forum || Warriors' Union | private rp | stalkers get pretzels ||

Started December 08, 2020 by @PrettyLittlePyro

tune

(lmao honestly I don't blame Haven's panic….Reesha would gladly melt his face off if he kissed her)

Reesha tried to hide her faint look of annoyance and panic when she realized she was going to have to kiss Haven. It still showed for a moment though, before she masked it with false calm. She wanted to do anything but kiss him. Preferably smack him, or give him some nice third-degree burns.

But there was no way to get out of the situation. She couldn't leave, couldn't ask to skip the kiss, couldn't do anything but panic as Haven stepped closer. She felt his hand on her back, bending her backward just slightly, as she watched his face grow closer to hers. Just as she was sure he was going to kiss her, he stopped, her eyes meeting his in an instant. It was only then that she noticed his hair had escaped being tied back and was hiding their faces from the guests.

Relief coursed through her for a split second before she scowled at him, hissing as quietly as she could, "Don't call me darling." She didn't want to kiss him, but she hated that he had a solution to the problem so quickly. He was expecting her gratitude too, and she refused to let him know that she was thankful.

As she stood back up, she could hear the cheers of joy from the guests, and she knew the joy in their tone wasn't fake. Reesha didn't want to dull down their happiness and so she flashed a large smile, forcing herself to slip her arm around Haven's waist, hearing the hollers of happiness when they didn't step away from eachother.

(That would be an interesting sight lol)

"Was that that bad?" Haven asked out of the corner of his mouth, smiling to the crowd with his usual blinding smile that caused both men and women to become weak at the knees. "I'm sure we'll have to stage things like that a lot now, Reesha darling, so you should prepare more." With the arm around her waist, he could feel just how tense she was, and knew that he would regret it later.

But hey, why not have a little more joy in the moment?

After the cheering of the nobles had gone on for a minute or so, they were allowed to walk back down the aisle to the gardens, where the main reception was happening. As soon as they passed from beyond the view of the nobles, Haven removed his hand, shaking it and wiping it on his pants as if he had touched something disgusting. His smirk was still in place, but it was much harder, sharper.

Reesha gritted her teeth behind her smile, not speaking in return to him. It was bad enough having to walk with him down the aisle without letting go or burning him, speaking would only make her more frustrated.

As soon as they were out of view of others, Reesha practically yanked herself away from him, glaring at him and speaking with force and a tone of finality, "I'm laying down rules now, before you piss me off further. First, you will not call me any pet names outside of the public eye. You won't kiss me, or touch me unless absolutely necessary, and lastly, you will treat me with the respect everyone else does. Understand?"

She looked positively frustrated with Haven, and she was. Not for any specific reason, but she didn't need a reason after the whirlwind of things he had screwed up in since he came to the capital. Starting with her marriage.

"I can't promise the first one," Haven said, stretching and ignoring her furious look. "It's really fun to watch you fume." He gave her a cocky smile, adding, "Darling," after. He couldn't help it; it was entertaining to see her angry. He knew he would regret it later, but he couldn't find it in his body to care.

As the nobles started to meander into the garden, where refreshments and tables and music were all set up, the white haired man glanced over. He spotted the alcohol table, grinned, and bowed to his wife. "I'll see you later, Reesha love. I think some of your little friends want to congratulate you." He motioned to a group of girls standing off to the side. Just to add fuel to the fire, he took her hand, making eye contact as he gave it a light kiss, before strolling off to the refreshments table.

There. Let her deal with that.

"You're an ass, you know that?" She gave him a murderous look with the new name, frustrated beyond hell with him. And they had just gotten married. Reesha hid her look as nobles started to filter into the garden, though she didn't stop thinking about the best way to murder him. He was her husband, but if she could think up a good enough plan he would simply be her former husband. Or her late husband. It all depended on her anger.

Glancing over at the girls he mentioned, she shot them a false excited smile, if only to prevent murdering Haven at their wedding reception. She wiped her hand off on her dress after he let it go, making sure he saw the motion before she spun on her heel.

None of the girls he had mentioned were close to her, but she knew them, and since they didn't know of her and Haven's past, they were all ecstatic over the marriage. Pretending she was excited and happy was both painful and easy. She got her happiness from them, seeing their expressions, but she still was well aware of how much she was far from happy.

She was going to have to frequent the alcohol table to survive the reception.

Haven walked over to the alcohol table, which had been set up as per his request. If there was no wine, there was no way he could remain sane. He grabbed a glass of wine and smirked at Reesha's actions, expression widening as he watched her stiff greeting to the other women there. He was very glad he wasn't a noblewoman.

