The Tundra's Dark Side
Well, here we are, as we open this new instalment of the Story Continues Arc, we open on the Northern Kingdoms in the middle of the Northern Winter, snow falling in flurries... Dramatic, yes, no, maybe? Well, anyway, The Tundra's Dark Side is here, and I really have to be the one to say that this fanfic is going to end up with an M rating due to the amount of violence, a little gore, a lemon and otherwise unpleasantness which is probably going to end up in the end with the M rating.
It may be a T for now, but... it is going to be raised, I will tell you now and Warning, there may be a little bit of gory detail in this first chapter, but this is since I am trying to bring more depth into it really and improve my skills.
Chapter 1: The Northern Traitor
Twenty Years Ago
"It's a girl, your majesties!" A lady in waiting decrees cheerfully as she holds a small pink bundle as she enters the royal bedchamber, "A beautiful Princess of The North as graceful as Queen Nya herself."
Although rudely waking the King and Queen of The North at such an ungodly hour of the evening is rude and against much protocol that dates back a long while, it can be ignored as the new parents approach the servant and the little bundle is handed over to the mother. The young couple seeing their hatchling for the first time, tear inducing, as it is more than just an heir to a recently obtained kingdom, but their daughter and firstborn. The mother laying her eyes upon the infant as she all but is a ball of down and all else, her eyes, dark blue inherited from her father, peering around and making all but the soft cries.
"She's beautiful, Arin." The Queen coos, tenderly embracing her child
"Yes, my sweet, she sure is. A future queen in the making, and already I can just tell she will be a fine queen when she grows up, she has it in her blood." The King, Arin, answers, kissing his wife on the cheek and getting to hold his daughter himself, approaching the frost-glazed windows at the other side of the room with her to look upon their kingdom, "What do we suppose we call a fine young Princess of North then, eh, Nynia?"
"Well... I am stumped for names, dear. You've put me right on the spot." Nynia retorts, feeling the least bit disconcerted and flustered about having to decide on a name this instant, "Alexandra?"
"Oh, no, that it a too used name within the family already, love." Arin tuts in protest of the notion, "My maternal grandmother is an Alexandra, my aunt is an Alexandra, my sister's middle name is Alexandra, and sure as all hagsmire I am not giving my firstborn a recycled name that has been used in this family countless times."
"Alright, alright, I was just suggesting. No need to get all uptight about it." The queen replies, compromising to say the least with the decision, "How about... Lydea?"
"Lydea? As in our ancestor and the firstborn daughter of Nya?" the king enquires, receiving a nod from his mate, before peering down at the newborn, "How about it, Lydea, do you like that name? Ah-ha, hm-hm, well then it is decided. You, my beautiful firstborn and heir to these Northern Kingdoms, shall be called Princess Lydea Schana, our little Crown Princess of North."
Nynia chuckles and rolls her eyes approaching her husband to get their owlet passed back to her and she all but places the child down in a bassinette that has all but been just waiting to be used for the royal child. Tucking her in gently as she breathes a soft yawn, as all little, little owlets seem to be tired as sleeping is one of the things they do.
"So, a big celebration then, my love?" The Queen says as she approaches her husband
"Well when my mother hears of it, she'll demand that we have a grand ball in honour of our little princess and that we all get capes, crowns and otherwise made for the event and decorate the whole ballroom in pink..." The King answers, with a roll of his eyes, taking his wife in a waltz position, "And we'll dance all night."
"So you say, but we haven't really had the time to dance and remember our coronation?" Nynia bemusedly reminisces, "I'm pretty sure that if they could, they would have laughed at the failures."
"Now don't say that, everyone has their falters at times, and we can only blame the wine for the amount of accidents happening that night." Arin consoles, only trying to help, "And you've changed much from a nervous young woman who learnt overnight that she would become queen."
"Even Noble girls could never be prepared for the crown and its responsibilities, so my consumption of wine coronation night, after 9 no less an hour of the morning, was just-." She retorts, defending herself
The Northern Queen is interrupted by a large boom that shatters the windows. The king shielding his wife as they fall to the ground from the instability as the palace shakes from an impact. Screams and shouts erupt from the other side of their chamber doors, as they are barged open with urgency as Royal Guards come charging in.
