Edge of Oblivion v3 [Open - FULL]

[Meareign]

"Are you unwell?" Orinda asked, reflexively lifting a hand into the air where he might have broken her collapse.

“I-I'm fine.” Maybe it was the Pandora box of new possibilities being opened or being underdressed for too long. It was getting a little chilly after all but Aurelia had her money on 'missed breakfast' and maybe a little on being overwhelmed. Not a good combination apparently. “See. I'm fine.” Aurelia stood up a tad slower this time round just to prove her point before sitting back down and Orinda withdrew his arm. “It's just my body protesting about missing a meal.” First she was too busy, then too angry, then a little preoccupied with teasing Marvelle, and finally, too disgusted (still is) to eat. Just the thought about food was enough to make her feel nauseated but her body thought otherwise. “Plus, to think that all of this could have been avoided.” Aurelia let out a small laugh.

There seemed to be subtext to the words Aurelia chose, and Orinda took note of them. It wasn't the first time she had said something docile while ultimately betraying her distaste for their arrangement. It was understandable for her to have such feelings, given the circumstances, but he was also regaining the feeling that an elephant was in the room. "Aurelia. Do I repulse you?"

“… No. Not really.” At least not now “There’s just so much,” Aurelia tried to find the words. “You won’t need to put your enemy on the throne and I get to home when this ends. You… could be happy right now with someone you love and I…” In all honesty, who wouldn’t want a happy marriage? Aurelia always thought she would marry someone she loved or at least like. “I could be too.”

"Maybe," he said slowly. "Maybe I would be resting happily in a sitting room with my family, discussing our next political move with Caelum. Or perhaps I would be standing in the torrential rain, watching the funeral of my beloved, who died in an explosion set in Pyrandon by your brother's forces, killing hundreds. Or perhaps you would be here, married to Prince Zephyriah. Or listening to an announcement revealing the death of Princess Marvelle, who was taken by an enemy assassin in the night because the treatsy we tried to form was too unsteady... Or you could be cuddled up to your brother, sharing cool tea and talking about what he found in the caves yesterday evening, finally relaxing in the knowledge that an agreeable peace was finally settled three days hence. Maybe."

“Maybe you’re right. Worst things could happen but to think that there was another path I could have gone down…” Aurelia looked away. “I guess I’m just selfish then.” Sometimes, Aurelia wanted to go back to being a child, only worrying about missing the changing of shifts which would prevented her from sneaking home in time for dinner. “Tell me, if you had the chance to do it over and deaths of loved ones wasn’t going to happen, would you choose differently?”

"If I had the choice to stay in this reality or go back to a world where I was guaranteed to see no more unnatural deaths in my family or to my subjects at the hands of war, guaranteed to witness a successful call to peace, would I go back? Yes, I would go back without hesitation. I can't imagine turning my back on that kind of contract."

“That’s a lot of criteria you have.” Granted, they were all valid but Aurelia was expecting more of a yes or no reply. “And look, we found something we both can agree on.”

"I do think babies are cute."

Now that she wasn’t caught up in the memory of her mother, that line seemed to have another meaning and it was terrifying. A King needs heirs and he obviously didn’t have a problem doing the other fourteen women he didn’t love. What if he needed one… now? “Oh y-yes. Guess that’s… uh, something else we, uh, agreed on...” If there wasn’t anyone around, Aurelia would probably be whimpering in a corner. It wasn’t who she might have to sleep with that scared her but more of feeling far too young, too inexperienced, to raise actual human beings. “D-do you uh,” Running a hand through her hair, Aurelia looked around the room, suddenly finding the ground very intriguing. “Need… babies?”

He raised brows at her. "Is that genuinely something you would like to discuss now?"

“No,” Aurelia never, ever wanted to discuss it but if it means that her imagination wouldn’t run wild… “B-but since we are on the, uhm, topic, why not.”

"As you like," he conceded, allowing her the decision despite a suspicion that she was not prepared for it. It was a suspicion probably rooted in the fact that she had just said so herself. "Yes, I do feel as though I need at least one heir," preferrably more, given the mortality rates of offspring, "for the sake of the throne. I admit that I don't feel it can be put off for as long as I might otherwise like, because succession arrangements are complicated now that both of my siblings are inheriting thrones of their own. With that said, 'soon' does not mean 'now.'"

At least one. Aurelia wasn’t sure if she could do ‘half’ if, that was even possible. “That’s,” A relief? Not really. “Good to know…”

"Certainly. You may want to dress," Orinda suggested.

“Oh yes.” Aurelia muttered, getting on her feet. One step, that was all it took for her towel to untuck itself, falling onto the floor like an autumn leaf. Too shock to react, Aurelia stood dumbfounded for a moment which felt like years before clearing her throat. “Excuse me.” Picking up the towel, Aurelia walked away as calmly as possible, but not before a timely, "Oh. Wow," on Orinda's part. Disappearing behind the folding screen, she strangled the piece of cloth and screamed internally. [********]

[Alstroemeira]

-reserved for Adrian-

[Meareign]

"You have very nice skin!" he called past the screen. Maybe it was all the moisturizer.

This was karma. Karma for laughing at Marvelle, calling her a tomato. Who knew it would come back to bite her this soon. It’s okay, act normal. You’ve been naked before… alone... not on land… Not helping. “Must be the sea salt, and mud baths from Terralora. You should join me sometime.” Great, Aurelia, the master at digging holes for herself.

He hadn't expected such an offer, but he wasn't displeased. He wasn't sure he could be excited about getting mud where it shouldn't be, but if there was ever a time for expanding horizons... "Oh. Is that something people do? I imagine I would be open to the idea." Well, he might be if he could find the time to do it.

Aurelia wanted the King to be equally embarrassed but he was Incendian and she heard stories. Perhaps this was an appropriate time to abandon ship… playing this ‘game’ with him was not the brightest idea but Aurelia couldn’t help it. Oh bite me. “It’s rather common. Just not as steamy as your hot springs.” Feeling herself die a little inside with each word out of her mouth.

"I see. You-- rinse off afterwards, I imagine?" He certainly hoped so. Soaking in a gooey pool was one thing, letting it crack and dry on you was another. His hair bristled a little, thinking of the sensation.

Aurelia raised an eyebrow as she straightened her sleeves. Guess it isn’t common knowledge “Well, actually, you sit while let it dries under the sun, and someone will knock the pieces off you.”

Pause. Ick. "Why?"

“Because you shouldn’t wash off what mother nature has given you.”

But it's better to flake it off with a chisel? "Is that a thing in Marisia?"

“Oh, it's not exactly common for some prefer salt baths but you really need to try baking yourself under the sun. Lovely feeling.”

"I do like the sun," he conceded, tipping his head to one side indicatively. There was never any mud involved, but he was definitely familliar with the satisfaction that could come from perfuming up with oils and relaxing in the warmth of the sun. He hadn't done it since his teen years, but he could certainly recall. "We have that. That last bit. In Magnus Incendia." Had?

“Mmmh, I think that’s pretty universal. It’s always nice when it’s bright and sunny.” Standing behind the screen, Aurelia wondered if she should leave its comforts. It seemed easier, talking with it between them. Plus, Aurelia didn’t need to force herself to keep a straight face. “But… since there isn’t sun in here, you could try freeze drying instead of baking.”

"That sounds awful,"he observed, blinking. "Not that I know, but just as an idea it sounds extraordinarily unpleasant."

“Freeze drying the mud? Well, that just involves coldness. Don’t you like ice?”

He thought for a moment. "I like it in carrot juice."

Aurelia peeked out from behind the screen and immediately flushed red upon recalling that god awful incident. “That is definitely not my cup of tea.” Aurelia replied, retreating behind the screen once more and fiddled with her clothes.

"I like tea, too, but usually we take that hot." He may or may not have had to fight off a simper at this intentional turn-of-phrase.

“Oh we have this lovely blend of ice tea that we take while baking in mud. For the freeze drying, there’s the herbal blend that we take it hot because, what can I say? It leaves you trembling.” Aurelia rolled her eyes and shook her head slightly, suddenly not too sure who is the one being messed with.

"Tea with ice in it? I've never heard of that."

“There isn’t ice in it. That would dilute the taste. We chill the tea from the outside.”

"How do you hold the cup?" he wondered, imagining trying to grasp onto a glass carved out of solid ice. Ouch.

“… The cup isn’t frozen. It’s just a normal cup,” Aurelia paused, sticking her hand out and grabbed the side of the screen. “Look.” Bit by bit, ice crystals started forming on the surface and Aurelia released her grip. “The tea is in a glass and we freeze the glass to chill the contents.”

"If you freeze the glass, isn't it frozen?" he asked, watching the creeping ice crystals with a wary fascination.

“Well, the heat from the sun actually melts the ice from the glass but it doesn’t heat up the contents. Besides, that’s what gloves are for.”

"Gloves. I see. Are you alright back there?"

“Y-yes. Why?” Oh maggots. Have I spent that long here? Please don’t ask me to leave my screen.

"Just checking," he said, only half-true. It seemed like she was taking an abnormally long time, but had a feeling that saying to could be offensive somehow. Oh, sure, spoken like a usual man who isn't forced to layer up in petticoats and undercoats and buttresses and overcoats and naves and clerestories. Far be it for me to expect a little understanding and patience. He could hear the snaps already.

“Alright.” Oh! Maybe he’ll get tired of waiting and leave! Eyes lighting up at the thought. Here’s to no more flushing. “If uh,” Aurelia cleared her throat as she started pacing. “You have matters to attend to… you know, go attend to uh, them.”

"I'm certain you wouldn't stop me, but I thought I might convince you to join me in a dining hall. I couldn't promise you undivided attention, but there would be lunch."

What? Why are you so free? Aurelia whined mentally, biting down on her lip. Fine, alright. Finnne. She couldn’t possibly stay in there forever. Taking in a deep breath, Aurelia stepped out. Okay, now just pretend he isn’t there. Though she told herself it was nothing, she could still feel her cheeks heating up. “Lunch it is.”

"That's excellent." Unfortunately, the flush over Aurelia's face was too clear for Orinda to miss. He rose from his seat on the bed, casually lifted the chair to plop it down back where he had found it, and stepped next to Aurelia. "Are you embarrassed?" he asked coolly, allowing one of his hands to fall to rest gently against the center of her back, a gesture that indicated his readiness to proceed out of the room.

The female found herself leaning away slightly as the male got nearer, feeling a tingle run down her spine when he placed his hand on her back. “Of course I am embarrassed.” Aurelia replied after some internal struggling. If only the earth could swallow her up right now. “It wasn’t like we were in the waters, swimming.” She muttered, eyes widening in horror a second later. “I- I mean, you… that.. no uh, it…” A pause. “Ignore that.” Aurelia said as calmly as she could before walking out of the room.

Orinda smiled to himself and quietly walked out after her. It was almost as if he knew exactly what he was doing.

[Meareign]

“Oh Elle, save me.” Aurelia muttered, face red with embarrassment as she proceeded in the direction of the dining halls. “You had one job. One simple task of avoiding your husband for the day but noooo, you just had to open the door and let him in.” Aurelia rambled under her breath.

Catching up to his wife, Orinda fell into step. His six guards quickly joined up, putting aside their laughter about the crude jokes they had started telling to pass the time. "Sir Caravah, would you do me a favor?" the king asked, speaking to a particularly warm-skinned knight while keeping pace.

"Majesty?"

"You remember I asked Lady Laarosani, Lady Jhataka, and Lord Osher to delay their assemblies with me, could you get word to them that I'm on my way to the dining hall? I suspect seven will be enough. Thank you." Without further question, the knight split off and headed down another hallway.

Falling to silence when the king caught up, Aurelia didn’t mean to listen in but it was rather difficult not to hear what the king was saying when he was just beside her. Not that she knew what it meant. Distracting herself with other thoughts, mainly the rumours that has been floating around, she wondered if anyone heard about it.

"If I may, Your Majesty, what were your duties as princess?" Orinda asked, turning his attention back onto Aurelia. "I am not versed and find myself curious, now that we have approached similar subjects."

