Thread: The Light Surrounding Us (Quantum Tangle x OffToTheRaces)

So shall we begin the announcement preparations? I apologize, did I miss the first part of the conversation? Preparations for what? For your engagement to Nathaniel, of course. The two of you have been as thick as thieves since you were able to walk upright on your own. Surely the next steps should be down the Chantry aisle. Arl Howe did you not fight against Orlais in the war? Because surely if you had, you would realize it would be absurd for me to marry my brother. And besidesmarrying into your family would mean youd be around more often than you already are. She could count on one hand all of the instances when the Teryn of Highever had raised his voice in the past surely this should count as one of them? Insulting an old family friend should rouse some manner of response especially an Arl and a man who, despite his unsavory qualities was close to their family, and should be tolerated if not respected. Though Althea would even now defend herself, stating that even suggesting that she insulted the patriarch of house Howe was an exaggeration, and at most she had teased him for implying something that was utterly ridiculous. How could he possibly suggest such a thing! Marry Nathaniel? She had picked leeches off his back just weeks prior, after daring him to swim through the murkiest part of a nearby lake. The same boy who drank vials filled with Nans dressing laced with the Antivan spices while they competed to see who could keep their arrows on target, despite their weeping eyes and burning stomachs and those were small slivers of their antics. Where there was mischief, there was a Howe and a Cousland. From the hills of Highever to the shores of Amaranthine, Nathaniel and Althea had crafted a friendship that to them, in their bright eyes of youth, was unshakeable by any force Until recently. Where had this incessant desire to wedge something as ludicrous as love between them come from? Althea suspected the comments had seeds rooted from her Mother. Since her daughter had turned 15 that summer, the Teryna had been making remarks off hand about planning for her official debut to society, to show that she was available to receive suitors. Althea was unable and unwilling to mask her displeasure at the idea then and now that the subject had gone beyond the privacy of the Cousland hearth, out of shock and frustration she had dug in her heels. She had no intention of marrying anyone. The Arl had chortled at her dismissively, but when her Mother learned of the exchange, every stone in the castle cowered. Althea expected the lecture the near hysteric monologue surrounding decency and upholding the family name, and that while Ferelden women are by no means meek and delicate, they are still Ladies regardless. She expected everything, as they were all snippets of lectures shed heard before, if not from her Mother than from her teachers or Nan. What she had not expected, was her Fathers responsebut Bryce Cousland always had a way of making the stars shine with wonder in his daughters eyes. It had taken them a full day to ride west to the edge of the thickest part of the woods, bringing with them only what they had packed themselves and were able to carry with their horses. Their pace had been quick to ensure that they arrived before it was too dark, so there was not much time afforded to talking and even during their brief pauses, the conversation did not focus on what was so clearly still hanging in the air a thick tension which gnawed guiltily at parts of Altheas young, stubborn heart. For a good part of the night, she tossed and turned restlesslyand only managed to finally fall asleep after crawling into her Fathers bed and curling herself up close to his side. With only a few hours of sleep needed to restore her energy, the young pup was up before the morning light had crept even partially across the floor. Dressed in chestnut colored breeches tucked into sturdy knee high boots, a deep green colored tunic which once belonged to Fergus, which she had cinched with a thick belt to keep it from swimming around her young, lithe figure, her outfit charmingly betrayed the fact that she had apparently packed in a hurry -- which was true. Partially due to excitement, though mostly because she was worried that her Mother would try to talk her Father out of letting her go. As she finished wrapping a ribbon through her hair, Althea jumped into the bed next to her Father - a playful contrast to the silent care she had taken with her steps the night before. Papa, it's already dawn! Wake up ! Smiling brightly, she prodded her fingers impatiently against the Teryn's side for a moment before taking one of the pillows to thump lightly against his chest.