Fantasy Two Worlds Collide

[FangAndOzy]

Nicoli smiled. "That's close. Let me know when you try okay? I want to be present." Nicoli said as they started to walk to meet his parents.

 

[Matreania]

Helena nodded, "If it works like I think it should, I'll be able to finally meet a human." She said as she walked with them.

 

[FangAndOzy]

Nicoli smirked. "You'd like humans I think, but like I said before just be careful okay? I don't want you hurt." He said gently.

 

[Matreania]

Helena smirked, "It'll be fine." She said before turning to Rowan, she leaned towards her, "Take care of him, just in case, okay?" She whispered to her, "He won't accept to bring someone through, someone might have to stay."

 

[FangAndOzy]

Rowan's step faltered as Helena told her this. All she could do was nod stiffly. She didn't like the sound of that, but she understood.

"What are you two scheming?" Nicoli asked as they neared the dining hall. He had a good idea though and he didn't like it. It was why he wanted to be present.

 

[Matreania]

Helena smiled at Nicoli sweetly, "I was just thinking, we should probably do something about your little secrets. Be nice for Rowen to know her father was a big trouble maker."

 

[FangAndOzy]

"Oh please, I don't need her getting ideas. She wasn't always the most cooperative child." He teased and Rowan playfully stick her tongue out at him.

"At least I come by it honestly." She said playfully, causing Nicoli to smile.

 

[Matreania]

Helena chuckled, "Besides, as long as she isn't charming up all the guys, I think you are still the worse one." She smiled, turning to Rowan, "When I first got her, it was like every girl hated me. And you know how we meet, so you can understand why." She teased.

 

[FangAndOzy]

Rowan laughed. "I did see. Well don't worry, so far I'venot been a guy charmer...not on purprose anyway." She said with a grin.

"She's friends with the smith klan boy. I've even heard of his reputation. I think it's my beautiful daughter who should be worried about being charmed." Nicoli teased.

"Dad!" She said, her cheeks turning pink. She looked to Helena. How did you deal with guys like him?" She asked, jabbing a thumb in her father's direction. He just smiled mischievously. He couldn't resist the urge to tease his daughter.

 

[Matreania]

Helena smirked, "Same way I dealt with him." She flicked Nicoli on the nose, "Just do that if he is going to far, of course, I also do this glare thing my mother taught me and tell them how they aren't getting anywhere acting like a child." She placed her hand on Rowan's shoulder, "But to be fair, I've only used these on your father. I was always trapped in my lab, to get involved with interactions to the point of finding anyone that charmed as much as your father. And after coming here, being the niece of the Guardian of the Tower and betrothed to it's best, kind of helped keep any charmers away."

 

[FangAndOzy]

Rowan smiled and cast a glance her father's direction. She could tell he'd been looking fondly at Helena but he was looking ahead now. She looked back to Helena. "Well, I suppose being the daughter to one of the best might help me. I should be betrothed to the next leader of the tower but given my circumstances I don't think the betrothal is on right now." She said. Nicoli stumbled a little and she looked to him. He gave both of them a grin.

"Sorry, its weird to think you could be getting married at any point now after getting used to the human way of things and thinking you may not be married until later in life." He admitted and Rowan smirked a little. "That and I didn't know you wanted to be betrothed to Kyle*." He added.

"I...I..." Rowan stuttered and her cheeks turned bright red. "I don't know. Sometimes I think I would like it. I think I could be happy with him." If possible her face only grew redder. "I don't know though." She added quickly. Nicoli grinned a little, glancing over to Helena and then forward again as they kept walking, nearing the dining hall.

 

[Matreania]

Helena grinned, "Well, to be fair, it's your father's family." She teased. She placed her hand across Rowan's shoulders. "See. It was your lines time to join mine, but then you met a wonderfully beautiful woman and now it falls into you. But of course, if you decided not to, it'll all be really interesting to see which one of you will be doing the ritual." She pointed out, glancing to Nicoli, the Ritual was rarely ever done, but it unlinked the family from the order of betrothed, so that their children never had to be betrothed by the lines again. Of course, it was rumored to weaken the family, but no one actually heard of anyone doing the ritual is centuries, so there was no knowing.

 

[FangAndOzy]

"The...ritual?" Rowan asked curiously, looking between Helena and her father. Her father hesitated before being the one to explain.

"It's unlinking the families in the betrothal process." He said. "So when you have children they will not have to be betrothed to Kyle's* child if you two do not marry." He said. Nicoli resisted the urge to look to Helena. It would have been an apologetic look and she didn't need that from him.

"But...well does it have to be done?" She asked.

