Rise of the Horned King (disney|act|advlit) o/a (3 open)!

which is better?!

true love	18.9%	[ 7 ]
soul mate	29.7%	[ 11 ]
chocolate!!	37.8%	[ 14 ]
>_> ......gold...	13.5%	[ 5 ]
Total Votes:			[ 37 ]

[dream savagery]

AkaneDeath

son of Eilonwy and Taran
Carwyn

[. homicidal toe socks .]

daughter of Fa Mulan and Li Shang
Meili

madame pixel

daughter of Snow White and Ferdinand
Isabella

Kodee-Bunny

son of Cinderella and Henry
Aaron

AkaneDeath

daughter of Ariel and Eric
Rosalie

Care Rah

daughter of Belle and Adam
Anouk

tech no logy

son of Jasmine and Aladdin
Sul'aiman

Kagome SB

son of Tiana and Naveen
Dedrick

Madame Pixel

daughter of Rapunzel and Eugene
Piper

XxSkyeAngelxX

Villains
reincarnation/son of the Horned King
the Horned King/Your Majesty/My Lord/Naram

[. homicidal toe socks .]

daughter of Maleficent
Lyra

Mimi with a J

son of the Evil Queen Grimhilde
Garrick

XxSkyeAngelxX

daughter of Ursula
Naida

AkaneDeath

son of Jafar
Amit

madame pixel

daughter of Doctor Facilier
Simone

chibichick27

son of Shan Yu
Shan Zhu

nechoco kitty

Neutral
Illegitimate daughter of Aladdin
Amira

[. homicidal toe socks .]

daughter of Esmeralda and Phoebus
Luminista

DelightButNowDelirium

son of the Eldest Stabbington Brother
Chase

Madame Sono Megami

A ʟᴏɴɢ ᴊᴏᴜʀɴᴇʏ ʟɪᴇs ᴀʜᴇᴀᴅ o o o

Agrabah
Bennett
Meili
Amira
Chase


Midday | Hot | No clouds


ℐhe prince, Bennett, and his trusted captain of the guard, Meili, left shortly after his wedding was called off. There wasn't much to plan. They had to find this Enchantress and lift the curse, so that they could all live the happily ever afters they were supposed to. It was lucky they went alone, because only a few short hours later, news that the continent of Lorraine was attacked and halfway controlled by monsters reached Ulstead. They needed all of the able bodies they could find.

Only a few short days into their travels did they realize what was going on around them. Rumors of undead armies and unrest in Lorraine reached their ears, causing them to become uneasy. While they couldn't be positive, they couldn't turn around to head home to be sure, either. Then a street rat, Amira, joined their ranks, much to Meili's annoyance. She offered them the assurance they needed. While her word wasn't much, she assured them that the rumors were true. An undead army was attacking the kingdoms, but only the Enchantress could provide them with the answers to stop it and lift the curse. She offered to be their guide due to being instructed to do so by the Enchantress secretly, but at times she feels more like a prisoner.

It has now been a week since they left and the small group has made it deep into Agrabah and its deserts. They have decided to take a rest to restock their food and water supply in a small, but rowdy, village, as well as feed their horses. Little do they know that a spy of sorts named Chase has been contracted to infiltrate their group while they are there.

Mᴏɴsᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴋɴᴏᴄᴋɴɢ ᴀᴛ ᴏᴜʀ ᴅᴏᴏʀs o o o

Neuschwanstein
Isabella
Carwyn
Rosalie
Dedrick
Naida
Simone


Midday | Cold | Rain


ℐhe kingdom of Neuschwanstein has become a sort of safe haven and counter strategy location. Many royal children, such as Isabella, Carwyn, Rosalie, and Dedrick have gathered to formulate a plan and keep their kingdoms safe. Not only that, but they are having to fight evils at their own doorsteps. The battlefront isn't the only place with monsters. The darkness has spread, warping some everyday creatures and people into problems. With the kingdoms so strained to keep everything in order, their plans for a counter strategy are crucial. Can they pinpoint the evil and who is in charge? It has been a few days since they began their meetings, and already they have come up with ideas, but they are strained for time, seeing as they are also having to listen to the problems of their people and help them with monsters invading the kingdoms.

Not only that, but the Horned King has sent two of his own, Naida and Simone, to infiltrate the castle and do what they must to keep them from learning the truth and how to find him before his mission can be completed.

Aɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴀs ғᴏʀᴇᴠᴇʀ sᴛᴀɪɴᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ o o o

Meria
Aaron
Piper
Anouk
Sul'aiman
Shan Zhu
Lyra
Amit


Midday | Cool | Cloudy


ℋell has opened its doors and let out a dark magic like not many have seen before. Armies of skeletons with little to no flesh claw at the gates of Meria, having already destroyed Alsace and leaving only ruin and skeletons behind. Armies from every kingdom are gathering in Meria to defend the kingdom and stop the march. So far, it seems futile. Some of the royal children are fighting alongside their military on the battlefield, while others are left at the back to heal the wounded or formulate strategies. Aaron, Piper, Anouk, and Sul'aiman are already scattered about, and they only just arrived a few hours earlier.

Shan Zhu leads the army of the undead like he himself is one of them. A ruthless warrior along with his companions, Maleficent's daughter and Amit. While they are not all fighting battles on the front line, they are all after one thing, the kingdom of Meria.

Iᴛ ɪs ᴀ ʟᴀɴᴅ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴇᴀᴅ ᴡᴀʟᴋ ғʀᴇᴇʟʏ o o o

Island of the Wisps
The Horned King
Garrick
Lu


Midday | Cold | Cloudy


ℱar away from the wars are the Horned King and his trusted soldier, Garrick. Preparations must be made, and the collection of wisps are necessary to power the cauldron. With them, the Cauldron grows stronger, as does the Horned King. Not only that, but there is a castle with many things that need to be protected from the low lives of the Dark Lands who dare to sneak their way inside. While the Outcasts of the Dark Lands are his people, in his eyes, he is not a benevolent king, and has no tolerance for those who would cross him.

Lu has arrived only a short time ago at the castle to give the information she was instructed to give to the Horned King by the Enchantress. Information that is useful, but not completely accurate.

SUMMARY

1 week ago --& Party was crashed and Bennett and Meili left to find the Enchantress.
A few hours after the crashed party --& A boat from Anouk's country lands in Ulstead (where the wedding was) to inform them that Alsace had been taken and that the enemy was moving onto Meria.
Within that week --& Isabella's group has moved to her Kingdom on the Mainland (since the larger part of the populace can be found there) to help the people and give refuge. Also plan for what is happening. Anouk's group has managed to stop by the kingdoms, (for some they would have to travel on land a bit) and gather up troops. I imagine for those not close enough to to the coast they would send messengers from the dock. Mostly, they went by boat. That group has recently arrived in Meria (probably not at the same time).







All magic comes at a price . . .xxxxxxxxxxx
Are you ready to pay up? xxx

[dream savagery]

The castle was nearly camouflaged against the barren lands. As far as the eye could see there were plains stripped of fresh grass and left with only patches of grass and rubble. Trees were scattered about, but most were eerie in appearance. Birds made shrill noises and other beasts howled. The castle itself was standing like a 3-d shadow in the darkness. The land wasn't necessarily dark, but void of much color. The clouds were overcast, leaving very little sunlight, and the land itself seemed to be untouched by any striking colors. If one were to see a flower, it would catch their attention immediately as something strange and out of place in such a land.

Deep inside the winding corridors of the large black stone castle, near the very top, was a bedroom. An ancient Gothic design clung to the interior and dark shades adorned the furniture. Not many things could be found inside. Most people might even think it had been kept as only a guest bedroom by how barren its walls were. Then their eyes would be caught by a flickering light, and a murmur so quiet it could be mistaken for a wind outside of the window across the room. Then, if they listened carefully, they might hear that murmur as a plea for help. They might realize that flickering light is too blue to be from a candle. So, if they step further into the room, ignoring the chill settling in the air with every step, they could approach a dressing screen that is a color darker than black and seems to swallow any light around it. Save for that flickering blue that has their eye and won't let them leave. Since they already braved the brutes and undead roaming the halls, what harm could a flickering blue light do?

Gripping the divider with anticipation, they might think they will see something amazing and worthwhile. Some sort of treasure could be theirs for the taking. However, before they can even begin to shove it out of the way, a bony hand would be pressed on their shoulder. They would lose their life before they had a chance to turn. That flickering blue light is a key, and only one man, or monster to some, may know of its existence. That monster is known as the Horned King, a formidable and ruthless man.

