Chapter 2: A Reminder of the Past
Snow covers the Great Tree as it comes down in flurries, both a beautiful sight how the frost covers the tree and as it is said, protects it from the cold, and a beautiful sight to see. Owlets play in the winter snow on the platforms making snow owls, playing with snowballs and otherwise anything they could with the frozen water while their parents watch one with some amusement. The more grown up of young owls, the primary children and the teenage Guardians in Training, do not have this liberty of spending their days playing in snow as they have to attend school. Right now, it all but seems that the Winter Term of the GTA is already well underway with their students, particularly the Moon Master Class students of Senior Year, already well underway with their some of final assignments before next term in October/November.
While his wife, Barran, may be the main teacher of their GTA class, it is nothing but normal to have to juggle his part of being involved running the GTA with leading the monarchy and the Guardian side during this time of unrest against them and the Pure Ones. On his rounds between a meeting with their UKO representative, a period of taking Political Studies with Moon Master Class and since it is almost period three, he's back to his office to end up tacking some work since it is, well almost has been, recess, and he is completely free... To tackle all the paperwork on his desk and the rest sitting in the study back in Palace Hollows.
One of the Moon Master Class Students approaches him on his way around, "Sir, what exactly is the limit of the second semester main English assessment again?"
"Well, the Queen is expecting about a minimum of five pages to a maximum of eleven pages all up, plus a bibliography. I'd say about maybe fourteen sources used." Boron explains, reflecting on how much his wife would rather see when she is marking exams and whatnot, "All about the way you write it, lad and make sure that you use the time effectively if you want to try and beat Miss Otulissa and five others for the top of class mark."
"Alright, thank you."
The student heads off as soon as Boron comes to his office, pushing open the doors himself to see his beloved wife sitting there with a bemused look on her face. One nearing the boarder of becoming a somewhat halfway to something bothering her as she peers down on an official scroll from the North, as well as an official letter with the Schana Royal Stamp on top of an official looking box. For what he knows, already trying to find an explanation for any questions she may ask, closing the doors behind him may be a smart choice.
"What are you doing here? It's nearly the end of recess and you have classes next two." Boron asks his wife as he comes across the room
"I wanted to see you, before going back to class." Barran replies, before turning her gaze back to the main attraction of her eyes stare, "What is this?"
The king then stands beside his wife, also looking over this arrival that has been siting there since this evening, "Have you heard the news?"
"What news?" The Queen responds, turning her head, "Did something happen up in the North? Did something happen to-"
"Josh, Lydea and Sina are fine, dear. Nothing has happened to them, but…" Boron clarifies, before breathing a pained sigh, "…Alexander was exiled from the North."
Barran places her wing over her beak in shock, "You don't mean… Oh, Boron… Then that means that you-"
Boron picks up the official letter from the north and opens it, "By the appointment of her highness, Queen Lydea of The North, the titles which have been henceforth stripped from the forbearer before you, Alexander Nyctea, due to his exile have not been passed down to you. From this night, you, Boron Nyctea, are the head of House Nyctea and you shall henceforth be the custodian of the medals awarded to the noble house."
"So in there are…" His mate utters, nearly touching the box before recoiling away from it, "Oh lord, they had to send those omens here?"
"I know, it couldn't be, but I checked myself and every award my father was given by Ricardo and Arin Schana are there. But… Do you know what this means?" the snowy king says before stepping away from the desk and somewhat frantically pacing the room for a moment, "My father, my bloody father, is out probably Glaux knows where in the Owl Kingdoms and could be coming for Ga'Hoole!"
"Boron, he is over fifty years old and even years older than my godfather who's only in his forties and really…"
"Ezylryb is nearly ten years younger than Alexander and has a much more noble history when it comes to the North than that sorry sack of feathers and otherwise. Hell, comparing the Prince of Ambala to a tra-?" Boron says
The bells begin to chime, this marking the signal that the recess is over for the GTA students and their little convocation is well over by now as it looks like since dear Barran has her classes to teach and cannot sit around all night being the lazy aristocrat that she is somewhat descendant from. With a quick gathering of her books for the next lesion being placed in her satchel she places over her shoulder, she gives her husband a small kiss on the cheek.
"We'll continue this later, okay. Don't get too fussed over this, alright… I'm sure we can make light of the situation somehow if we can have some actual time to think over it." Barran says, with an assured and comforting smile on her face, "You have to take class for Star Class 5 and 6 since I have the Chaw Placements happening this afternoon with the kids and as it turns out, I have a few SR probable to take since Autumn's out for now."
"Alright, alright, I will be able to remember that." Boron says, dismissing her off coldly before going behind his desk, "I guess I'll see you then this morning."
