McDowell Family/Sorsha McDowell/Mathias tells Sorsha/Mathias tells Sorsha 2
Roleplay from Sorsha McDowell:
Chewing on a slice of cheese, she stopped when she noticed her servant standing beside her, eyes wide, mouth agape. “What is it?” she questioned and lowered the rest of the cheese to the plate.
“I am… unsure,” he said softly and looked back over his shoulder to make sure they were alone. “Your guest,” he said sourly and she corrected, “Sir Mathias.”
His mouth made a tight line and he looked unsure again. “Sir Mathias has become restless,” he informed then frowned, “I was sure he was alone milady, but he was but a moment ago having a very heated argument with someone else. I did not know what to do but to come tell you of this strange occurrence.” His eyes darted back the way he came from and he whispered, “I think they will try to invade the estate tonight! Possibly even steal everything in sight and you milady, he mentioned….” He was appalled and his face blanched, he mouthed the word with extreme animation, “Rape!”
With his words, she had leaned forward, engrossed, hanging on his every word, and then she startled him by laughing out loud. He jumped with a yelp and then put his hands together to keep in place. She stopped laughing and looked down the hall following his gaze. “Very amusing, I did need a good laugh. Did he put you up to this?” she grinned and looked back to the now silent and very afraid man. “N..n…no Milady.”
She chuckled wryly and shook her head, “right… Mathias, always so full of surprises,” she said under her breath. “Well then if you are so concerned, let’s ask him firsthand, we will stop this evil plan before it has a chance to play out.” She laughed again and the servant followed behind her, almost afraid of his own shadow. When she neared the door, she knocked lightly and called out softly. “Sir Mathias?”
Roleplay from Mathias Ridder:
Opening the door to see Dame Sorsha and a cowering servant Mathias was initially confused.
"My Lady what causes you to honor me with your presence."
Looking somewhat amused Sorsha replies, "Geoff here believe evil is afoot, and I have heard rumors that you planned to invade my household tonight, and something about a rape? Is this true, has this all been a lie to enter my estate?"
"My Lady who said such things to you...." Mathias quickly replies with a concerned face, but quick to follow is one of guilt and sorrow, "But I cannot lie to one such as you. A conversation has occurred within this room about such things. But mind you I had no control over what was said. I was not the belligerent in the argument. I am sorry my lady I cannot involve you in my problems. Alexander should only be my burden to bear, and no one else. If you wish me to leave I shall do so, and if you wish me to never bother you again I shall do so."
Roleplay from Sorsha McDowell:
She had anticipated amusement on his part, but not this and her smile slipped. She turned to Geoff and motioned for him to leave.
He shook his head, “milady, your safety,” he insisted and her nostrils flared at his defiance. “I am very aware of my safety and thank you for your concern. I shouldn’t need to explain this to you, but I have been trained in more weapons than you have seen in your lifetime, if I would not be able to protect myself, who then should take up the responsibility, you?”
He looked shamefaced and backed up, the point driven home. “What shall I do then milady?” She looked back toward the room and out to the hall in thought. It would not do well to be closed in a bedchamber with a man, especially with all the rumors swirling around her of late. She pursed her lip in thought and looked up to Mathias’ pleading expression, he looked so… defeated.
“No Geoff, you will return to the kitchen, I would like you to fetch a platter of cheese and fruits, and make sure to also bring the wonderful fried flatbread the cook has gotten me addicted to, and…” thinking of Mathias she added, “some slices of meat. Can you handle that?” she raised an eyebrow and Geoff bowed. “Yes,” he answered timidly. “Good, you will bring it outside, where I like to watch the sunset.”
He left and she then extended her hand to Sir Mathias. “I will not ask you to leave, but first I must ask you to promise me, that you will not allow this Alexander… to follow through with this… plan, for he would surely meet with a challenging adversary and an untimely end” she started slowly not truly understanding the problem. “Second, once you have handled that issue, I will be waiting outside. I offer a listening ear if you wish to speak of it, and unload this burden that troubles you so. It is your choice…”
She turned and walked down the hallway, giving a quick glance over her shoulder. Hoping he would make a good decision.
Roleplay from Mathias Ridder:
Sorsha having just left the room, Mathias quickly decided he should follow. Catching up with her outside on the patio he decided to sit and speak with her.
"My Lady I have never opened up to anyone on the subject. You see very few even know of this side of me. The Queen herself even tried to help me with her mysticism's and such. She sent priest after priest to meet with, but I could only send them away after they tried to exorcise this spirit from within me....I'm sorry you’re probably a believer in these dragons. I shall drop that subject. The point I am trying to make here is that. Alexander, has become a part of me. One that will never disappear. I have sought religion, power, and people all looking for a way to control this beast. Nothing has helped."
