It wasn't every day you learned of another woman who had the same last name as you, and given the facts of her previous husband, too many things fell into place. Zero had been married once before and now it seemed like she was going to get a chance to meet this first wife, it amused her. How different of people were they? He had always said they were nothing alike, and yet she couldn't really picture this other woman, so as she entered the Outpost her eyes scanned the room curiously, getting looks from those who where there.
Kieran had been told that she didn't look very Ozian, and that was perhaps due to the way she was currently dressed? Or how she held herself? Maybe it was because of her speech, it did appear different from those in the O.Z, but in any case she didn't appreciate the looks she was getting, and her eyes narrowed at the men staring at her. That was just not okay.
Some of them might not be having eyes if they kept those looks up. Kieran glanced towards the woman who spoke and looked her over, if that was her then Zero hadn't lied, they really were two completely different people.
"I was just looking to speak." Kieran said finally, not sure what she would say to this woman but knowing that she wanted to talk all the same. Possibly ask how the first marriage ended.
Speak? Very mysterious. People's opinion of her was important. Ellie got her fair share of looks but she ignored them. She'd gotten them as a child. Ellie bowed with her head and indicated a more private area. "If you wish, may I offer you something? Bark tea, perhaps? Some water?"
The Chief excused himself muttering something about sending a 'you're welcome' card to the nearby tribe. They had sent their thanks via Fenella for the several tonnes of fish she had confiscated from the man who thought dynamiting the rivers was a good idea.
Her eyes followed where the woman had indicated and Kieran made short work of moving to the area, turning around to face the woman with a small smile. "No, I am fine, thank you." This woman was very different, just the way that she held herself but then again she was from the O.Z. These women were not trained like those from Ix were.
"To be honest I am unaware of what I want to talk about, but we do have one thing in common." She began, standing almost at attention, her hands fighting the urge to link behind her back. "Goodman is both of our last names."
She refrained for refreshment, despite having spent her time in the most frozen region at the coldest time. Comfort can wait. She was born to this life after all. "Is that all?" she asked in reply to 'one thing'. Though she supposed an Ixian woman, for it was clear to her that was what she was would have little in common with her bar the stamina it took to last the harshest of weather. "And what may be your first?"
Frankly, her lack of manners put Ellie on edge the most, though no one in this room would see it, even if she still wasn't covered in furs. 'Goodman' may have been a coincidence, though the emphasis put on it implied otherwise. Briefly, Ellie allowed herself to wonder why she had kept his name.
"So far." Was her only reply, an eyebrow being raised in the process, either this woman thought that the Goodman last name was common (as it was thankfully enough) or she just did not want to connect the dots. Or perhaps she did understand what Kieran had meant and just did not want to talk about it, all were just as likely as the next. "Kieran."
She paused for a moment, "Duchess Kieran Goodman of Ix." There, her full title was out there now. Now it was best to remove any doubt from this woman's mind as to what this topic was about. "He'd told me he was married before, and I was always interested in meeting her.. now I have. I suppose."
Curious, how this woman continuously spoke in riddles, undoubtedly trying to trap her, but why? She wouldn't have come here if she hadn't known. Tracking down every single female Goodman would be a futile and time consuming process
( ... )
So be it then, that's what she got for assuming how little the O.Z would know about the royalty of IX, then again she had been there for a while now and word was likely to be spread. "Your husband?" Kieran questioned in an amused tone, more then amused she was ready to break into hysterics at any moment at that word.
"It's understandable. The only reason I came to find you is because I was around," With that her attention shifted to the woman with new eyes, Fenella was examining her clothing, no doubt amused by it as most people were and that was fine. IX wore different things based on functionality of what they needed to do, if not a warriors uniform then training threads, and in her case leather outsider clothing to let people know she was not from here.
"I am as comfortable as I will be in the O.Z," Kieran assured, her eyes moving towards the corner where people were listening in - she had no doubts. "Tea is not required." But she could hear a woman's feet shuffling off to get it anyway.
Ellie answered Kieran's remark with an amused look of her own. She waited until Louise returned with the tea. "Thank you, Louise," she smiled at her. Louise smiled back before disappearing out of sight, though undoubtedly not out of earshot.
Taking one of the cups, Ellie poured out some for herself. Taking a restorative sip, Ellie finally spoke. "I thought I was in love once. And then later I thought maybe it was just an inner ear imbalance...
"We spent an evening snowed in on the side of a mountain watching the northern lights." She paused in rememberance. "It was probably the most dramatic moment of my life. But in the end I realised I'd learned two things." She took another sip. "The first is... that it's easier to think you're in love than it is to accept that you're alone. And the second is that it's very easy to confuse love with subatomic particles bursting in the air." She smiled suddenly. "Well, I also learned that I should have my ears checked more regularly."
Inner ear imbalance, that was an interesting way of describing it. Far from how things had gone with her and Zero but it was interesting, and amusing all the same. "Mm." Kieran replied as Ellie recalled a previous encounter with him, already pouring herself tea despite her previous resistance to the idea of a refreshment, she needed something to pretend to be busy with.
"For some people, I'll agree that it is." She was fine with being alone, but at the same time she would prefer to have someone to spend time with, it did get well - lonely, without another person. That was her life and she accepted it, she loved it and cherished it to be honest. Her experience with Zero had proven that what she'd been raised to believe was more true then what anyone could realize.