"Okay then…" The queen says, with a little suspicion evident in her voice, "Just don't get worked up too much about it."
Barran then goes to the doors, looking back on her husband as Boron then takes his place at his desk and then starts writing some things down. She then just decides to leave it be, knowing how much it can strike home with their former lives as aristocrat children. She then leaves out the doors, which then close behind her as she pulls them shut. Now, they would usually only use one door, at least, but it seems to be a different mood today. Especially as the news did not exactly help on this cold evening of the middle of winter.
On the desk, rest the box that contains the medals that, as he heard, were stripped from Alexander like ripping out feathers. Even if they represent honour and otherwise nobility, they still are contradictory when the man himself wore them, he eventually dishonoured what those medals meant, and went to the all-time low that night when they were turned against everything he had once defended in the war against them, but aiding them take control… Not even Allomere can compare to treachery done by this one owl alone.
Daring to lift the lid of the box, picking it up before placing it aside with much care, even taken to these darn medallions awarded to a foolhardy traitor. Looking on these reminders of a past he wanted to forget shining at him as if they still did the night he left the North and turned his back on his controlling, traditionalist father that he know to be the least manipulative than to be an out and out traitor.
"Whenever he wore these bloody medals, they were no more than a disguise from the true evil and treachery he had in his heart." Boron says, looking down on the offending material inside the box, "I'll burn them if I have to, have them destroyed as I am not letting my son take these things by the time I'm dead and gone. I'm not giving him this burden, not when I have done enough already."
Winter in the canyons, a time when everything seems dusted lightly in a shade of white, but they have not it as bad as anywhere like the tundra up north most mornings aside from a cold breeze that blows through. Of course, most evenings, waking up to it like waking up to the conditions she lived in for half of her life in The North, Nyra would rather sleep than have to get up, and call it no hurry either since it's only early, and cuddling with her husband is pretty sweet too aside from sleep. It's just one of those things that you could never understand when you were younger when being told one day about love when you were supposed to be an aristocrat, born be no more than to be traded and otherwise married off to some highborn bastard that could bring you no true happiness or affection whatsoever. Moreover, from the looks of the first marriage, it still looks like the concept is only still new to her, even in a year since moving on with her life but since dying only a few months before now. The emotional trauma she had sustained from possession, nearly giving up and then spending nearly 10 minutes dead with a gaping slash through her body and her blood everywhere it could get… She has all but now suffers from post-traumatic stress as the result, but like most of the bad evens that have happened the last year and a half, she has just suppressed it away and to move on.
Kludd wakes up and affectionately kisses his wife, "Evening, my beautiful wife of mine."
"What's got you into a good mood this evening?" Nyra asks
"Oh, nothing really… I just feel happy that I get to wake up next to the most beautiful owl in all the kingdoms." He replies, receiving a small smile from his wife, "You going to lie here all morning?"
"If only you were like this most nights during meetings maybe the process would be a bit better." She then says, sitting up a bit
"I don't even like half of the bloody council, Nyra. How am I supposed to get along with them?" Kludd answers in a slight uproar, sitting up to be at par with her height
"Sometimes you can't have it your own way, dear and we need those owls for the embitterment of the empire. Sure, they may be a little… disagreeable and sometimes a little against most of your decisions, but the council is the council." Nyra says, being as honest about her husband's attitude toward their otherwise affiliates of the ranks as delicately as she can
"Yeah, and that is why I want to throw them out the window." He then counters, before taking a deep breath and relaxing, pulling Nyra close to him and kissing her head, "You know, I like mornings like this."
"Yeah, so do I, especially as it is turning out as one hagsmire of a winter, like when I used to live in…" She agrees, before falling silent and breathing a deep sigh to the last few words that would have ended that sentence, pulling herself away, "I think I might get up…"
"What's wrong?" Kludd asks, noticing this sudden change of mood in his wife as she pulls away from his embrace, "Hey, what's the matter?"
The queen pulls on an ice blue cape on her shoulders, acting a little shaky, "Kludd, I don't-"
The husband comes beside the snow coloured owl and takes her by the shoulders, her immediate reaction looking away from his eyes, "Nyra, I told you that you could tell me anything after that night and damn as well I'm an owl of my word so… What is wrong, my queen?"
"It's too reminiscent of the North, this winter…" She replies, uneasy before looking at her husband directly, "Kludd, are you happy? And I mean truly and answer with honesty as I know when you lie."
"Of course I am, why I wouldn't be would be beyond my reasoning as I am a king, warrior…" He answers, the queen rolling her eyes amusedly at the 'warrior' part as he has been injured more times than victorious in combat and she nursed most of those wounds herself, "…And I married the most beautiful, most intelligent and skilled fighter within the whole of the Tytonic Union. If I were to contemplate a divorce, Glaumora forbid, or send you away for that long on the other side of the world… I would kill myself because I would never want to see the one thing that gave me a new purpose in life and the one woman who means the world to me vanishing before my eyes."
