On a quiet countryside road, the sun shone bright. The silence on the gentle breeze swept across the land only broken by the sound of the hooves of horses beating against the dirt road, kicking up small clouds of dust as they went. Behind the horses was an intentionally plain carriage, rather unassuming but well guarded with horses and armed guard just behind. Further afield there were plain clothed members of the guard ever silently moving and watching, a rather well orchestrated affair.
To the lay folk along the road, though far and few in between it was clear that there was someone important within that carriage, though none could predict the magnitude of the truth within. The air though crisp, if one paid close enough attention was filled with dread and tension. An entire nation on the edge of their seats just waiting for the news to come that long anticipated war with Alexandria, the Kingdom to the east had declared war, for many it felt as though they were simply awaiting their writ of execution.
Seated within sat two figures, a young woman and a young man. The woman, clad in a white dress with long brown hair and delicate facial features seemed to have a smile upon her face. A gentle hand reaching up and grasping at one of the curtains lining the window, bright eyes watching the trees and endless stretch of road pass before her. Largely sitting in silence the tears she shed in saying goodbye to her homeland had long passed giving way to a confluence of emotions that even she admitted she did not understand.
"So." she began, her voice soft but determined, she continued "this is home." There was a deep sigh following her statement, eyes turning upward toward the sky. The man sitting across from her was her personal guard, Winters, as he was called. His family had been in service to hers in one way or another for some time now. There was, the Crown Princess of the Kingdom of Alexandria, the future of her people, their last hope at avoiding costly, deadly conflict. Charlotte of House Ariadne was a proud daughter of Alexandria, but even this was a challenge.
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A young man clad in an ornate uniform stood behind a towering window, he was drenched in the warm rays of the sun with hardly any expression at all. A thousand thoughts raced through his head, the next coming as quickly as the last and all just as heavy. When he thought about it, he realized it was true. The old expression, heavy is the head that wears the crown.
"Your majesty? Are you paying attention?" a voice called to me, and just like that he was shaken from his thought and brought back to reality. The young man nodded his head and turned away from the sunglow that felt so incredibly safe. A small group of older men sat in chairs, the room was large, well lit and decorated with the finest of curtains, and marble columns. Of course, there was also the obvious, a large wooden throne at the edge of the room, with a door on either side and a red carpet runner that ran from the main entrance to the room to the foot of the literal seat of power.
"Of course, Lord Highgate. I understand that the Princess Charlotte will arrive in the next few days, and from there the final plans for the wedding will be arranged." while his tone was not harsh, it was certainly not one of enthusiasm. This marriage, which had been so opposed by his recently departed father was moving full steam ahead. An arranged marriage to unite two Kingdoms and avert an even greater crisis. If he were to marry the Princess Ariadne, the two would reign in Camelot, and upon the passing of her father, the King of Alexandria, the two would reign over both Kingdoms as one, completing the unification and erasing the past decade of hostility. Or so that was the hope, just a hope. "I dare say that is enough for one day, don't you think my Lord?" the King asked of his adviser who nodded quietly, the group of men now rising to their feet bowed deeply and proceeded to leave the room.
King Theodore of house Margrace stood there, sighing in relief as for just a moment he was able to be alone with his thoughts and didn't have to put on this air of confidence in a path that had largely been chosen for him. "Time for a change of scenery." he smiled to himself for just a second and raced off. The beauty of growing up the Crown Prince in this palace was that he had plenty of time to explore. Theo, as he preferred to be called knew every last detail of every last passage. Every secret to be exploited was within his grasp and that he would use to his benefit.
Changing into the clothes of the common man, he was determined to go into town and be amongst his people. What would peace mean to them? Would his own sacrifice truly bring an end to their fears and suffering? Or maybe he just didn't want to be who he was, not really, at least not for a few moments, and with that he made his escape through the hidden passages to the outside world, and sneaking down to the town he went. Walking through the filled streets he inhaled the scent, of the people, the goods being sold in stalls along the street. The poverty and wealth, and out of the corner of his eye, the most delightful girl engaged in an act of kindness that he could have sworn, just for a second there, took his breath away.
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