“Do you really have to accompany her to the checkpoint for this meeting? What if they’re planning an ambush?"
Benjamin was a worrywart, his elderly voice shaking with his concern. The old grey fox was so busy fussing that he didn’t notice just how dishevelled he became. After all of the attacks along the border, there was no point in sitting back under the protection of the capital. Something needed to be done… And unfortunately, sacrifices had to be made. Just the thought of Jórunnr having to wed a man she never met for the sake of her homeland was sickening, but he didn’t have a solution that was better from an objective standpoint.
If Vlamgali launched a full scale attack, many animals were going to die. War was expensive, and war was devastating. No one wanted to deal with such an unpleasant notion, and so that left diplomacy. Marriage ensured good will, and maybe Ryutori would feel better about it if Lekan were more… kind, but not a single flattering word could be spoken of the man.
Rumours of cruelty towards his citizens. Treating them coldly and refusing to speak with them. Excessive hunting, bad temper, lack of manners. Though Ryu often tried his hardest to hold everyone in the best light, there was just nothing redeeming he could find about Lekan Imamu. He was a bird of little character, and the thought that he would lose Jórunnr to someone like that made him feel so disgusted.
“If there’s a threat of ambush, that’s all the more reason for me to go. Besides, it’s going to be hosted on third-party land. It’ll be… fine.” Ryu sighed, pulling on the green cloak adorn with white, feathery down, the snakeskin vest beneath it secure and comforting to have. “Take care of mom and dad for me, Benjamin. We should be back in ten days.”
With that, Ryutori took his bag of personal supplies and left for the gates. There were two ofter servants assigned to accompany them for the purposes of safety and comfort. A snake medic, and a bear bodyguard. The carriage was set up, luggage packed, and the carriers were latched up and ready to go. All that was left was to wait for the princess. They were secluded to leave pretty soon. A few oxen under the employ of the castle were all set to pull them to the rendezvous point in the valley and it wouldn’t be too polite to keep them waiting around.
Benjamin was a worrywart, his elderly voice shaking with his concern. The old grey fox was so busy fussing that he didn’t notice just how dishevelled he became. After all of the attacks along the border, there was no point in sitting back under the protection of the capital. Something needed to be done… And unfortunately, sacrifices had to be made. Just the thought of Jórunnr having to wed a man she never met for the sake of her homeland was sickening, but he didn’t have a solution that was better from an objective standpoint.
If Vlamgali launched a full scale attack, many animals were going to die. War was expensive, and war was devastating. No one wanted to deal with such an unpleasant notion, and so that left diplomacy. Marriage ensured good will, and maybe Ryutori would feel better about it if Lekan were more… kind, but not a single flattering word could be spoken of the man.
Rumours of cruelty towards his citizens. Treating them coldly and refusing to speak with them. Excessive hunting, bad temper, lack of manners. Though Ryu often tried his hardest to hold everyone in the best light, there was just nothing redeeming he could find about Lekan Imamu. He was a bird of little character, and the thought that he would lose Jórunnr to someone like that made him feel so disgusted.
“If there’s a threat of ambush, that’s all the more reason for me to go. Besides, it’s going to be hosted on third-party land. It’ll be… fine.” Ryu sighed, pulling on the green cloak adorn with white, feathery down, the snakeskin vest beneath it secure and comforting to have. “Take care of mom and dad for me, Benjamin. We should be back in ten days.”
With that, Ryutori took his bag of personal supplies and left for the gates. There were two ofter servants assigned to accompany them for the purposes of safety and comfort. A snake medic, and a bear bodyguard. The carriage was set up, luggage packed, and the carriers were latched up and ready to go. All that was left was to wait for the princess. They were secluded to leave pretty soon. A few oxen under the employ of the castle were all set to pull them to the rendezvous point in the valley and it wouldn’t be too polite to keep them waiting around.
If Jórunnr had had her way, she would most likely have let hell loose in the castle. Not being able to open an actual rift to hell put a damper to that idea, but it surely did not stop her from trying. Her parents had been taking the worst of it, but they were also the ones who decided that the wedding was a splendid idea. She would maybe – just maybe – be able see the logic and sensibility behind all of it, if it had not been her who was going to wed somebody she had never met.
Despite her not so subtle attempt to somehow persuade her parents to call off the meeting between her and the infamous Lekan Imamu, she still felt as if she was left with no choice other than going. She knew that the situation between Niðheimr and Vlamgali only seemed to worsen every time she got her hands on any kind of information. It saddened her, and while it pained her to acknowledge, agreeing to wed Lekan might be the only plausible solution.
The rumors of Lekan’s less charming personality had reached her ears, though she had been trying to keep a somewhat open mind. It had been easier said than done. With the lack of anybody having nothing positive to say, it ended up with her not having very high thought about her husband-to-be.
She picked up her bag and her traveling cape as she left her room. She felt as if there was very little left for her here at the moment. She was met with a few ‘have a safe trip’ by servants she passed, knowing that there was an underlying message in those comforting words. It made her stomach turn every time.
She squinted her eyes softly when she made it outside of the castle. A soft sigh escaped her lips when she spotted the carriage accompanied by the three people who are to be her traveling companions for the next week or so. The only thing that seemed to put her mind somewhat to ease was that at least Ryutori would be there by her side. For now that made things easier for her to deal with. She greeted them with a curt nod, well aware that their departure soon would be overdue.
Despite her not so subtle attempt to somehow persuade her parents to call off the meeting between her and the infamous Lekan Imamu, she still felt as if she was left with no choice other than going. She knew that the situation between Niðheimr and Vlamgali only seemed to worsen every time she got her hands on any kind of information. It saddened her, and while it pained her to acknowledge, agreeing to wed Lekan might be the only plausible solution.
The rumors of Lekan’s less charming personality had reached her ears, though she had been trying to keep a somewhat open mind. It had been easier said than done. With the lack of anybody having nothing positive to say, it ended up with her not having very high thought about her husband-to-be.
She picked up her bag and her traveling cape as she left her room. She felt as if there was very little left for her here at the moment. She was met with a few ‘have a safe trip’ by servants she passed, knowing that there was an underlying message in those comforting words. It made her stomach turn every time.
She squinted her eyes softly when she made it outside of the castle. A soft sigh escaped her lips when she spotted the carriage accompanied by the three people who are to be her traveling companions for the next week or so. The only thing that seemed to put her mind somewhat to ease was that at least Ryutori would be there by her side. For now that made things easier for her to deal with. She greeted them with a curt nod, well aware that their departure soon would be overdue.
And there she was. It wasn’t much longer before Jórunnr came from up the path, her stunning red hair hard to miss from any distance. He offered her the most comforting smile that he could in response to her nod. If the betrothal was hard on him, it had to be a nightmare for her. She was a free spirited kind of person, after all. The idea couldn’t have sat well with her.
Once she was settled inside, Ryu and the others piled on and their journey began. Anita, their bear, sat on a bench protruding out the back of the carriage. Omar sat up front with Ryu. It would take about a day to get to the checkpoint. There was a village that sat just on the border between both kingdoms that once pledged allegiance to an empire of the north, and in that village was an inn. To avoid becoming a constant target for either side, they became their own little independent pocket between Niðheimr.
Ryu had a lot of respect for those people and knew Xione personally. He could be confident in their safety while they were there, but that didn’t make this trip any more pleasant. Jórunnr was going to be marrying a brute. He couldn’t help but be upset, however it wasn’t his place to fight it. Besides, he already tried. His father discouraged him from pursuing any relations with the princess, and his mother offered to try and develop a spell to turn him into a magpie — both of which Ryutori was understandably apprehensive.