Nyra looks away, "I just… It is just something about winter that reminds me of-"
A knock interrupts Nyra as Kludd's attention is drawn elsewhere to the visitor, calling them to enter when it is only just a mere servant and messenger to the least. It seems that duty doesn't take a breather these cold winter mornings either.
"My lord, my lady, yours and in addition, Lady Elanore, presences are requested in the throne room." The servant says
"Oh what is this about now?" Kludd says, walking over to the dressing table where his helm rest, "If it's another issue that they have against my laws I have just implemented, tell them that my word is final and they can shove it."
"What my mate means to say is who are they and what they want." Nyra says to the messenger, herself preoccupied with getting her husband a cape
"It's actually Lord Alexander who requests your presences." The messenger then informs them
"Who the bloody hagsmire is this 'Lord Alexander?" the king then asks, a little peevish in his voice as some 'lord' has just interrupted his morning peace by requesting his and his wife's presences. At this early in the evening when barely the sun has gone down and the moon yet to rise, "Nyra, do you know of this owl or should I show what my new sword can do if it's some prick that-"
"Do tell him that we shall be there promptly." The queen instructs to the messenger, interrupting her husband before he could even think of finishing that sentence, "And do at least tell Elanore she better be wearing a cape when I see her. The last thing I want is for her to get sick."
The messenger bows, "Will do, my lady."
The mere servant leaves the chamber as the queen then keeps looking through a pile before coming across something for her husband to wear. Even if she as a Northerner born and bred can stand winter and the cold mayn't bother her too much anyway either, the main concern here is that no one gets sick any more than they should during the winter months. She comes over to her husband as he fixes his helm. This is about the third one he is on now since losing her first husband's helm in his plunge over the waterfall in Rosewood and by now it has never been recovered and the second he had ended up breaking nearly in half during the Second Siege of Ga'Hoole a few months ago. They can only hope that by the third incarnation of a helm it will be the charm, because even Nyra does not think that the blacksmith is too happy having to make their king a new helm two times now.
"Who is Alexander, Nyra?" Kludd promptly asks
"One of our former business partners from Metalbeak's reign…" Nyra answers while placing her husband's cape over his shoulders, giving the least of a brief summary about this one fellow, "He was quite the informant back in those days… Even if I only knew him when I only just had married, when the North was ten years ours by then. Of course, that was before he got himself captured by the UKO and their bloody underground resistance."
"Yeah and what's he doing here then?" He asks, with a great deal of annoyance to hear about another one of their past informants, "So is he anything like that other little prick, that bloody Ramaxon idiot?"
"No, Metalbeak got what he wanted from this one: the whole of the Northern Kingdoms with as much possibility as he wanted for his expanding empire and the title of Lord High Tyto of the Pure Ones and the King of The North. Otherwise, a place to send me to live near permanently for three years of our marriage for no apparent reasons given." She answers, though grimly when she mentions the last part
"It will never happen again, so it's better to leave the past in the past." Kludd says, kissing her head on his way to the door, "Now come on, we better see this one if he 'used' to be working with your first husband."
Taking his queen under his wing, they exit the chamber and walk down the corridors of this majestic stone castle that is all but the crown jewel of the Pure Ones. It is one thing to be ruler of a whole empire that has been a thousand years in the running and many kings before him being rulers, but for as much history as the other Pure One palaces such as Shadow Pass and the Palace of Darkness; he thinks that St. Aegolius has a little more... Resilience in its running as unlike the others, it is still standing in whole and still standing as used to this day unlike the two others. –Both abandoned and otherwise weathered through the ages when foretold in stories of their history as grand palaces in their day.
He only hopes that Nyra retains any of the resilience she possesses which is at the level of this castle in her strength and will to carry on in the darkest hours. After those events, back months ago back in March primarily something that he can only imagine she could try to move on from all that happened. He could not imagine a life without his beloved, and seeing her that night where he almost lost her was heart wrenching. He clung to her limp, bloody and torn body as she all but faded away and he could have done nothing about it. If it was not for the compassion that she had shown to him and bringing her back, he would have been the one left behind this time and the one left with a kingdom to run... Nevertheless, only Nyra's "daughter" to look after, as his last among words to his beloved was that he would take care of Elanore, as she would have passed on.
"Elanore."
