ever reached her over-attentive ears.

[Grand Duke Alexander Redwood]

Alex couldn’t help but laugh aloud at her frustrated declaration. “Intolerable? Me?” he exclaimed, raising his eyebrows in only partly feigned surprise. He’d won this particular round, that much was certain. He almost expected such candor from her now, and enjoyed the challenge of confounding her. “You must have me confused with someone else,” he added, a faint undertone of bitterness to his words. The joke was, of course, that with his looks he would never be mistaken in Lamora for other than who he was. He had to wonder what this encounter would have gone like if he looked like any other man. Would she have treated him more roughly? Or more kindly?

“Tactics is all about seizing the advantage,” he said with a shrug. “That book merely codifies the ways and means of doing so, although I’ve never found that they translate particularly well off the battlefield.” He grinned. “Perhaps you will write the book of tactics for ladies.” Alex pretended to hold a book in his hands. “Celvi’s Tactics for the Fairer Sex: How to Manipulate and Wed Your Way to Power.” He glanced at her sidelong with a mischievous smirk, waiting a beat before adding, “A dry read.” He mimed dropping the book and dusting his hands off. It was a little cruel, maybe, but he found it amusing enough. Besides, she had been the one to call him intolerable!

The grand duke had to admit her comebacks were quite sharp and witty enough without crossing the line. Perhaps she was more the accomplished courtier that he had initially believed. He smiled ruefully, taking the book from her to take a closer look at the half-forgotten drawings. “I was ten, actually,” he said lightly, too lost in memory to take offense. “Not that my drawing has improved much since, but at least I have the sense not to try any longer.” He shook his head at the mangled drawings. He could still remember the effort he’d put into it, his tongue hanging out of his mouth with concentration, and the frustration at not being able to get it right. It was strange to think of how young and innocent he’d been then, dreaming of glory in battle. How much he’d changed since then.

Her next words drew him out of his reverie. “Is that so, milady?” he said, his voice wry. He caught her eyes with his own, a sly expression on his face. “I think you know well enough to know I’m not a child.” Any other lady of the court he could be sure to make blush with such words, but with Celvi he wasn’t so sure. Was it breaking their truce? He didn’t think so. Toeing the line, perhaps, but she’d been the one to call him a child. If she wanted to call these word games tactics, then he supposed one could call this “attack from a defensive position”. He knew well enough his effect of most women and it would take a clever tactician to turn the tables on his latest bit of repartee. Not that he doubted she was up to the challenge.

He’d made her angry, he could tell. Sweet Runnori she was a sensitive soul! Couldn’t she tell he’d meant it only in jest? He twisted his signet ring, irritated at her jab at his honor despite all that. “Blackmail? Hardly,” he scoffed, frowning as if she were the idiot. “I was simply trying to be fri- kind,” he corrected himself. After all, one couldn’t be friends with a lady! “Most women would be pleased I showed such interest in their lives,” Alex added a bit proudly, justifying his previous attempt to even the score. He knew by now she wasn’t quite like other women, but surely she understood the honor he did her by letting her be so familiar with him!

[Celvi Gray]

Celvi was almost sure there was something behind his words, something sardonic or even sad she could not quite define. But it was there, an undertone resonating with his purely innocent words. What did he want to say? That nobody could confuse him anyway? But why for Runn – as the penny finally dropped she would have liked to hit her forehead. How could she have been so blind?! His hair marked him special like nothing else, no one would ever forget it, he was like a swan amongst geese. Just like it was with her fairy eyes. She hated the peculiar glances she got everytime someone new noticed – she could relate to feeling bitter about being special. However, oddly enough, she had never defined Alexander Redwood by his looks. He was the Grand Duke, yes, but not because he was blond, but because he was an insufferable prat!
Deciding to take the matter lightly, she subconsciously showed him how she felt, by looking him up and down and jesting: "Sorry to say, Mylory, but I'm sure I'm not mistaken. This incomparably pesky behaviour of yours I would recognize even when you were cloaked and masked. No chance of confusing that!"

