Cold Hands, War[m] Heart [Namingtoohard & Fanatasia]

[Fanatasia]

Sorei disappeared over the garden wall, leaving the two royals alone. "That's unfortunate," she agreed, nodding. A breeze blew through the gardens, and she shifted to hold her dress down, turning to gaze over her shoulder. Somewhere in the gardens, at the very far end, was the royal stables.

And soon enough, Sorei appeared with two mares. They were fairly large horses, and saddled with the best possible tack in the kingdom. One of the mare was a roan color, and the other was black, with a blaze across its forehead. Aine moved to claim the reins of the black mare, speaking, "This is Shaska."

As she said the horses name, the creature lowered itself to its knees, snorting. "She's well-taught," she added, as the horse nipped her dress, tugging the hem gently. "Though a bit impatient."

Aine settled into the saddle, resting side-saddle. The mare would stay on its knees, waiting to be told to rise.

Now, all they had to do, was await Fiora.

[Namingtoohard]

Leith would wait in relative silence alongside the princess as they both awaited the return of their own bodyguards, respectively. Naturally, Sorei was the first to make her appearance - unsurprising, given that she had only needed to travel to the stable on the palace grounds, while Fiora had to retrieve theirs from...wherever they had found accommodation for the guard's horses. A bit of a wry smile would flicker across his face as introductions were made, before he chuckled softly to himself at the mare's eagerness to be off.

"Don't they have some saying about how animals take after their owners?" He would muse, still grinning a little. Thankfully, it wouldn't be long before Fiora returned, leading two animals in her stead. She held the reigns to a bay horse herself, while a guard dressed in a much less extravagant version of her uniform led along a roan of his own. As soon as they arrived, the lesser guard would step up and hand the reigns over to Leith.

"His name's roach. Pretty dull, but obedient, if nothing else" the man would say, before the prince would thank the man with a nod and dismiss him. For a moment, he would pat the side of the horse's neck, before moving to mount it. Stepping up into one of the stirrups, the prince would swing himself up onto the animal's back with a soft grunt, before taking the reigns in both hands, in a rather traditional riding pose. Fiora would do the same with her own mare, though in a much more casual manner, holding the reigns wrapped around one hand and leaving the other free.

"Shall we, then? I'm afraid I'll need to ask one of you two to lead the way, given that neither of us have ever been there before" Leith would call out, addressing the two members of the opposite party. As soon as he was done, Fiora would reign her mount in, shepherding it a few steps closer to Leith and Roach.

"With all due respect, my lord, is this wise? I don't know if the lord of Sinder will be too pleased that the star guest of his banquet disappeared for the majority of the night without a trace" she asked, fixing him with a plain stare. She threw a glance towards their other two companions, if wondering whether or not she should be discussing such things in front of the two of them, but continued on nonetheless. Leith, in response, would just give a bit of a casual shrug. "I've spent enough time socialising with lesser nobles, and he explicitly asked to wait until the festivities were done before any serious discussion took place. If someone questions it, we just tell them that the heat got overbearing and I had to step outside for a bit to cool down" he would answer. It wasn't completely a lie, really.

[Fanatasia]

The princess flashed a grin as she patted the mare's neck, the creature stood quickly, and Aine positioned herself gently. She'd shift in the saddle, musing, "Never enjoyed side-saddle."

Sorei scoffed, as she brought her own horse close to Aine's own. "I hope you enjoy the scenery," she stated, as she urged the mare into a trot. Sorei spoke out, "I highly doubt they will question your disappearance, sire. As long as you return by the morning. I've ordered the maids to inform anyone who happens to seek you, or milady, that you both went to bed rather early and wish to go undisturbed until morning."

Aine cast a glance over her shoulder as she led the way out of the gardens, and into the lower-town; the slums. The people here were definitely lower-class; definitely not well-cared for. Aine slowed Shaska's gait, as she watched the people around her. When she spied a child, running from a small group of older boys, she paused. Shaska lowered herself to her knees, and despite Sorei's protests, the princess moved forward, slowly.

The female child stumbled into the woman, who righted her carefully as she spoke, "It is never nice to chase others, boys," she'd kneel to offer a wide grin. "So what's the problem?" The children, however, were more mesmerized by the prince.

