…...There's one guy I'm going to shoot for this. He knows who he is and I'm betting his reading this like 'wtf? He actually did that?' so...yeah.
At this point, I have to explain this. I'm in an RP set in the Awakening setting with some friends (well, internet friends...can you define them as friends? I do) and whilst I have to avoid spoiling plot (cause I'm kinda trying to surprise them with a few plot turns here and there.
Now, I don't expect this to turn into more then one of these...but if it does then not only will they vary (because avoiding spoiling) and you can blame them.
All characters are single unless specified.
Not so grand
Republic of Athenes
The storm rang out across the treacherous seas, Ships pulling against their moors in the docks as the waters smashed against the shores. Thunder reverberated through the skies between the many buildings, echoing all the way up to the manor on the top of the hill. And within the walls of the building, there stood the young lordling.
Ganett Ithesus, younger brother to the Princess-Regent and meant to be the next Prince-regent. His orange hair stood out, even if soaked to the core by the down pour, having only just gotten in from the rain, looking out of one of the windows, in casual clothes more suited for hot summers then cold rains such as today. He sighed, shaking his head.
"Seems almost fitting" He spoke, putting a hand on his side. "Barely back and already the skies are lamenting our defeat"
He put a hand on his side, nursing a wound from a previous battle that was still healing up. The Hazy Wing mercenaries had tried to attack a Valmese battle group defending the south...and failed. If he was honest, they were lucky to get out alive. Silmea was definitely an able sailor, and Aethenes ships were definitely expertly made.
As he sat there, leaning against the wall, his mind ran back over the last few years since he left. Finding something special, something precious had been his goal, what he was going to be let back home if he did so.
And then he found her, the true heiress to the Valmese Empire, the green haired woman. Silven. Leader of the Hazy Wings when they had met. He thought it over a few times in his head, and even had to note himself that there had been a few hints as to where she was really from. All that time lying about being from Ferox must have been hard on her, especially with the Valmese bounty hunters on her. How things had changed since then...he could hardly believe.
The woman was focused, dedicated almost to the job. Whatever had happened before he met her had had an effect on her, given what he knew now. The woman with a heart and her own set of morals, one that made sure that she would follow her own path. Who knew the girl would end up having a secret as large as she. The princess of Libethia, the most powerful kingdom in Valm, and a descendent of Alm himself.
And what a looker. He couldn't help but admire her appearance. A babe as good looking as her with that much skill with a sword was a rarity in this world. And he'd seen a lot of women in his time in Ylisse, on and off the battlefield. Jessebelle had left her mark on him...if just from the slap to the cheek she'd left on him, as had her sister, Marianne...and maybe Audrey as well...
His ears perked up as he heard something that most definitely wasn't the rain, nor the thunder, nor the waves. He turned away from the window, uncrossing his arms and walking out of the room, looking down the hallways outside, trying to hear where it was coming from. Definitely a piano...in here? Last he knew it was him and the noble alone in this one.
"So long...light of Dawn" He raised an eyebrow, hearing a beautiful voice singing. a woman's voice...Silven? On a piano? No, couldn't be. She's as likely to know how to play that as she is to dye her hair blue He thought, smirking as he walked out. Wonder what magnificent gal's got that set of divine vocals. Got to be some fine woman.
It didn't take him long to find the source, a piano set up in the master bedroom, made of the finest wood on the island, with enough decoration to make it stand out amidst the almost dreary room, the white walls having two windows and a large opening to the balcony looking over the bay. Sat at the stool however, was a woman he didn't expect to see.
Silven, the green haired, battle scarred warrior princess, her hair draped down her back, hanging just above her lower back, sat at the keys in her casual robes, her white clothes tied with her belt at her waist. Her hands in her normal gauntlets, her swords by her side. Ganett didn't need to think for too long as she sang to know. She was filled with sorrow over the previous battle.
The Death of her father...and the failure to save her homeland. Strong as she was, even Silven was human it seemed, and as she sang, he knew all too well she was trying to blot out the pain. He took the few tentative steps to fill the gap, putting a hand on her shoulder, causing her to stop, gasping.
She quickly grabbed her sword, swinging around and making a swipe at his chest, though stopping just before it connected, her eyes giving him a stern glare before she realised who it was, sighing.
"Damn it Ganett" She spoke, putting her sword down and grabbing her blue diadem. "Don't sneak up on me like that...I'm not in the mood for that kinda of crap" He chuckled, taking his hand off.
"Still the same ol' Silvy then" He replied, grabbing a chair and sitting on it, making sure he was a safe distance away. "How are you holding up?" She sighed, shaking her head.
"I'm not...Happy?" She asked, standing up and walking over to the bed, sitting on the edge to be more comfortable. "My father's dead, Walhart has my homeland and my father's best friend now controls lands that by rights should be mine..."
"Sounds like a usual day for us" A stern glare from Silven quickly shut Ganett up as he spoke, the Lordling knowing instantly the Empress-to-be wasn't in the mood for jokes. "Sorry...bad time"
"Yes...very bad time" She sighed, shaking her head. "Not that you'd understand it anyway" Ganett raised an eyebrow, swinging around in his chair to look straight at her, one arm on the back.
"Now what's that meant to mean Silvy?" another glare, though this one failed to silence him. "We're both in the same team here. You're a ruler to be, same as I. I may have not gone through what you have, but I think I have a good idea of what you may be dealing with"
"Do you..." She sighed again, now curling up on the bed, now sitting with her arms around her legs, her feet on the end. "No...there's no way you do"
"Then try me" She looked over her legs at him, seeing him giving her a confident look. "You've led me this far. You've tried to teach me...so come on. Show me what you 'noble kings of Liberia' are all about"
It was at this point that Silven's hands balled into fists, the warrior really wanting to punch him in the face. But she resisted, standing up and walking over to the window now, taking a deep breath, counting to five in her head before saying anything else. She couldn't help but look upon herself right now and weep. She used to be so strong, and now...she was weak, fragile, her whole strength gone from her. Everything that had driven her to get this far was gone. Everything that she had dreamed of doing was shattering like glass around her. And now she had the Aethenai to entertain. The last thing she needed.