Being called ‘your majesty’ was a feeling Aurelia might never get used to. “Nothing much, Adrian had all the most of the important stuff covered so other than listening in and showing up for events, I just attend to a few petitions now and then, work a little with Rites, and Revenue, and whatever else mother and brother needs...” Aurelia paused, realizing that bratty sister-in-law might be doing her job from now on. “Your sister is a princess too, wouldn’t she have similar things to do?”

"In theory, yes, a princess from Incendia would be excellently educated in businesscraft, hospitality, finance, and the inner workings of the kingdom. My sister was something of an outlier, though. Life was not kind to her and, even then, some of her specific strengths lend themselves to less traditional skills. I would freely say that her role was underutilized in the last decade."

In theory, outlier, underutilized. You sure know how to package things nicely. “Ah, I see.” Aurelia replied. If her brother knew, he would probably have a lot of things to say about the whole ‘outlier’ business… if he haven’t already.

"She was mistreated by circumstance," he elaborated. "Under ideal conditions, I think she may have become a social tycoon, or possibly even a domestic patrol commissioner. She certainly has the vigor and morality for it. It isn't the role our princesses normally play, but it doesn't look like traditional roles served my generation well." Okay, true, but that was a little morbid. "...Sorry. Of course, her marriage was always going to play a role in her eventual duties anyway."

“I’m sure Adrian will notify her of her… duties.” The thought about Fia going through Aurelia’s past work made her want to throw something at someone. So this was what her brother was talking about, being harmless. Aurelia certainly did not want some social tycoon or commissioner sitting on her mother’s throne. Let’s hope it’s not going to be handed to her on a silver platter because if it is, I don’t care if you’re the freaking King of Gods, Adrian Vas Marisia.

"What I hope the most is that she is given patience," he admitted. Okay, and not beaten or murdered or anything, but that should go without saying. He paled faintly, giving a little too much attention to his imagination, and pushed the visions from his mind.

“Well,” This ought to be fun. “I’m sure,” As long as Fia is a quick learner, doesn’t talk back, listens well, basically a good kitty which, I think she’s far from it. “My brother will be patient with her.”

"You think so?"

Yeah, totally. Aurelia thought sarcastically. “Your sister isn’t going to die at the hands of my brother… if that’s what you need to hear.” He’s too politically driven to make such a stupid move anyway.

"... That is actually a slight relief, if it's right." Okay, that still leaves a lot of room for loopholes. "Speaking of your brother, there was something I hoped to speak to him about. Perhaps you can advise me about how to approach it."

“Oh? What is it about?”

"Protecting you," he answered, then proceeded to explain himself further. "You are welcome in the conversation, too, of course. I have to be aware of the possibility that dissenters will target you. I have decided that I am open to the possibility of entrusting the job to Marisians, if everyone agrees that they can be trusted to support and defend you with the most loyalty." He glanced over his shoulder at his own entourage. Every single one of them had a long history beside the king and he understood what motivated each man. There was no doubt in his mind that they would stand alongside him. "I would want no less." There was a silent implication that he was extending a branch of trust to her in this moment; this offer was a dangerous one and opened him up to betrayal if she dared to take advantage of his good will.

Frowning slightly in confusion, Aurelia wasn’t expecting protection to be the topic. Marisians. Huh. So if something does happens, you won’t be blamed for it? Then again, Aurelia didn’t like the idea of having Incendians following her around. They were already everywhere. “Well, that’s not too difficult. Just tell my brother what you told me. The chances of him being pleased at the idea is rather high after all.”

"Thank you. And how do you feel about it?"

“As you might tell from my, uh, lack of guards, I don’t really like a bunch of people following me around, day in, day out. No offense.”

"I don't especially love it either," he noted. There was nothing that said private bonding time quite like having a half-dozen grown men lurking just outside the door at all hours. "Aside from that?" He had a feeling she hadn't given that much thought to exactly how much danger she was at any given moment while they lived down in these caves and negotiated their treaty.

“Aside from… not wanting to be followed? … Nothing?”

No opinions about whether she spends her days surrounded by Incendians or Marisians? Orinda had a feeling that was leagues away from true, but was hardly about to challenge her on it. He was fairly sure that they were still playing the "Incendians can't win" game, and could only imagine the big jar of ******** they would open if he went out of his way to acknowledge the fact that thousands of Incendians probably wanted to murder her in her sleep. Oh, he would be glad when he could finally spend just a few minutes off his guard and speak his mind without agonizing over each way his words could be turned against him.

"Fair," he granted. Might as well change subjects before he was tempted. "Is there anything else I should know? About your brother, for example?"

That was over faster than she thought. Usually when the topic of guards came about, a long lecture that followed was supposed to happen. “Mh,” Aurelia shrugged. For example he hates you and you probably hate him too so don’t piss each other off? “Adrian is… ambitious, unbiased, respected, and uh, passionate, I suppose.” Packaging stuff, guess all siblings are bias.

"Passionate?" he asked, the one word in particular catching his attention.

“Oh yes, very passionate. He has strong… feelings about things. Very determined.”

Orinda turned his eyes towards her silently, as if awaiting further elaboration.

“He has um, strong beliefs. If he believes he can take on the world, the world he shall take on, after proper planning and risk assessments of course.” Aurelia let out a small laugh. Stubborn, he is as stubborn as a bull and it is infuriating but you’ll have to find that out for yourself.

"That's very high praise,"he observed to her. "You must think the world of him."

“Well, it’s just me and him now. Who else have I got left to praise?” Aurelia muttered. “Just don’t let him know I’ve ‘praised’ him.”

Pause. "What will happen?"

“To him and everyone else? Nothing. To me… “ Aurelia rolled her eyes. “He just has a habit of being condescending towards me.”

"That must be difficult for you."

“You think?” Aurelia laughed. “I usually let him be till it gets on my nerves. It’s a cycle.” Nothing screams putting Adrian in place like a few good cheek pinches, a bit of teasing and embarrassing him. Then again, her brother was the King, and there was a need to maintain his pride in front of others so Aurelia left it at there.

"And what then?" he asked, "if you may advise an amateur."

“I don’t think my skill sets are applicable to you.” Aurelia replied slowly. The image of Orinda pinching Adrian was like an amusing puppet show in the marketplace which made Aurelia shudder. “Besides, I don’t think he’ll be condescending towards you. Even if he does, it’s nothing you can’t handle.” Probably involves a lot of glaring.

"Hm," he said, acknowledging her deflection. "What of his court, then? Certainly you have seen a few oiltongued men at court address him with tact."

Everyone in court addresses Adrian with tact because he sure knows how to put the fear of god in them, Aurelia thought bitterly. Sometimes, she wished her brother could be a little more… ‘human’ to his subjects. It wouldn't kill him to be a tad nicer to them. “Honestly, just,” Be yourself? What if you decide to go into a*****e mode. “Basic human interaction. Just talk to him like… like how you would talk to a fellow King.” A pause. “You sound like you’re going on a date with my brother. He won’t bite… I think.”

[Meareign]

How many kings do you think I've spoken to directly before? he wondered, his internal tone laced with muted entertainment. In this example, he assumed that his own father didn't count. "I'm not dating your brother, I'm doing worse. I married his sister and aligned with his nemesis." Then another thought, incredulous, Does she honestly think encounters with sopping blood enemies should be taken lightly? What do they even do over there in Marisia?

Aurelia stopped in her tracks for a moment and sighed. “What do you want to me say? That you can and should show all the disrespect and hatred you have for him, for us, to his face through sharpened words laced with honey so he can reciprocate and then what? The two of you start staring each at each other with squinted eyes while plotting each other’s demise?”

"You imagined that in vivid detail."

“It is what it is. Plotting and backstabbing never does disappear. Plus, we don’t like you, you don’t like us. I hardly imagine you two cozying up to each other.”

"Can you think of a better reason to seek guidance?"

“And I have given advice to you. Basic human interaction, remember? But you don’t seem to like it that much so… what is it that you would like to know, exactly? How to control my brother in the palm of your hands?” Aurelia sighed.

"What gave you that idea?" he asked.

“Try… the sudden advice seeking on top of us being enemies.”

He seemed confused for a moment. "Oh. I meant, 'What gave you the idea that I have rejected your advice?"

“Instincts?” Aurelia offered stupidly, shrugging it off.

"Well I can assure you otherwise," he affirmed, at least partially lying. He didn't want to reject it, exactly, but he certainly found it underwhelming and not especially helpful. "Of course, I would happily recieve more of it, too. Perhaps tips about mistakes others have made in the past, yofikisms he may have that I would do well to avoid. Even suggestions that apply across your culture, regardless of if they are specific to your brother. That is, if you are still in the telling mood."

You ARE going on a date. “I am probably not the best person to be asking about my brother because… well, he is my brother and I am bias. Just like how you are to your sister. One thing I can tell you is… do not mention the crown you graciously gifted him unless he brings it up. Oh and don’t be late.”

"A stickler for punctuality," he observed. He had heard rumors about Marisian obsession with ideas like tardiness and clockwork alacrity, though he had never personally witnessed the phenomenon.

“Well, I’ve heard that time is money.”

"What?" he asked, trying with futility to imagine gold clocks or something to explain what she had just spouted.

“Time is precious? I suppose every second lost is an opportunity lost. I heard it when I was younger and it… stuck with me.”

"That's..." he trailed off, giving her reimagination a second thought, "a much brighter spin on the idea. It's... nice." In a few words, she had managed to turn Marisians are irrationally hung up on punctuality into Marisians are enthusiastic about seizing opportunities. That's what this is all about, he reflected.

“… Brighter? What was your dark spin on it?”

"That time spent for pleasure is time wasted and no empathy is to be had for those who maintain paces different from your own."

“Well, that is dark.”

He nodded soberly. "We've had thousands of years to perfect the art of demonizing our enemies."

“Can't deny that.” Aurelia muttered.

"So do you folks think we spend all our time drunkenly dancing around trees we've set on fire? Because that's not realistic. We don't have enough trees in the mountains to justify setting them on fire."

“I cannot imagine Incendians dancing around trees. I don’t even know why you think that but,” Aurelia shrugged. Maybe it’s some sort of unfulfillable fantasy for them? “Compliments to your imagination.”

"My appreciation. You can't imagine us dancing, or you can't imagine us with trees?"

“Both… To be more exact, dancing around trees”

"We prefer to dance around burning houses."

“Oh? Not burning women?” Aurelia snickered.

Orinda look mortified. "Urobach's tears, what? You jest, don't you?" Pause. "Oh." He slowly understood her double entendre. "Yes, sometimes also those." He could hear one of his followers press a hand over his own mouth to muffle.

“Sometimes? I’m sure.” Aurelia paused and smiled at her husband before picking up her pace.

"Incendian men don't always dance with women," he pointed out, not immediately reacting to her acceleration. "Or even for them. It's recreation."

“Uh huh.” Aurelia called out in reply. “So women does the dancing for men?”

"Certainly, there are uniquely female dance forms as well. There is actually a..." he trailed off, reconsidering whether or not this was the sort of volcano he wanted to erupt. "There are many."

Turning around, Aurelia started walking backwards. “And the men just… watches most of the time? That doesn’t sound very fun… as unique as the moves might be. I never thought appreciating the arts of dance would be a thing in Magnus Incendia.”

"Why not? Celebration and revelry are an inherent part of who we are as a people. We dance, we sing, we drink, we tell stories, we duel, we decorate, we perform..."

“Oh, uh, good to know.” Aurelia replied, facing forward once more. Celebratory styles were not that far from Marisia but she wasn’t excepting them to be happy just… watching. She thought they would be more… aggressive, more barbaric. Like drunken pirates around wenches.

"The whole thing has a structure of reciprocity about it. Dancing, revelry, and entertainment, and now that I think of it, most of our social construction does as well."

“Mhmm.” Aurelia agreed, not entirely sure if her husband just tried to squeeze in a lesson called ‘We are only nice when treated nice’.

"What about Marisia?" he asked, guessing that it was as good a segue as any to give Aurelia a chance to try out her new ambassador cap. At last, a turned corner revealed one of the many tall doors opening into the dining hall.

“That’s… something you should learn and appreciate on your own.”

