melodiesoflife | A Christmas Cabaret

Entry tags:

A Christmas Cabaret

Characters: Ashelia and Link. Others can come by for sure, though the thread with Ashe and Link will be locked, methinks.
Where: At a small cafe near the university. Some students are putting on a small Christmas concert.
When: The evening of December 16
Warning: N/A

Ashelia sat in her chair, legs crossed and quill in hand. Though the string quartet was playing, she was more focused on signing the documents she had in front of her, nodding slowly to herself. She wore a simple dark red dress, a soft white shawl draped over her bare shoulders.

Her ring caught the light off a candle for a moment, distracting her from her writing, but only for a moment. It was the quartet finishing their piece that caused her to put her quill down finally. She clapped lightly for the performers as they moved off the stage to take a short break. After taking a sip from her wine glass, the queen turned her attention back to her paperwork, eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she read what looked to be some very fine print.

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So singers were a part of this holiday as well? There was something very charming about the idea, and Celes, only stopping in for a bit of coffee before finding work, clapped as well. They were quite good as far as she could tell, and after a very short stint as an opera singer herself, she had acquired a certain respect for performers.

She may as well wait for their next set so, taking her coffee, Celes sat at one of the tables, waiting for the student singers to return.

"Where is she?"

"I don't know! She said she'd be here, she just had a package to drop off."

"You let her go?"

"What was I supposed to do? I don't care what she does in her off time, and she said she'd be here."

The voices drifted across the cafe, barely audible above the hustle and bustle of the crowd as more people came in to take shelter from the cold. Ashelia perked up a little when she heard, but kept her attention on Merlose, who had flitted in to pick up a couple of the papers the queen had been working on.

"Well, what are we supposed to do? We don't have a soprano!"

"I-I don't know..."

"And Gabe isn't here yet, he said he'd have trouble bringing his instrument with all the snow..."

Someone tapped on Celes' shoulder. "Excuse me, miss?"

"What are you doing?"

"Shut up!" The young man who had tapped the general on the shoulder looked sheepish as he turned his attention back to Celes. "A-ah, you wouldn't happen to be a singer, would you? From your posture, I thought...and, well, we're short an act...and so..."

Celes was completely unaware of any trouble brewing and, once her drink was drained, she stood to leave. Stopped by a gentle tap on her shoulder, the blond turned, blinking a few times. "Yes, can I help you?"

She was a bit confused. Obviously she had missed something between these two. Was there some kind of fight, or..?

The question came as a surprise to her, and Celes hardly had enough time to filter her expression. Her smile twitched a bit, and tilted her head slightly. "Excuse me? Where would you get an idea like that?"

And, from behind Celes, another voice.

"She's an amazing singer! I'm sure she'd be happy to help!"

Informing his Moogle that he'd be meeting a Queen over dinner with a quartet playing may not have been the best idea. Link didn't have much in the manner of dress clothing, but thankfully Lami had a keen eye on what sort of fashion was popular in the city. Insistent that he be aware of the etiquette involved with such an affair, Link could only submit to the Moogle's persistent outcry. A trip to a boutique, a bit of spending past what Link had put aside from the holiday, and Link was in proper attire for the occasion.

The long black coat covered him, while the green uniform beneath brought out the color in his eyes. He looked more like a dignitary than a knight, the tails of his jacket fluttering behind him as he walked into the cafe with a worrisome look upon his face.

His approach is slow, cautious, only clearing his throat after he was a mere few feet away from her to catch her attention. Aside from the building anxiety within him, given their past meeting, the Skyloftian could not help but blush at the appearance before him. It was both intimidating and remarkable, thoughts that he will keep to himself.

"Miss Ashe? Thank you for allowing me to meet with you."

"Lady Ashelia, if you would," she responded, more curtly than she'd meant to. Her attention was still on the paper in front of her as she finished her signature with a flourish. As she turned to look at him, her mouth dropped open. It closed a moment later, the momentary indiscretion covered up expertly with a mask of opaque politeness, but it had been there. What in the Father's name is this young man wearing?

Regardless, Ashelia stood, nodding in greeting. "Link. You look..." Completely, embarrassingly overdressed for a small student cafe? "...quite dashing, indeed." The sentence is finished with the professional finesse one would expect of a woman versed in politic. "Have a seat, if you would. Some wine?"

He waves a hand, still very flustered by the unexpected praise of the Queen.

