Private The Crown and Her Voice

[Sibylla Abrantes]

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N A B O O
Lake

Oh this, this here, would be a moment that would remain forever in infamy.

The day Sibylla Abrantes managed to get another one up on Aurelian Veruna himself.

How that sweet rush of triumph thrummed through her veins, entirely and utterly transforming Sibylla's expression to that of utter mischievous devilry as she laughed. It was an utterly satisfied, bright, melodic sound that carried across the water, paired with a grin so smug it could have powered the royal palace.

She barely managed to shield her face as his retaliatory splash struck, turning aside but still laughing, her laughter ringing out over the lake in unrestrained delight. The more she tried to stop, the worse it got, each laugh feeding the next until she could hardly breathe for it, trying to fling splashes of her own back at his direction.

Water clung to her now spiky lashes as she swept her hand through her soaked hair, hazel eyes gleaming like polished amber in the sunlight.

"Oh, the look on your face," she said between breaths, breaking into another laugh, then gave a snort of amused impish disbelief, "Oh please, as if a little dunk in the water could silence you."

She gave another splash at his face for good measure, a mischievous glint sparking in her eyes.

"Scared you, did I? Hmmm… perhaps next time you'll think twice before going toe to toe with me," adding quite smugly, " I'd say that's two points in my favor now, first the shield spar, and now this. For all your charm and wordcraft, it seems I'm your better."

 

[Aurelian Veruna]

Location: Lake
Tags: Sibylla Abrantes

Aurelian's pulse still hammered in his ears, but not from shock. It was her. The sight of Sibylla Abrantes laughing, unguarded, bright, utterly alive. Her cheeks flushed, eyes alight, water catching in her hair like threads of sunlight. This wasn't the diplomat he knew, or the composed Voice of Naboo. This was real, and it was stunning.

He found himself smiling before he realized it, a quiet, knowing curve of his lips as she splashed him again, declaring victory like some triumphant warrior queen.

"Oh, I see how it is," he said, his tone a mix of mock offense and amusement. "First you take me up on a Guarlara ride, unprecedented by the way, and now you try to drown Naboo's very own king."

He tsked softly, shaking his head as if in disappointment, though his grin betrayed him. "You do realize I could have you locked up for this, don't you? Treason by submersion. A most scandalous end for the illustrious Sibylla Abrantes."

He drifted closer, voice dipping lower, teasing but warm. "It's a good thing I'm such a humble and forgiving king."

Before she could retort, he took a smooth dive beneath the water. The surface rippled, sunlight scattering, and then he was gone.

A moment later, he reappeared behind her, rising silently from the lake like a ghost. "See?" he murmured near her ear, tone soft but edged with mischief. "Not so bad, is it?"

He circled her slowly, lazily treading water, his eyes catching hers as he moved past. "You might even admit you're enjoying yourself."

The smirk deepened as he dipped closer, the water lapping between them. "Stick with me, and I'll teach you a thing or two about fun, Miss Abrantes. Maybe," he added, his voice dropping to a quiet dare, "I've just been letting you win."

He winked, then splashed her again, this time with a deliberate flick of his hand, playful and close enough to catch the surprised spark in her eyes.

​

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

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N A B O O
Lake

Locked up for life, indeed. Treason by submersion, honestly, Auerlian said it with such conviction one would think he was narrating a holodrama instead of his own absurd misfortune.

The laugh that escaped Sibylla was decidedly not court appropriate. It was an unrestrained, incredulous snort that followed an even more outrageous roll of her eyes at his antics.

"Oh, please! Humble? Humble? Really?" she sputtered between laughs, her eyes bright with mirth. "You? Oh, that's rich, Aurelian."

She was ready to send another splash his way when, of course, he dove beneath the surface. Sibylla froze, the laughter dying into wary silence as her eyes darted across the rippling water.

"Don't you dare," she warned under her breath, shifting her stance like a soldier awaiting ambush from below, already imagining what tricks he might pull.

Then came his low and teasing voice by her ear from behind and she nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Why you!" she gasped, spinning around with a glare that was only half convincing given the laughter still tugging at her lips. She followed his movement suspiciously as he circled her, the lazy predator act written all over his face, and before she could back away, the water splashed up, catching her squarely in the face. She let out a startled yelp, then immediately retaliated, sending a wave back at him with all the dignity of a drenched Loth cat.

"Oh no no, you do not get to spin this as if you've been letting me win," she declared, wading forward to poke him squarely in the chest with a dripping finger, water still running down her cheek. The smirk widened as she leaned in, those wet, spiky, dark lashes framing her hazel eyes as they glinted with knowing, as if relishing the memories of both victories then and there.

"I got you both times, and I daresay I can do so again. Shall we test the theory, Aurelian? Or will you concede that perhaps, just perhaps, you've met your match?"

A playful splash followed her words, drenching them both anew. Sibylla laughed again, tossing her wet braid over her shoulder with a little flick that was far more confident than she actually felt. Then as she caught his gaze again, her smile curved into a genuine one of admission. And while he will likely lord it over her for the rest of the day, he was right. This was fun.

"But I will say this, you do make it impossible not to enjoy myself."