A few more steps and the party passed inside, a quick glance around the room conveyed the same high vaulted ceilings, long black tables, polished red stone floor, and enormous fireplace to which they were already becoming used. For a moment, Orinda was taken back to the first night he had spoken with the late King Loch and felt something like a pang of guilt, knowing full well that the man was gone and none could quite say why.

[Meareign]

At the sight of them, a pair of servants quickly scurried out the opposite door, no doubt to fetch a few dishes of whatever meager recipe the kitchens had decided to mass-produce that day. It was a construct that had fallen into place on its own: while every citizen was entitled to a portion of uncooked staples, those who still had some sort of spare wealth to their names were inclined to trade some of it in exchange for a serving of whatever the chefs in the palace kitchens prepared that day. It was often only marginally more satisfying, but it came hot and it didn't require cooking on part of the customer. So it was that the chefs quickly took to preparing large quantities of whatever dish the day's resources allowed and portioning them out to each mouth, members of the royal families usually included. There were similar examples of such specialization popping up among the common huddled masses, though those meal services were even less refined and did not pass through the halls of the palace.

Settling down at the table, the smell of food made Aurelia think of the body lying in the room. Praying silently, her only hope was that nothing in her lunch would remind her of it, be it color or smell or worst, taste.

"I don't understand, how do you intend for me to do that?" he asked, settling in a seat across from her. He glanced up and displayed a look of recognition when he detected the movement of a new body entering through a door on the far distant side of the hall.

“Well, you could listen to the old man telling tales by the streets, take a walk through the marketplace, go undercover, pretend you sell fish for a living, stay in a local inn, or get drunk with pirates. Choose your poison.”

"Local inn?" he asked, wondering if Marisia had somehow already established a hospitality business down in the caves. Actually, he wondered about most of the things she had listed - where were they getting these fish? "Down here?"

“Surprise, surprise. I haven’t actually snuck out of the keep yet but I’m thinking the taverns would provide a few rooms for those too drunk to get home, maybe spare room for the homeless or… kicked out? Perhaps a place for men to hide from their wives and vice versa.”

"Taverns? Already?" He was thinking back to his visions of people haphazardly cobbled into their zone, vying for the limited habitable structures and stuffing in together with strangers when nothing good or close remained, guided by what minimal direction a few seers provided. It was difficult for him to imagine the city already baring such luxuries as taverns when not a week before, the least fortunate had simply been lying to sleep on the bare stone, resting their heads on whatever soft possessions they happened to have brought along. Clearly he did need to stroll through Marisia, if such feats were already being achieved. A lesson could be learned. All these thoughts flickered through his mind in a second, and he resolved, "Well, it's a date then."

Aurelia raised an eyebrow. Date. Are you being serious? “S-sure. But… you should really take things I say with a pinch of salt.” A pause. And probably lighten up. Trying to mess with someone who probably isn’t ever going to realize it is something very new to Aurelia. “But well, business as usual sounds great doesn’t it? Normality in… abnormal times. I think I like it.”

"I can't expressly disagree," he conceded, just as the third person reached them. The newcomer was an older man, silvery gray, and dressed in warm woolen garb that was finely crafted enough to leave no doubt that he must have been a person of high standing. He had a handsomeness to his face that betrayed how he must have been dashing in his youth, before the deep wrinkles creased his face, and his short hair and goatee were all trimmed and groomed to impeccable hygeine. The man fell into an appropriately deep bow. "Majesty, this is Lord Osher," Orinda said to Aurelia, introducing the man. "He was the mayorial leader of Pyrandon before our evacuation and is now assigned governance over District One of the Incendian Zone."

"It is my deepest pleasure to make your acquaintance, Your Majesty," Lord Osher said to his new queen, though his face was involuntarily stiff as he did so.

“Ah, I see.” Don’t let them find faults and nothing can be used against you. “The pleasure is all mine, Lord Osher.” Aurelia greeted back with a smile.

With introductions settled, the mayor quickly began addressing the King, rattling off a number of pieces of information once Orinda had given his blessing. It was mostly generic information, like settling concentrations and strategic rearrangements of the population that Osher had sanctioned. He particularly mentioned a few names of noble houses, indicating a conflict they were having and a decision to relocate one of the families. Orinda appeared to follow along.

"Incendial District One is the residential sub-zone where many of our most respected have settled," Orinda explained to Aurelia along the way. It was also the closest to the palace and the fiscally wealthiest. "I have asked Lord Osher to keep me directly informed about any substantial decisions or developments he oversees." Keeping tabs on the conditions among noble houses was important, after all, and Lord Osher was practiced at having his hair in the hearth, so to speak.

Once he was permitted again, Lord Osher continued his thorough explanation to the king. It was only a matter of time before Su, one of the young Incendian serving girls, quietly entered the dining hall with two dishes for the royal couple. She was followed shortly by two more figures, these both women and still clearly Incendian in heritage.

“Mhm.” Aurelia nodded at the explanation, listening on but taking occasional subtle glances around. More Incendians? Really now? Aurelia thought, spotting three more heading their way. She was feeling as awkward as it is, being the only Marisian around the soon to be crowd of Incendians.

The serving girl silently set two lunch dishes down on the dining table, one in front of each monarch. Just as silently as she had approached, she disappeared from their presence, returning to earlier duties. The other two women, however, could not be said to have done the same; one was an older woman, pushing easily through her middle years, with a rough scar warping most of the skin around her left eye and several icey grey streaks running through her traditionally pinned-up hair; the other was a nubile young woman with brilliant eyes and the spritely short haircut common to less wealthy Incendians. They bowed momentarily and stood off to the side, polite enough not to interrupt but both seeming restless on their feet while they awaited audience.

Lunch wasn’t looking terrible something else was. The hovering of two ladies. Aurelia could feel their presence lingering on the sides and it was uncomfortable. Maybe chairs should be provided for those waiting.

Osher spoke for at least another two minutes, seeming to move as quickly as he could, before wrapping up what he was explaining. "You will, of course, report in full depth to Adviser Allard or whomever he deems appropriate as his substitute before tomorrow morning's meeting," Orinda confirmed with the mayor before the man stood and was properly dismissed. In the exchange, it seemed like the king had barely had a moment to start eating his lunch.

The two Incendian women exchanged looks briefly as if uncertain who was next to approach the king. He turned his attention to both of them. "Your Majesty," he said, addressing Aurelia though he looked towards the Incendians, "may I introduce you to Lady Laarosani and Lady Jhataka. Lady Laarosani is my Adviser of Treasury and she is a genius in her own right; she is an uncontestedly brilliant mind with mathematics and has powers of organization beyond most of our wild imaginations."

Lady Laarosani bowed to her queen, straightfaced and tight-lipped.

"Lady Jhataka is the head of our midwives' guild; her father is my Adviser of Health and Medicine."

"I am honored," Jhataka claimed, curtseying with the heavily draped fabric of her robe. This one even managed a smile.

“The honor is mine. A pleasure to meet the both of you.” Aurelia smiled. “Please, have a seat.”

The two women exchanged glances before allowing themselves to take seats at the table. They hesitated for a moment, evidently still uncertain about who was to speak first, until Jhataka apparently made a decision and nodded her place in the queue away to Laarosani. The older woman, accepting her acquisition, was given Orinda's attention and explained what news she had to deliver. "Your Royal Majesty, I have something you should be pleased to hear. The strategy I proposed two days past appears to already be taking hold with appreciable success. Close examination of our limited sample size has revealed a four-point-six percent decrease in losses to the treasury for the inner-districts' law enforcement services, and when I spoke with Lord Jalat he reported no loss in efficiency."

By his expression, the king seemed relieved. It was no wonder - so rarely lately did he hear stories of success or news that could justify gaiety. "I see my praise for you moments ago was not unfounded," he complimented the woman, "you are an irreplaceable asset and never fail to remind me, my lady."

The woman seemed fairly expressionless in the face of her king's lauding. "I appreciate your saying so, Your Majesty," she responded flatly.

"You are welcome to it. Please, see to it that the legislation for the next step in this process is provided to me so that I might endorse it. I would like to proceed and see if we still see positive returns."

So there’s the old man, Lord Ohsha… no Osher in charge of district one. Laarosani, the older, stricter looking one for treasury and Jhataka, the green eyed, head midwives’ guild. Aurelia recalled back as the meeting carried on. It would be considered rude if Aurelia saw them the next time and didn’t remember their names or what they did. Better safe than sorry.

"So it will be done, Your Majesty," Laarosani vowed. As it seemed that she had addressed everything on her own agenda efficiently, she was granted dismissal and took her leave.

Orinda looked to Aurelia, "Have you anyone quite like her in Marisia?" he asked. Jhakata looked still nervous as he carried on this way, shoulders set tensely and eyes flicking between them, though she was far too versed in quiet ettiquette to dare interjecting.

Well, geniuses aren’t limited to Magnus Incendia you know. “No, not many could hold a candle to the brilliant mind of Lady Laarosani.” Aurelia smiled.

"That's kind of you to say," Orinda observed in return, guessing that Aurelia was being more complimentary than genuine. It was high praise for someone Aurelia had only seen for a few moments. Orinda at first wanted to be agitated by what he perceived as her passive aggression, but was taken back to that first moment when he had met Queen Arisuno, the way she had spoken so graciously and left him feeling frustrated at the dishonesty of her words. It was only during this revelation, so many days later the late queen's daughter, that he reconsidered how he had felt in that moment; maybe, just maybe, Arisuno had not been speaking in denial of their mutual problems. Maybe that was just how the she was, more prepared to speak sweetly to her associates than anything else, even if they were her enemies. It was quite a romantic notion.

A moment of realization and reverie could be seen on Orinda's face, halted for a few heartbeats. Just as quickly, though, he lifted from it. "Lady Jhataka," he said, bringing his focus on to the pretty young woman. "I apologize for having to send you away earlier. What is it that you have for me?"

[Meareign]

The young woman looked tense still, a bad sign from a lady who was so perfectly free with her own emotions. "I am afraid my report for you isn't nearly as heartening as the one you received from Lady Laarosani, My King," she said, speaking softly between her nerves.

"Very well," Orinda acknowledged weightedly. "Speak up, please."

"Sire, I come on behalf of Lord Jhatakhul, who is thoroughly occupied addressing the issue I have come to declare. It seems that there has been an..." she hesitated, reluctant to continue, "... an outbreak of gradeveth in the seventh district."

Outbreak of… what? Aurelia looked up from her plate slowly, absolutely sure she’s never heard of that disease before.

Orinda let out his breath and let his eyes slip shut, pained by the revelation. In his silence, the young woman continued explaining herself. "Lord Jhatakhul has begun delineating an area of quarantine, but he requests your immediate blessing for the severity of measures he may take for the protection of the remaining population. He says to advise you, Your Majesty, that circumstances may justify removal of the threat." The last words were spoken very carefully, excessively deliberate.

Orinda opened his eyes, but at first he did not speak. His gaze cast away onto a distant space atop their table, his thoughts grinding. "This was inevitable," he said, as if he was reminding himself just as much as he was pardoning Jhakata. He fell silent again for another stretch of time, perhaps weighing his options and risks. Finally he had an answer; "Lady Jhataka, I have a few questions. Firstly, how widespread has it become already? Secondly, have any foreigners shown symptoms, to your knowledge?"

"There are forty-two infected that we have identified, Sire, all of whom were residing in a limited radius. However, the discovery of new victims has not slowed since it picked up in yesterday's evening. We know of no foreign carriers, but you are familiar with the location of District Seven."

Judging from reactions, it wasn’t good. Opting to keep quiet, Aurelia took down mental notes instead, trying to figure out what disease it was but not much clues where given. Forty two was a pretty big number and it just sounded as if it was going to double in a day.

The king nodded along. "Very well. Tell your father that I do not currently bless the most extreme measures. However, I favor a mandatory quarantine until further decisions are made. Also inform your father that I expect him or any of his qualified associates to assemble proposals for three possible courses of action by this evening, to be presented an hour before dusk. Additionally, a courier is to be sent alerting Princess Marvelle and whoever is responsible for Terraloran health management of the possibility that there may be exposed individuals within her jurisdiction. Oh, and-- I am certain this goes without saying, but the pit is not to be sent to the farms. There will need to be another method of disposal."