The entire trip was largely uneventful. While in the presence of the other two guards, neither Ryu or Jórunnr had the liberty to speak freely about the most dreaded meeting, but he could tell that she was unhappy. Every now and then, a merchant or a farmer would pull their cart along side the carriage and greet the princess.
By the time they got to the location of the meeting, it was early evening. The village was quaint, mostly populated by felines —a few other species wandering about between the crowd— but something threatened the peace. Xione’s inn was in sight, and there just along the road before the building was the aforementioned white cat of the north, the striking white tail prickled and straight.
“Didn’t anyone teach you that it was rude to mumble? If you’re gonna say something, say it to my face.” She hissed, bright blue eyes glaring at a small girl dressed in white. She stood before a carriage coloured shades of red and orange and pulled by two horses, clutching her hands and bowing her head in a frantic manor.
It didn’t take a genius to guess what was going on.
“Jórunnr, Omar will take you inside. Anita will take the bags, okay?” If he could meet with Lekan first before he had the chance to act with any disrespect…
… Why did Lekan have to say that?…
Between the two of them, Lekan was even worse at expressing himself to others. When they got here, he walked right past Miss Xione and her father and just entered the building. Of course, Xione got angry, and ordered that he apologize, and instead of just doing that, he told her that the place looked nice. It would have been fine if it weren’t for the look on his face and the way that he said it.
Okay, granted, he usually had a kind of angry looking face, but he sounded so sarcastic! It was because he was shy. Queen Akinyi was always really hard on him for it, and that never helped. That resulted in Lekan being… very socially inept. If one was to compare him to his sister, many would say that he was far more cruel and intimidating… But they never met them in person.
Ira was a million times more scary than Lekan.
Mayia was supposed to be a point of example for him. She was born on one of the last ranches throughout Vlamgali to get shut down and was rescued by one of the palace’s advisors, Methedaius. He taught her court manners and how to read and a bunch of useful stuff. She worked in the palace with the staff for a while, and once she had gotten use to life there, Vlamgali became home to her. Mayia was just a small tern, never met her parents, but she’d work hard for the sake of her home.
Lekan and his guard —a wolf named Arrow— were inside while Mayia stayed behind to settle Xione down… But she was still learning as well. Xione was so loud! And Mayia was having trouble raising her voice to match it to apologize for Lekan. Unfortunately, Xione took her timid voice as insult and only got louder, the ears atop Xione’s head pricked with her irritation.
Problems were expected… But for things to go this far so quickly didn’t give the little bird much hope for the rest of the trip.
Once she was settled inside, Ryu and the others piled on and their journey began. Anita, their bear, sat on a bench protruding out the back of the carriage. Omar sat up front with Ryu. It would take about a day to get to the checkpoint. There was a village that sat just on the border between both kingdoms that once pledged allegiance to an empire of the north, and in that village was an inn. To avoid becoming a constant target for either side, they became their own little independent pocket between Niðheimr.
Ryu had a lot of respect for those people and knew Xione personally. He could be confident in their safety while they were there, but that didn’t make this trip any more pleasant. Jórunnr was going to be marrying a brute. He couldn’t help but be upset, however it wasn’t his place to fight it. Besides, he already tried. His father discouraged him from pursuing any relations with the princess, and his mother offered to try and develop a spell to turn him into a magpie — both of which Ryutori was understandably apprehensive.
The entire trip was largely uneventful. While in the presence of the other two guards, neither Ryu or Jórunnr had the liberty to speak freely about the most dreaded meeting, but he could tell that she was unhappy. Every now and then, a merchant or a farmer would pull their cart along side the carriage and greet the princess.
By the time they got to the location of the meeting, it was early evening. The village was quaint, mostly populated by felines —a few other species wandering about between the crowd— but something threatened the peace. Xione’s inn was in sight, and there just along the road before the building was the aforementioned white cat of the north, the striking white tail prickled and straight.
“Didn’t anyone teach you that it was rude to mumble? If you’re gonna say something, say it to my face.” She hissed, bright blue eyes glaring at a small girl dressed in white. She stood before a carriage coloured shades of red and orange and pulled by two horses, clutching her hands and bowing her head in a frantic manor.
It didn’t take a genius to guess what was going on.
“Jórunnr, Omar will take you inside. Anita will take the bags, okay?” If he could meet with Lekan first before he had the chance to act with any disrespect…
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
… Why did Lekan have to say that?…
Between the two of them, Lekan was even worse at expressing himself to others. When they got here, he walked right past Miss Xione and her father and just entered the building. Of course, Xione got angry, and ordered that he apologize, and instead of just doing that, he told her that the place looked nice. It would have been fine if it weren’t for the look on his face and the way that he said it.
Okay, granted, he usually had a kind of angry looking face, but he sounded so sarcastic! It was because he was shy. Queen Akinyi was always really hard on him for it, and that never helped. That resulted in Lekan being… very socially inept. If one was to compare him to his sister, many would say that he was far more cruel and intimidating… But they never met them in person.
Ira was a million times more scary than Lekan.
Mayia was supposed to be a point of example for him. She was born on one of the last ranches throughout Vlamgali to get shut down and was rescued by one of the palace’s advisors, Methedaius. He taught her court manners and how to read and a bunch of useful stuff. She worked in the palace with the staff for a while, and once she had gotten use to life there, Vlamgali became home to her. Mayia was just a small tern, never met her parents, but she’d work hard for the sake of her home.
Lekan and his guard —a wolf named Arrow— were inside while Mayia stayed behind to settle Xione down… But she was still learning as well. Xione was so loud! And Mayia was having trouble raising her voice to match it to apologize for Lekan. Unfortunately, Xione took her timid voice as insult and only got louder, the ears atop Xione’s head pricked with her irritation.
Problems were expected… But for things to go this far so quickly didn’t give the little bird much hope for the rest of the trip.
Ryutori’s smile offered Jórunnr little comfort. She settled into the carriage in silence, having no desire to speak with anyone in the company. She was fully aware that none of this were their fault, but a part of her still wanted to blame them for making sure that the meeting between her and Lekan would actually happen. It made her feel as if she was a five year old throwing a tantrum.
Despite the journey being rather uneventful, she did enjoy the short distractions that the passing merchants and farmers gave her. While their conversations were brief and polite, it was still enough to take her mind of the meeting that was bound to happen sooner rather than later. Other than that, she stayed silent throughout the journey.
In an attempt to make time pass by faster, she braided her hair a couple of times. She knew wearing it down would send mixed signals. No proper woman wore their hair down, apparently only the courtesans wore their hair lose to show men that they were available. At least that is what her mother kept telling her when she was younger, every time she insisted that Jórunnr wore her hair as a proper woman. Now, as she was sitting in the carriage, she found herself not carrying about that anymore as she started undoing the braids again.
Her mother would have shed a tear.
She was half-asleep by the time the carriage stopped, having been lulled by the movements of the carriage. She peaked out of the window, a bit of her eager to see what was going on outside. She opened the door to the carriage and stepped outside.
A white cat, who she figured would be miss Xione, seemed to be arguing with a girl dressed in white. She had never met Xione personally, but she had heard stories about her. The two of them seemed to be in the middle of what she would classify as an argument. Judging by the carriage next to them, she didn’t have a hard time figuring out what might have caused the commotion.
Before she got around to asking any questions, Ryutori already seemed to be handing out orders. She looked to Omar, who she followed towards the inn. She was much more interested in taking in her new surroundings rather than having to go inside of the inn.