"N-No. No, thank you. I think I've had my fill of alcohol for a lifetime." He bows at his waist, pulling back the coat to set it on the back of his seat before he finally settles himself at the table. He adjusts himself, pulling at the collar of his suit as he lets out a breath of frustration. "I won't beat around the bush here so I'll get right to it.."

He clears his throat, summoning up what little courage may exist in his heart to look the woman in the eyes.

"I don't expect any sort of forgiveness, and I'm here today because you deserve to hear this, not out of guilt or out of obligation. I.. I want to apologize for what I said. It was wrong of me, it was out of line, and I shouldn't make assumptions when I barely know much of any one here. You can hate me or be angry with me if you like, I won't tell you otherwise. I only hope that what I've done in no way keeps you from speaking with Zelda. I don't know everything that's going on here in the city but she's doing a lot of important things for the city and the Heroes here. I'd hate for something stupid that I did would get in the way of that.."

Ashelia took a sip of wine when Link was finished. "Nothing you could do would interfere with my professional or personal relationship with Zelda. As a matter of fact, much of my work this evening is related to a project we are pursuing together."

The queen sat back in her chair. "You are an earnest young man, Link. I accept your apology and offer one of my own." She shifted, a little uncomfortable, but continued on. "The scars of my past are mine to bear. It would seem I have yet to completely move on, however there is no reason to inflict that pain on others. Your words were presumptuous and certainly out of line, but you could not have known to whom you spoke of such things."

He cannot raise enough hands in objection to the apology she puts to him.

"Nothing for you to be sorry about, Lady Ashelia. You did nothing wrong."

He keeps silent for a moment, not wanting to merely toss her emotions or feeling aside, but it did seem odd for her to apologize when she had done nothing wrong aside from react to something tactless and presumptuous.

"Don't pay it any mind, really. I'll be better at watching what I say. I know it doesn't fix things and I know very little of it, but I am sorry for your loss. I'm sure, without assuming too much, that if the strength you hit me with is any indication, that this person must have been someone incredible."

People. All of them. The thought hits Ashelia like a ton of bricks, though you'd never be able to tell. The only indication is the slight clench of her jaw as she almost literally swallows the thoughts before they are given voice.

"Yes, well, while striking you was an overreaction, I stand by my statement. If you wish to be a knight - Zelda's knight, or otherwise - you'd do well to learn to hold your tongue." She crosses her arms. "A knight is a shield and a sword, a rock to lean on. Counsel is given when asked for, support strong but silent."

All Link can think about with her statement is just how ironic it sounds. At every other occasion, Link had simply been a fixture to the room, a mute amongst orators. Perhaps it was time to keep his lips pressed and his mind at greater matters than being a reliable enough man to win the fair Zelda's heart.

"The Knights where you come from.. What are they like? I'll admit, our Knight's Academy is probably no where near the size and reputation of where you're from, but.."

There is a thought at the end of things, one he cannot put to words or even utter. There is still a great deal of doubt in him, and whether or not Ashe can see it is beyond him. He'd been labeled a "Hero" when he felt he wasn't deserving, graduated merely by circumstance, and most of his scholastics had been accomplished with Zelda's help. His only true skills were the sword, which he'd done a fantastic job of displaying when he hadn't been able to save Zelda. Whatever the thought might be, it's lost as he looks to the Queen, awaiting an answer.

"The Order of the Knights of Dalmasca are the brave defenders of the realm," Ashelia answered. "I reinstated their existence quite recently, actually. They are Dalmasca's most loyal sons and daughters, wholly dedicated to the defense of the nation's sovereignty and her people."

She fell silent for a moment, thinking back on their rocky history, before continuing. "The Captain of the Order of the Knights of Dalmasca has always been the ruling monarch's closest friend and adviser. It is a place of high honor and influence."

Curiosity was getting the better of him, or at least the hope that he could learn more about her so as to not offend with further unintentional insults.

"Dalmasca.. How large of a Kingdom is it? It must be a tough life for your Knights to defend such an expansive rule, if it is as large as I'm assuming it is. Skyloft only totals maybe a few dozen people, including the Knights. It really makes me feel more like a hick to hear about all of these larger and grander realms beyond Hyrule."

