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Post by alannatheknightess on Mar 8, 2007 6:18:54 GMT -5
(OCC: She's an NPC; you can do that.)
Ani heard the crash, along with her sister, and came out a few moments after her sister had called for her. She surveyed the scene: there was a maid, tittering excuses to Emeli, and a woman saying something in retort to what the maid had said. Ani looked at the woman's face: it was a Healer, she believed.
As the maid sprouted off excuses, trying to speak over the other woman, Ani said swiftly, "Shut up. You're obviously fine, so kindly refrain from speaking until we ask for your pifitul excuses." She pushed her hair over her shoulder to glare icilly at the maid. She stopped at once, and shrank somewhat back from Ani's gaze.
"You're bleeding," Ani stated to the Healer, who was now bowing at both her sister and her. "Now, what did happen here?"
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Mar 8, 2007 14:52:01 GMT -5
(OOC: Phew.)
Annikka straightened up and observed the effect of the Princess' glare on the unfortunate Lurenna with interest. She'd only met Princess Anitha once before, and that had been very briefly in passing.
"You're bleeding," the princess said, and Annikka looked down at her hand. She'd known that she'd cut it, but it was bleeding more than she'd thought. "Now, what did happen here?"
"I was coming down here on my way to the kitchens to see if I could get some breakfast, your highness," Annikka explained. "I didn't see Lady Lurenna coming the other way, and I suppose she expected me to move, because we crashed into each other and I fell over. That's all." She looked away from the royals' gaze, down at her hand. There wasn't any glass in the cut, she discovered, and it was a clean gash, not too deep. She concentrated, and allowed a pale green glow to collect around her hand. Annikka laid it carefully across the cut and sent it into the skin, healing and binding. Shiny pink skin formed, but the area was still tender, as she found when she gingerly felt it.
She felt the weight of Ani and Emeli's stare, and looked up into their eyes, and then down again, feeling a slight flush form on her cheeks. She wished they wouldn't stare at her like that. What had she done?
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Post by Cassandra on Mar 8, 2007 16:43:00 GMT -5
Emeli raised hr eyebrows and turned to look at Ani.
"Well," she said to the corridor at large. "That is a useful trick." She noticed Annikka flushing.
Emeli turned to face Ani now. "She is head Healer. Lurenna is a lady in waiting- and this time I might take your advice about them, Ani."
The she turned to Lady Lurenna, who curtsied hastily. "Did you bump into Healer Annikka or did she bump into you, and whyever did you not move out of the way as common sense would dictate?"
Emeli grinned inwardly. She was turning into Ani.
"And excuses get more than slightly annoying."
Maybe it was the mess of the food and crockery on the floor, maybe it was the annoying maid. She didn't know.
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Post by alannatheknightess on Mar 8, 2007 20:18:10 GMT -5
(OCC: I just relized what a biznitch Ani is to servents/slaves.)
Ani saw, out of the corner of her eye, the Healer woman watching her, with slight intreast, while she was telling off the maid.
"I was coming down here on my way to the kitchens to see if I could get some breakfast, your highness. I didn't see Lady Lurenna coming the other way, and I suppose she expected me to move, because we crashed into each other and I fell over. That's all."
"Really?" Ani said, pursing her lips. She made sure to arch her eyebrows while she did it. She was in public now, not just with her sister, so she made sure every move she made was pretty and coreographed.
"So," she said to Lurenna, "You didn't move? Would this have anything to do with the fact that you the Healer woman didn't look like a noble from far away?" That seemed logical. Lurenna was a simpering, normal lady-in-waiting. Judging on the Healer's account, that was what happened. "You are to know when nobles are nobles. Don't presume that people will get out of your way because you are carrying a tray. As you can see" -she gestered to the mess- "that's not the best plan." She narrowed the ends of her eyes, so they weren't watery, but the glare was portrayed well. Lurenna's shoulders hunched over as she recived the angry reprimand. Her eyes were cast down, and her hands were shaking. She started to open her mouth, but Ani lifted her hand. "Did I ask for excuses?"
"She is head Healer. Lurenna is a lady in waiting- and this time I might take your advice about them, Ani."
"Head Healer? That's even worse. Yes, take my advice. You should of ages ago."
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Post by Cassandra on Mar 8, 2007 21:30:21 GMT -5
Emeli knew how she was to act now that she was out, sort of, in public. She saw Ani doing it- heightening her glares, adding little bits and bobs.
"Did I ask for excuses?"
Lurenna shuddered a little- she was so obviously scared of Ani. "No, your Highness."