Horns protruded from the semi-fleshy skull of a robed figure as he stood behind the divider, zombified fingers running along a glass box where a blue light darted around erratically inside. Eyes that looked more like burning flames inside of a skeleton instead of a jack-o-lantern burned in his sockets as he watched the light frantically bounce around. Squeezing that annoying flame out of existence had been his plan, until he realized that just this one wisp burned him to a core he didn't know he had. Realizing he could not destroy it made him realize one thing; it would be the destruction of him if he wasn't careful. A snarl sounded from his body before he vanished into thin air, reappearing in a large throne room. Tattered tapestries from a dead kingdom barely clung to the walls. A few skeletons marched around the room, along with a few mortals that stood at the entrance of the long hallway. A black rug that was stained with either red dye or blood was down the center of the hallway. The Horned King, now looking much more dashing and human, stood in front of his throne, looking out into the room. A young girl was to be visiting soon, with information he had patiently been awaiting for. Alsace had been taken, but how was Meria coming along?

"My Lord," a sultry female voice sounded from the shadows. A red head emerged with a hollow smile on her face. She looked up with eyes that resembled pools of ink. In her pale hands she carried a small chest that leaked blue light from within. "I have retrieved food for the Cauldron."

At one time she had been a powerful witch that awakened him from a slumber that lasted too long. Now she was withering away inside to a shell, becoming more of a mindless monster than anything. Her powers would eventually become uncontrollable and self-destructive, as would her personality. At which point he would take the rest of her life and give it to the Cauldron. For now, he enjoyed the link they shared, able to use her energy when his was draining.

"Good, Branwen. Take them to the Cauldron and dispose of them." His voice was steady and deep, as was his gaze as he spoke.

With a bow, the young witch turned and left the room once more.

[SailorButtStallion]

"Don't want none unless you got Buns hun."

"Oh Lord Heaven knows, we belong way down below."

"I'm a Gypsy"

❉ Luminitsa ❉

"There ain't no rest for the wicked.
Money don't grow on trees.
I got bills to pay, I got mouths to feed
and ain't nothing in this world for free.
No I can't slow down, I can't hold back,
though you know I wish I could.
Oh no there ain't no rest for the wicked,
'tll we close our eyes for good."

The dark lands were a land you really didn’t want to be in. The barren wasteland was burned and foreboding. There were no winds that rolled through and there was silence throughout the land. No birds chirped, and no trees seemed good. Wild beasts existed but not the kind you wished to tangle with. Traveling through the land was just depressing and seemed to leave people with a sense of loss. The Islands of Whips were no better. Though vegetation lay about the land, it wasn’t anything real special. The ruins were beautiful at least and always tempting to explore.
But the woman had no time for that. She sat upon a black horse and surveyed the castle that was in the distance. Her slender frame was clad in a dark red cloak, while she wore a green skirt and white corset. Her Hazel eyes flickered from the castle to behind her, and she nervously fidgeted with the reins. Her horse sensed her displeasure and nervously pawed at the ground. The horse then snorted and her eyes went to him. “Ah no. I’m sorry to agitate you Djali, but this is something I must do. The Horned King bids my presence and I cannot deny him.” The horse snorted, though she was sure it was not in agreement. He never liked the lands, even when they traveled here with her mother and father. And she couldn’t blame him. The place didn’t exactly give a welcoming feel. But it had not been her decision.

You see, some years back, as far back as when she was born, there had been peace and harmony. But that turned ugly when the Horned King arrived. Though it had not affected her family, it affected the Kingdoms. And when the royals weren’t happy, nobody ever was. So now there was this fight going on. Well, war. It was raging across the lands. It had started with a wedding being crashed, and now undead things were popping up everywhere. And she got tangled up in it. No good Enchantress that rotten…you get the point. Lu was now put in the duty of being a guide, playing tea party with the enemy, and basically being the Enchantress’ Bit-

So you could see why she was already in a foul mood. Not only that her life was now on the line. Though the Horned King deemed her trustful enough, she often feared that he did not trust her. This was of course cause for concern for if he were to find out what her true actions were…she would be dead. And she didn’t want to be dead. That would just not be ok. She inwardly sighed and nudged her horse, which gave a snort and slowly moved on.

Everywhere it was the same, as the castle loomed over her. She would be glad to be out of this mess as soon as possible. They slowed when something darted out in front of her. Her hand slid to the dagger at her side. She would be ready if need be. But all it was, was one of the servants. She sighed in relief as the creatures moved toward her. Ugly little thing it was. It sneered at her, and then eyed her horse. Once again the beady red eyes were upon her, surveying her frame. She hated how they let their gaze travel like that. “Well, well, if it isn’t the mistress of the other lands. The traveler. What brings you hear?” The voice was raspy, and sent a chill down her spine. But she held strong and looked down at it. “You know very well why I am here. I’m sure you were sent to greet me. Now let me through as I may state my business with He.” The thing hesitated, but then bowed, almost menacingly and let her pass. Filthy thing. She knew better than to allow it to rile her up.