"Your majesties, Pure Ones are attacking the palace and the surrounding towns! I implore that you all get to safety, immediately." A guard says
Arin helps his wife to his feet before she suddenly pushes away to check over their daughter, picking her up and wrapping her in extra blankets and receiving a few agitated murmurs erupting from the infant. She then comes back to face her flabbergasted husband who is just trying to put this all together and process a response before another explosion rocks the palace, making everyone unsteady and one of the guards lose footing and fall over.
"Get the Queen and our daughter out of the palace, now!" Arin orders, rushing over to place on his swords by his sides and grabs a cape for his wife and places it on her shoulders, "Go, now, Nynia."
"But fighting them is suicide!" Nynia reasons
"Just go for Lydea's sake!" The king orders
The Royal Guards follow their queen and the infant out the doors and swarm around them, checking around every corner as they have to leave now, as the walls and soldiers will not hold long, nor will the palace as they keep battering it. Whole walls starting to collapse in, whole rooms collapsing in already, the ground becomes unstable as they run through the winding rock corridors that walls are crumbling away with every hit they sustain.
Another group of guards approach them with speed, looking battered and bruised, but enduring to say the least, "The southern gates have been compromised, and the Pure Ones are storming the ballroom! The western gates are about to fall, their numbers are too strong."
"Oh sweet goddess... The passages under the palace, we must hurry to them it's the only hope for escape now." Another of the guards says
"Hurry... Please!" Queen Nynia shouts, fought with fear and gripping her daughter tight against her chest, "We must!"
"Yes, your highness." The first of the royal guards comply
They all turn around the corner to another corridor and hurry for the eastern side of the palace, where shrieks of fear, shouts from soldiers outside in the compromised courtyard of the palace and the loud explosions of projectiles being thrown at the palace getting louder. Getting ever so closer to the chaos of the battlefield outside they can see in more detail the carnage of the fighting. The Queen, getting her first glance to the courtyard through broken windows with only the iron outlines remaining, stares horrified if she may be aside from terrified. Bodies, the bodies of Royal Guards and soldiers who guard the palace with their lives with large gaping gashes across their bodies, large chunks and internal organs torn out and blood pouring out onto the snow and stones beneath them. Eyes wide open with shock and otherwise pained last moments before leaving the earth. Wings torn from their bodies and barely attached with only a few ligaments holding on, necks slit with their heads nearly coming off, an unfortunate fellow used as a target from an archer with as many arrows as a firing squad of eight, using three arrow shots, can manage to get in the back of one owl...
"Your majesty, you must keep moving!" One of the Guards yell
"Oh merciful Glaux..." Nynia mutters, pulling herself from looking away from the windows, following the escort, "By the holy father and our Goddess Nya may their sacrifices be that of they were the most dedicated and bravest of all the North..."
Continuing down the halls, the mangled bodies of fallen staff lying on the floor as a sign that this is more than just an attack... Nynia fretting with every step as she sees splatters of blood and bodies mangled lying in pools of their own blood, arrows in the walls... as if a great evil has passed by through leaving this behind. She feels sick from the sights alone, but shields Lydea's eyes from this carnage by holding her close to her chest. The last thing she wants is to corrupt an hours old hatchling with all of this death and... Blood and... Atrocity...
"Wait..." The leading member of the small group of owls says, raising his wing to stop the group who then pause as they listen to hear a slight banging noise from one of the doors in ahead of them, "What is that?"
The doors are barged open by Pure Ones, armed with swords and the Royal Guards immediately react by the front three drawing their swords and the others turning and barricading the Queen to get away. The first sign of bad things to come, Pure Ones already intruding upon the palace and in this bloodbath they only want one thing and one thing only...
"Protect the Queen!" One of the Guards fighting a Pure One yells, smacking the Pure One hard in the head
Nynia runs, holding her daughter close as that way has clearly been compromised, as they will have to run, have to go another way to the catacombs of the palace, to escape. The kingdom depends on their leaders living and in the wake of other coups in past, they must run, hide and flee if they have live and hope to survive. They come to a dead end, rocks crumbling the way. The palace has started crumbling in; only making it worse the urgency to escape stresses the young woman more. They turn and go another way, looking above them as dust starts coming down from the ceilings above as they come to another set of doors that burst open with Pure One soldiers coming through armed with swords and one slicing the throat of a merely servant as they enter. The rest of the soldiers taking them on and the queen with only one option at the time enters a room and sits at the door, cradling her daughter with tears streaming down her eyes, trying to keep calm but all hell has broken loose.
