A religious zealot has been traveling through all the cities of Elyria and spreading fear and a warning. A great storm is coming, one even worse than then the one that destroyed much of their land. This one will kill the rest of the land, leading to their ultimate destruction. Warning them that if nothing is done they will all perish.
Is he right? Is there anything they can do to stop the storm? Or is he spreading fear in order to create chaos or even in an attempt to bring the people together as one as they work to survive?
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Judas had been gone for most of the day, every moment of it had been spent at his office working with patients. He had barely even had time to eat something in the middle of the day but that was not necessarily unusual. As one of the most well-known and respected doctors and surgeons in the area, he was often swamped with patients. He did not actually mind this, he liked to stay busy and medicine was his passion, especially surgery.
After getting washed up and taking a few moments to catch his breath, he got in his carriage and made his way home. The driver had been sitting patiently waiting for him, as he did every evening. The drive was not very long, but his home was too far to walk comfortably. Besides, why walk when you have the money to pay for a ride. It was common sense really.
Today was a big day, and Judas had not forgotten. Today marked 1 year since he and Sarai had been wed. Their relationship was...interesting. A lot of it was for show and Sarai played her part well. He had been nothing but satisfied with their arrangement and he had grown quite fond of having her around. He could not say that he was 'in love' with her,in fact he was unsure that he was capable of that kind of attachment to a person, but he cared for her more than he cared for most people, maybe even for any other person. He promised to take care of her and he strived to do that. He gave her everything she ever asked for and he believed that, overall, she was happy in their life together. He knew she had her own lovers, and this did not bother him in the least, she had kept it all very discreet so there was nothing to be unhappy about. He never had long term lovers, but did spend time in the brothels in the area. His prefered location being The Black Rose. He had a few girls there that he prefered. He occasionally brought them home for a night, but that was rare.
Today, however, was all about Sarai. He had sent her 5 bouquets of flowers during the day today, each one quite different from the last, and had promised a special evening for her. He made sure to let her know ahead of time so that she would not have other plans. As the carriage pulled up to the house, he double checked that he looked good. He had fixed his hair, changed his clothes into something that was appropriate for the evening, and had even spritzed on a new cologne that he had purchased last week.
He stepped out of the carriage and walked up to the house. The door was opened by a servant and he walked in to the smell of a delicious supper that was certainly ready or would be shortly. He stood at the foot of the grand staircase and asked that his wife be told that he had arrived. He played with a small box behind his back as he waited for her to be ready to greet him.
Post by Sarai Valencia Alaric on Jul 10, 2015 14:44:11 GMT -5
Today marked a full year since Sarai Addario had become Sarai Alaric, and moved from her stately family home to her even more stately married home. Despite her brother also being there with her, she relished the distance from her family, and the freedom and ability she had to do anything she wanted. Well, within reason, of course. They had the funds to take holidays when they wished, although work often kept Judas too busy. She could shop wherever and for whatever she liked, as long as it was nothing amazingly extravagant – and even then she wasn’t sure that he’d begrudge her the cost, as long as it ensured her silence about his dalliances. Best of all, she had the privacy within the house to do whatever she wished, with no-one to tell her that it was inappropriate – this extended to her desire to practice archery, refusal to ride side-saddle, and, due to Judas’ affections (or lack thereof), her failure to stick to her marriage vows.
After a mere couple of hours of sleep – she had been out the previous night with a suitor that had been more hands than man, and it had taken her a while to bathe his affections from her skin to a satisfactory level - she had been awoken promptly at eight that morning with a large bouquet of exotic flowers. There would be nothing as blasé and common as roses sent to her on a day like this. It was strange, really, that she could know that there was no love between them, and yet still smile at the gesture as if she was. Part of the act was for the maids, of course, but it didn’t feel as unnatural as it used to. Shaking kind thoughts from her head, she had risen from her bed and gone about her day as normal, interrupted only by four more bouquets of flowers, each more unusual, colourful, and scented than the last. By the time the fifth came, the smile was nothing but perfunctory, and she barely managed to keep up the act of a surprised and loving wife.