"Look! He's really here!" The female-child chirped, as she squirmed to tug at one of the boys' hands. "Look, Dominic! He really came. Will everything be okay soon?" The small girls' gaze turned upward to her brother, "Will everything be okay again?" The eldest boy, Dominic, mumbled, "Come on, Fera. Ma's gonna worry." However, Fera pulled against her brother's hand, whining, "But he looks so nice!"

"He's one of the 'Cold Ones', Fera. They don't like us." The female-child turned to stare upward, huffing. "Why's he here then, huh?" The girl mumbled under her breath as her brother dragged her away.

Sorei had been circling close to the princess, and she commented, "Such rude children, goodness." As Aine made her way back to Shaska, she spoke, "I wonder what that child meant--about 'everything being okay soon' because you're here," she eyed the prince as she set Shaska to a walk.

"Nevertheless, if we're going to see the caves, we can't get sidetracked too much more." Sorei led the way now, with Aine tailing close behind.

They would ride until they hit the end of the slums--which led off toward a rather ashen-looking forest; as if the trees were dead, when really, they were just coated in ash, but healthy as could be. Sorei led them a few yards into the forest, before she stopped in a clearing; in front of a very large cave.

"We've arrived."

[Namingtoohard]

"Its quite a contrast, if nothing else" the prince would answer calmly as he urged his own horse to follow those of their two hosts turned guides, matching his pace to theirs after a few moments spent gauging it. He would keep the horse close enough to make conversation easy and comfortable, achievable without raising their voices, but with enough space so that their mounts would have enough room to manoeuvre about properly, for their own comfort or out of necessity, whatever the case may be.

He would glance across at Sorei briefly as she informed him that he likely didn't have to be concerned, humming thoughtfully to himself for a moment. "You've seen to the matter already? Impressive. That much foresight is an admirable trait" he remarked idly, speaking in a casual tone as he thought quietly to himself. Just when had she managed to do that? Their ride had only just been planned moments earlier, after all, and since then the only time Sorei had been out of sight was on her trip to the stables. She must've dispatched a messenger while she was gone, then.

Naturally, he would bring Roach to a stop as Aine halted their progression to speak to a few children who were running about the streets. The prince would watch from atop his mount as she spoke to them, before glancing up briefly as Fiora reigned her horse in beside him. "I guess the princess of the people had her own reputation to uphold" she muttered softly, before urging her horse onwards a few steps before he could answer. Leith would frown for a moment, before glancing back at the kids as they began speaking about him. He was used to being stared at, but something felt...off about this, though the prince couldn't put his finger on it.

Gah, this is why foreign cities can be such a pain...its like someone has changed the rules of the game, and every one of the players know something I don't he thought silently to himself, trying to keep his face neutral as he watched the children scamper off. Naturally, he would meet Aine's gaze as she made her way back to her own horse.

"Funny - I was just thinking of asking you the same thing. Clearly, our families aren't the only ones expecting something of this meeting...and clearly some unsavoury memories still linger" he said, voice quiet. He was, of course, referring to how the children had referred to him as a 'cold one', and said that his kind didn't like them.

Falling into thought for a moment, the prince and his own escort would make off with the rest of the group as they headed out of the city and into the forest. To be honest, the ashen trees were enough of a wonder for those who had never seen them before. Once they had come to a halt, he would quickly dismount, handing the reigns of his mount to Fiora once she had done the same. Slowly, he would walk over to the nearest tree, raising a hand and wiping it against the trunk, before pulling it back and examining the ash that gotten stuck to his glove.

"Curious...very curious. Its a wonder that the trees are still standing, and where exactly does the ash come from?" He mused softly. Part of his mind almost thought that the trees' upper branches burst into flame instead of just having leaves or something of the likes, but that would just be absurd, right? Rubbing two of his fingers together, he would turn and step towards the group.

"If these trees are the least of the wonders that you have to show me tonight, then these fireworms must really be something breathtaking" he muttered softly, gaze drifting across to the large cave-mouth looming over their little party. Caves held no real fear for the prince, given that half of his home was built into the side of a mountain, but now we was beginning to think that these fireworms would be even more spectacular than he had originally envisioned.

