CJWrites
Elder Member
"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.
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.