A Guard is downed by a Pure One forcing their blade straight through them, skewering them on their sword before they are flung aside like a rag doll. One of the Guards slams a Pure One hard into the ground, furiously piercing them with their dagger and puncturing everywhere the blade can go, assuring that they are dead with many, many holes pouring out their sinful enemy blood everywhere. The last of the guards is cornered without any plan of attack before... they suddenly stop in their tracks, falling down dead as a Guardian owl armed with her swords stands behind the body that has a large chop down their back.
"Oh thank lord, the Guardians have arrived!"
It all goes quiet, no bangs heard from catapults (as she has been told of by one of the guards are firing at the palace), nothing from outside conflict the guards with her are having heard. The queen whimpers tears, her daughter crying out tears of distress. She all but does her best to calm her down when she is as uncertain what will happen as she cannot hear anything before a loud crash –rocks falling from the ceiling above her on the other side of this chamber. She has confined herself in the study, it is not even safe from the bombardment, and infiltration the palace is coming under.
The door starts to rattle and the queen firmly sits against it in effort to keep them out, "Go away, leave me be, you unholy bastards!"
"Is someone in there? Hello?" a voice, a male voice, replies
"Yes, but I am not coming out!" Nynia firmly states, "You bastard Pure Ones ain't going to get me or my daughter or I will fight you myself!"
"Madame, I and my colleagues here are not Pure Ones; I'll assure you of that. We just slaughtered the bastards on our way in." The voice replies, firmly and calmly to state to the point, "My name is Lord Ezylryb Cress, I, and my associates here and around are Guardians of Ga'Hoole. I, myself, am the War Minister and Lord Commander of Ga'Hoole under his majesty King Boron."
"If I may, my lord, if you really are, how can I trust you? Have you seen what is going on here?" The snowy queen states, uneasy even if the claims could be true
"Yes, we've seen, so terrible of all the battles I have seen myself as a former Northern Army Commander and as a Guardian. But right now, we're here to find and escort any survivors in the palace to safety, the place is coming down and if you don't cooperate, we'll all get crushed here, or downed by Pure Ones." Ezylryb states
Nynia stands and moves aside as the door opens, Ezylryb carefully entering and looking around to see this scared young woman and then bowing with respect, knowing that she is the Queen of The North.
"Queen Nynia, I didn't know-"
"It is okay, formalities can be excused, Lord Commander." Nynia ousts, interjecting as she then fixes up her daughter
Ezylryb approaches, carefully toward the Northern Queen, "Your daughter is she alright?"
"Yes, she is fine." The queen answers, stepping back cautiously and holding her closer, "She is only a few hours old."
"And what is her name, if I may ask your highness?" Ezylryb asks
"...Lydea. Princess Lydea." Nynia answers before looking down on her owlet, "Oh Glaux... She's only a few hours old and..."
"Do not think that, trust me here and you will not die by the claws of the bastards." Ezylryb states, trying to assure the Northern Queen, "May I take Lydea for a moment, to see if she is hurt or anything because I can tell it has been a bit of a rough night."
The Queen uneasily hands over the owlet to the Guardian who then takes her and looks at the little one who seems fine but only flustered by the experiences that he can tell are terrible for how much she seems uneasy. However, the real one affected, for what he can see, is the mother, as she seems all but pale with fear and a mess with tears. He then walks toward the door slightly and stops and looks around for a moment before looking back.
"My colleges are just outside. Strix and the lad, come here right now!" Ezylryb says, yelling out the door for his partners in this mission, before fixing up the owlet that is against his chest, "We can get you out of the palace with your daughter, nothing to it. You and your daughter will have political asylum in Ga'Hoole, as things are not exactly right, right now, to be here, by the looks of this bloodbath. This palace is coming down, and I understand that you have experienced a lot tonight, but we have to leave now."
"...Okay." Nynia uneasily says, approaching the Guardian owl cautiously as the roof begins to crack above her
"Move, quickly, the roof looks about to give-!"
The roof comes down as the Queen almost approaches the others, Ezylryb moving out of the way with the owlet as the large pieces of the ceiling coming down on top of her mother with a whole heap of dust coming down. The dust settles and Ezylryb is in all but shock of the events, the baby starting to cry loudly as the two other Guardians present in the crumbling palace come up to them.