"So...shall we, then?" He would answer, throwing a glance back across at Aine, a smile forming on his face as he offered her his arm, before setting off at a casual pace, slowly but surely making his way into the mouth of the cave to see what wonders awaited inside.

[Fanatasia]

Sorei spoke out, "As a child I was often told stories--of two royals with different heritage, and the prophecy that surrounded them." She'd draw her horse to a stop, moving to settle onto the ground. "It's a story still told today, to the lowerclass masses here in Sinder."

As the princess accepted Leith's arm, Sorei followed close behind--though not close enough to be noticeable. She did continue to speak, "This story originates from the day milady was born--a seeress present at the birth whispered a prophecy that spread quite quickly throughout the kingdom."

Aine was quiet as they entered the mouth of the cave, and she murmured, "Sorei." The other woman stepped forward, to press a hand against the wall, fingers curling into the soft moss. Nothing seemingly happened, however, the fireworms came to life.

The princess flashed a wide grin to the man, as she pulled him forward, her fingers settled onto the wall, once she was close enough, and as she scooped some of the fireworms from the wall, she moved to hold them out to the prince. "'tis good luck to hold them. We use them in incidents of hypothermia." Though these incidents were rare, they did happen.

Sorei clasped her hands in front of her, as she watched the royals from the mouth of the cave; Aine was leading the prince deeper. "If you find the right... spot..." She murmured, fingers shielding her eyes as the bright flames grew brighter. "...you can see the Queen."

[Namingtoohard]

"...I see" the prince remarked idly, frowning a little as he listened to Sorei's reasoning behind what exactly these children had been talking about back in the city. The prince had never put much stock into prophecy before, but now he was somewhat curious about what exactly it entailed, and it seemed to be necessary information if the rest of the city knew it, and it concerned both him and the princess. "I'll need to find someone to share it with me at some point" he added after a few moments. Clearly the princess herself knew, so no worries there.

At the moment, though, the fireworm show was the most pressing matter. Not so much in terms of urgency, but they were already here, and the prince was somewhat curious to see what exactly this entailed. Waiting patiently, he would glance around the walls and roof of the cave as they moved, not quite sure what exactly he was supposed to be seeing. His eyes would widen a little as Sorei made her move, though, causing the bugs to come to life. For a moment, he would wince and turn his head away a little, until his eyes adjusted to the new conditions.

For a moment he was silent, simply looking up at them with an expression of wonder, before glancing across at the princess as she offered him a handful of the bugs. Slowly, the prince would offer out his free hand, accepting them somewhat wearily. Bugs were not something he encountered often in the cold climates of his home, but as soon as he did, the prince could feel the warmth they gave off radiating through his gloves.

"I do admit, I hadn't expected them to be quite so...vibrant. Looks like the ashen trees really were just the beginning" he muttered, a small smile flickering across his face. The news that they cured hypothermia was an interesting one, too, given that it could be a common affliction for his people. "I wonder if we could somehow get them to reproduce in one of the caves near our home. They could save quite a few lives once winter comes...though I doubt they would fare well in the climate"

As they moved deeper in search of the queen, the prince would squint a little as the glow seemed to get more intense, but tried to look around nonetheless. With Aine holding one of his arms, and a handful of fireworms in the other hand, he didn't much have the choice of shielding his eyes like she did. "How do you tell them apart? Is she just a larger fireworm than the others?" He would ask as he glanced around, before pausing briefly back towards the cave's entrance. They had stepped further than he had realised, not that it really bothered the prince.

Glancing back across at Aine, the prince would pause briefly. With the flaming aura that the fireworms were giving off blanketing everything, it almost looked like she was wreathed in a halo of flames. It was quite the striking image, and a smile flickered across the prince's face. It seemed to fit her quite well, and after a short delay he realised he was staring. Quickly, he would snap himself out of it.

"Foregoing the ball to come out here was definitely the right decision, it seems" he would finally add in a soft tone, invariably finding himself grinning as he continued to search for the queen, before pausing briefly. Gesturing with the same hand he was holding the fireworms with, he would gesture towards a spot on the roof, just up to their left. "Is that her there?" He would ask, gesturing to an area where one larger glow seemed to be eclipsing most of the others. Of course, he still had no idea what exactly identified the queen, so he would need Aine to confirm or deny it. Perhaps he had just spotted one worm that was larger and fatter than the rest.