Shortly after, she excused herself and her lady’s maid from her normal duty – which, at that time, would have been the preparation of the dinner table – in order to make sure she was suitably presentable for Judas’ arrival home. He had been quite specific in making sure that she was to be ready when he arrived, and Sarai had not disappointed him yet. She took another quick bath, and whilst her maid pinned her hair into an intricate fashion involving lots of jewelled pins which stuck into her scalp, Sarai distracted herself by putting on her own makeup – her style was generally natural, but tonight, she felt daring and went with a smoky eye, a natural skin colour, and cherry red lips. Not wanting to ruin the dress, she was laced into the corseted body only when this had all been completed, and the dress, which she had ensured was the cutting edge of fashion in an eye catching wine red, was slipped over her head by three maids.
Knowing how things of this nature went, Sarai wore little jewellery – just her wedding ring. A set was already in the drawer of the sideboard downstairs, to cover up any missing accompaniment. She looked again at herself in the full length mirror and smiled. She was definitely showing him what he was missing whenever he strayed. As the two other maids ran to answer the door, Rena (as was her lady’s maid’s name) passed her a simple pair of gloves and a small drawstring bag, which Sarai knew already held her perfume, makeup, and a small hand fan. As she headed down the stairs, Sarai added an extra squirt of perfume to her décolletage, and made sure her smile was in place in the upstairs hall mirror.
As she approached the bottom of the stairs, she raised her head to look up at her husband (would she ever get used to saying that without feeling a little stab of annoyance?), and her smile widened. She raised her free hand to him, and in her sweet, lilting tone, she spoke. ”Judas, darling. You look wonderful.” It sounded genuine. The annoying thing was, it had almost felt it too. She couldn’t actually be starting to like him, could she? No. She wouldn’t allow it. Ignoring her own thoughts, she settled her skirts and waited patiently (or pretended to) to be told what the plan was for the night.
Judas was ever patient as he waited for his wife to come down to greet him. So far Sarai had never even begun to disappoint him and he had found that he had a deep trust in her. She had truly been everything that he had desired when he first decided that it was she who he wanted at his side. She may be 20 years younger than him, but she behaved like a mature adult and he could not be more grateful.
The wait was worth it, it honestly always was. She looked absolutely stunning as she descended the stairs and his proud smile was absolutely genuine. He may not be faithful to her, but it was during moments like this that he truly desired her and only her. For a time anyway.
He took her had as she offered it and he kissed the back of her hand softly. "It is nothing compared to how radiant you look tonight." He replied with an almost loving smile, as close as he could get anyway. She honestly was a great blessing in his life and it was nice to come home to her at the end of the day and not only because of her beauty. That is...when she was home, which was often but not always. He never faulted her for it though. "Happy Anniversary, Sarai." He said, kissing her cheek.
Pulling the box from behind his back, he winked. "I've got something for you." He opened the box, revealing a stunning glittering necklace.
Post by Sarai Valencia Alaric on Jul 10, 2015 20:37:49 GMT -5
There really was no reason that Sarai could not love this man. He had willingly joined himself to her in the sight of Gods and men, legally and physically, and yet there was still something. Call it a wall, or a barrier, but there was always some part of themselves that they were holding back from the other. Perhaps, as it was for Sarai, it was that the ability to love (or to pretend he did) depended on certain criteria, and she didn’t quite fill those. Somehow, though, and it wasn’t from the self-centred part of her brain, she didn’t think that was quite it. There was something about Judas, something that she felt she should know, but couldn’t quite put her finger on. Perhaps this was the reason that she could not open up fully to him, but the truth was just that she didn’t want to admit it. Sarai Addario didn’t care about other people, and neither did Sarai Alaric. She utterly refused – to the point where even the man she married couldn’t be loved just inside her head.
