Quirks of a Royal Family

In which one day is enough

The day of Almedha and Pelleas's departure for Goldoa

Daein keep wasn't usually a loud, bustling place, but today the cold stone corridors seemed especially lonesome and projected a feeling of helplessness. The wind howled through the broken glass windows that had been a victim to one of many of King Ashnard and Queen Almedha's fights, and the usual burning torches that illuminated the gloomy halls were all extinguished. To Soren, it seemed as if the castle itself was mourning alongside her.

She walked silently next to her brother, both of them following their parents through the corridors that she remembered running throughwith joy. Over to the left was the suit of armour that Pelleas always chose to hide behind in their childish games of Hide and Hunt. To the right were a set of large doors that led to a lounge of sorts, where before a flickering fireplace, her mother used to read stories to her children, and on occasion Ike, when General Gawain had been called before her father. Past a broken window was a courtyard where Ashnard had proudly displayed his latest prize from hunting, despite Pelleas' squeamishness and Soren's indifference. Now, all those memories would be tinged with bitterness.

Finally, the Royal Family of Daein reached The Keep's front gate, and once there Pelleas moved to the side of their mother, whilst Soren remained at her father's. Almedha and Ashnard stared each other down with what seemed to be indifference to the casual eye, but Soren could see her mother's sadness and anger beneath the facade, and Ashnard radiated coldness harsher than last month's blizzard. Soren could only gaze helplessly between the two of them, and shared a dismayed glance with Pelleas. Her brother could not hide his hurt and confusion, and she wished nothing more than to be able to comfort him. But such a thing was no longer her place.

"You are going to return to your family in Goldoa?" Ashnard asked, not sounding the least bit worried, and more as if he was merely forcing Almedha to confirm she was actually leaving.

Almedha narrowed her eyes. "Yes," she bit out with venom. "My brothers have prepared a place for us to live, and shall be escorting us once we reach the border."

The King of Daein nodded, and with barely a glance at his son, turned and walked back into his castle. For a moment, the three remaining outside stared after him, each feeling a different kind of emotion. A harsh gust of wind broke the spell, sending a flurry of snow into their faces, and slowly they turned back towards one another.

Soren couldn't look anywhere but the ground. Perhaps if she tried hard enough, this would all be a dream. Tomorrow she would wake and meet her family for breakfast, attend her lessons, and maybe even sneak out to see Ike practise his swordplay. But Ike had disappeared, and now it seemed as if her family would follow after him.

"Why?" The word was barely a whisper, for she could not bring herself to speak and louder for fear this nightmare was real.

She heard the crunch of snow, felt arms around her and smelled her mother's perfume. Gentle hands combed through her hair, brushing away snowflakes, and she held onto her mother as if it would change everything. A sniffle, and Pelleas joined them, and Almedha held them both close.

"I'm sorry, my children," Almedha whispered mournfully.

At that, Soren couldn't contain herself, and started crying alongside Pelleas. Their mother only squeezed them tighter, and tried to whisper comforting words to ease their distress.

"It will be alright," she cooed, "just because we won't all be together doesn't mean that we're not a family." She pulled away slightly, tilting their chins up so she could look them in the eye. "Come now, you both are the Prince and Princess of Daein. Heirs to the throne shouldn't cry because of one small inconvenience."

"Inconvenience..." Soren muttered as she grasped Pelleas' hand for comfort.

"But we might not see each other again!" her brother hiccupped as he squeezed her hand back. "Why did this have to happen? Did Father not..." his voice broke off.

Soren bit her lip and moved closer. After all, her father had made his feelings about his son clear.

Almedha's face tightened. "No... It's not because of that, my sweet boy. Your father and I..." she hesitated slightly, looking to the side for barely a moment before meeting their eyes once more. "Your father and I, we no longer are as close as we once were... We were worried that our differences... would affect both of you negatively. You are at such a young age, and impressionable..." she trailed off.

"So you decided to separate?" Soren asked numbly as she clung to Pelleas. "Separate us? Why can't we all stay, why can't I go with you?" Why was she being left behind?

"Both of us love the two of you," Almedha began slowly, "and neither of us wanted to be left alone. I'm sorry, we... couldn't be together. We came to that descion mutually, and now..." She paused. "My children... you both carry two of Tellius' strongest bloodlines, and I believe," she said, sounding stronger, "that no matter what obstacles the two of you may face, that you will be able to overcome them."