“Thank you,” she said as Omar opened the door for her as she stepped inside. Whatever conflicting feelings she had before about this meeting, seemed to have been forgotten at least for a moment. A soft smile graced her lips by the momentary peace inside of her.
The peace was abruptly disrupted when her eyes felt on who she assumed was Lekan. She felt herself tense up for a moment, holding her breath, before visibly relaxing. Her first instinct was to run out of the door and fly away, but she knew she couldn’t do that. Not to her kingdom nor to her pride. So there she was, almost frozen in place, unsure of how to proceed. She had very limited knowledge about the manners and traditions of Vlamgali. It seemed as the most sensible thing to keep her mouth shut for now.
Despite the journey being rather uneventful, she did enjoy the short distractions that the passing merchants and farmers gave her. While their conversations were brief and polite, it was still enough to take her mind of the meeting that was bound to happen sooner rather than later. Other than that, she stayed silent throughout the journey.
In an attempt to make time pass by faster, she braided her hair a couple of times. She knew wearing it down would send mixed signals. No proper woman wore their hair down, apparently only the courtesans wore their hair lose to show men that they were available. At least that is what her mother kept telling her when she was younger, every time she insisted that Jórunnr wore her hair as a proper woman. Now, as she was sitting in the carriage, she found herself not carrying about that anymore as she started undoing the braids again.
Her mother would have shed a tear.
She was half-asleep by the time the carriage stopped, having been lulled by the movements of the carriage. She peaked out of the window, a bit of her eager to see what was going on outside. She opened the door to the carriage and stepped outside.
A white cat, who she figured would be miss Xione, seemed to be arguing with a girl dressed in white. She had never met Xione personally, but she had heard stories about her. The two of them seemed to be in the middle of what she would classify as an argument. Judging by the carriage next to them, she didn’t have a hard time figuring out what might have caused the commotion.
Before she got around to asking any questions, Ryutori already seemed to be handing out orders. She looked to Omar, who she followed towards the inn. She was much more interested in taking in her new surroundings rather than having to go inside of the inn.
“Thank you,” she said as Omar opened the door for her as she stepped inside. Whatever conflicting feelings she had before about this meeting, seemed to have been forgotten at least for a moment. A soft smile graced her lips by the momentary peace inside of her.
The peace was abruptly disrupted when her eyes felt on who she assumed was Lekan. She felt herself tense up for a moment, holding her breath, before visibly relaxing. Her first instinct was to run out of the door and fly away, but she knew she couldn’t do that. Not to her kingdom nor to her pride. So there she was, almost frozen in place, unsure of how to proceed. She had very limited knowledge about the manners and traditions of Vlamgali. It seemed as the most sensible thing to keep her mouth shut for now.
Marriage… Really? Marriage? That was the solution? And choosing him had to be the most idiotic move. Sure, Ira was already married, but she was going to have a child in the fall. Marry off that little monster. With a disgruntled sigh, Lekan leaned himself against the closest wall as soon as he was behind closed doors. He understood why this was chosen above all else, but that didn’t stop him from being angry about it.
But if it meant that they could expand and cut down the shortages, then he didn’t really have the liberty.
“Y’know you should be the one to apologize.” Arrow smirked, his dirty blonde ears twitching with a sense of self-importance. “Instead, you leave the little bird to do it. She’s scared of her own shadow. She’s just going to make it worse.”
Sure the thought occurred to him, but if he didn’t let her do anything, then there wouldn’t have been any point to her coming. Father had Methedaius’ student come purely to give the Niðheimrs… Niðheimites?… Niðheimians… Whatever! Father wanted them to give a good impression. She was basically meant to be a statue of niceness here and had no other real duties than to look sweet. It was ridiculous! And it made Lekan feel uneasy to have someone so motivated here to do nothing at all.
“Just leave it.”
Creeping uncomfortably close, Arrow huffed. “No way. You should be better at making decisions like this. You are a prince. Heir to the throne.”
Now that got Lekan’s blood boiling. “You better shut up about that.” He shoved Arrow back, meaning it as a playful gesture, but he underestimated the amount of force he was using and pushed Arrow right into the wall across from him.
The impact of Arrow’s body against the wall was enough to leave some cracks. Lekan, as soon as he noticed his friend hunched against the wall, stared with eyes wide and full of regret. To make matters worse, someone came in. Someone who wasn’t from Vlamgali.
“You really gotta-”
“Shut up.” Lekan snapped down at Arrow, not wanting to create a misunderstanding. He was panicking, his brow furrowed in thought. Stood in the doorway was pretty young bird and a kind of sketchy looking snake… They had to be the Niðheimr representatives. Shit. And in the lobby, brushing some debris from his hair, was Arrow, a wolf that Lekan just launched into the wall. This looked bad. Really bad. And how did he decide to deal with it?
Run.
Lekan left the room without speaking another word, leaning down to grab Arrow by the arm, lift him up, and pull him along for their retreat.
But if it meant that they could expand and cut down the shortages, then he didn’t really have the liberty.
“Y’know you should be the one to apologize.” Arrow smirked, his dirty blonde ears twitching with a sense of self-importance. “Instead, you leave the little bird to do it. She’s scared of her own shadow. She’s just going to make it worse.”
Sure the thought occurred to him, but if he didn’t let her do anything, then there wouldn’t have been any point to her coming. Father had Methedaius’ student come purely to give the Niðheimrs… Niðheimites?… Niðheimians… Whatever! Father wanted them to give a good impression. She was basically meant to be a statue of niceness here and had no other real duties than to look sweet. It was ridiculous! And it made Lekan feel uneasy to have someone so motivated here to do nothing at all.
“Just leave it.”
Creeping uncomfortably close, Arrow huffed. “No way. You should be better at making decisions like this. You are a prince. Heir to the throne.”
Now that got Lekan’s blood boiling. “You better shut up about that.” He shoved Arrow back, meaning it as a playful gesture, but he underestimated the amount of force he was using and pushed Arrow right into the wall across from him.
The impact of Arrow’s body against the wall was enough to leave some cracks. Lekan, as soon as he noticed his friend hunched against the wall, stared with eyes wide and full of regret. To make matters worse, someone came in. Someone who wasn’t from Vlamgali.
“You really gotta-”
“Shut up.” Lekan snapped down at Arrow, not wanting to create a misunderstanding. He was panicking, his brow furrowed in thought. Stood in the doorway was pretty young bird and a kind of sketchy looking snake… They had to be the Niðheimr representatives. Shit. And in the lobby, brushing some debris from his hair, was Arrow, a wolf that Lekan just launched into the wall. This looked bad. Really bad. And how did he decide to deal with it?
Run.
Lekan left the room without speaking another word, leaning down to grab Arrow by the arm, lift him up, and pull him along for their retreat.
Jórunnr wasn’t entirely too sure what had played out in front of her, but before she could say anything, the bird and the wolf were on their way. Without thinking about it, she had already walked halfway through the room to stop them, before she felt a hand grab her arm. It made her turn her head, only to be faced with Omar, who had decided to step in.
“I would advise against following them.”
Jórunnr huffed as she turned her head. Whatever nervousness she had had about this meeting was suddenly gone, and had instead been replaced by irritation and being mildly pissed off. How dared he simply walk out on her like that? What kind of cowardly retreat was that supposed to be?
“I am sure you do,” she mumbled to herself, but stayed in place once Omar decided to let go of her arm. She heard the door open behind her, but she figured it to most likely be Anita with the bags. She folded her arms over her chest, maybe squeezing her own arms a bit too tightly while doing so. She shifted her weight somewhat.