For once in quite a while Celvi managed to hide her feelings behind a mask of nonchalance, while inside she was boiling with indignation. A firmly set jaw was maybe the only witness of her feelings. This was maybe meant to be a joke, but it had hit home. If she really wanted to write a book someday, it would surely not be about this topic. Was he only being cruel or did he indicate he really thought of her that way? That all this time while she was torn between being annoyed and being half way amused, she was after him still, and for such low means at that?!
But there was no use yelling her frustration into his face, all she could to was repay him in kind…

Bending down she pretended to take up the invisble book again, dusting it off with her hand. "My apologies, Mylord, but I think you need your eyes checked. You got the title all wrong. It reads: 'Celv's guide for the Smarter Sex: How to not Let Yourself Be Fooled by Someone with an Arrogant Shell but Nothing Behind it.'" Her eyes flashed challengingly. "A fascinating read."
Alright, this was by no means nicer, but he had started it!

The revellation of his age surprised her. He had been ten when being taught out of this book?! Alright, she knew a boy of his rank had to start early if he wanted to become one of Lamoran's most important military leader – but ten?! Even Celvi, under constant surveillance of Dagmara Belet, had been allowed something like a childhood. She decided to not comment further on this, though, and his next remark provided her with a much better opportunity to counter, anyway.
Holding his gaze without so much as blinking – once again she was glad his spell didn't work for her at all – she replied dryly: "No, you're right, anything but a child. A child would never pursue a lost case for so long. It would long since have found itself another plaything. Smart beings, them children."
They were coming dangerously close to that particular line again they had drawn. Would either one stay in his own territory for much longer?

Celvi let go a little laugh at his obvious irritation. This man really couldn't recognize a simple joke if his life depended upon it. Or was it simply he couldn't take jokes about his honor? How self-centered could a man be?! She wondered if someone pricked a needle into his swelling sense of honor, would it tear him to tatters? Most likely.
"Good Goddess, you call that kind?" she taunted him. "How do you behave then when you're unkind?" The she shrugged to take the edge off her comment. "My life would not be interesting to anyone. No secrets hidden there, and even if yes, do you really think I'd tell them?"

[Grand Duke Alexander Redwood]

The grand duke smiled skeptically in return at her denial. Pesky behavior, was it? It only confirmed that she really had no idea what she was talking about. She’d formed an opinion of him based on gossip and reputation long before she’d ever set foot in this room, he was sure of it. How else to explain her sharp tongue and lashing replies? He’d been nice to her, once she’d told him what she was doing in the war room in the first place, and even been helpful and patient in answering her questions. Clearly she was letting her preconceptions color her judgement of his behavior. Why, he’d even backed off and accepted her refusals at face value a few minutes ago! It took a particularly honorable man to let that go with nary a word to the contrary.

“I’d like to test that theory sometime,” Alex said, quite certain he’d be found right. After all, people saw what they expected to see. Luckily most people saw him as he strived to be, a confident hero of Lamora, born to command. Celvi appeared to have different ideas, but if his impeccable behavior thus far hadn’t changed her opinion, he doubted pouring out his soul to her would have any effect. Not that he would ever allow himself to be so vulnerable. Everyone had a weak spot, but it was the height of idiocy to go about pointing it out!

Besides, she had proven herself adept at exploiting even his unrevealing comments. Why did she have such a vendetta against him? She pursued the battering of his ego like some girls pursued his hand in marriage! He cocked his head, his mind racing for a comeback. “So a guide for men on yourself?” Alex countered, giving her a superior smile. “Seems rather counterproductive to me.” His caustic words disguised his annoyance at her shallow reading of his character. At least everyone else attributed deeper traits to his surface. Celvi seemed to take it at face value without ascribing any qualities to the man behind it. Why was he letting it get to him? Surely he didn’t care about the opinion of a nobody lady-in-waiting.

He rolled his eyes as her retort. “Clearly you’ve never been on the hunt. The whole thrill is trying to catch what no one ever has before. Or too dangerous for all but the bravest to face.” He didn’t think she was dangerous, per se, but she certainly had sharp claws and the aim to use them! He broke off their eye contact, affecting boredom. She wasn’t going to draw him in with her talk of a “lost case” and pursuit. He knew that game well enough to avoid it when he saw it. So she thought she had a different angle, being insulting and irascible? Well, he wasn’t going to take that bait!

“When I’m unkind I don’t bother talking tactics with women,” he said, still annoyed. “And I don’t entertain jabs at my honor. When I’m unkind, I don’t ask about a person’s day or their life story, because frankly, I don’t care.” He turned his gaze on her with a stubborn expression. “But now, since you’ve been so kind as to mock me for the past half hour, I will kindly ask you to share something about yourself, since you’re clearly interesting enough to be the first woman I’ve ever seen in this room.” He raised his eyebrows. “So. What’s behind your 'arrogant shell'?” Basic tactics: attack the center.