"Head Healer? That's even worse. Yes, take my advice. You should of ages ago."
"Very well," Emeli said. "Perhaps I should tone it down a bit- I think you've scared Lady Lurenna, although pesky maids-" she cast a significant glance- "can sometime need to be scared."
Emeli thanked Mithros that Ani had redone her hair. She straightened her shoulders and back and surreptitiously rearranged the way her skirt fell to the best possible effect.
"Lady Lurenna, I order for an apology to Lady- or Healer, whichever she prefers- Annikka."
Too late, Emeli realized that she should have been using the royal we. Well, next time.
"Now." She didn't tap a foot but wanted to desperately. "Lady."
The woman curtsied to her and then to Annikka. "I apologize for causing your Highness and Majesty distress." She said.
Emeli sighed. "Forgetting someone, my lady?"
Lurenna, with a look of barely concealed disdain on her face, curtsied slightly to Annikka.
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Mar 9, 2007 8:14:16 GMT -5
Annikka was officially impressed, and having some difficulty quelling the spiteful smile that was trying to past itself across her lips. From disgusting snob to quivering wretch in fourteen seconds flat, and all because of two women no older than the Lady Lurenna herself. She wondered if Lady Lurenna even knew who she was, beyond her first name.
The lady curtseyed slightly to her, and Annikka gritted her teeth at the fairly obvious dislike the woman had for her, but bowed back and managed a small smile. "It's all right, Lady Lurenna. I should know that accidents happen. On a regular basis and usually just when you aren't expecting them, too."
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Post by alannatheknightess on Mar 10, 2007 20:41:40 GMT -5
"I apologize for causing your Highness and Majesty distress." Lurenna said, curtsying, at her sister's command.
Ani rolled her eyes. "Um-hmm."
As Lurenna gave her fake apologizes to Annikka, Ani said to Emeli, lowering her voice slightly, "And you wonder why I don't trust them with my hair?"
"Now then," she said, as the "apologizes" were done, "Why isn't this being cleaned up?" And Lurenna cutsied hastilly, murmering some exuse, and went off; to find another lower servant to clean it up, Ani presumed. She pursed her lips thoughtfully, than said consipriacally to Annikka and Emeli, "Oh, I'm going to feel rotten about this. Wait," she added thoughtfully, putting a rounded fingernail onto her lowerlip "No I'm won't."
"Lurenna!" she called down the hallway, no longer using an angry or regal tone. Lurenna looked back down the hallway, surprised at the change of her tone, and came back, curtsying.
Still using the friendly tone, Ani said, "Clean this up. As it was completly your fault, it isn't fair to make another servant do it when you are so near, is it?" She ended the sentance with a dazzling smile, as if she had been gossiping trivially about dress fashions, instead of humiliating Lurenna with a task that wasn't for maids of her rank.
"Now then," she said to Annikka, "I don't believe we've met. Hello. I must apoligize for my sisters-" she eccenated the word, more so for Emeli to start taking her advice and fire all of them "-lady-in-waiting."
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Mar 11, 2007 9:00:00 GMT -5
"Oh, I'm going to feel rotten about this." Annikka wondered what the princess had in mind, and hoped it was diabolical. "Wait," the other girl added, "No I won't." Annikka hid a grin, and listened as Ani proceeded to order the lady-in-waiting to clean up.
"Now then," Ani said to her, "I don't believe we've met. Hello. I must apologize for my sister's-" she emphasised the word, and Annikka wondered why- "-lady-in-waiting." Annikka smiled at the princess. She was beginning to take a shine to her. "I'm Annikka haMinch, your Highness, your Majesty, Head Healer as of a few months. It's a pleasure to meet you. Please don't worry about Lady Lurenna. I've come across worse insults."
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Post by Cassandra on Mar 11, 2007 12:45:53 GMT -5
"And you wonder why I don't trust them with my hair?"
Emeli rolled her eyes. "You don't trust anyone with your hair. Except maybe me."
She glanced down at where Lady Lurenna was and grinned.
"Don't worry, Ani, I think I'll get rid of at least her."
She turned towards Annikka, and heard her say something to Ani.
"I'm Annikka haMinch, your Highness, your Majesty, Head Healer as of a few months. It's a pleasure to meet you. Please don't worry about Lady Lurenna. I've come across worse insults."
"It's my business to worry about her, Lady Annikka. Would you like to come back inside with us? Ani and "I were discussing Beltane."
Emeli started to walk back towards the audience chamber.