She knew that he appreciated her – he had married her mainly, if not solely, for the way she looked and conducted herself in public, and she was fine with that – but would it have been much more to ask for a little more intimacy? But no, Sarai wasn’t admitting she needed that either. Life was perfect just the way they lived it, and she would be the last one to complain.
As he kissed her hand, she smiled back at him, gently and sweetly, aware of the audience peeking around doorframes, pretending to be busy. As he released her hand, she lifted it to his face and stroked his cheek, removing an errant hair that must have fallen there as he brushed his hair back. ”It’s all for you, my love.” She responded, stepping back slightly as he revealed the box he had been hiding behind his back. ”And to you, sweetheart.” She answered, almost sincerely, as his fingers clasped the edge of the box.
As the lid opened, so did Sarai’s eyes. She couldn’t find the reserve not to gasp at the beauty of the necklace inside, so instead she attempted to stifle it as her flew to her mouth. Genuine shock and admiration was woven through her voice as the words tumbled out. ”Oh Judas, it’s… It’s beautiful!” She did something then that she hadn’t done since their honeymoon. She made a completely spontaneous gesture and threw her arms around her husband, kissing him just above his jawline.
Sarai really had simply outdone herself this evening. She always looked beautiful but tonight she was absolutely breathtaking. Every little action she took was so well thought out, she really did play her part well. Even he almost believed her on several occasions. If he thought himself capable of change, capable of whatever it meant to be in love, then it would be her that he would change for. However, they were both satisfied in their life together and that would have to be good enough. At least for now.
He watched her eagerly as he opened up the box. Their marriage may, at least mostly, be an act, but making her happy also made him happy. It has never been his intention to cause her any sort of pain and he hoped that he had not done so. Her real, honest, genuine reaction was definitely satisfying and he smiled as she spoke. He was caught a little off guard as she embraced him but his hands automatically wrapped around her and he breathed in the smell of her skin and her perfume as she kissed him.
He looked down at her, one arm still around her, a soft smile on his lips. His fingers traced down the side of her face and then across her lips lightly, leaving the very slightest smudge of red on the pads of his fingers. He kissed her forehead gently and then pulled the box back between them. He gently removed the necklace from the box. "May I?" He asked, holding the necklace ready to place around her neck.
Post by Sarai Valencia Alaric on Jul 14, 2015 13:20:48 GMT -5
Sometimes, Sarai did wonder if there was something wrong with her. Was there something missing in her genetic makeup that made her unable to actually love this man whom so many people envied and wanted to be with? She knew, from whispered gossip around town and rumours from the strangest of places that people spoke of her and Judas, and a lot of it was born of jealousy. How did she attract such a handsome man at such a young age? People would mutter to themselves that they wagered ”that Sarai doesn’t appreciate what she’s got” and that they would obviously be a better match for Judas, if only he’d look at them. After all, what could she possibly have that they didn’t? Well, Sarai didn’t know the answer to that, but she imagined that it was something to do with her ability to act like the wife he had envisioned for himself – and of course her looks hadn’t soured the deal at all.
Much as she knew she didn’t love him, though, she didn’t hate him either. She may have disliked the fact that he chose to get his carnal pleasures mostly elsewhere, but could she really complain when she had been permitted to do the same thing – and fairly frequently took advantage of the fact? Although at first she had been disdainful of him and the arrangement, Judas had won her over with his charms and gifts, and now she couldn’t even pretend apathy or indifference. Sarai couldn’t classify how she felt, and this by turns irritated and amused her. In this moment, though, for the first time, she had felt a spark of something more than just ‘like’.