[Fanatasia]

As he pointed out a worm, she grinned and turned to nod. "That's her, yes." As she stood on her tiptoes, to reach for the worm, she spoke, quietly.

"A child of consequence will be born unto flame,
But without power of fire.
A kind and valued ruler, she will become,
But only under a guard of ice.
Peace will prevail,
Under the mixed reign of ice and fire."

Her gaze flickered over to the prince, as she reached to claim the queen fireworm once more. "It might be worth trying. I imagine they give enough heat off all together like this to survive even the coldest temperatures." She hissed as she cut her hand, curling her fingers into the palm of her injured hand as she turned to hold out the fireworm in her other hand.

Sorei stepped forward, and as she claimed the princess' hand, she paused, muttering quietly, "Why do I worry?" She tsked softly, as the girl claimed her hand once more. Aine then offered the fireworm to the prince with both hands; a freshly healed scar--the flesh pink--in her hand.

"She's hotter than the rest," she chirped, nodding lightly, as she moved to drop the queen worm into his hands with a grin. "So this is better then the ball?" She inquired, studying the man with a wry grin.

[Namingtoohard]

"Perhaps. We could always take some with us when we make the trip back to Neve, just as a little experiment. You never know - it could end up doing wonders for the lower classes" he answered in a soft tone, leaving the question of prophecy hanging in the air for the moment. For a second, the prince would crouch down and set down the bundle of fireworms he had already been holding, in lieu of knowing what else to do with them. Once he had straightened up again, he would take the queen from Aine, holding it with both hands this time. The difference was immediately noticeable.

"...very much so" he would answer after a moment's thought, unable to help but let out a soft chuckle as he watched the queen with mild interest. "Balls and social gatherings get tiring after a while. I'd much rather go out and experience something new. Just like this" he added after a few seconds, glancing back up at the princess and her guard with a calm smile. He had a few decent ideas for how he was going to repay the favour once they travelled to his homeland, though those would have to wait until...well, they actually made said trip.

For a few moments, the prince would stand there in silence, before finally speaking up again, in a soft tone. "You know...I've nver much enjoyed the thought of prophecy. The idea that our lives have predetermined outcomes, regardless of our intent or actions. A reign of peace, though...just this once, I wouldn't mind being wrong" he would finish. Once he was done, the prince would take a step towards the nearest wall, holding the queen out so that she could reattach herself to the surface and continue her merry existence. Once she had done just that, he would finally straighten up again, taking a moment to dust his hands off.

"Don't think that things are always going to be so one-sided, though. If everything ends up working out, when we go visit my homeland I'll show you a few things that will make your jaw hit the floor" he remarked idly, turning back to the princess as a confident and potentially teasing smile flickered across his face. In his mind, the idea of them visiting Neve was an inevitability, and he was rather looking forward to the opportunity to return the favour.

"In the meantime, is there anything else nearby that is worth seeing, or does this about cover it for the night? As much as I would love to spend the whole evening exploring, I would never be able to forgive myself if I kept you out so late that you weren't able to perform tomorrow" he would answer, tilting his head a little as he glanced back across at the princess, awaiting her reply.

[Fanatasia]

She spoke out, "Prophecies are not something I believe in, really. To define someone by one..." She shrugged slightly, "It seems wrong." She turned to face the man, "I think, if anything, the prophecy will make more people less inclined to despise you."

She'd grin at his next statement. "What's to show me in Neve? Ice?" She joked, though she truly was curious about Neve--and the wonders it held. She would offer the man a wide grin as she chirped, "Nothing close, no."

Sorei spoke, "Princess--perhaps you and the prince should make one last entrance into the ball. Proper exits, and all that." The white-haired woman gazed silently toward the entrance-and-exit of the cave, before she began to move forward.

"I guess that's a good point." She mused, moving after Sorei, and claiming the reins of Shaska. "Your father might've sent the guard out, by now, milady." The woman glanced sideways to her ward, speaking, "We should make nice before the night ends."