[Celvi Gray]

A little bit too late Celvi realized her comment could be easily taken as a challenge, and apperantly the Grand Duke did just that. She could tell the word 'pesky' had hit a nerve once again, and if she was even half way honest with herself, she had to admit that was the reason she had chosen this word and no other.
There was something about this man she just couldn't bear, and it also caused her to constantly remind him of her disfavour. Maybe it was the gleaming in Dagmara's eyes she had spotted when her aunt had talked about a suitable match. She really did favour Alexander Redwood, and the sheer thought he might agree to this, let her quills stand on end. If he detested her as much as she did him, there would be no danger… But if asked, Celvi most likely couldn't tell what her subconscious did for her.

"Bring it on!", she enlarged her challenge. "Maybe the Princess' birthday will give you just the chance you're looking for. They rumor a masquerade will win the race of event ideas for this special night. But of course", she touched her lips with her forefinger, "you know nothing of it. I don't usually tell tales out of the bower."
She wondered if he really was thinking of doing this just to spite her or prove her wrong. It was childish, but she knew he loved to be right. Could he resist the temptation? Celvi had to admit, it would make this evening all the more interesting.

What was not in the least interesting though was to listen to such poor retorts. Merely twisting her words foisting a wrong assumption on her was actually so bad she found it hard to not give him the satisfaction of lashing out at him like a cat. Even harder was it to muster a decent reply. He really worked her last nerve now!
"Wrong again", she snapped and rolled her eyes. "Maybe you should get your brain checked, too. That is if you even have one. I'm beginning to doubt that dearly."
Alright, to hell with the truce! It was time to show her true colors once again. No one called her shallow and got away with it! She was too angry to realise that it had been her who called him shallow first.

And to same degree as she was not shallow, she wasn't fair game either. It was time he finally got that right!
"As I'm neither I think you can call off the hunt already", she said with an indifferent shrug. Runnori help her if she ever gave him the wrong signals again, and with her innocence she was dreadfully close to that again, she could feel it.
"After all, such a busy man as you are, you have more important duties than that. Or you should think about those huntsmen again…"

It was hard not to wince at his little outburst. Now he spoke more than she had ever witnessed him speak in a row. She really seemed to have hit a huge nerve. Goodness, how could a man be so sure of himself? For a moment she cuaght a glimpse on how a Mar'volian must feel when facing the Grand Duke in battle. This man was not someone you got on the bad side and had a happy time. He could be dangerous when he was angry, although she was sure he would never hurt her, if only for his strict moral standards.
"Alright, alright", she raised her hands in a calming gesture. "No need to fly off the handle like that, sweet Goddess, I was only joking!"
Then she pursed her lips, unsure of what to tell him. He had caught her off guard with this straightforward question.
"Behind what you call arrogant is a woman who never fits in and therefore has learned to make her own way. Even if that way isn't called appropriate in the eyes of many, if they happen to find out. Satisfied?"

[Grand Duke Alexander Redwood]

So that was the vast secret surrounding the princess’s birthday! It was a rather paltry one, he supposed, particularly since it would need to be revealed rather soon if all of court was to have time to have masks and costumes made. Even in his self-imposed sphere of rumorlessness, he had heard theories ranging from the mundane to the fantastic. Just yesterday one of his men swore the queen was giving her daughter a man for her seventeenth birthday, a tale he’d had from the maid who cleaned a lady-in-waiting’s chamber, who had it from one of the royal bodyguards, who’d heard it from the lips of her majesty herself. What nonsense! Even his eminently sensible soldiers were allowed to fall prey to a fantastic tale every once in a while, he supposed. It was certainly more scandalous than the more realistic secret of a masquerade-themed ball.

Still, the grand duke relished the idea. Eventually people would figure out who he was – masks usually came off over the course of an evening and even if he remained disguised there were only so many men of his build and height at court – but for an hour or so he might be someone else. And there was the matter of this challenge… He grinned, his dark eyes gleaming with fun. “I accept your challenge, milady. And what’s to be the wager, if it is a masque?” It was hardly a challenge if there weren’t any stakes. “And don’t worry, I won’t tell. I keep my own counsel.”

