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A Rose By Any Other Name (Frozen Princess and Verum Cor Meum)

Faye didn't move to disarm the princess there was no point in it, she would keep deflecting until the princess gave up. This was the first lesson she was taught as a page herself. She was taught to understand when you're outmatched. Sure Faye could elbow, or strike Rose's sword to make her drop it. However she didn't instead she kept deflecting each bow easily, in fact she was even putting much effort into it. It was no insult to Rose, just merely Faye had been doing this for a long time.

"Come on than Rose, if you can strike me in the next five minutes I will do whatever you want for a day." Faye offered only offering cause she doubted Rose would get lucky enough to land a hit. If she did however Faye would be a woman of her word and do whatever the princess wanted no matter how embarrassing it might be.
 
Rose wasn't about to give up, even without the incentive. It was part of her stubborn adventurous side. She stubbornly refused to quit an adventure. This wasn't a fun one, but it was an adventure, so it counted.

"Pierce, me lad. Ye blow the bugle do ye nae?" The King asked quietly.

"Aye, moost alway hae eet on me person. Hae t' sleep wi' eet, so's t' blow eet inna barracks, waking lads an' lassies, alik, first t'ing." The page who had mentioned the way to best Rose right away, stated, holding up the instrument.

King Williem sighed as he watched Rose try a different approach. "Stubborn gil." He grumbled, before saying quietly to Pierce. "When I gie ye th' signal, sound the retreat."

"Retreat, Sire?" Pierce asked baffled. "Boot... Rose will hae t' do five times th' original laps around th' courtyard!"

"Aye. Cuz she hae t' be told t' retreat. So she'll only hae 'er own stubbornness t' blame." Williem knew the page wasn't understanding the order.

Five minutes later, Rose was actually starting to get winded, which was making her sloppy as well. The King gave Pierce the signal and the page blew retreat on his bugle. Rose threw her sword down in disgust. "Why fer ye blow retreat?! I 'ad 'er this time!" Rose bellyached towards her father.

"Nay, Rose. Ye dinnae. Fact ye were startin' t' get sloppy. Dame Faye, multiply yer original number of laps by five. Reason. Stubbornness when she was clearly outmatched. Agin, she'd o' been sliced t' ribbons hae this been real." He took a deep breath. "An' tha' will be all fer th' day. Her trainin' will be daily, precisely one hour after dawn, every day henceforth. Turn 'er int' th' kingdom's best regular archer. Invite Sir Charles and Page Calla on th' morrow, t' hae Rose focusing on sniping."
 
Faye had begun to drop parrying with her blade, and simply evaded the attacks ducking, side stepping, and jumping. Hearing the retreat sound she frowned slightly she had half wanted to Rose to actually strike her at least once, or to at least see the girl fall down in exhaustion. Glancing at the King she nodded at his orders. "Get running Rose." She commented as she put her sword back to her side. "I shall see her training done." She nodded bow working sounded like a good plan for Rose. It wouldn't be too smart for the princess to fight with a sword. "I am sorry if my training was lacking your majesty. I am not quite used to training recruits." She knelt down in an apology.
 
Williem just shook his head as if no apology was necessary, as Rose picked up her sword and put it with the other training swords, and began her laps around the courtyard. "Nay. Th' only disappointment I hae es in Adestira. I'd lik t'see 'er as a Calvary Knight as well, but ye dinnae hae knowledge o' th' rapier, an' how it's used in battle. Rose got a taste o' it wi' th' two pages I sent after her." He watched his daughter running her punishment for a minute. "When she's dune, come see me in th' law archives. I hae a scroll I want ye t' read."

(Can fast forward to that, just give how long after this Faye shows up. Describe some of it, as I only picture shelves of books and scrolls on the walls and a globe somewhere in the room.)
 
Faye's eyes turned into a glare of sorts as the King commented in a negative away from Adestira. Disrespecting her kingdom did leave a foul taste in her mouth, and if she wasn't trained so well she probably would have cussed out the king right then and there. However she was well trained so she bit her tongue and quickly turned her glare back into a normal stare. "I see." She commented a bit of anger in her voice as she turned away from the King. "As you wish your majesty." Faye replied her voice returning to normal, though it was clear his comment left a bad taste in her mouth.