Nyra immediately perks up and parts from Kludd's side to greet her daughter by wrapping her wings around her girl with a warm and too protective hug. Recently than a few months ago, Elanore had turned fifteen and as much as she appeared to have grown compared to images Nyra had from when this now young woman graced her presence as a nine year old, she still hugs her "mother" as if nothing has changed between the years. Kludd knows how much Nyra cares about her, even acknowledging their otherwise adoptive relationship as so, and he just knows simply that Nyra will be a perfect mother to any of their children.
"I see you got my extra sidenote." Nyra says, fixing up the young lady's cape to sit a little less than terribly on her shoulders, "Now, being a lady means that you have to dress accordingly and now that it's the middle of winter means that I only want you to stay warm."
"It's too early..." Elanore complains with a yawn, stretching her wings, "Why did they summon us so early, Nyra?"
"Well, we'll see, dear." The queen replies, patting the younger one on her head, "I'm sure my young general can handle an early wakeup call, hm?"
The group of owls enter the throne room from the side entrance and fly over to the throne at the head of the room. Kludd sits dead centre with his wife to his right and his general to his left. All but looking the picture of sophistication for the first impression for their visitor as the throne room doors at the back of the room open upon Kludd's order to do so. In through the doors comes one of their most important double agents within the whole of their empire. From what he has been told, at one point prior to now hearing this name being mentioned within the court, hearing of how he toppled the Northern Kingdom's monarchy within a night. He did not know until now that this is the Alexander they mentioned one night to him during the gathering of his court. However, he can contradict everything they said, as unlike the former Lyze of Kiel, turned Ezylryb, turned Prince of Ambala, who is almost no less around the same age, Alexander does not exactly look the part of one of their famous champions for the Pure One side. Not counting that it has been only just twenty years since the coup happened, Kludd gazes down, but all he sees is a ragged and otherwise crude older owl with a torn sash underneath his cape. –All but looking like some sort of tragic irony when he thought he knew of better when it came to a legend when he saw one from looking at the "heroes" of the Ga'Hoole side who have throne-blocked him on few occasions now.
Suddenly, Kludd sees that the girls have up and left from his side, approaching their ally that has not been anywhere near here in years as he enters the room approaching the throne. Not even thinking of moving, Kludd just remains where he is at, standing his ground that he is wary on this one.
"My word, Nyra, it has been years since I last saw you." Alexander says with a courteous bow to his queen, "Permission to hug for old time's sake?"
Nyra hugs the snowy owl, unbeknownst to them behind the queen, Kludd is all but glaring daggers down to this owl, "Granted, definitely. Glaumora above it has been that long hasn't it?"
"But the years have been kind of you, my queen. Nothing has changed since I last saw you those years ago." The snowy gentleman then complements, hugging the queen back
"Where have you been for this near decade since we last saw you?" The queen asks, as soon as they part from the informal gesture
"Well, you know me, eight years in and then suddenly something happens and... well... I've spent the last ten years in prison rotting away before that child queen of theirs, Lydea Schana, no less the one restarting the dynasty, exiled me instead of putting my head on a spike." Alexander replies as he paces a bit, "So, what happened to Lord Metalbeak? I heard that news and frankly, he met his fate too, too soon and I wish I would have sent my sympathies, Nyra, I wish I could of."
Kludd glares down at their guest, "He dares bring up Nyra's deceased husband when she has been no more spent a whole year in mourning before now? What kind of 'ally' is he then?"
"Metalbeak was killed during the fight between us and the Guardians..." Nyra dismayingly sighs as she answers, recounting the least of the events of her first husband's demise, "Oh how every night I spend mourning his very death and lay flowers on his grave most Sundays... Of course, I have moved on myself otherwise, with my husband, Kludd, supporting me every step of the way."
"I am sorry, Nyra, truly I-" Alexander says before coming to a pause, when he first lays his eyes on the young lady beside his queen, before picking her up and whirling her around spontaneously "Lady Elanore, is that really you? As I live and breathe, you have grown so much!"
Elanore giggles as he twirls her around before placing her down, her mother in the background also in a somewhat fray of laughs as last time he saw young Elanore, she was only but a young girl at that after his first initial aided escape from the prison in the North. He was only around the young one for five days before the Underground stormed their base there, took him back and took a few more with them.
"My, you've grown so much, lass. I'd think that Nyra has raised you as a lady well enough that you'd make an elegant young lady of the aristocracy." Alexander then says, as he places down the daughter of the Pure Ones
Elanore subtly blushes, but not forgetting her manors, "Thank you, my lord."
"Why are you here?"
Alexander and the girls look up to Kludd, who finally manages to get his word in on the matter at hand, keeping strictly to business. Unlike his the other two, he has been the one keeping on track and all but biding his time until he could actually get a word in when he feels need to.
"I repeat, why are you here?" Kludd asks, peering down with disapproval, "You have the nerve to show up here after losing contact for ten years, and you have the nerve to ask my queen about her first husband's death?"