The two would wait quietly for the prince and his guardian, their horses settled into a slow walk. Once the other two had claimed their steeds, the princess and Sorei's horses would pick up their speed.

Once the little entourage had arrived back in the gardens of the palace, the princess left the horse to Sorei and moved forward.

As the princess reached the entrance to the ball, she scowled as a guard claimed her wrist. Jerking backwards, the guard jerked her forward roughly, only to completely release her when Sorei came into view--having stashed the horses.

"Release the princess, Riknar."

"King wants her."

"She was with me, Riknar. I will walk her in, if you would like." Sorei held out a hand, staring at the man silently, until he released the girl, who moved to claim Sorei's hand.

As the princess entered the ball once more, her father's voice boomed, "Ah! I see you've come out of hiding, Aine." across the room, causing Aine to flinch. She would move toward her father silently, before the man spoke, "Did you get to speak with your fiance, child?"

Aine had settled on the ground before the King, and she spoke, "We talked for a bit. He seems rather nice, Father."

"I see you've changed clothes. Did you not enjoy the gown?" Aine spoke softly, "I enjoyed the gown, Father. It was just rather hot."

"Understandable. Greet your guests as they leave--then you and the prince and I will convene in the war room to discuss terms."

She knew that meant she'd sit there and listen to the two discuss her future. And as she stood, her gaze flickered across the gathering crowds of people, preparing to leave.

[Namingtoohard]

"Oh, have you already seen? Yes, we have ice that covers walls, ice that covers the ceilings, ice that covers the ground...its actually very diverse" he would respond jokingly, a small smile flickering across his face, before the noble would turn and reluctantly head back towards the mouth of the cave with the rest of their little party. Just as expected, Fiora was patiently awaiting their return outside, holding the reigns of both her own mount and the one that Leith had borrowed for the evening. Wordlessly, she would stroll over and hand the reigns of Roach back to Leith, who would immediately mount up and spur the horse on to follow their guides.

The trip back to the castle was certainly less eventful than the ride out had been, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. The prince used the time to keep an eye on their surroundings, trying to take in what he could, and the next thing he knew it they had returned. Once they were back inside the palace grounds, he would quickly dismount and hand the reigns back to Fiora, who would lead the horses onwards for a moment, searching for another of their number to task with taking them away and seeing that they were cared for.

As they approached one of the guards, the prince's face visibly darkened as he grabbed the princess, and he immediately stepped up to intervene, though it seemed Sorei had beat him to it. Perhaps it was for the best, avoiding a direct confrontation between the two opposing sides. At least Aine's head guard had some sort of official authority over the other man.

Moving back inside the ballroom, the prince would give a calm nod as it was announced that they would meet in the war room once the ball had officially concluded and most of the guests had vacated the castle for the evening. Speaking to a few of the other Sinder nobles he had missed before on the way out, the man would converse with them politely for a few moments, and during this time Fiora would quickly rejoin him.

After most of the people had begun to vacate the room, and the line of lesser members waiting to speak to him had diminished to the point where he was finally free, the prince would glance around quickly, picking out one of the servers wandering around the hall and getting ready to clean up. Making a beeline for them, the prince would ask them to lead him to said war room, given that he had not yet seen it. With a bow, they would lead him to said room, pushing open the door for the prince, who would step inside.

"I hope we didn't keep you waiting too long, your majesty" he would announce quickly as the two of them entered, pausing briefly in the doorway to give the king a respectful nod of acknowledgement as he made his appearance. Fiora would pull the door behind him with a solid clunk, and he would make his way to one of the seats located roughly near the other guests, helping himself. His bodyguard, on the other hand, would settle for simply leaning against a section of wall nearest to her charge, crossing both of her arms across her chest. She was here simply as a guard, not as an active contributor to this discussion...for the time being, at least.

"I must say, I am very impressed with what I have seen of your kingdom thus far. It has been a most enjoyable evening, truly" he would add, trying to get the formalities out of the way quickly, even as he had clicked back over into 'politician mode'. As the host and the one who had convened this meeting, best to hear what the king had to say before moving on to any of his own questions or topics of worth.