This entire ordeal was already starting to feel like a mess to her. Lekan certainly didn’t know how to make a very good first impression. Sure, this would most likely turn into a lasting impression but she doubted in any way good.
She could feel the irritation slowly subdue as she let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. She doesn’t have time to keep holding onto these feelings, and if – when – they marry, she might as well try to make the best of it. She hated herself for having agreed to that, but she knew it’d make it easier for both of them.
“I would advise against following them.”
Jórunnr huffed as she turned her head. Whatever nervousness she had had about this meeting was suddenly gone, and had instead been replaced by irritation and being mildly pissed off. How dared he simply walk out on her like that? What kind of cowardly retreat was that supposed to be?
“I am sure you do,” she mumbled to herself, but stayed in place once Omar decided to let go of her arm. She heard the door open behind her, but she figured it to most likely be Anita with the bags. She folded her arms over her chest, maybe squeezing her own arms a bit too tightly while doing so. She shifted her weight somewhat.
This entire ordeal was already starting to feel like a mess to her. Lekan certainly didn’t know how to make a very good first impression. Sure, this would most likely turn into a lasting impression but she doubted in any way good.
She could feel the irritation slowly subdue as she let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. She doesn’t have time to keep holding onto these feelings, and if – when – they marry, she might as well try to make the best of it. She hated herself for having agreed to that, but she knew it’d make it easier for both of them.
The fight between Xione and the Vlamgalian servant, Mayia, was far more arbitrary than Ryu expected. He came over expecting that Lekan had caused her irritation, but that was only half of it. The other half was Mayia’s mumbling and timidness.
The green haired man let out a sigh of impatience. At least he could find comfort in the knowledge that the citizens of their opposition were not as volatile as he expected. In fact, Xione may have been the one with a bit of an issue here.
“Let’s all just go inside and get settled. It’s been a long day and I’d like for the night to be peaceful.”
At Ryu’s suggestion, Xione agreed to let her annoyances rest. They had a week or so to get to know each other. Best make use of that time instead of piling all of the stress on right from the get go. It was a bit of drama that he was glad ended quickly, but now he had to worry about having made a bad decision. The idea of Jórunnr being anywhere near Lekan without him at her side made him nervous.
Yeah… He knew that she could take care of herself, but he couldn’t help but worry for her. As strong as she was, there were times that he knew that she could get a little carried away or get in over her head. Ryutori left the girls to do their jobs and promptly returned to Jórunnr’s side only to see Omar looking slightly disturbed.
“Is everything all right?”
“In a sense. Although, at first glance Prince Lekan looks more like a bull than a bird.” Omar spoke reluctantly, his eyes glancing back at a dent made in the wall.
“Did the prince do that?”
“At this rate, you’re going to end up being the cause of any war. You do know that, right.” The sarcasm from Arrow was not needed right now. “You promised your father that you’d make this work. Do you really want your mother to re-establish the ranches?”
Letting go of Arrow’s arm, Lekan finally slowed to a stop. Without a room key, there wasn’t anywhere really private that they could go, so Lekan had dragged Arrow into a stairwell. Here for less than an hour and things were already a mess. If he thought that the panic on the way here was bad, tension like this was enough to make even the strongest of men feel the need to throw up. Though, that wasn’t very princely of him, now was it.
“They’re here early…” Lekan sighed, “Do you really think I’d be ready? It’s all really sudden.”
“We planned this meeting a month in advance and you’ve been taking etiquette lessons for years, man.” Arrow’s words of condescending wisdom only made Lekan feel worse. “This is for your people as much as theirs. Remember why we’re here. You need to be more confident.”
Yeah… Remember… If Lekan were more princely and noble, then this wedding would’ve happened by now. If he were someone who could throw himself into the state of mind required to run a country, then he probably could have met this girl on their wedding day and been fine with going through with this, but he wasn’t that type of person. He just wanted to be able to protect his people. If they could get by without having to eat each other from time to time, then everything would be okay, but life made things complicated.
“Tomorrow… I’ll apologize tomorrow. Until then… check in for us. I’ll wait here.” Lekan crossed his arms for comfort and leaned his back against the closest wall. The trip took two days from the palace in Vuurdor, and the unpleasantness of their arrival just drained Lekan emotionally. He may have been a soldier for most of his life, but that didn’t prepare him for the delicacies of… court matters.
The green haired man let out a sigh of impatience. At least he could find comfort in the knowledge that the citizens of their opposition were not as volatile as he expected. In fact, Xione may have been the one with a bit of an issue here.
“Let’s all just go inside and get settled. It’s been a long day and I’d like for the night to be peaceful.”
At Ryu’s suggestion, Xione agreed to let her annoyances rest. They had a week or so to get to know each other. Best make use of that time instead of piling all of the stress on right from the get go. It was a bit of drama that he was glad ended quickly, but now he had to worry about having made a bad decision. The idea of Jórunnr being anywhere near Lekan without him at her side made him nervous.
Yeah… He knew that she could take care of herself, but he couldn’t help but worry for her. As strong as she was, there were times that he knew that she could get a little carried away or get in over her head. Ryutori left the girls to do their jobs and promptly returned to Jórunnr’s side only to see Omar looking slightly disturbed.
“Is everything all right?”
“In a sense. Although, at first glance Prince Lekan looks more like a bull than a bird.” Omar spoke reluctantly, his eyes glancing back at a dent made in the wall.
“Did the prince do that?”
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
“At this rate, you’re going to end up being the cause of any war. You do know that, right.” The sarcasm from Arrow was not needed right now. “You promised your father that you’d make this work. Do you really want your mother to re-establish the ranches?”
Letting go of Arrow’s arm, Lekan finally slowed to a stop. Without a room key, there wasn’t anywhere really private that they could go, so Lekan had dragged Arrow into a stairwell. Here for less than an hour and things were already a mess. If he thought that the panic on the way here was bad, tension like this was enough to make even the strongest of men feel the need to throw up. Though, that wasn’t very princely of him, now was it.
“They’re here early…” Lekan sighed, “Do you really think I’d be ready? It’s all really sudden.”
“We planned this meeting a month in advance and you’ve been taking etiquette lessons for years, man.” Arrow’s words of condescending wisdom only made Lekan feel worse. “This is for your people as much as theirs. Remember why we’re here. You need to be more confident.”
Yeah… Remember… If Lekan were more princely and noble, then this wedding would’ve happened by now. If he were someone who could throw himself into the state of mind required to run a country, then he probably could have met this girl on their wedding day and been fine with going through with this, but he wasn’t that type of person. He just wanted to be able to protect his people. If they could get by without having to eat each other from time to time, then everything would be okay, but life made things complicated.
“Tomorrow… I’ll apologize tomorrow. Until then… check in for us. I’ll wait here.” Lekan crossed his arms for comfort and leaned his back against the closest wall. The trip took two days from the palace in Vuurdor, and the unpleasantness of their arrival just drained Lekan emotionally. He may have been a soldier for most of his life, but that didn’t prepare him for the delicacies of… court matters.
Jórunnr started to feel more and more drained by the time Ryutori joined them inside of the inn. She had no proper way to deal with the emotional turmoil rolling through her right now. She just wanted to go home and stay under her covers, never having to think about this again.
“Whatever damage that has been done to the establish by.. my betrothed, we will cover the expenses,” she said tiredly. She felt that was the easiest way to deal with this. Judging by what she caught a glimpse of outside, Lekan and his people already doesn’t seem to be on the best of terms with Xione. She needs no need for that to get any worse than it already is.
Her eyes were fixed on a spot on one of the walls. Not very interesting, but it was a hell of a lot easier to keep looking at it than having to face the others in the room right now. Especially Ryutori. He didn’t deserve to be dragged through this with her, but here he was by her side as always.
