Fantasy Stem and CJ 1x1

[CJWrites]

"It's only been a week" Anya pleaded. "Can't you stay a bit longer?"

Queen Morgan of Prydain smiled sadly and kissed her daughter on the head.

"We've enjoyed the elves' hospitality long enough." She said softly, as she stroked Anya's long white hair and pushed it behind her ears. "And I don't think I should leave Alfred in charge much longer, lest I come back to a castle half in ruin." She laughed to herself. Anya remembered rarely seeing her mother laugh, but now it was becoming more and more frequent, especially when she was here. She had almost never laughed when her husband had been alive, and when at home she was expected to be the stoic leader of the country. Rarely was she allowed to be a mother or make jokes.

"Besides it's obvious we aren't welcome here," Rodrich muttered. Rodrich was the oldest son, and heir apparent to the throne, although for the short time that Drayden had been back, it was obvious the younger son was the queens favourite ever since the other returned to court. In Prydain, the oldest child had always succeeded the throne. Then again, a queen had never ruled before when her son had been of age, and oriental cultures chose princes by merit, not birth order. Rodrich also had silvery white hair and pale blue eyes like his sister.

It was odd. Tales of the late king in his younger days said he had dirty blonde hair and nobody had any clue why the prince and princess had such peculiar colour in their hair. Only the middle child, Drayden, looked like his mother. His black hair, dark bue eyes, and oriental features that perfectly matched hers, so much so that most doubted he was truly the king's son.

"Please stay a bit more." Anya looked at her mother with puppy dog eyes. "How will I manage without you?"

"I was younger than you when I made the journey across the desert with only a maidservant, a bag of my only worldly possessions, and a letter in my hand to met your father," Morgan said "I didn't even speak the language and I never talked to my family east ever again. It won't be like that for you"

Anya rocked back and forth on her heels. She wanted to mention how Morgan's life hadn't exactly been a fairy tale. But her new husband seemed nice enough and Rod had confided in her that Morgan had gone to great lengths to put safeguards in place so that Anya wouldn't be mistreated.

Anya gulped and nodded, tears still streaking her cheeks.

"When will I see you or Rod again?" She asked.

The queen sighed. "Perhaps in a year, you can visit, if your husband desires, but we'll always write. Don't worry too much and try to enjoy yourself. And don't forget to let us know if they try to pull any funny business after we're gone."

Anya nodded, although she didn't think she would. Their mother had worked so hard for this peace their father detested and fought bitterly to get the best possible treaty despite the circumstances. Anya didn't doubt her mother would throw it all away to save her, but she knew how important her part in this precarious peace was, and she didn't want to cause problems.

"You'd better take care of my sister," Rodrich glared at Drayden.

Drayden bowed slightly. "Won't let anything happen to her"

Rodrich obviously didn't believe him. Drayden wasn't trained as a knight like all other princes of Prydain were. He had been raised, in secret, at Bywdin Monastery, and learned hand to hand combat and conduitless magic like all the other monks there.

"Still carries himself around like a servant," Rodrich muttered under his breath. Then loudly, to his mother, he asked: "Why can't I stay behind instead?"

"Because you're too reckless and foolhardy," The queen said sternly "Besides, you need to spend more time at court studying politics and geography in preparation for one day taking over. Besides, it would be far too dangerous having our crown prince alone in the middle of what was enemy territory only a year ago. Your brother is much more diplomatic so trust in him to do a good job"

Rodrich huffed but nevertheless bid Anya and Drayden farewell, one far more coldly than the other.

The queen hugged her two children for the last time and finally boarded her carriage.

Drayden put his hand on Anya's shoulder as they watched the royal cavalcade disappear over the horizon, leaving only Anya, Drayden and a handful of servants behind.

 

[Stem]

It felt odd to be married.

Or perhaps the more accurate statement would be that it was odd how much it felt as if nothing had changed. He’d always thought that when he was married there would be more…feelings. Of course, he was excited. He knew very little about the humans, and now he would be spending the rest of his life with one. So far there had been quite a lot of interesting culture shock, and he was rather looking forward to studying more about them.

His father and his father’s advisors didn’t really agree, and had been just barely polite the entire time the royal family was visiting, and Aerendyl was dearly hoping that Queen Morgan hadn’t been offended.

He idly smoothed down the collar of his pale blue robe as he stood near the tall, glass doors leading out to the Eastern entrance, watching the humans say their goodbyes.

It was so interesting.

Humans, he’d come to learn, were very touchy people. He’d watch with fascination as they went through a whole myriad of touches—an arm on the shoulder, arms linked together, hand in hand—and now, the Queen was brushing Princess Anya’s hair behind her ears.

Aerendyl lifted a hand to his own, pointed ears, tucking a lock of long, black hair behind it to see what it felt like. It wasn’t quite the same of course, since he was doing it himself.