As his finger traced her lip, a slight fluttering occurred in the lower regions of her stomach – but this wasn’t altogether unusual. Love and lust, though commonly paired together, had little to do with each other, and Jude was a stunning man. The problem was that she could not react the way she would with any of her other companions – Judas had rules of etiquette and behaviours that she was to follow, and she knew the correct response. Ducking her head as if shy, she glanced at him through her lashes before executing a dainty turning step and lifting her hair out of the way for him. As she did so, she let her fingers trail the length of her neck – seduction was one of her favourite games to play, but playing with Judas was always interesting because she never quite knew how he was going to respond. ”Thank you.” She replied simply, her eye catching that of the head housekeeper as she smiled softly to herself.
”Supper is served, if it pleases you, m’lord, m’lady.”
His gaze followed the trail of her hand as it moved along her neck. The sight of it caused a tingling sense in the pit of his stomach. He lifted the necklace around her, placing it softly on her neck as he fixed the clasp in the back. His fingers lingered on the back of her neck. Her skin was so incredibly soft. He began to to drag his hands slowly across her shoulders and began down her arms before the housekeeper spoke, disturbing his train of thought.
His arms fell to his sides as he glanced up at the housekeeper, and a subtle sigh escaped his lips, one that would only be noticed by Sarai. He nodded with a smile. "Thank you." He replied to her. Her offered Sarai his arm and led her to the dining room. The table was set beautifully with accents of gold and red decorating the surface. He realized this was done intentionally to emphasize his wife's dress. He pulled out a chair for Sarai and once she was seated he made his way opposite her and sat down.
Bowls of fresh bread and butter were brought to the table first, the steam still rising from the surface. A servant came over and filled their glasses with a deep red wine and then placed a piece of bread on each of their plates before he gave a small bow and departed. "Good timing." Judas said to Sarai with a smile. "I'm quite hungry." He tore a small piece off of his bread and took a bite, the warmth was very satisfying.
Post by Sarai Valencia Alaric on Jul 18, 2015 22:46:11 GMT -5
Although Sarai knew full well the nature of their relationship and was, for the most part, content with its’ connotations, she did sometimes wonder what it would be like to be in a monogamous relationship with Judas. One part of her said that it would be awful – surely the constricts of being with one person for the rest of your life was enough to put the kibosh on any kind of physical relationship. The other, significantly smaller part of her said that perhaps that avenue was worth pursuing. Surely he had some tricks up his sleeve from where he normally received his pleasures, and Sarai wasn’t without wiles of her own. Not only that, but she seemed to have something of an affinity for him anyway – knowing what he desired before he voiced it, whilst he still managed to retain that mysterious air that she had never been able to fully get her head around.
Sarai barely held herself back from melting into Judas’ light touch, but the housekeeper’s interruption made it a slight bit easier. As soon as Judas dropped his hands, Sarai stiffened her spine and took his arm, her free hand still stroking at the necklace around her throat in awe. As she dropped into her seat, smoothing her skirts almost automatically, she took the time between him leaving her side and taking his own seat to glare balefully at the offending woman that had interrupted what could have been an almost genuine moment of affection.
True to form, she was more interested in the wine than she was in the food, but still Sarai knew how she was to react to Judas’ comment. ”Well of course, dear. If I can do nothing else, I should at least be able to ease your home life.” None of this was said with malice – instead, and quite to her chagrin, she found that she was almost totally sincere. ”All of your favourites are on the menu tonight.” She offered, showing in her own way that she, too, had thought of their anniversary, even if she could not afford such extravagant gifts.
”That good timing is all a matter of opinion, though…” She answered, barely above her breath, wondering if she dared let Judas hear what she was really thinking. Raising her voice slightly as she lifted her glass, she tilted it slightly in his favour. ”Happy anniversary, my darling.”
Judas smiled, now even more excited for the meal. Perhaps he should expect things like this from his wife, but each gesture was always a pleasant surprise. His stomach growled as if in response to her words. He took a few more bites of bread and thought he had heard Sarai say something but when he looked back up to her she had finished. He looked at her inquisitively but didn't get a chance to let her know he had missed what she had said before she raised her glass. Perhaps he would ask her later.
