mewsbawks | HOLY MAIDEN GIRLFRIEND TIME

[It's been said that war is easy; that's it's what comes after that's hard. While peace and rebuilding are certainly much more rewarding, it's still a sentiment at least two young women in Hyrule might find some agreement with, after years and years of fighting and struggling and surviving, to suddenly switch to talking and writing and dancing, as the case may be.

Thank the Gods for Arturia, really. Both for the crash course in waltzing and for looking after the kingdom while the other two venture to neighboring Labrynna to petition their Queen Ambi for a loan to fund Hyrule's restoration. The Queen welcomes them with open arms, of course; before Hyrule's civil war and Ganondorf's tyrannical seven year rule destabilized relations, the two countries had been friendly enough with each other. But Labrynna is rich and flourishing, and perhaps as a subtle way to prove that fact as well as simply being a woman than never does things by half-measures, Ambi insists that before they talk of money, they celebrate the Princess of Hyrule's arrival with a ball.

And so, our scene: it is an hour or so before the event is scheduled to start, and the pair is getting ready in the lavish quarters they have been afforded for their stay. One of Ambi's ladies even helped Zelda with her dress, and offered to assist Ruler as well, though did not insist when the saint-turned-servant said it wasn't necessary, she can dress herself just fine, thank you.

(And Zelda couldn't help a slight laugh when said lady presented a long and extravagant gown for her escort, before gently suggesting perhaps something more knightly would be more suitable for her guard and friend.)

Now Zelda sits at the vanity, pinning up her hair and applying her makeup while Ruler gets dressed on the other side of a room divider.]

Are you all right over there, Ruler?

[Formalwear is a teensy bit more complicated than just willing armor into existence.]

[Even as someone who hated the blood and brutality of war, part of Ruler... well. Part of her agreed with that sentiment. In her time with the french army, there was a certain rhythm to the war. Fighting, planning, marching, training. Everything she did and every aspect of her life kept her on her toes. It had been that way in both of her new lives, as well. As Ruler, summoned once again into that conflict to oversee the sudden rush of Servants appearing in France, then in the Tower, forced to fight and survive against the sadistic administrators... it seemed like there was barely any time to rest before she was thrown into more conflict.

So parties? High-class parties, at that? It was something she was absolutely clueless with! But she knew Zelda needed her, and it would be good to get to know their allies, so she swallowed her own awkwardness, and here she was.]

In all the lives I've lived, I haven't worn anything as fancy as this, but I think I'll manage.

[It was a suit, different from most styles she knew but she managed well enough, thanks to having at least one left in her trunk during their long stay in the Tower. But all the embroidery, the swooping crests and the gems sewn into the cuffs and lapels... it seemed so wrong to be wearing it. She was a peasant, a soldier... but here she was done up like some sort of highborn noble. It felt... not wrong, but very odd.]

I do feel... a bit overdressed, though.

Edited 2017-07-13 02:30 (UTC)

[Zelda hums quietly in response, half in gentle amusement, half in agreement.]

It is all rather stuffy, is it not. I remember not liking all the pomp and circumstance much myself when I was younger.

[Getting all dolled up to just sit quietly at her father's side had been difficult for a young tomboy princess, to say the least. Far be it for her to complain now, however; she's well learned the value in keeping up appearances. Still... poor Ruler. She didn't ask for any of this.]

It should only be for a few hours, fortunately. I cannot imagine our actual negotiations with the Queen will be an extravagant affair.

At least you've experienced such things. [It's not really a jab, judging by the amusement in Ruler's voice.] There were plenty of festivals and celebrations in Domremy, ones where most of the town attended... but none were as large or extravagant as this.

[They were just.... loud. And a lot more loose, if that makes any sense. There were always so many people singing and dancing that it was just a whirlwind of noise and activity, and... well. Sometimes she still misses that, even hundreds of years later.]

Our discussions won't, no. But royals and nobles... they do like to talk during these sorts of events, don't they? We can only hope the interruptions will be kept to a minimum.

Castle Town used to have festivals like that as well. I enjoyed those a great deal more, I think.

