[ P ] ♦ This I Pray [feat. Ysabeau]

Exalted

She was stationed here for a stint to guard the palace. Perhaps if she did well, she'd see herself in a permanent position. As with everything, the white wolf did not intend to fail.

That dusk, she awoke with the rising moon. Her shift was not at this very moment but she would be taking the second shift to guard the palace gates. It was something she took very seriously and she stretched and did her dusk exercises, she thought over everything she would need to do before being ready for her shift.

Dusk rations. A proper early exercise routine to get her muscles in working order for her shift. Of course, before all of that, she would take a few moments to reflect and thank the stars that she woke this night.

She rose from her nest in the barracks, moving to the communal area, she sat down in an unoccupied spot and sat. Her head bowed low, ears back as she murmured her dusk prayer. "May The Mother guide me this night. May The Father fill me with His justice. May The Maiden guide my paws with patience. May The Rivals set me on the trail to my enemies. May The Crone stay the wicked. May The Eldritch Tree bestow me with Its mercy. Amen." And then a moment of silence, just as she was taught.

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Coding (c) Plymouth | Image (c) king lulu deer

Ysabeau de Montmorency was up before the first wisp of dusk settled over the palace. She, along with a small cohort of other guards, had been stationed in rotating shifts on the grounds or inside the building itself to protect the new Polaris in his first few weeks. She had readily accepted the assignment, as she had readily accepted any assignment that had been proffered to her from her very first day as a cadet in the Praetorian Guard. That was her modus operandi: accept, and accept, and accept, and climb, and climb, and climb. It was how she was now a lieutenant, and was on the captain fast track despite being only three years old. It was why she rarely slept at all, even when the sun blazed down upon the lands. So, yes, she was up before the dusk. As was her custom.

She peeled herself out of the sleeping throngs in the guardsman quarters within the palace, casting sharp yellow eyes upon the sleeping forms, wordlessly counting them. A few were missing from the expected number. This was not a concern, but she made note of it as she paced the hallway towards the communal area. As she grew closer, she heard a quiet voice. "May The Mother guide me this night. May The Father fill me with His justice. May The Maiden guide my paws with patience. May The Rivals set me on the trail to my enemies. May The Crone stay the wicked. May The Eldritch Tree bestow me with Its mercy. Amen."

She came upon a behemoth of a woman cloaked in pearly shades of white, head bowed, murmuring prayer. Ysabeau stopped her relentless marching to allow the woman time to finish. She was impressed that someone was here before she was. It was not often that someone beat her to the punch. Once the woman was finished, Ysabeau continued into the chamber. "This is a good time for your devotions," she commented, her voice clear and strong. "When none are around to cloud your mind - except, perhaps, me." Her eyes were clear yellow, like that of a falcon. She looked upon the pale woman with a touch of curiosity. "We have not yet met, soldier. Lieutenant Ysabeau de Montmorency." Her last name would likely be familiar. The de Montmorency family was prolific in the Praetorian Guard, known for their strong, unwavering service to the Polaris over many generations. Her father, Gaspard, currently served as a colonel, though she often did not cross paths with him.

Exalted

Her ears pricked at the sound of the lieutenant's voice. Her gaze, reflecting the gentle nocturnal hues around them fell onto the earthen-cloaked woman. She found her head dipping down again, a bow of respect to the higher-ranked she-wolf. "Lieutenant," She greeted, the title falling from her lips with as much respect as the woman deserved.

"You speak wisely, I enjoy starting my devotions early to make sure my mind is clear and so the stars know that they are the first thing I think of the very moment I wake." She felt all wolves should do the same just as they but all wolves weren't able to strive for perfection. They weren't made of the stuff that was needed. The drive. The dedication.

When the woman's name's fell from her lips, her eyes widened in awe. She very well knew the station that the woman's family held. How they served as the most loyal guards of The Polaris. She was a woman that she was happy to rub elbows with. To befriend, if she could, to perhaps elevate her own station later in life. It was what she wanted.

What she deserved.

"It is an honor to meet a De Montmorency in the flesh." It truly was. A family such as they were well-respected and knew the power of the stars and their place in life. "I am Exalted Bacchae. It is a pleasure to officially make your acquaintance, ma'am." She was trained from a young age the proper way to speak to others, to make yourself known... but what else could she learn from the this she-wolf who'd rose through the ranks at a young age? She wanted to do the same. Being a soldier was good and all... but she always wanted more.