 

[Aurelian Veruna]

Location: Lake
Tags: Sibylla Abrantes

Aurelian slicked his hair back, water dripping down his temples. He looked at her with an expression that screamed disbelief. "My match?" he repeated, as if the word offended his royal dignity. "Sibylla, please. A knee to the jewels and a tired Guarlara don't exactly add up to a proper victory. Let's just say it was good timing and a bit of divine luck."

He grinned, wicked and unrepentant, that golden spark returning to his eyes. "But, since you seem to have forgotten, I've already won. You're smiling. Laughing. Even having fun." He raised an eyebrow, savoring the realization dawning on her face. "And you admitted it. That, my dear Voice of Naboo, is the ultimate victory."

Her indignant glare was worth every drop of water he'd endured.

Aurelian's laugh rumbled, genuine and low, echoing across the quiet lake. "Oh, I'll never let you live this down," he warned, feigning seriousness. "I'll have to tell the court... the oh-so-dignified Sibylla Abrantes was seen committing treason by sheer joy. Laughing, splashing, possibly plotting regicide by drowning. Scandalous!"

He tilted his head, his smirk softening into something more playful. "So, you'd best behave, or I might just let the whole palace know the truth of what happened here today."

Then, without breaking eye contact, he shifted slightly. One foot slid forward beneath the surface. He brushed it lightly against her calf, just enough to feel like a gentle nudge from something unseen.

Aurelian's expression remained perfectly innocent. "Oh?" he murmured, eyes wide. "Did you feel that? Something in the water, perhaps?"

He drifted back a little, feigning curiosity as his grin returned, sharp and mischievous. "Strange. I could have sworn something just brushed past you. Maybe one of those lake eels they warn children about?"

He flicked another droplet of water her way, laughter bubbling at the corners of his mouth. "Of course, I'm sure you're not afraid. You're far too brave for that. My match, weren't you?"

His tone deepened, teasing and warm. "Just remember... while you might have met your match, I'm always one step ahead."

With that, he gave a sudden splash and ducked beneath the surface, vanishing before she could retaliate, leaving only a ripple behind.

​

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

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N A B O O
Lake

"Then I shall simply have to challenge you again until you're finally proven wrong. Which, I suspect, will be utterly delightful." Sibylla called after him, laughter still coloring her voice as she splashed at the spot where Aurelian Veruna had vanished.

"And please, no one will believe you!" And while her words carried across the lake confidently enough, her eyes darted once to the side at the faint ripple nearby. She told herself firmly that it was nothing. A fish, perhaps. Or a current. Not one of his lake eels.

At least, she hoped not.

It was then that her dark brows drew together as she frowned at the water.

"You know, for a man raised on the coast, you seem suspiciously keen on inventing lake monsters," she muttered, even as her imagination traitorously conjured every possible creature with fins and teeth. Still, she managed a scoff, brushing back a strand of damp hair clinging to her cheek.

"And if you're going to hide and swim off," she said aloud, rolling her eyes skyward. "Do try to do it quietly. I'd like to enjoy a single moment of peace before you start monologuing again."

Fine. He could lord it over her for the next several weeks. So be it. By now, Sibylla knew exactly what she was getting into when it came to Aurelian Veruna, and to her own surprise, she found she didn't particularly mind. In truth, his relentless efforts to draw out her laughter were as maddening as they were endearing. Infuriating, yes. But he meant well. She knew that much, at least.

And with that, Sibylla tipped herself backward, letting the lake cradle her. The water lapped gently at her sides, pulling her along with the current, cool and soft beneath the afternoon sun against a canopy of blue sky, and for the first time in too long, she let herself drift.

When was the last time she had done this, simply swum for the joy of it? Floated under a summer sky without thinking about decorum, schedules, or the next Assembly session? It had been too long.

Far too long.

Back before duty and diplomacy had claimed her days, before every step was calculated, every smile practiced. For now, though, there was no small council, no court, no Crown: just sunlight, and wind, and the quiet lap of the water as she floated along.

It made her mind wander to all the recent experiences Aurelian had somehow managed to rope her in, whether it be sitting at the beach at Kadaarra, Gualama rides through the vineyards, or now floating fully clothed in a lake.

'Stick with me, and I'll teach you a thing or two about fun, Miss Abrantes.'

Sibylla let Aurelian's words from earlier linger for a few more moments. Then, making a decisive decision, she reached up to tug at the hair tie holding her braid together. The knot came loose beneath her fingers, and she ran her hand through the dark strands, shaking them free. Her chestnut hair fanned out across the water, catching the light like spilled ink, flowing and swaying in gentle, weightless waves.

For the first time in what felt like ages, Sibylla Abrantes, the Voice of Naboo, simply let go.

The rhythmic lapping against her ears, the lazy drift of the current, it all felt like freedom. A world away from council chambers and etiquette tutors and endless debates about policy and propriety. Her eyes fluttered shut, a small, content smile tugging at her lips as she exhaled.

And for a moment, Sibylla looked less the Voice of Naboo and more the girl who had once run barefoot through the garden mazes of Dee'ja Peak.

Blast Aurelian Veruna for being right!!