 

[Matreania]

Helena smirked, "The families in the cycle that are paired have to agree not to arrange the marriage, if they don't, then yes. Oh...." She paused before taking a deep breath. She stopped, turning Rowan to her, "If both families do not agree and the betrothed is not honored, a Judge can be assigned the disagreed child. Do you understand what a Judge is?"

 

[FangAndOzy]

Rowan frowned a little, shaking her head a little. "N-no...I'm afraid I don't and I don't understand." She said quietly. Something about her change in demeanor set Rowan on edge. Even if it was nothing, she couldn't help it.

 

[Matreania]

Helena but her lip, "A Judge is specifically trained and tested. They may be set in a Tower but they are not limited to any Tower. They are....they are like overseers, even a Guardian isn't completely over them. A Justice can protect a Tower, follow laws, but Judges make them, they don't have to bring you back to be punished, they can punish you as they desire. That includes tossing you into darkness to try and survive the creatures that love there. Depending on the Judge you get, breaking this code can be dangerous." She brushed back Rowan's hair and smiled, "Most Shadows beware Judges, this is why we have rituals and if you need help, your father and I can show you." She glanced to Nicoli, "Oh, I can help your father do it, so you won't have to worry about it." Then she looked at Rowan, "Ever again."

 

[FangAndOzy]

Rowan nodded her understanding. "I...I would want to talk to Kyle* about it first. It's not just my descision. He has been kind to me, and he has not pushed anything, but..." she shrugged. It was confusing to her. She didn't know what to feel or what she wanted. She hadn't really focused on it since being here. Nicoli came up to them, standing beside Helena to face Rowan.

"You don't need to decide right now. If I were you I would wait until after your mother's burial. There is a lot going on for you and, there is going to be more...that and I sort of created this situation for you so I'll see what I can do to make it less of a situation." He said with a faint smirk.

 

[Matreania]

Helena smirked, "Come on, we don't need to worry about that. Like your father said, just give it time, you don't have to decided soon. You are still young, you have time to decided and you have the selection text to worry about." She stepped back and sighed, "We might even get a chance to speak with a Judge, they can help with things like this. It's all a matter of finding one."

 

[FangAndOzy]

"Well...Brandon is a Judge isn't he? I've been working with him, maybe once our current mission has calmed he would be willing to help out." She said. Nicoli looked to her in surprise.

"He became a Judge? Well then yes, I think it would be worth asking him." Nicoli said. He paused just outside the dining hall and looked between the two women. "On a different note. I should warn you now that my father is probably going to ask you about the selection test and if there is anything you feel drawn to." He warned. Rowan nodded slightly in understanding. Her grandfather made her nervous.

 

[Matreania]

Helena smirked, "I didn't know you knew Brandon." Then she looked at Nicoli, "That's what she had is here for. To make sure when that happens we can be there to buffer through."

 

[FangAndOzy]

Nicoli smirked. "Good point." He said. He ruffled Rowan's hair a little and then turned and entered in through the dining hall. Rowan smiled and looked to Helena.

"It's weird seeing him in this setting. He's only a little more cocky than he was back in the human world." She said to Helena. She took a deep breath to prepare herself as they moved to follow her father.

 

[Matreania]

Helena grinned, "He always was." She giggled, as she walked in after them. She smiled when she saw Elias and Davina, always on time.

 

[FangAndOzy]

Rowan grinned at her response and then felt herself standing a little straighter as she caught sight of her grandparents. Her father was no where to be seen at first and then she realized he had gone to get their food. Leaving her alone to be with her grandparents. No. Not alone, she had Helena with her.

"Good evening." Davina said with a pleasant smile as she and Helena reached the table.

"Good evening." She responded as she took a seat across from them. Elias watched her carefully, as if studying her movements. It was unsettling and made her very aware of not being the same as them. She knew she should say something more, but she wasn't sure what. She couldn't figure out why it was so much harder to interact with them than it had been everyone else here so far.

 

[Matreania]

Helena another, as she say down, "I'm glad we can do this. That we can all have some time together, I got so lost in my work again. If it wasn't for Rowan and Nicoli, I would have missed this chance."

 

[FangAndOzy]

Elias smiled a little as he looked to her. "You still work in the lab then? Come up with anything new lately Helena?" He asked. He was not one to argue with the betrothal system, but it had taken him by surprise that Helena was not a warrior. He had taken to her quickly though and had always liked Helena. Rowan enjoyed the opportunity out to study her grandfather when he wasn't focused on Helena. She could tell he was a warrior by the way he carried himself. She even noticed a few scars she had not seen before.