"Well, someone is acting so hostile." Alexander remarks
"I have to say the same, Kludd. It's not like you to act so hostile to an ally." Nyra adds
"I won't explain my angle, Nyra. You and Elanore, come back right now." Kludd orders sternly, the two girls then coming back beside him in some disappointment, "And as for you, I ask again, why are you here? Answer me or I will not hesitate allowing for the UKO to get you again."
The snowy owl slowly walks toward the throne, "Well, in the light of your hostility and somewhat terrible mood this evening I'll keep it brief. I would like to reinstate my position in the Pure Ones as Northern Commander of our disassembled Pure One faction in the North. Their existence, though I have lost contact with them in the ten years I was imprisoned, still remains, but as an underground, otherwise at risk grouping smaller than they used to be back in our golden days. And to sweeten my claims, I have information about my son and other Northern and their sister, the Ambalan born members of the Ga'Hoole command."
"Tell me, who is your son, Alexander?" The king asks, intrigued for the least that this sorry colleague has a son
"A traitor to my family name and otherwise a little brat who knew nothing about anything and my daughter-in-law is no better." The snowy owl replies, not hesitating an answer, "That whore who calls herself a Goddess turned him against me and everything he had and could have had as I planned his whole life out for him to achieve what greatness he could have through marrying the current queen's aunt. If not, he could have achieved much more if he would have had much more when I took over the North of the late High Tyto Metalbeak."
"Oh Kludd, we must celebrate his return!" Nyra exclaims, jabbing her husband in the side
"Yeah, please, Kludd, please." Elanore agrees with her "mother", begging like a child
"No, we're not just throwing a party! And who said I made my mind up anyway if he shall return?" Kludd snaps, looking to the both of them sternly
"Ah, if you could excuse us a minute..."
Nyra pushes Kludd from the throne, making him almost fall to the ground before fluttering to stabilise himself for a proper landing. He then looks up, Nyra has disappeared before feeling a sudden push from behind him, his wife is telling him to go and he simply stands in protest. She grabs his wing, dragging him across the room as the guards open the door for them. Still dragging him out the doors, she doesn't let go until the doors close and that is when he forces his wing from her grip.
"We're not just throwing a party for an owl who has been in prison the last ten years and the fact that he is a general of a devastated Northern faction of ours means nothing, Nyra." Kludd protests, knowing why she pulled him aside, "We celebrate things if they are celebratory, such as when we celebrated Elanore turning fifteen a few months ago. A birthday is a celebration, not welcoming some idiot into my army."
"You can't just decide when we can or can't hold a party?" Nyra retorts, making a statement for at least her side of the argument
"Yes I can, because I don't even trust him." He harshly snaps, rejecting every little plea she has for this celebration to go on
"The party will go ahead as planned, no matter what you say." She says as she walks past with her head held high, "And if you keep being like this, I'm going to sleep in my own chamber tonight because you're being a brat!"
She then pushes open the doors that she had just exited from a few moments ago, her head still held high in somewhat pride for her win and otherwise just for general snobbery against her husband. Kludd then enters behind her, in an even worse mood than he had when he first came to this summons this early in the evening.
"I'm acting brattish? She's the one acting like a child here." Kludd mutters to himself in protest of what had happened
"I'll have Elanore prepare a space for you." Nyra says to Alexander, upon coming back to the throne room
"Right away." Elanore obediently says with a nod of respect to Nyra
"Seriously?" Kludd scoffs, still in demonstrations against the matter, before he is shot a look from his wife of his, "I won't let it happen and I reserve judgement on the matter."
Kludd and Elanore both leave the chamber though either one of the access ways in. However, unlike Elanore, who is following her orders as Nyra's lady in waiting, Kludd all but storms in in anger as he should be the one who gets final say on everything. He says it to the council and he says it to her that he is the one with the power at the end of the day. To have this owl, this owl who they haven't seen in basically ten years suddenly come back, no less someone he hasn't even met and already doesn't trust be thrown a party. –And yet it is a sign that his wife is a regent, not a consort and never has been a consort and never will be a consort.
Pulling himself away from the office, Boron does not exactly know what he is doing, but only knows that he is away from the medals that he almost has spent half of an hour staring at. The News about his father could not have come at a worse time than during one of their coldest winters so far. During one of their busiest GTA term in ages and when the UKO is in the middle of an assembly that has to do with the ever-prominent Pure One threat that has all but escalated over the last near year since the Rosewood attacks three months after Metalbeak's death.
"Boron, I've been running by the things that our representative has sent over and they're planning to work with the resistance in Kuneer and Rosewood to-" Ezylryb mentions before coming to a pause, when he looks at the worried expression on Boron's face, "You know I know already about what happened. Even when married into royalty now, I still have ways of knowing what happens."