What is wrong with this place? First mutated humans, now outbreaks? Aurelia thought, suddenly worried about how Marvelle would take the news. She seemed to have a little too much on her plate already with dead bodies and bad news. “Your Majesty, if I may,” Aurelia interrupted. “What… is this outbreak about?”

"About?" he asked, not initially grasping her meaning, though understanding quickly followed. "You mean gradeveth. It's a plague. It is dangerous and very infectious. The infected suffer from sometimes debilitating stomach pains and produce an excess of insufficiently processed waste. If not treated, most will die of dehydration, or worse."

Joy. There’s a plague. What else. Ghosts of lost souls cursing people? Unbelievable. What happened to the balance of good things and bad things?

Lady Jhataka had information to contribute as well, it seemed, and when Orinda appeared to bless her interjection, Jhataka continued Aurelia's illumination. "It can be spread very easily, Your Majesty. The sickness can pass by water, food, even the touch of a surface. It is often a very difficult disease to treat properly, even if only because the doctors themselves run such a high risk of catching the illness when they are exposed to patients. Our first step is always to prevent spreading the sickness; we cannot always save the sick, but we can avoid making more of them."

Wait… water? Just this morning, the thought about diseases from the waters crossed Aurelia's mind and now, she’s hearing about an outbreak. “Has the source of the disease been identified?”

"No," answered the guildmistress clearly, "It has not. However, the tight localization of the reported cases we, Lord Jhatakhul and his peers, know about lead us to suspect that the issue has not reached or inhabited any major resource, like the food stores. We will not have reason to suspect that unless cases begin popping up throughout the entire underground population. Hopefully, though, milord will have a sound diagnosis of the origin of the infection in these caves sooner rather than later."

Aurelia was tempted to ask if anyone turned into a frog yet but it already sounded ridiculous in her head. If she said it out, they might think it was a joke and that she was taking things way too lightly. Her brother did say she had to keep it under wraps till the next King’s Council though Aurelia wasn’t sure. Then again, sending them in the wrong direction could be worse. “I see.” Aurelia muttered, hoping it wasn’t because someone drank out of a stream that was contaminated by the dead body, got infected, went home and passed it on.

"Is there anything else I need to know?" Orinda asked, directing to Lady Jhataka.

"Yes, Sire," she confirmed, and proceeded to add several notes about the precise circumstances of what they had already found that could potentially extend the epidemic's hazardous reach. Most of it was highly technical and even the king had to stop her for clarification twice.

It was several minutes before she had finished, and by the time Orinda had dismissed the young woman, four more figures had queued into the dining hall in pursuit of the Incendian King. It seemed that, in summoning the three guests he had already seen, word had gotten out that King Orinda had settled somewhere and was free for a moment. The swarm set in.

[Meareign]

"Your Majesty," said Orinda, placing his attention on Aurelia, "If it suits you, I intend to host a proper assembly where I may introduce you to the full table of advisers in my council and to the most esteemed members of Magnus Incendia's court of nobility."

“I don’t think a proper assembly is needed, your majesty. It looks like we are already sitting in your new throne room.” Aurelia replied, glancing at the new group of people wanting to meet the King.

He glanced wearily towards the four newcomers, all of whom looked tremblingly eager to get a moment with him. "Trust me, there are more," he promised. The kingdom was monsterous and even now with the population struggling so feebly it took many to manage every nuance of the government and culture and business world. "And it would be as valuable for them as it is for you, my queen. An opportunity for a first impression." Obviously they all already knew who she was, but for many it would be their first direct interaction with her, and for the rest it would be their first direct interaction with her as their queen.

Looking at the Incendians all awaiting his audience, Orinda's heart dropped a little. He had barely had a moment to eat his lunch yet and, even though the servings were underwhelming, since their arrival in the dining hall he had realized just how hungry he was. In his gut, there was a roiling mix of vacancy and anxiety twisting in a battle between his hunger and the stress of learning about a second onsetting plague on top of everything else. Still, he knew that he could not properly afford to push these guests away. If meeting with Jhataka had reminded him of anything just now, it was precisely how desperate every new problem might be.

“Oh I don’t doubt it for a minute but at the pace they are… flooding in, are you certain I won’t meet all of them today?” Aurelia asked. And you know, get all the meet and greets, and bad news they might come bearing out of the way?

"Do you mean to say that you wish not to meet them formally?" he asked for clarification.

Yes. That would probably be the best thing you’ve ever said. “No, I think it is only right I meet them formally. I’m just wondering if this will turn into a formal meeting instead of audiences over lunch getting cold.” Aurelia replied, trying to lighten to mood a little.

"They do this a lot," Orinda admitted. "Even in prosperous times, I remember watching guests rush to have an audience with my father in the late morning. They would fraternize and procrastinate around court all morning only to realize that it was nearly high noon, then rush to their meetings so that they could finish them before the sun's peak." Though this wasn't quite like that. Then, as an extra thought, "Or sometimes the king was the one goofing off." If it could be called that. King Kojin had hardly been a silly, playful sort of man, but he did revel in his own ways. It wasn't unheard of for Kojin to allow a meeting to run long at the delay of other appointments if it was with a good friend with whom he could exchange impolite jokes.

“You should learn to goof off.” Aurelia said, trying to hide a laugh. “But… do something about it,” the female took a bite out of her food, relieved that though it was almost cold, it didn’t remind her of the dead body. “For example, hold court everyday at a fixed period to grant all of them audience and let them know when court is over, unless it is matters of life and death, they are not to come looking for you,” A pause. “This tastes better than expected,” Aurelia commented, taking another bite. Swallowing, she wiped the corners of her mouth and tucked her handkerchief back before continuing. “Along with that, have them write and submit reports up. That way, you get to pick when to see them, and who to see. Those that doesn’t require an audience, approve it, disapprove it, write a memo or correct it, whichever pleases you, on the report and send it back to them. Those that need to be attended in person but not that important, address it during the next meeting.” Aurelia rattled on.

"I do," he stated plainly, feeling torn emotionally between acknowledging Aurelia was attempting to be a productively helpful person for once today and being irritated that she somehow thought he was incapable of managing his own time and organized everything like a haphazard child. This was hardly the first night he had spent ruling his kingdom. At any rate, now was as good a time as any to get her up to speed on his typical day of work. "Six days each week I meet with my council by or before dawn and on the seventh I attend the Grand Council. After each, I speak a succinct address within the residential Incendian zone informing the community of what new acts and conclusions have been drawn that day, what they mean, what their purposes are, and what is required of the community to lead those choices into success. Three days each week, I follow my address with an open court where any citizen may seek my audience, and that court remains open until we rest through height of noon or until I must terminate it. On three days I do not hold open court, I hold a court provided explicitly for my lords and officials."

"Come the after-noon, my time is split between arranged meetings and the tending of a list of incidental tasks that require my attention. Additionally, until such a time comes that I believe our civilization here is stable, I have given all of my councilors and officials blessing to seek me directly any time when I am not explicitly occupied, only if they have challenges that cannot rightfully be resolved by their superiors. In this unnerving situation, there are many issues that require only a flicker of my time, yet cannot wait until tomorrow or afford to go through an elaborate screening process." Lady Jhakata's in point.

"Today is an unusual day; my council and court were suspended for the day to account for the preparation and execution of our coronation. Yesterday, the afternoon and evening were largely spent suspended for celebration. Lord Osher and Lady Laaronsani made appointments to speak with me this morning following the coronation, but I encountered an unforeseen disruption and had to delay our meetings until such a time that I could summon them. Normally they would have delivered my requested information by formal appointment. Lady Jhataka, as well, sought my attention this morning and had to be delayed until now. So you see." he concluded.

See what? That your subjects need to consult you on every small detail and progress in person and you let them? Or that you can’t even say no to them long enough for you warm your own seat? Aurelia still thought that two out of three audiences were unnecessarily for those could be submitted in reports. Did they need to hear the King praise them or show that they have been doing stuff? Those weren’t life and death matters, no one is going to imploded if they waited say, thirty minutes more.

Aurelia hated the idea and the fact that when her mother was still around, she would be hounded by subjects even with all the meetings, and ended up too busy to even take a sip of water, much less her medication or food. Did they need help deciding in what shoes they should wear out that day? Obviously not, so why couldn’t they decide on smaller things by themselves or send up a report first and leave her mother alone for a bit? Maybe instead of writing, they rather present their achievements to her mother so they can leave a good impression and then what? Get promoted at the expense of her mother’s health? Just thinking about it made Aurelia scowl internally. Sure, her brother helped as much as he could when he got older but, that was after he got older.

“You won’t like what I see.” Aurelia muttered under her breath. Fine, starve, have no time for yourself. Meet the whole world if you must. “Yes your Majesty, I understand that you are like a beacon of strength and the court cannot function properly without you.”

Orinda's eyes squinted indetectably as he looked back at her, hearing sarcasm flaring up in her reply. He wondered if she realized exactly how inappropriate it was to openly mock him in public, even how dangerous it could be for her health. These people may have been loyal to Orinda, but he doubted the same could be said of their new queen - enough hatred would target her simply for her origin and her sudden role in the community, she didn't need to give them any more reason to want her stricken down. Now, however, was not the time to handle it; Orinda had a suspicion that pressing the subject further would result only in more nastiness. "Very well."

"As I have not personally asked to see any of you, please deliberate among yourselves to determine who among you has the most pressing issue to tend," the king asked, setting his attention instead on the queue of Incendians vying for his audience. "And do not argue."

Leaning back in her chair as she waited silently, Aurelia wondered if her brother was getting hounded which… might be a possibility if he loosen up a little. She secretly doubted anyone would want to spend a great amount of time with Adrian. One wrong move and who knows what they might receive as punishment.

The four newcomers obeyed, turning to each other to weigh the gravity of their needs. Orinda, on the other hand, took the reverie to give some much-needed attention to his plate of food. Swallowing another mouthful, he thought to ask, "What is this, anyway? Do you know?" of his companion. The contents were unfamiliar to him, but earlier she had seemed to recognize it.

“Decent food.” Aurelia replied shortly. “It’s better than this other one I’ve tasted… or I was just hungry.”

The flavor didn't offend him, but he also found the strangeness of the dish more distracting than the actual taste. He couldn't help but to keep wondering, especially if it was foreign to Aurelia, too. "I guess it's either a Terraloran dish or the kitchen is exercising a great deal of newfound creativity." He fed another bite of the mystery meal to himself then, acknowledging that it probably wasn't the wisest to be chomping readily into food he didn't recognize, but that was what tasters were for and no one appeared dead yet.

"What obligations do you have for the rest of the day, Milady?"

“Mostly Marvelle stuff. Funeral for King Loch, and her coronation. I’m basically free after that till nightfall if nothing occurs.”

"You are close with the crown princess?" he asked. He had heard as much, and the way Aurelia had flocked towards Missus Grasshat that morning backed the rumor up.

“Yes, I’m close with all three Terraloran siblings but I get along with Marvelle the best. We are… best friends.”

"I am glad you have someone upon whom you can rely in that manner."

“Don’t you have someone?”

"In some ways," he said, rearranging some of the food on his plate. "Most of them died, though."

That took a sad turn. “What about now?”

"There are those who are close to me, but I am not certain I could describe any as a 'best friend.' That may be just as much my own doing, though." He had friends and he had family, but there was no singular person around him now to whom he went simply for the pleasure of company or recreation. Not as reliably as one does with a best friend, anyway.

“Partly your fault? Is it because you get a little too…uptight? Or you just distant yourself?”

He blinked, taking a moment to decide how he wanted to feel about the implication that he was uptight. He settled quickly on not having an opinion. "The latter. I choose to manage myself in such a way that, unfortunately, does not leave a great excess of time for others or their needs. It is not a lifestyle that lends itself easily to bonding with new acquaintances."

“A lonely road,” Aurelia muttered. “Still, I hope you’ll find someone.”

"Yes, thank you. I do, too."