[She's seen Domremy, or at least glimpses of it, in the dreams that flow through their magical connection. And even with those brief flashes, it's easy to tell why Ruler speaks so fondly of it. There's a moment, transient and brief, where she wishes she could provide Ruler that kind of simple but happy life again instead of one filled with politicking and other such affairs, but she allows that feeling to pass instead of dwelling on it.

It's still not something she's particularly good at, not dwelling on the things she can't change. But it's easier with Ruler's bright presence at her side. She puts the final pin in her hair, giving herself one last glance over for any stray or unruly strands.]

But I have faith you will be fine, experienced or no. Simply tell every lady she looks lovely and any ruling nobles that wish to speak with me that I will be happy to make arrangements with them after I have spoken with the Queen. I have no doubt they will find you as charming as I do.

[You know. In that totally platonic "you make me believe a better future is both possible and attainable" sort of way. Yeah.]

I hereby propose:
Thou shalt come under my command,
and thy sword shall control my fate.
Abiding by the summons of the Holy Grail,
if thou accedest to this will and reason, answer me.

[She speaks with more confidence than she feels as she begins the incantation. She has followed her teacher's every word, has made every possible preparation she could for this summoning, yet still there is a part of her deep down that is uncertain if she is truly of this task. The War for the Holy Grail will be a battle between the best of the best magi the world has to offer, and even if she had not been training in magecraft since she was a young girl, the near-divine magic circuits passed down through her bloodline would certainly qualify her as such.

Still. She is young, and it's a rather daunting prospect for a teenager, leading an ancient hero into battle, commanding them to kill their opponents if necessary (and it almost certainly will be necessary), all so that she might reach the power that cannot be allowed to fall into evil hands.

Regardless, this is her duty, the duty she has been groomed for all her life, and if there's anything that Zelda can draw courage from, it's that.]

I hereby swear:
I am... all that is good in the eternal world!
I am the disposer of evil in the eternal world!
Thee, the seven days clad in the Divine Trinity,
come forth from the circle of constraint.
Guardian of the Heavens,
Accedest to me, and my fate shalt become thy sword!

[She cuts her finger, allowing her holy blood to spill onto the summoning circle before her. And the moment the droplet hits the ground, the circle erupts into bright, blinding light and wind, forcing the magus to avert her eyes.

She holds her breath, waiting to see what spirit will answer her summons...]

[Summoning a Servant without any sort of relic as a catalyst is always a gamble, one that most mages wouldn't even think to take. Without knowing what hero you're pulling forth from the Throne of Heroes, you can't formulate any sort of plan beforehand. you can't get any sort of leg up on the competition, and in a battle royale where every move you make has to be the best... it's a dangerous move on Zelda's part.

But it's a move that pays off. Without a definite relic, it's the drop of blood that becomes the focus; holy blood can call forth a holy being, and what holy being is better suited for fighting and turning the tides of such a chaotic war? Well... a few, probably, but when the light of the circle starts to take shape and fade, the form is very clearly a young woman, around the same size of Zelda herself. And as her features become more distinct, as the light begins to fade, the sight of silvery armor and short-cropped hair is what sticks out the most.

The last of the light fades, and after a pause, the young woman's eyes open, fixing Zelda with a firm, determined stare.]

I am the Servant Lancer, and I ask of you... are you my Master?

[Later, when she tells her teacher of the summoning, Impa will smile a knowing smile before telling her she did well. It was indeed a gamble, to summon without a catalyst, one that would have spelled disaster for a magus of a less celebrated bloodline, but the older woman knew they would be able to find few catalysts capable of calling forth a more powerful being than the one that runs through the girl magus' veins.

But in the present moment, as the gusts of magical wind toss her workshop apart and the blinding light slowly dims, Zelda is... something at a loss. She had expected a Hero much grander in appearance than the girl standing before her. She had prepared to show much more bravado than she actually feels to bring a large, hulking swordsman into submission. But she stands eye to eye to this woman, and she doesn't look at all like she's much older than Zelda herself.