Once Rose was done she had found her way to Law archives a huge library like area filled with many different kind of books, and scrolls on the history and law of this land. It was dimly lit, and had fine wooden design giving off a fancy library appeal. Finding the King she would kneel down. "I am here as you requested milord." She replied she wasn't sure if she was to bring Rose aswelll, but she had asked the girl along either way as she didn't want her to far away.
 
The King glanced up at the sound of echoing footsteps, and saw Rose come in with Faye, peering at both over the top of reading glasses that merely sat on his nose with no sign of earpieces. He took them off and pointed to a small table with a book already sitting on it. "Good. Rose. Go in tha' other corner, an' tha' table. Read tha' book laid oot fer ye, SILENTLY."

He beckoned for Faye to take the chair across from him at his table. The King's table had more comfortable chairs than others in the law library, with red leather cushioned backs seats and arm rests. "I meant no disrespect towards Adestira. Eet jus' strikes me odd they are nae followin' other Scottish Kingdoms int' learnin' an' teachin' th' rapier. Dunwyn is a Northern Saxon Kingdom whut sides wi' us Scotts, agin more Southern ones than itself. Including th' one directly West o' them an' directly South of Briarwood called Drekmore. Dreadful place wi' a tyrant ruler." He waved it off. "We shall talk our neighboring kingdoms another time. This is whut I called ye in, regarding."

Williem turned the scroll around so Faye could see for herself. "Rose is reading a book called The Law of Etiquette . Mayhap she'll get the point, an' I'm wantin' Page Calla t' read it next. Those two have much in common besides their floral names." Yes. The King just called his own daughter, and his top sniping page, dense.

The law scroll was as follows:

Towit any Princess who finds an attraction to other females will hae nary a choice but t' train in the arts of being a warrior upon turning 17. If a trainer knight is unavailable, but one can become available before she turns 18, she is to be assigned to that knight as a page, and be treated as such. Her royal duties are stripped of her until she earns her eagle feather. Her duties restored does in no way constitute a change in the knight/page relationship. The Princess will remain a page until such time as she has earned her knighthood, where part of her title must include 'Warrior Princess'. Upon completion of her first two months of knightly duties, she may take freely of her female loves nae more than three (3). That is her maximum allowed, yet she still must earn them. Signed this day 22 December 1353 by the following allied kingdoms.

Briarwood
Camelot
Dunwyn
Edinborough and Midlothian
Eire
Foxgrove

The kingdoms' coat of arms seal followed each name. The King gave Faye all the time she needed to read, before speaking.

"Mayhap Adestira has changed it's mind on this since then. Now Rose was just born and the now Queen Calla of Dunwyn was a mere child of 13, an' Queen Heather was nae e'en born as yet, seventeen years ago. Both Queens are warriors in their own rights and very good ones. Heather, 16, the bow and Calla, 30, the rapier. Now ye see why I wanted Rose t' learn both."
 
Faye glanced at what the king wanted to show her reading it over intently as she looked up at the king as he spoke more. Adestira didn't really have to worry about this for in that kingdom princess were arranged to marry a man weather liked to or not. Adestira didn't mind same sex marriage, but allowing royals to do it never seemed like a good ideal to them as then they would lack a heir. Not that Faye really paid attention to that since the Prince of Adestira was wed to a princess of another kingdom.

"I understand why you want her to become a warrior." Faye replied she had never questioned that herself, she believed every royal king, or queen should be able to best a knight. "I can train her in the art of the bow, but the rapier I can not. I am not graceful or agile enough to work a rapier myself milord." Despite her saying this she did have the body of a agile woman rather than a muscular one. "I shall make sure she is trained before I return to Adestira." She stated Faye had always planned on going back their once the princess was safer. "...Why does it claim three lovers? Pardon my question, but in Adestira love is meant between two people." Faye question having never really heard of having multiple lovers before.
 