[Alstroemeira]

______________________

Absent mindedly drawing squiggly patterns on her dress using a finger, Aurelia felt lucky…something she hasn’t experienced in years. Sadly, it was at somebody else’s expense. Perhaps she was taking pity on Orinda for that was one sad man, or perhaps he manage to tug her heart-string with kind words a while back but despite that, Aurelia clearly remembered that Orinda and what he stood for is the reason why there was a missing figure in her life, the reason why all she knew of her that man were from word of mouth and lonely portraits hanging in the hallways. That was her father for crying out loud yet… just one memory with him, a memory of a father’s warmth, was apparently too much to ask for.

But, at the very least, Aurelia didn’t feel hatred for him… or at least it was something not strong enough to make her want to liberate his head from his neck. Perhaps, it was small random moments of sharing, of getting to know him that made Aurelia feel like Orinda wasn’t the worst thing ever. Or maybe, it was just an illusion that would dissipate at the slightest howl of the wind.

It seemed his sister had taken well to his advice. Adrian felt the corners of his lips twist in a small, sardonic smile as he marched inside, his footsteps ringing loud and clear against the empty halls. There she was, his lovely, rebellious sister who itched to sneak out of the castle walls as a child, now playing the part of the perfect queen, graceful and demure beside her husband. His gaze flicked past his brother-in-law, and Adrian stopped by the entrance, his eyes seeking his sister's through the crowd, beckoning her to him with a nod. By his honor, Adrian Marisia would not bow and greet that man, or ask for leave to speak to his own sister.

Looking around while whispered discussions happened along the sides, Aurelia caught sight of Adrian. Blinking a few times, wondering what was eating him, she tilted her head to the side, inviting her brother to join her at the table.

Adrian raised an eyebrow, shooting her a sharp glance, as he tilted his head to a side with a brief nod. Lia, don't be foolish now, he thought irritably, his focus shifting back to her face.

Squinting her eyes at Adrian, Aurelia turned to look at Orinda a heartbeat later, unsure if it was acceptable to just... leave while his subjects were still around. Turning back to her brother, Aurelia shook her head subtly.

Adrian was no patient man. He stared back, meeting her eyes, gesturing to the floor beneath his feet with half a glance.

Glancing at the spare seat, her gaze lingered there briefly before turning back to her brother with pursed lips. Will you just get over here?

Temper flared through him like a spark. No one dared defy Adrian Marisia, not before a thousand bystanders, especially not his own sister. He raised an eyebrow, watching her, before turning and striding out, gesturing for her to follow.

Rolling her eyes, Aurelia forced a smile as she turned to address Orinda. “My king, would you please excuse me. It seems like I have unexpected matters to attend to.” Getting up from her seat, Aurelia bowed gracefully and took her time, straightening her dress with her hands, tucking a lose strand of hair behind her ear before waltzing over to her brother using the slowest way possible.

"What took you so long?" Adrian roared, as he turned to face her, away from the bustle of the dining hall. "Do you expect me, Adrian Marisia, to bend my head before him? Have you forgotten his crown? Have you forgotten that he'd all but taken my life four years ago?"

“Well,” Aurelia huffed, placing a hand on her hips as she raised an eyebrow at the outburst. “First of all, it would have been faster if you just walked over. Secondly, you can’t bend your head before him but it‘s okay to request me to do it? Thirdly, are you going to pick up your skirt and run every time you see him?”

"There is a difference, Lia" , he said coolly, watching her, "You are his Queen and his wife, it is expected of you to play the part of one as well. I, however, am not, and I would not be the one to bend first, certainly not before his flock of subjects."

And what if I don’t want to? “No one said you had to bend first.”

"If I were to approach him first, I would have to."

“No, you don’t. You could choose not to.”

"You know that is not an option," Adrian said, at the edge of his patience. "How I behave with him reflects on how he behaves with you. And I refuse to give him the satisfaction."

“I… don’t see the correlation.” Aurelia muttered.

"Never you mind." Adrian let out a sigh of frustration, putting a stiff arm around her, "You seem better, " he said, glancing back at her, "I see my advice seem to have gone well. Have I missed a blue moon?"

Aurelia narrowed her eyes slightly, wondering why her brother was being nice suddenly. “I…” Could have been much better if I didn’t open the stupid door. A slight tinge of red crept up her cheeks as she recalled back on the morning. “No, nothing much hap-” Aurelia paused. “Well, he did ask me to take up some duties as... queen.”

"Ah. So now he takes you for a queen." Adrian raised an eyebrow, "And what duties are they, pray?"

“...I didn’t say yes, he didn’t tell me, and I didn’t ask.” A small part of her felt that her brother would have something to say about it. “But I suppose it would revolve around finance and inner workings of the kingdom.”

"Why didn't you?" Adrian stopped, placing an hand on her shoulder as he looked into her eyes. "Do you realize the opportunities waiting for you and for us, my dear sister?"

“…Us?” Aurelia questioned.

"Answer my question first." Adrian said firmly, "Why didn't you?"

“Because, I don’t want to be involved with them more than I already have,” A slight pause “…but I told him I would think about it.” Aurelia added as an afterthought.

"And here I thought my sister wished to be a Queen, " Adrian said with a wry smile, glancing at her. "Think about it, and I mean think hard." He glanced up towards the ceiling, "Do you realize that it gives you an excellent opportunity to observe how the Incendians run their kingdom? It would gain you influence over every cog and wheel of the gears that turn within a royal household, earning you trust in the eyes of him and his people. And it would earn us an insight over their strongest aspects and greatest weakness. As they say, dear sister, knowledge is power."

Not their Queen. “You make it sound so easy, gaining influences and earning trust. There are probably people out there already setting me up for failure and just meeting with a few of his subjects made me feel like I have aged ten years.” Aurelia very much rather be ignored than to face those forced greetings and grim faces, having to smile at them and do everything politically correct so they wouldn’t find fault.

"Oh?" Adrian smiled, if barely. "So tell me about these subjects of his, the ones who seem to have turned my sister's dark hair gray."

Aurelia froze for a moment. After getting annoyed with her brother’s refusal to walk over, she completely forgot about the news. “Ignore their personalities and behaviors. There was this one, Lady- "

"Lia, this isn't the time to ignore- " Adrian began irritably.

"... -Jhataka. She came bringing news about an outbreak of a plague of sorts in one of the Incendian district… seven as I recall. They call it gradeveth. You should take precautions and hope that it has nothing to do with the body found in the caverns.”

[Atsunami]

The silence in the room was particularly deafening, at least to anyone who wasn’t Ezra. It was clear that by the look in Marvelle’s eyes she was positively fuming. She was prancing along this thin line, on the brink of expelling all her anger and rage on him, or breaking down into a sobbing mess of tears and fears. Ezra for one couldn’t wait to see which side she went with, if she could reign in her emotions or if she’d surrender to whichever torrent held more sway. Finally the silence broke, and though she looked defeated, and on the verge of breaking she had not. A thin, satisfied smile broke the young Terralorians face. Ezra remained quiet till the room once more fell to silence, taking the glass of water offered to him. “And that is why, dear sister, you will make an excellent queen. Or at least you have the makings to become one.”

He took a seat on the bed, sure that what he said and what he was about to say would stun his dear sister into a state of disbelief, but Ezra thought it was high time to fill his half-sister in on a little secret. He patted the soft mussed sheets of the bed, gesturing for her to sit. “Have I told you about my life before we knew we were siblings?” Ezra had of course told both his siblings bits and pieces of his life when he was just a nobody, b*****d child, before it was publicized that he was the b*****d child of the king, but he had never told them the full story of his life. He doubted he had told anyone, except Aurelia, she had a way of weaseling the toughest of conversations out of him.

“I wasn’t always this way, you know, someone with little ambitions or aspirations, who indulged himself more in the matters of the body, and not the heart. Before my mother died, it was just us. I worked hard, we both did, we both had to in order to survive. As soon as I could walk I was mucking out stables, cleaning some nobleman’s floors and shoes, doing whatever job I could manage to help keep that makeshift hut we had over our head. We worked hard, but we had a simple life, a pleasant one, no matter how hard things got mother always had a smile on her face, and always said we’d make it through, somehow.” A small smile formed on his lips at the memory of his beautiful mother, which quickly faded as thoughts took a darker turn. “And then my mother got sick, we couldn’t afford a medic, and made do with whatever herbs we could farm off the land. I watched her get sicker and sicker, watched as her cheeks sunk in, and her skin changed color. I watched this once amazingly bright woman wither into nothing more than flesh and bone.” His voice cracked for a moment, but he pushed forward sure that Marvelle was wondering what this had to do with anything, and though it didn’t seem like it, Ezra had a point to this story.

“Anyways, before she died she told me of this amazing man she once fell in love with, a man I had never known but was supposed to be my father. She said she had sent word, and when the time came he agreed to take me in. I didn’t want that. I didn’t want to be taken in by a man who I’d pretty much blamed for abandoning us. I didn’t want his pity or his hand outs. So when my mother died, I fled our little shack and lived a little while on the streets, I learned very quickly that people are selfish, that they want power and riches and gold; that they trust no one but themselves, and the moment you turn your back on them they will plunge the first knife they can into it. And then King Loch’s men found me.”

He took her hand in his, lacing their fingers together. Her hand was a soft as new born child’s blemish free, and everything you’d expect from a princess. Ezra’s was hard and rough, old callouses and scared skin that never properly healed. It was clear though they shared some of the same blood, they had very different up-bringings. “When everyone found out who I was, that I wasn’t just some street rat, but the b*****d child of the great King Loch himself…everyone clamored for my attention. People who kicked dirt on me a few days prior, people who turned a blind eye to a starving boy hovering cold in the rain, every person I’d ever known and didn’t know clamored to my doorstep. Now that I was somebody, they wanted something from me, now that I could benefit them, I mattered. These aren’t just the people who run our marketplaces, or make our bread. They’re the ones who run our offices, who will hand you papers, and stand behind you whispering in your ear telling you what they think you should do. No one expected you to be Queen. That spot was meant for our sister, and these people are now looking to you. They are waiting for you to make a mistake, waiting to plunge that metaphorical knife into your backside. They will clamor to your door, under the guise of trying to help you, when really they are trying to help themselves. Now that you will be Queen, it’s important for you not to trust anyone, not the people who hold our offices, not me, and most importantly not your husband. You are young and naïve when it comes to what drives a person. They will use that to their advantage. There is talk already of how you cannot lead our country, how your husband will quickly take power and we will be led by a man whose enemy of our nation. There is talk that even the b*****d prince would be better left in charge than a young girl who wasn’t trained to take up the throne. Everyone is watching your every move, waiting for you to mess up. Waiting for me to take up the reigns and take the crown from under your feet before your husband does it first.”

“It may not seem like it, but everything I do, and have done has been carefully calculated. Every woman I took to bed, every public humiliation I purposefully endured. It was a carefully crafted plan to ensure that I was no threat to Serra’s claim to the throne, and now to yours. After all who wants a b*****d prince whose only ambition begins and end with whom next to bed on the throne? That was supposed to be enough, but people have seen how quickly you’ve been swept off your feet and many are scared for the future of this kingdom. I have no doubt that you will become a great Queen if given the chance. You are strong, you know what you need to know to rule, and you’ve had all the proper training and upbringing that a princess in line for the throne should have. But you’re greatest weakness, will be your emotions. You can’t rule a kingdom with your heart, those who do, find themselves in a shallow grave, betrayed by those they trusted the most.”

Ezra had said a mouthful, a lot of things that he hadn’t thought he’d never say to Marvelle, but it was time. She was no longer a child, she was about to be Queen of a Nation, and she needed to know that not every flower smelled like a rose, and every weed left unattended would flourish and grow until it took over a garden. “I will support you one hundred percent, don’t get me wrong, but I will make my intentions clear to you now. I will not let an Incendian govern this country. If I feel your heart gives way to what must be done, I will be the first to petition for your crown.”