"What happened, Lyze?" Strix Struma asks
"The roof collapsed in and... well... I'm not sure if an owl can survive being crushed by massive ceiling bits like those." Ezylryb answers, while still focused on the infant Princess who keeps crying in distress, "The young Princess Lydea here is only a few hours old, according to the queen, her mother who... met this untimely fate."
The floor begins to crack as the group of Guardian owls stand back as it spreads from the floor up the walls, the signal that the palace is about to collapse in and cannot take any more punishment that the Pure Ones keep firing at it with. Knowing that it may not be wise to try to rescue the Queen when the palace could give way any minute, they have to cut their losses and at least escort the heir to the throne alive out of this hell at least. With a shared look the three of them take off back the way they came, Ezylryb carefully carrying the hatchling as they fly their way through a crumbling palace as the ancient halls of which even a goddess and the Kingdom's first Schana Queen come crashing down upon them.
Outside, the call is made as the battle becomes too much for the Guardians to handle, as solders in large waves keep coming and as the owls make it out of the crumbling palace in time, it falls. The towers and ancient architectures coming crashing down as the rubble nearly engulfs the scene of carnage below of it in the debris raining down upon them. With a heavy heart, the young King Boron yells to withdraw his forces... The North has fallen, the snow bathed in the blood of the innocent lives, covers the whole area around this fallen palace. Imagery alone signalling this fall and death of a great empire and sickening to say the least this massacre of mere innocents, the Guardians make their grave retreat, as they can do nothing more to help.
A snowy owl, like many of the soldiers that have been killed by the Pure One Armies, stands with an appeased smile sickening enough to say the least and the look of daggers in his eyes as he eyes down the enemy... The Guardians. Unlikely of some to see a non-Tyto amongst these supremacist ranks, but he stands there, a helm of the Guardians to his own choosing and a dark red cape armed with bloodied battle claws and his swords by his sides, the handles looking to be covered in the blood which cakes the courtyard of the fallen palace.
"Oh how fate works now?" He mutters to himself, pacing around the mess of dead bodies guttered by the night's events, "You all laugh, taunt even because of one little thing that happened and cast me out like the commoner and... look how it ended up now. You're dead, you're dead and you're dead too over there."
"Alexander."
The snowy owl looks behind him as two Pure Ones land and then a large sooty owl lands after them. This snowy, Alexander, bows with respect as no more than the helm and the escort can tell that he is important within these ranks, no less their commander, Lord Metalbeak. The king looks around, turning his head to get a view of all of this with his only good eye as a slightly impressed smile comes to his iron prophetic beak.
"Well, my lord isn't a more beautiful sight than anything else? Their blood everywhere remarkably in the shade of our red as if is rolling out the welcome for their new commanders. Then I guess they are our doormats anyway..." Alexander says, proudly pacing about in front of the king and humorously looking at the bodies everywhere and coming across one, which has its internal organs spilling out of them through a large gaping hole, "Oh, hello there, I see you've gotten more than just flattened out as a welcome mat, my friend."
"Well, I am impressed, Alexander, you've come through those claims, and with astounding results to say the least." Metalbeak replies within all seriousness unlike the turnfeather commander in front of them
"And smell that..." Alexander says, taking a big inhale, "Nothing better than the stench of blood and death in the early evening."
"My lords!"
The pair then turns to face a pair of their soldiers crossing the courtyard with a prisoner, dragging him forcedly and yanking on his limbs like a puppet. Alexander actually looking impressed with their little find, as it is none other than the former of these now Pure One Controlled Northern Kingdoms.
"Well done, lads." Alexander applauds, "I must say, I thought that you were going to be like any bloody king and go down with your kingdom."
"You... Wretch! How could you betray the North for these... supremacist bastards?" Arin spits on the word 'wretch', highly disgusted of one of their own who have betrayed them, "You're not even a Tyto and yet you have aided them to destroy this kingdom. You... You have all but shamed the great name your forefathers installed in you-"
"I wouldn't say another word unless that is how you want to be remembered." Metalbeak interjects, standing idly by before approaching the once King of The North he only tried to vanquish seven years before now, "Well, where is the mighty Northern Army of hundreds now? Where is that Lyze of Kiel to bloody as well defend your sorry tail end from me this time, hm? You talk game, Schana, but yet... look who's the one in charge now."