“And please, get me a room, Ryu.”
Betrothed.. even the word felt weird in her mouth, as if it didn’t quite fit. To her the word was something ominous, something she didn’t want to be a part of her life. While she wanted to believe it wasn’t as bad as she made it out to be, she had little to prove her otherwise. The dent in the wall certainly didn’t speak in Lekan’s favor.
Maybe she’d feel better by the morning. She hoped she’d feel better by the morning. They had all had a long day, and while she was probably the one in the company who was the most on edge, she doubted the others wouldn’t welcome some sort of break from this mess.
“Whatever damage that has been done to the establish by.. my betrothed, we will cover the expenses,” she said tiredly. She felt that was the easiest way to deal with this. Judging by what she caught a glimpse of outside, Lekan and his people already doesn’t seem to be on the best of terms with Xione. She needs no need for that to get any worse than it already is.
Her eyes were fixed on a spot on one of the walls. Not very interesting, but it was a hell of a lot easier to keep looking at it than having to face the others in the room right now. Especially Ryutori. He didn’t deserve to be dragged through this with her, but here he was by her side as always.
“And please, get me a room, Ryu.”
Betrothed.. even the word felt weird in her mouth, as if it didn’t quite fit. To her the word was something ominous, something she didn’t want to be a part of her life. While she wanted to believe it wasn’t as bad as she made it out to be, she had little to prove her otherwise. The dent in the wall certainly didn’t speak in Lekan’s favor.
Maybe she’d feel better by the morning. She hoped she’d feel better by the morning. They had all had a long day, and while she was probably the one in the company who was the most on edge, she doubted the others wouldn’t welcome some sort of break from this mess.
Well this was an unfortunate turn of events. But it was better than he had hoped. At least the only thing that got damaged was a wall — that he could see. Under this set of circumstances, choosing a suitable course of action was always going to be difficult, but his first priority was Jórunnr’s well being.
As she began to speak, he could already tell what she was going to say. Even he was starting to lose his composure, going so far as to place his hand to his forehead to suppress a growing headache.
“Of course. Right away.” Ryu replied, relaxing at the prospect of work. There was still time for them to rise above his expectations. Getting worked up about it now was only going to cause even more problems.
Barkov wasn’t minding the counter as he usually would have. If he remembered correctly, then Barkov would most likely be in the dining hall at this time. He was just about to pass through the threshold into the next room when he practically slammed into the very man he was looking for.
“Mr. Anguis!” Barkov didn’t give Ryutori the chance to stand back and greet him. Despite Barkov being significantly shorter than him, Ryu was lifted off his feet in a hug “It’s good to see you again!”
“Yeah. Good to see you, too.” Ryu laughed, as the old cat let him down. “I’m signing in under the Kyn reservation. And… to pay for the damage to your wall.”
“Damage?”
Ryu had the misfortune of directing Barkov’s attention to the section of wall that was cracked, the indentation of a shoulder now carved into the wood. The look on Barkov’s face was less of anger and more of sadness.
“I apologize for any inconvenience.”
“No, no. All is well..” Barkov had the patience of a saint, already moving to the counter and fetching some keys. “Sign here. Hello, sir.” As Ryu signed for the rooms, a blonde wolf approached the counter.
“Yeah. Paying for the damage to the wall. Sorry about that.”
“Oh? But…”
“Here. Just attach it to the end of our rooms. I’m checking in the Imamu party.” He wasn’t a bird… Wait… The man wore a tawny leather vest over a plain white shirt. He didn’t dress like a soldier or nobility, but what really caught Ryu’s attention was the deep red bruise forming along his neck and shoulder.
As she began to speak, he could already tell what she was going to say. Even he was starting to lose his composure, going so far as to place his hand to his forehead to suppress a growing headache.
“Of course. Right away.” Ryu replied, relaxing at the prospect of work. There was still time for them to rise above his expectations. Getting worked up about it now was only going to cause even more problems.
Barkov wasn’t minding the counter as he usually would have. If he remembered correctly, then Barkov would most likely be in the dining hall at this time. He was just about to pass through the threshold into the next room when he practically slammed into the very man he was looking for.
“Mr. Anguis!” Barkov didn’t give Ryutori the chance to stand back and greet him. Despite Barkov being significantly shorter than him, Ryu was lifted off his feet in a hug “It’s good to see you again!”
“Yeah. Good to see you, too.” Ryu laughed, as the old cat let him down. “I’m signing in under the Kyn reservation. And… to pay for the damage to your wall.”
“Damage?”
Ryu had the misfortune of directing Barkov’s attention to the section of wall that was cracked, the indentation of a shoulder now carved into the wood. The look on Barkov’s face was less of anger and more of sadness.
“I apologize for any inconvenience.”
“No, no. All is well..” Barkov had the patience of a saint, already moving to the counter and fetching some keys. “Sign here. Hello, sir.” As Ryu signed for the rooms, a blonde wolf approached the counter.
“Yeah. Paying for the damage to the wall. Sorry about that.”
“Oh? But…”
“Here. Just attach it to the end of our rooms. I’m checking in the Imamu party.” He wasn’t a bird… Wait… The man wore a tawny leather vest over a plain white shirt. He didn’t dress like a soldier or nobility, but what really caught Ryu’s attention was the deep red bruise forming along his neck and shoulder.
“Thank you,” Jórunnr replied absent-mindedly. Her eyes flickered from the spot on the wall to the dent instead. She listened halfheartedly to the conversation shared between Ryutori and a man who was apparently named Mr. Anguis. He sounded nice, at least from what she could gather from the conversation.
She walked over to the dented wall, before running her fingers over the damage. While she did walk in on.. whatever was happening, it still seemed like an overreaction. The only thought that really crossed her mind was that hopefully she wouldn’t be the one smacked into a wall one day.
She frowned softly when a third person seemed to join the conversation by the counter. She recognized the wolf from earlier. She considered talking to him for a second, clearing things up a little bit. She tapped her fingers lightly against the dent.
In the end, what did she have to lose anyway?
“Excuse me,” she said as she walked over towards the counter. If anything was to happen, at least Ryutori was within reach. She stopped a few feet away from the wolf, folding her arms over her chest. “Can I take a moment of your time, please?”
She felt as if she didn’t quite think this through for a second. Not that it’d be the first time she had done something like this, but she knew she’d have to tread lightly to not accidentally offend anyone. Starting a war over a misunderstanding isn’t something she wanted.
She walked over to the dented wall, before running her fingers over the damage. While she did walk in on.. whatever was happening, it still seemed like an overreaction. The only thought that really crossed her mind was that hopefully she wouldn’t be the one smacked into a wall one day.
She frowned softly when a third person seemed to join the conversation by the counter. She recognized the wolf from earlier. She considered talking to him for a second, clearing things up a little bit. She tapped her fingers lightly against the dent.
In the end, what did she have to lose anyway?
“Excuse me,” she said as she walked over towards the counter. If anything was to happen, at least Ryutori was within reach. She stopped a few feet away from the wolf, folding her arms over her chest. “Can I take a moment of your time, please?”
She felt as if she didn’t quite think this through for a second. Not that it’d be the first time she had done something like this, but she knew she’d have to tread lightly to not accidentally offend anyone. Starting a war over a misunderstanding isn’t something she wanted.
Arrow had the feeling that he just walked in on something awkward. Best not pay attention to it for now. It was probably because of Lekan’s stupid mistake judging from the red-head prodding at the dent in the wall, but the big idiot said that he’d apologize, so he took him at his word. And if he didn’t, this wolf was going to be paying Lekan back for the numbed he did on his shoulder. It was going to be aching for the rest of the night.