Taking a deep breath he continued.
"But you inquired as to who this Alexander is. I have said he is a part of me. One that has been with me since birth, according to him anytime I have been unable to make a tough decision it has been he who has made the call. It was not till about a year ago though that he actually manifested himself. I was traveling between the islands on a return from a looting expedition when my ship was attacked by pirates. Well somehow they released this daemon from within me, and it would be months before I could over power him, and take back control of my body. Since then I have been looking for ways to get rid of him. However during my journey to discover a way to remove Alexander from within I came across a wise man by the name of Niccolò he told me, "A noble must always try his best to follow the path of good and righteousness, but one must also be prepared to follow the path of evil when it is required of him." It was then I decided I must find a way to control Alexander, and not remove him from within me. I have just yet to actually find a way to do so."
Roleplay from Sorsha McDowell:
She listened in silence as he told her what was wrong with him and her face grew to sadness. How did one run or hide from a problem that was as much a part of him as his beating heart. His mind was shattered, completely broken in half so that he believed there were two, when in actually he was simply one who was no longer in agreement with who he was.
“Have you tried simply accepting Alexander?” she offered, still looking ahead to the horizon and not bothering to touch the food beside her, she had lost her appetite, not because she was disgusted, simply because she was sad.
“I’m sorry, you probably have considered it, you said so yourself you need to find a way to control Alexander… but what if you accepted him and his suggestions.” She turned to look at him and offered him her hand. He took it with confusion at her easy acceptance and she led him down the steps of the patio, and walked through the grass, and through the trees. “I’m not suggesting you do as he says Mathias, let’s be reasonable. You know right from wrong but… we all have tendencies within us. Call it a balance if you may, we are not absolute good, but a mixture. We have free will, and within us come yearning, desire, jealousy, hate, anger, envy. These are all human emotions that lead us to do certain things. For example, to fight for the ones we love or to seek out what we want most, these lead to courage, and love, and passion.
“If you don’t have a side of each, how do you find a balance? It isn’t a question of controlling one or the other, simply to accept who you are. There is no shame in having these desires, they are what make us human. Niccolò is wise, but what if I were to tell you… Dragons aside, that life is a test and this path we must all follow? On this road are many trials that weigh our worth. You are faced with obstacles of fear, pain, and love… but it is the outcome of these trials that matter. If you were only Mathias, and you denied Alexander his need for survival, would you be triumphant? You are the strong one, you always have been, you have simply forgotten how.
“I am not an expert on these things, and I hope this does not anger you that I should think your problem has such an easy solution… I am simply saying.”
She looked down to the lush grass, and avoided his gaze for fear that he may be upset. “Apparently Alexander has tried to make an appearance and Mathias accepted the fact that he was there and was honest with me. You have already admitted you admired me, then it would make sense that Alexander would contain that desire and put fire to it. Funny, Alexander is nowhere in sight now. Has he grown silent? Or have you momentarily accepted him?”
Roleplay from Mathias Ridder:
Averting the lady’s gaze trying not to let her see the misery within him, "Alexander is but a whisper, he almost always is. It is only in moments of weakness that he appears, my mind was elsewhere, on...better things. He took advantage of this moment and told me to do terrible things. I of course knew better than to follow what he said, but the fact is that he is such a horrible person. The strange thing you see is that he was the one who told me to approach you in Port Nebel in the first place."
Looking up to see the Lady also averting her eyes, he grabbed her hand and asked. "My Lady what troubles you so? Why is there such a look of sadness within you? This burden is not yours, you need not cry for my plight. I must be the one to carry this burden. Please, don't try and take this upon yourself. It will only bring you misery....."
Roleplay from Sorsha McDowell:
She couldn’t help the compassion she felt deep within and it was apparently obvious on her face, but strangely there was also disappointment. “So then, the only reason you offered assistance was because Alexander told you to, not because Mathias wanted to…” she slowly pulled back her hand. “That was one horrible deed on his part,” she murmured and looked away. “What saddens me is that you’ve proven my point, and you don’t believe it. You say he whispers to you in moments of weakness. Can’t you see, it’s because you allow yourself these feelings, you want them. If you had not, you would have resisted, like you did back there!” She pointed back to the estate.
She then sighed desolately, “but if this is truly how you feel, then should I believe I am a weakness?” she asked pointedly but she didn’t wait for his answer. Her delicate brows drew down as she played the thought over in her head and softened once more with acceptance, she had offered assistance and she would. “Then it shouldn’t be you Mathias who stays away from me, it is I from you.”