It leads to a brief falter in her expression as Lancer opens her eyes, a hesitance that lasts for only a moment before it's quickly buried as she asks her question.]

... Yes, I - Zelda Nayrina Hyrule - have summoned you to fight on my behalf in the war for the Holy Grail. I am-- ah!

[She's interrupted by a burning pain on the back of her hand, one that she cannot help but react to. She clutches it, holding it to her chest and wincing all the while until the pain fades and she allows herself to peek at the injury.

... A moment later, she reveals it to Lancer: three triangles flanked by a pair of wings like a tattoo emblazoned on her hand, all in crimson red. The magus takes a moment to steady her breath before continuing.]

I am your Master; these Seals of Command upon my hand are proof of our contract.

[With that said, she prays she has left a good impression on the silver-clad knight. Though she has convinced herself to take whatever actions necessary to earn her Servant's obedience, it... would be nice, if they could get along from the start.]

[To summon not just a powerful Servant, but a powerful Servant of one of the knight classes without a catalyst is practically unheard of. A magus would be hard-pressed to find a teacher who wouldn't be proud of such a feat.

Now that the formal introductions are out of the way and all of the light and noise has faded, the Servant - Lancer, she'd called herself? - looks... almost as unsure as Zelda did for just a moment. She almost looks worried.]

Ah, is there... something wrong, Master? You don't seem very satisfied.

[Did she upset her new master already...?]

What? No, no, that's-- that's not it at all.

[Oh god, oh fuck, what is she supposed to be doing here, why did Impa make her do this on her own-- the girl magus flusters for a moment, caught up in her own head. A deep, steeling breath does little to calm her nerves, but it at least keeps the waver out of her voice for the most part.]

What I mean to say is... I realize I am very young to be participating in this Holy Grail War. And I know I still have a great deal to learn as a magus. [Here she places the hand marked with the Command Seals over her heart, bowing her head slightly.] But I swear to you that as a Master I will not allow my inexperience to be a weakness or hindrance to you or our shared cause.

And...

[A pause. She grows quieter after it, but again, forces her voice to be steady despite feeling anything but.]

... It... It is my hope that our partnership shall be mutually respectful, as well as mutually beneficial.

[What does one do when confronted with a life they left behind long ago? What do you do when the duty you threw all of yourself into is completed, and you need to figure out what to do next?

Jeanne - not Ruler, she'd set aside her formal Servant title some time ago - had been contemplating that for some time now. Her duties as Ruler no longer applied in her new home, and the rough patches she and Zelda had to confront upon Zelda's return to Hyrule had finally been smoothed out. Things were peaceful, the land and its people were healing... now all that was left to do was watch, and guide.

This... well. This meant that Jeanne had the chance to act like a normal girl- or as normal as someone living in a palace can be. She hasn't had experience in being normal for a long time, but she'd often daydreamed of such things. Of being able to go days without having to don her armor, of being able to flop down and nap in a pile of hay on a cool spring afternoon...]

... Zelda?

[... Of experiencing romance. That was one thing she tried not to think about, because it was the one that could most interfere with her duties. But with those duties set aside for now, the thoughts had been creeping up on her more and more, and her lady's face had accompanied them more often than not. She was... not sure what to make of this, and it made her uneasy, but she knew she had to address this. It might be selfish, and it might drive a wedge between them, but she had to do something, rather than bottle these odd emotions up. That could be just as destructive as airing all of this out could be.

So that's one reason why she's approaching Zelda today, after the princess is released from the last of her meetings for the day. Jeanne tries not to look too nervous, but she fidgets a bit with the hem of her shirt as she falls in line besides her friend.]

With your duties done for the day, what do you say to visiting the Castle Town for the remainder of the afternoon?

[And it so happens that Zelda faces a similar conundrum, now that the fighting is over and the restoration of Hyrule is largely up to the people living within it rather than the Princess herself. She is a bit busier than Jeanne is most of the time, of course, but when the day is done and Zelda is alone and laying comfortably in her bed, her mind is allowed to wander to things she would have called frivolous years ago, when her duty was all she could think of without guilt, when Impa had been the only family she ever thought she'd have.