“Thanks.” Arrow said as soon as he got the keys to the three rooms they had rented for the stay. The very flashily dressed bloke in green looked like he had something to say, and Arrow was far more interested in making sure that his charge wasn’t going to throw up on the floor somewhere out of nervousness.
Of course, he didn’t get the opportunity when yet another bird decided to cross his path. Avians were awfully chatty creatures, weren’t they. But he couldn’t just tell her no. If she was anything like the royal women of Vlamgali, then he would have some hell to pay just by saying no.
“Gimme just one second, your highness.” Arrow spoke while masking his distaste for dealing with these situations. Arrow headed straight for the entrance. Just as he expected, there was a pile of their luggage just outside rather than in the lobby, and Mayia was out there talking with the horses while they parked the carriage. “Hey, Mai.” Arrow called, holding up the keys for her to take. As per usual, the servant girl panicked for a second before coming up to him. “Take these to Lekan. One room for him, one for the girls, one for the boys. Lekan is by some stairs. Got it?”
As soon as he got that nod to approval, he entered the inn with the girl and pointed her in the general direction she needed to go with those keys. Even she couldn’t get lost in a place this small.
“What can I do for you, ma’am?”
“Thanks.” Arrow said as soon as he got the keys to the three rooms they had rented for the stay. The very flashily dressed bloke in green looked like he had something to say, and Arrow was far more interested in making sure that his charge wasn’t going to throw up on the floor somewhere out of nervousness.
Of course, he didn’t get the opportunity when yet another bird decided to cross his path. Avians were awfully chatty creatures, weren’t they. But he couldn’t just tell her no. If she was anything like the royal women of Vlamgali, then he would have some hell to pay just by saying no.
“Gimme just one second, your highness.” Arrow spoke while masking his distaste for dealing with these situations. Arrow headed straight for the entrance. Just as he expected, there was a pile of their luggage just outside rather than in the lobby, and Mayia was out there talking with the horses while they parked the carriage. “Hey, Mai.” Arrow called, holding up the keys for her to take. As per usual, the servant girl panicked for a second before coming up to him. “Take these to Lekan. One room for him, one for the girls, one for the boys. Lekan is by some stairs. Got it?”
As soon as he got that nod to approval, he entered the inn with the girl and pointed her in the general direction she needed to go with those keys. Even she couldn’t get lost in a place this small.
“What can I do for you, ma’am?”
“Of course, take your time.”
While Jórunnr liked it when people listened to what she said and actually did what they were told by her, she did respect a no. People were sometimes simply too busy to chitchat with her, even if she was royalty. It was nothing she took as a personal offence.
She watched the wolf leave the inn and left out a sigh. He seemed civil enough, at least more than the bird with him judging by what she has seem of both of them. She could be wrong in her judgement, though. It has been known to happen, even if it was something she wasn’t proud to admit.
When the wolf returned to the inn again, she had zoned out enough to look somewhat startled for a moment when he suddenly spoke to her again. It took her a few seconds to regain her posture. She felt a bit too tired to have this conversation, but she did start it after all, and it’d be rude to simply walk away from it.
“I was simply wondering if there was some sort of explanation to..,” she said as she made a gesture towards the wall and then the wolf again, “whatever happened. Of course, it is not my place to pry..” she shrugged softly while speaking. If the wolf didn’t wish to talk about it, she wasn’t going to press the matter even further. She knew nothing worse herself than when somebody didn’t take a no for an answer and just kept pushing for a response that fitted their criteria.
“And please, don’t call me ma’am. It makes me feel ancient,” she huffed with a soft headshake. She’d rather be without all the formalities but she knew it was what to be expected. It was the polite thing to do after all.
While Jórunnr liked it when people listened to what she said and actually did what they were told by her, she did respect a no. People were sometimes simply too busy to chitchat with her, even if she was royalty. It was nothing she took as a personal offence.
She watched the wolf leave the inn and left out a sigh. He seemed civil enough, at least more than the bird with him judging by what she has seem of both of them. She could be wrong in her judgement, though. It has been known to happen, even if it was something she wasn’t proud to admit.
When the wolf returned to the inn again, she had zoned out enough to look somewhat startled for a moment when he suddenly spoke to her again. It took her a few seconds to regain her posture. She felt a bit too tired to have this conversation, but she did start it after all, and it’d be rude to simply walk away from it.
“I was simply wondering if there was some sort of explanation to..,” she said as she made a gesture towards the wall and then the wolf again, “whatever happened. Of course, it is not my place to pry..” she shrugged softly while speaking. If the wolf didn’t wish to talk about it, she wasn’t going to press the matter even further. She knew nothing worse herself than when somebody didn’t take a no for an answer and just kept pushing for a response that fitted their criteria.
“And please, don’t call me ma’am. It makes me feel ancient,” she huffed with a soft headshake. She’d rather be without all the formalities but she knew it was what to be expected. It was the polite thing to do after all.
Ryutori stood by, handing Anita and Omar the keys to their respective rooms and sending them off to bring their luggage. He could take care of Jórunnr’s once all this was over. Speaking with a Vlamgalian wolf had him nervous. It didn’t take long for him to come back, though, so at least he got points for promptness.
Ryu’s eyes flipped their focus from the wolf, to Jórunnr’s gestures, then back to the wolf as she asked for some kind of explanation. The wolf looked amused, and with Jórunnr’s casual tone, the wolf seemed to relax from his professional demeanour in favour for one more fitting for a street tough.
“You’re way too young to be feeling ancient. Call me Arrow. I take it that I was right to just assume you were the princess.” The wolf smirked down at her, his tail lulling about behind him. “Just a bit of roughhousing. There are times that Lekan doesn’t know his own strength, but he meant no harm by it.” Arrow had this cocky look upon his face, a way about him that made him seem like he thought he could do anything and everything.
“Is your shoulder okay?” Ryu added in.
“It’ll be fine. Just a little tender. Which reminds me…” Turning towards Barkov, Arrow raised a hand to catch his attention. “If you have any ice to spare, that’d be great.”
Ryu’s eyes flipped their focus from the wolf, to Jórunnr’s gestures, then back to the wolf as she asked for some kind of explanation. The wolf looked amused, and with Jórunnr’s casual tone, the wolf seemed to relax from his professional demeanour in favour for one more fitting for a street tough.
“You’re way too young to be feeling ancient. Call me Arrow. I take it that I was right to just assume you were the princess.” The wolf smirked down at her, his tail lulling about behind him. “Just a bit of roughhousing. There are times that Lekan doesn’t know his own strength, but he meant no harm by it.” Arrow had this cocky look upon his face, a way about him that made him seem like he thought he could do anything and everything.
“Is your shoulder okay?” Ryu added in.
“It’ll be fine. Just a little tender. Which reminds me…” Turning towards Barkov, Arrow raised a hand to catch his attention. “If you have any ice to spare, that’d be great.”
“Arrow,” Jórunnr repeated to herself, hoping that it’d stick and she’d remember by tomorrow. “And you were right in your assumption, but I’d prefer if you simply called me Jórunnr.” She frowned softly when the wolf continued to talk. It seemed a bit.. unnecessary but she decided not to word herself like that. “That is a relief at least.”
She watched the wolf for a bit. She wasn’t a fan of his general attitude, but all people were different as they say. He didn’t seem as a bad person at least. Maybe a bit too full of himself, but other than that she didn’t have much to say about him.