He snorted at her feeble reply. Attacking his intelligence? What was she, ten? Still, he supposed it was one of the only recourses she had left. No one could credibly accuse him of being lazy, irresponsible or less than dutiful, much less dishonorable. And he’d learned his effect on women far too well to be convinced that he was less than handsome, high title and fortune aside. It wasn’t only unwed ladies that approached him, after all. “Yes, I’m sure the judgement of a nobody lady-in-waiting will really wound my pride,” he retorted, rolling his eyes in turn. Honestly, this Celvi needed to remember who she was talking to!

“Or maybe you should dedicate yourself to the goddess, if you haven’t already. Perhaps then you’d actually have real duties,” Alex said, his ego getting the better of him. The way she called him “busy” was like a slap in the face, as if she didn’t believe he really had responsibilities that mattered to someone besides himself. He knew she liked him, and he knew he didn’t like her, no matter how beautiful she was! Honorable though he was, he was sorely tempted to strangle her, if only to still her scathing tongue. Sweet Runnori, no wonder he hated court!

He resisted the urge to slap down her surrendering hands, his heated mood interpreting them at first as sarcastic. He’d had enough of that! She was only joking… That was the sort of thing people said when they spoke their minds and then realized they’d stepped over the line. Real jokes were easily evident even without a jester’s cap. He seemed to have halted her onslaught of insults, though, and his blood cooled a bit as she replied. “For now,” he said, still thinking. “I don’t see what good rebelling against your god-ordained role will do you, though. Everyone has their duties. Why not try to be a better lady instead of trying to be something you’re not?” There was a tone of genuine curiosity underlying his scorn. The gods had made him grand duke in a time of war and he had devoted his life to being the best one he could. It was what one did. As much as he wished to shirk his responsibilities sometimes, one couldn’t contest the will of the gods.

[Celvi Gray]

As soon as she had mentioned the Princess' birthday, Celvi's mind started to wander. They ladies were not agreed on the masquerade yet, but if Celvi could use any of her small influence on them, it would become true. This idea housed opportunities beyond imagination! Anyone could hide behind a mask, and even if she was pretty sure she was following down the wrong road, she wished with all her heart Chase would take the risk and mingle with the nobles. Hidden from prying eyes they could talk, laugh, maybe even dance – and all that in public! All she had to make sure of was seperating herself from him before midnight stroke and the masks were pulled off…

His words pulled her back into reality, with the force of a released bowstring. He was asking for a wager?! Celvi knew she should turn it down, a lady didn't gamble! It was considered almost scandalous! But not accepting this challenge was out of question, too, she had gone too far to back out now…
What wager indeed? She couldn't think of anything, just because the game of betting was alien to her. Leaving the choice to him could prove fatal though… he was still what he denied to be, a philanderer!
With fake nonchalance to not give him the wrong ideas again – Runnori prevent! – she finally replied, shrugging: "I think this is your métier, Mylord. I can't think of anything right now. Pray choose for yourself!"

The attack on her inferior birth hit home. Straight home, to be honest, even if she tried to fight it, it cut through her thick skin. Her fingers cramped with the effort of not balling them to fists, keeping them straight at her side without hitting his arrogant face. Why was it this was always the last resort, the last insult before her counterparts were running out of them, and why did it still affect her this much?
One should think after being told so almost every day, most likely by Aunt Dagmara herself, reminding her of how she could not afford any faults because nobody would grant her any credit, would make her indifferent to it. The opposite was the case! It made her furious, hearing it coming out of his mouth.
"Better a nobody with brains than a somebody only relying on the credit his status provides!", she hissed, her voice cold as ice. "I wonder were you would be without your fancy title!"

And he didn't stop there! This … man continued to insult her – if being dedicated to the Goddess could be considered insulting that is – and she could do nothing about it, except trying to hit back. How could she have believed even for a split second that he and her might be fellow souls in some respect? Ridiculous!
"You know what, maybe I will do just that!" she hurled at him. "Anything's better than this viper's nest. The Goddess sees what's inside, she sees through every shell. I'm sure yours though even She would find empty!"
Ah, sweet dreams! As if she ever had such choices. Before she could set one foot into the innermost parts of the temple, Aunt Dagmara would have conspired with the Queen herself to marry her off within a day…

The Grand Duke didn't understand. She snorted inwardly, of course he wouldn't! How could he know that it was not about rebelling, but about keeping a free and clear mind within all this plotting, coupling and turf wars. She had sworn a sacred oath she would never become slave to court life! This quagmire was voracious, but it would not get her! She had never wanted to come here in the first place!
"That's exactly what I want to achieve", she tried to explain it to him, against better judgement. "I don't want to live a lie. I'm not made court life and never will be. There are enough people trying to break me as it is, I don't have to be one of those."

