- Joined
- Dec 12, 2014
The seriousness of the situation begins to melt away for Gwendolyn as soon as they hit the humid evening air, the Princess melting against Tane as they walk the empty streets. She's very much drunk, the whiskey hitting her harder than any mead or wine ever had. The poor thing can barely walk straight, trying her damndest not to trip over her own feet as she does. She's not too heartbroken over leaving the tavern. Of course she wanted to stay a little longer and she was a bit disappointed to be leaving early but, at the same time, the positive of such an early leave outweighed the negatives. She got to spend more time with Tane alone, that was far more important to her than spending time together in a rowdy bar. And, even up until the end, she'd had fun! She'd been cheered on, treated like a normal person... even if for only a couple hours. That was enough for her.
She's in the middle of staring down at her feet, making sure she doesn't trip when Briar takes her arm, pulling her away. Gwen follows after him, though she isn't granted much of a choice, looking toward Tane as she waves to her, pulled under the street lamp as Briar speaks. Gwendolyn stands there, swaying a little as she focuses on what he's saying, nodding her head, nervously fidgeting with the point of her ear, lips pursed. She knew the bigger picture, that Tane was a warrior. That she had killed. She'd never seen it in person though, not even a hint of it until tonight. But it didn't scare her. It didn't frighten her away like Tane or Briar might think. Of course death was frightening, and it wasn't that Gwendolyn wasn't scared of it... it was simply that she knew Tane had never done it to be ruthless for the sake of ruthlessness. She knew, deep in her soul, Tane had never killed out of cold blood. Never hurt anyone without reason, never threatened anyone without the need to survive at the for front of her mind. And perhaps it was naïve of Gwen to think all this, after all they had only just recently met in the grand scheme of things but, Gods be damned Gwendolyn was not an idiot. Naïve yes, stupid? Absolutely not. She knew a good person when she saw one.
She had to.
She'd met too many awful people, too many too close to her, for her not to learn how better to read people. And Tane read like an open book to her. She was honest, she was serious, she was goofy, she was strong, and most importantly? She wasn't dangerous. Not to Gwen.
So as Briar spoke, Gwen nodded with a seriousness befitting a Queen. She wouldn't let Tane shoulder this alone any longer than she had to. Or worry or wonder alone without hearing straight from Gwendolyn that she had no reason to be anxious.
As Briar and Gwen make their way back to Tane, Gwen returns his flourish with a comical curtsey of her own, bidding him a good night. Soon after he's out of ear shot, she turns to Tane, going to say something but, her love beats her to it. She's apologizing. Gwen takes a step toward her, placing her hands on Tane's hips as she pressed their bodies together, looking up at her before pressing her cheek to her abs. She reaches her hands down to take Tane's, guiding them around her so that she could properly embrace her, Gwen own wrapping around her waist in turn as she shook her head.
"It's okay," she breathes, squeezing her tight, "my knight shouldn't let me be insulted without consequence either, yes? You didn't humiliate me," she looks up to her, pulling away and taking Tane's hands in hers, kissing her knuckles, "you defended my honour. You defended me. That means a lot to me, though it means more to me that you weren't hurt -- that's all I really care about. If anything, you should be apologizing for putting yourself in harms way. I don't know what I'd do if--" Gwendolyn cut herself off, already finding herself tearing up. This was what happened when her mind wandered. She thought of the most awful things, the worst outcomes. What if Hardy's men had stepped up and taken her down? What if she'd been hurt? Killed? Gwendolyn took a deep, shaky breath, letting it out after a moment as she shook her head, "I'm just glad you're okay".
She looked up the hill toward the castle, eyeing it with a wrinkle of her nose for a moment before looking to the empty streets, calm and quiet in the night. "Would you... want to take a walk with me before we go back? Probably best to wait until everyone is asleep before sneaking back in anyhow, right?"
She's in the middle of staring down at her feet, making sure she doesn't trip when Briar takes her arm, pulling her away. Gwen follows after him, though she isn't granted much of a choice, looking toward Tane as she waves to her, pulled under the street lamp as Briar speaks. Gwendolyn stands there, swaying a little as she focuses on what he's saying, nodding her head, nervously fidgeting with the point of her ear, lips pursed. She knew the bigger picture, that Tane was a warrior. That she had killed. She'd never seen it in person though, not even a hint of it until tonight. But it didn't scare her. It didn't frighten her away like Tane or Briar might think. Of course death was frightening, and it wasn't that Gwendolyn wasn't scared of it... it was simply that she knew Tane had never done it to be ruthless for the sake of ruthlessness. She knew, deep in her soul, Tane had never killed out of cold blood. Never hurt anyone without reason, never threatened anyone without the need to survive at the for front of her mind. And perhaps it was naïve of Gwen to think all this, after all they had only just recently met in the grand scheme of things but, Gods be damned Gwendolyn was not an idiot. Naïve yes, stupid? Absolutely not. She knew a good person when she saw one.
She had to.
She'd met too many awful people, too many too close to her, for her not to learn how better to read people. And Tane read like an open book to her. She was honest, she was serious, she was goofy, she was strong, and most importantly? She wasn't dangerous. Not to Gwen.
So as Briar spoke, Gwen nodded with a seriousness befitting a Queen. She wouldn't let Tane shoulder this alone any longer than she had to. Or worry or wonder alone without hearing straight from Gwendolyn that she had no reason to be anxious.
As Briar and Gwen make their way back to Tane, Gwen returns his flourish with a comical curtsey of her own, bidding him a good night. Soon after he's out of ear shot, she turns to Tane, going to say something but, her love beats her to it. She's apologizing. Gwen takes a step toward her, placing her hands on Tane's hips as she pressed their bodies together, looking up at her before pressing her cheek to her abs. She reaches her hands down to take Tane's, guiding them around her so that she could properly embrace her, Gwen own wrapping around her waist in turn as she shook her head.
"It's okay," she breathes, squeezing her tight, "my knight shouldn't let me be insulted without consequence either, yes? You didn't humiliate me," she looks up to her, pulling away and taking Tane's hands in hers, kissing her knuckles, "you defended my honour. You defended me. That means a lot to me, though it means more to me that you weren't hurt -- that's all I really care about. If anything, you should be apologizing for putting yourself in harms way. I don't know what I'd do if--" Gwendolyn cut herself off, already finding herself tearing up. This was what happened when her mind wandered. She thought of the most awful things, the worst outcomes. What if Hardy's men had stepped up and taken her down? What if she'd been hurt? Killed? Gwendolyn took a deep, shaky breath, letting it out after a moment as she shook her head, "I'm just glad you're okay".
She looked up the hill toward the castle, eyeing it with a wrinkle of her nose for a moment before looking to the empty streets, calm and quiet in the night. "Would you... want to take a walk with me before we go back? Probably best to wait until everyone is asleep before sneaking back in anyhow, right?"