A group of noblemen walked over to him. He recognized them vaguely, having seen them around. He was pretty sure some of them had offered their daughters or sisters as his wife, which he had turned down, of course. Before he knew the Princess was available, he had had no plans of marrying.

"Lord Carroway," one of the men said stiffly, bowing. "Congratulations on your marriage."

Haven smirked, recognizing the man as the father of Peregryn Bateline, one of the Princess's suitors. "Thank you." He purposefully didn't use the man's title, to make him angry. "I don't think you said my name right. I think it would be something like, I don't know, Regent? Or Prince? I don't really know the etiquette for this. And would I still be a Carroway, or would I have to take on the Eyer name? So many questions."

Baron Bateline was growing increasingly angry as the general spoke, although he tried to hide it. "I… apologize. I am unfamiliar with royal etiquette."

"You should probably learn that, then," Haven said, waving his hand dismissively. "Nice talking to you." It was a clear dismissal, and the other man had no choice but to walk away. Haven took a large gulp of wine and sighed heavily. This is why I stayed away, he thought with a bitter smile.

(For future reference incase you need it for the character's conversation, in formal situations, Haven would be known as Prince Consort, or Prince Eyer. But in more casual situation, or if someone would be trying to be rude, they could refer to him as Lord Eyer or Prince Carroway (denoting a lower status than being both an Eyer and a Prince). I think it makes sense for it to be tradition to keep the royal name with royal marriages. (Plus Reesha would have a conniption fit if she had to take Haven's last name lol))

"Congratulations Princess Eyer!" One of the girls squealed, "I'm so happy for you! How do you feel?"

Reesha had enough focus to look happy as well, and she nodded in reply, a shining smile on her face, "Thank you! I'm feeling nervous if I'm honest…this is a big change but it's exciting all the same."

"Oh I bet! On the good side though, Lord Carroway isn't very well known around here, so you won't have to worry about any drama about him." The girl smiled, then shot a playful wink at Reesha, "Plus, if it's not too out of line to say so…he's pretty hot too."

The girl was clearly younger than her, if she had to guess she would say she was the same age as Ollie. That much she could tell just from how she spoke. Most of the older noblewomen were more formal, less questioning and usually had a different motive than genuine excitement. This girl had none of those things. Speaking of her brother, Reesha wondered where he had run off to. Ollie had been at the service, that much she knew, but as she took glances around the room, she couldn't spot him.

Brief annoyance passed through her eyes as she thought of that, but she hid it quickly as another girl spoke to her. Ollie wasn't a fan of groups, but leaving during her wedding reception? That was annoying even for her. Especially since she was usually the one that covered for him when he ran off. Annoying as it was, finding her brother would be a good way to get out of conversation at least. It would also serve as a good excuse to grab something to drink -even if there was no way she would find her brother anywhere near the alcohol.

She laughed at the girl's words, barely hiding a snort of disbelief. Haven being hot? That was about as unbelievable as a worm learning to speak. Reesha didn't punish the girl for her words, and she replied easily, admitting as much as she could without gagging, "He's not too bad to look at…that's for sure."

(Coolio, thanks! That's good to know. And she definitely would… can you imagine the chaos if she had to take his name?)

Through the crowd, the white-haired man spotted Reesha, who looked immensely uncomfortable, although the ladies probably didn't realize this, and shook his head with a smirk. One of the girls was squealing like a fangirl, which made his smirk grow. He knew how much his new wife hated loud noises, and any pain he could watch her in would make it all the better.

He turned his gaze from the princess to the person walking up behind him. "What do you want?" He asked, with more than a little annoyance in his voice.

Graeson Carroway, his oldest brother and the very definition of a smug asshole, just smiled. "Is that any way to talk to your older brother?"

"Last I checked, I had a higher status than you did, both noble and Carroway-training. I can talk to you however I want. Why are you here?" His gaze fell on the girl behind Grae, a girl no older than nineteen, as opposed to the 29 of Graeson. She was pretty, with dark hair and skin, clearly foreign, clearly a slave. His teeth ground together. "You're still dragging her around? Last I checked, having a second wife wasn't legal, and you had a fiance."

Graeson sneered and held up a glass of champagne he had nabbed from a passing waiter. "Every noble has affairs, brother dear. Why can't I?"

This man- Haven rubbed his forehead and turned away. "If Mom found out, you'd be dead."

"So don't tell her." He smiled disarmingly, but Haven wanted to gag.

(Oh she would be livid, and it would become everyone's issue without a doubt)

Reesha chatted for a few more moments with the girls before politely excusing herself, mentioning finding her brother before any of them could offer to keep her company.

It was only the beginning of the reception, and she already had a headache.