As she set foot into the castle yard she was greeted by more of the things. Though none really spoke and helped her off her horse. They then tended to him as she turned her attention to the doors. She could feel her heart racing already. Steady now heart. She gulped, clenched her jaw and rigidly moved forward. What had to say would be important to the King. Of course not too leading. The Enchantress had been very clear that she give him some of the plan of the royals. But not to say much. And to be wary of who was with him when it was said. She already knew Garrick would be there. That would be something to see.

As she entered the doors, she withdrew her hood from her cloak, revealing a pretty face, and dark hair that surrounded said pretty face. One gold hoop earring was visible, while she also wore one long silver locket, which trailed down her neck. She paused once to get her bearings. Pause. Look Confident. Look Sexy. Smile. Mentally rehearse everything you need to say. Resume. And that ladies and gentleman is how the woman works. She elegantly smiled, which has brought more men to her bed than she dared count, and gave off a confident aura. She would be ready to face the King. Even if Garrick was there at his beck and heels. She was almost annoyed with the male, seeing that he was like a lapdog licking the King’s heels. But hey, he was nice to look at, at least. It could be worse.
When she had entered the place she slid off her boots and set them in a small bag she had. All that was in the bag was some food and a map of the world she lived in. Her blade was at her side, sheathed but ready. She let her bare feet kiss the floor as she seemed to glide across it, each step bringing her closer to her destination. The throne room was in sight, and she waited as the door opened and someone left. A red-haired woman. She watched the woman leave before she slowly entered. Though she was afraid, she stood tall, now entering the room and bowing low to the floor.

There sat the man she was now catering to. Dark hair and eyes. He was much more appealing in human form. But she still feared him. She held her tongue for a second, before she gave a grin. “My lord, you’re looking lovely as always. It’s been some time since I have had the honor to be in your presence. I am thankful you are patient with me. I have news of Meria. No doubt your are waiting to hear it?” Her voice was soft and seductive as her gaze traveled to him. She took one step closer then paused. “As I have gathered, Meria is under fire. Your soldiers are doing well, and have swift blades. Before long Meria will be yours. But the…other side puts up a fight. I hear word that some of the kingdoms had split up to put a plan against you. But as far as I know it is a rumor that I have yet confirmed. I have nothing more to report at this time. But would you like me to go find news for you? Your will is my command lord.” Her words were soft and alluring, and she let her gaze fall to the floor as she bowed yet again, waiting for him to let her rise, and tell her what to do. She ahted feeling like she was some common servant. Damn the Enchantress.

Out. Of. Cocktails. :

"My freedom is just a Dream"

"Oh where do we begin? The rubble or our sins."

[puffedmellow]

Aaron was the go to guy if you needed comfort or support but he was definitely not the guy to go looking for it when he needed it. People might have offered him support now if he had only asked for it. He had friends here with him after all. Piper or Anouk would help him in a heartbeat. Anouk would give him that hug he wanted and Piper would let him take a bit of the burden off his shoulders but instead of being comforted by friends he had smiled and told everyone lies and not even the same lie either. He had told everyone exactly what they had wanted to hear before he had gone off to the kitchens where royal chefs normally worked with a map, his sword, and a bottle of alcohol. He had literally never tasted alcohol before but if one was going to start drinking then now would be a great time, right? He had help now and should be feeling more hopeful but all he could think about was his kingdom in flames, his parents being executed to mark the final blow from the horned king and his army of evil, and his two childhood friends dead in their own blood. His positive energy was gone right how and he really just needed time to get it back. Unfortunately, time was something he had none of. People were dying and the more time he spent trying to get his crap together, the more people were going to end up dead.

He yanked the lid off and threw it against the wall so that it bounced off a corner and flew out into the hallway where it landed somewhere out of sight. The smell of this stuff was strong enough that it had his eyes watering. Perhaps going for the strongest stuff in the entire castle wasn't a smart idea but if you were going to drown away your sorrows why would you go for weak, fruity wine?

The first mouthful went down hard and he nearly vomited everything he had eaten the entire day onto the floor but after that it was much easier. As he poured his third bit he unrolled the map and peered down at it through narrowed eyes. "Maybe if we gathered our forces and went for the people in charge... Like that monster," he mumbled, not really caring that if somebody was listening in his conversation would make nonsense,"If we keep chopping heads off we'll be overwhelmed with a billion more in a week. No... We need to go for the heart." He slammed his fist against the counter before reaching out and pouring the third mouthful down his throat. Aaron then did the same thing but with his sword so he could easily grab it off the counter from where it sat by the bottle instead of hanging at his hip.