She thinks about Arthur, sometimes. What he might be doing, if he hasn't visited recently, and whether she might be able to sneak away for a few hours to have tea with him at the very least. She thinks of Aria, and the hours she spends down in the little laboratory they've managed to cobble together for her to tinker away in. Zelda might need to send her out on some kind of diplomatic mission one of these days just to get her out of the castle and out in the sun for a while. But most often, she thinks of Jeanne, always at her side. Whether she's comfortable in the castle and in courtly life, if there's a way to get her favorite breakfast prepared the next morning without her knowing, how her hand - calloused yet soft - folds over Zelda's own when the Princess spends too long at her desk...

Hm. Yes. There has indeed been a shift in her thoughts regarding Jeanne in recent months, but Zelda has come to the opposite conclusion in regards to what to do with them. She's not bottling them up, she would insist, but rather... these feelings are her own, and she is content enough with the way things are now that she sees little reason to attempt changing them. As long as she can keep Jeanne in her life, she'll be happy.

So she smiles when the other girl approaches, an expression that only intensifies when Jeanne makes her suggestion.]

Please. I could do with some fresh air after all of that.

[She still might not be great when it comes to her own emotional intelligence, but at least she's finally been convinced that the country won't burn to the ground if she takes a few hours away from stately matters. That's certainly an improvement at least.]

[A great improvement! Jeanne knew very well what it felt like to be so completely dedicated to the homeland you love so much that you feel like you need to do everything without stop; she's had to be dragged off the battlefield several times in her first life because of that, so she can't fault Zelda there. But she also knew very well the need to relax, to take the time to recharge and let the weight on your shoulders shift to something more comfortable. Working nonstop is a fast way to a breakdown, and the last thing she wants to see is her dear friend collapse under pressure.

So when Zelda so easily agrees to her request, a smile crosses Jeanne's face as well, and she can't quite ignore the way her heart flutters. God above, there's nothing she wouldn't do to make sure Zelda keeps smiling like that...]

Even after all this time, I'm still not sure if that means that things went well or if they ended on a sour note...

[Politics... that's something she'll never quite be able to wrap her head around. She could pick up on some of the easy bits, like how to talk to the residents of the kingdom or how to appeal to neighboring allies, but the fine details of making sure everything ran smoothly... that's where you lost her.]

Let us say it was tiring and leave it at that. I understand their importance, but the minutiae of economics are exhausting.

[She allows herself to sigh, trusting that Jeanne won't fault her for letting the royal mask slip, just a bit. They are still within the castle walls and so she cannot let her guard down completely, but it's hard not to relax around the other girl. Jeanne just gives off an aura that makes you want to believe things truly will turn out for the best, and everything will be okay.

Or maybe that's just Zelda, and the aforementioned feelings she's been dealing with lately. Either way, her smile comes back as they walk, and she looks at Jeanne with light curiosity in her eyes.]

Please, tell me of your day instead. I am certain it was much more interesting.

[Seeing Zelda's mask slip makes Jeanne feel similar to how she feels when Zelda smiles; the resolve to protect her dearest friend, to make sure she can smile and be vulnurable and really live in a way that she couldn't in a war-torn kingdom or a nightmare-filled tower just grows even stronger.

That aura Zelda muses about may not be a real thing, but Jeanne still feels the same way. However much Zelda may stress about her duties and however many setbacks they may face... Jeanne knows things will turn out okay in the end, because Zelda is so strong and amazing that there's no way they won't succeed in finally bringing about an era of peace.

... Oh god, she really has it bad, doesn't she? So bad that she realizes she's been staring and only belatedly registers Zelda's words.]

I-I wouldn't say that. I mostly watched the soldiers train, and spoke to some of the other castle workers about some sort of celebration in town.

[... And fell asleep in the stables at one point, but she'd never admit to that. The fact that she might still vaguely smell of horse even after a quick wash-up (and a few strands of hay clinging to her skirt) might give her away, though.]

I'm not sure what it might be for, but it might be a noce excuse to relax for the night, yes?