“I won’t take anymore of your time, but thank you for the honesty,” she said as she stepped back a few steps and looked at Ryutori. She’d like to go and get some rest rather than having to hang around here for much longer. She got some of all her doubts cleared out – at least somewhat.
She knew not to trust what people said straight ahead if there had been others involved as well. People did have different motives after all, and she somehow wouldn’t be surprised to find the wolf covering for the bird.
“Can I have the key to my room?” she asked Ryutori, as she shifted her weight a bit. She would like to talk to him in private, but she knew that today may not be the best day to have a conversation like that. She feels too drained, but she has a feeling that she’d always feel that if she knew what kind of conversation was coming up.
She watched the wolf for a bit. She wasn’t a fan of his general attitude, but all people were different as they say. He didn’t seem as a bad person at least. Maybe a bit too full of himself, but other than that she didn’t have much to say about him.
“I won’t take anymore of your time, but thank you for the honesty,” she said as she stepped back a few steps and looked at Ryutori. She’d like to go and get some rest rather than having to hang around here for much longer. She got some of all her doubts cleared out – at least somewhat.
She knew not to trust what people said straight ahead if there had been others involved as well. People did have different motives after all, and she somehow wouldn’t be surprised to find the wolf covering for the bird.
“Can I have the key to my room?” she asked Ryutori, as she shifted her weight a bit. She would like to talk to him in private, but she knew that today may not be the best day to have a conversation like that. She feels too drained, but she has a feeling that she’d always feel that if she knew what kind of conversation was coming up.
“I’ll keep it in mind. But for now, I’ll stick to Princess for official reasons.” Arrow explained before taking a half-bow at Jórunnr’s thanks. The wolf certainly didn’t waste any time heading outside. Probably to tend to whatever duties he had to his charge.
There were many kinds of people, and he supposed that Arrow and Mayia weren’t all bad. There was a time when Ryu wasn’t as… competent as he was today. A time when he could be considered a menace, so he was willing to give some the benefit of the doubt, but when he was a little terror, he was just a kid. He was still pretty cautious about the idea of meeting Lekan formally.
Handing Jórunnr her key, Ryu picked up her bags. “Things will turn out for the better.” He sighed, making sure that the bags were secure before waiting for Jórunnr to lead the way.
As soon as they were in a more private location, he let himself speak freely. “So what are you thinking?…” He asked cautiously. He knew that this weighed on her more than she let on. Her parents weren’t too happy with the attitude she took on trying to prevent the betrothal. He wasn’t too happy about it either… And boy would have loved to say something about that right about now.
There were many kinds of people, and he supposed that Arrow and Mayia weren’t all bad. There was a time when Ryu wasn’t as… competent as he was today. A time when he could be considered a menace, so he was willing to give some the benefit of the doubt, but when he was a little terror, he was just a kid. He was still pretty cautious about the idea of meeting Lekan formally.
Handing Jórunnr her key, Ryu picked up her bags. “Things will turn out for the better.” He sighed, making sure that the bags were secure before waiting for Jórunnr to lead the way.
As soon as they were in a more private location, he let himself speak freely. “So what are you thinking?…” He asked cautiously. He knew that this weighed on her more than she let on. Her parents weren’t too happy with the attitude she took on trying to prevent the betrothal. He wasn’t too happy about it either… And boy would have loved to say something about that right about now.
Jórunnr accepted the key handed to her. She shrugged to Ryutori’s words, not sure whether or not things would turn out for the better. It certainly didn’t feel as if they would.
Finding the room proved to be easy. It was a small place after all, and a part of her was thankful for that. She’d probably have started to complain if she had had to walk around the entire inn to find her room. The room itself was cozy. It wasn’t as spacious as she was used to, but under the current circumstances it didn’t bother her at all. The bed looked so soft and inviting, making her sigh in longing after some sleep.
“Honestly..” she started out slowly, “I’ve been trying not to think too much about it.” She knew ignoring it wasn’t going to make it go away, but it made it a bit easier for her to deal with, not having to think about it constantly. She ran her hand through her hair, before she ended up looking over at Ryutori.
“That doesn’t mean that I approve of what is going to happen, but as much as I hate to admit it, it’s very much out of my hands.” She sat down on the edge of the bed as she spoke. She knew that her parents wouldn’t change their mind unless there was a very good reason to. It was her happiness over the lives of many. It wasn’t because it had been a hard choice to make.
She ran her hands down over her face, before she stretched out her legs in front of her. She wasn’t looking forward to tomorrow, but her and Lekan would simply have to make the betrothal work somehow, even if it turned out that they couldn’t stand each other.
Finding the room proved to be easy. It was a small place after all, and a part of her was thankful for that. She’d probably have started to complain if she had had to walk around the entire inn to find her room. The room itself was cozy. It wasn’t as spacious as she was used to, but under the current circumstances it didn’t bother her at all. The bed looked so soft and inviting, making her sigh in longing after some sleep.
“Honestly..” she started out slowly, “I’ve been trying not to think too much about it.” She knew ignoring it wasn’t going to make it go away, but it made it a bit easier for her to deal with, not having to think about it constantly. She ran her hand through her hair, before she ended up looking over at Ryutori.
“That doesn’t mean that I approve of what is going to happen, but as much as I hate to admit it, it’s very much out of my hands.” She sat down on the edge of the bed as she spoke. She knew that her parents wouldn’t change their mind unless there was a very good reason to. It was her happiness over the lives of many. It wasn’t because it had been a hard choice to make.
She ran her hands down over her face, before she stretched out her legs in front of her. She wasn’t looking forward to tomorrow, but her and Lekan would simply have to make the betrothal work somehow, even if it turned out that they couldn’t stand each other.
Ryu could see the fatigue weighing down his princess. She looked so run down and it wasn’t even the first day and even he felt like he could sleep the rest of the week and still need more. He couldn’t even imagine the stress she was going through. For the balance between two kingdoms to rely on her…
He set her things down by the bed, Ryu watched as Jórunnr made the effort to relax. “If there was anything I could do to stop it, I would have, believe me.” He said, glad that they were alone. He always hated the formality of nobility, but as a nobleman’s son, it was his duty. But here, alone with the girl he loved, he felt more at relaxed. Relaxed enough to sit himself down on the floor.
Ryutori, with his long legs, was a little awkward looking on the floor, but he wanted to spend some time with Jórunnr before having to surveying the area. And when he got the chance to sleep, he was going to be sharing a room with Omar and two other men. He didn’t know about the oxen, but Omar snored like a cranky bear.
“If Lekan turns out to be a jerk, then I’ll just have to replace him.” Ryu said with a smirk. It was a little joke, though… If he could, he would. But then that would cause a lot of political problems and if anyone found out then war wasn’t the only thing they’d have to worry about.
Regardless, of their distain towards the situation, Ryutori wanted to lighten the air, even if it was just a little bit. He wanted to be able to hang out with Jórunnr like they did before things got so complicated. If only they could go back to being teens. There were responsibilities and lessons then, but at least they had the time to just be themselves without any interference from… things like this.
He set her things down by the bed, Ryu watched as Jórunnr made the effort to relax. “If there was anything I could do to stop it, I would have, believe me.” He said, glad that they were alone. He always hated the formality of nobility, but as a nobleman’s son, it was his duty. But here, alone with the girl he loved, he felt more at relaxed. Relaxed enough to sit himself down on the floor.
Ryutori, with his long legs, was a little awkward looking on the floor, but he wanted to spend some time with Jórunnr before having to surveying the area. And when he got the chance to sleep, he was going to be sharing a room with Omar and two other men. He didn’t know about the oxen, but Omar snored like a cranky bear.