"Without their leader," he argued,"Those things could attack without anyone to stop them. If we kill the heart the heads might strike uncontrollably. Killing the heart is too risky." He threw the glass against the wall but had turned back to the map before it had even made contact and didn't react at all as it shattered loudly. The cup was too small. Was this alcohol even working? He felt nauseas and hot but he wasn't experiencing anything awesome that getting drunk was supposedly supposed to bring. Maybe he was immune?

He drank enough in one go to make an alcoholic proud and tried to set it back on the counter. Instead, the bottle slipped from his hand and broke. Liquid spilled into the floor but the glass didn't fly everywhere like it could have. He was lucky it didn't. Aaron was a bleeder and his kingdom needed him alive to save it and not dead or bedridden because he got drunk. "The head..." He mumbled, frowning now because it was hard to think,"but the heart... We need to capture the heart and use it against them... If we..."

As it turns out, Aaron was a happy drunk. He burst in to laughter because for some reason dizziness was enormously hilarious right now and unceremoniously grabbed the map like a blanket so that it was crumpled in his hand. "Oh, man," he spluttered,"We're all going to die!" That seemed pretty amusing right now too and he laughed again as he walked past the mess on the floor, pausing only long enough to grab his sword, before going out to see who all was even here.

Cinderella watched her son worriedly from a spot he couldn't see her from before going off to find one of his friends. It was her fault her son was like this and she knew it. If she had been the comforter when he was growing up instead of letting him have that job he would be out getting support from friends instead of lying and trying alcohol for the first time.

OOC: Sorry if he sounds whiny. He's very rarely like this. I just figured he'd be stressed with having the new responsibilities of saving his kingdom and feeling guilty about needing help. He'll be much better in his next post. I can change it if you guys want, though!! I don't mind. smile

[Tech no logy]

currently with: Aaron in a hallway somewhere


She still hadn’t heard from her mother. It had been over a week since the boat had landed at the already disastrous wedding to inform her and her father that Alsace was under attack, but her mother hadn’t come with it and hadn’t sent a letter since. Her father seemed fairly confident that everything would be alright, they had a top notch military after all. But Anouk could feel disaster hanging in the air, pulled taut like a bow string ready to take a life. It wasn’t until they had gotten to the large continent that they heard tell that their kingdom had been taken. It all happened quite too fast for Anouk to properly process but the Royals wasted no time in gathering as many troops as they could to make the journey back home. They were halfway to Lorraine when a carrier pigeon landed on the boat shaking soot from it’s wings but there was no need to read the letter to know what it said because the horizon was dark with something more despairing than storm clouds. It spoke of a devastation far beyond her imaginings. A kingdom taken meant it still stood, but in the ash and darkness that could be seen from the boat, how could anything still stand? How could anything still be alive?

Her shock had stayed with her the rest of the journey, thank god she’d had Aaron’s hand to grip, the familiarity of it kept her emotions from drowning her. That was hours ago. It had been hours since they’d gotten off the boat and there’d been absolutely no time for anything at all, everyone had been thrust directly into the battle at hand. The moments she’d gotten to ask told her that no one had seen nor heard from her mother, her stupid stubborn mother who had stayed behind, her stupid angry father who had started the fight that had made her stay. She also learned that her home had been utterly consumed.

How could everything change so completely in what seemed like no time at all. Her wits returned to her quickly though and Anouk had, against her fathers orders, gone out onto the field to help the wounded. She was strong and she was fast, she knew a little about healing magick and a little could save a life. She didn’t think about all the lives already lost, all the faces she used to see that she never would again. When she started to she could feel the anger clawing at her chest, the beast howling for release. She focused her mind, the inventor inside her looking for things to create splints and bandages and crutches as she moved through the wounded. The battle hadn’t reached the castle yet, but there were regular convoys to bring in bodies, some alive some not, and they were laid out in the large field because it was the biggest space. Far too many of the soldiers damage seemed to be mental, their eyes wide and talking about unkillable skeleton warriors and how did you kill something already dead? She didn’t have an answer.