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Coding (c) Plymouth | Image (c) king lulu deer

The soldier greeted her with deference, which pleased Ysabeau and heightened the woman in her estimations. "You speak wisely, I enjoy starting my devotions early to make sure my mind is clear and so the stars know that they are the first thing I think of the very moment I wake." Ysabeau made a contemplative sound of agreement. As evidenced by the fact that this woman was here on her own, not all soldiers shared her level of dedication. That was a fact that often irked Ysabeau, but she often had bigger fish to fry than to worry about the exact level of piousness of the guards.

"It is an honor to meet a De Montmorency in the flesh. I am Exalted Bacchae. It is a pleasure to officially make your acquaintance, ma'am." Ysabeau inclined her head politely. "I am nothing without my forefathers and foremothers before me," she said - her automatic response in situations such as this. "The pleasure is mine, Bacchae. You pray well. The same cannot be said for all of your brethren." She gave a small smile, and though it did not reach her eyes, it was not an unfriendly expression. "How long have you served with us?"

Ysabeau was not entirely arrogant enough to think she knew of every wolf that walked with the Guard, and she knew she had seen this woman before, if only because of her distinct size and coloration. But she could not be sure of much else.

Exalted

The same could indeed not be said for their brethren. "It is unfortunate that more can not be bothered to rise early and give thanks to those that guide us in all Their benevolence." Her tone implied that she thought it more than unfortunate. A disgrace. A shame. Disgusting. Yet, she was polite enough to keep the deepest thoughts to herself lest the words offend polite company.

"Since I was a yearling, whereupon I joined the Guard as a cadet." And she had done all she could to rise as quickly as possible. "I am two years old now, ma'am." Freshly two when the spring arrived but she felt that her age was not an obstacle to her goals. It meant that she had many years to make her mark.

Hopefully she would get the chance to do so with her lieutenant here.

"This is my first time being stationed at the Palace. Stars willing, it will not be my last." That Palace was a bigger role than the streets of even Avignon. She wanted to make sure it was known that she appreciated the chance to prove herself here.

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Coding (c) Plymouth | Image (c) king lulu deer

"It is unfortunate that more can not be bothered to rise early and give thanks to those that guide us in all their benevolence." Ysabeau could practically taste the disdain that radiated from the soldier, and she nodded sagely. This she agreed with. It was poor form not to devote every second possible to their gods, for was it not the gods' will that allowed them to wake up every evening and bask under the glow of the stars? To Ysabeau, it had always been simple, a doctrine that was so familiar it was the same as breathing. She detested how it was not so easy for all of those living in Ildhrune.

"Since I was a yearling, whereupon I joined the Guard as a cadet. I am two years old now, ma'am." Ysabeau's falcon yellow eyes traced the eager and determined lines of Exalted's face. "Then you are following the same path as me. I, too, joined as soon as my age permitted. It is not easy, to be young and to be thrust into something like the Guard. But it will serve you well to have the history you are making here." It had certainly served Ysabeau well. She would not have nearly the comfortability or the knowledge of the Guard's workings had she not thrown herself into the fray as soon as she could. Not that her parents would have offered her much choice in the matter, if she had chosen to refuse.

"This is my first time being stationed at the Palace. Stars willing, it will not be my last." She looked away from Exalted, eyes tracing the gathering space around them. "It is quite the sight," she murmured. "Now, with the new Polaris installed, there will likely be more opportunities for you to be here. Patrols are often doubled, at least at the start." No one was fool enough to think that the Polaris was not a convenient target, especially at the beginning of his tenure, for heretics and general riffraff. "Were you in attendance at the Ascension?" she asked conversationally, looking back to the soldier.

Exalted

The praise warmed her, making her heart swell with pride. To hear that she was on the right path, it made her want to renew her efforts. To show her superiors that she was ready for advancement. She wanted to tap into the woman's knowledge before her, to ask what else she should be doing to make career advancements. But... patience.

"If anyone tries to make an attempt on the Polaris, then they will regret it." Such was a promise but also, a well-enough remark about her enthusiasm to serve her role. No one would get in her way to do her duties here.

The next question was unexpected but welcome, it showed that the lieutenant took some sort of interest in her. Even if it was only passing. Her want was to make sure it was more than passing, that the lieutenant would recognize her and see her as someone who especially benefitted the guard. "I would not have missed it for the world." In her eyes, turned gold by the dancing firelight of torches around them, there was the twinkle of awe. "Our new Polaris seems a good choice for the role." Powerful, devout to the stars as they all should be. Now, time would tell if he wanted to take his power and use it to seek vengeance for their fallen god.

By all that was holy, she hoped so.

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Coding (c) Plymouth | Image (c) king lulu deer