█████████████████████ █████████ ███████████ █████████ █████████████████████ XXXHow about you wrap your legs around my head so I can wear you like the crown you are.XXX█████████████████████ █████████ ███████████ █████████ █████████████████████

→Mood← truth telling mood →Wearing← →Location← Marvs room →With← Marv →Thoughts← Link →OOC← And let the drama begin. Sorry for the gigantic monolog

[Alstroemeira]

______________________

"A plague?" Adrian turned abruptly, his brow furrowing. "Lia, what sort of a plague? How does it contract, how many are dead, how does it spread, why only Magnus Incendia?" He turned to his guards and clapped twice, till one of them came rushing with a bow. "Hurry to the Ministry of Works now and tell them of my orders to test every aqueduct and water source. Is that clear? Run now, before it is too late."

[Oh NOW he’s worried. “You assured me that the waters sources have been tested and it was safe! My theory on some Incendian talking a stroll, then a drink out of a puddle or stream linking to the rotting body thus catching an infection and making everyone sick better not be true.” Now that Aurelia said it out loud, she felt a little better. Giving a small sigh, she lowered her voice. “So, according to them, the infected suffers from stomach pains and the bloody flux. I didn’t hear how they are treating their people but in cases of gradeveth, most die of dehydration. Currently, there are multiple cases, and they haven’t identified the source yet though, they said it could be spread by food, water, and even touch.”

"Lia. " Adrian started impatiently, "We tested the waters around the cavern where we found the rotting corpse of that... " Adrian paused, turning to glare at his guards as they stepped away, alarmed, before lowering his voice, " - that abomination. There was no sign of any contamination."

“It’s not my fault that the two kings in my life decides to tell me two bad things on the same day and honestly, it isn’t that far-fetched to link the two together. Besides, being concerned if some rotting piece fell from it and contaminated the waters doesn’t sound like a fairytale, does it? Last time I’ve heard, if one somehow manage to digest rotten meat or drank unclean water, one gets stomach pains and the flux. Sounds familiar?”

"Lia, these are ancient waters. Things have rotten here as long as these halls were built," Adrian said curtly, "But plagues aren't born of it, or there would be no Seers left alive in these caves. Besides, " he turned, pacing up and down, "We know nothing of outbreaks in other districts. Perhaps it is not our water sources, but something else..." He turned to glance at her, "What else did you learn?"

And no frog fish human have been found dead before. Have you lived here before? How would you know how plagues are born in here. “I get that I might be wrong and I sure hope I am, but it is a possibility.” Aurelia replied, feeling some attitude from her brother. Hopefully, it would not escalate. “They are finding a new way for waste disposal and the disease have not reached any important food sources.”

"If it is a possibility, it shall be seen through." Adrian raised an eyebrow, turning to glance at her. "And what of your dear husband?"

“What of my dear husband?”

Adrian felt his mouth twist into a wry smile. "Have you observed him?"

“No…should I be, observing him?” Aurelia asked slowly.

Adrian sighed in frustration. "Yes, Lia. You should be observing him, his every step, how he moves, how he speaks, what he eats, how he sleeps. You would be observing the way he dresses, the company he keeps, the way he rules, the life he leads, and the sort of court he chooses to keep." Adrian shot her a glance. "The first step to battling the unknown is knowing it."

“We are sleeping in different rooms.” Aurelia rolled her eyes. “He speaks with caution, is a little evasive, and takes things literally. As far as I could tell, he is nice to his subjects… and you should be nicer to yours.” Aurelia said, looking at Adrian. “It wouldn’t be so bad, giving them a cup of tea without them thinking you are offering a merciful death, would it?” Aurelia smirked.

Blood rushed over his face like a flash, and Adrian turned to face her with a jerk. "Lia," he said warningly, shooting her a sharp glance. "You know very well why I do what I do." he said slowly, chewing each word, his voice deep and low.

“Yes, but it wouldn’t kill you to be nicer. How many subjects can you name that would tell you the whole truth without pissing their pants?”

Adrian smiled, if only barely. "That is the intention. Very few of them would ever dare to lie before me in an open court, and those who do, " he paused, "... are too dangerous to live."

“But that is not the right way. What if they started hating you?”

"Lia, there is no right way." Adrian frowned. "And lead their friends and families into the mouths of raging Water Wheels? I think not."

“What if there comes a day where fear turns into a hate so strong that they want to overthrow you and would rather sacrifice their own families? By that time, you being you, would obviously try to put the fear into them but what else have they got to lose?”

"And that day would never come. " Adrian said firmly, looking into her eyes, "For I am a just King. I do not play with my power. Fear is a tool, Lia, a very effective tool to control and organize and then throw away in favor of other tools, like reward and praise and love. But until the day I reach that stage, until the day I'm sure the kingdom is stable under my rule, fear shall be the most effective tool to use."

“By then, it might be all too late. I have known you for your whole life but not all of them have. Some might already think you are a tyrant behind your back. You say you are just? Fine, tell me, what happened to the master of ceremony.”

For a moment, Adrian stiffened, looking away. "I punished him, like I should have. His dalliance may have cost us unimaginable damage in the eyes of the people."

“Oh his dalliance,” Aurelia exclaimed dramatically. “So you must have conducted some serious investigation, got a few eye witnesses to point him out, and finally, after getting to the bottom of the matter, you punished him, yes?” Aurelia smiled fakely.

"I did not punish him for the crime." Adrian said quietly. "He failed to verify the... changes or to inform me about them. It was his only responsibility, to see to it that the royal wedding and coronation goes smoothly, and he failed at it." He turned around, taking his eyes off her, "Failure breeds more when it goes unpunished. I would not have an incompetent court."

“Oh and you know for a fact that he saw changes being made? That he knew about those said changes?” Aurelia folded her arms.

"All the more reason to punish him, isn't it, Lia?" Adrian laughed drily. "If he wasn't paying attention to his duties?"

“Punishing someone for something that might be framed upon him, for something he might not know.” Aurelia paused. “That’s you being just? Does it make you equally as responsible then? It is your own coronation yet, you didn’t know what was going on your head.”

"I gave him the responsibility on my behalf. He is the Master of Ceremonies, it is his duty to arrange and organize affairs. Never once did he think to verify the crown, nor the written permission for the crown, on the event of his very King's coronation. Never once was I informed of being crowned with any other but my father's. If you find that forgivable, Lia, you are just as careless as he chose to be." Adrian said coolly, "A royal servant must always be above suspicion, especially for a coronation that happens before the eyes of grave enemies."

“Because in front of grave enemies, assassinations are second to ‘who might switch the crown.’” Aurelia muttered sarcastically. “Adrian, I’m not seeing an incompetent court right now. I’m seeing an incompetent king that cannot even get far enough to check if it is a ploy by Incendians before he punishes his subjects for it. Do you have any idea how he might be feeling right now, if say, he hasn’t died of his injuries yet? I wouldn’t have anything to say if you got to the bottom of things but you did not.” A slight pause and a sigh. She said it. Aurelia could not believe she actually said it. “That wasn’t you being just. That was you getting in over your head and not thinking straight because things didn’t go your way.” she continued softly.

Adrian stared at her, wordlessly, and then his voice cracked into a roar like a whip. "Do you have any idea what you are talking about?! You are a Queen now, Lia, you cannot spend your days oblivious as a fish! I did not punish that man for a crime, I punished him for being less conscious of his duties as I would expect him to be! You cannot blame a thief when you do not lock your own doors!" Adrian turned away, his voice deep and raspy. "If you were to open your eyes from your eternal slumber, you may have noticed that an investigation is going on, and the Healers are supposed to see to the Master's wounds. Punishment and rewards must go hand in hand with each other. I would reward him for his honesty, but I cannot overlook his failure and risk a thousand more."

“So you punish the chamberlain first? Even before you knew he made a mistake? It wasn’t like he left the door open and put up a sign saying ‘we welcome all crown swapping’. You could have just waited for the results of the investigation before punishing anybody. Was the whip going to run away? Was the master of ceremony going to disappear?” Aurelia felt it was small things like that which prevented misunderstandings and feelings of unjust. “They say a man who has nothing to lose is the most dangerous of all. You have too much to lose so I still think it would serve you better if you were nicer to them.”

"Lia! How dare you!" Adrian glared, "It was his mistake he left the royal crown out of his sight long enough for it to be taken and replaced. It was his mistake he was careless, and then foolish enough not to inform me. It was his mistake he was oblivious, and a prior warning would not have made a fool out of me upon the stage in front of the men of all four kingdoms, at the very moment of my coronation. Do you realize how the other kings look upon me now? Do you realize what they all must be speaking about me? Adrian Marisia is an usurper? Do you realize how it paints Marisia before them? All because of one careless royal servant failing to do what he was entrusted with? I would not let him go without the consequences of underestimating his duty." Adrian released a deep breath, his voice low and deep, "He is not beyond my suspicion, not until proven innocent. If I waited, he may have escaped, or killed by the enemy to hide evidence, or he could have made a greater "mistake" that may have cost us our crowns and our lives. When will you learn to understand, Lia, that being royalty is not about fooling around and sneaking out of the castle? There is much, much more at stake. An entire kingdom!"

Aurelia took a deep breath. She was going to leave it alone but the more she thought about it, the more annoyed she got. She hasn’t fooled around in the longest time and the last time she snuck out was years ago. Talk about digging out old scores. “Me being oblivious? In an eternal slumber? Let me tell you this. I would rather be in an eternal slumber. That way, I would not be humiliated with the title of being consort and having to listen to my brother tell me about how unrefined my speech was after that. You could even start a civil war for all I care because I would be long gone before having to see any of that happened if I was oblivious.”

Adrian watched her coldly. "I reassured you this very morning that what has happened to you upon that stage in the guise of coronation has not gone unnoticed. I meant to speak with that husband of yours you so dearly defend. Are you certain you're not oblivious, Lia?"

“Adrian Vassy of Marisia,” Aurelia huffed. “Do not use that tone with me. Just because you are taller than me and happen to be King doesn’t give you the right to look down at me from your high horse. I am still your older sister and you will do well to remember it.” Aurelia said as her hand went up and pulled her brother’s ear from behind, not caring if there was anyone there to see the sight. Someone obviously need to control this man and who better to do it than his own sister? “Shall we talk somewhere else?” Aurelia asked as she started walking, keeping her hand on Adrian’s ear, pulling him along. Being on the receiving end of his raised voiced and lectured by him in public again? He wasn’t the only one with an image to uphold.

"Lia, " Adrian glared, warningly. "We are no longer children. There is a time and a pla - Lia!" He jerked away, trying to shove her hand off his ears, but it was too late. Behind him, small snickering voices floated in, and Adrian gritted his teeth. "You have seen nothing." He frowned at the crowd that had gathered, and the voices fell instantly, as if they were never there. "Older by ten minutes, Lia, " he muttered under his breath, "I could have been older just as well."

“Yeah yeah, say that when you are older than me.” Aurelia dismissed it casually, trying not to smirk while she walked down the hallway, dragging her brother, proceeding towards the Marisian quarters.

[Alstroemeira]

______________________

"How I wish, " he muttered, his face flushed in embarrassment as he followed her, losing all semblance of a struggle.

“Mhmm.” Aurelia sounded. Opening the door to a free room with her other hand, Aurelia stepped inside, letting go of her brother’s ear as she turned to face him once they were in the middle. “Now that we are alone, any more condescending words you would like to get off your chest?”

"Just as many as your insolent ones, dear sister," Adrian replied, shutting the door with a bang behind them.

“Would you like a frozen ear? Because this is how you get a frozen ear.”

"Your point?" He raised an eyebrow, "I could grow one made entirely of water."

“Aww, the little boy wants to play! Don't worry. It won't fall out. I'll just have fun watching you thaw your ear.” Aurelia taunted as she moved closer and wrapped her arm around his neck, forcing him to bend forward. “You need to be nicer to me, Vassy Marisia. I’m your last living kin. What would you do if I’m gone?” Aurelia ruffled his hair.

"It's easy," Adrian said with a small sigh, his voice uncharacteristically soft. , "I simply wouldn't let you leave." Without a word, he bent forward, lifting her easily over his shoulder as he stepped towards the boudoir.

Letting out a squeal, Aurelia smacked her brother lightly, laughing a little. “Do not drop me or you will really need to defrost your ear.”

"I have not been in the army for eight years to drop a feather off my shoulders, Lia, " Adrian said, sighing in mock frustration. "What do you take me for?"