Her dress was ripped and filthy, blood and dirt and whatever else she’d come in contact with streaked her face and hands as well, but the next convoy wasn’t due for twenty minutes or so, so she made her way back toward the castle to find someone to tell her what all was being done. What exactly was happening on the battle front, were they outnumbered, had Aaron gone to fight or was he safe in the castle somewhere, was anyone else coming to their aide. The problem was that the inside of the castle was just as chaotic as the outside and it was hard to find anyone at all, instead she resolved to visit the weapons room and properly gear herself up as well as change into hunters clothes, easier to fight in than a full skirt, and she left feeling much more confident as she tied her hair back.

Anouk pushed her way through the hall, glancing in any rooms she’s passed in the hopes of finding someone with any authority, but the hallways were filled with servants and soldiers, no one high enough to know where the King was, or her father, or Aaron. By the time Cinderella found her she was frantic, she really didn’t want to go off into the fight without someone knowing where she’d gone, but the moment she saw her face, her hands wringing each other, Anouk knew she couldn’t leave just yet. “Where is he?” she asked before the Queen could say anything and she gave her the general idea. After that it was easy, she knew these halls as well as she knew her own, the thought sent a twinge through her stomach. She’d probably never see her halls again, and she almost ran smack into Aaron as they both turned a corner.

“Aaron!” She grabbed his shoulders to steady them both and looked him over, he looked fine, like he hadn’t been in the battle at all, perhaps he’d been strategizing with his father, “I’m glad I found you, I wanted someone to know where I…” she paused mid sentence to really look at him. Something wasn’t right, but since he’d never drank before she had no idea that this is how he was when he did. “Are you alright? What’s happened?” her voice was full of the panic she had been trying so hard not to feel, but it broke the surface when one of her closest friends was involved. “Have you figured anything out? There... there were so many wounded.”



[[ooc: let me know if i need to add more/change anything <3]]

[puffedmellow]

Anouk was here apparently. At any other time Aaron would be hugging her with excitement. It was always a good thing to have Anouk around. Instead, he just laughed as they smacked into each other, completely unaware and uncaring of the fact that as they pressed to each other for a brief moment, his blood soaked clothes left red smudges on hers. "I'm fine! Beyond fine, even. I'm amazing," he assured her with a grin and another round of laughter,"I was just out fighting not that long ago but something had to be done because those things just wouldn't stay down. I have an idea! We need to get the heart. If we don't get the heart the head will keep multiplying each time we cut one off. Did my mother tell you where I am? I'm complete let fine as you can see! I tried a new drink and now I'm okay. Before it I thought we were all going to die but now? We'll be just fine!" Being drunk didn't help him sound convincing. In fact, not only was he a happy drunk but he was a happy chatty drunk.

It was then that he noticed the blood soaking his clothes. He was used to seeing a lot of blood and the dark shirt hid it very well. It was nearly impossible to see the red from the wounds on his torso and back. Aaron sobered up a bit at the sight and slowly reached down to press his hand against his shirt to see how much he was still bleeding. It wasn't bad and he knew he'd live. These injuries, at least, wouldn't be the end of him. "I might have a plan," he declared in his usual voice despite the fact that he was sway a bit now,"I need to get my father and any other members of royal families who are here to help. Can you go talk to my mother? She really likes you and I know she's scared. Seeing you will help her a lot. You're not hurt, are you? That's mine, right? I didn't notice before..." He glanced worriedly at the red smudges on her clothes and leaned against the wall for support while he waited for an answer.

He bit his thumb nail nervously as he pushed himself away from the wall. He'd love to stay and hug Anouk until he felt better but he had to go check in with everybody, reassure his fighters, comfort the injured and the relatives of the dead, pass out the traditional flowers for the dead, discuss his plan, and get ready to go back out. Aaron's shoulders sagged at the thought of it all but he didn't give Anouk the chance to comfort him about it. Instead, he shoved his sword into its sheath and rushed off as fast as he could with how badly he was swaying on his feet to go find the others.

His father looked up when he heard footsteps and frowned with concern and exhaustion. He hadn't been fighting but he had been up all night planning and going around to the dead and dying. His hands were stained red but he was uninjured. It was from shaking hands and patting shoulders of those who were. Henry knew his son was drunk and hurt. He could see the cringe in his face and the way he was barely able to keep his graceful appearances up without falling on his face. He wished he had insisted that his son had learned to accept comfort from others. He only had one child and he didn't want to bury his son. No parent should outlive their child. "You need to sit, Aaron," he told his son firmly,"I won't make you hug me or tell me what's wrong but think about the army. What do you think it will do to them to hear that their prince collapsed?" Aaron grimaced but nodded and sat in a nearby chair.