The Schana King pushes forward in effort to escape, "I will not get down on my knees surrender like the coward; neither will my people yield to the likes of you. The people will rise against you after they hear what you have done and there are more northerners to outnumber any amount of Pure Ones you may have!"
"My lord." Alexander then says, drawing his sword and placing it before the High Tyto, "I say that executing this scoundrel should be left to you in a statement which would mean that you are the true King of the North, and it would be an honour, if you ended the Schana Dynasty with my sword."
"Actually, I am thinking that this should be yours to take, as a reward for your loyalty to my army." Metalbeak says, handing back the sword to the snowy owl turnfeather, "Usher in the new era of Pure One rule over this kingdom and make this sorry fool at the mercy of Glaux like the rest of his bloody family already are."
The turnfeather Northern Lord nods his head, "It would be my honour."
Metalbeak takes a few steps back as the former king is forced to kneel by the soldiers holding him still, struggling to resist as his life depends on it, as if The North depends on it. Alexander prepares himself for this deed with a somewhat smile, as if he has been dreaming of taking the head of this sorry bastard since that night where he made a fool of him in front of the entire aristocracy. Nothing means more to a Northern Aristocrat than their honour and this man who has the gall to call himself a king, had stained his honour for the events of that night and merely leading toward the rest of the peers shunning him and making him as worthless as the mere commoner.
"Well, as I am not that much of a heartless bastard as you scum of the world seems to think me as, any last words before you fall?" The new king enquires
"I hope you burn in hagsmire for all eternity for what you have done! ALL OF YOU!" Arin shouts, the last part echoing around the area to add depth to the words
Metalbeak gives the nod and Alexander lifts his sword and strikes down quickly, cutting off the Schana king's head with one good hit of his sword, tearing it clean off its body as the so-called "golden blood" of the king begins to pour out of him. The guards behind dropping the body and Alexander stands there with his sword bloodied with an amused, near sickening smile plastered across his face as he places his sword away.
"Welcome to the Pure One North..."Alexander mutters, before kneeling down before Metalbeak, "And all hail Lord Metalbeak, High Tyto of the Pure One Empire and King of The North!"
Twenty Years Later
June 23rd, Present Day
A terrible winter day as the snow seems to be falling in more than just a flurry. All but the coldest winter temperatures on record around this time of the mid-winter. Even the Northerners who would be born and bred, who would live all their lives in this nearly everwinter wasteland of mostly snow and ice could be at mercy of this cold. The least this prisoner here at least gets to be bloody as well warm while he has been here for the worst of ten winters up until this day. He would have thought by now that he could not have lasted this many winters for how many crimes he had done sitting here waiting for a trial than one if they decided to take his head the minute they arrested him. However, the UKO are the ones who believe so highly in diplomacy and ethics that their heads seem to be caught where the sun does not shine within their ideals and near self-proclaimed "diplomatic greatness".
The letter sits on the small table within this jail cell, it was presented to him barely a month or two ago by those bastards working for The Northern Council. Like any official document, it usually begins with the usual sort of greeting before ending up telling him bluntly that his court date is this and most of his charges are listed below... Load of rubbish when they only list the top three and not credit the others when he pretty much made history for this kingdom.
Sitting next to this pretty much only communication he has had with the outside world in ten years, sits his dark red sash underneath a box. Knowing it is nearing time for this little get-together with this new style of government the child-queen enacted, he opens it and shiny, silver medals looking as shiny as new sit inside. Funny, ten years and all these medals are like new, even the ones from when he was nothing more than the Schana King's yes man back in the days of being naïve to the real cut-throat of the aristocracy can be and how much they are just fools with power. He places one by one individually on the sash as even he thinks he has to be presentable before the damn child that ruined everything for the Pure Ones by living and returning two years ago to steal away their greatest achievements among many.
He comes across a small portrait, one of those small paintings done which were scaled down to be kept inside locket necklaces, wedged in the corners of mirrors and whatnot. Their former king who met his untimely downfall only a mere few months before some sixteen year old brandishing a flaming stick of all weapons ended his life seemed happy in this little portrait as he stand with something that could be easily put onto the list of worst among his sins and crimes. A young woman, a young corseted Barn Owl (Guess who) with feathers of a rich brown colour stand beside him with such an eminence of beauty even if she was doomed to having to wear that awful contraption for the rest of her life. She hold a small bundle, with a black and brown owlet seen to be sleepily wrapped within red and light blue blankets,(Guess who again) as it could only be the one thing that is both the greatest sin against anything and that owl's most prised possession.