He raised his own glass in response and with a smile he replied. "And to you, my sweet wife." He gave a little playful wink before taking a sip of his wine, which ended up turning more into a deeper drink before he set it down. The flavor was quite exquisite tonight. "I thought that after dinner we could take a little carriage ride." He said, deciding to give her an idea of his plans for the evening.
Post by Sarai Valencia Alaric on Jul 20, 2015 19:22:42 GMT -5
Sarai knew that as soon as she sat down, the candlelight would strategically light up her face, making her visage seem almost ethereal when the new electric lights that had been installed were turned down. After all, she had spent hours with the housekeepers perfecting exactly this, and they questioned nothing – of course all she could want was to look the best she could for Lord Alaric; who could possibly dream of a better match, a more devoted husband? Thankfully, they did not know the truth – Sarai did not think she could deal with the embarrassment of the staff knowing that she could not even make the man she had married stay faithful to her, even if that had never been the intention in the first place.
Thankfully, she had started drinking before Judas had arrived, and so the young woman already had a little bit of a buzz going before she sat down. This allowed her to do the proper thing – as she watched Judas take a large swig of his wine, Sarai took a small sip of her own, smiling slightly as she set it down beside her plate. ”That sounds wonderful.” She responded, tilting her head slightly as she watched him from across the table. Beyond his utterly cool and calm demeanour and stunning physique, Sarai could detect something else.
As another plate was set before them, her wise eyes connected with his, and she asked a question, her voice pitched low so the people scurrying around, filling glasses and cleaning up around him, couldn’t hear. ”How was work today, my love?” There was something in his eyes that said that he didn’t want to talk about it, but the only way she could attempt to show that she actually did care was to play the part of the concerned spouse. ”You seem a little tense.” She whispered, as the last skirt whisked around the door frame, leaving the room empty, save for the contentious couple.
Judas took a bite of the food on the newly arrived plate just as Sarai spoke again. He could tell in her voice that she could tell that something was a bit off. He didn't answer right away but took a few more bites of food as the staff exited the room, leaving them alone once more. "Today was fine." He answered honestly as he leaned back in his chair with his wine glass. "It's the next week or so I'm concerned about." He didn't often talk about his work with Sarai, though he had no problems doing so. It simply didn't come up all that often.
"I have a lot of challenging patients and my schedule is completely packed, including a lot of complicated surgeries. I just hope they all go well." He continued. "I guess that's what I get for being the best of the best." He joked, chuckling softly.
Talking about what was going on with him made him curious about how life was going for her. "How have you been, Sarai? What have you been up lately?" He asked, honestly curious about her daily life.
Post by Sarai Valencia Alaric on Jul 23, 2015 15:29:06 GMT -5
Although she knew it was the height of bad manners, Sarai found that her appetite had rather deserted her. It was a strange occurrence in itself, as she had never found herself lacking in that department – her fondness for fine foods and wines was the main reason she felt the need to exercise so much; martial arts and horse riding kept her slim and svelte for whenever her husband deigned to pay her any physical attention, plus, it helped her to remain calm when confronted with the offending male, and play her part to the best of her abilities.
The young brunette stirred her food around her plate, picking at small nibbles every so often, but she simply couldn’t stomach three full courses, and she would much rather just have her dessert.
She frowned as Judas explained what he would be doing for the next week, chewing her lip as she attempted to think of something that would cheer him up, or at least give him some advice that may have eased his load. Instead, though, Sarai giggled girlishly behind her hand. ”The price you pay for having talents…” She added, shaking her head slightly at his unusually playful tone. Maybe tonight wouldn’t be so bad after all.
With her empty fork still in her hand, Sarai shrugged expansively. ”Well, all of this took a little time.” She carried on the joking tone, gesturing to herself. Actually, doing the math, she wasn’t far wrong – it had taken just short of two hours; time that she normally would have spent in the stables. She didn’t begrudge him, though – in fact, it was quite nice to have to dress up (further than she usually did, that was), even if she didn’t know where she was going. Turning a little more serious, she shrugged a slim shoulder.