[Yes, she is aware of that little habit of Jeanne's, just as she is aware of much of the daily comings and goings in the castle. But the smell of hay and horses is not a bad one when it's on Jeanne, Zelda thinks, and anyone who might judge Jeanne for that indulgence certainly knows not to do it when she or the Princess is within earshot. So Zelda simply smiles, and lets her suspicions on how Jeanne must have spent a few hours of her day go without comment. The topic of a celebration in town is certainly a more interesting one.]

A celebration? Hmm... [She hums contemplatively as they walk, scouring her mind for what it must be for, until--] Ah! The Sun and Moon Festival is usually around this time of year, that must be it.

[She nods to herself, sure that she's solved the mystery... and then a moment later realizes she should probably explain.]

Oh, the Sun and Moon Festival is a fairly casual affair as far as celebrations go; the royalty is not expected to make an official appearance, usually. Well... unmarried or widowed royalty, anyway. [... A bit of awkwardness enters her tone here as she clears her throat.] It is largely a romantic sort of festival, you see - based around a myth that the sun and moon are lovers ceaselessly chasing after each other. Though outside of that basic framework it is much the same as any other, with food and music and games and so on.

[Thinking about it... it would be nice to go to the festival as part of a pair. As a real pair, like everyone else in the kingdom does, and not one simply made for the sake of wealth or alliances. She's never really allowed herself to consider such before, what with her duties and all, but... yeah, it would be nice.]

The main event will be towards the end of the night, when those in attendance send paper lanterns into the sky, so their love might join that of the sun and moon's among the stars. It is quite a lovely sight, when there are many of them.

R-Romantic?

[... Ah. That... certainly explains how giddy the servant girls had been when she overheard them talking about the festival. It also means that she's in a bit of a precarious position now; should she insist they do something else? It seems like the safest choice, but runs the risk of that rift Jeanne is so afraid of pushing between them... or they could go? Perhaps she can brush aside any hints of the romantic nature of the festival, focus on the food and games and making sure Zelda has a good time...

... But then she lets her mind drift as Zelda speaks, she tries to imagine these floating lanterns, what they mean...

Okay. No. She's getting ahead of herself!! This is... this is supposed to be about Zelda. About helping her relax. Jeanne can't get caught up in these fantasies, no matter how much they make her heart flutter.]

I see... [How to tread around this topic carefully...] Would you like to see it? Um... I'm sure the view from the town will be much different than watching from the castle.

[Jeanne's slight alarm does not go unnoticed, but it is mildly misinterpreted. Jeanne is a pure soul, after all - Zelda's never known her eyes to wander anywhere that could be considered untoward, even when the princess momentarily sneaks away from her duties to watch her train with the castle's knights (and kindly hand them their asses every time). Another reason to keep her own feelings tightly under wraps.

She smiles, indulgent.]

It would, but I also would not want you to be uncomfortable. As I said, royalty is not expected to attend, so we do not have to go if you do not wish to.

[As always, putting everyone else's feelings before her own.]

[While it's true that Jeanne's eyes have never wandered - even during the hot, muggy summer days that made training in armor unbearable and most of the soldiers shed it in favor of thin cotton shirts and shorts - she wouldn't exactly consider her thoughts pure. Zelda is her Master, her princess... even if Jeanne was human, she was a peasant. To have romantic thoughts like these about Zelda... it was akin to blasphemy!

At least... she tries to tell herself that. But the feeling of warmth that blooms in her chest whenever those thoughts invade her mind... that can't be some kind of sin, can it?]

... Let's go, then.

[Jeanne is a selfless soul, one who puts the needs of everyone far before her own. She knows that the recent meetings have started adding to that ever-present weight on Zelda's shoulders, and something like this would be the perfect thing to take her mind off such things. So she can push aside her own awkwardness for this night.]

If I'm with you, you won't need any other guards, right? Perhaps if we dressed more... casually, we can blend in and enjoy the festivities better.

HOLY MAIDEN GIRLFRIEND TIME

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using this account for master au because icons are suffering

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this is super late and I am sorry

Ayyy it's cool bb

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