The King sighed. "Ironically, three kingdoms requested that stipulation. Camelot (no surprise there, really), Eire and Foxgrove. Might be a good thing as Rose hae expressed feelings for more than one gil in the Kingdom. Once upon a time, ye were among them. She truly loves Genevieve, boot love is an odd emotion. It cares not aboot gender, caste or if ye already hae a dear one, or even how close ye be. Fer a while, before Genevieve and Cinnamon came around more, she pined fer ye." He shrugged almost as if assuming it was old news to Faye. "Cannae unnerstan' why she ne'er tol' ye. At least nae around me." He thought about the law. "Tis int'restin' tha' t' me knowledge... Only th' Camelot an' Foxgrove rulers hae more'n one, boot neither hae three."
 
Faye blinked at that she had not expected that all. Faye as a child had been shy and lady like always keeping to herself though she was close friends with Rose. She had always assumed it was out of pity. "I see, I am not sure I could hold the same feelings on the multiple lovers. Though I have no plans to settle down myself." Faye looked down she didn't see herself as a normal human able to love, not anymore. She was a sword to be cast out in the field of battles until she was killed. She did however blush looking over to Rose she had also shared a crush with the princess back than, but that was back than. "I have no right to speak on what you nobles see fit for love." Faye bowed her head she would not judge them. "So is this all sire?"
 
The King nodded and arose, wrapping the spectacles in a fancy handkerchief. "Aye. Fer now. If ye e'er be sendin' a letter t' Adestira aboot things here, ask if they be changin' their minds on th' Warrior Princess Law. Eets only been seventeen years, I'm shur they be knowin' whut ye mean. Especially if ye tell 'em th' king be askin' considein' ye've seen the document fer yerself wi' six o' th' se'en allies signed." He stared at Rose, as she put the book down upon seeing him go towards the door. A right royal glare, truth be told. "An' did I say YE were excused, Rose? Nay. Crack o'en yer book an' keep readin', I'll be givin' ye a test on it after your archery lessons on the morrow." He glanced at Faye. "Nae an order per se... Boot keep an eye on her, an' see she keeps readin'. She c'n hae an 'adventure' o'er th' weekend." With that he left Faye back in charge.

Rose quickly buried her nose back in the book. No sense having Faye mad at her, too.
 
Faye gave a bow to the King as he left, and turned to look at Rose for a few moments. She decided to try and act like her old self for once, she felt there was a distance between Rose and herself. Moving to sit across from Rose Faye glanced at her. "I can give you a summary of the book milady, you don't need to read it." She offered leaning forward a bit in her chair. "I wish you had told me you liked me when we were kids. I wouldn't have left to Adestira if I had know." She stated trying to not act so gruff. "I had liked you two as a kid. Alas now you probably dislike me, and I have no need for emotions." She sighed leaning back in her chair she hoping Rose would indulge her in a casual topic she wasn't Dame Faye right now but Faye the girl who used to be Rose's friend.
 
Rose sighed and looked up and over. "Father will know if I get help. Though I moost assuredly appreciate yer generous offer." She looked down. "Aye an' tha' sounded positively textbook, dint it?" Although she was being sincere, the polite refusal did sound a lot like chapter two, which she just finished. She should've been finishing chapter five, the length of time she was in there. Half the sixty page book, as the average reader, of which Rose was one, could read at least a page a minute, and it had been nearly half hour. To only read 12 pages in that time meant one thing. She really didn't want to read right now. "I'm... Regretful, I dinnae let ye know sooner... An' then t' hear it from Father..." She grimaced. " I dunnae dislike ye... Tis jus' I dunnae know what to think aboot th' new you, ye know?" She looked down at her book. "I ask... Nay... Plead, nae t' sap me love outta me, lik it seems yer trainer did t' ye." She wasn't meaning for it to sound disrespectful, since she was close to tears, she had a bit of Adestira training, and it scared her.
 