"Well, look how the mighty have fallen and this image of pure happiness dissolved by knowing in hindsight it would never last. That king impaled on a flaming branch and died hereafter ending his glorious reign... That young woman, as beautiful as she is doomed by being like a pawn he did love in his horrid chess game was made to disappear off the face of the earth and her existence made... unknown. And that baby, that young boy there with a whole life ahead of him even if he was a bastard child is like the mother, but unlike the mother, he is only missing. Sent away so he would not end up having his throat torn out by that stepmother of his who doesn't even have a child of her own... And for I, well, I ended up here wasting away in a personal hell of my own for these ten long bloody years...And yet, I could only hope Nyra is strong and that she is only as blank as we wanted her after that affair was over and done. And I can only hope that the young lady is fine wherever she is and that little lad too, fine."
He places on his sash of medals, adjusting them to look presentable, "It doesn't look much like it, but the other medals seem to be better than those other bloody things... Call it an oxymoron of honours if you could."
With a loud bang, the doors are beginning to open. Two guards entering wearing the typical of anything Northern Army uniform these days. He already knows why they are here, an escort to the trial, which they have been holding off for so many years and everyone opted out of doing until now, is going to begin soon. With less patience than others to be around the highly reputational Traitor of The North and the "Bringer of the Blood", they start forcing this prisoner to move.
"You are coming with us this very instance, so don't bother trying anything." One of the Guards coldly sneer
"And here I thought that the old ways had returned with the reinstatement of your bloody monarchy so you wouldn't be manhandling me like some common prisoner." Alexander coldly quips, "Back in my day, I had idiots like you being the ones following my every command."
"You're a disgrace to the medals that our last kings once gave that you wear." The other guard chimes in, as harshly as the first
"Now you shouldn't be disrespectful!" Alexander exclaims, with a roll of his eyes, "And none of you can take a joke around here..."
Due to being a high-risk prisoner, nearly every part of the section of anywhere around his cell is surrounded by gates at every end of the corridor to be unlocked by the soldiers who guard it with their lives as if he was to escape, then who knows what untold damage he could bring. They escort him into a cage, locking him inside before leaving this prison within the tundra's barren wastelands outside of any sort of civilisation within the North. It takes hours to get anywhere near any civilisation from this super security prison, and almost virtually no one is allowed any access with the prison unless they had a written statement from the higher of authorities to be here. For Alexander, this is the first time he has seen the outside world that was not from his window in ten long years, even if it is to the hearing with the council that could mean the end of his life, as he knows it.
The stroke of midnight and the large brigade of soldiers and servicemen from no less than the elite rankings the Northern Army are flying through the main civilisation city that surrounds the Snowflake Palace that is the new Schana Palace in their building of a new main capitol that has been happening over these last two years. Far enough away from the edge of the Northern Forest and the civilisation at the bottom of the valley of the Northern Mountain ranges and the wreckage of the fall of the both Schana Dynasty for that era and the fall of the Pure One Rule. These soldiers, all called from their stations from in and around the tundra, are here for the escort of this high-risk captive.
The Queen can decide if he shall be spared of the death penalty and forever be exiled or to confine him in jail any longer. Alternatively, if he shall suffer death by having his head on the chopping block, as if it would be avenging her father by making him all but suffer the same fate. However, that decision may be tough, for the personal views of the Queen of the North, being that her husband is the defendant's grandson and her father in law is King of Ga'Hoole, who is the defendant's son and only child. Also accounting on her pacifist views of preferring diplomacy above mindless violence, as well as the rest of the Northern Kingdom and her council all on different sides of the matter all but screaming at her to make the decision they want, but it is between two different options. It may be a tough decision for the young queen to make.
The Snowflake Palace, a palace that was spared from the attacks and eighteen years of Pure One rule and twenty years of violence between the sides, is all but a marvel amongst designers inspired by the palace's architecture dating back many hundreds of years. All but the piece that was the start of the city building project on this side of the valley of the Northern Mountain ranges by moving the main monarchy and their operations here to the, now new, Schana Palace. Alexander is flying over this little work before looking upon the final destination, and being brought here to this grand fortress in the tundra. Everyone seems to be either staring this prisoner down or cowering away as he is being brought through the palace to the council, although he has spent the last ten years locked in a small room, the likeliness of retaliation seems high, even if they are keeping him in a cage until they get to the council room.