”Other than that… We have a new maid. Elise was stealing from us.” Her gaze hardened for a second before she looked up at him, and somehow the sight of him across the table negated the quick wave of anger that she had felt. ”I did a little riding, some judo… You know, the usual.” It was only then that Sarai realised just how boring and repetitive her days were. Sure, she enjoyed being with the horses, but maybe she should do something more exciting every so often. Aware she was in danger of retreating into her own mind, Sarai shook her head slightly and smiled, a little more wryly than perhaps she should have. Taking a bite of food that she didn’t even taste, the young woman swallowed reflexively, then caught Judas’ gaze again. ”I’m really looking forward to tonight.”
Judas immediately frowned of the news of the maid stealing from them. It wasn't the first time that they had to let a member of the staff go, but each time it angered him. He really tried hard to make sure to hire to good staff and he felt a little betrayed when they did things like that. He expected it a little of their slaves, which was why they only had a few, but not from the paid staff. He was grateful to have Sarai to deal with these matters so that he did not have to do so directly.
"It sounds like a nice day." He said as she continued. He noticed the drift in her attention a little bit but he did not interrupt her. He knew that he did the same thing on occasion, and retreating into your own head on occasion was normal and healthy even. He simply returned to eating until she spoke again. "So am I." He replied with a grin spreading across his lips, admiring her once more. She really was quite stunning.
"Thank you for dealing with the maid. So, what is the name of the new one?" He asked. He made a point to know his staff and slaves by name. He found it not only made their connection more personal so that they could all live peacefully, but it also made it less likely for them to cause trouble if they realized that their employer knew them individually.
Post by Sarai Valencia Alaric on Aug 4, 2015 21:07:22 GMT -5
There were many things that happened around the house that Sarai dealt with without Judas being any the wiser, but there were just some things that she could not let slide. And Sarai knew, without a doubt, that if Judas blackballed anyone to work, most, if not all, of Avalon would refuse to employ that person. It was for that sole reason that she had even mentioned the girl’s name to him – if not, she would have made up some other inconsequential reason as she had done many times before. The only problem was that this girl had just so happened to see a little too much. She had been at the wrong place at the wrong time, it was true, but Sarai was certainly not going to take the blame for that. She had already forgiven the girl a couple of petty thefts, but then she had had the audacity to try to bribe her! Obviously, that had only left Sarai one recourse – to make sure she never worked in Avalon again to spread her vicious rumours (no matter how true they may or may not have been).
Although she wasn’t sure whether or not to totally believe him, she applauded the effort, and even felt a warm blanket of… well, she wasn’t sure what, but it was pleasant and different… envelope her as Judas agreed with her. She smiled a little shyly, laying on the charm a little as she tried to coax even the smallest piece of information from him. ”I only wish I knew where we were going…”
Sarai shrugged a slim shoulder. To be honest, she hadn’t been overly invested in that part of the conversation anyway, but she dragged her mind back to the interviews well enough to remember the demure young girl that she had taken on. ”Please don’t be upset with me…” She started, though her tone was mild – she knew that, as long as Judas thought she had a decent head on her shoulders, she would never truly be wrong in this. ”… She is very young, younger than Elise, and I know that there are standards to uphold. Only, well…” Here, she paused for a second, trying to gather her thoughts and scrape together what it was she wanted to say (and why were they so hard to put together anyway? She didn’t normally have this trouble!). ”Well, I think that she will do us well – she seems intelligent and willing to learn. Perhaps I could train her to take over Hannover.” Hannover, of course, was their head housekeeper, and she was getting on a little in years. Finally, Sarai gave up the basic information that Judas had asked for, almost as if it was a curse. ”Her name is Renata. She’s foreign."