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Mar 11, 2007 15:40:13 GMT -5
"It's my business to worry about her, Lady Annikka. Would you like to come back inside with us? Ani and "I were discussing Beltane."
Annikka's jaw dropped and she experienced some difficulty in closing it. The queen had just invited her to join her and her sister in a private audience chamber; her, Annikka. And she actually knew who she was. She looked sideways at Ani, and then at Queen Emeli's retreating back. "I... er..." she said aloud.
She heard a stifled snicker from behind her, and that decided her. Determinedly, she strode forward, and joined the queen.
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Post by alannatheknightess on Mar 11, 2007 16:56:44 GMT -5
Ani wasn't surpsied at her sister inviting Lady Annikka into the Chamber. Emeli often did strange things like that, and it wasn't as if Lady Annikka didn't have a high rank. She was the Head Healer, after all.
Ani followed her sister and the Healer, falling back as to anaylaze Annikka's personality inurrupted for a few moments. She seemed very surprised at Emeli asking her to join them, but she came after a moment when the maid had giggled. Prideful then, Ani thought languidly. A bit of a temper, mouthy... stands up for herself, I'll give her that. Ani had experience anaylazing people; it helped her figure out who they were, and how they would react to her games. Pride seemed to be big with the Healer; she stood up for herself easily. I must keep that in mind.
As she entered the room and shut the door, she saw a silver platter with thin designs, laden with breakfast and a lemonade pitcher in the center of the room, on a small table.
"Finally," she said, and then she sat down at one of the chairs, crossing her legs and putting her elbow on her knee, to better put her hand under her chin. Now that she was in company besides relatives, she tried to look as prim and pretty as possible. She had much practice at doing so in front of the mirror.
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Mar 12, 2007 8:08:27 GMT -5
Annikka stepped into the room, and sat when motioned to do so.
"Finally," she heard Ani say with some relief, probably as she spotted the breakfast tray, but this small evidence of fallibility vanished as the princess sat herself down with utmost elegance. Annikka sat up straight in her chair and crossed her ankles nervously, her hands folded in her lap as elegantly as the sisters at the convent had managed to drill into her, which Annikka admitted wasn't epecially. She preferred to be doing something with her hands, preferably healing.
She looked down on the pretext of examing the injured hand. She hadn't missed the princess' observation of herself and decided that she preferred not to attract attention from the other woman.
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Post by Cassandra on Mar 12, 2007 14:15:52 GMT -5
Emeli glanced over at Lady Annikka.
"Would you like something to eat?" she asked. "After all, we can always ring for more."
She sat forward.
"Ani, we were discussing Beltane. It is creeping up on us. Ani and I are debating whether to have a festival, formal ball here, or both. What do you think?"
She sipped her lemonade.
(OOC: Sorry for the shortness, but we needed to move it along)
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Mar 12, 2007 14:45:54 GMT -5
"Would you like something to eat? After all, we can always ring for more."
"Yes, please." Annikka smiled gratefully at the queen and took a slice of buttered toast from the tray. Normally by this time she'd have had breakfast and be on her way to some scintillating paperwork, and after staying up late the previous night due to a raucous party (university students- friends of friends) not only was she quite tired but very hungry.
"Ani, we were discussing Beltane. It is creeping up on us. Ani and I are debating whether to have a festival, formal ball here, or both. What do you think?"
Annikka swallowed a bite of hot buttered toast quickly, and thought for a minute. "Lots of people like to go to the festival," she answered carefully. "University students, commoners, some of the younger nobles. It's a sort of tradition. But then, I don't see some of the nobles going to the festival, either; beneath their dignity." She restrained a snort of derision with some difficulty.
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Post by alannatheknightess on Mar 16, 2007 15:46:11 GMT -5
(OCC: Sorry this took so long.)
"Lots of people like to go to the festival. University students, commoners, some of the younger nobles. It's a sort of tradition. But then, I don't see some of the nobles going to the festival, either; beneath their dignity." Annikka was saying, each word careful.
"Exactly," Ani said. She seems like the type to coddle commoners. Well, not coddle... but not act above them. So she isn't aware of her rank. And apparently, she doesn't like those who are. "So why don't we just have both; a ball to satisfy said nobles, and the normal festival." Ani didn't add that she would rather go to the ball; Annikka seemed to be a headstrong person, and Ani could always use these people.
Ani looked at her sister fondly. "I mean, really. Its almost too obvious, Em." She rolled the sides of her eyebrows upwards, so she didn't look condensending, but still saying something remotly obvious.
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