Storyline Exploration 3
He watched her walk down the dimly lit hallway, her hips swaying from side to
side much akin to the swing of a well timed pendulum. His eyes he couldn't help
but to fix on the rhythmic motion of her walking away from him. His sandy blonde
hair shifted with each little breeze that entered from the open window beside
him, the heavy scent of the ocean down below filling his nose even as he gazed
after her. It amazed him sometime just how disarming his sister could walk. It
didn't summon up any hint of sexuality within him, more this fascination was for
his curiosity on women. His sister was a shining example of how women utilize
the weapons they possessed within and of their own bodies. He watched her when
she moved through the town on her way to the academy or back home. The townsmen
and younger boys would all stop what their doing and become like medusa's
statues when confronted with the meticulously timed rocking of Sadira's hips.
The women within the town watched as well their faces conveying envy and
disgust, hatred and occasionally lust as well. While he, he simply watched to
learn more of this weapon, to attempt to prepare himself in case some woman at
some point used it against him and he could become impervious to this particular
charm. As he watched his sister recede into the dark turn at the end of the
hall, he could hear her chuckling back at him, watching as she turned in a swirl
of her crimson dress before she called back down the hall to him.
"If you keep your eyes glued to me like that Tryst, I might start
thinking you're a suitor not my brother." He blushed furiously and wiped
his head away form her to stare out the window. She always knew just when to
tease him, knowing full well, what he was thinking and that she was proposing an
impossibility. The very idea of incest disturbed him on many levels, his sister
and himself were twins, they were born only moments apart and shared many
qualities of personality. He loved his sister dearly, but the thought of that
loving being something obscene such as her teasing suggested was down right
nonsense. Listening as her laughter rippled back to his ear as she vanished down
the turn in the corridor he could only shake his head and laugh
. Sadira was a
pain and he found more often then not he would have great pity and sympathy for
the man that would someday marry his devious sister. The crashing waves down
below the window and smells of salt and sea brine soothed away his blushing and
relaxed him as he let his thoughts wash out. The castle sitting perched on the
cliff side, stood like a stone titan, watching over the town below. The
blue-green waters of the Midsel ocean crashing up against the rocks below was a
soothing sound, and from his view out the window he could watch the bright
moonlight sparkling off the white foam of the breakers. The evening air though charalistically
damp was warm as usual given the climate. How he loved evening such as this when
the castle was quiet and the only sounds to be heard was the foundry on the
other side of the castle where the blacksmiths toiled till nearly mid hour and
the ocean. Across the town way the academy buildings sat , the greatest
institute of learning on the whole of their island, where the sciences and majik
was taught in tandem to any student common or noble whom possessed the required
intelligence. It was among many other things one of the defining features of his
father's barony.
His father had insisted that the abilities and benefits of
education be not only available to the nobility, but also to people over whom he
ruled. It had caused a great stir throughout the whole of the kingdom at first,
until of course come the periodic tithes to the Grand King were delivered to the
kingdom's capital city of Pharshia did the fruits of his father's decision
become evident. His father pointed out to the Grand King and the gathered
nobles, Dukes, Barons and so forth down the ladder of ruling chaste that smart
people produced better commodities and wealth for all. While the heavy conservative
elements of the kingdom, especially the Dukes and Marquis whom still employed
the archaic serf workers objected nearly violently to the idea, several of the
other ruling nobles adopted his father's stance and their provinces prospered
several times better progressively over time as his father's "Radical
ways" were implemented. It had been his sister whom had hammered the final
point in an argument during the woman's usual domestic council with the Grand
Queen when she had rather simply and nearly contritely pointed out
"If
clergymen of great church can come from the sons of whores and stable masters,
when can not the whores and stable boys be educated as well?" It had causes
a shock wave through the woman's council, and also served to cement a relationship
between Sadira and the Royal Princess.
The sudden sound of the blacksmiths heavy hammers roused him from his
thoughts and he turned again to look down the dark corridor. No one would be up
and around at this hour he knew, everyone whom lived in the castle were so
accustom to the sounds from the foundry could sleep through the thundering
hammers and hiss of the big billows that spurred the forge fires. To him, the
timed drops of the hammer on steel were like the ticking of a clock, percise and
even had a ring of music. A fluid motion that spoke well of the blacksmith's
skill. Moving away from the window, he deicide it was yet still to early for him
to be abed, turning down the maze of hallways and down the great spiral stairs
of his tower, he made his way leisurely to the great courtyard at the front of
the castle. the gardens that grew in and around the sides and within the middle
of the yard gave off their own distinctive odors, which mingled with the night
air of the sea.
Stepping through the great doors which always remained open
during the summer, the guards on either side snapped to attention and saluted
him as he passed. With a boyish smile he stopped between the two women and gave
them a crisp salute and smile before proceeding onward. Behind him as he walked
through the yard passed the center roses he could hear their quiet talk and
giggles. He was or so he had been told on occasion by his mother and sister a
handsome young man, yet he couldn't bring himself to recognize the fact nor did
he really see the whispers and looks he received from other women outside his
family as being attraction. Whenever he heard similar whispering and giggles
from most ladies be they the various noble women or guardswomen and even among
some of the commons whom he called friends and classmates at the academy he had
it set in his mind they were making fun of him. But that was normal for his age,
most young men were self conscious and quite insecure about their appearance.
His father rumbled every now and then as of late that he was in the age when any
young nobleman should be settling down for a good and lengthy betrothal to some
fitting and beautiful woman. But to Tryst, the thought of courting and especially
the idea of marrying was absolutely frightening. he had comment such to Sadira
one night the week before and his twin sister laughed in his face and told him,
he simply hadn't found the one of whom would change his outlook. He remembered stalking
out of her room after calling her a "damned fool", which had only
served to make his sister laugh even harder at his blight, which made him feel
even more self conscious. He studied women and he found several attractive,
there was no mistaking that, he noticed women, but if one were to ever confront
him seriously, he felt and knew he would probably run off in terror.