"It's bad enough the last time I ever saw my mother was when she told me that he was a traitor to a kingdom he once was proud to be a lord and defender of." Boron mutters, unhappy to say the least of what he is feeling about this whole ordeal
"If Alexander knows what is at least good for him, that I seem to doubt, he will not set claw or talon in Ga'Hoole without being met with a sword. Of course, I'd consider it that Barran would be the one wielding it as she wants to kill him for what he did." The screech owl prince states
"And that's something else I'm worried about: my wife killing my father." The snowy owl king then says, only making it worse, "I can already imagine her carving him into a million pieces, with two swords."
"Barran is a smart woman, Boron. I don't imagine that she'll do such a thing as she doesn't hold hatred in her heart." Ezylryb states
Boron places his wing to his forehead, "But Glaumora above, I think I need a drink."
"I actually agree on that one. Autumn's been driving me crazy over the last couple weeks and I can hope that it's just a phase she's going through." Ezylryb nods with agreement
"And I already know where Barran keeps the wine in the Parliament, so basically maybe some well-deserved downtime is needed." The king then says
Ezylryb rolls his eyes, "Typical Barran and her games of hide and seek. If you are turning my goddaughter into an alcoholic, I swear I am going to smack you upside the head. You're not too old or too powerful to receive a wack over the back of the head."
Boron laughs, opening the door to the parliament chamber, "And I'd be willing to cop it if you did, and not press charges."
Kludd paces around the throne room around the middle of the night. It was a few hours ago that he has had to bear witness to his wife pretty much taking the control out of his hands and allowing for this former ally, this Lord Alexander of Snowy Tyto, to end up coming back and has decided otherwise to plan a party for him. Every so often, he keeps hearing of things to do with this celebration and it just bothers him that they are throwing a party, that he both disapproves of and he has no word in the planning at all when clearly, this is not what he wanted at all. Nor does he seem to have any word in this matter at all, as it is going ahead no matter how many times he may object.
He has cancelled the council meeting this morning, as he could only imagine them telling him to allow for this former commander and the traitor who betrayed the North to return to command of their armies and rebuild their Northern faction and whatnot... The very idea one that he does not seem to agree with and does not imagine he will. He trusted someone only a few months before and look where it had got him there. He was played as a fool and betrayed; his wife possessed by the demonic whore and Mordecai allowed it and just used him so he could get what he wanted. Moreover then, Aura had used the both of them and Nyra to get what she wanted as well. He would never want to see any of that again, not the siege, but his wife dying in his arms and having no way to save her. –If he were to trust Alexander, get into a situation like that again or worse... If it were the other way around and he would be flying toward the light and away from his beloved Nyra and leaving her all alone again.
The chamber doors open and Nyra enters, with a board, paper and quill underneath her wing. Of course as the planner and otherwise hostess of most of the social events of the Pure Ones, as her main duties as queen, aside from her obligations as a commander of their army, she has always find a way to organise these events and the organising of the organising.
"Kludd, I have to run by you some of the schedule changes for when the ball is..." Nyra declares as she enters, before noticing Kludd is pacing, "You're pacing; is something the matter, dear?"
"I don't trust him." Kludd rashly puts it out there, still pacing back and forth
"Oh Kludd, give him a chance." She appeals, while going through her notes, "It would be for the good of the kingdom if we have the right allies on our side and in the years he did serve under Metalbeak as the General of the North, he was an important asset to our 18-year Northern rule."
He pauses and looks toward her, "Nyra, I just can't, okay... Ever since Mordecai and everything that happened to you six months ago, I cannot just willingly trust someone. Especially if they make promises of glory and all else if it will if it will mean you'll get hurt in any way."
"Kludd it's not your fault for everything that happened. Aura made me do it." Nyra consoles
"Who I can blame for that happened, not Mordecai or Aura, but I blame myself." Kludd mutters, turning his head to face away from his wife, "I let them use me and then... You could have died if she didn't bring you back."
Nyra walks over and places her wings around him, holding him close, "You shouldn't blame yourself, and you shouldn't dwell on it, not anymore. You told me yourself that we should move on from the past, acknowledge it and look toward the future."
"I just... I just cannot do that, Nyra. Not this time if it means that I could lose you again and to lose you... It could hurt me like nothing else ever has, excluding the leg injury that time." Kludd mutters, wrapping his wings around his wife, "Just... Do what you will, but if my decision is final, I just wish you'd respect that instead of assuming my command."
"I know, but... At least try Kludd." His queen says, parting away and picking up her paperwork, "I know you think it's a bad idea, but... I think you need something to take your mind off of everything going on in the kingdom at the moment."