“My one and only kid brother, of course.”

He released her, carefully setting her down upon the window seat. his fingers running through her hair for a brief moment. "Grow up quickly, older sister." He smiled.

“I have grown up, little brother.” Aurelia smiled back, pinching his cheeks lightly.

"I certainly hope so." Adrian said earnestly. He did not resist this time.

“Hey. Give me a little more credit. I’m still here aren’t I? Married to someone not even my nightmares thought possible.”

"You're not the only one," he said quietly, taking a seat beside her as he wrapped a protective arm around her. "I'm worried for you, Lia, " he said, leaning his head back, "I'm worried of whatever the blasted Incendians plan to do to you in their court, how their King decides to treat you, and how they might use you against me if I ever take a stand against them."

“Well, you do have their oh so lovely princess on your hands.” Aurelia sighed. “And if they decide to use me against you then... pretend I’m not there. Don’t ever bow to them and do what you do best, like making them piss their pants.” Aurelia chimed, pausing for a moment. “… On the topic of nightmare spouses, are you giving Fia any duties?”

"And here I thought dear sister of mine was growing fond of her husband, " Adrian said with a hint of a smile. "Have you ever seen me bend before pressure?"

“Mmmh, my type of ear pulling pressure, perhaps?” Aurelia teased. “But seriously, Fia and duties. Would she be doing my job?”

"I plan to discipline her first, " Adrian said darkly, "I hear she is rather wanting in the ways of royalty."

“Oh thank god.” Aurelia muttered, thinking back on what Orinda had said about Fia. If she were to paraphrase it and take out all the sibling bias, he basically told her Fia doesn’t do her duties and doesn't know anything... maybe. “Because I was told that if life treated her better, she could have been excellent but apparently… life wasn’t good to her so I'm not sure how I feel about her touching the inner workings of Marisia.” Aurelia confessed.

"Life has treated none of us any better, Lia, " Adrian replied, "But I do not expect nor accept excuses from my own sister in matters of state."

“Tell that to my husband. He was the one going on about how life was not kind to her and how she was mistreated by circumstances.” Aurelia grumbled slightly. “And I did not give that many excuses. I still did what was needed as reluctant as I...” a pause. Was this a hint from her brother asking her to take up duties of an Incendian queen? “Adrian, let’s make a deal. You do not let Fia touch anything on Marisia till you fully, and truly believe that she is ready, and I’ll try my hand at the duties I am given.”

"And here I thought my sister was oblivious, " Adrian remarked, turning to meet her eyes, "But what I'm asking you is far more than just your duties, Lia."

Far more? “But I’m not sure what else I can do… ”

Adrian smiled. He leaned back against the seat, and took her hand in his. "Have you ever seen a dolphin fight a crocodile, Lia?"

“No... do those even live in the same area?”

"Sometimes a dolphin strays into the shores where the river joins the sea, " Adrian said, straightening, "The crocodiles guard the banks of the river, larger and far stronger than any dolphin. Can you guess who emerges the victor, Lia?"

“Let me guess, it’s usually the least expected one. The dolphin?”

Adrian smiled, barely. "I saw it when I was fifteen, merely a newly christened sailor. We watched from our glass windows, as the dolphin lingered near the mouth of the river, where the salty sea meets the fresh water, barely out of glance of the crocodile, keenly watching its every movement. It waited, gaining the crocodile's attention, coaxing it into an attack, only to dive deeper beneath it into the water and slice its stomach apart with the fin on its back. " He turned to glance at her, his fingers tightening around hers for a moment.

“What… is it exactly that you are asking of me?”

"Perhaps, " Adrian smiled wryly, "You are the only dolphin in a court of crocodiles. They would underestimate you, drive you into failures, but you would have to lie in wait, watch every opportunity, and turn those failures into success. What I mean is, you would have vast access to the Incendian household and the royal staff, and the information would always keep us a step ahead of them." He paused, biding time, allowing the words to sink deep into her mind. "Do you see it now, Lia?"

“You do know how strong a crocodile’s bite is… if it decides to bite, right? You are asking me to play with fire,” A slight pause. “Literally.”

"A dophin is swift, faster, and sharper, and fire is nothing to one who wields ice." Adrian said, "There is no point grieving over what we do not have, Lia, but a dolphin learns to use its strange, unfamiliar environment as its strength. Besides, " he paused, his fingers interlacing around hers. "You won't be alone."

“A crocodile can just be as fast and, I’m no dolphin.” Aurelia bit her lower lip, sighing internally. “There is no way of convincing you that this is a bad idea, is there?”

"Lia, " Adrian looked into her eyes, "This would benefit both of us. If you were to know the ways of an Incendian court, it would prepare you for the worst."

“Tell me this then. What is the worst thing that could happen?”

"Hold you under house arrest, isolate you from any Marisian contact, handmaid or ambassador, and cut off your allowance." He said quietly, "They do not dare more for I have their princess, but I'm certain they would try all they can."

“And you think that it will not happen if I plant myself in their midst and share information?”

"No." He straightened, leaning back. "The office of a Queen Consort is a powerful one, especially among the household, if you know how to use it. You would have enough influence among your staff to use them against your husband, who has all but none. If you gain their trust, you could slowly venture out into the realm of Incendian politics."

“My staff?” Aurelia repeated skeptically. “What you’re saying is a long term plan but what if I get found out before I even have this influence you are talking about? Then what? I need a short term plan, Adrian. I don’t care about the future because,” Honestly, I don’t see one. “this isn’t the future. Present day, current time, I’m a queen that no one wants so,” Aurelia reiterated her point. “Give me a short term plan that I cannot refuse.”

[Phantasmal Poet]

Treading through the darkness of the underground, the sneaking curve of a smirk curled his lips under his cloak. At last... Sanctimonia. The journey had been far longer than expected and had met with much trial and hardship. Yet far as it seemed now, it seemed well worth a memory to be preserved. He looked back on it now, as each of the palace lights began to glow, emerging slowly into his vision.

The chaos of the last war had been all but forgettable after all. It had been blinding. All about him the storms had been raging. Just as the battle seemed to thicken, and all the pieces of his chess game had seemed to align, there had come a flash, and just as suddenly, an explosion. In seconds, his prized beautiful air ship had sifted out a gasp and had begun to fall. No one in the enemy lines could have had such simple access, such irrefutable power to destroy the main legion of his army. After all, Sigfrid had made sure they didn't. Just as massively, rage had erupted in his chest. There was only one piece who could have done that number, and as he shifted around the racing men amongst him, he could almost feel his smug look in this moment of his glory. Traitor. Brazen, cowardly traitor! Even in such a bold plan, he would not stand first in line to watch his ally die. Looking all about him, Sigfrid saw the fire only growing in its greed to burn through the royal airship. Yet he knew even in the face of no escape, his men would prefer death to retreat. Calling the winds all about them in a brief spiral to slow the fall, he acclaimed in his regal, deep tone. "Even in fields of flames, it's our air who allows them to feed! Rally, men! If it's at rampage they play, it's a royal tempest's death we'll give! They know not even their flame's powers yet, remind them Caelum is King!" Upon this call, segments of the squadron aligned to try to deoxigenate the area to smother the raging fire, while others made their separate attacks from their airship. Yet despite these attempts, another blast came. Although Sigfrid managed to divert its direction slightly away from himself, his gales instead served more to amp the added flames to force the ship well on its way to a crash over some of the enemy's ranks. Just as the fated explosion was coming, he became once more blinded by its light, and with one last attempt of escape, Sigfrid shut his eyes, and became one with the strength of the falling winds.

Shortly after, his body suddenly materialized on ground shortly followed by other corpses. Coughing, Sigfrid's body began to give in to a light-headed airy weakness, worsened by the growing smoke around him. With an effort, he attempted to if even slightly, adapt his lungs, long enough to crawl to a sprawl of underbrush. On elbows and knees, he seemed to sway with lightheadedness, enduring a searing pain from the tinge of burns on his back, until his body finally gave in to exhaustion with one last huffing breath. Some unknown time after, he awoke with a jolt from among the blood and bodies. No. He could not sleep now. He couldn't afford the precious moment of weakness. Looking all about him he noted he was under cover of night, yet not too far off there were some searchlights already lighted. His heart hammered in his chest, and he hauled his protesting body up into a crawl once more. Huffing, he slid along the underbrush, and dragged the nearest corpse along with him to the bushes. Skillfully, he tore the fragments of burned and torn fabric from himself, keeping only the few necessary valuables preserved from the battle for travel. After which Sigfrid quickly began ripping the clothes off the man who would no longer need them. Before long, the searchlights grew nearer, as they began to carry off the dead. As he finished dressing, just as hurriedly, he dressed the dark-haired corpse in his own garments. In the intervals as the men with searchlights came and went, he slid throughout the forested area's bushes, adding cuts to his already battered body. As soon as he made for farther ground, he stumbled to his feet, as quietly as he could possibly manage and went on to try to make his escape.

With muscles aching, and fresh wounds still stinging, he made his way through the briskly forested area until coming across the distant lights of a small town. Glancing at himself once, he laughed sadly at his rather macabre state. Slipping any recognizable valuables into his pockets, he trod on to what he deemed surely was a tavern. Tucking his hair under his newfound hood, he strode into the dimly lit bar. Once in, he avoided all unnecessary stares, and paid his night to stay in. Midst war, he could not afford any risks. The much needed rest felt glorious on his war-torn body. In the following days of staying at the tavern, he ate and listened for cues on the progress on the war, and his possible current whereabouts. He drank and ate with the all too honest and open familiars of the tavern. After all they were bound to slip up more details than they'd remember to tell, and he had the time to spare for he could not yet make his return. To tame any monetary need, he sold what valuables weren't ultimately necessary or particularly recognizable, and could be easily replaced. Not long thereafter though he heard of nearby mercenary bands. In preparation, Sigfrid scoured the village for the necessary dye to bleach his dark hair, further marring his previous identity. Next, he searched for the secondary weapons he'd learned to use, so as not to draw attention to his iconic fighting style. Months came and went between signs of the war's movement, and any search for Caelum's king. Considering this, he slowly expanded the reach of the mercenary band he'd joined, taking jobs closer and closer to Caelum, especially as the pandemic of the Devil's Breath only seemed to spread. Mercenary jobs lessened as the Storms worsened and more caravans took their leave for Sanctimonia. However, it didn't seem to ruin his plans all too much, as it was in one of these Storms he left his mercenary band and instead took to the caravans setting off to Sanctimonia. And here he was.

Waking from his reverie, the castle loomed up massive and elegant as ever, even closer before his ruby colored eyes. With this, he broke off from the caravan. As he posed himself before the Gates, yet another smile broke his lips as the guards uneasily resisted. Flicking both his wrists once, he spun a gale about himself which revealed his face from underneath his hood. "Fools. Know you not whom Your Winds bring?" With the same swift movement of his palms, and another swift gale he tossed the already slightly opened gate open. With not a drop of his confidence lost, he broke into hearty laughter as each face that recognized his paled. As he winded about the castle halls, he dismissed further questioning looks, and walked towards his kingdom's space among the different wings. With a snap of his fingers, he looked upon the maids nearest to the royals' main chamber. With the slightly alarmed compelling of one of the guards, the maids neared the King. As they drew forth his main cloak to reveal the underlying flashes of color of his silken, more regal garments, he tipped the youngest of the maid's heads up to face him once. Gazing deeply into her dark eyed, fair enough face, Sigfrid spoke up. "My dear... Where is my wife?"