For a moment, she let herself look annoyed, then carefully covered it with a look of placid happiness, avoiding other conversation with the same excuse she had told the girls. No one questioned her looking for Olliver, like usual, and it allowed her to get to the alcohol table without any added conversation.

She spotted her new husband hanging around the table long before she made her way over there, but after carefully weighing the options, she decided dealing with Haven was worth the buzz that enough alcohol could give her. She made her way to the table quietly and smoothly, flashing dazzling smiles to anyone with who she met eyes with. Picking up a flute of champagne, she was surprised to note that Haven hadn't acknowledged her presence yet. Not that she cared. She stopped next to the table for a moment, sipping at the drink while deciding if grabbing another would make her look too eager to get drunk.

(Agh, sorry, I thought I had responded!)
(And then beautiful chaos would ensue lol)

The white-haired man had spotted his new bride the moment she had started to make her way over to the refreshments table, but he didn't really feel like acknowledging her in that moment. Talking with Grae always drained his energy, and he was also getting married to the worst shrew in the entire kingdom. Making sure no one was looking in his direction for a moment, he closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. And then he grabbed a flute of champagne and downed it in one swallow, letting the burn rush through him and fizzle in his insides. And then he placed the empty glass down, turned to Reesha, and smirked.

He held out his hand, a smirk stretched across his features. "My dearest. May I have this dance?"

He heard a couple sighs coming from the direction of a group of girls nearby and his smirk widened, before he etched a little bow. "Please? For the publicity? You know you'll regret it if you don't."

Reesha had been trying her best to ignore the worm she now had to call her husband, and for a moment there was mutual agreement to ignore each other. It was nice, calming even.

And then Haven spoke and the silence was broken. She regarded him with something close to hatred in her eyes, but it didn't show on her face as she finished off her glass of champagne. Setting the empty glass down slowly, she heavily debated dancing with him. Not only did it sound horrid to do, but the last time they had danced she had almost died. Literally.

"Fine," Reesha finally responded, under her breath of course. Plastering a happy smile on her face, she took his hand and spoke again, this time loud enough that others could overhear, "You may." As she walked with him to the dance floor, she muttered to him, making her hand heat in his, "Touch me wrong and I will personally cut off your hand and feed it to you. And remind me after the dance to go get something stronger than champagne if I have to deal with you."

"Cut off my hand? Sweetie, you wouldn't do that to me, would you?" He made puppy eyes at her and spun her in a circle. The second part of her sentence made him grin, and he opened his mouth to say something lewd… before he realized that the other dancers on the dance floor were getting closer, and some might overhear. He couldn't have that.

So he spun her around again, according to the music, and leaned over, whispering in her ear, "There are several things stronger than champagne that I can think of at the moment."

Leaving it at that, he continued to dance with her, making sure to stay within the bounds of what she had given him, just so that he could say that he wasn't doing anything provocative to her.

She shot him a sickly sweet smile and hummed out a fake laugh, "I would take great pleasure in cutting off your hand. Don't test me."

As much as she hated having to dance with Haven, she had to say, he was a good dance partner. They worked well together, following the dance and spinning when the music called for. If it wasn't for his damn voice, she could almost imagine she was dancing with someone she actually could get along with…like one of the guards, or even one of her former suitors. Reesha though, was well aware of the fact that it, unfortunately, was Haven.

Her eyes fluttered shut for a moment as she heard his voice in her ear, but they opened as soon as he pulled away. At the next point in the dance, she asked him in a quiet but interested voice, masking her words with a dreamy smile, "What did you have in mind? Something that will make me forget I ever had to marry you?"

A moment later, the dance shifted, and they were pulled apart, sent to dance with different partners momentarily. Reesha got stuck with some older gentleman, who smiled at her with clear disgusting intent that she met with a sneer. As soon as the dance changed again, she was back with Haven, and though she wouldn't admit it, she preferred him over the old man.

Reesha managed to keep up with Haven's incredible dancing skills, much to his surprise. He had even done a little bit more of the fancy, complicated stuff, and she followed his lead without a question. Her question made him laugh quietly and say, "I guess that's one way to put it."

The next dance was with the person to their right. Haven got a beautiful young girl who spent most of the time making eyes at one of the palace guards, a newer recruit. He smiled slightly and twirled the young lady around. "I don't think I caught your name, my lady," he said warmly.

The girl mumbled something, eyes still fixed on the guard.

Haven bit his lip to hide laughter before he said, "That guard over there that you're making eyes at? His name is Daine. I think if you went over there and offered him a drink, he'd appreciate it. After all, standing around and watching other people dance while not being able to do anything sounds pretty awful."

For the first time, the young lady looked at him. Her eyes sparkled, and as soon as the song was over, she was away.