The sweet singing voices of the season where initially what drew Yuna to the café. As she slid inside, dressed in her white mage robes she watched the students perform with a smile on her lips -- the feelings of the celebration really were catching. She stayed near the entrance until the end of the song, not wanting to interrupt them by shuffling about. Once it had come to a close, she applauded quietly, finally taking the time to look around.

There, at one of the tables, sat a familiar face. Ashelia. She had not seen the other woman since the confrontation in the forest, knowing from the letters sent through mognet that she was likely very busy. In fact, she still looked busy...

Walking over to the vendor, Yuna softly ordered, "Another two glasses of what the lady there is having, please," and took hold of them once they were poured. It seemed as though the choir was just about ready to start up again. With gentle steps, so as not to spill, the brunette leaned in as she approached from the side.

"A gil for your thoughts, Lady Ashelia?" she smiled.

Edited (redundancy what redundancy ) 2014-12-18 19:17 (UTC)

Ashelia looked up, a pleasant (if practiced) smile crossing her face when she saw Yuna. And, of course, the wine.

"Yuna, please join me. My thanks for the wine. Fortuitous timing indeed; my cup runneth under," she said lightly, setting her empty wine glass to the side to be taken by a waiter. She gathered some of the papers that were strewn about, making them into a proper pile, likely for the third or fourth time that evening. Papers tended to spread.

"You'll forgive me for the mess. I've a project or two on the go at the moment. The weather not lending itself well to expeditions and adventures, I've taken to the more mundane side of being a Hero." That last sentence dripped with a light, tasteful sarcasm. "How are you faring? I've not seen you since the battle against Snow."

With a grateful nod, Yuna placed one of the glasses near Ashe, then took to the other side of the table, placing her own on a small portion of the cleared surface. Smoothing over the skirt of her robes she took a seat as well, clasping her hands in her lap. She didn't want to take up too much of the space on the table, as it looked like the lady was in need of it.

"And even that seems like some time ago now, doesn't it?" Time really flew here in Crystallis, even if it was only a matter of a several weeks ago. "I suppose I should be grateful that things have been rather quiet for me since then. Work at the hospital has picked up a little with the turning of the weather as well, but..." the summoner tilted her head with a bit of a smile as she reached for her glass.

"It seems as though you've still found ways to keep busy, mundane or not." with a motion of her chin, she regarded the stack of paperwork, as she took a small sip of the wine.

Ashelia nodded, finishing one last signature with a flourish before setting the stack aside properly. "I was quite impressed with your skill that evening. Having allies of your caliber here in Crystallis lifts some weight from my thoughts." She took a sip of wine, nodding appreciatively.

"I am planning on making this announcement properly at Zelda's gathering, as the finer details have yet to be decided upon, but I am in the process of acquiring some real estate." She paused, looking down at the paper at the top of the pile momentarily. "With Zelda's help, I hope to open a Heroes' Guildhall of sorts. A base of operations, with the goal of protecting our own above all else."

Her cheeks flushed slightly with the praise, her head dipping slightly in thanks. "Having our powers back again was certainly our saving grace that day, I think. That and the fact that there were so many of us working together, of course." It seemed as though those powers really had come and gone, thanks to that 'black crystal.'

She leaned forward, glancing a little more closely at the paperwork as she smiled, "That's wonderful," her eyes brightened, "Having a place for everyone to be able to gather, some kind of neutral ground..." she sat back, relaxing a once more. "It seems like we have something to celebrate then."

Raising her glass, the summoner tipped it slightly towards the lady, readying to cheers. "To yourself and the Lady Zelda, for all your well-earned spoils."

Ashelia nodded. "I feel the loss of Snow and Lightning's presence every day." Having their natural abilities or not, she had trusted both of them farther than almost any of the other Heroes at the time. Ashelia would especially miss Lightning's cold, calm presence, so similar to her own.

The queen raised her own glass, nodding. "You've my thanks, but the process is far from over. Wedge seems amenable to the prospect, and I doubt Jessie cares as long as she has access to the Ancient technology within the spire when she deems it necessary , but Biggs..." Ashelia sighed. "Even after all this time, Biggs opposes us." She can't even blame him though. If Aqures Ixen were Dalmasca, this whole Heroes of Light business would be handled very differently.

"Our numbers grow exponentially each month. 'Tis disturbingly consistent. However, if this is to continue, we must needs become more organized. News of our presence in Crystallis will spread that much more quickly the more of us there are."

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A Christmas Cabaret

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