For a moment, his request was only met with silence. As he began narrowing his eyes only slightly, and his grip tightened faintly, a growing tension began before she spoke up. "Her Ladyship is caring for matters strictly related to her womanhood. She should await you shortly, Your Majesty..." "Perfect."Caressing the young maiden's cheek only once as he drew his hand back, he dismissed the rest of them and headed straight for the main chamber just up ahead. Decorated in shades of sky blue, silver and gold the chamber looked as exquisite as it ever had, with its magnificent canopy bed as a center figure. Once the door slid shut behind him, he let his body finally fall on his all too missed bed. Just as he was coiling about its luscious sheets as a regal lion arrived to his pride, and settling in the comfort, the door slid open once more. In silence, he watched his wife, briefly all too much as a beautiful phantom stride hurriedly into the room. Committing to memory the glass scenery of her life beyond his seeming death, he watched her begin to brush her visibly chaotic hair... and for a moment, savored all the beautiful scenery, broken suddenly by her horror. And for a moment, much like glass, her life beyond him seemed to crack as her brush fell from her hands, and she saw him. Slowly, she turned her fairest of wild heads, and the icy blue eyes he'd oh so endeared caught his dripping wine colored ones. A beauty muddled by a horror with only one name. Without too much preamble, his words slipped as satin from his mouth, as if to wake her from an illusory sleep. "Honey... I'm home." But then, such had always been their fate together, hadn't it? A beautiful, bountiful, perfect horror...


THEME: The Battle Is To The Strong

[AdamantEmeraldine]

Perhaps it was because of the stress of the last several days, overflowing. Perhaps a thousand little things had added together, exhausting her to the very bones. Perhaps it was simply that she had no sun as a marker, to nudge her to wakefulness, though truthfully she had never been the early riser that her sister was. Whatever the cause, Serrafiora had drastically overslept this morning. Which was just as well, for it was the first morning without an itinerary packed with alien Caelian affairs, a hundred things to do, a thousand things more to learn. She woke up slowly, at first not entirely sure that her husband had departed, for the bedsheets still smelled of him. His scent, gradually growing more familiar to her, mingled with that of the blooming dogwood she’d coaxed to grow entwining each of their bedposts. The bed itself was twined in love, even if the marriage it cradled was . . . undecided. Diplomatic.

Princess Serrafiora had considered this as she revelled in the luxury of quiet. She’d not had time alone practically since they’d entered the caverns. First politicking with her father and taking care of their people—the Terraloran people, she corrected herself, not wanting to lapse, for she was no longer their ruler. Second assisting with Marvelle, preparing for weddings, setting Terraloran affairs to rights, she’d barely had time to acquaint her groom beforehand, and . . . the death of her father. Serrafiora had few tears for that. She suspected they were welling up in some distant corner of herself, a hollowed bone or organ. No, when she wallowed in grief for the man who had raised her, the king whose soul was the cast from which her own was moulded, it was a dry-eyed grief. How will I ever get along without you? I hope . . . I can trust my judgment as your own.

But, there was little enough time for grief. A rap at the door and the tentative voice of a maidservant. “Your Highness? I’ve been asked to see that you’re ready for the coronation.”

“Yes,” came the stiff response, “I am readying. Thank you, you are dismissed.” The King’s coronation. Amidst all the grief, it seemed there was something to celebrate, questionable as the event might be. There was also much to build. And usefulness more than these endless pomps and parades would bring Serrafiora an honest satisfaction.

Yes, usefulness. And I have just the right idea, something only I can do for Caelum. Father, you would be proud . . . Of course, these were not her people, not her policies, not yet. She had much to learn. And a little steering in the right direction from the Prince seemed ideal. From my husband, she reminded herself, shaking her head at the slip. However, the plan was enough to spur her from bed, dressing in something at the appropriate confluence of practical, regal, and flamboyant, and setting her hair to sleek, upswept, beflowered rights. Topped with her tiara, of course. The thing still sat strangely atop her head. Not unlike the rest of my new life . . .

~*~*~*~*~

The coronation proceeded much as expected, though unfortunately Serrafiora had no opportunity to near or even speak to Prince Zephyriah. She’d been swept into some circle of Caelian dignitaries or another, and he’d frankly disappeared. Without even arming me with their names! she lamented, as she attempted to politic politely, committing their names to memory, then disappearing when she could.

The Prince of Caelum proved surprisingly difficult to track down for a personage so conspicuous. Following the leads of first one maidservant, then another guard, through a long succession of Caelian citizens. She felt like she had traversed half of the tunnels in the building before she came upon the right hallway. She heard his ragged company, before she saw them.

First low tones, familiar tones, his tones, but she couldn’t make out the words. As she drew closer, however, the next set were more intelligible.

“. . . I promise you, you shall never lose me to Kingdom of Marisia, nor to its King. Not while my heart is not theirs to have. Not while it belongs to another.”

"But I've lost myself to Terralora..." came another soft female voice, after a long silence. "He would break my spirit, crush me to dust against his rocks, and toss me away like a broken doll."

A few more steps down the hallway, and some trick of echo bouncing from stone rendered the conversation to unintelligible murmurs again. Her husband’s voice was still there, still soft, and becoming softer. Like he was heading further away? Serrafiora stepped up her pace, a handful of words becoming audible once again. And just what had her husband said? Though the marriage was thusfar purely diplomatic, as intended, in that moment, Princess Serrafiora would have exchanged a great deal to know just what the Prince had said.

“If you think that’s the best idea…just be careful…” came that first female voice. Unsure.

"You too, " A long pause made Serrafiora question if the conversation had finished, or devolved into something else.

“No…I”

More unintelligibility, louder now.

Serrafiora rounded a corner, not to face any heart-droppingly intimate embraces, but rather her adopted sister-in-law Naivara. The bond was forged twice-over, with her own marriage to Prince Zephyriah, and with Naivara’s marriage to her half-brother. The young woman seemed at the verge of tears.

In the tunnel’s dim light, many revelations came to sudden clarity for Serrafiora. The identity of the second female voice, the voices thick with raw emotions, the charged chemistry, the supersaturation of caring. These things were all too painfully clear. The Terraloran Princess’ lips pursed into a line. When the words came they were wooden, a little rough, as if spoken by another. “Well, I do rather hope Terralora would give you warmer welcome than that, even so far from our home soil. I’m sorry to hear you speak so poorly of your new home.” And of my brother, for all his faults. “I came here looking for your brother. Because I wanted to help your people,”

[lady ben-kenobi]

The Queen was uneasy, she'd try to shake off that shiver that crept down her spine; but it was all to no avail after what the Marisian King had whispered in her ear; conveining The Scholar's Association was of the utmost importance to discuss the potential threat but to do so in her current standing would have been nothing short of unruly. Keen eyes that would never forget a slight traced the mere shadows as she made her way towards her chambers once more. Arabelle ran a hand.through her hair. Once arrival, she greeted the guards as expected. Their peculiar expressions were easily traceable regardless of their attempt to feign; it was as if they urged to request her permission to speak. With a discernible cordiality to her mannerisms, Arabelle spoke in a soft tone as they made way for her. "My Lords, you look as if you've seen a ghost. You certainly must share some tales with little me, once I am proper." Arabelle strolled inside, but not without hearing one of her guards calling out to her. Her head turned to the noise sharply, she'd revert after a simple brushing of the hair. If they had granted her the passage to her chamber, it was surely no inherent threat. The Queen turned to the her right, carefully sitting on a small stool and grasping a brush and glancing at the mirror in the small counter in front of her. Holding the brush in her hands, Arabelle became motionless. Were the gods mocking her through the reflection of a mirror? Thud. Her hair brush slipped from her porcelain hands. The Queen turned her head slightly in disbelief. Her eyes widened at the sight not in disbelief, but sheer terror. It was madness; an unspoken declaration of war by the gods. Once Arabelle faced the war zone in front of her, her face turned pale. The Queen felt as if the muses stood behind her digging into her bones with needles poking and prodding the flesh incessantly. Knots burdened her back and there were strings on her once more. Arabelle felt the need to flinch, but she froze in the nightmare.

Seeing her so distraught wasn't quite something Sigfrid hadn't foreseen. Nonetheless, he slightly softened his gaze, however unshifting it remained and brought up one his palms, curling and uncurling his fingers slowly, beckoning her to come. "Come, My Lady... You do not speak with Death. However unkindly, she has not claimed me yet." Shifting to spread his legs over the side of the bed, he tilted his head off to the side, smiling as the feline king he'd always been.

The queen blinked twice, her shiver became noticeable through her dainty hands. Hands? They had been the color of his eyes, but she'd attempt to wear a heart so white. Arabelle forced herself to take several small steps towards him. Was this how it felt? To have arms bathed in crimson so near glory, only for them to be cut off? She attempted to compose herself edging on nervousness. "How could she not?" The Queen paused for a couple of seconds. "I thought you were dead."

Raising an eyebrow, he eyed each of each her shivers as they swept across her gently curving frame. With the Queen it had never been quite about romance, yet with such despair in her eyes, the King wondered what fate he'd sealed yet. "Ah, with such poor luck you hold our Fate?" With this he arched his back, patting the space of the bed by his side. "Alas despite some flaming betrayal, it seems our Winds hold us as of yet. I was able to escape, and yet beyond enemy lines, and no loyals in sight... I too, had to claw my way through to my right to a new life."

"Sigfrid, it's been a year." She spoke still in the blatant disbelief. The queen gazed at him as if he were a ghostly figure. Finally, she managed to stroll across the room, upon reaching his side, she extended a hand rather slowly, while unable to stop the tremor. If the seers were playing a trick on her, it was one more than decent. "I cannot believe my eyes."

"I am aware, love. I was forced to spend it with all manner of mercenaries and petty battles before I could return. A simple free man's life, perhaps, but not grand enough for my desires... and certainly an unjust end to our dreams." With this, his lips curled in amusement as often as it did, yet with a shade of genuine gratitude to return muddled in its shape. As she extended her hand, he grasped it in his, steadying its tremor and rather unceremoniously, turned it over, pressing his lips to the inside of her wrist. Chuckling under his breath, he sighed a final breath of relief, one he'd been holding for what seemed like ages. "Perhaps you can believe your other senses."

She had been mortified. The muses should have unsexed her in that very moment. With the contact of skin, the queen knew it was no farce. It was however dangerous to allow her face to show what she felt. Arabelle took a space next to him in the bed in a quiet disposition, thick blood now thinning; she'd armor herself in obscurity. Her voice was of a musical tone. "Do you mean your dreams, Lord Husband?"The Queen sighed as she placed an arm around him subtly.

Watching her carefully, despite what desire long in slumber awoke inside him, he noted the brief shift in her emotions. Yet for all the time they'd been apart, their needs seemed to be assymetrical. As she looped her slender arm around him, his arms curved around her as well, cradling her raven-haired head to his slowly baring chest. Tilting his head forward to skim her ear with his lips, and slowly tangling his fingertips in the waves of her hair, he whispered. "Of course I mean both of ours, my darling she-wolf... So do indulge me, my dear... how has been your Year? Not too cold I presume..."

He lied. The muses had been cruel to her, but the queen would storm the gods if they thought this were to be the last of her. The muses had bloody well think again, for if it took to bed both the Marisian king and her Lord Husband and to smear their pale faces with the crimson on her hands to grasp that much longed glory, she would do so with a smile on her face. "Our men have rapidly dwindled, I've been forced to allow women into our armies to make numbers meet. I've also married our daughter to the b*****d of our enemies along with our son to their heir. Fortunately the caves have been rather warm despite the ongoing strange events. There is an oddness to this city that cannot yet be explained."

He grit his teeth at the sound of this. Just how far had the wars and Storms sunk the kingdoms? With a light hum, his fingertips slipped beneath her dark hair, only vaguely caressing the skin of the nape of her neck, gently streaming down her spine, curious as to any further reaction. "So it seems the tables have turned... Hmm, just what use have you given our women then? Are they like you?" At this he laughed once more under his breath, and turned to seal his ruby gaze on her ice blue. Turning slightly, he neared her face, suddenly very close to her velvety lips, sliding his own about hers once, followed by a rather sensuous bite before retracting once more. "And so the caves have indeed been rather welcoming... have they? This city is quite the strange modifying influence... Speak clearly, My Lady Ara."

"Information gathering." Arabelle said sharply. She raised an eyebrow at his remark. "If you'd believe them to be more efficient training them to be similar to me, it can be arranged." The Queen nearly flinched slightly at the closeness. She'd feel serpent constricting around her torso delightfully. A tight enough squeeze to make her shiver. If the serpent flirted, she'd charm it. The Queen wrapped her arms around her husband gently. "I've taken the Marisian King as my mistress, Lord Husband. As a matter of fact, I've just bedded him."