He looked at his next dance partner. And, of course, it was his beloved wife. He bowed to her, as all the other gentlemen did to their partners. "I see that I have to deal with you again?"

"Unfortunately, you do, no more chatting up the other pretty girls in the room," She replied smoothly, dipping into the slightest curtsey like all of the ladies did. This dance was slower, a more graceful dance that required too much close contact and looking into your partner's eyes. At least in Reesha's opinion. Still, she acted like the princess she was and didn't fry Haven to a crisp when she stepped close to him, resting one hand on his back and the other holding his hand. She was standing much too close for comfort, but she did her best to ignore it as the dance began with graceful smooth steps.

Reesha met Haven's eyes, faint annoyance present behind her constant soft smile. "How long until I can leave and find a better dancing partner and some drinks?"

Even if it was their wedding reception, she was already ready to go. Both away from her husband and away from the numerous people present that she only knew through the politics of the nobles. Many of the guests were simply people she had to entertain to keep the peace in the capital. And frankly, only a few of them caught her eye or spent enough time around the drinks table to be interesting to talk to.

"If you don't want to make a scene, I think you'll have to wait for at least another few hours." He swept her into a bow, bending her over backwards before helping her up and spinning her around. "Unless you want to sneak away now. It will give you the reputation of a lovestruck newlywed. but you'll also be away from the crowd." His smirk was more than a little provoking. "Do you want to do that, Reesha darling?"

He knew that she would say no. As much as he knew she wanted to get away, he also knew how conscious she was of her image, especially because she was now the Crown Princess. She had to be careful with her actions in a way that he was glad he didn't. Making a reputation for himself as a rogue and a player made it all the better.

She didn't respond right away, annoyance shimmering in her eyes as she gave the slightest shake of her head. "Being painted with that reputation would be worse than staying around. Stop calling me darling as well, or I'll bring out the nicknames." Frankly, she would give just about anything to have the same freedom to leave and appear at parties as her brother did. But as the future queen, she had to give the nobles no reason to deny her the role. She had to play the part perfectly, just like she would have to learn how to play the part of a lovestruck woman who adored being around her husband.

The song continued to play, and copying the movements of the others involved, she pressed closer to Haven. Though unlike most of the other ladies who looked simply happy to be close to their partner, she forced a new, playful smile over the other one she wore. "Besides, leaving early would simply add to your…wonderful…reputation. I wouldn't want you to become known for slipping away with royalty whenever and wherever."

(Ikr? I've missed writing with you.)

Reesha's first words made Haven realize - possibly for the first time - that reputations were actually important. He knew that, of course, but the reputation he relied on was more of a mask than anything else, designed to keep the country safe, not only himself. But as the future queen… well, there was a lot more expected of her than he had thought.

Not that it mattered. He would just have to align himself to the role of queen's husband the same way he had done as a major flirt.

He didn't say any of what he was thinking, instead choosing to spin her around once. The two moved with such grace that there were more than a few nobles out there who stared at them in awe. He didn't notice, especially not when she pressed closer to him and spoke.

He grinned at her words, leaning down to whisper, "Then I guess I'll just have to be more discreet, won't I?" He pulled back enough for her to see his insufferable smirk, before he pulled her into a smooth rotation.

(I have too! Sorry for the wait on my part lol…getting stuff ready for another year of college is chaos lmao)

Reesha let the smallest of glares pass her face when he smirked but she plastered over it easily, putting just enough force into the spin that it could make him stumble into the next step if he wasn't careful. She meant nothing more behind it than to throw him off his game, even slightly. He was insufferably good at getting on her nerves, and even better at dancing it seemed. She could hold her own on the dance floor though, even in her dress.

"You know this will never work out, right?" She whispered as she neared him again, smoothly transitioning into the dip the song required. "I want to burn your face off. And not in a nice way." Letting him pull her back up, she ran a trailing hand over his arm almost flirtatiously before resting it on his shoulder. The setup for the final move of the dance, and a silent challenge to see how he responded.

Knowing Reesha as he did, it wasn't hard for Haven to predict her childish - though effective – move to get him off guard. Not that it worked on him, but a lesser dancer would have stumbled. The fact that it didn't inflated his ego immensely, which it didn't need more of. He helped her along, dipping her low and moving his face close to hers, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "Of course I know, darling," he said softly.

He spun her around, the final move coming into play. "And it's admirable, your self control. You should try to be more civil to me next. See what happens. I know, it would be rather difficult."

The dance finished, and he bowed to her, low, swooping, graceful. And then, feeling eyes on them, took her hand and kissed it, a glint of challenge in his eyes. "And I would look rather ravishing with another scar. You wouldn't be able to keep your hands off of me."