"How did it end, between the two of you?" This is what she was most curious to know. Even if it was a bit personal to ask, it wasn't as if it was just some stranger - in a way at least. They'd shared a husband, and they had both lost one as well.
The tea was restorative. She suddenly remembered the over-fisherman and hoped that the Tin Men had taken care of his needs. "It ended... badly. He and my 'caretaker' had sought to kill me... so they could use my wealth and status to have what they wanted.
"Unfortunately, her hold over him faded once I had 'died' and he strangled her. He found out I was alive and we didn't seek each other.
In a way, our divorce was a funeral, our 'settlement' such as it was, the reading of the will."
"I'm sorry that it happened like that," Which she was being honest about, it sucked to have a relationship end badly, especially for that reason. It had been in the back of her mind when she had gotten married to him, not to tell him of her status that could have not only ended very badly for her but for him as well should he have tried to exploit Ix.
"Just escaped with your life then," Kieran mused softly, taking a drink of the tea and frowning at it. It wasn't that good but it wasn't exactly bad either, it was somewhere in the middle between being sour and slightly tasteful. The O.Z had an interesting taste on good things.
"Be glad you haven't seen him since your .. divorce."
A faint smile crossed her face, "No he doesn't." Kieran said after a moment of her own silence, a nice trip down memory lane wasn't exactly what she had been looking for when she came here. More like stories about how much they'd like to stab him or something, Zero wasn't a total ass, just mostly, and he deserved it, if you asked her.
"I need to return to the palace. It was interesting, meeting you."
Kieran had been told that she didn't look very Ozian, and that was perhaps due to the way she was currently dressed? Or how she held herself? Maybe it was because of her speech, it did appear different from those in the O.Z, but in any case she didn't appreciate the looks she was getting, and her eyes narrowed at the men staring at her. That was just not okay.
"I'm looking for a ... Fenella Goodman."
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"I was just looking to speak." Kieran said finally, not sure what she would say to this woman but knowing that she wanted to talk all the same. Possibly ask how the first marriage ended.
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The Chief excused himself muttering something about sending a 'you're welcome' card to the nearby tribe. They had sent their thanks via Fenella for the several tonnes of fish she had confiscated from the man who thought dynamiting the rivers was a good idea.
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"To be honest I am unaware of what I want to talk about, but we do have one thing in common." She began, standing almost at attention, her hands fighting the urge to link behind her back. "Goodman is both of our last names."
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Frankly, her lack of manners put Ellie on edge the most, though no one in this room would see it, even if she still wasn't covered in furs. 'Goodman' may have been a coincidence, though the emphasis put on it implied otherwise. Briefly, Ellie allowed herself to wonder why she had kept his name.
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She paused for a moment, "Duchess Kieran Goodman of Ix." There, her full title was out there now. Now it was best to remove any doubt from this woman's mind as to what this topic was about. "He'd told me he was married before, and I was always interested in meeting her.. now I have. I suppose."
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"It's understandable. The only reason I came to find you is because I was around," With that her attention shifted to the woman with new eyes, Fenella was examining her clothing, no doubt amused by it as most people were and that was fine. IX wore different things based on functionality of what they needed to do, if not a warriors uniform then training threads, and in her case leather outsider clothing to let people know she was not from here.
"I am as comfortable as I will be in the O.Z," Kieran assured, her eyes moving towards the corner where people were listening in - she had no doubts. "Tea is not required." But she could hear a woman's feet shuffling off to get it anyway.
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Taking one of the cups, Ellie poured out some for herself. Taking a restorative sip, Ellie finally spoke. "I thought I was in love once. And then later I thought maybe it was just an inner ear imbalance...
"We spent an evening snowed in on the side of a mountain watching the northern lights." She paused in rememberance. "It was probably the most dramatic moment of my life. But in the end I realised I'd learned two things." She took another sip. "The first is... that it's easier to think you're in love than it is to accept that you're alone. And the second is that it's very easy to confuse love with subatomic particles bursting in the air." She smiled suddenly. "Well, I also learned that I should have my ears checked more regularly."
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"For some people, I'll agree that it is." She was fine with being alone, but at the same time she would prefer to have someone to spend time with, it did get well - lonely, without another person. That was her life and she accepted it, she loved it and cherished it to be honest. Her experience with Zero had proven that what she'd been raised to believe was more true then what anyone could realize.
"How did it end, between the two of you?" This is what she was most curious to know. Even if it was a bit personal to ask, it wasn't as if it was just some stranger - in a way at least. They'd shared a husband, and they had both lost one as well.
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"Unfortunately, her hold over him faded once I had 'died' and he strangled her. He found out I was alive and we didn't seek each other.
In a way, our divorce was a funeral, our 'settlement' such as it was, the reading of the will."
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"Just escaped with your life then," Kieran mused softly, taking a drink of the tea and frowning at it. It wasn't that good but it wasn't exactly bad either, it was somewhere in the middle between being sour and slightly tasteful. The O.Z had an interesting taste on good things.
"Be glad you haven't seen him since your .. divorce."
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"I need to return to the palace. It was interesting, meeting you."
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