Finally coming to a pair of doors, they are opened to a large chamber and the first thing the prisoner can see as he enters are 11 piercing glares from each of the 11 members of the council here already in attendance. They stare down on him, as they are all but owls who are nearly the same age and are in the same generation of the man who toppled their kingdom in one night. They all stare daggers down at the man who brutally hacked the head off King Arin and brought the palace down on Queen Nynia. They were all but young royals who only had such a short time on the throne before they assassinated in an atrocity and one of the worst massacres that has ever happened within the Everlasting War since the days of Mordecai and Cheyenne. Alexander is released from his captivity with many, many guards in and around the room from what he can see looking around now. And yet, something is missing from this little gathering now...
The guards open two doors at the head of the room as the last member of the council has yet to arrive. The attention turned away from Alexander for the moment as the council members all bow as four guards enter and then stand at each side of a walkway and the necessary member presiding over this matter has arrived.
"Her Majesty, Queen Lydea of the North."
Lydea enters, dressed in all but something formal for this very distinct Northern Council gathering with a long, dark blue cape edged and collared with white sitting on her shoulders, a silver and sapphire headpiece sitting on her head and a necklace of silver sitting on her neck on top of the cape. Though her face remains expressionless as she enters, as soon as she gazes upon the man who killed her parents, killed her family and killed several hundred innocent owls, her expression turns to that of malice. She stares at him so for a full minute in silence before ascending her stand at the centre chair of the council.
"You have the same glare of your father, young queen." Alexander states breaking the silence of the room, receiving another sharp glare from all the councillors, "It is not nice to stare; now I know that I may look a little less presentable than I would want, but when in prison, does it look like I even have a formal cape."
"Councillor Kai, Representative of the Southern Everwinter Isles, if you may read the charges." Queen Lydea intrusts, staying strictly on program and her voice making out that this is a no-nonsense trial
"At once, your majesty." The councillor responds, with a nod of compliance while taking up the official documents, "Lord Alexander Nyctea, former Commander of the Northern Army and head of the former House Nyctea, and former General of Northern Division of the Pure Ones, you are here charged with counts of high treason against our Queen and the Kingdom. Secondly with the murder and regicide of the former monarchs and murders other members of the aristocracy. The murder of your wife, Lady Monique Nyctea and several hundred other soldiers and civilians also your doing. The war crimes you have committed in the brief eight years of your leadership as General and finally crimes against owlkind."
"Your present appearance today is to finally give the decision regarding if you shall live either in imprisonment or in exile, our queen presiding over the decision we make today." Another councillor, a female, adds onto the end of the statement
"I must say... I will interrogate the defendant before the decision is made." Lydea says, looking only down on Alexander with her same look of daggers she game him while entering
"Oh, of course your highness is entitled to speak to the guilty party, however considering how-"
"I'm doing it and it is final!" Lydea sharply snaps, looking toward the councillor who questions her decision, before she then clears her throat and retains her serious demeanour
"Well, never have I seen a sole-reigning queen ever so feisty with her government before." Alexander confidently smirks, relaxing a bit with a self-amused smile on his face, "Then again the North wasn't exactly a Constitutional Monarchy..."
"You speak even if you pay me the most disrespect you can already? I thought you were a Northern Lord at best, not a common fool to forget to bow to your queen, kneel and beg of mercy as the council already wants your head." Lydea says with a bemused glance, "But, you are not even the owl who deserves mercy after what you had done."
"Again, too much like your father, Queen Schana." Alexander cockily replies, retaining his smile as he looks up to the woman
The Schana Queen returns a fierce glare, "And yet why would you take his head, my father, that night when you destroyed everything? Why would you betray this kingdom and just throw it all away? Why would you do what you did to The North, to the aristocracy and all the crimes against the owl kingdoms then? Bring shame to your family name which could have been passed down to your son if he wasn't-"
"Now you shouldn't even be alive, you haughty bitch, if those Guardians come and save your sorry hide from what should have been my defining moment and I would be sitting on the throne instead of you. The Pure Ones' defining moment of achieving a great victory ruined because of you!" The traitor coldly snaps, leaning as forward as he can to return the same glare while being restrained
"You are a disgrace to the Nyctea family and if I were cruel I would have executed you as soon as I learned this truth!" Lydea retorts
The traitor only laughs, mockingly, "You married the offspring of my bastard son, you pitiful girl."