He waited until the carriage was far down the smooth stone path, before pushing the doors open and descending the stairs, offering a warm bow to his new wife, and her brother. He’d found it curious that he would be staying as well, but he was eager for more human company and so would not complain.

“It is such a shame they had to leave so soon. Did you have pleasant goodbyes?” he asked, clasping his hands behind his back and watching the two with curious brown eyes. He’d noticed that humans tended to smile a lot more than elves, for inconsequential things, though much of the time they looked rather forced. He had been trying to mimic this behavior in the hopes that it would make them more comfortable, and so curled his lips up politely.

 

[CJWrites]

Anya's lips quivered as she tried to return Aerendyl's smile. She opened her mouth to reply but closed it quickly. Her eyes got misty as she shook her head, still too upset to speak.

Drayden returned Aerendyl's bow, but with one hand behind his back and one crossed over his stomach.

"Goodbyes are never pleasant," He said calmly. "But sometimes"

He put a hand on Anya's shoulder.

"You must forgive my sister," Drayden said, smiling slightly as well. "She has never strayed far from Caerleon, our capital, before. It's difficult adjusting to a foreign city with strangers we were at war with only months ago."

Anya nodded. She knew she shouldn't blame Aerendyl, but it was easy to see him as the scapegoat for her problems. Even though they had been married for a week, they hadn't spent much time together since she had spent most of her time clutching Rodrich's arm and the two slept separately, but her mother had made her promise to at least try. She was sure he felt as uncomfortable with this situation as her but had been trying to hide it behind a stoic facade. Then again, she couldn't really tell what any of her new countrymen were thinking.

"Thanks" she muttered under her breath. She teetered a little, swaying back and forth on the balls of her feet as if she was deciding whether she wanted to speak again.

"I don't believe I've introduced myself to you" Drayden took his hand off Anya's shoulder and offered it to Aerendyl.

"I am Drayden von Avalloc, the secondborn son of Queen Morgan of Prydain and present ambassador to this kingdom"

 

[Stem]

Aerendyl's smile dropped as only a fake one could when he noticed the wetness in his wife's eyes, wondering what he'd done to upset her. Had his smile been incorrect? Or perhaps she just missed her family. She was terribly young, after all, though they'd been assured that humans matured faster than elves.

He turned his attention to the brother, mind trying and failing to come up with a name. The man apologized and explained the emotional outburst, and Aerendyl nodded slowly, though he gave one last wary look to the princess. "I see...yes, it will take some time to adjust, I'm sure. But Athenia is prepared to welcome you warmly," he said, hoping the words would bring comfort, even if they weren't precisely true.

His younger brother especially was not pleased about the humans that would be staying in the castle, and neither were the court advisors. The queen seemed indifferent, but he knew his father was wary as well. Everyone had agreed that this was for the best, however, so he hoped they would give their new family a chance.

Aerendyl looked down at the hand when it was offered, remembering the human greeting with some excitement. It was admittedly rather odd—handholding was not something they usually did save under very specific circumstances—but it was just one more way to show how willing he was to learn more about their culture. He took the other's hand and grasped it lightly, giving a nod. "A pleasure, Prince Drayden." He wasn't sure how long the greeting was supposed to last, so he decided to just hold on until the prince let go.

"Will the two of you be dining with everyone this afternoon?" he inquired the both of them, though his eyes moved back to Anya. "If the stresses of the day have left you tired, I'm sure my family would understand if you took the afternoon meal in your rooms."

Though they were married, the family had agreed it would be appropriate for Princess Anya to have separate rooms, until they grew more accustomed to each other. He'd always wanted children, but no one knew quite yet if humans and elves were biologically compatible in that way, regardless, so there was no rush for an heir. Especially because he didn't think his parents would be particularly thrilled to have a half-blooded child in line for the throne. Oh, well. A surrogate was an option, or perhaps the sages would be able to think of a solution using magic, but...those were questions for a time in the far future.

 

[CJWrites]

Aerendyl's handshake was surprisingly limp, most people Drayden met had firm handshakes or even viciously strong ones which left him rubbing his hand in pain afterward. Once an Ealdorman had before pulling him in, making Drayden stumble forward. Drayden's mother had glared daggers at the Earldormen for the rest of the evening and seated him at one of the worst tables. In comparison, Aerendyl's hand felt like a limp noodle.

Drayden let go of the elf's hand. "Thank you. We've had a very warm reception, and are much obliged to your hospitality. This city is absolutely breathtaking and we're looking forward to getting to know this palace." he said diplomatically.

Drayden looked at his sister and saw the pained look on her face. "I will dine with you, but perhaps that would be for the best-"

Anya shook her head and interrupted him. "I can't put this off forever. I think I should go." She tried to put on a brave face.