Faye watched Rose's eyes closely before giggling slightly at first it was light and might sound like she was just choking, but than she burst out a bit. "Hahaha.... Milady if you think what I did was bad... Haha..." Faye couldn't contain her laughter anymore and had to put her hands over her mouth to keep herself from being to loud. This was a quirk that child Faye had she would always burst out laughing like this even making a scene in public if she sought something was funny. "I....hahaha I won't..." She took a deep breath slapping herself to gain her composure. "That was not Adestira training... Unless you were speaking of training a kid. Adults get it a lot worse than I show you. Do not worry milady our trainings will be different. You're learning to wield a sword... In Adestira we are turned into the sword." Faye admitted it probably sounded weird, but anyone who fought an Adestrian knight knew she was kidding. They would keep fighting no matter how damaged they were. "I will go easy on you despite what your father wants. You are are aloud three wives it seems, one surely should be strong enough to protect you." She admitted she didn't want Rose to become a knight like her. Rose was a flower who had thorns she'd rather keep her like that rather than turn her into a blade.
 
Rose looked at Faye perplexed in the fact that her 'taste' was nothing compared to the real thing, what's more the way Faye laughed at what she had said caused her to smile in remembrance. Then Faye slapped herself. "Oi! Noon o' tha' in me presence!" Rose momentarily had forgotten she was Princess by birth right now, as Faye had read, Rose had no authority, it was stripped of her until she earned the eagle feather. Rose was at least three months from that, just starting her training. "An' I dinnae t'ink Father will care mooch for seein' ye strike yerself, either!" Well... At least she was right about that. King Williem had already told Faye not to be so hard on herself. Although Rose listened to what else Faye explained, she began to wonder what kind of place Adestira was. "I am glad I was born in Briarwood..." She said. She doubted she'd even want to visit, since her personality would come off quite like her name. Sweet, yet thorny. "Wha' wul' Adestira t'ink aboot me...?" She didn't know it was out loud, but it was out there now; no takebacks as she was fond of saying during dare games.
 
Faye was shocked by that, she hadn't hit herself hard it was just a light one to get herself to stop laughing as she knew being loud wasn't polite, or proper when in a area such as this. "If I do not slap myself milady I would be laughing for an hour. You should know that." Faye teased it was true she would giggle for hours on end once she started it was an odd quirk that she seemed to have not out grown. "Adestira would probably see you at weak, and naive milady. At your age they would expect you to be as smart, and skilled as your father currently is. Do not be alarmed though milady Adestira is a empire that merely builds an army to help it's friends." Faye informed and wasn't lying the Adestria kingdom hadn't started a war in a long time they were a peaceful kingdom despite training their knights in such a harsh way. "Though I personally think you are a sweet, and beautiful young lady. I am happy that my childhood crush has become such a lady." Faye smiled gently.
 
"Ah." Short and simple. Rose wasn't normally like that, but if she really got it, whatever 'it' happened to be at any given moment (in this case, a kingdom's take of her), she let out a breath of awareness. Arthur had been lax on his daughter's adventurous side, although it was his son on the actual throne of Camelot. Same with Gregor (Dunwyn), Roland (Foxgrove) and McGruder (E&M) but look at how those adventurous princesses turned out.

Foxgrove was one of a few kingdoms, Dunwyn and Edinborough and Midlothian the others, who's adventurous warrior princesses were now their rulers. Arthur had a son right after signing the law.

"Compared t' Queens Heather (Edinborough and Midlothian), Calla (Dunwyn), and Britney (Foxgrove)... Guess I am a might naïve, then." She may have 'got it', but it didn't serve as an incentive to be better than those three.
 
Faye nodded she wasn't going to lie the other queens were quite formidable in their own right and Rose was just training. "As you mentioned they are Queens, not Princess you will get their milady." Faye promised she hadn't meant those other Queens before, but she had heard tales. The only other royal Faye had meant before was King Arthur and that was simply because he visited Adestira, and Faye had been instructed to guard him. She had also wanted to glance at his famous sword, but never got the chance. "Well Milady I'll shan't keep you from your book anymore." Faye would go to stand up as the king had mentioned she was a page now so Faye didn't need to wait for permission. Moving to another table she sat down to wait patiently.
 
(The law said it too)

"Queen Heather is aroond our age. She was born the spring after the law was signed." Rose said calmly, nodding and going back to her book. Calla was the oldest, already 13, and seasoned with the rapier, and Britney was even younger but not much, but allowed to be a page before the contract was signed. She'd had already kissed a girl and liked it, and the reason Roland had insisted on a more than one lover clause.