[Grand Duke Alexander Redwood]

His offer of a wager gave her pause, he could tell. Alex thought she would reject it, saying she was far too much of a lady to ever gamble, but no, she gave one of those in between answers that courtiers excelled at. She was more the consummate lady-in-waiting than she gave herself credit for! At least he wouldn’t have to cope with an incredibly lame bet, as those who rarely wagered were wont to do. The grand duke smiled, a bit evilly, as he made his reply. “Just remember you said it was my choice.”

He pretended to think, staring at the ceiling and tapping a contemplative finger on his lips to draw out the suspense. “A favor.” He turned his gaze back to her with a nonchalant expression. “Since it’s vulgar to bet money with a lady.” He could picture her comeuppance already, the night of the ball, masks coming off… His tone made it rather clear what form a favor would take if he won. Which he was certain to do.

He’d hit a sore spot, by the look of it. Well and good that he should! She’d prodded at enough of his in the past half hour. And her rebuttal! Celvi had no sense of self-preservation, it seemed. He wondered that she survived in his cousin’s household this long if this was the way she acted. Only the court jester could get away with being so blunt all the time and Celvi certainly was not that. His jaw tightened, putting the lie to his earlier words. She did get under his skin, despite his protestations to the contrary. If she were a man he would have thrown down the gauntlet already and proven his superiority in a duel.

Alex had scarcely formed a retort in his head before she came back with another slap in his face. Of course court was a vipers’ nest and truly, he didn’t think dedication to the goddess was an insult, but what else was he supposed to say when she’d mocked his busy schedule? But to call him empty, when she hadn’t the slightest clue who he was beyond the fancy title… it rankled. “You’d make a sorry priestess indeed, judging men’s souls before they’ve made their confessions,” he struck back, his blue eyes furious. “Just like a courtier, relying on rumor and reputation for your judgements. And to think, I thought maybe you could be different!” He gave her a disgusted look. “You’re just like the rest of those grasping, backstabbing courtiers.” He spat the word like it was the foulest curse word.

“You say you’re not made for court life, but you are. You were born into it, just like I was born into being a grand duke and a warrior. The difference is, I acquit myself better in my duties than you’d ever dream of doing. No wonder you don’t understand honor and duty. You’d rather run away.” His voice was tripping along, speaking more than he’d spoken for weeks. Fine, she’d made him angry, let her see exactly the shape of his wrath! “We have a word for that in the military.” He folded his arms and gave her an icy glare. “Coward.”

((sorry it's a bit short... but there's a lot of wrath packed in there!))

[Celvi Gray]

Celvi had to surpress a groan. Yes, it seemed like she would have to remember it was her stupid mistake that lead to all of the following. She did know well enough at what the Grand Duke was hinting, and that once again proved it to her. He was a philanderer and an arrogant idiot. What made him think he would win anyway? It was more than just vaguely possible she would recognize him before midnight. And whatever favor she might be asking of him, it would not include closer contact than was proper. Rather the opposite!
"A favor is fine", she replied coolly, just ignoring his hinting tone. She even managed to bite back a comment like: 'And surely you know all about vulgarity…' No one could say she was not capable of self-control!

Self-control apparently did leave her now though, and thoroughly. Never before had someone managed to make her this angry, not even Bell, not even Dagmara in her worst times. She was used to bad jokes about her being different, and she was used to jabs at her lower status, she shouldn't feel like she would rather kill this man in front of her. And yet she did.
If she had been a man and this encounter would not have taken place in a library, she might have even tried to challenge him to single combat. Men did have it easy. They could seek satisfaction for a bruised honor just like that, wiping another man's arrogant sneer off his face with a few well-aimed blows. No such luck with women. They were always meant to accept anything anyone – and especially if this anyone was a man – threw at them.