Drayden felt a surge of pride. He had been worried Anya would do nothing but lock herself in her room and refuse to see her husband or the rest of the royal family. Not that he would blame her. Still, it would be bad if she had an emotional outburst and looked absolutely miserable. He turned to face Anya before giving her a hug. "Nobody's going to think any worse of you," Drayden told her. "There is no need to rush into things"

Relief swept over Anya's face. "I suppose it would be good for me to rest this evening and spend it getting to know my new maids." She bowed slightly to her husband "Would you mind escorting me to my room?"

Drayden looked at Aerendyl "And if you are free until dinner, perhaps you can give me a tour of the castle?"

 

[Stem]

Aerendyl had not had the pleasure of visiting the humans kingdom, and he sincerely hoped he would sometime in the next decade. When realations were a bit less tense. He was sure his wife would like to visit her home, and perhaps the longer his parents lived with her the less apprehensive they would feel about allowing him to stay in a place where he would be an overwhelming minority.

He was briefly hopeful when it appeared that Anya would eat with them, but it soon became clear that she'd only agreed out of obligation. That was something he was quite familiar with. It appeared humans and elves did have something in common, after all. He was disappointed that he would not have an opportunity to get to know his wife better, but managed to maintain the stoicism elves were known for, even if he couldn't help the way his gaze drooped to the floor for a moment.

He was rather taken aback by the intimate embrace between siblings—he really did have a lot to learn about human culture. Perhaps this was like the hair gesture. At his wife's request, he gave a short bow of his head. "Yes, of course. And I'd be happy to give you a tour, Prince Drayden." That would be good, at least. Perhaps he could try and find out more about Princess Anya through her brother, what she liked, how he might try and connect with her.

He wondered briefly if he was supposed to embrace Princess Anya as well, but she didn't move towards him, so he simply turned and led the two into the castle. Their wing was in the northern part of the castle, closest to the gardens and the stables. He hardly ever found himself in the main wings these days, save for diplomatic meetings and the like. It was like having his own little sanctuary.

The elven castle was made in shades of white and gold, and floors that gleamed so bright you could see your reflection in them, creating a beautiful but somewhat dizzying effect if you stared too hard for too long. The extremely tall walls were decorated with long tapestries, twisting, curling wooden sculptures, and statues of ancestors past lined the spiral staircase Aerendyl led them towards. While the first floor held various rooms for holding shorter meetings, as well as the kitchens, laundry, and servants quarters, the main portions of the castle were on the second floor. There was even, outside the north wing, a large balcony garden, beautiful in its own right, with twisting stairs down to the main gardens and the fields that held the stables and farms.

At the top of the staircase, Aerendyl turned left, and pushed through a tall, narrow wooden door with the symbol for north carved into it in the elven tongue. His wing consisted of his personal rooms, the queens, a more public area where he could entertain guests, his study, and a room that he'd repurposed since childhood for potion brewing. The queen's rooms were on the far side, giving her a gorgeous view of the lake a couple miles out, just before the forest started. The rooms had been furnished as lavishly as any other royal living in the house, despite the mistrust everyone still held of her. Mistrusting they might have been, but they did respect the nobility.

"I hope everything is to your liking," he said to the princess, idly fingering some of the fabric on the deep purple curtains hanging around her door. "If you need anything or would prefer your things be arranged else wise please don't hesitate to let me or the servants know."

 

[CJWrites]

Anya and Drayden followed Aerendyl closely so as not to get lost. Drayden's head was spinning and he could already see himself barging in late to a meeting all because he had taken a wrong turn.

Anya's eyes widened in delight as she took in her room. It was twice as big as her quarters in Caerleon. She moved around the room, exploring her new domain. She opened one door, to find a smaller room lined with countless beautiful dresses in the style of her new country. Another door led to a private washroom with an ivory bathtub and washing basin. She crashed onto the bed and hugged her pillow tight. "No, this is perfect. Thanks"

"This place is stunning." Drayden moved to the balcony and gazed out at the lake. He would have to explore the woods beyond it when he settled in. He loved their peaceful tranquillity and he was curious to see how wildlife is different here than back home.

"My room is close to yours as well." He shouted back at Anya. "Send for me whenever you need."

A muffled acknowledgement came from her general direction.

"We should leave the princess to rest." He chucked to Aerendyl and they walked back down the hallway. "It's funny, the number of statues here in the hallway. In Prydain, we don't have as much space and use portraits instead. But we do have statues, made of stone, to commemorate great rulers, long after they are gone and have nearly faded into myth"

The gleaming brightness of the palace still took him aback. He was used to the stone slabs of the monastery he grew up in and the tight hallways of Caerleon, adorned with blue walls and steel coated with silver. By contrast, the elven kingdom seemed so vast and spacious. Drayden knew the war had been over resources, and he could see why. He had never been one for material wealth, but he could see his fellow countrymen jealous of the wealth on display, and wondering why these abominations who had forsaken God, deserved this luxury. The thought made him sad. Then again, Prydain was always under conflict. Caerleon had already been burnt to the ground thrice. No wonder they couldn't keep any marvels of architecture.

He changed the subject "My sister seems to like it here"