Kludd almost brutally snatches the paperwork from his wife and reluctantly signs on the changes and whatnot to approve the party going ahead. Without another, or even a word otherwise, he hands the papers back to Nyra and she has a grateful smile on her face which is the queen's way of saying "Thank you for tolerating my decisions made". She affectionately kisses her husband on the cheek and heads off without another word, as planning a party takes a lot of work and in the short space of time she has, she may as well spend every second onto it and preparing the ballroom for this event. Short notice, yes, but she calls it a gift of her upbringing as an Northern Aristocrat for about nearly eight years before her parents decided on the other side of the fight. Her parents commanders and nobles within the Inner Circle up until the night they died, she retains all of her Northern heritage they never hesitated to teach her.
Nyra smiles as she looks over her list, "I hope Alex will appreciate how close I will go to a traditional Northern ball with the Pure One twist... Or I will be so pissed if he dares mock the work I am doing and claws will be swung..."
"Oh bugger, this is a real pain in the tailfeathers sometimes!"
Barran slams down her school textbooks and whatnot on the desk, a loud thud sounding out and echoing through the study, as even she cannot believe how much she has had to do today in classes. 'Give it a minute and the guards would come in asking if I was alright' she often says when they end up placing more than their total weight down in a room that echoes half the time. But the only time it ever was an almost emergency was when some of the shelves went down when a nine year old Josh decided to use books as a sort of way to get to something they put up to keep out of his way. The boy was all right, although scaring the hagsmire out of her and her husband as they thought their son could have gotten probably seriously hurt or worse, brought the whole room down on top of him.
When looking over the books to hope she got them all, she finds a letter underneath them with the crest of the Schana on it. Barran moves them aside and picks it up, knowing that it is from her son, Josh. Often most months, she does get a letter from her son, but most of the time, she is the one sending him things to the North, most of the time pleading for him to come down for some sort of event or holiday. The last time he was down was for Ezylryb and Autumn's wedding back in March, and although Boron says he is a busy with things up the North, things aside from being a stay-at-home father, but what does he know when he doesn't usually talk with their son half of the time. She just asks that he come home at least once or twice every few months, the least she can ask for when her son lives so far away now that he has grown up and has celebrated his joint birthday he shares with wife, Lydea, a week or two back, turning twenty. She opens the letter and immediately there is a small portrait of her granddaughter, Sina, on her second birthday a little while back and one of Josh and Lydea at their birthday ball (something that she requested immediately done, as she wants more photos for her collection).
"To Queen Barran of Ga'Hoole,
Dear Mother,
I am sorry for such a delay with a reply, but things have been a little busy up here in the tundra. Sina loved the gift you sent up for her for her birthday, she mayn't understand what it means yet, but what she thinks of it is that it is very shiny in the moonlight. Lydea thought of it as thoughtful herself, as she does have a connection to Ga'Hoole as much as she has with being a Northerner. Weather lately has been cold and snowy, Sina having fun in the snow most nights when her mother has the time. Thankfully, she has not gotten sick or anything, a sign that she is a descendant, but then again, like you say, Northerners are almost cold resistant. –I still have to get used to it even after two years.
The weather seemed to clear up for around the ball, Lydea finally got to do a duty that has been at least enjoyable since half of the time she has been busy with the rebuilding projects and whatnot. You would think after two years that it would be done, but... frankly; it is not and maybe will not be for a few years to come by the sounds of it. However, after eighteen years of Pure One rule and having to move the main capitol to Snowflake Palace two years ago now, I guess it had to move and change with it. The ruins of the old palace remain to this day, and were converted into a memorial site and Lydea and I went there first half of the day to pay our respects to her parents and for the others who died on the Coup. It was but just the two of us there at that time and Lydea... She remained calm about it even when I know it breaks her heart seeing it.
I've thought it time that I come down since Sina always mentions you and dad half the time and she says the most adorable things, this owlet, I swear to Glaux, and I guess it is a sign that she misses you both. So I'd hope you'd be prepared this time as last time you spent half of it with a hangover before and after the wedding and Sina gets disappointed when she can't spend time with her grandmother and let's just hope dad's not busy as she has to seriously spend more time with the darn guy for once. Busy or not, he is spending time with Sina for once.
Speaking of dad, Is he okay, mum? Seriously, tell me honestly, because I heard what happened, you both can't shield me from this truth, and I had to know sometime. My own wife having to tell me that my own grandfather, dad's own dad, betrayed the kingdom to the Pure Ones and killed more than just her parents that night... It is sickening to say the least of how much he has done against a kingdom and I just wonder if dad could have taken that news well. –Lydea couldn't kill him, she couldn't, and I admire the least of humility she shows given the circumstance to let someone live that has done so much, but... he should have died than what the impact of his living has on dad, which I imagine is a great burden.