Alexander Redwoods insults increased in virulency, and so did Celvi's replies. It was a vicious circle, she just couldn't take any more from out of his mouth.
How could he even think of knowing what she was about? Contrary to herself, he hadn't watched her all these years, creating an opinion out of observation and not only rumors! He hadn't even known she existed!
"Again you speak of things you don't know of", she admonished him sharply, though she knew she was all but playing with fire. "I don't rely on rumors at all, concerning your personality, because rumors don't say anything else than that you are a fine warrior and that many ladies have been your bed fellows." She snorted to show her disgust. "All I else know comes from relying on my own eyes, ears and brain. You can really learn a great deal by simply watching people from the shadows. And with every word you say you prove that I haven't been wrong in my judgement. But go on, call me a courtier, I knew before you can't bear the truth!"

Her voice trembled now with hardly contained anger, and her knuckles were white with the effort of keeping her fists tightly balled. The word coward hit her like a mace, and she actually staggered one step back, opening her eyes wide. This was it. Farewell, reason, farewell, hardly upheld placidity! She would throw every word back into his face where it belonged!
"You are calling me a coward?! That's something! I am at court because I apparently am supposed to be there, but you? You should be fighting the Mar'volians together with all the other soldiers, and yet I see you more here than there! That's what I call a shirker! Or is it you're afraid to have to ward off anything tougher than a woman's approach, Mylord?"

[Grand Duke Alexander Redwood]

Alex smiled, satisfied at her reply. “A favor it shall be, then,” he said with a nod. Her cool tone didn’t bother him. Oh let her pretend that she didn’t secretly want him – he knew better! Would she have stayed here so long talking to him if she didn’t? Even the vociferous nature of their later conversation did not convince him otherwise, although it certainly made him determined to make her pay. Who did she think she was, talking to the grand duke like that? He was royalty, after all, and not just a plain lord who slithered about the court all day, but a blooded knight and commander of a regiment!

She had no self-control, that much was clear, or else she would have stopped long ago. “I know court and the vipers that dwell here better than I care to,” he snapped back. “You speak of truth? Truth has no place here. It’s all lies and deceit and trying to get the upper hand in a game that never ends and uses people as pawns. My mother hated court, and I can see why. Royalty rule Lamora, but only when we can escape the grasping perfumed hands of courtiers!”

He seethed, breathing in and out of his nose audibly like a raging bull. He’d never shown this much anger at court before, always the polite, well-spoken grand duke with an eye for women and a talent for the battlefield. No one outside his regiment knew that he spent so much time in the practice yards and riding far afield to spend his pent up anger. Court simply thought him devoted to his art and admired him for it, if some of the ladies did hint they would rather him spend more time in the palace drawing rooms than outside. He knew his duty, to show the proper, correct face to court, and keep whatever didn’t fit with that image to himself.

“So you’re like a spy, then, lurking in the shadows,” Alex said. “Yes, I see how that’s so much better than being a mere courtier.” His voice had turned from simply angry to bitterly sarcastic. “You want truth? Fine. Come with me to the battlefield. I’ll show you truth. Men fighting, screaming, dying. The sick stench of putrifying corpses you once called friend. The battlefields change, the flags and colors, but the hard truth of it all is death is the only victor in war.” He swallowed, his face grim. She wanted to know him? Whether she realized it or not, he’d revealed more in those few words than he’d done for any lady he’d bedded. It was almost a relief when she retaliated with an attack that made him hot under the collar.

Her words struck him like a gauntlet across the face. It was like she knew exactly where it would hurt most. “It is a good thing I am an honorable man, else you’d be flat on the floor long ago,” Alex said, his blue eyes gleaming with cold fury. “What you would have me do is treason, milady.” His words lashed out like an icy whip. The queen wanted him here for his cousin’s silly birthday, and so begrudgingly he had returned. Clearly Celvi saw too little from the shadows if she did not realize that his heart and soul longed to return to the battlefield, if only to be in the only place he understood. It was a sick, twisted desire, to want to be where men died, and yet his duty and love for Lamora compelled him.

He didn’t need to explain himself further to her. As far as he was concerned, this conversation was at an end. Forget their bet, forget that they had ever met! Alex was done playing silly word games with a stupid, arrogant-beyond-her-station lady-in-waiting. He bowed, stiffly, the lines of repressed anger present in his face and gesture, and stalked out of the war room the way he had come. She didn’t deserve a word of farewell. The only ones that did were out on the battlefield. “Would that I could be there,” he murmured as he passed the threshold. He felt the need to ride, or confess in the temple. Anything to keep his mind off the unsettling questions Lady Celvi had provoked. Turning a corner, he sighed. He’d thought for one brief moment he’d found someone he could talk to in this whole poisonous court. He snorted. More fool him.