The Weight of the Crown: A King's Edict

[Elle Joyner]

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Audra Baelston​

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Her own smile brightened exponentially at those words, and all thoughts of the day prior fled from her mind as, with relish, she dove into her meal. She was delighted by his company, by the food, by the freedom... There was such a warm and unhindered quality to the morning, that when the knock finally sounded, Audra could think nothing of it, beyond mild disappointment at the interruption.

Seeing the older woman in the doorframe, and then hearing her request to speak to Audra alone, however, drove a sinking feeling into the pit of her stomach, and her eyes shifted briefly to Rannulf, her lip twitching down into a delicate frown, that very nearly bordered on a pout. They were having such a wonderful time, too...

Rising slowly, she wiped her hands on a napkin, smoothed down the front of her dress and turned to Melissant, nodding politely before, giving Rannulf's hand a gentle squeeze, she made her way out of her chamber and into the hall. Outside, she cleared her throat, twisting her hands together with an anxious smile, waiting until the woman spoke first.

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Gavin Elroth​

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As he slowed beside her, patting his horse on the neck to smooth down the ruff, he glanced over to Lucianna with a chuckled, and a shake of his head. She wasn't at all what he expected a princess to be... She was clever, and spirited... She possessed a sense of freedom about her that even he wasn't sure he full understood in himself.

"Hm... The furthest?" Considering the question for a moment, he looked around them. They had gone a few miles, not far enough that Silvern had faded entirely from view, but in an hour or so they would likely pass the point where it could be seen on the horizon behind them, a pinnacle up on the mountain side, "I'd say about... a mile back that way." He chuckled again, gesturing behind them.

"This'll be quite the journey for me, as well, it seemed. But I don't think it's strange, what you're feeling. Or maybe it is, but I don't see anything wrong with it. Fear is good, but not always. Sometimes, fear gets in the way... Complicates things, where they don't need to be complicated. It won't be completely without it's trials, this journey, but there's nothing to say you shouldn't be excited. So long as you're careful you don't get too ahead of yourself and wind up in trouble."

 

[rissa]

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SILVERNEST

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Nearly a fortnight had passed since that first blissful morning and following in its wake had been many more... Nearly every waking moment outside of his duties were spent with Audra. He drank in her laughter, swam in the delight he saw in her eyes. And yet, he still had trouble believing just how easy it was to speak with her, to jest, to spit wit. She was a beautiful woman, inside and out, and the Crown Prince craved her very presence more than anything he had before.

A hushed whisper circulated beneath the ancient palace. Silvara was home to many of the country's populace, including many of Silvern's noble houses. A rumor, of a certain eastern sorceress enthralled the restless nobles. In parties and dinners across the capitol, they whispered of the Prince's betrothed, sent to him in the dead of night to usurp the kingdom from within. It was petty talk… but a few took the rumors to their paranoid hearts.

Wearing tracks in the rushes of the antechamber, Rannulf paced with a manic desire to see what kept Audra and Melissant from their now routine morning conclaves. He had promised Audra a ride, a chance to leave the castle for a brief moment of respite before their wedding feasts in the morn.

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SOMEWHERE ON A BOAT...

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"I never realized how salty the ocean could be." Luce said with a grimace and wrinkle of her nose. "I've been on many river escapades with Ser Ratty Jeor, but this… Ugh."

She didn't mean to whine, not truly, but the sun was directly overhead and it had long reddened her fair skin. Feeling weak in her stomach and knees, Luce bent against the elaborate wooden railing and rested her head against Gavin's arm. The salty air made her thirsty, sticky with sweat, and the constant motion made her queasy. She didn't want to admit it but…

"Oh I feel sick… Tell me something, Gavin, anything to distract me from this discomfort."

 

[Elle Joyner]

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Audra Baelston​

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Preparations for a Silvern wedding were certainly complex, and not at all what Audra had expected. Melissant was a curious woman, but altogether more helpful than Audra might have assumed. Between the many hours of plotting out details and finishing touches on her dress, the woman was both encouraging and wise, reminding the Lorenite princess not to heed the gossip and enjoy herself.

It was difficult. The people were cautious, speaking in whispers and in quiet, dark corners, but the rumors still reached her ears, her heart breaking more and more each day with the notion of what the Silvern people thought of her. It was true, she and Rannulf had bonded far more swiftly than most in their circumstances, but to claim that she had bewitched him?

She would never be accepted, if that was their impression of her… and while she would never stop trying to win their love, it seemed a lost cause more than ever.

It was this which drove her to Rannulf's door that morning. Far too much time had stretched between her last visit and that agonizing isolation, along with the muttered words she had heard in the hall were driving her to near madness. She knocked, but even before her knuckle glanced across the heavy wooden door, the tears began to fall.

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Gavin Elroth​

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For a time it had seemed as though Lucianna Gringoire was an unstoppable force, highly skilled in quite literally everything she did. Then they hit the seas. It was an unfortunate necessity for crossing to the east, and while theirs was hardly rough sailing, Luce seemed ill fated to suffer. Her humanity was nothing less than endearing to the knight, who had begun to wonder if his charge was some divinely blessed being, instead.

She rested her head on his arm and Gavin looked down. At her with a small, amused smile. It would be a few days journey, and she wasn't like to find her sea legs before the end of it. And while he enjoyed seeing a bit more vulnerability in the young princess, it wasn't his desire to see her miserable.

She groaned and Gavin pushed off from the balustrade, taking her hand.

"Here…" He murmured, and running his fingers along her wrist, he paused above her pulse before pressing firmly with his thumbs against the throbbing beat, "It's called a pressure point. Something the Captain taught me, when I was in training. Should help for a little while. I'll see if the chef has any lemons. They help, too."

Releasing her, he looked back out of the churning waters, we ought to think how we're going to approach his majesty in Cain'Loren. It won't do to walk in with accusations. We'll need a reason for being there, while we investigate the situation with his daughter."