Roleplay from Mathias Ridder:
Sighing, and then standing up he said, "If this is what you wish I shall leave you now. But know this...It is not that you embody weakness. No I brought that upon myself it was my own thoughts that weakened me. If I truly thought you to bring out Alexander, would I have endangered you by following you out here? ... No. I would have left here as fast as I could so as not to hurt you. But as you said I do know right from wrong, and yes I did listen to what Alexander had to say. I didn't think it to be wrong. No, I knew it to be right! I knew you to be the right path for me to take."
Then looking into her eyes he continued, "I could have kept riding and training my men. But no I decided to approach you. My Lady," he says taking a knee and looking her even closer in the eyes, "My Lady these past hours have been the best in my entire life. It hurts me so to think it must end this way."
Then standing back up and turning around, "However you seem to desire that we separate, and I shall do as you ask.
With that he began to walk towards the exit, all the while hoping that Sorsha would stop him.
Roleplay from Sorsha McDowell:
She sighed as he walked away, and hated herself for being the cause of his pain. He was so confused, it was obvious. He seemed to defend Alexander in one sentence and then banish him the next. She bit her lower lip as she heard his receding footsteps and closed her eyes.
How could she help him, if she sent him away now? She had hoped by saying what she did, it would force him to realize what she was trying to show him, but it hadn’t worked like she had hoped. She had offered him her help but at the first sign of failure, let him down.
She looked up and over, and could see he was still walking away. She rushed after him, lifting the edge of her dress, her soft footfalls barely heard in the verdant grass. When she neared him, she stopped, “Mathias…” she said his name and he stopped walking.
She approached, facing him, and took his hands in her small ones. “I apologize, sending you away won’t solve this problem I see that now. I will do everything in my power to help you with this, but you have to promise me, in return that you will help me, help you. I know what you will say… it is not my burden to bear and I know that. But if I choose that option and let you leave like this, then it will be a different burden I bear. I understand the feelings you have for me, whether they be yours or Alexander’s, and I will not try to pretend they are not there that would be an injustice to you … For the moment I do not know what I feel but until I am able to decide…” she said earnestly and looked down unable to look him in the eye. “Will you still allow me to feel the comfort of friendship?”
Roleplay from Mathias Ridder:
When he heard Sorsha say his name, his heart skipped a beat. He could have fainted right there. "My Lady, you will always have my friendship. If you are sure that you will help then I shall share this burden."
Then dropping to his knees he said, "My Lady, though in the not to far off future I shall be appointed to Paisly, will you allow me to serve you here in Nebel until that time?" Looking back up into her eyes he awaited her answer.
Roleplay from Sorsha McDowell:
When he had dropped down on one knee, her heart beat faster fearing something different than the words that came forth but then she smiled with relief. “Yes I am sure…I do wish to help you” she whispered.
He was still waiting for her answer and she laid a hand on his shoulder, “I do… accept. From this day forth Nebel welcomes you home until the time comes for you to claim your rightful place. My home will always be open to you, whatever you need, simply ask and I will do everything in my power to assist you.”
Roleplay from Mathias Ridder:
"Thank you, My Lady. It has been a long day, and feel we both need our rest. I shall take my leave for now."
With that Mathias went on home, but before finally exiting he turned around one last time. "And again, Thank You my lady."
Roleplay from Conrac Amcastra:
Conrac sat at his desk reading a message one of his servants had given him. He wasn't utterly sure whether it was completely honorable to spy on people but... well then again let’s be serious, when did Conrac start caring about what other people thought about him?
One of his servants remained near him so that he would never have to face the impossible conundrum of an empty tea cup.
"Go Sorsha!" Conrac smiled as he continued to read the reports. This was good stuff! Gods, my feelings for you, blah. How corny! Conrac quietly wondered whether most women enjoyed that sort of stuff? Well at least he knew his vassal wasn't like that, although he was particularly surprised by how many men had proposed their undying love to her within the last...four days. It was interesting... Conrac sighed, it would no doubt somehow result in more paperwork, it always did.
Mathias was a wonderful friend of his, despite their differences in personality.
"Hmmm" Conrac read over a report before laughing.
"Ummm what’s wrong duke?"
"I love Mathias, he's talking about Alexander again!"
"Umm who’s Alexander?"
Conrac pondered. "Ummm, the far more evil one of the two."
"...Oh...So he's like you Duke Conrac!" The servant refilled his cup of tea.
"Eh?"
