OOC: The "Byron" is poet_reprobate and this is set in Boukun verse. Crossposted."You know, you always did make the mistake of being yourself
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"Thank you, Nasir, though I am hardly a lady, not any more." She sighed, and took another drink. Even if her reputation had not been besmirched centuries before in the scandal with Byron, she would certainly be viewed as damaged goods now. Augusta, whether by choice or no, was little more than a prostitute, a publicly displayed whore. Calibos had seen to it that her public persona was as disreputable as possible.
Nasir's confidence, as well as his quiet, deadly courage had always made her feel safe, as well as a bit stronger than perhaps she would normally be. He was noble, in the most important of ways, and she respected him as much as anyone she had ever known.
"Calibos could not possibly know that Byron was here. He would have been very angry. No, I do not know what it was." She stood, leaning on the back of the chair, shaking her head in confusion. "Byron always had a cruel and vicious side. But it was never shown to me. I felt as if I didn't know him at all."
Her dark eyes were filled with pain, as well as confusion and doubt. "Oh, Nasir, do you ever dream? I do. I dream of a place with trees and flowers, of cool streams. Do you remember England? Remember the forests and the gentle springs?" She looked away, her eyes filling at the memories. "I miss it. I miss home. I dream of a house, just a little house. Gardens. I dream of freedom, and of being able to have friends and even someone who would..." Her voice caught, and she lifted her hand to her forehead, so sad and so tired. "Forgive me, my friend. I should not burden you with such foolishness."
"You are, my Lady, as I think you always have been. These circumstances do not change that." He thought of another lady he had known long, long ago who had been captured and forced against her will, but oblivious and drugged so she had no memory of who she was. He had allowed himself to be enslaved so he could try and protect and free them both. Marian. In some ways so similar to Augusta.
Her clear confusion and distress over Byron's cruelty to her concerned him, and he really wasn't entirely sure that Calibos wasn't involved, but that might be his own dislike of the prince. "I will see what I can find out about Byron, what may be his..." Nasir searched for the right word, and still not sure he had found it. "...problem?"
He shook his head, not minding in the least her recounting of happier memories, and his gaze was soft and sympathetic, although he did give her a little smile. "Oh, I remember England, cold and wet. But I lived in a forest, under the greenwoods with friends, good ones though I was strange to them. It was not an easy life, but I was happy." He saw how tired she was and bowed his head. "My apologies, I should let you rest."
"No...please. I enjoy talking with you. So few dare to speak to me." Augusta shook her head, trying to clear it a bit. She felt so very foggy, unreal. "England was home, even with all the scandal. I had my friends and children. It was safe and familiar."
Standing, she walked slowly to the tiny window and looked out on the land. New Greece was a beautiful place, and she could have done much worse. But Calibos was a never ending nightmare, a bad dream that she couldn't wake from. "I am a terrible person, Nasir. I dream of being free, of perhaps even killing him. That makes me as evil as he, as horrible. I just cannot bear the pain or indignity, any longer. If I could die, I would have, long ago. But I am shamed by the thoughts of violence I have about him."
Gus pressed her fingers to her forehead, closing her eyes and swaying slightly. She was physically at the edge of endurance, and mentally even more fragile.
Nasir didn't stand when Augusta moved to the window, but his dark eyes followed her, and he shook his head, even if she wasn't looking. "It is not terrible to wish such a man as him dead. I would gladly kill him for you." If she said the word he would. "It is what I trained to do, and I think I am not evil."
Seeing her sway, he did stand and come close to her, although he still didn't touch her,although he was very aware that he would quite like to. "Please. You need rest. I will stay here, on the chair, until you sleep. If you wish. I can tell you of the England I knew, of Robin Hood."
Her smile to him was grateful, and gentle. "You are anything but evil, Nasir. You are noble, in the truest sense of the word. But I would never ask any other to do murder in my name." Daring, she reached out her hand to touch his cheek, looking into those fierce, dark eyes. If Calibos walked in, they would both die for such an act, but Augusta could not restrain her need to do so. "Someday...I pray that someday we will both be free to be ourselves, without his evil surrounding us. Imagine that, my friend, imagine a world without his rule."