"I don't know if I can." Pelleas sounded lost, and Soren couldn't give him much comfort. But she still stood taller, and pulled Pelleas up with her. She wasn't able to be his pillar in the future, so she would have to do her best now. It seemed to work somewhat, as he tried to smile for her. It came across as a grimace, but that he was trying to make an effort mattered more.

"My children..." Almedha murmured softly, also standing taller. "I'm so proud of you both."

Her mother reached out for Pelleas' hand, while behind her a carriage had pulled up close to the castle. Soren glared at it, but knew that there was nothing she could do to stop her family leaving. Instead, she turned to her sibling.

"...Goodbye." She spoke sadly.

"No!" Pelleas suddenly burst out, surprising her. He shuffled slightly, like he was embarrassed for his outburst. "People who say goodbye in stories never meet again," he muttered.

Despite the situation, she couldn't help smiling. No matter what, Pelleas would always be Pelleas.

"So... See you soon, Big Sister!"

"See you soon, Little Brother." She looked up at Almedha. "Mother..."

Almedha smiled sadly. "...See you soon, Soren, my princess." She leaned forward to kiss Soren's forehead, right on her Brand.

Slowly, her mother backed away, Pelleas following with hesitation. With a wave from her sibling, they disappeared into the carriage, and with barely a second since the door shut, it was rolling away, carrying her family with it. Within minutes it was out of sight, but still she stood in the howling wind. There was always a chance that they would come back.

She couldn't say how long she had been waiting for the carriage to return before she heard the sound of heavy armour approaching. Still, she did not turn to greet her new companion in the snow. For a moment it was quiet.

"Princess, it would be best to come inside before you catch cold." Zelgius said to her.

She ignored him.

There was a sigh, before footsteps made their way closer. The knight knelt down next to her, and together they stared across Nevassa's streets. He would not be silent for long though.

"Your mother wouldn't want you to get sick, Princess." She turned to look at him. He extended his hand. "Come, Princess. It is nearing your lunch, is it not? Perhaps you will feel better once you have eaten."

He gazed at her solemnly until she took his hand. Smiling gently, he rose to his feet and led her back into The Keep. The heavy wooden doors slammed shut behind them, signalling the end to her former life. Zelgius kept hold of her as they walked back through the numerous corridors Pelleas and Almedha had trod before their departure. Just as they had reached the dining room came the sound of footsteps. Soren recognized them, for they were a sound she had heard her entire life.

"Your Majesty." Zelgius bowed before his king.

Ashnard looked the knight over, before settling his gaze upon her. "They are gone?"

Bowing her head, she replied. "Yes, Father."

"Good," was his response. She clenched her fists, wondering what was so good about his wife and son leaving.

"Soren." She looked up at his stern face. "As Crown Princess of Daein, I expect that you will conduct yourself in a manner befitting of royalty, regardless of your feelings." She nodded.

Her father stared at her awhile, and she tried to return his gaze best she could. Finally he nodded, and began walking away. However, he was not entirely done speaking with her.

"Remember this well: a citizen of Daein only needs one day to grieve. Anything more is mere foolishness and sentimentality." Zelgius' grip on her hand tightened. "I expect for you to continue your lessons tomorrow. Do not disappoint me." With that said, Ashnard continued walking away until he was out of sight.

She kept her gaze on the floor until Zelgius tugged on her hand gently. "Princess, shall we go?"

Soren nodded once more, and followed after him silently, wondering. Over to the left was the suit of armour Pelleas always chose to hide behind in their games of Hide and Hunt. To the right were a set of doors leading to a lounge, where Almedha would read stories to her children, and on occasion Ike. Past a broken window was a courtyard where Ashnard displayed his prizes from hunting.

Now The Keep was filled with memories she could never enjoy again. Her only friend Ike had disappeared, her mother and brother were both gone, and her father cared for all of this the amount he would for a speck of dirt. But she was the Crown Princess of Daein, and she would only have one day to accept all of this.

And one day would have to be enough.

AN: In case you're wondering, this is meant to be a side story to another story that I'm planning. I wouldn't normally upload this before that, but since I've kind of butchered the main story's timeline I'm having trouble making everything fit the way I want it to. This was originally going to be a Prince!Soren story, but somehow it kind of... changed. You still get Soren, but as a girl now (I have no idea where the thought came from.)

Anyway, this will be a collection of small stories about Princess!Soren's life before the main story, not in order, for I will pretty much write whatever I find interesting at the time. However, I will be taking requests, so if your curious about something or have a good idea, let me know. I already have 26 parts planned, so hopefully I'll be able to post some more chapters in the next few days.

Hope you all enjoyed this and look forward to future updates!