"Boron is a good king!" Lydea shouts in response, making the councillors around her feel uneasy as she stands her ground, "Even if he was raised around a pitiful excuse of a father like you, he still grew to become something that in your petty bloodshed could not. Boron became a king, the most just and noble to rule the Great Tree and you became a dark stain who is more undeserving of being both a forbearer of the Nyctea name and underserving of being a father to a great owl like my father in law!"
"I am 'underserving', you say?" Alexander calmly, though sharply responds, "He married that Lynai girl, betrayed me and left like a coward only to take the throne of our enemies and no less dooming himself, and yet you say that I am the 'underserving' one?"
"The Council unanimously decided to have you executed, but..." The queen sooner gets back to business with a resolving uneasiness coming to her, "I will not have any more violence in this kingdom, nor senseless killings. I shall go against my council on this decision..."
The councillors all protest in uproar and try to speak to the Queen, but she just remains paused and somewhat unaffected by their pleas and otherwise demands of following through on their verdict of execution. The snowy monarch all but peers down on the traitor, and as much as she would rather see his head on a spike displayed for all the kingdom to see, she can only see it as it would not be right and as a family member of her husband...
"Alexander Nyctea... by my own decision, you shall be stripped of all your titles and any medals of the aristocracy and forevermore exiled from the Northern Kingdoms."
Although with great protest, the Northern Queen bangs the gavel beneath her claw, the verdict has been passed, and as soon as Alexander has left, everyone is not exactly quiet, but rather in contest and calling it all but madness. Queen all but breathes a breath and then leaves, only hoping that she has made the right decision for the good of the kingdom, and that the sorry fool be grateful for the mercy she is giving him. She is not about to kill a family member of her husband's, as it would only be a great dishonour on herself and could call her all but a hypocrite.
The snow falls down on the southernmost boarder and landmass of the Northern Kingdoms as the dawn's sun starts to rise. The Queen of the North, her guards, the small group of soldiers and otherwise the Northern Council members are all but braving the snow and cold to see the traitor off. As much as it was a wrong decision in their eyes, they must remember that their queen must know what she is doing somehow by sparing this arrogant bastard and traitor from death. The least they did was give him a cape to wear as they release him from the cage and his Northern medals are ripped from his sash one by one until only two Pure One medals remain. The Queen stares on with a look of malice, even if she is giving him mercy, she still sees that he is not exactly grateful for the decision she has made.
The Queen retains her duty as she then stands at the head of the group, her soldiers wary of anything the exiled party may do, "You have been exiled, if you return, you will die by execution, with no prior trial. Your medals and Medals of Honour and Medals of Bravery, all awarded by my grandfather and father, the kings before me, have been stripped from you and all of your Northern Aristocracy titles revoked. All of them to now pass to the next head of household and the honour will be retained, but not the reputation of the original owner. Be gone and NEVER return or I will not be as so merciful next time you come before me!"
Alexander then turns away from the glances and takes off flying, the group watching as the older snowy owl starts to fly through the Ice Narrows, and never to return to the North as so far as for the rest of his days. Relinquishing the fact that he has been freed, but for how long will he be when there are many more owls against him now than allied with him. To fly anywhere near Ga'Hoole would mean immediate death if Boron were to get his claws on him, to return to the North would mean immediate death, to go to any of the allied Kingdoms would be otherwise death in the making as they are all allies with the Guardians...
But as for the Pure Ones, he knows of that they have a new king that has been ruling for nearly one and a half years as their High Tyto. Knowing of him, but not much about him except that he goes by Lord Metalbeak and that his true name is Kludd Canner and he is the brother of the legendary king slayer. He knows that he had married Metalbeak's widow, Queen Nyra and that he has accepted that Nyra has their now fifteen-year-old General, Elanore, as her adoptive daughter of sorts. He knows of some of the campaigns that the High Tyto has served, but only knows that he pretty much has never succeeded in any of them in a shaky start to his reign.
He may know where he can go, it may take some flying and quite some time to spend weaving in between the individual kingdoms and states that would want his head while somehow avoiding the UKO... And also he may have to think of a way to have some sort of introduction with this new young High Tyto dubbed "Metalbeak's Successor"...
But At least he knows of where he can go now...