“If Lekan turns out to be a jerk, then I’ll just have to replace him.” Ryu said with a smirk. It was a little joke, though… If he could, he would. But then that would cause a lot of political problems and if anyone found out then war wasn’t the only thing they’d have to worry about.
Regardless, of their distain towards the situation, Ryutori wanted to lighten the air, even if it was just a little bit. He wanted to be able to hang out with Jórunnr like they did before things got so complicated. If only they could go back to being teens. There were responsibilities and lessons then, but at least they had the time to just be themselves without any interference from… things like this.
Jórunnr smiled softly at his words. “I know,” she said, as she watched him sit down on the floor. It didn’t look as if it was the most comfortable place to sit, but if that was where Ryu wanted to sit for now, then she wasn’t going to be the one to tell him otherwise.
She laughed at the next thing Ryu said, shaking her head. “I am sure you’d make a great ruler,” she joked, stretching her leg out enough to be able to give Ryu’s own leg a poke. She could only imagine the commotion it’d cause if something like Ryu had just suggested were to happen. “You all dressed up in formal wear is something I’d pay to see happen.”
Not dwelling on the situation at hand was nice. This was nice. It was relaxing. It what how things were between them. She had no idea what was going to happen to Ryu after she got married, and while she’d love to keep him by her side, she felt like it was too much to ask for in the end.
She ended up flopping down on the bed, her legs still stretched out over the edge of it. She let out a sigh, content by finally lying down and being able to relax her body. Despite only having been traveling today, she felt worn out from that. She closed her eyes for a moment, simply enjoying the feeling of lying down. When she finally opened her eyes again, she was staring up into the ceiling, before turning her head somewhat awkwardly so she was able to see bits of Ryu.
She laughed at the next thing Ryu said, shaking her head. “I am sure you’d make a great ruler,” she joked, stretching her leg out enough to be able to give Ryu’s own leg a poke. She could only imagine the commotion it’d cause if something like Ryu had just suggested were to happen. “You all dressed up in formal wear is something I’d pay to see happen.”
Not dwelling on the situation at hand was nice. This was nice. It was relaxing. It what how things were between them. She had no idea what was going to happen to Ryu after she got married, and while she’d love to keep him by her side, she felt like it was too much to ask for in the end.
She ended up flopping down on the bed, her legs still stretched out over the edge of it. She let out a sigh, content by finally lying down and being able to relax her body. Despite only having been traveling today, she felt worn out from that. She closed her eyes for a moment, simply enjoying the feeling of lying down. When she finally opened her eyes again, she was staring up into the ceiling, before turning her head somewhat awkwardly so she was able to see bits of Ryu.
She smiled. Thank goodness.
Ryutori’s heart filled with pride, knowing that he had the power to make her smile in the face of unpleasantness. For as long as he was allowed, he’d dedicate his life to protecting her even in the littlest form. She may have been a princess, a soon to be queen, but she was also his best friend. He wanted what was best for her. And… unfortunately, this betrothal for the safety of both kingdoms was just that.
As she stretched out her foot to poke him in the leg, he rolled his dark, amber eyes at her. In mock pride, he puffed up his chest and flashed a cheesy smile to the young lady before letting this legs stretch out along the floor. “You’ve seen me in formal attire plenty of times, remember? Every year during the Grand Reception.” He said with a grin.
He wore the same white suit every year for the last five or so migrations — the event every spring when the kingdom’s merchants returned from their migration to other locations in the winter to sell their wares. It was basically a huge party to celebrate their safe return, and an excuse for his mother to visit him in the guard’s chambers put him in something fancy and regal. And uncomfortable.
“Oh, and your birthday parties. Remember that huge headpiece she had me wear last year? My mom decided to make it out of my dad’s moulted tail feathers. That thing was so itchy and uncomfortable.” But she looked so happy to see him wear it. It couldn’t bring himself to say no.
With Jórunnr laid back, he could see that he had done his part. As much as he would have liked to stay longer, pretty soon he had some things he had to do before he had to go to bed. Pulling himself to his feet, he leaned himself against the bed frame with a grin. His smile softened, just listening to the sound of her voice, but she was obviously tired, and he as a servant of her family, knew that he shouldn’t be in her quarters alone with her.
“Anything else you need before I take off?”
Ryutori’s heart filled with pride, knowing that he had the power to make her smile in the face of unpleasantness. For as long as he was allowed, he’d dedicate his life to protecting her even in the littlest form. She may have been a princess, a soon to be queen, but she was also his best friend. He wanted what was best for her. And… unfortunately, this betrothal for the safety of both kingdoms was just that.
As she stretched out her foot to poke him in the leg, he rolled his dark, amber eyes at her. In mock pride, he puffed up his chest and flashed a cheesy smile to the young lady before letting this legs stretch out along the floor. “You’ve seen me in formal attire plenty of times, remember? Every year during the Grand Reception.” He said with a grin.
He wore the same white suit every year for the last five or so migrations — the event every spring when the kingdom’s merchants returned from their migration to other locations in the winter to sell their wares. It was basically a huge party to celebrate their safe return, and an excuse for his mother to visit him in the guard’s chambers put him in something fancy and regal. And uncomfortable.
“Oh, and your birthday parties. Remember that huge headpiece she had me wear last year? My mom decided to make it out of my dad’s moulted tail feathers. That thing was so itchy and uncomfortable.” But she looked so happy to see him wear it. It couldn’t bring himself to say no.
With Jórunnr laid back, he could see that he had done his part. As much as he would have liked to stay longer, pretty soon he had some things he had to do before he had to go to bed. Pulling himself to his feet, he leaned himself against the bed frame with a grin. His smile softened, just listening to the sound of her voice, but she was obviously tired, and he as a servant of her family, knew that he shouldn’t be in her quarters alone with her.
“Anything else you need before I take off?”
Jórunnr hummed in agreement to that. “I forgot about that headpiece,” she said with a smile. “Do you still have it? You should definitely wear it more.” She looked at him with an arched eyebrow and the most serious face she could muster in the current situation, before she ended up cracking a smile again.
She was quiet for a bit after that before she looked over at him again, this time having her neck turned in a much more comfortable position. She was unsure of what to reply to the question. She didn’t want him to leave, but she also knew she couldn’t ask him to stay for much longer. She knew he had work to do other than to keep her entertained.
“Can you hold me for a bit?”
All she could think of needing right now was some sort of closeness. She had always liked physical affection. Even just sitting next to somebody with their shoulders touching made her feel more at ease, it made her feel less alone for as long as it lasted.
“You don’t have to, if you.. you know, you have things to do. Just.. never mind,” she ended up groaning as she covered her face with her hands. It did take a few seconds before she realized that the request might be seen as somewhat inappropriate. It could also make things very awkward, though it’d probably only become weird if she made it weird, which she did.
She was quiet for a bit after that before she looked over at him again, this time having her neck turned in a much more comfortable position. She was unsure of what to reply to the question. She didn’t want him to leave, but she also knew she couldn’t ask him to stay for much longer. She knew he had work to do other than to keep her entertained.
“Can you hold me for a bit?”
All she could think of needing right now was some sort of closeness. She had always liked physical affection. Even just sitting next to somebody with their shoulders touching made her feel more at ease, it made her feel less alone for as long as it lasted.
“You don’t have to, if you.. you know, you have things to do. Just.. never mind,” she ended up groaning as she covered her face with her hands. It did take a few seconds before she realized that the request might be seen as somewhat inappropriate. It could also make things very awkward, though it’d probably only become weird if she made it weird, which she did.