She made her way over to the pallet, and laid upon it, on her side, so that she could face him. "Oh, yes, I would like to hear such stories. Robin Hood? Please tell me of him and of the forest. Was it so very dangerous?"
His dark eyes met her soft, sad ones as her fingers touched against his skin, knowing as much as she did the danger in that move. Not that he was going to stop her. Nasir nodded, just slightly. There was no need to say anything, she knew he agreed and would do more than just imagine, if she gave him the word, and he was never one to waste words himself.
He sat back down on the chair as Augusta lay down. A smile softened his face as he thought back to those long gone days. "Yes, it was. Robin, he saved my life from a sorcerer, and I spared his. I was in a strange land, their tongue unknown to me, but I had nowhere else. I joined. We stole, we poached, we fought Normans." He could see she was getting more tired. "Robin, the others, they became family to me. There was a saying Robin taught me. 'Nothing's forgotten. Nothing is ever forgotten.' My lady, it is a vow that wrongs will be righted."
Nasir's confidence, as well as his quiet, deadly courage had always made her feel safe, as well as a bit stronger than perhaps she would normally be. He was noble, in the most important of ways, and she respected him as much as anyone she had ever known.
"Calibos could not possibly know that Byron was here. He would have been very angry. No, I do not know what it was." She stood, leaning on the back of the chair, shaking her head in confusion. "Byron always had a cruel and vicious side. But it was never shown to me. I felt as if I didn't know him at all."
Her dark eyes were filled with pain, as well as confusion and doubt. "Oh, Nasir, do you ever dream? I do. I dream of a place with trees and flowers, of cool streams. Do you remember England? Remember the forests and the gentle springs?" She looked away, her eyes filling at the memories. "I miss it. I miss home. I dream of a house, just a little house. Gardens. I dream of freedom, and of being able to have friends and even someone who would..." Her voice caught, and she lifted her hand to her forehead, so sad and so tired. "Forgive me, my friend. I should not burden you with such foolishness."
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Her clear confusion and distress over Byron's cruelty to her concerned him, and he really wasn't entirely sure that Calibos wasn't involved, but that might be his own dislike of the prince. "I will see what I can find out about Byron, what may be his..." Nasir searched for the right word, and still not sure he had found it. "...problem?"
He shook his head, not minding in the least her recounting of happier memories, and his gaze was soft and sympathetic, although he did give her a little smile. "Oh, I remember England, cold and wet. But I lived in a forest, under the greenwoods with friends, good ones though I was strange to them. It was not an easy life, but I was happy." He saw how tired she was and bowed his head. "My apologies, I should let you rest."
Reply
Standing, she walked slowly to the tiny window and looked out on the land. New Greece was a beautiful place, and she could have done much worse. But Calibos was a never ending nightmare, a bad dream that she couldn't wake from. "I am a terrible person, Nasir. I dream of being free, of perhaps even killing him. That makes me as evil as he, as horrible. I just cannot bear the pain or indignity, any longer. If I could die, I would have, long ago. But I am shamed by the thoughts of violence I have about him."
Gus pressed her fingers to her forehead, closing her eyes and swaying slightly. She was physically at the edge of endurance, and mentally even more fragile.
Reply
Seeing her sway, he did stand and come close to her, although he still didn't touch her,although he was very aware that he would quite like to. "Please. You need rest. I will stay here, on the chair, until you sleep. If you wish. I can tell you of the England I knew, of Robin Hood."
Reply
She made her way over to the pallet, and laid upon it, on her side, so that she could face him. "Oh, yes, I would like to hear such stories. Robin Hood? Please tell me of him and of the forest. Was it so very dangerous?"
Reply
He sat back down on the chair as Augusta lay down. A smile softened his face as he thought back to those long gone days. "Yes, it was. Robin, he saved my life from a sorcerer, and I spared his. I was in a strange land, their tongue unknown to me, but I had nowhere else. I joined. We stole, we poached, we fought Normans." He could see she was getting more tired. "Robin, the others, they became family to me. There was a saying Robin taught me. 'Nothing's forgotten. Nothing is ever forgotten.' My lady, it is a vow that wrongs will be righted."
Reply
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