Just... write me back when you get this and make sure you darn as well be a little more prepared this time. Who knows where this war could be going, mum, seriously, and the Pure Ones seem too much of a threat after two sieges against the tree now and I wouldn't want you both dying when Sina is this young without spending much time with her grandparents.
With love (and to father too may he be well in these dark nights of uncertainty),
Prince Josh of Ga'Hoole
Your Son, Josh."
Barran places down the letter beside her, closing it up as she begins on her reply. She can hope on finding some words to say in response, penning down everything she can think of and more for at least something to say in reply for the most of the questions he asked her and the statements she can answer with a response to.
"To Prince Josh of Ga'Hoole,
Dear my beloved Son, Josh,
I am glad that Sina liked her present, since I spent ages at least scribbling down a design I wanted for that pendant in between marking midterms and whatnot else I had to handle. Believe me, if you father found all those designs, he could swear I was procrastinating when I had things to mark, chaws to lead, lessons to plan and a kingdom to-"
"Barran, where is the mail? I got sent through something that Ezylryb wanted me to check out about the UKO stuff going on at the moment he was telling me about earlier."
Barran looks up from the letter she is writing and Boron is looking through some piles of paperwork, and looking to be in a better mood since this morning when she last saw him. Moreover, the first thing she is picking up is that he is going through the wrong piles, clearly, when some of the letters were sitting over where she has placed down her books.
"That's the wrong table; the letters are over near my books, dear." Barran replies, continuing with her writing, "And Boron, something from Josh has come through. He's planning on coming down for a few days with Sina."
Boron then looks through the mess on the desk, "Oh... Well that is nice. I'll have to remember that when I have the capacity to, which at the moment I don't think I have."
"Oh, so you don't want to have your granddaughter down for a visit then? I'm writing the reply right now you know..." Barran says, contradicting the tone of voice he is giving her, "Oh and I don't suppose that you have been drinking then."
"Oh I have not!" He retorts, while reading the communiqué, which Ezylryb has passed on for him, "And I would be happy to have Sina down, but I'm bloody as well too busy at the moment with both monarchy duties and the personal crisis I am going through at the moment. And does it look like I have time right now to be drinking?"
"Oh please, you're a terrible liar sometimes." She states, turning her head to face her husband, "I can tell when you've been drinking as you seem to always get a little more erratic and otherwise keep forgetting simple things half of the time."
He wraps his wings around his wife, "And that is what I love about you sometimes."
"Now you have to behave as a king, you hear me." She replies, tapping him lightly on the head with a scroll sitting next to her, "Because you're supposed to be serious and everything remember, while I'm the one more likely to help herself to wine and be the childish one outside of politics and ruling."
"And yet I'm supposed to be the fun one, remember?" Boron says with a pout that could be all too comical, "Because it's been a hard enough night for me and you won't let it be until i am serious."
Barran rolls her eyes, "Oh dear... I just wonder where you are going with this. Now, I don't want to find you awake at two in the afternoon reading, because you need your sleep, alright."
"That hasn't happened since about three years ago and that was when I was trying to cram enough French in my brain as I could before meeting the Ambalan Queen Dowager..." Boron argues, defending his case, "...But then again, it doesn't help that I am almost completely incapable of going around language barriers now."
"Are we sure this isn't an early mid-life crisis?" She asks, finishing off her letter and sealing it, getting up from her desk, "Don't stay up too late with the paperwork either."
"Oh I won't, and I don't think talking down is exactly nice either." Boron says to his wife
She shoots him a look, staring for a full thirty seconds before leaving the study to send the letter through to the North. Boron just ends up plonking himself at the desk, looking over some of the paperwork with a sigh. From the looks of things, it doesn't exactly help that so many things are happening at once, and most of the communiqués from the Outpost and all else are all telling the Great Tree to be on its talons considering what has happened and considering how much retaliation against them has been going on in the intervals between months.
Considering how terrible the weather is some nights, the Pure Ones would not even dare try to attack in the winter... Even they have their limits on what they can and cannot do and one of them is all to do with winter, but there has been some heightened activity... although reported to have most of their patrols and whatnot interfered because of the snowfall.
Boron places his wing to his head, "Why did this have to happen now... Why did he have to live as I already can tell as to where he will be going... If only someone lopped off his head during the coup so none of this could happen... I know Lydea would hesitate killing him, as a pacifist and out of respect for my family... Nevertheless, if he ever comes here, or hurts my family, I'll make sure that he doesn't live to see the spring come."
Boron deeply sighs as he picks up his quill and begins on his pile of work... For at least it is something that can at least take his mind of something that not even wine can.