"Let's begin with the obvious Ganett..." She began, the prince-regent nodding. "You are in a republic...I'm in a kingdom. No matter what, you don't have the same level of responsibility as I do, you never will. I have the blood of the High-King Alm and High-Queen Celica, the unifiers of the Valmese empire in the first place...You do the will of the republic" She turned to him, holding her arm, a shadow of her former self. "I...should be carrying out what is best for the people of Liberia, of Valm. An Empress, a queen...you have said many a time that Kingdoms are the realm of the selfish, the proud, the ignorant. I seek to differ on that. You know me...I'm proud, yes, but I am by no means ignorant, by no means selfish...and I am willing to do what I can to protect those around me" Ganett nodded, giving her a smile.
"To be frank, Silvy, it's why I've stuck around for so long" Silven held up her hand at this point, looking away once more.
"And then...we're two different worlds entirely" Ganett raised an eyebrow as she said this, highly confused. "From birth, you have been given everything you could ask for. Money, food, drink, land. People have expected you to perform if you sister should pass...and she hasn't. What skill you have is self taught, yes. But...you are frivolous, self-concerned and a womaniser"
"OK, the last one I can't really disagree with given my record but the first two parts-"
"I, however...have been raised from birth within the kingdom to rule, to lead, to fight, as my father's daughter. You're parents for a start have been around since birth...my mother died giving birth to me...that's already one life on my hands, her blood spilt by me...Hevesh was right...I am a curse to those around me"
"And we all know that Hevesh isn't worth her weight in salt"
"But...through out my life...I was expected to perform, and perform I did...I made myself known as a skilled warrior, a leader, but not a tactician...but my father wasn't so they allowed me a pass on the third of them"
"I wouldn't exactly claim to be a-"
"I even did everything I could to make my father proud. I studied, I fought, I learnt and I made sure that I was a worthy successor, even greater then any son he could have dreamed of having...and he was...he was proud of me all the while...and the people of Liberia...everyone...was happy that I was doing what I could to help" She looked down, closing her eyes as she felt a tear come. "I...I just...I shouldn't have run...I shouldn't have left father to face Walhart's army alone...I could've done more here then the two years I spent in Ylisse trying to find aid"
It was at this point that she broke down, the tears now flowing freely from her eyes as she cried her eyes out, collapsing to her knees on the cold stones, crossing her arms and holding her shoulders as she gave in, Ganett looking away at this point. His mind trying to work out what to do. This was the woman he had known to know...well, not know no fear, but to face her fears head on, to look at what would scare the common man to death and keep on going. Why, when the Exalt, Lord Chrom's sister died in Plegia, she barely flinched. And now she was this...
"I've spent...2 years, trying to save my father" Silven resumed, through sobs and tears. "2 years trying to find a ruler who could assist me...and in the end it was all worthless...I couldn't save anyone...and my people...my people shunned me. Turned on me like I was some...floozy. Some Bastard child of Siegfried...I failed..." She opened her eyes quickly upon feeling a pair of arms resting on her head, looking up and seeing the Princeling looking down on her, resting on her head, her tears stopping for a small time. "Wh-what are you-"
"You know, you never did look good crying" He told her, picking her back up off the ground and dusting her off slightly. "Jeez...and the Wing respect you for NOT becoming this" She sniffled a few more times, turning to him, about to speak before he put his hands on her shoulders.
"Listen Silvy, We're not as different as you think" He spoke, smiling to her. "So what if we failed to save your father...so what if Liberia doesn't exactly want you back yet" Silven almost shot him a glare before he carried on. "But you know what...you just pick yourself back up and carry on. It's like My old man used to say...'why do we fall?'" She sniffed a few more times before looking back outside swallowing as she fought back more tears.
"So that we can find...the strength to get back up" She replied, getting a reassuring nod from Ganett. "So that we can find a path out"
"Exactly..." He chuckled giving her a small pat on the head. "Now come on...pull yourself together. The Wing needs it's old taskmaster back in action, wouldn't you say?" She nodded slowly, brushing the last of her tears off of her face quickly, chuckling to herself.
"I can't believe you're the one telling me to do that" She spoke, breaking the embrace Ganett held her in, standing up slowly making sure the Princeling had time to get out of the way, then turning to him. "Come on...I'm sure the others were worried about me"
"They were...but Silvy...I think you might want to wait. Not just because of the weather but...well..." Silven looked down, noting her clothes before sighing, nodding.
"True...thanks..." She spoke, pointing to the door. "Now get out of my room. I need some time alone" Ganett chuckled to himself, giving a mock salute as he left, closing the door behind him.
She couldn't believe her luck as she turned around, watching the rains lashing the island. But then, part of her couldn't help but relate it to the night she had left Liberia in the first place. She reached into her clothing, pulling out a locket on a chain, holding it in her palm before pressing a button on the side, revealing it's contents: a picture taken by a quick-camera tome, one that she was proud of.
The last picture she had gotten with both her and her father in, the king sat in his resplendent armour, looking towards the mage with a hand on her daughter's shoulder stood in front of him with a smile on her face, the widest she'd held in the years since. A better time, one when she had few worries. And as she traced her thumb over her father, she gave the image a looked that seemed to last a lifetime before turning her head to the heavens, giving a small smile.
"Father...watch over me" She spoke, closing her eyes. "Please...give me your strength...your determination...your wisdom as I follow my path"