Rose finished the book on The Law of Etiquette almost a full hour later. It was definitely more than 48 minutes. She got up slowly and went to the globe, sent it spinning on its own axis, and commented, "I hope I retain this stuff for the morrow."
 
Faye stood up seeing the princess was finished. Faye the entire time had sat their like a statue not doing anything really. The type of books she enjoyed she tended to only read in her own chambers for embarrassment reasons.. Walking over to the door to leave. "Let's hope you do, otherwise I'll have to make you run again." Faye teased as she begun to leave. "Is there anything else you'd like to do, if not I will return to my chambers." Faye inquired looking at Rose.
 
Rose sadly shook her head. " I'm going that way, we can walk home together." The poor attempt at humour was most evident, by a smug grin.

--------------------------------------

(Caterwauling from Solaria's POV)

It never got old as far as Solaria was concerned. The water was always going to be too cold. Rose was always going to want to do it herself. Well, until the king said otherwise, the royal valet was going to be the one bathing and dressing her. Williem had said nothing of the sort, just that the caterwauling Princess of Briarwood was stripped of her rank. At least this finally freed the 30something platinum blonde with wavy hair to finally speak her peace. "Oh, hush! You aren't being hurt! Really, now! Aren't you a bit old to be carrying on so over a bath?! Well, I never! I've a good mind to stand here and watch to see if you can do just as thorough a job, seeing you're a page, right now! Uh huh, and this is why I'm a dog person."

Rose was out the door, having a cup of hot tea thrust in her hands, dressed as an archery page.
 
Faye was doing her daily routine like always, up before the sun, bathed before the sun, and halfway through a romance novel just as the sun came up. She was just finishing up her latest novel when she heard the screams of her page. However she didn't wait at the door like last time Rose was a page, not a princess at the moment. So Faye stayed in her room waiting for her page to come to her. She was attempting to teach Rose how it felt to not be a princess for once. She would even have told Solaria to inform the princess to bring her a glass of wine. It was a page's job to do as their mentor knight requests, and well Faye wanted to see if she would. Plus a little wine wouldn't hurt to deal with that one page Calla who loved to talk.
 
Solaria had informed the king of the order about the wine. With a nod, and a beckon, the royal wine servant was told to bring a bottle of raspberry wine, as it's tartness should handle any hunger pangs as well. Upon putting the cup in Rose's hands, he informed her to wait for the wine servant and her next instructions as he knocked on Faye's door. "Good knight, are you decent? May I enter?"

Rose sighed as she quietly and quickly sipped her tea.
 
Faye was currently starting a new novel when she heard the King call out to her causing her to frown a bit wondering if she was going to be lectured. This was a simple task in most kingdoms for pages to deliver their knight things they request. "Yes your majesty." She moved to the door opening it bowing to him. "Is something amiss milord?" She questioned standing back to allow him to enter if he wanted.
 
Williem raised an eyebrow. "Amiss? Do ye expect sumthin' t' be so? Nay, just added t' yer li'l order o' yer page an' lik ye, wul' t' see if it's carried oot es all. A place t' sit is all I be askin' o' ye."

The servant was quietly explaining to Rose how to pop a cork, as both guests would like to see the wine and vintage before it's opened. Rose was also instructed how to handle the glasses and the bottle, and to knock when her hands were full, especially before entering her trainer knight's room. What he didn't say, the book she read had. Politely explain how her hands were full, and ask calmly for the door to be opened for her.

This all sounded simple enough, so she did the first part right, including the knock, and explanation.
 
"Sorry milord please take a seat anywhere. I'm just used to being corrected by you nowadays." Faye blushed as she moved to allow the King to take a seat wherever he wanted. Her room was as clean as the day it was given to her, in fact even more cleaner than before despite her living in it. "I'm sorry milord, I simply woke up on the wrong side of the bed as you can see. It is why I requested the wine so early in the morning." She laughed shyly as she moved to a table that had chairs at it for them to it. "I really do apologies milord." She spoke again dipping her head down.
 
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